Chapter 4
Later, Dr. Notrub was leading Lydia up the stairs toward the second floor. As they climbed the steps, they heard ghostly moaning coming from the top. "Do not worry, Lydia. That's just a sound effect. There are absolutely no ghosts in this mansion," assured Dr. Notrub.
"Are you sure about that, doc?" asked Beetlejuice. Lydia quickly covered Beetlejuice's mouth. "Are you getting a cold, Lydia? You sounded terrible," said Dr. Notrub. "Um.I think so," said Lydia trying to sound gruff. She gave a dirty look at Beetlejuice who grinned sheepishly.
They soon reached the second floor. It was like a long hotel floor with doors all along the side. It was covered with purple wallpaper that was dotted with gargoyle faces. "The bathrooms are the doors at either end of the hallway. You can look in every room until you find one you like. Keep in mind that there are little, haunting surprises in every room," said Dr. Notrub. "Don't you sleep in one of these rooms?" asked Lydia. "Nah, I sleep in my laboratory basement. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my research that I get so tired to climb the stairs. So I moved a bed downstairs and that's where I sleep. I'll leave you to find a room. I have something in the lab brewing up. If you don't find a good one on this floor, there's always the third floor," said Dr. Notrub as he headed downstairs.
As soon as he was out of sight, Beetlejuice detached himself from Lydia's wrist and changed into his normal form. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's almost like you, Lydia," said Beetlejuice. "He certainly is. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to meet you. But let's check out the rooms now," said Lydia. "You go right. I'll go left," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the left. Lydia walked to the right.
They started to explore the rooms. As they walked down the hallway, Dr. Notrub's haunting effects started to activate. A suit of armor raised its sword. Ghastly shrieks and moans emitted throughout the hallway. But they didn't mind. They both admired Dr. Notrub's creativeness. After taking a look in each room, Lydia called to Beetlejuice. "I think I've found the perfect room," she said as Beetlejuice floated down to her.
She opened the door of the room she had chosen and they stepped inside. There was a black, four-poster bed up against the wall as well as a black wardrobe. A vanity mirror was also in the room. In the corner, a rocking chair rocked by itself. "With the exception of the rocking chair, this room isn't very different from your room back at your parents' house," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the rocking chair. He saw that the rocking chair was attached to metal rod that was rocking it via a mechanical apparatus under the room. "Could he have made it any more obvious?" asked Beetlejuice.
Lydia stepped to the vanity mirror. Suddenly, her reflection was replaced by the image of a ghastly face with its mouth open screaming in fear. The image lasted for only a moment and then vanished with Lydia's image returning. "Just what we needed. You always like to pass between our worlds through a mirror," she said as she adjusted her gravity-defying ponytail.
"Hey Lyds! Check out how the doc rigged this wardrobe," said Beetlejuice as he opened the wardrobe. It was empty. Beetlejuice then closed the door and then opened it again. This time, a human skeleton dangled from a rope around its neck. Beetlejuice closed the door and opened it again. The wardrobe was empty. "This house, aside from the Roadhouse, is a dream house. Or to be more fitting, a nightmare house. You'd be out of your mind to turn down an offer like this," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head flipped open like a lid and his brain launched out on a spring. Lydia giggled.
"I'll go tell Dr. Notrub that this mansion is perfect. Then we'll go and get my stuff from the dormitory at the college," said Lydia. Beetlejuice's brain lowered back into his head and he changed into a mover's outfit. "For all your moving needs, call Beetleman movers, the best moving service in the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Since when did you become a mover?" asked Lydia for she knew that Beetlejuice had never worked in his entire afterlife. "Since I heard you were moving into this mansion," said Beetlejuice with a hearty laugh.
Then they heard Dr. Notrub's voice call, "Lydia, did you find a room yet?" "Hide!" exclaimed Lydia. Beetlejuice quickly opened the wardrobe and hid inside just as Dr. Notrub opened the door. "Ah! You have made an excellent choice, Lydia. Although, I would personally choose the room with the levitating bed. Are you going to go get your stuff from the college dormitory?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes, I was just on my way," said Lydia. "Give notice that you've moved out at the office. Dinner will be at six and then I have some work to do in my lab. You'll be on your own for the rest of tonight. See you at dinner," said Dr. Notrub as he left.
