Chapter 29

Reach Out

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Hollow steps resonated obtrusively on the saddle-colored walls as they plodded on in a repetitive loop within her tiny outdated apartment. In the small bedroom, an endless string of mostly incoherent words were being mumbled forth, and it accompanied the perpetual pacing that echoed back to her. Lydia's wild-eyes repeatedly darted in the direction of one particular corner, but it wasn't the corner that had seized her with a fearful fascination. Oh no, it was the now concealed object that hung there, and it had entranced her with an uneasy and compulsory interest.

F or far too long, she had been avoiding that wretched mirror. In fact, from her apartment to anywhere else she would go, she had shunned nearly every reflective object that she possibly could. Plastic utensils were my friends now. Windows, nope, won't even look at them if I can help it. She never knew when or where he was going to pop out, and every little thing had put her on a razor-like edge.

"He's going to eventually! He's never respected boundaries. No, not even for me. No, no, no. Especially for me. Oh Gods." Frantically, she muttered to the space around her. Muttering had become an increasingly but oddly comfortable habit for her, even if most of the time she wasn't aware of it. At least she was talking to someone, instead of waiting for a reply from the claustrophobic silence that had been her only companion. Talking to yourself was considered someone right?

"It's been over two months. Yeah, two months. Two months alone… it, it, it should have given him enough time to realize… realize just, just how upset I am at him… right? Oh gods… I can't take much more. I can't!" With a frustrated growl, she ruffled her unkempt hair, but the tumultuous vibrations within her continued to fuel her feet to loudly pace onward. The closest description to what she could liken this ever-present and unrelenting feeling to, was if someone had been permanently duct taped into a chair and then forcibly made to consume 30 espressos in one sitting.

She was trapped on this horribly large emotional swing set, and each never-ending pendulum-like swing was only met with two extremes. It had been either, she was so completely sluggish and tired, making it hard to do anything except sleeping her days away… or she was stuck feeling so horribly frantic, that she would be awake in a near panic for days. The cycle was becoming much too much. She couldn't sit still anymore, and the only time she could fall asleep without torture was when she would finally burn herself out. Although, liquor and sleeping pills helped… a lot.

Earlier that morning she had decided to take an incredibly long walk. It was a desperate attempt to ease those feelings, but unfortunately, all it had done was exacerbate things, and made that awful anxious energy into something substantially more potent.

She was spiraling out of control and she knew it. Lately, her mind had been going nonstop, filling her head with so many horrible thoughts, and she was at a loss about what to do. She needed some support, but she no longer had anyone to turn to.

"I'm angry. Oh yes, I'm still angry with him. But, but… But… No, it was me too, wasn't it? It's always been my fault! Oh Gods, I'm too embarrassed to face him! I really should see him, but I don't want to. Do I really need to see him?" Her arms trembled uncontrollably while each step she took, sped up in small increments. Focusing on her shaky hands, they suddenly felt useless, and a need to do something with them filled her, and so she began to mindlessly wring them together.

"It's not his fault my, my relationship… It's been my fault. It's always been my fault. I'm weak. Oh gods, I'm so weak!" Those last few words squeaked out in a high pitch, as her eyes began to water, and her stomach flopped about like a fish. Those horrible butterflies in her stomach had been merciless in their assault.

"When was the last time I ate? Bah, it doesn't matter. C'mon Lydia… Think! Let's, let's try to think about this logically. He's your best friend. You've known him most of your life. He's been there for you… well for the most part. I'm still obligated to do things with him, so I can't ignore him too long. Besides, I, I, I really do miss him. I'm, I'm so alone… I'm so alooone. Oh gods. Oh gods. Oh gods. Why?" Her legs began to tremor beneath her, and no longer could she move forward, so instead she slowly lowered herself to the floor. Her dark hair draped over her face, as she leaned forward to stare at her hands that supported her heavily burdened shoulders. Even breathing had become harder for her to do, as her heart thumped heavily and loudly within her chest.

"Lydia… you're too weak! You need to get stronger! Come on… this isn't what anyone wants for you. I, I, I don't want this… I'm going crazy! I can't be alone anymore! I can't…" Weakly lifting herself onto her knees, she began to compulsively gnaw on her thumb while she weighed the multitude of chaotic thoughts within. Unfortunately, it was like herding cats and there was no clear answer that revealed itself to her.

A sharp pain shot through her thumb, and it was enough of a distraction to clear her mind, so she could focus on the moment. Staring at her poor digit, she finally noticed how reddened, raw, and peeling it had become. That inflamed phalange had presented the undeniable evidence of her unknowing destructive actions, and it had made her feel utterly pathetic.

"I'm so stupid. Did I ruin everything again? What does he even think of me anymore? He was probably just trying to follow the contract, so, so we wouldn't get in trouble. Right? Right. Right?" Her unfocused eyes abruptly spied some movement and it was enough to derail her train of thought. Her shirt had been dramatically thumping from each painful beat of her heart, making it continually bounce off her chest.

Shaking her head, and feeling a bit dizzy, she readjusted her thoughts once more. She had to try to make sense of all of this madness.

"He's, he's just, just being a good friend… I just, just wish he'd listen to me. Pleeeease listen to meeee. Pleeeeease." Once again, her budding tears distorted her vision like a fun-house mirror. With a slow blink, she released her caged tears, freeing them to plip down softly until they sprinkled upon the worn wooden floor below. The hopelessness within her rapidly engorged with an unbearable weight, further weakening her body until she could no longer support herself up. Despondently, she curled up within herself upon the hard wood floor and liberated her mournful cries out into the lonely room.

She knew she couldn't handle much more of this. She felt lost. No. She was lost. Lost in this galaxy, and somewhere along the way, she had carelessly abandoned herself in this past year…

And, it was killing her.

Oh yes, she knew this reallywould kill her if she didn't do something about all of this. Yet, she had been giving herself this same "pep talk" all week, but in the end, nothing came of it except for more tears and drinking the night away.

"Ahhhrghhh! I'm going crazy!" Scraping her nails on the floor, she gave herself another push up. This was so hard!

Unfortunately, she had only one person left in her life that would be able to understand her, but…

It was going to be too hard to face him.

"I just need to talk... to see a familiar face. That, that face that had made me laugh. Had, had been my small candle… in my dark childhood." Inhaling deeply to gather strength, she noted how her tears had imbued into the dusty wood and it had now become subtly more aromatic. Regrettably, those tears had also bluntly reminded her of the many reasons why she needed to face him.

Balling her hand into a fist, she violently struck the floor when her anger and frustration ebbed forward.

"No! He hasn't been listening to me! I don't want things to happen like they have been. I didn't want sex. It was absolutely the last thing I wanted! I hate how he always twists things! I hate IT! I HATE IT! I hate sex with him. No, what I needed more than anything was his support and understanding. Why can't he listen?! Why can't he see what I NEED!?"

Her mouth went completely dry when she finally dared to look over to the shrouded mirror. How could she find her voice when she needed it most?

"Why did life have to be so complicated? Couldn't it just go back to how it was when I was younger?"

When she thought about seeing him again, there was no way for her to shake the trepidation that shook her body. On top of it, the guilt she carried within her every-waking moment, was still just as heavy and overwhelming as it had been before.

With as much strength as she could muster, she willed herself to take the sheet off of the mirror. It fell forgotten to the floor, while she tried her best to ignore her own reflection that replicated her every action. Instead, she let her vision blur as she quickly turned around and retreated to crawl back up onto the safety of her bed.

Silently, she directed her gaze past the window and blankly stared at everything and nothing. Summer had come and gone, while fall was quick to take its place, but lately, the weather had been just as gloomy as her aching soul. The crushing weight of everything in her life pulled her body down onto the bed, as her noiseless tears began to soak into the comforter. Compulsive thoughts pulled at her from every direction and she longed for its merciful release.

She had become nothing but a ghost. She was here but not, as she barely floated along in life, doing only what had been necessary and even that was too taxing. Was it possible to be numb to life? Seriously, besides guilt, pain, and her ever loosening sanity, it had been only numbness that filled her.

Gripping onto the comforter, she pulled more of it towards her large folds in the purple fabric resembled little walls, keeping the world out, and she was just fine with another day away and avoiding life was exactly what she needed right now. It was the easiest escape. Perhaps tomorrow she would be strong enough to confront it.

