This is my first "Beetlejuice" fanfiction, so be fair and square on this. This story, however, is different from the rest of the other "Beetlejuice" fanfictions due to... I can't tell you! That's just the beginning. Now, no more to say and on with the show!
*Bonus: first to submit a review will get muffins...
There was nothing about the storm that now settles in the horizon that it would be a day of dread. For Lydia Deetz, however, it was just like any other day in her life. She never planned for this to happen, though she had foreseen it through her tarot card readings. Her husband, gone out and disappeared one day just after he received an important call regarding some ancient house and that it could be worth a fortune if all the detailing and investigating was done by himself and his small team. He left and wasn't heard from again.
Her mother and father, Charles and Delia Deetz, were always concerned for her well-being, though it was not highly expected from them, of all people.
Now, at the mere age of 30, Lydia is pregnant with her first child, and with the father not around, it didn't make things seem any easier. Sure, she could call the forces of the other side to find him, but she felt and knew that it wouldn't take her far. He was gone.. and she knew it.
Things were just fine after college. She got her masters and met the man she loved around her first year of college. They got married and lived happily so far. They bought a large house, with the garden covering the whole front with luscious flowers and small berries. A Victorian house, none the less, with fine furnishings and nice English couture, unlike her step mother's tasteless sculptures and overdone array of wall paint and disgusting vintage.
Now here she is, pregnant without her husband by her side, a fierce storm making its way, and what's worse...
She is due that very day.
Lydia's water broke not long after she got up just to feed her pet Venus flytrap, and noticed something wet dribbling down her leg. She knew she wouldn't have long, and the pain became brutal. Abnormally brutal.
She ran as fast as she could to grab the phone and call her parents, who were the only people living that she knew. The Maitlands, who still live in the house, answered. The Maitlands were very close friends of Lydias, but with one small flaw: they were dead. Barbra Maitland, who was Adam Maitland's wife, answered the call.
"Hello. This is Barbra. May I ask who's calling?"
"Barbra? It's me, Lydia. I have an emergency! I'm due as of now!"
"Lydia? You're due! Oh goodness.. Lydia, Adam and I can't get there and your parents left not long ago to assist a real estate agent."
"Please... you have to call them! Tell them that I'm calling for an ambulance as we speak and go to the hospital as soon as possible!"
"Alright! I will! Lydia, are you alright..?"
"Yes, well.. no. It hurts a lot... is this normal, Barbra?"
"I- I can't say. I never conceived children, Lydia. Call the hospital at once."
"Alright. Barbra, I-"
"Lydia? Lydia!" Barbra looked at the phone, worry written all over her features. Adam, who just returned from the basement, looked at her with concern.
"Barbra, what's wrong?"
"Oh, Adam! It was Lydia! She's said she's due today!"
"That's great! Should we call her parents?"
"We.. we can't. The lines dead... Adam.. I have a bad feeling." Barbra wrung the rim of her apron in her pale hands, not able to shake the feeling of animosity.
"Why? Barbra, what's wrong? What happened over the phone with Lydia?" Her worry very soon became his. Before Barbra can utter anything, a loud noise came from upstairs.
Without anything else said, the Maitlands ran up the flight of stairs, checking every room for a sign as to where the noise came from. As they reached Lydia's room, they both noticed a box lying on the floor, with it's contents spilled all over. It was Lydia's tarot cards. The tarot cards were given to Lydia on her eighteenth birthday as a gift from the Maitlands when they went to the Neitherworld for a short time.
The Maitlands were dead for as long as they could remember. They died in a terrible accident involving the covered bridge they were on while in their car after Adam had to go to his toy-store and back, along with Barbra. They met Lydia months after their death and their many failed attempts to get the Deetzes out of their New England country home.
"Barbra, what's all this about?" Adam felt an unnerving sensation run through his body as his wife bent down to pick up the cards.
Just as Barbra touched the first card, it flew immediately from her reach. Soon after, all of the cards from Lydia's tarot deck started flying above their heads and around the room in a circular motion. After a moment of mayhem, the cards settled down and placed themselves on Lydia's old table, where she normally keeps a crystal ball on. The cards soon began to shuffle themselves on the table, then stopped. Barbra, looking back at Adam with a frightened face, questioned, "Now what?"
Adam nodded his head towards the cards, encouraging her to try and see what the cards are trying to tell them.
