A/N: It's what the title says, an adaptation of the original horror screenplay that was never used for the movie, with my own tweaks and all. Some of the scenes that are in the script will be either eliminated or re-written to fit this particular storyline I am trying to create, while I add several scenes of my own, like the one you are about to read. Rated T for now, though the rating will go up in future chapters.

Normally, under any other circumstances, the rights to Beetlejuice would go to Tim Burton, but in this case, the rights go to its original creator, Michael McDowell. I am aware that some people think his script is crap, but I believe it could make a decent AU fic, so I gave it a shot just to see what I can do and where I can go from that.

Chapter 1

''Time to come to me, dear. Come closer, my queen, come.'', an ominous voice called in the distance within the confines of what appeared a deserted night club. She heard it going through the empty spaces of the room, as if trying to reach for her, although she wasn't sure it was addressing to her specifically.

A young girl who found herself walking in the interior of that club was dressed in a transparent white night gown, and started walking towards the direction of that voice. She turned her brown orbs around, inspecting anyone or anything that wanted to hear what was transpiring at the moment.

After reassuring herself that she was alone, the girl tucked a strand of her long black hair behind her right ear and continued her walking until she reached the middle of the room, ending up surrounded by a row of stray chairs and tables. Some of the furniture were turned upside down, as if they were part of the aftermath of a great brawling that could have match the fury of the immense fights that went on in most saloons of the Old West. For some odd reason, she recalled her father trying to capture that sense in one of his first novels in the Western territory, but he told her how much of an amateur he turned to be when it came to those things and that, perhaps, he should stick to writing the good old mystery and crime stories the public knew him for.

In front of her was an empty stage, the kind used for various performers such as magicians and ventriloquists to show off their skills in their respective arts, though it could be also used as the area of up-and-coming rock performers coming to display their musical efforts and see if audiences that hanged around places like that would like to get a load of their talent.

However, no one was in that stage, which looked more decrepit and deserted than the other places inside that club. The young raven-haired girl turned her back on it, not interested at staring into complete emptiness and nothingness, and she would have continued her route, until she was stopped dead on her tracks when she heard those strange lyrics booming over the stage area, making her feel as it was actually addressing to her.

''Oh, young soul, put off your flesh and come

With me into the quiet tomb.

Our bed is lovely, dark and sweet

The earth will swing us as she goes

Beneath our coverlid of snow

And the warm leaden sheet.''

The girl finally turned her head to see that the darkness of the stage was slowly giving way to an illuminating blue light, even if they were no projectors to light the stage area at that moment. In the center of that stage a shadowy figure was gradually materializing and it took what appeared to be the shape of a man, sitting in a stoolie with a guitar in his hands, and he continued reciting his poem-like lyrics from a piece of paper what was attached to the very end of that guitar.

''Dear and dear is their poisoned note

The little snakes of silver throat

In mossy skulls that nest and lie

Ever singing, ''Die, oh die!''

This was the moment the young girl felt something rather strange indeed was happening now, and a voice in her head scream to her that she should run, and get out of that club as still there was some time, but something inside her kept her standing in her place, never really wanting to leave and miss the mysterious artist's usual and yet so heartfelt song of his.

It is as if the lyrics were written for her and they were referring her dull life and her longing to find someone who would be trustworthy, caring and understanding. Someone who wouldn't be turned off because of her obsession with the mysteries of death and what could be beyond that veil of mystery and exciting prospects. While mysteries such as these would only provoke an essence of fear and disgust in others, she has always been rather interested in that matter and never oblivious of its existence, which was why she really wanted to know, but only if her companion was as willing and as determined as she is. That was when she started walking once again towards the stage, never minding any consequence of her actions, only wanting to get a glimpse of the man in front of her, who apparently reached the end of his song.

''Sweet and sweet is their poisoned note

The little snakes of silver throat

In mossy skulls that nest and lie

Ever singing, ''Die, oh die!''

Once the man recited the last lyric of his song, he stood up and let the instrument fell beside him, not caring for the noise it produced, disrupting the night silence that permeated the entire club. The young girl was now standing close to the stage, her head cocked upwards, trying to take a good look at the man, still shrouded by an inexplicable amount of blackness, obscuring any of his facial features.

''Wow, that was a great song. I really liked that. Did you write it for me, by the way, because I felt like this thing was about me the whole time, or maybe you..and me, even though I got to be dead wrong.'', the girl said to the mysterious figure, pointing her fingers to him. The figure in question remained silent, slightly irritating the young girl.

''Hello. Hello, anybody home? Hey, I am talking to you, and I really meant what I just said. I am surprised why you wanted me to come here a hell of good song like yours in a trashy place like this. I may be wrong about that as well, but you deserve to perform in better places unlike forgotten club. Not that I know many of them, but...''

''What is there that you really want to know about me, little girl, and why you thought for a moment that I written it for anyone else but you? Of course, it was you and me, little princess. How long it took to get your act together.'', the mysterious figure coldly responded

''I am sorry, but what do you mean by act, exactly? I'm probably having a problem getting that, so you could clarify what it is that you want with me?'', the girl asked.