Closing her eyes, she prayed that sleep would come soon. Everything in her was trying to relax, but all hope of any reprieve was instantaneously stolen away when the phone gave her a fright with its shrill ring.

With an angry groan she cursed out loud.

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"Hello." She answered as gruffly as she could, while she leaned on the small table in the kitchen.

She really hoped that it was just some telemarketer, so she could quickly tell them off and then maybe she could get back to bed.

Seriously Lydia?! Why did you even bother to answer the phone anyways? You have some bizarre compulsion to answer it every bloody time. What exactly are you even hoping for anymore?

"Oh good, you answered!" An incredibly relieved voice replied, and suddenly Lydia felt like she was 5 years old.

"Daddy! Uh…Hi." Promptly, she straightened up and tried to tame her mess of hair. Panic coursed through her, and it was all that she could do to try to mask that monstrous pain inside of her heart.

Oh Gods! I haven't told him about anything that has happened. How could I? No, there's no way I could! Daddy adored him. No…. this is just another thing I've been trying to avoid, and I am going to avoid it at all costs… especially right now.

"Hey pumpkin. Just checking in on my kiddo to see how she's doing. I haven't heard from you for a while. So, I thought I'd give you a call." Charles's mellow voice filled her ears and normally it would help calm her nerves, but today, the opposite was true.

"Uh, I'm ok. Oh, you knooow, life has just been… exhausting. Hehe." She let out a nervous laugh, as she reinforced her resolve to keep her guard up. She certainly couldn't afford to let the mask that she had slapped on slip off now.

I'm sorry father, but I have to lie! If I mess up now and showed him even a hint that something was wrong, he'd make me go home! I can't! There's no way that I could handle that smothering atmosphere from either of them. It doesn't matter if they mean well or not.

Charles didn't answer right away, but when he did, it was still in a cheerful tone.

"Ah, well. You know, if you need to get away for a while, you know where we are."

"I do, thank you." She tried to smile, but at least her voice didn't give away that she had already started crying again.

I am so weak! I am so very weak! Hey everyone, look at the big baby Lydia! The woman who could cry at a drop of the hat!

"Alright, well, uh, Ok." Charles fumbled with his words, and she wasn't quite sure what he was trying to get at. He was pulling his usual behavior that he did when he wanted to say something that he really wasn't comfortable talking about.

I really want to go back to bed. Wait… why is he acting this way? Did something happen at home? Oh… No, no, no… wait!

"Well, uh, Lydia?" He questioned, but his tone had changed ever so slightly. She had picked up on it right away and could hear the hidden sadness within his words. She wasn't the only one wearing a mask in this phone conversation.

Pausing for a moment, she suddenly knew that he was about to bring up something she didn't want to hear. Her throat began to tighten, as she swallowed hard at the thought of the discussion that was about to transpire.

Why else would he call? I can't! No, I can't talk about this… especially with him!

"Uhhh, Daddy, I'm sorry. I should go. I've gotta do something." Gripping the phone tight, she hoped that her father wouldn't press her further and just give up. She simply did not have the strength right now.

I didn't exactly lie… but there is no way I could handle this if he still wants to talk.

"Oh? Oh! Right! Sorry for keeping you… but, uh, I know it can't be easy for you right now. Don't forget to lean on me if you need it. Ok? Please don't forget how much I love you Pumpkin. You're my world. You're my reason for living." His gentle but heartbreaking words pierced into her and began to tear her heart apart. Large tears cascaded down her cheeks while she struggled to hold back a sob that wanted to erupt out of her. Her lip quivered with a heavy tremor that would have been enough to shake her into tiny pieces, but she had to hold it together for a little bit longer.

Father really does love me… but... I can't share any of my pain. I can't share this sorrow with him! He wouldn't understand the half of it. Sure, he knew heartbreak… but nothing like this.

She held her breath, just barely able to keep her voice calm enough to continue.

"Love you too daddy. Bye." She hung up as fast as she could and quickly retreated to the safety of her bed.

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The small bedroom did little to help her mood, as ugly, hard sobs hurt her throat and lungs as she let the pain out.

Oh Gods! He knows! Daddy knows! Of course, he'd know! He and Oma talk all the time. I knew it was only a matter of time... I am probably the worst person in father's eyes right now. After all, he lost a precious "son" all because of me. Oh gods! He adored him!

Wait? Howmuch does he know? Does he know I cheated? If he does, what does he think of me now? He probably thinks that his "sweet" daughter is long gone and has been replaced by some jaded slut…. And it's true! I can't disagree. I am wretched.

How can I face him anymore? I just can't! It's going to be a very long time before I can. At least he doesn't expect me home until Christmas, so it gives me a little more time to mentally prepare. Well, that's IF I even decide to go visit them for Christmas. Oh Gods… I can't!

Between her loud sobs came a small knocking, and she quickly sat up doubting her ears.

Was that the door? Oh gods, what if dad was actually in town, and he called because he was planning to visit me?! He's done it before!

The knock came again, and to her short-lived relief, it wasn't the door. Wiping her tears, she turned her attention to mutely stare at the mirror, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Her mind immediately went blank, and she was at a total loss about what she should do.

Looking back at her from inside of the mirror, was the ghost that she had been dreading, yet also longing to see. Speaking right now hurt too much, and she was afraid that if she verbalized anything, more tears would be pushed out.

"Heyyyy! Hurry and say those B-words! There's something I want to show you." Leaning on one arm, and pressed against the mirror, Beetlejuice gifted her a flirty smile.

She couldn't muster any enthusiasm to match his own, but she knew the only thing she could do right now was give in. Especially, since her plans of sleeping the day away had become no longer an option. Tracing her fingers over the soft purple fabric, she sighed and uttered the words that he wanted to hear.

While they had been barely audible, they still exuded enough commanding magic to release a powerful gust of wind, that rushed into and filled her bedroom. But, instead of him coming over, she was instantaneously whisked into the dungeon-like room, where the portal's door had been awaiting them.

Beetlejuice quickly sauntered over to playfully put his arm around her, and it was a good thing that he did. She had scarcely enough energy to stand right now, and that hard cry from earlier, had spent nearly everything left in her. Well, probably in addition to the fact that she hadn't had the energy, or will, to eat anything for the past few days.

"Alright babes! Ya ready?" He laughed, while guiding her towards the door, as his boot-heels noisily clicked on the stone floor and echoed up into the tower like space. The intrusive sound had disturbed and awakened quite a few large bats, causing them to take flight from their roost. Fluttering around, like a giant black bouquet, they angrily squeaked loudly to express their displeasure to the two below.

"For what?" Quickly glancing up at the bats, she made an apologetic expression to them, but then turned her attention back to the blonde ghost. She had no clue what he was up to, and instinctually she was suspicious of his behavior.

Right now, she didn't know how much more she could handle, and an adventure was especially not something that she could do nor think about.

"For this!" He dramatically swung the portal door open, and immediately warm and humid air was pulled into the cool and dark space. The thick and muggy atmosphere enveloped her in a nearly oppressive manner as she continued to make her way towards the light.

Stepping into the bright light, her eyes ached painfully from suddenly being blinded, but thankfully they were quick to adjust. It was then, that she had discovered they were standing upon a gravel driveway, which led up to the steps of an enormous stucco-clad villa. The private driveway made a loop through the sizeable courtyard, and she could have sworn that she could almost hear the ocean. Sadly, there was no way for her to see past the towering stone walls, while monstrously sized ravenous-looking plants protectively abutted it with thick impassable gardens.

"Where are we?" Examining her surroundings, she knew they had to be in the Neitherworld, but as to where exactly, she didn't have a clue.

"Why, just your new home for the weekend! All of this is ours for three full days!" Spreading his arms wide, he motioned to everything around them, while donning an even bigger smile as he walked backwards towards the front door.

"Beej, what did you do?" Each crunching step further cemented her skeptical attitude as she followed behind him.

There had to be a catch! There was no way in hell that he could have been able to afford this. Was this just part of another scheme?

"Nothin' at all! Now, where's that key?" He whirled around to face the door and began to dig around in one of his enigmatic pockets.

With a critical eye, she cautiously watched as he continued to blindly dig into that deep pocket. His face was painted with concentration, with one eye winked shut and the other looking off, while his tongue poked out of the side of his mouth.

