Valerie found herself in an unfamiliar environment. But it didn't take her long to realise that she was on a hospital bed, alone. Hospitals freak her out and been completely on her own was triggering her anxiety. The last thing she remembered was jumping off the balcony with Anthony Lockwood, where the hell was he? After their so called death pact.

She pulled out the iv, grabbed her stuffs and got out of the room. She could hear the nurse call out, "Miss Lockwood?" As she disappeared down the hallway.

Walking down the streets, of London in daylight made her realise what she was wearing. An off blue patient gown decorated with unicorns and rainbows. Did they dress her as a twelve year old for her petite size? This was a fashion disaster. She couldn't get the hell out of the outfit and dunk herself in a warm bath but first, she needed to eat something before she turn completely insane.

George opened the door, and was shocked to see his roommate wearing the most colourful outfit ever. Valerie was compose, she always took the time to plan out her outfits and do her very flashy eye makeup with a silver liner. This was the first time he was seeing her in prints, he didn't recognise on her. "What are you wearing? And where's Lockwood?"

Valerie walked past him, straight towards the kitchen. "Is there coffee?"

The girl was behaving like she was lost in the desert, searching for the last drop of water. He examined her closer. "Wait...you've been in a hospital. Why were you in a hospital?"

"Coffee..." she groaned ignoring the tingling sensations over her body.

George stared at her, she was messed up but she still managed to look pretty somehow. Life was unfair; how can someone be blessed with both looks and Talents. It should be one thing or the other.

Valerie saw the boy just staring at her dumbstruck, yes, she was in the most ridiculous outfit ever and her hair a mess but that doesn't mean he should be staring at her. "In the last 12 hours, I have nearly been murdered by a Type Two. Twice. I've jumped from a burning house, fallen 20 feet face first into a bush, and had a tube shoved down my throat to hoover out my lungs, so just give me a cup of coffee!"

The boy blinked coming back to his senses. "Maybe if you'd waited for me, none of this would've happened."

"You were late."

"I was doing my research. How exactly did the house catch fire, Val?" He asked as he handed her a glass of cold water.

As she was chugging down the water, an old newspaper article caught her eyes. It was the picture of the young woman before she became a ghost. "This woman. Who was she? This is the picture of the ghost who attacked us last night. It felt like...she needed my help."

The boy grounded the coffee beans, "Annabel Ward was a rising star in the 80's, all set for Hollywood, until she went missing."

"We found her body brushed up in a chimney. Someone did that to her."

"Maybe if you'd been more intersted before you went charging in_"

"That was Lockwood's decision. I've only started. What am I supposed to say to him?"

"Lockwood!" He scoffed turning to her, "maybe he wanted to impress you but you were meant to say no, you've to."

She groaned. "Can I have my coffee please?"

The kitchen door swung open and Anthony walked in, his white shirt had stains all over it and his hair had some kind of dust particles. By the look on his face, they could tell he had a long night as well. "Glad to see you two getting on without me_"

"Where the hell have you been?" George asked Anthony annoyingly as he handed Valerie the steaming hot mug of black coffee. "And why didn't you wait for me?"

"Can we please do this later? I need to sleep. Let's catch up over breakfast, yeah? If you can make your ghormeh sabzi with a shedload of rice, I'd love you forever, George."

Valerie sipped her coffee in silence, she'd no interest to know about Anthony whereabouts. She was pissed he abandoned her after forcing her to jump off a balcony in the name of a death pact. What kind of a person even does that?

As soon as Anthony walked in, he saw the frown on her face even though dolled up with unicorns and rainbows. He looked at her, "interesting outfit, Val. Didn't have you down as a fan of unicorns or rainbows."

She rolled her eyes, "get lost."

🪄🪄🪄

When George went up to the attic to show the newspaper article, he'd found Valerie holding a bunch of daisies, submerged inside the tub. It felt like she was trying to drown herself so he pulled her out of the tub, she was a bit shaken but after a glass of warm milk she felt better.

The boy tossed the paper at her, "I've got the whole story now. And so has the rest of London."

"They're blaming us for the fire..." the girl scanned the article, "and they're calling Anthony, Andrew Lockwood." Can't they call him; Anton, Austin or something else? Why Andrew? The memories of her boyfriend from Derry started to creep in again.