''I only want what I sang for, sweetheart, my little babes. What I could never get if I was normal like you.''

''Normal, like me?'', the thought crossed the girl's mind, while she tried to find the right words to give a straight answer to this mystery guy, only responding according to her age and naiveté.

''Believe me, if you met my folks and my sis, you would change your idea about normal for good. I am not lie them, you see. I am like you and I would really love to take a good look at who are you, really?''

"Who am I? ''Who am I?'', you say? If you really want to know what's behind those cold eyes, well...you need to get past my disguise'', the man exclaimed, and once the final word let his mouth, something peculiar was happening to him.

His head was changing and a shock of dirty blonde hair was framing it, with the face enlarging and his eyes were human-like, albeit the black orbs were shaped like the one of a snake. An enormous pair of leather wings was sprouted from his back and his hands now resembled more of an extinct reptilian species, and the same appeared to be true for his legs. The overall transformation was completed when a tail sprouted underneath his wings, and the end of it had a miniaturized version of his real head, with a wide grin forming his lips.

''How about that, kid? Don't you like it? Don't you like me and my friend on my tail?''

She turned to run, but she became entrapped when the tail-thing wrapped around, though careful not to put any pressure on its victim and obey its master by giving her towards him.

The young girl started to feel apprehensive about the whole situation and started crying out in the dark, in the hopes that anyone would hear her plead.

''Help! Help! Somebody help me! Anyone! Please help me! Anybod..''

''Don't expect anyone to come to your help, so quit whining like the piece of shit you are sometimes, and listen to me. Listen!'', the monstrous being now yelled, hoping he would get from her the attention he was requesting.

With a few tears now streaming down her cheeks from her closed eyes, the young girl reluctantly obliged and with gritted teeth she opened them to greet the sight that was in front of her, the being who still had done a great job of hiding itself in the shadows, showing only some parts of his torso, namely his legs, hands and abdomen, while his eyes were staring hard at her prey, which now they were changed into orange like rubies, with black like slits slicing them in half.

''Technically, we haven't met yet, but I promise you that when I am out, I will look for you. So you better be ready, both you and your folks, especially your new-found friends in the attic.''

Now she was confused and she couldn't do a decent job of hiding that fact from her face. What did it mean by the new-found ''friends'' bit, and what attic? She was living in New York almost all her life and she'd never been to any of those suburban homes that had attics and all that, nor did she make any friends who for some reason chose to live in some obscure corner in the attic of their home. Who in their right mind would have? It was so weird even for her. The closest thing to friends she had were from the high school she had been in last year. How come this stranger referred to a bunch of people she didn't have any clue about? She felt that the answer would pretty soon, as she saw the monster pondering a while at his last comments.

''Well, to be honest, princess, you haven't met them yet either, but you will once you and your family move your asses from that dingy house of yours, and settle in a town that you never heard of it north of where you are now.''

It wasn't one iota funny and all she wanted right now was to get out of his grip and go home. None of these made any sense to her and the only thing that were north of where she lived where nothing but little towns and some dumb hicks who most definitely would have little empathy for who she was, so what was the big deal over there?

''Okay, look, I don't want any more trouble, so if you let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone about our little encounter. If you'd be so kind, could you let me get out of her...'',

''You are in no position to make any fucking demands with me, so save your breath, and don't worry. You will be back home, all right. But not like this.", the monster angrily exclaimed to her, not caring how the black-haired teenager would get all this. And all of a sudden he started laughing maliciously, his laughter echoing through the spaces of the building both of them were in.

''And what do you mean by going back home ''unlike this'', you demented big bully? And you know what? There's not gonna be any moving to happen any time soon, mister, so let go of me or you are in serious heap trouble, now. What do you say about that, huh?''

The being was not in the slightest disturbed by the youngster's ranting, keeping his hysterical laughing going. He only ceased when she spit him in the face, a sign of disgust both to him and his sick antics. While he was supposed to be irritated, he only wiped the glob off with his reptile-looking fingers and turned his head towards her, an angry look framing her face.

''I have got to admit it, kid; you have one hell of a fighting spirit. Maybe with a little coaxing and if you primp your hair up a bit, you will be a doll, and the only queen I ever wanted for me and my taking, sweet little angel of min..''

She spitted him a second time, hitting him almost between the eyes, before going into another route of ranting.

''Fuck you! Fuck you, you asshole! Fuck you, and don't ever come to look for me, if you know what's good for you, because I don't give two shits what you think of me. I don't want to be your queen and never will be. Stay away from me, my family and...''

''You really love them, those fucks? Can't you imagine how grand a force we could become, you and me? You get to see what's mostly to look for when you are gone for, and I get the one person I may have finally found in you in what seemed to be one hell of eternity, filled only with grief, service, shit, no real fucking, like that...'', the being tired to carry on, only to be interrupted by his prey.

''I don't know if you are retarded, or you just don't take hints, but I don't want anything to do with you, degenerate nature freak, nor do I want to be your queen. Got that, you psycho?''