Was he going to break in? Were they trespassing?

With a joyful noise, he triumphantly leapt up and pulled out a large but fancy gilded skeleton key. Inserting the key into the ornate lock, he gave it a hard turn until it emitted a resounding click. The first click was followed up by several other different clacks and clunks from inside the equally ornate and oversized door.

Lydia held her breath, unsure of what would happen next. Was there a trap? Was something going to jump out? She had no clue and her nerves enjoyed torturing her with many different horrible scenarios, while her eyes nervously darted around looking for any ill-sign or omen.

Instead, the door unlocked and slowly swung forward with a clichéd and echoey groan.

Beetlejuice spun around and offered out his hand to her, which she hesitantly accepted. Lydia was now filled with a curious drive, and it was compelling her to see what exactly he was hiding up those striped sleeves.

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Stepping across the threshold, Lydia's breath was taken away as Beetlejuice led her into the airy foyer that opened up to an even larger and magnificent room. In the darkened palatial setting, she studied everything with a keen eye so that she could commit it to memory. It was that impressive.

Draping all along the back wall, were dark and heavy curtains that were stretched ceiling to floor. The fabric sentinels did not let even a sliver of light through, and it gave her the impression that there could have been a theater screen hiding behind them instead of windows.

Clusters of lavish furniture sets had been strategically placed throughout the room, including some that were comfortably surrounding a massive fireplace. That amazing fireplace was a work of art on its own, and clearly it was the centerpiece of the adjoining wall. Carved into the light-colored stone were beautiful female Lamia in the nude, their serpent like bodies were sensually tangled up with hordes of snakes of varying sizes, and then, finally framing the hearth were two sandworms. They were carved into the large stone with the other serpents, but they gave the illusion that they had burst up through the floor on either side of the hearth. Meeting in the middle of the arch, they twined together once so that only their heads were facing in the opposite direction. The hearth itself was massive, and she could have easily walked into it without ducking. Let alone, she could have even put a twin-sized bed inside with room to spare.

Letting go of his hand, she stepped in further with her mouth agape. The high ceilings stretched up to the roofline, and every step echoed off the opulent stone floors and walls within the cavernous interior. A flamboyant half circle stair case grandly led the way to the upper floor and she honestly didn't know what to expect to find here. Her inquisitive nature demanded that she explore every nook and cranny, while her apprehension reeled her back in, firmly reminding her to keep her wits.

"What in the world is all of this about Beetlejuice?" She began to grill him, but while turning back to face him, she had to stop. Quite abruptly, her thoughts were snagged when she finally noticed that on either side of the room were matching mammoth-sized openings. Within them, she could see that they were actually hallways, but they appeared to go on forever. Completely mesmerized, her mind emptied as she numbly stared down one of the dark corridors.

Deadly Vu. How big is this place anyways?

His voice startled her out of her space-cadet moment, and once again, he now had her full attention.

"Like I said before, all of this, is your home for three straight days! So, babes, let your worries go and your hair down!" Quickly bowing, he chuckled as he offered the view to her with a flashy sweeping motion of his arms.

The heavy curtains responded to him immediately, as they magically pulled open to expose the wall of windows and the majestic view that they had greedily hidden away. Sunlight drenched everything, filling the grandiose room with its warm glow, while making the dust particles sparkle like fairy trails through the stale air.

Suddenly, he grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her like a child towards the large glass double doors that had seamlessly blended in with the multitude of windows.

"Look, there's a pool. I had it filled with water that even you could swim in!" With a palpable excitement, he pointed to a spot past the glass, and sure enough, she could see the large pool on the sprawling terrace. While the pool looked cleaner than what she was used to in the Neitherworld, it certainly was not clean by any "normal" standards. Still, she wasn't going to complain. It was clean enough for her.

Not too far past the pool, was a short-pillared wall that introduced the ocean's vast horizon, while a carved stone stairwell stretched its way to the sandy shores below. It's murky green waters blindingly glimmered from the bright suns over-head, and it was all that could be seen from either direction.

"How?" Numbly, she turned to ask again, while he nonchalantly plopped over the arm of one of the large chairs that sat in front of the gargantuan fireplace.

This has to be part of some big scheme. It has to be! I really, REALLY, do not want to be caught up in anything right now.

His familiar chuckle met her ears, but she could no longer see his face to read his reactions. Instead, the only things visible were his overhanging legs folded on top of each other on one side of the armchair, while his strands of blonde hair hung down from the other side

Striding over briskly, she stood in front of his dirty boots, while a fountain of annoyance began to rise. She had finally had enough of this vague presentation that he had given her. She needed answers and needed them now.

"Well?" Folding her arms, she stared him down with as much intimidating force as she could.

"I'm too exhausted for your games, and if we are going to get in trouble for being here, then I want no part of this!" Her raised voice did nothing to his nonchalant attitude, as he casually scraped his pinky in his ear. Pulling his hand away, he slowly examined whatever had come out, but before he flicked it off, he gave her a leisurely glance.

"Weeeeeell, ya seeeeee, His Royal Heinous had invited me over last weekend fer some sorta official soiree, aaaand I figured since I had nothing better to do, I might as well go. With all those dumb as a sack of rocks, hoity-toity snobs that he is always invitin over, ya never know who I can con the pants off." With a quick stretch, he readjusted his arms under his head for more support.

"Ol' Princey had apparently asked me to that shin-dig, so that he could hook me up with some ghoul that wanted to meet yours truly. Ends up, she turned out to be some fashion super-model, and ya know I love it…" Pausing to rub under his nose, he made a few very satisfied noises to drive his point home.

Lydia had to roll her eyes at the whole absurd scenario and with how over the top his bragging had been.

Was that supposed to impress me? I honestly don't care what he does with other women. He could fuck a beetle and it wouldn't make a difference to me.

"And what does that have to do with this?" Angrily, she wildly motioned to the room before brusquely putting her hands on her hips and flashing him a disgusted glare.

Oh no, I am not yet done with this interrogation!

"Let me guess, you fucked her into submission, so you could weasel the mansion out of them? OR, did you bamboozle her with some sort of insane lie? It had to be a doozy! Wait, unless it was some sort of trick you pulled. What con was it this time… and don't you dare say it's a time share! Please don't say you're in real estate now." Her patience was nearly nonexistent at this point in her life, and he would discover that very quickly if he gave her the wrong answer. Especially, if he told her that this was just another one of his slimy-underhanded schemes… again.

Jumping up, he sat on the arm of his chair with his boots resting on the cushion in the middle, while he deliberately positioned himself to face her.

"It had everything to do with this! AND, for your information sweetheart, I didn'teven have tolie or con it out of her… (at least this time.) Now, if I may continue?" With complete indignation he folded his arms, before he began feigning that her accusations were deeply wounding him.

"You may." With a slow bow, she theatrically motioned for him to continue.

Ugh, I'm too tired for this. I can't do this anymore!

With wobbly steps, she surrendered herself down into the chair opposite of his and leaned back to listen. Her eyelids felt too heavy right now, and all that she wanted to do was go home and fall asleep.

"So, that famous model I was tellin' you about, was none other than Meissa Oriona! I'm sure you have heard of her. After all, she has been the cover ghoul for only some of the best fashion magazines in the Neitherworld for nearly a century." Pausing again, he waited with a smile for her reaction to the super-model's name. Blinking slowly, Lydia's demeanor appeared as unimpressed and resigned as she had been before. With that, he decided to ignore her response and continue.

"Well, I had no clue that she would turn out to be my old pal Mei-Mei from highs-ghoul! She looks nothin' like she did back then. I gotta tell ya, she and I were an unstoppable pranking team for years before she up and disappeared on me." Beetlejuice's nostalgic smile caught Lydia's attention but that was the extent of her reaction.

"An' after she and I did some catchin' up, if ya know what I mean, we wound up talkin' all about you. Hafta say, she was quite interested in ya and even wanted to help. Hence…" Perfectly imitating her actions that she had done not too long ago, he grandly motioned to the room.

"Sooo… She gave this to you?" Sitting up slightly, her face clearly expressed her disbelief. Still, she wasn't sure if she could believe anything he had said, or if she should just go back home and not deal with any of this.