"I hardly think that's our biggest problem. We've had a bunch of cancellations. And DEPRAC will be furious."

"Ugh!" She grunted. If Anthony had just done his homework, they wouldn't be in this situation would they? But she was the one who threw the bomb. But if she hadn't Anthony would've been ghost locked by now or worse dead.

George gave her a little pat, "I'll talk to Lockwood in the morning, he'll know how to fix it."

"I wish he never wakes up."

"You're evil, you know that?" The boy chuckled adjusting his glasses.

She leaned back, "he forced me to jump down 20 feet and disappeared, while I woke up all alone in a hospital room...and then he shows up, and says shit like 'didn't have you down as a fan of unicorns or rainbows?' He's annoying."

"That's Anthony Lockwood."

"He's a reckless prick!"

George let out a laugh, she looked extremely adorable angry. "Get some sleep grumpy, goodnight."

"Nighty. Nighty." She gave him a flying kiss as he disappeared down the stairs with a smile.

After George left, Valerie pulled out the ring she lifted from the skeleton and examined it. It was a pretty thing, perfect for a young woman in the 80's.

Valerie fell asleep, until, she felt a strong presence hovering above her. To her distress, she saw the ghost of the young lady floating above her. She felt suffocated, her body felt extremely heavy she was getting locked. Not good.

She used everything in her to say. "If you hurt me. I can't help you. Let me go."

The ghost of Annabel Ward screamed at her, like it realised what she meant. Finally, Valerie was able to move she bolted out of the room and straight towards Anthony Lockwood's bedroom. Because the boy had warned him not to go into George's room without knocking as he'd caught him once doing yoga fully nude.

The boy was asleep. He looked so peaceful, if it was any other night she would've gushed over the moonlight lighting his flawless face but not tonight. "Lockwood, wake up!" She shook the boy, "she's here."

Anthony Lockwood was dead asleep after a long day, he'd not slept like this for days until he smelt the sweet scent of caramel in the air. She smells like caramel. She was calling out his name and shaking him. He realised he wasn't dreaming, it was really her in person, wearing one of his hoodies.

"Who?" He yawned.

"Annabel Ward. The ghost from Sheen Road. Come on, where's your kit bag?"

Never in a million years did he imagine, he'd be woken up in the middle of the night by a girl to inform him a ghost is inside the mansion. "What...?"

"Get up and put a shirt on!" She told him as she exited his room and knocked on George's room. "Casper! Casper!" She called, "Annabel's ghost is here. Get up!"

The boy yelled. "Give me 20 seconds."

Anthony was so exhausted that he just removed his stained shirt and slept off, he didn't even realise he was shirtless until Valerie brought it up. He put on his white round neck T-shirt and walked out of the room, the girl was standing outside George's door wearing his grey hoodie that was oversized for her. But she made it look cute. She might've found it on the attic, he wasn't even mad. Instead he felt excited. Foolish.

George walked out of his room wearing an oversized black T-shirt with no pants on but flash bombs and chains all over him. "All that and still no trousers?" Anthony rubbed his jaws.

"Trousers are for wimps."

"Very well then," Valerie said, "Lockwood is walking behind you and I'm walking behind him."

They slowly climbed up the stairs, towards the attic. The trio entered Valerie's room. Anthony realised, this was the first time he was entering her room after she moved in. She'd decorated it with fairy lights, giving it a warm welcoming glow. She'd even set up a little corner with the sewing machine, after the passing of his mother, none had used that machine until now. Valerie is a seamstress as well? He won't be surprised if she was because from her duvet to her bedspread and her pillow covers were all matching. This wasn't the time to be thinking about her sewing skills.

"You woke up and she was floating above you?" George asked confused, Visitors just don't appear out of the blue.

"Yes." She nodded.

"It makes no sense, that she'd be here." Anthony stated the obvious. "We fountained her source. Covered her body with a silver net."

"How did she even get in here? It's not as if her source is inside the house." George wondered out aloud as he checked the corners of the room. "Maybe you had a nightmare."

Valerie was silent. It was her fault, she brought the ring here but how was she supposed to tell them? And she didn't want to admit what she'd done.

A mist began to appear behind the curly haired boy.

"George," Anthony said steadily. "Don't move."

The ghost of Annabel Ward hissed behind the boy.

"Please tell me it's a wasp." George gulped.

