Topsy Turvy Deadly Vu - Chapter 2

Lydia was really confused "Peaceful Pines?" she retorted, taken aback. The name was so ridiculous; it was like a name some Disney writer would make up for a perfect fictional neighborhood.

Beetle shook his head and walked away. He entered the kitchen, grabbed the orange juice and drank it straight from the carton, then released a loud burp. Lydia stared at him in awe "Maybe Beetlejuice is wearing that police uniform to prank someone… Or maybe he's running a scam… Or …" she thought but said nothing and just watched him.

Just then, a small little tot girl about three years old walked into the room. The girl had long dark brown curly hair, cinnamon eyes, and wore a frilly flower print sundress. The girl sat in front of the kitchen table and began to eat. She looked to Lydia and smiled, giving her a wave. "Good morning, mommy"

"Mommy…? Mommy…?" Lydia shouted in thought to the point shouts were released from her mouth "What is this place?" she yelled going against the wall, frightened beyond belief "What the hell is going on around here?" she screamed then looked to Beetle and Vince who just walked into the room "Somebody answer dammit!"

The little tot covered her ears and ran away from the table crying. "Lydia, get a hold of yourself," Vince spoke gentle yet firm "I know you're going through some distress at the moment, but that doesn't mean you should scream about and frighten poor Barbara."

Lydia didn't realize it before but that little tot did reminder her of Barbara Maitland - but with her as a tot – she couldn't possibly have the married name of Maitland.

Barbara peeked into the kitchen shaken with fright as she looked to Lydia, and then everyone heard the little drops of water hit the floor. They all looked to the tot, who stood there clearly embarrassed with the accident she released, and then she cried.

"Hey Barbie," Beetlejuice called to Barbara gaining her attention with a mischievous grin – the same grin Lydia was all too familiar with "Your mother's possessed by the devil and she plans to eat you" he teased.

Barbara gasped and ran away crying, and Beetlejuice loudly cackled. Vince took an egg from the carton, threw it, and it landed directly on Beetle's face. Beetle turned to Vince with such a frown.

"Bastard" Vince spat and then left for the other room to console Barbara.

Beetle stood from his seat "I'm goin' to work" he spoke and then walked off; but before he left from the kitchen he turned a frown to Lydia while pointed toward the direction Vince left "Lyds, your husband sucks!" he spat and walked off, slamming the front door behind him.

Lydia was overwhelmed; here she was in a world that made no sense and familiar people who were clearly not themselves, and all the while discovering a life she had without her being there. She sank to the floor in confusing awe, trying to regain calm composure.

Vince returned to the kitchen, over looking Lydia from the counter island "I'm off to work as well my daring" he informed and then formed a concerned look "Can you manage or shall I call a sitter for Barbara?"

"No, I'll be fine" Lydia simply replied calmly, not knowing for sure if she can remain calm in this strange place with these new discoveries of her life.

Vince took a post-it and wrote his work number on it and stuck it on the refrigerator "Call if you need anything" he said then grabbed his briefcase and left.

Even thought Lydia was locked into madness, she wanted to make things right with Barbara. Lydia walked into Barbara's tea cup decorated room and found the tot sniffling with a clean dry dress on the bed. Barbara turned to Lydia with plush toy sandworm in hand and just stared, still frightened from her mother's out burst.

"I'm sorry Barbara," Lydia spoke sincerely "I didn't mean to scare you. I was scared" she explained gently "This world is new and not at all familiar to me. Do you forgive me?"

Barbara was timid but she slowly approached Lydia and gave her a hug "I forgive you, mommy," she replied.

Lydia was relieved, now she didn't fell so bad, but she was still dissatisfied with all the unanswered questions; it was now time to get some answers, and the get those answers one has to start where it all started. "Barbara," She called, gaining the tots attention "How would you like to play Detective with me?"

Barbara smiled as she nodded in excitement.

"You go get your detective stuff, while I make a phone call." Lydia spoke and then searched the phonebook for the company she worked for, but it wasn't there; so she had had no choice, she called Vince. "Hello, may I speak to Vince please," she spoke to the receptionist

~ "Lydia…? Is anything the matter? Did you have a change of heart about the sitter?'~

"No Vince, I just need to know where I was the night I was injured."

~ "You were inside of the Bartholomew Bat Building." ~

"Where is that?"

~ "Lydia, I don't think you're well dearest." ~

"Vince, please tell me where that building is."

~ "It's in New Yuck City of course. Lydia, I'm dreadfully sorry that I left you. I'm coming home right – " ~

"No don't do that. I'm ok."

~ "Alright then, all long as you're alright; but don't hesitate to call the moment you feel too odd to carry on" ~

"Bye Vince." Lydia ended then hung up the phone and looked to Barbara, who stood there wearing a trench coat and holding a magnifying glass "Ok little one, we're going out to our first clue."