"Weeeeell, at least for the weekend. Since she's always workin', she said that she never uses this villa here on the Geek Islands. So, it's all ours, free to reign." Hopping down, he patted his belly and then examined her with an expectant smile.

Lydia leaned forward in thought and rested on her knees. Hesitation and anxiety strongly wracked through her, as she weighed his words, her options, and her heart ache.

After a long while, she came to a resolution, but still, she had to ask one last question.

"What's the catch? Why would she just let you use it, and don't say it's because you're such a trustworthy guy." Narrowing her eyes, she let her biting words slide out without any concealment of her skepticism. Judicially, she was inspecting every minute detail about him, from his words to his actions. She needed to ascertain with full confidence, that he did not have any hidden agenda. If there was anything that seemed off, she would not hesitate to go home immediately.

"No catch. Although, I may or may not have promised some pictures of you in a bikini… but don't quote me on it." Turning, he walked to the foyer, but stopped so that he could listen to her reply.

Her heart hurt, and she was still suspicious, but in the end, she resigned herself to the situation. If it gets me out of those endless memories at home…

"Fine. I'll stay." Lydia sighed out, and in reply he slapped his hands together excitedly.

"So, what do you want to do first? Swim? Go to the beach? Although, I do not recommend you get near the water."

Lydia slouched further down into her chair. I wish that I could share his enthusiasm. It is nice that we have this… but, there's no way I can shake this horrible cloud in my soul.

Pausing to straighten up, Beetlejuice's smile faded when she gave him no verbal or visual reply. But, just as quickly as it left, it returned with more enthusiasm.

"I get it. You're probably hungry! You just wait here, and I'll go take care of it." With an energetic jump, he dashed down the dark corridor closest to him. Sounds of clanging metal and a few profanities being tossed around met her ears before it went relatively quiet once more.

But… I don't feel hungry. He looked so happy before he left, and I really, really don't feel like telling him no. I certainly don't want my dark cloud to rain on him too. There's no need for both of us to be miserable.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the dulcet sound of the ocean's waves with the hope that they could help her focus on "just being". Unfortunately, she found that it was nearly impossible to do. After all, the past was haunting her with everything that it could, and the future was not one she wanted to envision anymore.

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When Beetlejuice finally returned, she had to blink her dry eyes quite a few times before she could make sense of the surroundings. She had completely spaced out, and to be honest, she wasn't even sure how much time had really passed. Sitting there had been a welcome respite, but for all she knew, she could have been asleep with her eyes open. After everything that she had been through this past year, she had no doubt that she was now capable of that feat.

With more effort than she realized it would take, she forced herself up to join him. Opening her mouth, she was about to inquire where they would be eating, but she had scarcely uttered a single sound before he curtly interrupted her.

"Tut tut, my dear, this simply will not do. This is a formal dinner party, and appropriate dress is mandatory." Chiding her with his best "sophisticated" voice, he waggled his finger at her in a discouraging way.

Before Lydia could reply, he snapped his fingers, and she was instantaneously draped in a long, sleeveless, flowing black gown. Adorning the dark satin, were deep-blue sequins and miniature emeralds, and when the light would catch them just right, they sparkled like stars in the midnight sky. From her décolletage to her waist, a plunging v-neck was precariously close to revealing her wares, but somehow, they remained in place. She hated to admit it, but her whole outfit was remarkably classy.

Turning her attention to Beetlejuice, she was surprised to find that he too had spiffed up for dinner. He was sporting a snazzy velvet smoking jacket, that was the color of a deep merlot, with a plain light-gray dress shirt underneath. The whole outfit was then harmonized with a pair of black tuxedo pants. He adjusted the lapels one more time before he spun on his heels to address her.

"Ah dinner, is served…" She couldn't help but find it to be oddly charming when he flourished his words with a very poor English accent. Accepting his extended hand, she allowed him to take the lead as he silently guided her down the long and dark hallway. Dull and flickering light danced out of an upcoming archway, while classical music began to mute their echoing footsteps.

Stepping through the grand arch, she was momentarily overcome by the vast dining hall and the impressive display that was before her. Sitting in the middle of the candlelit room was a very crooked and long shiny black table with chairs surrounding it. Its visual brought back memories of the millipedes that she used to find when she was a child.

Silver, bell shaped lids, decorated with an intricate and thorny filigree, covered their awaiting meal, and were situated in front of two chairs that were opposite of each other. Walking over to one of the chairs, she thought she could smell a hint of garlic, but she wasn't quite sure. Her senses weren't as keen as they usually were, due to all the crying she had been doing for… uh, much too long.

Beetlejuice gently pulled out her chair. While thanking him, she carefully sat down and adjusted her long gown in a small attempt to gain more modesty. Her eyes fell upon the metal cloche in front of her, while ponderings circulated in her head about what sort of fate was awaiting her sensitive stomach. What grotesque meal did he prepare this time? Her distorted reflection only furthered her uneasiness, until he dramatically lifted the lid and presented her meal.

"Voila! Shrimp scampi, sautéed asparagus, all paired with a light Picoud de Pinet. AND you'll be pleased to know that I didn't use any Neitherworld ingredients either!" He boasted while licking his lips, before he promptly took his seat across from hers and revealed his own matching dish.

"Hey, did ya know that shrimp are the cockroaches of the sea?" He joyfully stabbed his salad fork into one of the many large crustaceans on his plate and held it up with admiration, before he quickly chomped it down.

Staring in amazement, she delicately twirled some of the pasta with a spoon and dinner fork. She had forgotten that he actually knew how to cook "edible" dishes, but she certainly wasn't complaining right now. This looked amazing!

Not only did it look delicious, it tasted even better. He had created the perfect balance of garlic and lemon juice to compliment the shrimp, which he had cooked to perfection. They were still tender and slightly sweet, while the butter harmonized all the ingredients into one big mouthgasm!

After her first bite, an intense ravenous feeling hit her, filling her with determination to finish the whole plate.

Beetlejuice quietly laughed to himself in amusement, as he watched her hastily sop her crusty bread into the sauce and began to mow down on it. While occasionally, he was treated to her happy little noises that she would emit between bites.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before her pace began to slow down. Having an empty stomach for so long, had left it too easy to feel full, but she really didn't want to waste any of it. Slowly, she brought another bite to her mouth, but it was made very clear that not even her mouth could handle eating any more.

It was then that she glanced over and saw that Beetlejuice had long finished his meal and was now happily watching her.

"What?" Dabbing her mouth with her napkin, she straightened up to faced him, while her underlying uneasiness still did not release her from its grip.

"Was it good?" Leaning forward, with his elbows on the table, she observed how the glow of the candlelight made his yellow eyes glimmer warmly as he spoke.

"I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Thank you. It was honestly very delicious." She flashed a half smile towards him before she directed her eyes down to her plate. Her mind reeled with thoughts, but most of all, she avoided making eye contact with him for too long. Her walls were constantly in need of fortification, and she vowed that she would not give him any chance to twist things today.

He's being so nice right now. I hope this is genuine. I really want to forget my day and enjoy the now, but it is so hard.

She was startled when he abruptly stood up and addressed her with an enthusiasm that was bursting from his seams.

"Well, good! Let's take a walk while we digest!"

With a quick snap of his fingers, they now stood on the hot sand by the ocean, sporting new outfits.

He wore simple sandals and slime green shorts with gaudy purple flowers, but his top was a short-sleeved button up shirt in his favorite shade of magenta. Scattered on his shirt was a bone pattern in the same color green as his shorts.

Lydia examined her new attire and then compared it to Beetlejuice's.

He had dressed her in a floor length, sheer black dress with elongated butterfly sleeves. From under the breast, it was cinched and had a slit from the middle and down to the floor. Making it easier for her to move without tripping. Underneath that, was a short black, spaghetti strapped sundress, while on her feet were also simple black sandals.

Why did he dress me in something fancier, yet he had dressed down? I almost feel like I'm nothing but a doll.

Beetlejuice suddenly hooked his arm on hers, and with a smile on his face, he led the way.

The conversation on the walk had been one sided, but Beetlejuice didn't seem to mind filling in the empty space with his stories. It had given her something to focus on, and she was happy that he seemed to be enjoying himself.