"Stand perfectly still." He slowly tested the chain on his hands.

The image of the ghost was clearer now.

"On second thoughts, move!" Anthony yelled as George crouched, the ghost screeched and headed straight towards Anthony, the boy hit her with the chain. Valerie threw a salt bomb on her and the ghost vanished. Anthony turned to Valerie, "Val...if you've any idea what her source might be, now will be a really good time to say."

"Oh..." before she could say another word, the ghost appeared behind her and screamed. Valerie fell hard on the floor. Anthony flung the chain on the ghost once again as it disappeared.

George helped Valerie up, "where is it?"

Valerie knew she had to do the right thing and she'd to do it fast. "Well, I had her ring in my hand and then I fell asleep with it."

"Oh. Now we're all gonna die." George whimpered. How stupid can Valerie be? Who even does that?

"You what?" Anthony looked at her astonished, why the hell would she lift up the ring of a dead Visitor.

"Like you didn't keep that watch from your first case." She pointed out.

"Can you both stop the couple drama and concentrate on finding the ring." George muttered, "we need to contain it."

"Oh shit!" Valerie pointed towards the wardrobe, "here she is."

The mist was forming into a figure again.

"Get behind me. Hold the chain." Anthony instructed as he stood in front of them pointing his rapier at the ghost. In an instant, the ghost charged forward as Anthony went straight for its throat. George and Valerie split the ghost into two with the chain and before she could attach herself. George threw all the salts bombs at her. The ghost of Annabel Ward screeched and vanished into the sparks.

After they found the ring, the trio went downstairs to discuss. "I didn't know it was the source. I just took it because...it's like I can feel what she feels. What she wants. Uh, it's hard to explain." Valerie explained herself as they sat around the table. The ring sealed inside a glass box.

Anthony believed what Valerie was saying because he knew she was different, even though it sounds impossible. Her gifts couldn't be taken lightly. "A psychic connection." He rose a brow.

"Yes!"

George huffed a breath of disbelief. "I literally cannot believe you stole a source from a crime scene. DEPRAC would bury us."

"Excuse me. I'm not the only one round here who steals sources. What about that ridiculous skull you're always experimenting on? Casper!"

George couldn't believe that Anthony had spilled that secret of his to her. She was pretty and talented but that doesn't mean that—the boy should be choosing her over someone he knew over a year. Anthony Lockwood was totally smitten, there was no denying it. "So you're spilling secrets to her already?"

Before Anthony could justify himself, Valerie said. "Annabel was stuck behind a wall for 40 years with nobody knowing and DEPRAC doing sod all. She needs our help."

"And what does she expect you to do, exactly, after all this time?" George narrowed his eyes.

"Solve this. Get justice."

"She's dead Val. We can't help a ghost. We need to destroy her source and make on. Let her go." Anthony said, trying to put some common sense into the stubborn girl.

The girl drummed the table with her fingertips fretfully. "Come on, caper. Back me up. You love a new experiment. Why throw away the chance to investigate a new phenomenon?"

George leaned back, "nice try peanut but psychic connections are weak science. You felt sorry for her. You heard her death loop. End of story."

After learning that George's middle name was Casper, Valerie started calling him that because she loves the character of Casper and them being agents who hunts ghosts and one of them named Casper was an irony. But Casper was a good ghost at the end of the day. The best one out there.

Valerie knew that George couldn't back away from a new experiment, he wasn't the type of person to give up. He was the real life persona of curious George. "So prove it? Before you destroy the ring, let me try to connect with her one last time. See what else I can feel. Let me prove to you that it is real."

Was this girl for real? She nearly got killed by the ghost of Annabel Ward not once but thrice and she still wanted to test her limits, Anthony didn't know if she was being brave or stupid. "No way. Too dangerous."

George seemed to reconsider. "It is almost dawn. Her ghost will be much weaker."

"No. We've only just escaped with our lives. Twice."

"Because you were unprepared," George pointed out. "This time, we'll do it properly."

Why the hell was George taking sides with Valerie suddenly? Wasn't he the one who was panicking to the core when the ghost appeared? Oh gosh! This girl was mesmerising them both like a siren.

"I need to do this." Valerie looked at Anthony, "please...for me?"

Anthony inhaled deeply, she was going to be the death of him.

21. 02. 2023