The being just tightened his grip on her and though for a moment before making his decision, while unbeknownst to her, a black hole was starting to take shape.

''You obviously don't have any real idea who are you dealing with, but I will buy my time, for now. And once we meet again, you will want to be my queen, whether you hate my guts or not. Until then, babes...'', his tail slowly is loosening his grip on her, her feet touching the endless void.

'''Sweet dreams.'', the being completed his sentence, letting her victim fall into the void, loving the sound of her scream as she fell into black space, letting his lips curve into a smile.

The girl was still plummeting in the black void, and she continued to fall down, until...

She had woken from the dream, shooting upwards from her bed. She could see from the window that it was raining outside, and she checked her digital clock in her vanity to see what time was it. She became relieved when she saw that it was almost 7:00 in the morning, and it was Saturday, so no school or any of those jocks trying to get in her pants as usual.

Not feeling relaxed to go back to sleep, she uncovered herself and went to her closet to change in another shirt, at least the ones she wore when she was moving around the house. Once she changed into a brown shirt and a black panty, she decided to move downstairs after leaving her sweated shirt from yesterday's night in the chair near the vanity mirror. She opened the door cautiously, so as to not awake anyone and moved towards the staircase that led to the family living room.

To her surprise, the television set was on and there was only one person who would wake up to go watch her favorite show at this hour, namely her younger sister. She descended the stairs in her deep blue sleepers, and not surprisingly, the person in question was sitting with her stomach flat and her little head up towards the screen. It was showing what must have been ''The Muppet Shows'', and after that, she could catch the Care Bears show or something of that nature coming on heavy rotation on the NBC channel.

Too bad she had woken at that hour and not 4:00 in the morning, where the teenager could have caught some old black and white thriller, like a Hitchcock film or any of those old movies that some channels broadcasted during this time. She reminded herself the last time she was caught by her father to watch those things while she could have watch them on video. She insisted that the TV quality was greater than all those faded and worn-out videotapes, but she could give it a shot and see where she could go from there.

Making herself comfortable in the couch, bringing her bare feet to relax on the end of the couch, the teenager played a bit with her long black hair and thought it best to strike an conversation with her nine-year-old sister.

''How's it going, Cathy? Missed any of your favourite shows?'', she asked her, while giving a loud yawn.

The young child with shoulder-length brown hair turned her head to look that her older sister was there and she smilingly replied, while standing up to greet, eyeing her with her blue orbs.

''Oh. Hi, Lydia, it's you. How come you woke up so early?''

Knowing that any chance to continue her rest and forget about that bad dream of hers, Lydia complied and said to her the first things that came to her head.

''None of you business, whiner, but I had some really screwed-up excuse of a nightmare, so I figured I go hit the shower and try to get some sleep after some breakfast. You know, either Cheerios or a toast, but not bacon. I need to lay off that stuff, after that little blood test of mine a few months ago. Doctor's orders, you know. He told me it's not good for me, but I can handle it.'', Lydia exclaimed, focusing her brown orbs either towards empty space or her crossed feet, in a vain effort to get tired by watching a point for so long she could bear and she would close her eyes; it was one of the few tips her mother taught her, before the divorce she took from her father, Charles, almost eight years ago.

''Well, you look okay. Your figure, I mean.'', Cathy remarked, after giving a look at her sister who was still trying to get s decent sleep. ''What nightmare was that? Did it have to do with, you know, with Derek?''

Lydia rose from her sleeping and stood up at the mention of the one man she had started dating since last year, with her feet touching the ground and her hands crossed, looking somewhat tired to reply, but she did, anyway.

''No, it didn't have anything to do with Derek, who by all accounts I don't think it's your business to know, or your Mom, for that matter. I just needed to go down here and try to forget about the whole thing. To be honest, I didn't expect you to be here at this hour, since you normally watch those reruns they have after 11:30. But I guess that you had a better sleep than mine, whiner and I give it to you.''

''I won't tell Dad or Mom anything, I promise.'', Cathy responded. ''In fact, anything you wanna tell me Lydia, it's safe with me. I know I'm only nine, and that we are not the best of pals, but I can't help it because you're my big sis and I don't want anything bad happen to you.''

Lydia reminded to herself that Cathy, despite not being her real sister from her biological father, was too smart for an average Third Grader, and she could get to where others failed to do so. Watching the ground for a moment, she turned her head towards her direction and opened her arms wide.

''Come here, you.'', Lydia said to Cathy and the child run toward the teenager, wrapped up in a single hug, feeling the warm embrace of her older sister and her steady heartbeat that sounded like a soothing melody to her. Lydia never wanted to articulate that in words, but she didn't have to.

Perhaps Cathy will never know it, but moments like those made Lydia feel more like home, and a part of her mother that she rarely saw for a long period was somehow alive in her younger sister. She hoped that one day she and Dad will come to their terms again, but until that day comes, she could settle with her younger sister. Tears of joy were streaming down her cheek from her eyes, making her feeling relieved of the nightmare she experienced just an hour ago.