By the time they had made their way back, the suns had begun to set, painting a hot-orange glow on everything it touched. The carved stone path led them back to the villa, and her attention was pulled to the pool when she passed by. Small waves rippled from the breeze as if it was inviting her to dive in.

"Beej, where's my room? Please don't tell me that we are sharing one." She lifted her gaze to the many windows and balconies that could be seen along the back side of the villa. There was no doubt that he would have made her share a room with him… even if there were already more rooms here than she could count.

"I'll show you. Why? You're not calling it a night are ya?" Keeping pace with her, while she continued to briskly walk inside, it was clear that he was concerned their night was possibly already over.

"Not yet. I just wanted to see where my room was. I was thinking that I would like to go for a swim, but I don't have a swimsuit. Now, before you conjure one up, I'd like to stop you. I don't trust any suit you'd choose for me to wear." She spun to face him at the foot of the grand staircase and flashed him a very clear warning.

With a scoff, he opened his mouth to answer her, but she cut him off before he could say another word.

"And NO, I'm not going skinny dipping." To emphasize her point, she brought her finger up in front of his face. She must have hit the nail on the head, because he went abnormally silent, and immediately started up the stairs to lead the way.

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.

"Alright, here's your room, and this one is mine." Opening the door in front of her, he stood back and then pointed to another door across from hers.

Stepping into her sprawling room, Lydia was filled with shock. This was NOT what she had expected to see. The space was plush, with different fluffy furs strewn about in various forms from blankets to rugs. The room's color scheme ranged from varying shades of white, while everything else had very clean lines.

Was this really in the Neitherworld? It was so clean. This couldn't be! The only place I have ever seen this clean was Beetlejuice's parent's house.

An oversized bed, with a large ornate headboard was directly in front of her, but it wasn't against a wall. Instead, it was a comfortable distance from another enormous fireplace that was showcased on the wall to the left. Past the bed, along the other wall, were decorative glass French Doors, that opened up to a sizeable balcony. On the balcony, was a small wrought-iron dining table and chair that looked very welcoming. It would easily grant anyone sitting there a perfect view of the panorama.

With another quick look around, she found that there was an impressive bathroom and dressing room on-suite. Two of her apartments would have been able to fit into this master suite alone. For her, it was too extravagant, and she couldn't help but feel there was just too much wasted space.

"Well, will it work for you? Mei said that this was just another room that she stored her spare threads in. Also, she mentioned that you could have any of the clothes you wanted, and not to worry since they're all new. So, there's gotta be some sort of swimsuit around here that you can use." BJ sauntered over to stand next to her, and began to look around, inspecting her new digs.

"All new? Wait, she never used it?" Her head cocked towards him in shock.

That is something I can't fathom. What was it like to have such wealth?! I'm so used to a ramen and dollar store life that this is too much!

"Yup, apparently this is even her spare villa." Plopping down on the edge of the tall bed, he comfortably watched from his perch as she wandered around, before she finally disappeared into the large dressing room.

With a deep gulp, she dared to open one of the wardrobe's doors, fully expecting to find a congregation of skeletons or other surly beasties lurking within its shadows. Instead, she discovered that it was filled wall to wall, floor to ceiling with drawers and rods of clothes. Thank the Gods it's clean and organized.

Quickly poking her head out, she found BJ still waiting on her bed, but he was now clicking his toes together like a bored child.

"Uh, you don't have to wait for me in here. Why don't I meet you downstairs? Hopefully, it won't be too long before I can join you." Part of her did feel bad about him having to wait on her like this, but on the other hand, it made her feel a little better if he was waiting downstairs. She was still feeling decidedly vulnerable, and she certainly wasn't comfortable changing into anything with him so close by.

"Sure thing!" With a smile, he disappeared in a loud poof.

Releasing a long sigh of relief, she turned back to focus on the task at hand.

The other wardrobe was the same as the previous, but this one had a variety of different types of apparel. In here, she found lingerie, nighties, and other sundries that she could have been barely able to deem "clothing" at all. After a little digging, she finally discovered the where-abouts of the swimwear.

Quite a few drawers were filled to the brim with bikinis and suits in a plethora of styles. One in particular looked promising, and so she pulled it out. Standing in front of the tall mirror, she held it up to her petite body. It certainly looked like it could fit her, that is to say, only the bottoms could, while the cup size turned out to be something that was comically oversized.

"Yikes, I worry about that poor ghoul's back! Uh, I sure hope I find something in here that fits me." She mumbled to herself, as she continued to dig through the multitude of articles in this cavern of haute couture.

.

.

Quite comfortably reclined, Beetlejuice watched as the slow clouds that looked like smoking trains mosey across the twilight sky. The unhurried atmosphere was quite enjoyable out here on the terrace, and he was sure it was just what the doctor ordered. Nearby, an old record spun on the fancy and monstrous sound-system, while pronounced crackling and pops accompanied the Jamaican singer's song. The sounds of age and wear, only further complimented the lazy mood as the music drifted around like a fog.

Soft footfalls padded closer and pricked at his ears, as he quickly sat up in time to witness Lydia emerge from the villa and nonchalantly make her way towards the pool. A silky black robe concealed her body and billowed out with her every leisurely stride forward. Each step gifted him with a perfect view of her long and bare legs. His curiosity was certainly getting the better of him, and he couldn't wait to see what was hidden underneath. Still, he needed to play it cool, and so he gave her no reaction what so ever as he reclined back once more.

Lydia now stood at the edge of the pool and gazed into the deep water below. Rows of lights along the bottom, wavily illuminated her face and the large contained watery space. The water's movement entranced her with its undulating and hypnotic motion. She wanted it to consume her, and so, she willingly gave into it, as she slowly untied her robe and let It fall to the stone tile below.

It took every ounce of willpower within Beetlejuice to hide his expression and bodily reaction as he struggled to keep up his charade. He feigned a lack of interest, but the reality of it was that he wanted to howl out loudly that she was a total knock out. Oh, how he wanted to go over and slobber every inch of her exposed body with his tongue… but instead, he forced his head away and manifested a cold drink.

She wore a simple two-piece swim suit. The top of the bikini could have been mistaken for something normal at first glance but, when looking closer, they actually looked like they were bat wings. Over each breast, a leathery wing covered and supported them comfortably, while the top and back were tied to create a halter.

The bottom of the bikini was much more subdued, but it was made from the same material as the top. It appeared to be a simple mini-skirt, and it comfortably covered over her bum enough to give her a sense of modesty. Finding that bikini had been a real task. Everything else had been either much too big in the cup size or way too revealing for her comfort levels. She did not want to give Beetlejuice even a single chance to be lewd with her this weekend. Unfortunately, this was the most concealing suit she could find.

The water continued to beckon her forward, and in that moment, she wanted nothing more as she dove into the deep end. To her surprise, it was a comfortable temperature, and not the shock of cold that she had expected it to be. She allowed the water to embrace her and slowly pull her down to the bottom.

Although closed, her eyes were filled with a beautiful blue-green glow, that had originated from the lights that lined the pool. She could have easily imagined that she was floating weightlessly within a crystal ball. The sounds from above could still be heard, but to her ears, everything had become muted and hollow. The ever-present music united with the roar of the ocean and it blanketed her whole being with its resonance.

I like this. I like this feeling of nothingness. How can I continue to avoid life longer? I want to but… Time is always moving forward. I'm trapped, and it makes me sick! Oh Gods, how much longer can I continue? Wait… do I even want to? Honestly, I don't know anymore.

It wasn't long before she began to feel herself float back up, but she allowed the water to do what it wanted with her. Once she hit the surface, she finally took a deep breath and opened her eyes. From far above, the starlight winked down to her, and in that moment, she felt like she could have been easily floating along that large celestial river in the sky. She would have happily let it take her out to sea, if it meant that it would have taken her away from all of this.

How do you change the wrongs you've done in your life? Am I unforgivable? Can a person who did the unforgivable dare to hope for something better? I really am sorry for everything that I've done, but do I even deserve forgiveness?

Everything that happened… it really was my fault. I was so blind to my own actions. How do I move forward? Can I?

She was only confusing herself further, and running her mind in circles with these compulsive thoughts wasn't helping her at all.

I don't know what to do anymore. Where do I go from here?

