I apologize for a slow and sappy chapter. (For those who dislike that kind of reading).
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"Sally and Valkyrie have a messege for you." "What?" Jack breathed. Nymphetamine peered around the corner. Valkyrie's face appeared, "Skulduggery? Skulduggery?" "Valkyrie, I'm here." said Skulduggery as he walked closer to the floating screen. Sally's face came into view next. "Sally!" "Jack! It's so good to see you." Nymphetamine motioned Elora to come to her side. "Where are you?" Sally asked. Jack hesitated before saying, "Hell." "What!" "I never could imagine you with hair." Valkyrie said to Skulduggery, "Now I know."
He smiled. Tears began running down her face. "Me and Skulduggery are trying to find a way out." Jack was saying to Sally, "There has to be a junction somewhere." "There is." Nymphetamine spoke. He nodded. "If this doesn't work, this may be our last conversation together." "Can you give us a minute?" Skulduggery asked Sally and Jack. Sally nodded and left, Jack walked out of the room, Elora accompanying him. Nymphetamine stayed invisibly around the corner.
Skulduggery let out a small laugh. "Did you miss me?" "Not particularly. Your easy to replace." "Ouch." She cried, "Oh Skulduggery, you can't leave me! I need you. What am I supposed to do if your gone?" "Stop crying." He so much wanted to reach out to her. "If... if I had gotten there sooner, I could have been able to save you." He hated seeing her this way. "Dang it, Valkyrie it's not your fault." She shook her head. "Stephanie, listen to me." It had been three years since he last used her real name, "I may not be there everyday of your life but rest assured I will always be watching over you." Something wet began to form around the edge of his eyes. Shiny ice crystals that Valkyrie had never seen before.
"Thank you." she whispered. He cleared his throat. "Valkyrie it's not the end of the world." "I'll miss you." she said, "I will never forget you." Skulduggery so desperately wanted to wipe those tears. Without thinking he reached out his hand to her. His finger tips touched the surface, it was if it was water but except on the other side it was dry. He pushed his hand through, slowly curling his fingers toward her face. When his fingers were exposed to the air on the other side, he began loosing his flesh, returning it to it's original bone.
Valkyrie gasped as the boney fingers wiped her tears. "Now," he choked, "Don't be running off with any random skeletons you hear?" She laughed and grasped his hand. "I love you." she whispered. Those three words struck Skulduggery like a cannon ball to his heart. Then Iris intruded, "Alright that's enough. Let Jack and Sally talk now." "Bye." Valkyrie said as he retreated his hand. "Bye." he replied. Sally's face came into view. "I'll go get Jack." he said absent mindedly. He walked out of the room, not noticing Nymphetamine as she backed out of his way. Jack stood leaning on a counter.
When he saw Skulduggery, he ran to the room. "Sally." he breathed. "Jack." she replied in the same tone. "I'm sorry I let you down, Sally." "It's not your fault you were taken from me." "I'm always going to be with you." "Oh Jack." she began to cry. She placed her hand against the surface of the screen, the feel of glass. Jack did likewise but his hand went through the thin field. Clutching her hand now with bone.
Then he had an idea. On the look on Sally's face, she did too. She grabbed his hand in both of hers and pulled. Jack was lifted up to the floating vortex. He couldn't be pulled any more then to his chest. Sally turned her head around like she heard something then back to him. "Iris says your soul is trapped and locked in that realm." "Explains why my chest won't go through." He let go of Sally, grabbed a chair and stood on it. He put both his arms through and held them out. "Come here Sally." he said softly.
She leaned on the portal and he wrapped his arms around her. He laid his head on her shoulder and stroked her hair. Her tears fell on his sleeve. They stayed like that, in silence. Then Jack ever so slightly lifted his head and began to sing, "My dearest friend, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you by your side." Sally swallowed. "..Where we can gaze into the stars." "And sit together," Sally joined him, "Now and forever. For it is plain as anyone can see, we're simply meant to be." Their lips met and moved in unison. When the stopped, Sally whispered to Jack, "I love you." He grinned, "I love you too." he answered just as sweetly.
She winced, "I have to go now." Jack stepped off the chair. "Goodbye." he said. "Goodbye." The portal swirled, getting smaller and smaller until it was gone.
The Iris Estate...
Sally stepped away from the mirror and heard muffles from her left. Spiderella had a black handkerchief in her hands and her eyes were the color grey. "It's ok." said Sally. "I know," she sobbed, "It's just that you and Jack and Skulduggery and Valkyrie. It breaks my heart." Sally gave her a tight hug. "Oh God everyone please just stop crying, your going to move me to tears." Norm cried putting the back of his hand to his forehead.
I'm paralyzed but I seem to be struck by you. I want to make you move because your standing still. A phone began to ring in Norms pocket. His hand dipped into his pocket. Valkyrie walked over to BJ, eager to get her mind off of Skulduggery. "What does Norm do?" BJ bent down to her level, "Norm is the Sanctuary’s Treasurer. In charge of money and taxes and such, thus needing us body guards." Norms face was serious as he listened. He turned his back to them, talking in a whisper. After a minute or two, he hung up, his arms going limp at his side. BJ and Leah ran to him immediately.
"What's wrong?" Leah asked. "The world is going to end." "What are you talking about?" Norm rubbed his eyes with his fingers, "A Faceless One has made it to the Sanctuary." Valkyrie watched as their faces turned to worry. "How is that possible?" Valkyrie yelled in anger, "I thought Skulduggery and Jack got them all in." "Oh no..." Iris breathed from behind her. "It's killing all the leaders." Norm whispered. His hand went to his throat. "Crap we need to get out of here." said Iris walking out of the room. Sally followed.
"Where are we going?" Iris bit her lip, "We have to get Skulduggery and Jack." Sally smiled, "So there is a heart." Iris raised an eyebrow then said, "Come on."
Land of the Dead...
Skulduggery grabbed the gangster fadora off the hat rack and put it on his head. Almost like the old days, Skulduggery thought as he smiled at himself in the mirror. There was a knock on his door and Nymphetamine walked in. "Oh you look dashing." she smiled, "Almost like Al Capone. Just a little bit thinner." Skulduggery slipped on a pitch black trench coat, "Al Capone never looked as good as me." She laughed.
"Men in suits are never good news. I called for a meeting with the devil. Vladmir should be here any minute." He grunted, "Time to make a good impression." The door bell rang through out the room. "They're here!" Elora called. When Skulduggery and Nymphetamine arrived, she opened the door. Vladmir walked right in, "I don't even know why I rang the doorbell." Another woman followed after him. She was thin and pale and had long black hair. She wore a black jacket and blue ripped jeans. Her lips were a blood red and her eyes were grey.
She inhaled and looked at Skulduggery and Jack. "Ah, don't you two smell good." Vladmir looked at her then at them. "This is my girlfriend Lune." "Nice to meet you." Skulduggery slightly lifted his hat. She smiled showing her white fanged teeth, "Oh a respectable soul." "Enough small talk." Vladmir snapped, "Let's go." "Can Elora and Nymph accompany us?" asked Jack. "Of course they can. If they don't get in the way." Elora kissed her fingers and hit them against her bottom. Vladmir snarled and walked out.
Elora dipped her head low and grinned. "I think he likes me." "Don't flatter yourself." Jack poked her. The followed after Vladmir and Lune. "Ladies first." Skulduggery held the door for Nymphetamine.
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Oh hope you all liked this chapter, if not....well...
More to come
Lune is PumpkinTeenQueen.
