Mayhew brought the body up to Elder Godknecht's tower.
"Elder Godknect?" he called. The procession entered the tower.
"My goodness!" Elder Godknecht cried. "Whatever is the matter?" Mayhew laid the body on the ground.
"Oh my" Elder Godknecht gasped. He climbed down from his seat and examined Emily's body.
"What's wrong with Emily?" asked one of the ladies.
"My friends," began Elder Godknecht. "What you see here is not Emily, but her remains. It seems, she has somehow returned to the land of the living in human form." The party gasped.
"But I thought you said that the dead couldn't be brought back to life!" cried one of the skeletons.
"You're right. The dead can't be revived. But our souls never truly die. If our soul was transported to an empty body like Emily's, well- you would have a false being. Emily has become a false being."
"But what did this to her?" asked Bonejangles.
"I will need to study the body for a while, so for now I suggest you all return to your homes. I will call you when I have the results."
****
"Victoria?" Emily called softly. "Is that you?" Victoria turned around from the rocking chair in suprise, and dropped the doll she was holding.
"Oh. Miss Eleanor. I was just-"
"I understand." Emily knelt by the rocking chair and patted her shoulder. "But why in the middle of the night?" Victoria shrugged.
"Miss Eleanor?"
"Yes?"
"Do you.. do you believe in life after death." Emily was shocked.
"Why Victoria! What on earth has brought this on? Victor keeps telling you that you should never lose hope!"
"I know I should never lose hope!" Victoria cried. "But all this time I've had that terrible feeling that we're wasting our time! She's probably already dead!" Victoria looked as if she were about to cry again, but she controlled herself.
"Could you please answer my question?" she whispered. Emily nodded.
"Yes, I do believe in life after death, but I believe there is more a place of limbo than of heaven and hell. I believe we remain in limbo until we prove ourselves worthy of going up or down." Victoria nodded.
"I believe the same thing."
"Then why are you worried?"
"Because if she were to - to die - she would be all alone and so frightened and-"
Suddenly Victor burst into the nursery.
"What on earth is going on here? I could hear you yelling Victoria."
"She's just a little upset" Emily said. "She's had a long day." Victor nodded and put his hand on Victoria's shoulder.
"Come on, dear, you need to get some sleep. It's almost morning and we need to call the police tomorrow." Emily remembered what the Creeper had said about the constable. Why was that young man so important? Emily chose to ignore it for now.
****
As the party had climbed to visit Elder Godknecht, they had not realised the shadow lurking only a few steps behind them. After listening to what elder Godknect had to say, he scampered down the steps, and into the cellars underneath the kitchen. They had been derelict for years, until now. The man strode in to greet his master.
"Creeper?" he called.
"I'm here" came the reply.
"They found the body, sir. Elder Godknecht is examining it now."
"What?! But if he founds out about me then-"
"Any news on Emily?" said the man quickly changing the subject.
"I told you to move that body!" the creeper grunted. "But you'll be punished for that later." The creeper drew a hole in the wall and it opened up to a view of Emily and Victoria sat in the nursery.
"Aww, the little girly lost her babby?" mocked the man.
"Shut up!" yelled the creeper. He listened intently. "So, Victoria thinks her child is dead, does she? Well, we can't let her hopes die."
"But I thought you wanted to-"
"SHUT UP!" the creeper cried flinging the man across the room.
"What was the first thing I told you about my nutrition?" The man nodded.
"I see now. Well good. That little brat deserves some pain after trying to leave me."
"Now, I need you to run some errands for me."
"Anything for you, sir."
"Thankyou Barkis."
****
Victor and Emily finally managed to get Victoria to bed that night.
In the morning Victoria was poaching some eggs.
"Good morning, Victoria." tweeted Emily. Victoria nodded her head, concentrating on the eggs. Victor came down and kissed her neck. She didn't seem to acknowledge him even being there. Victor trotted over to Emily.
"She's in such a sorry state" he whispered. "Best leave her be." The eggs were delicious, and Emily did her best to thank Victoria, but Victoria only nodded. Soon after breakfast, and being dressed, there was a knock on the door. It was the police. There was a gruff old man, with round belly and fluffy beard, and there was a young man, with spiky brown hair and deep blue eyes. Emily wondered what colour her eyes were. She glanced in the mirror, and to her delight they were Emerald green.
"Good morning constable" Victor said, bowing. The constable bowed back, hitting the young man to urge him to bow also.
"Morning, Mr van dort. We're ready for the search, are you?"
"Quite" replied Victor.
"Right then, Andrew, you stay here."
"What!?" cried the young man in dismay. "But you need me for the search!"
"You're only a trainee, and my word is final." He and Victor began marching out the door, and Emily tried to follow, but Victor stopped her.
"I need you to stay here and keep an eye on Victoria."
"But that man is here!" Emily whispered. "Why can't I come?"
"Eleanor, I trust you more than I do that trainee. Promise me you'll stay here?" Emily nodded and watched as the two men left the house.
"So," began the boy.
"Did you have something to say?"
"Uh, hi. My name's Andrew." Andrew held out his hand, then remembered he was talking to a lady. He bowed and almost fell over. Emily could not help but giggle a but. Andrew blushed.
"Oh, I- I'm so sorry."
"It's quite alright" Emily said. "You remind me of a young man a met a few years ago." Andrew smiled at Emily. Emily smiled back.
"I beg your pardon, miss, but, what is your name?"
"It's Eleanor."
"And we are here to look after-"
"Victoria. Speaking of which where is she?" Emily glanced around. The house was silent. She climbed the stairs, calling for Victoria. Andrew climbed nervously behind. Emily strode along the landing, and then noticed the bathroom door was closed.
"Victoria?" Emily called knocking on the door. "Are you in there?" No reply. Emily opened the door slowly, and screamed at what she saw.
Lying faced down in a bath full of water was Victoria.
"VICTORIA!" Emily screamed as she ran to her friend.