Quickly, she dove under once again with the hope that it would help her mind find clarity. Another point of view might help. Once she had felt the gritty floor on her fingertips, she flipped onto her back and opened her eyes. Like black spiderwebs, her hair undulated around her, as she watched the bubbles casually float above her as they made their escape. Through the refracted surface, she could still observe the galaxies as they brightly swirled above with each choppy wave.

This is beautiful. Sheesh… This is the first time I found something beautiful and it's been too long. Oh Goddess… It feels like it has been a hundred years.

Why am I torturing myself like this? Is it really because of what I've done… or is it because I feel unworthy of anything good anymore? It's probably both, right?

Tears invisibly rose to blend with the surrounding water as her lungs ached and pushed for her to take a breath. Still, a dark part of her wanted to see how long she could stay under until she passed out.

It was her sense of survival that won over the morbid curiosity and forced her back up. Before she broke through the surface, she took a premature breath and a burning filled her nostrils from the water that rushed in. Grabbing the sides of the pool, she quickly lifted herself up as she coughed out the little bit of water that she had inhaled. Once she did, she finally felt comfortable enough to rest with her arms on the ledge as she slowly tried to catch her breath. With a quick glance up, her eyes fell upon Beetlejuice and her thoughts continued their slew of questioning.

Beetlejuice has been so quiet. It's sorta disconcerting. I wonder what he really thinks about everything that has happened? What does he even think of me?

Concealing her face behind her arms, she sunk a little further into the water as she attempted to covertly observe him.

Laying back in his lounge chair, his eyes were closed, with one arm comfortably bent behind his head. One of his legs was bent upright, while the other leg tottered on his knee as it bounced up and down to the beat of the music.

He was really trying to cheer me up, wasn't he? Did he really do all of this for me? Maybe he feels bad about it too?

With his free hand, he lifted his cold beverage to his mouth and pulled a long and loud suck from his straw. Happily, he smacked his lips together, as the ice clinked on the weeping glass from inside. It was in that moment that he must've felt her eyes on him, because he turned his head to look directly at her. Panic iced through her veins and she wanted to dive under again, but she knew that it would have been too suspicious. Instead, she froze and waited to see what he was going to say or do.

"How's the water? Everything fine?" Languidly he moved in his seat to lean forward and face her direction.

"Yeah. It's nice. Are you not going to swim?" Gently, she wiped some hair away that had stuck to her face, but her voice carried no enthusiasm. The night air was still balmy, but with her being wet and exposed, it carried a noticeable chill and she wanted to go back under the water to keep warm.

"Nah, I'll enjoy my liquid in liquor form right now. Can I make you a drink too?" After flashing her a large grin, he went back to relax in his original position. She wasn't sure if he cared to hear her answer or if he was just enjoying the atmosphere too much.

"Not right now." Her answer was quiet but at least she answered him.

With her feet, she pushed away from the wall and her body began to float backwards in the water. Gliding back slowly, she sighed and closed her eyes as she let the weightlessness embrace her once more. She could have easily imagined her soul had left her corporeal form and had been starting to float up to the heavens.

If only she could…

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.

Time had passed by and she wasn't quite sure how long she had been swimming, but it must have been a while. Time was such a strange thing to her anymore. Most of the time she tried to ignore it and other times it was all she could think about. It was a constant silent reminder and tormentor.

The record had been changed out at least three times when she became aware that she was getting too exhausted to keep herself afloat anymore. She was met with a towel in her face as soon as she hoisted herself onto the still sun-warmed stone tile. As graciously as she could, she accepted it and hurriedly began to dry herself off. The water that trickled down from her swimsuit instantly became frigid and caused a shiver to shimmy through her whole body.

I'm totally ready to crawl under those covers of that oversized and hopefully warm bed that awaits me upstairs. Oh Gods, I'm so tired. It's been too long since I've had this much physical activity. I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

"The night is young, so whatcha wanna do next?" Beetlejuice rocked on his heels and surveyed her body as she dried off. Unfortunately for him, she was quick to wrap the large towel around her body, hiding it from his lewd gaze. He was certainly thankful she didn't catch his ogling.

"I think that I'm going to try to get some sleep." A yawn escaped her as she walked past him and wandered into the house.

He was hot on her heels and quickly caught up with her to keep her company until they got to her room.

They wordlessly stood in the darkened hallway as she stared at the shiny brass handle of her door. Her thoughts were preventing her from opening it, but she wasn't quite sure what to say.

He had been a perfect gentleman and he needs to know how grateful I am for that. She couldn't find the words quite yet, so she let her actions speak for her.

Quietly, she pulled him into an embrace and held him tightly. Her heart was hurting so badly and all she needed was her friendship to help ease it in this moment. At least I still have this.

"Thank you. Really thank you! There's too much going on in my heart right now and I feel like I haven't been able to give you the reactions you deserve. My mind isn't my friend right now. I just hope that I'll be able to sleep." Stepping back, she once more turned around to face her door. It was easier staring at the door than looking at him, especially as her eyes burned with the threat of more tears.

"Didjya maybe wanna talk? I am here fer ya. Ya know that." He put his hand on her arm and gave it a little rub. His touch gave her some reassurance and she knew that being alone wouldn't be the best thing for her right now.

"I think… that may be a good idea. But, but… I'm going to go shower and change and then we can talk when I'm done. Uh, but please, please, understand that I don't want to have sex. I've told you a million times that I don't like you like that." She opened her door a crack and waited for his response. She still couldn't face him as her new tears began to soundlessly slide down her cheeks.

"Alright, babes. Ya know I ain't gonna do what you don't want. I'll be back soon, so take your time." His gentle voice met her, and she could hear that reassuring smile he had flashed. A small feeling of ease crept into her heart as she stepped into her room and shut the door.

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.

The chill from earlier had been quickly chased away by her long and hot shower. While she was still tired, she felt a little bit better and was now looking forward to having a little one on one time with her best friend. Being alone had not been good for her and there was only so much loneliness that one could handle before it broke them permanently.

Passing by the door to the dressing room, she abruptly stopped and was struck with a thought. She had remembered seeing something earlier that had snagged her interest and she felt a sudden need to indulge it.

With long and graceful steps, Lydia waltzed into the candle-lit glow of the bedroom. With a quick twirl, the elegant, purple night gown and matching robe that she wore flared out and flapped around her. Instantly, she felt like she was in an old Hollywood movie and she was none-other than the lead actress.

Sometimes it's nice to do simple things like this when you're feeling down, right?

A sudden warm and hefty breeze blew in from the open French Doors and created a dramatic visual. It caught and billowed the curtains, her gown & robe, and lifted her hair into a striking pose that would have been picture worthy. Still, all the while it tempted her forward. Pulling her towards the dark balcony and begging for her to satiate her curiosity.

She followed the source and leaned on the railing to take in a deep breath before opening her eyes. They were drawn to the tenebrous expanse of the ocean and she instantly felt lost in it.

It's so dreamy.

The milky stars seem to go on forever. If it weren't for a single glowing ghostly vessel that had been soundlessly floating by, it would have been hard to discern where it ended, and the ocean began.

This is relaxing.

The breeze turned its attention back to her, whispering in her ears, while it flirtatiously and gently teased her hair. Once more, she closed her eyes and took another deep breath.

I'm so very thankful to be here right now. I couldn't have imagined spending another day crying all alone. I'm so tired of being alone.

A rumble caught her attention and she quickly opened her eyes to try to find the source. She couldn't see where it had come from, until a small flash finally revealed the source of the sound. Far off on the horizon, a dark patch blotted out some of the stars, but every once in a while, a quick strobe of light revealed to her that a storm was on its way.

The soft creak of her door pricked her ears, and her attention was pulled behind her. It was then that she saw Beetlejuice's darkened form balancing a large bottle in one hand and some sort of small tray in another.

"Heyyy! I thought I heard you up and I figured I'd bring these in now." His jovial words set the tone, but she couldn't gauge his expression until he stepped into the candlelight. Her heart still wanted to keep guarded, but she couldn't help how happy she was to see him.

"So, what do you have there?" Walking forward, she tried to get a better look at what exactly he was holding.

"Chocolate and wine. I know how you like yer sweets." He lifted the tray up before her and her mouth began to water when she saw the various chocolates of all shapes and colors.

