CHAPTER 3 – THREE TIMES THE CHARM

--

The young woman looked into his eyes, angry that he disobeyed her orders. She had summoned him, in order to be aided in destroying everything.

"But Curdle, that means everyone and everything will cease to exist, and as much as I like scheming, this is just too…this is wicked evil."

She smiled at him, and said, "We won't cease to exist." She raised her hand, revealing the ring on her finger. "All we need to do is get married, and everything will be ours."

"But I just want people to be with each other, not destroy them completely."

"You should know how well people do with each other. You lived through the black plague, after all. Why would you care what happens to them?"

"But…"

She interrupted him, "So, you won't help me?"

He thought for a moment, and answered her. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do this. I just wanted to get rid of the living, so everyone can be with each other."

"Aw, too bad. For as long as I have this ring, you won't have much choice. Though, I had hoped our love would be more than enough for you." She started to cry. "People don't deserve anything…not after all that has happened to you, and me…"

"I guess I have no choice…"

The man's suit became draped with black-stripes.

"What is this?"

"If you won't do this willingly, then I will call upon the forces of the afterlife to consume your soul."

He felt betrayed, as he thought she'd never do something like this to him. He thought she could change, but it looked as if he was in even more trouble than before.

Juno would have a field day with him if she was here, but he had left her to become a freelancer.

"Do you remember those three words you told me?" She turned away from him, "Of course you do. I love you…those were your words."

She looked down.

"Well, I think that would be appropriate for your curse. Three times must your name be said, the same number of words it took to say that."

"I love you."

"The only way to brake the curse is to marry…like I wanted you to do, with me."

"Betelgeuse!"

"Betelgeuse!"

"Betelgeuse!"

The stripes settled into his being, and he felt a newfound darkness fall over him. It had been pieces of death, fear, and maybe even evil itself.

The sound of thunder roared through the darkened room, as Curdle walked up to him. Beetlejuice grabbed her by the hand, "What did you do to me?"

"Just a little curse. Now, you won't be able to come and go as you please, without someone reciting your name three times, and if you tell them your name to be called forth, you will be automatically sent to the lost souls room."

Beetlejuice tried pulling the ring off her finger, but disappeared back into the world of the dead, and with it, the very finger and ring that belonged to Curdle.

Curdle screamed in pain, as she realized that the forces of the afterlife had removed whatever was near Beetlejuice at the time. She bled, and vowed that when her time on earth was up, she would visit him.

"Damn, without that ring, I can't even summon you myself. I guess I rushed that curse a little bit."

That's how he had been cursed, and the memory faded away as he saw all of the ghouls and specters before him.

Juno had made her way to the front of the audience.

"Beetlejuice! What the hell are you attempting now?"

He cackled, and said. "Nothing, I just thought all the boys and ghouls would appreciate a little show." He had bound everyone in the meeting, and the Mayor was almost unable to contact Juno.

A skeleton spoke up, "It's horrible, he's a been showing off his most fearsome theatrics, and pulling pranks on us all. Sacre bleu, I'm in pieces."

Juno was angered at the trouble he was causing. "Beetlejuice, are you that desperate for your antics, that you're haunting the dead now?"

"Yeah, and I think I'm liking it. Living or dead, I bet I can scare the pants off of you, because I'm the ghost with the most. Not at all like you losers, and I'm really pissed that I can't even haunt without someone saying my name not once, but three times the charm. Do you know how annoying that is?"

"I'm a fucking professional."

Juno bravely walked closer to him.

"Beetlejuice, you know I care for you as my ex-apprentice, but I can only do so much for you. You've been lucky enough as it is, and I had to pull a lot of strings to keep you from being sent into the next world," she said, "You would be appreciated if you would only return to us, and not doing this for your own entertainment."

Beetlejuice cackled, and said, "You know, Curdle just passed into the world of the living, and broke the rules. At least that witch knows how to have fun, unlike you deadbeats."

Juno's eyes widened, "You mean she's still intent on taking over the world?"

"No, she's got much bigger plans than that. I came to warn you about it…all of you."

"Why would you warn us?"

"Because I want to freely haunt again!"

Juno knew that wasn't the real reason, but she decided to go along with it. She knew he did actually care for people…to an extent. He himself did have a family after all, and had spoken with them on occasion, in the hopes of keeping him out of trouble…but it hadn't really worked out as well as she hoped.

"Get me out of here, and take me to her before she does any damage!"

Juno shook her head. "I'm sorry Beetlejuice, but I can't let you run around because I just can't trust you anymore."

"She's going to bring me into the world herself anyway, when the time comes. Just let me out!"

Juno shook her head again.

--

Lydia tried remembering where the ring came from, but she wasn't sure. It felt like she had always had it, at least before she lost that special feeling she once had. It appeared on her bed one night, and without too much thinking she just assumed it had always been hers.

Now, it seemed like there really was something behind this ring. Whatever it was, she couldn't quite place it.

She fell asleep at her desk, dreaming again of a nightmarish snake, and a lost family she could barely remember.

It was a wedding, and a there was a man by her side, and what looked like some weird creature dressed up as a reverend…it was a marriage ceremony, and she had been the bride. The man brought the ring close to finger, but never got the chance to put it on her as a giant wormlike creature soon ate him, and he dropped the ring as the two plummeted into the underworld.

Then blackness surrounded her being, and she felt a dress wrap around her, and Lydia awoke in a fright.