Haunted: A Lockwood & Co Story

Chapter Nine: Bickerstaff's Manor

Charlotte walked down the stairs to the kitchen. She had changed into a pair of acid-washed ripped jeans and a cropped white t-shirt. She threw on a purple cardigan that had daisies on it. She had a smile on her face as she thought back to earlier. Charlotte pushed open the kitchen door to see George sitting at the table, surrounded by books and papers. Lockwood was over by the window, which had a crack in it. He had changed into a gray T-shirt. George looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Good. You're both here. I should catch you guys up on my Bickerstaff research." George said as Charlotte sat down opposite him. Lockwood then turned and placed a mug of tea and a plate of boiled eggs in front of Charlotte. Charlotte gave him a grateful smile as she started to eat.

"What happened to the window?" Lockwood asked George as he sat down.

"Oh. A bird flew into it." George said dismissively.

"Is it alright?" Charlotte asked. George shrugged. Charlotte thought that was weird but let it slide.

"So it turns out Bickerstaff was a highly respected clinician, psychiatrist, a pioneer of new techniques. He held secret gatherings in his house in Hampstead, and they would have remained secret, too, if it wasn't for Mary Dulac." George told them. Charlotte picked up a piece of paper in front of her and scanned over the page.

"Who's Mary Dulac?" Lockwood asked.

"This says she was a guest that went missing." Charlotte said, with a shrug.

"She just vanished into thin air after attending one of Bickerstaff's meetings." George added on. "But here's the weirdest thing. She turned up again ten years later out of the blue, but she had gone completely mad."

"Because of the bone glass?" Lockwood asked, shifting in his chair.

"That would make sense, wouldn't it?" George stated, pointing at Lockwood. "But why does everyone want it so badly? What can it do?"

"What apart from drive you mad and kill you?" Charlotte asked, sarcastically. She placed the paper down.

"I think it's more than just a dangerous relic. I think it's something completely unique." George said, looking back at the papers in front of him.

"Oh, well done." The chilling voice of the skull said. This caused Charlotte to whip her head around to where the skull had been sitting for the last day. "Finally, you're waking up."

"Lottie, what's the matter?" George asked, as Charlotte continued to stare at the jar.

"It's speaking again." Charlotte said not taking her eyes off the ghost. She then spoke to the ghost as she got up to walk closer. "What do you mean, 'waking up'?"

"Took you long enough, didn't it?" It said.

"Charlotte, what's going on?" George questioned.

"It's talking to her." Lockwood told the boy. Charlotte heard the chairs scrape as Lockwood and George stood up at the table.

"If you know so much then, why don't you help us? Or are you just selfish?" Charlotte asked the ghost.

"I'm a mere acolyte. My master has the answers." The skull told her.

"Your master?" Charlotte asked in confusion. "Wait, that's what you meant the other day. You know Bickerstaff!"

"I knew he'd return to finish his work. My master's power cannot stay buried." the ghost declared. Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows.

"What is the bone glass? What does it do?" Charlotte questioned. The skull knew a lot so why not ask him this.