Locklyle, George, and a Haunted Coffee Shop.

1

As Lockwood and I descended the stairs into the dreary, old basement, chains on our backs and rapiers on our belts, I suddenly heard an ear drum bursting psychic scream. I covered my ears with my hands and dropped down to the floor.

Noticing my expression, Lockwood turned on his heel and stared at me with a questioning look on his face. He took a moment to understand what was happening before approaching me.

Looking up, my eyes locked on an apparition of a young man shrouded with ghost fog. Sensing my gaze, the ghost turned its translucent body towards me, and the screaming stopped.

"H-h-help me... m-m-mother..."  it rasped to me.

"It's asking its mother for help..." I tell Lockwood.

All of a sudden, the ghost's head lurched to the right and landed at an awkward angle. Its death was caused by hanging. I looked up at the rafters, and noticed a little bit of rope.

"Lockwood, cover me." I said, already starting to climb up a near-by pole.

" Lucy? What the HELL are you doing?" I heard Lockwood spout.

"Sealing the source, you bumbling nit-wit. And lookout, that thing could attack you." I countered quickly.

By now, I was sitting on the rafter using my pocket knife to cut the rope. It took me a minute if struggle before I was able to put the piece of rope in a small silver seal. Lockwood was spent, so when the apparition was gone he was panting with his hands on his thighs.

............

George burst through the house's front door as Lockwood and I were packing up our gear and getting ready to leave.

"Guys! you'll never believe what- wait, you're already done?" George questioned.

"No," Lockwood drawled, "we're just packing up because we couldn't get rid of an apparition."

I huffed at Lockwood's sarcasm, he knows that's my thing. "It was suicide by hanging, George. It was easy."

He gave me a look, "Actually Luce, he didn't commit suicide."

"Um, he had a broken neck and was calling for his mother's help." I stated, cocking my head to the side.

"His mother was the killer. She wanted to marry him off, and she got mad when he said no." George explained.

"Wow, a murder that we didn't have to solve? That doesn't happen very often." I joked.

"Damn, what do we do now? We don't have anything to research, no criminals to fight..." Lockwood joked.

"I dunno. But what I do know is that I am famished. And I know a great coffee shop just around the corner... and it's one of the new shops the government made to make people think that it's safe now, so it's not huanted." George suggested.

And that, is how we ended up at the haunted coffee shop.

............................

"Honestly George, Would it kill you to take even the shortest shower?" I say while walking beside him into the coffee shop

The place was...cozy. With a small interior and warm glow, paired with the enticing smell of coffee, you couldn't help but feel comfortable in here.

"Well, Lucy. It honestly would. You see, I have this condition where I simply don't give a damn." He replies.

"You really are annoying."

"Oh Lucy, I try, I really do."

"Guys. You need to order." Lockwood inserts  before I could retort.

The lady at the cash register takes our order with a chuckle. She is older, but not super old, she looks like your mother's cooler sister.

"You three are agents, right? Lockwood and Co.?"She asks.

"Yes ma'am. How did you hear about us?" Lockwood asks politely.

"You're well known!" She practically cries. "It isn't every day an independent company like you can do the things you guys do! You three are INCREDIBLE agents!"

"Well thank you." I say surprised that she is so excited about us.

"It really is an honor to meet you guys!" She says, leaving to make our coffee.

"Lucy watch your back." The skull jar suddenly says. But Ignore it, no way I'm letting it ruin our time here.

"Because I would totally believe you, I mean, it's not like you've led me wrong before." I whisper to the jar.

"I think we should start coming here after most of our cases." Lockwood tells us.

"That'd be great! Jennifer is really nice, and this place is really calming." I reply.

Then something weird happens.

The lights turn off.

A green fog rises.

And Jennifer runs out of the back.

"Sorry guys, you are the agents and you have your duffle bags, so,uh, I'm outta here!" She yells behind her shoulder, rushing out the door. And then she locks it.

"I told you so." The skull jar taunts.