"I sure do." Grabbing a small chocolate, she popped it in her mouth and then crawled up onto the bed. Leaning on the headboard for support, she pulled a pillow into her lap and cuddled it while he began to pour the wine. She silently watched his every move as he filled her glass before he floated it over to her. He was quick to pour his own and join her up on the bed.

Sitting comfortably next to each other, she felt a hint of how it used to be when she was younger. It was comforting, as they were exploring the different flavors of the chocolate medley. Only then did she finally take a sip of her wine and had found that it was a sweeter red, that paired very well with the various chocolates. Normally, she liked a sweet rosé or Moscato, but this was delicious.

"This is wonderful. What is it?" Taking another sip, she turned her attention back to him and pulled the pillow closer into her tight embrace.

"Eh, just something Mei slipped to me. Apparently, some dignitary gave it to her at the party and she wasn't interested. It's some sort of rare vintage wine, "Le Roy Est Mort", and like only a handful are left in the Neitherworld, or somethin' like that." He took a large swig to finish up his glass and then poured another while he analyzed which chocolate he was going to grab next.

Staring into her glass she was dumbfounded and almost numbed by her thoughts.

This is unbelievable. He had lucked out like this, and he somehow treated it like it was nothing. Yet, here I am, drinking something that could be priceless in my realm. My money problems could have been gone with just one untouched bottle. How in the hell did he not try to pawn this?

She shook her head and gave up her thoughts to silently share in his company and wine. She couldn't let those things bother her right now. Instead, she decided to focus on the soundtrack of the ocean and the increasingly more frequent rumble of thunder.

She was thankful that he had not said much or even looked at her the whole time. She needed this quiet companionship right now, and it helped calm her soul.

It wasn't until she released a long sigh did he finally look at her directly, as she scrunched her face, and leaned back very dramatically. Her dramatic flair had not been on purpose, but somehow it always came out naturally whenever she felt like this.

Opening her eyes, she turned her head to meet his, and exposing her pain that was painted in every part of her expression.

"I think… my dad knows." She stared at him blankly as her words heavily tumbled out of her mouth. She tried to not let the weight behind it pull her back down into the abyss she had fought earlier.

"Knows?" Scratching his chin thoughtfully, he tried to figure out her words. He wasn't sure what exactly she was talking about, especially since there was quite a lot that she had hidden from her dad. It could have been any number of things and it had been a while since he poked his head into their skeleton closet to see what was new.

"About what happened. I think Oma finally told him. I don't know how much he knows but I think… I think he doesn't like me as much anymore. Surely, he isn't happy about it and it is my fault after all." She slouched down in an unattractive manner, but she didn't care, as she slugged her wine down to numb the rising pain.

"Pfft. Riiiight, ol' Chuck is going to turn on his own daughter. To top it off, because of that fucking asshole?" Beetlejuice's laughter echoed loudly around the room as he poured another round into their glasses.

"Stop being so facetious! He's done it before…" Glumly, she looked away and began to nurse her refreshed glass.

"Look. I doubt it. He may not have a backbone, but he ain't the type to give up on his kid." He sniffed loudly, blatantly disregarding all of her concerns, and drank deeply. A few more chuckles reverberated in his glass as he did so.

Lifting her own glass, Lydia stared at the plasma colored liquid as her throat tightened from the words she said next.

"Do you… do you think he hates me now? I, I, I wouldn't blame him if he did." A deep searing pain spread as she began to think over all the things that she had been trying to avoid within her head.

"Nah, who could hate you. Yer dad will love you no matter what. He's a sap!" BJ laughed once more as he slapped her shoulder lightly. Instead, Lydia's lip began to quiver as she opened her mouth to speak.

"No, I mean…" she couldn't finish her sentence. Saying his name would have been too painful.

A sudden flash of lightning lit up the room and thankfully stole her attention away. The storm was slowly making its way closer and the thunder was quick to rumble in reply.

Beetlejuice froze when he realized just who she was talking about. His lip curled with disgust, but he still managed to not let her see it.

"Look, it doesn't matter what he thinks of you anymore. He's nothin' but a fucking asshole! He abandoned you!" Even though he tried to sound like he cared, he couldn't hide the disdain that heavily coated his tongue as he spoke.

"But, Beej, I was the asshole! I was the one who cheated on him!" Her words quickly and desperately shot back, and she knew she had to defend her lost love... Especially since he wasn't the one who was at fault. He wasn't the one who sabotaged everything.

"NO! HE'S the fucker who left you when you begged him to stay! He coulda tried like a real man! Buuut noooo! Instead he ran away with his tail between his legs like the gutless piece of shit he is! Obviously, he didn't think you were worth it!" His loud and scathing words hit her like a thousand flaming arrows as he gesticulated to make his point.

Lightning dramatically pierced through the sky and made each word that he spoke even more potent. It brightly fingered its way like an electric spiderweb through the sky, until the darkness overtook it once again.

Completely shaken to the core, she trembled as his words began to burn their way into her soul. The thunder vibrated the walls with its low growl and only emphasized how powerless she felt.

"no…" Was all she could muster as a rebuttal. She knew he was wrong, but all function for logic had finally left her and her energy was shot.

Brusquely setting his glass in the air, he shook his head in disapproval at the broken woman next to him.

"GODDAMMIT, YES! Once you face the god-damned truth, then you can get your life back! Fuck babes, you aren't you anymore! You're barely alive and it hurts seein' you kill yerself over that fuck-wad!" he flailed his arms in complete frustration as the storm announced its arrival with a deafening roar. Large rain drops began to ferociously pummel everything in its path and it was showing no mercy. The humidity instantly rose, and with it, the fragrance of the storm heavily perfumed the room.

She was about to break down once again when he abruptly grabbed her and jarred her forward.

"Anyone who can't see how fuckin' amazin' and disgustingly sweet you are… don't deserve you OR yer tears! Yer so great babes and if I were to lose you… I would… I would happily throw myself on a plate and present myself as dinner to the first sandworm I found. How the fuck could he even say he loved you if he left you so easily?! You need a man Lydia, not some pansy-assed child who couldn't handle a real relationship!"

Roughly pushing her down, he kissed her with everything propelling him forward to prove himself to her. Her tears began to fall hard as her heart crumbled once again, but his energy surged forward into her with an onslaught of waves. It felt too good to push herself away from him even though she tried. Her mournful cry was muted by his kiss as he wrapped his arms around her tightly. She didn't want this at all, but his energy felt like a release as it embraced her every atom that vibrated within her.

A rush of cool air breached the room and extinguished the majority of the candles. The lightning was now nothing but a constant blitz while the thunder was a deep never-ending growl.

She wanted to fight it, but she was too weak. She needed to fight it but as his kisses became more passionate, she felt her will dissolve within the downpour. She was nothing but sugar left in the rain.

No, she was tired of fighting. She was beyond exhausted, and his energy felt like it was an escape. It was filling a deep chasm that needed to heal. Even if this was a placebo, she was going to take it right now. Oh no, she didn't care what happened anymore as she let him overtake her. She wasn't worth it… so why should she care?

He lifted her thin nightgown, and let his hands begin to explore, and to his delight, he discovered she was wearing nothing else underneath.

Quickly, he delved into her with his fingers and began to beckon her from within her soft hidden trove. His motions were too intense for her and it was too much for her to handle. Twisting, she tried to pull away, but he was quick to hold her down and extinguish any will she had left to fight back. A rush of heat spread through her cheeks and ears as she let his weight hold her down as she gave in.

He forced his energy into every last part of her and her whole body began to tingle with an intense sensitivity. It was so intense that even the breeze had brought her great pleasure and his touch was enough to push her over the edge.

If she was going to self-destruct, then she would much rather do it like this. She was sure this was at least healthier than drinking herself into a stupor every night… even if it was just so she could sleep.

His cold lips explored her body, sending shivers throughout her, as he continued to stimulate her from within. She didn't know when her nightgown or his clothes had disappeared, but it didn't matter as she began to mumble mindlessly when he picked up speed. He was close to breaking her.

"Hmmm? What was that?" He teased but he wanted to hear if she was really saying anything at all.

"Ffff. B.b.b.b.b…" Even she wasn't sure what she was trying to say but there had to be something that wanted to come out.

Pulling his hand away, he sat up to watch her already dewy body try to compose itself as it convulsed from her ripples of orgasms. She opened her eyes, with a hint of disappointment that he had stopped the things that had helped her escape her own mind.