Lydia and Barbara sat in the bullet train on their way to New Yuck City. Once the train arrived in the overly crowded city towered with tall buildings of glass and steel, they immediately took a taxi to the Bartholomew Bat Building. The massive lobby of the building had fountains and it was decorated with quote on quote futuristic furniture and twisted sculptures only Delia could create. Lydia went to the only elevator that had an 'Out of Order' sigh posted on the door "So this is where it happened?" she thought and looked to Barbara "Ok little one, this is it - You look for clues around the elevator, while I ask the security guard some questions; but don't leave without letting me know first, ok."

"Ok mommy." Barbara replied and removed a magnifying glass then ran toward the elevator.

Lydia didn't find out much from the elderly security guard, who kept nodding asleep behind the watch desk, so she walked to Barbara's side. "Did you find a clue?"

Barbara gazed to her known to be mother with a concerned look "I found drops of blood on the floor. Mommy, is your head ok?"

Lydia never became a mother and wasn't used to being called the title, but she played along for Barbara's sake. "I'm just fine," she smiled and the child smiled back then she pressed the up button on the elevator and they entered when the door opened.

On the thirty-second floor, Lydia wasn't sure if things would see familiar things but she got off the elevator anyway hoping that she would. The entire floor was an exact replica of the floor in New York; endless cubicles, a water cooler by the restrooms, the dim lit break room, and people running back and forth doing who knows what.

The first place Lydia went to was the reception desk, and to much of her relief and surprise, Ginger was there typing away on the key board as usual. But wait - this Ginger wasn't the same living young woman in New York - she was Ginger, Lydia's familiar ghostly friend from the Netherworld. Instead of wearing one of many of her flapper dresses from the twenties era of which she died, Ginger wore a checkered dress.

Lydia went to cubical eighteen, the assigned cubical she had in New York, but found it was no longer hers – by surprising shock, it belonged to Claire Brewster. The blonde former classmate had her hair tied in tacky ponytail, wearing torn curvy blue jeans and a Ms. Pacman t-shirt. But that wasn't the top of the ice burg; the blonde had a professional camera strapped around her neck.

Claire turned away from the computer screen and looked to her dark haired former classmate "The finished product is inside of your dressing room, Lydia" she said then returned attention to her work.

"My dressing room?" Lydia retorted in thought and then looked to Barbara "Ok little one, we're going to check out another clue. Do you know where my dressing room is?"

Barbara nodded with a smile and then escorted Lydia to a large dressing room with various pictures of herself all over the wall. Lydia of course had modest sized photos of herself, but she wasn't vain enough to have movie sized posters of her face plastered everywhere.

"Mommy looks pretty" said Barbara.

Just then, Claire knocked on the door, gaining Lydia's attention "Are you well enough to take the perfume promo pics?" she asked "With the lighting and the angle they want me shoot, I can easily photoshop the gash from your head."

"Claire Brewster…? Speaking photography terms…? That doesn't compute." Lydia thought.

Barbara formed a sad look. She knew that if her mother accepted to model, she would be far too busy to finish playing their detective game.

Claire kneeled down to Barbara, meeting her at eye level "Your mommy's going to take some pretty pictures so she can buy you new toys" she said then smiled "She only be gone for ten minutes. Do you think a big girl like yourself can wait ten minutes?"

Ten minutes – The same words of Amber clearly rang in Lydia's head.

"No!" Lydia shouted "I didn't come here to model. I want to find out more about the elevator and what happened to me," she said firmly.

"The reason the elevator jerked like that," Claire began to explain "was because someone was fooling with the circuit breaker."

Someone fooling with the circuit breaker – Yet another set of words from Amber that Lydia clearly remembered.

Lydia took Barbara by the hand "We're leaving," she said then walked away as fast as she could; but once she got the elevator, Lydia suddenly balled in tears, for she knew riding down is where all the trouble mess began in the first place.

"Mommy…? Are you ok?" Barbara asked full of concern.

When the elevator door opened, Lydia panicked and held Barbara tight against her "I'm so scared," she whimpered and looked to the tot "Please don't let go of my hand inside of there."

Barbara shook her head "I won't, I promise," she replied and then entered the elevator hand in hand with Lydia.

As Lydia rode down the elevator, she counted everything that she has discovered about her strange unfamiliar existence and the events leading to her head trauma. Even though Lydia didn't get all the answers she wanted, she was grateful for that was answered.

Lydia became dreadfully tired and settled at the one place that was familiar to both her known world and the Netherworld – The Holiday Inn Motel. Lydia took a shower and immediately fell asleep as Barbara watched her favorite kids show on TV.

This was just the beginning.