Hello there readers! I've written a few fanfics before, but not for Skulduggery Pleasant. i did start one ages ago, then came back to it and completely forgot where i was going with it :P

OH WELL.

This is a short story i wrote for an english class. The girl had no name, and is still un-named in the story, but it is implied that she is Valkyrie (if you didn't already work that out ;) )
So yeah, i'm not sure if i should continue it on or just leave it as an open ending... R+R would be fantastic :)

She sat at her computer, the screen reflecting a flickering light onto her face. A half finished cup of coffee sat steaming on a pile of unopened folders, the strong aroma wafting through the large office. Her team had long since left, and she felt a drop of loneliness sliding down her throat. She turned her head to a framed photograph showing her and her then-friend, Skulduggery, Tanith, Ghastly...Fletcher. She felt the loneliness catch in her throat, and send one of its droplets down her cheek. They had been the days, before it had all fallen apart. Before Fletcher had succumbed to the madness and killed himself, before Tanith and Ghastly had moved to England, before Skulduggery had been promoted, leaving her alone. She felt the sadness well up inside her, but she kept it solidly harnessed. It was definitely getting late, she ought to go home. She needed a chat which Gordon would happily provide. Just as she began to tiredly collect her belongings, the phone rang. She reached out with the air and sent her phone zooming into her hand. She smiled momentarily, remembering the days when she used magic all the time. Now it was just a guilty pleasure, something she cultivated only to pass the time. Skulduggery was on the other end of the phone, telling her to get out into the field. They had been given a tip off, and she was the only one available to go and check it out. She begrudgingly agreed to go, and hung up on him. She often wondered if he missed her, working up top with important men in well made suits. She knew that she missed him, but she was careful not to show it too much. He was her superior now. What with his double job, up top in both the mortal and...other… world. She never went there now. She was no longer needed, so she didn't see the point in going. She grabbed her leathers that Tanith had long ago given her and briskly stepped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

As she slipped on her helmet and zipped up her jacket, cold slime was trickling down the insides of her stomach. She got on her bike and started the engine, her mind willing her body to stop the process which was driving her to the building. The gentle hum of the engine on neutral calmed her slightly and then she took off, speeding down the street and round the corner. She rode recklessly to try and shake the feeling of angst from her mind. She wished her team could have joined her; more and more, recently, she had begun to find that the things she was seeing were reminding her of things she wished she could forget. Tanith, Ghastly, the other world, her sister… she blinked and quickly turned her bike. She skimmed against the wall, her black pants wearing away against the rough brick. She swerved away from the wall and focused on driving mildly safely. When she arrived at the house, the sky had darkened to a navy blue. The house looked empty and cold, like it hadn't been touched for many years. She pulled out her phone and called her team , saying she wouldn't be long. Then she called Skulduggery, and told him that she didn't appreciate being brought out for prank calls.

She sighed and then pushed open the door which creaked open on one hinge.

The air in the house was musty and thick, like the inside of a vacuum cleaner. All was silent except for a quiet whirring that sounded like a fan. She slowly made her way through the house. She was puzzled. All the rooms, dead quiet and dusty, hadn't provoked any memories. It was slightly disconcerting, but weirdly enjoyable all the same. Then she came to a door. This was interesting, because thus far she had only come across empty doorways. There was flickering light coming through the crack between the crumbling wood frame and the strangely new looking door. She shouldered the door heavily and it sprung open, sending her stumbling at the doorway. She steadied herself against the frame and looked at the room.

It was dark, save for the image being projected onto the wall. Specks of dust were reflecting the light, little floating stars swirling in the air. The image was dark, the silhouette of a small boy running through a grey-black suburbia. As she entered the room, she tried to make out the shapes of furniture or people, but to no avail. The darkness was complete, pressing in on all sides of the girl as she watched the projection. The boy walked across a black landscape shaped by black buildings and deserted homes. She watched in mild fascination mingled with sorrow as the images awoke memories within her, and suddenly tears were rolling down her cheeks like marbles down a slope. The boy jumped from a ledge and landed on a surface that exploded, a bear trap springing from the ground and piercing the child's figure. The shape went limp and she looked away with a grim look on her face. As the shape of the boy fell to its knees, she noticed a crack in the wall. She approached it and put her hand on it, feeling the cracked plaster under her fingers. Then the image stopped, the lights went off, and she was lost, plunged into sudden darkness that was thick as treacle. She gulped for air as the darkness smothered her, and she felt the crack under her fingers. It felt eerie and cold, and she traced it to a sudden protrusion. The projector flicked on again, and she found herself staring at the hilt of a thick kitchen knife.