Without further hesitation, Barbra tapped one of the cards, and they came to life again. The cards shuffled themselves all back into one deck, then divided themselves into three separate, smaller decks. She tapped the deck on the right first, followed by the left and lastly the middle. The cards came to life once more and shuffled into a large deck one last time. Then they divided themselves equally face down, using only seven of the cards. Adam, having a strange feeling coming from the box still on the floor, went and grabbed the box.
There were some cards left inside, and he took them out. Carefully, he sorted through the cards, and much to his dismay, noticed what cards he held.
"Barbra, come here..."
His wife quickly hurried over and looked at the cards he was holding. All of the minor Arcana were in his possession. Her eyes went wide to Adam then both looked back at the seven cards, still lying face down on the table. "So those cards are...", her voice trailed off.
"Yeah. The major Arcana. Barbra, be careful. You don't know what will happen."
Barbra nodded her head, as they both headed towards the table. With one last look at each other, she tapped one of the cards, seeing what will become of the results...
Lydia cried in heart wrenching pain, as she dialed 911 for the ambulance. She gripped the bottom of her gown, the warm feeling of liquid fresh on the fabric. God, the pain was unbearable for the poor frail girl.
"Dammit.. If only HE was here... any of them.." Another gut wrenching burst of pain shot through her. After a couple rings, an operator answered the phone.
"Hello. This is Jane, how may I help you?"
"Hello? I.. ugh! I need an ambulance, please! I'm due to give birth!"
"Alright ma'am. Please give us the address..."
It didn't take long for Lydia to give the woman the address, but it seemed like forever just for the cursed ambulance to arrive. Lydia writhed in pain and agonizing torture, as she clutched to the fabric of her nightgown that was clinging on to the skin of her legs.
Another throe of white hot pain shot from her where her womb was, and felt more liquid rush out. As she looked down, she noted that it was red liquid that came out this time. Her eyes widen with horror.
"Nooo!", she screeched as she ran towards the top of the stairs. As she made it to the top, she lost her footing and slipped down the first half of the flight. Luckily, she instinctively grabbed the railing, stopping her halfway from actually falling.
She staggered down the steps, a trail of oozing blood following her. As she got to the kitchen, which was next to the front door of the house, the loud sound of pounding came from behind it.
"Finally...", she said wearily, and she unlocked the door and opened it, only to pass out moments after she was placed on the stretcher.
It was a quarter past eleven at night, and the storm was raging like no other. The hospital gave an emergency call to Charles Deetz's cell phone, informing him about their daughter's condition. After telling Charles about the situation, Charles gravely informed Delia, who became very anxious and demanded her husband that they depart to the hospital immediately.
"Charles, what exactly happened to Lydia?", Delia inquired, getting roughly nervous. Charles started the car without looking at his wife. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, before exhaling.
"Lydia is apparently in labor now, but from the medics have told me over the phone, it doesn't look good.."
Delia was stunned. "Well? What do you mean?", she snapped, getting dreadfully nervous.
As they got out of the driveway of the house they just finished selling, Charles spoke, ".. both Lydia and our grandchild are in critical condition."
Barbra and Adam tried putting the seven tarot cards in the hexagram in order. Normally, the tarot signify just what luck or events will come Lydia's way, but this was completely out of the ordinary.
The first signified her past, which was the Lovers in it's upright position. "Well, that explains the first. She fell in love and had a lot of good things happening to her.", Adam remarked, slightly relieved, but only by a small bit.
Barbra turned over the next card, which represented her present state, the Temperance in it reverse position. "This doesn't look good. Adam, Lydia seemed to be really tense and stressed out by the looks of things."
"Show the next card Barbra.", he urged, getting antsy.
Barbra turned over the next card, signifying the future. It showed the Judgment in its normal position. "A new life? Wait, doesn't this card mean liberation?", Adam asked with uncertainty. His wife nodded her head, not liking where this was going at all.
Adam let her choose the next card to view for Lydia's environmental state. "Adam, look...", Barbra whispered, showing him the card of environment, which shows the Tower in its normal position. Her eyes started to form tears, seeing that nothing good is coming from this, especially after seeing that card.
Adam urged her further to pick the next card. Lydia's unconscious showed the Magician in it's reverse position, signifying that Lydia was and still is very insecure about many things, given the circumstances that she was under anyways.