He gave her a questioning look with a sly little half smile as he continued to toy with her.

"Use your words." His velvety voice teased.

It was clear that he loved this game. He knew his energy was something she couldn't fight, and he seemed to have no qualms using it to get what he wanted. Still, he thought it was fun watching her try to fight it.

She blinked, still feeling confused, as she watched him lift her hand so that it was close to his face. His tongue slithered out, weaving its way through her fingers, until it wrapped its self around her pinky. She felt faint at the visual. His teasing had worked as her blush began to deepen and her breath became shallower.

He pulled his tongue away, leaned over her, and whispered into her ear.

"Hmm, more?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Y, yes…" She panted out.

"Yes? More of what?" He licked her ear and let his tongue explore down her neck. Oh yes, he knew exactly what he was doing.

She knew she couldn't evade him anymore, not that she could anyways, and so her mind departed and left her with only her primal self-sustaining desires.

"Fuck me…" She begged as she separated her legs to welcome him in.

Beetlejuice straightened up and watched her carefully as she begged him with her body. His wicked smile couldn't be hidden anymore, and it was clear that it was what he had wanted to hear.

"Turn around." He twirled his finger and growled out the order.

Sitting up, she turned away to face the headboard. Leaning forward, he put both hands on her shoulders and whispered the next order in her ear.

"Bend over." His whispered demands sent a shiver down her spine as she struggled to hold her weak body up.

Slowly bending forward, each second was pure torture and she wanted to forget everything in her life… Including the choices that she was making right now.

She must've been moving too slowly for his tastes, because he pushed her forward and lifted her bottom to position himself behind her.

With a sudden swing of his hips, he was in. She fell face down onto the pillow, and with each thrust it bounced her forward. It was suffocating her within the plush blankets and pillow as she struggled to get her bearings. Grabbing onto the headboard, she could finally find enough support to lift her head without being jarred too roughly. She gasped as she found her breath but there was no relief for easy breathing quite yet.

His cock pushed deeply, tantalizing her insides, and continued to spread that amazing energy that had her a dripping mess as she came over and over. Each orgasm had her screaming and made her mind completely blank… just like she wanted. Her tears were endlessly falling but she didn't care. All that she wanted right now was to be lost in this feeling.

He gripped the back of her neck tightly as he began to pick up speed. By now, she knew all of the signs and he was going to cum very soon. A happiness filled her because she knew that it would soon bring an explosion of energy that would knock her out. It would be enough that she could find some peace for tonight.

Pushing back against him, she strove to increase the intensity of each thrust. Her bottom slammed against him, slapping loudly, until he physically and mentally pushed her over with one final and hard blow.

.

.

.

Sunlight spread across the floor and crept its way upon the large bed until it greeted Lydia's face. Lydia cringed and turned her body away from the affront on her slumber, but it was no use going back to sleep. She was awake now.

All morning long she had been drifting in and out of sleep, but it was surprisingly not a bother or disruptive like it typically would had been. She was now awake but not tired, and for that she was thankful.

Sitting up, she stretched and delayed opening her eyes for as long as she could, but a cool breeze kissed her cheek and tempted her to look to see where it had come from.

The lightweight curtains softly moved and framed the sparkling view. The humidity that hung in the air had a crispness to it and it felt very refreshing. The storm from the night previous had appeared to have a cleansing effect on everything.

She stared out to the scene beyond the balcony, as she rested upon her knees that she had pulled into a hug. The large fluffy duvet felt like it wrapped her in a protective barrier and she found that it was very comforting. She really liked this lazy energy that she had woken up to.

It was then that she had noticed that there was something different about the view that was clearly not there the night before. Upon the black metal table was a cup of steaming coffee, a plate of fruit, and some buttered toast.

Confusion hit her, and she whirled around to look in her bed, but she thankfully found that it was empty. In fact, it didn't even look like anyone else had been in the bed with her at all. With a sigh of relief, she scooted off the bed to put on her robe and start her day.

Tying her silky robe, she meandered out to inspect the meal that had been left for her. The black coffee smelled freshly poured and it was very tantalizing.

"When did he do this?" She mumbled to herself as she pulled up the chair to adjust herself and brought the hot coffee to her lips. Savoring the rich aroma, she let the fragrant steam caress her face, while the cool morning air invigorated her with its embrace. With the first slow sip, she found that its flavor was bold but not acidic and she was suddenly feeling comforted from within.

Holding the cup to her face, she glanced around the room, but yet again, there was no evidence that Beetlejuice had been there. Another sigh of relief slipped out as she closed her eyes as she talked to herself once more.

"I'm so glad he isn't here. I really… really needed this."

She savored another long sip before she grabbed a rather plump strawberry. To her surprise, even the strawberry tasted fresh and was bursting with the sweetness that only came from being ripened in a sunny field.

She began to get lost in her thoughts that she habitually mumbled out as she enjoyed her breakfast.

"Why did he do this? He must be up to something… but what is he getting out of this?" Another cool breeze flitted some of her hair forward and she couldn't help but noting how long and fast her bangs had been growing.

"I'll just let it grow out. I don't feel like getting it cut. I need a change anyways." She tucked it behind her ear before she continued with her thoughts.

Diverting her attention to the large unmade bed, her thoughts reviewed the play by play of each scene from the night before. A subtle shake in her hands began to grow as her heart began to hurt.

"Why the hell did I give in? WHY? It felt too good. But… I feel so guilty. SO GUILTY! I couldn't control myself." Attempting to take another drink, Lydia had to look away and focused on the sparkling emerald water of the ocean. With another deep drink of her coffee, it thankfully stilled the tears and the large knot that had been growing in the back of her throat.

"I can't let myself… I can't let myself get lost, but I don't know who I am anymore." She took in a deep breath, leaning on her elbow as she continued to battle her thoughts.

"It was something we had to do, or else they'd get suspicious. I don't think I've slept that well in a long time, well, without wine. Wait, maybe it was the wine we had last night? I didn't really have that much though." She tapped her fingernail on the coffee cup, but it wouldn't distract her from her thoughts.

Hanging her head down, she slouched forward and examined the bite in one of the slices of buttered toast. She counted the crumbs and noted the different textures. Her artist's eye was always at work and was there to help try to ease her mind.

"Nothing makes sense anymore. Why should I continue to go to my classes? I know I've missed a few anyways but I can't seem to care. But, I can't… I can't disappoint father." She let out a long groan.

"Too late… But, if I quit and leave college, he will be really upset at me on top of that. He's been paying for my tuition even though I've told him that I was going to take out a loan. Why is everything so complicated?! Why won't anyone listen to me? I can't find anything good anymore! NOTHING FEELS RIGHT ANYMORE! UGH! Just the thought of even picking up my camera is unappealing." She lamented as she squished a small blueberry under her finger. Oddly, it had felt a little cathartic. The green innards stuck to the plate, but she scraped it up with her fingernail and put it on the toast.

"Then there's BJ… He showed up like nothing bad had even happened between us. I know I can't expect any sort of apology out of him, but maybe he's trying to make it up to me with this? Nah, he's definitely doing this for himself! That's his modus operandi of course. I just wish I could believe in him. I know I do need him, but I can't seem to give in completely. But, it did at least feel good. Ugh, I'm a sick and terrible person." Lydia began to think over her random thoughts that she had weighed the night before when they had sex. She began to feel a little lighter when she remembered the release that she had felt when she gave her sorrow over to the pleasure.

Again, an embarrassment spread through her. She lifted her thumb to bite on it while she thought over her thoughts some more, but she abruptly stopped to stare at it. She couldn't let this habit continue and so, she diverted her attention back to her food and the coffee that was in front of her.

Holding up an overly-large blackberry to her lips, she rubbed it on them and focused her mind on the texture, before she put it in her mouth and ate it. The juice stained her lips and trickled down slightly before she licked it off. That simple action was enough to satiate that compulsive need of biting her thumb.

"I know I'm a mess. He did say he was worried for me. Maybe he really is being a good friend? I know that I am going crazy at home. No, literally crazy Lydia! I should… I should maybe see if there's some counseling that I can go to on the campus. I have to accept that..." She traced her finger on the edge of the plate as her tears finally made their appearance.

"Allen isn't coming home."