The Screaming Staircase

Content Warning: This section of the guide mentions death by suicide.

Lucy remarks on the different theories that abound regarding the cause of the current issue with ghosts invading homes all across London. One theory suggests that ghosts have always behaved this way and have always emanated from hidden Sources like undiscovered bodies. While it is true that such cases have always occurred, Lucy adheres to a different theory that posits that the frequency and intensity of hauntings have drastically changed in recent times. In the 1950s and 1960s, a spike in supernatural occurrences caused several deaths and was followed by an apparent multiplication of phenomena. Widespread panic resulted, along with the rise of ghost-hunting agencies such as Rotwell and Fittes. Additionally, the government instituted a curfew for safety reasons and sent ghost-lamps to every family. Professional demand for people with psychic abilities skyrocketed, and since this ability is most prevalent in children, people like Lucy and Lockwood stepped up to help.

Lucy recounts her childhood and how her cold, distant father died when she was five. As a mandatory precaution, his body was laden with iron and silver coins were placed over his eyes. Lucy recalls helping her family to prepare the house against the invasion of spirits every night despite being emotionally neglected by her tired mother.