Barbra started to weep softly. Adam gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Two more, honey. Come on. We have to do this.. For Lydia."
She hesitated, but slowly nodded. She flipped over the next tarot. The Justice shown itself in a normal position for Lydia's solution. "Adam, this is the Justice."
"She needs to make an honest and balanced decision, and it might be in our favor.." He hugged his wife, hoping that card will make true and show the situation better.
"Adam, there's still her conclusion left." Barbra pointed to the final card lying on the center of the hexagram. They looked at each other and swallowed, as she placed her hand on the last card.
"This decides everything..", she gasped, and flipped the last card over...
It was only now 10 minutes to midnight, and Lydia's condition had not gotten any better. She was breathing heavily and soaked in sweat. Her black hair clung and framed the sides of her face. Her skin looked even paler than usual and her eyes were heavily lidded. The monitor showing her heart rate was at a quick pace, but not so to the point where it shows any real danger at the moment. The doctor and nurses suddenly rushed into the room and began crowding around Lydia from all sides.
"Doctor, the tests show critical condition for both the woman and unborn child!"
The doctor merely nodded his head. "Well then , we may have to rid this one." As he placed on the gloves, a pale hand grabbed him from beneath. He looked in shock as Lydia opened one eye forcibly, her breathing now more ragged.
"Don't... you...dare...", she wheezed, "kill... her..."
The doctor eyed her with caution, "Kill... her?"
Lydia nodded her head. She spoke again, her labored breaths making it more longer and difficult, "If...no... Save... you... must... save her...please..."
The doctor shook his head, starting to believe that the woman in front of her is now becoming insane. "This is crazy! Do you know what you're saying? If we try to save this child, you could both end up dead. There's no real guarantee this child will survive even if we tried! If you live. you can have more children! You're still young..", but he was cut off as Lydia pulled him closer with all her brute strength.
"Listen... you...scumbag, you... will save, ugh... this child... and... this child only! I... want... only... this... one ….. girl... and I'm... not... losing her!"
Shocked from the words and actions, he silently complied. "Get me a scalpel and some towels, as well as a large bowl of water and umbilical tape."
The nurses murmured at one another in astonishment and went to fetch the equipment. As soon as all the equipment was brought in, it was about less than 5 minutes until midnight.
Everyone in the emergency room looked grim but stayed firm as the doctor pulled on his gloves tightly and said softly, "Let's get this over with." He took the medical blade and began slicing Lydia's skin open...
Charles and Delia finally arrived at the hospital, sprinting from their car, which was parked directly in from of the ER entrance. They both ran as fast as they could, looking for someone who could direct them to where Lydia was. Finally, a nurse came by, stopping them in their tracks.
"Hello, may I ask-", the nurse was cut off as Delia held a threatening finger at her face.
"Lydia.. Lydia Deetz, where-"
"She's over there, in the next room, but-" the nurse was cut off again as Charles and Delia sped off to the room where Lydia was in. As they turned the corner, they saw a group of nurses and the doctor himself, looking quite grave.
"Excuse me? Is this where Lydia Deetz is?", asked Charles in a rather loud voice.
Everyone turned their heads to the Deetzes direction, sadness written all over. The doctor made his way over to the trembling couple. "Are you the girl's parents?"
They nodded, looking rather disturbed. The doctor shook his head grimly, then motioned one of the nurses over. A nurse, carrying a bundle in her arms wrapped in warm blankets, rushed over carefully.
Charles and Delia looked at the bundle. "Is that..?", Delia whispered, her hands slightly trembled as she gently took the bundle from the nurse.
"Your granddaughter, yes. Her mother told me her name, as Lillian Deetz. She would have been a proud mother.." Charles and Delia looked up at the doctor in horror. "Wha- What do you mean, would have been?", Charles asked frantically. The doctor led them to the room, motioning everyone to move out of the way. When they entered, they saw a large white blanket, covering what seemed to be a body... Lydia Deetz's corpse.
Adam and Barbra cried in each others arms, their wails of sorrow heard throughout the entire empty house. The sound of rain came pouring down heavily, easily being heard through the thick roof of the house. The dead couple sobbed next to a faint candle, on top of Lydia's bed. Barbra buried her head in her husband's chest, while Adam looked up once more towards the table where the tarot cards lay. There, in the middle of the hexagram, laid the card of Death in its upright position.