As soon as he shut the door, Lydia opened the wardrobe and found Beetlejuice hanging by his neck on a rope beside the skeleton. "Looks like we can hang around together in the Neitherworld tonight, babes. I've got a surprise for you. I got tickets to a concert starring the Rolling Kidney Stones," said Beetlejuice as he floated out of the wardrobe. "My favorite Neitherworld rock band! You didn't get them off a scalper like you did the last concert, did you?" said Lydia. "Nah. I remember what happened last time. It took a lot of money to get my scalp back," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head vanished for a second and reappeared. "Let's go to the dormitory and get your stuff," he said as they exited the room and headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile, far away from 1313 Poe Lane, in the pitch-blackness of Dr. Gothic Grim's secret laboratory, Dr. Grim looked eagerly at his computer screen. "Yes! It happened again. That entity has made another transdimensional crossover and this time, I've pinpointed the location," he said as he scrolled down his computer screen to a map. His maniacal grin got even wider. "How convenient. The point of the crossover is located in the nearby town of Sleepy Hollow. At last, my dream of global domination will be realized. Mecha-Reaper!" he yelled.
Out of the shadows, Mecha-Reaper stepped with his red eyes glowing in the darkness of his cloak. "Yes, Master?" he asked. "I have a job for you. I want you to go to Sleepy Hollow. The tracking device in your system will enable you to detect the presence of ectoplasmic entities. When you find it, capture it and bring it to me," said Dr. Grim.
"Your wish is my command. Finally, I get to test my abilities. For you designed me to be the ultimate ghost hunter," said Mecha-Reaper as he stepped into a doorway. "Do not let me down Mecha-Reaper or you're heading for the scrap heap," said Dr. Grim.
Automatic doors slid shut in front of Mecha-Reaper. He had stepped into an elevator and it started to rise up. Soon, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. There was a wooden door in front. Mecha-Reaper extended his hand, turned the knob, and opened the door. He stepped outside. Behind him was an old broken-down shack that Dr. Grim had used to disguise the entrance to his underground lair. Mecha-Reaper shut the door behind him. Suddenly, bat wings sprouted out of his back and the sound of an engine starting was heard. Underneath Mecha-Reaper's cloak was a jetpack that he used to fly. Mecha-Reaper, scythe in hand, took off into the air in the direction of Sleepy Hollow.
Author's Note: A little factoid about Dr. Notrub. I based him on the character of Vincent from Tim Burton's first film Vincent. Notrub is also Burton spelled backwards.
Later, Dr. Notrub was leading Lydia up the stairs toward the second floor. As they climbed the steps, they heard ghostly moaning coming from the top. "Do not worry, Lydia. That's just a sound effect. There are absolutely no ghosts in this mansion," assured Dr. Notrub.
"Are you sure about that, doc?" asked Beetlejuice. Lydia quickly covered Beetlejuice's mouth. "Are you getting a cold, Lydia? You sounded terrible," said Dr. Notrub. "Um.I think so," said Lydia trying to sound gruff. She gave a dirty look at Beetlejuice who grinned sheepishly.
They soon reached the second floor. It was like a long hotel floor with doors all along the side. It was covered with purple wallpaper that was dotted with gargoyle faces. "The bathrooms are the doors at either end of the hallway. You can look in every room until you find one you like. Keep in mind that there are little, haunting surprises in every room," said Dr. Notrub. "Don't you sleep in one of these rooms?" asked Lydia. "Nah, I sleep in my laboratory basement. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my research that I get so tired to climb the stairs. So I moved a bed downstairs and that's where I sleep. I'll leave you to find a room. I have something in the lab brewing up. If you don't find a good one on this floor, there's always the third floor," said Dr. Notrub as he headed downstairs.
As soon as he was out of sight, Beetlejuice detached himself from Lydia's wrist and changed into his normal form. "He doesn't seem like a bad guy. He's almost like you, Lydia," said Beetlejuice. "He certainly is. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to meet you. But let's check out the rooms now," said Lydia. "You go right. I'll go left," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the left. Lydia walked to the right.
They started to explore the rooms. As they walked down the hallway, Dr. Notrub's haunting effects started to activate. A suit of armor raised its sword. Ghastly shrieks and moans emitted throughout the hallway. But they didn't mind. They both admired Dr. Notrub's creativeness. After taking a look in each room, Lydia called to Beetlejuice. "I think I've found the perfect room," she said as Beetlejuice floated down to her.
She opened the door of the room she had chosen and they stepped inside. There was a black, four-poster bed up against the wall as well as a black wardrobe. A vanity mirror was also in the room. In the corner, a rocking chair rocked by itself. "With the exception of the rocking chair, this room isn't very different from your room back at your parents' house," said Beetlejuice as he floated to the rocking chair. He saw that the rocking chair was attached to metal rod that was rocking it via a mechanical apparatus under the room. "Could he have made it any more obvious?" asked Beetlejuice.
Lydia stepped to the vanity mirror. Suddenly, her reflection was replaced by the image of a ghastly face with its mouth open screaming in fear. The image lasted for only a moment and then vanished with Lydia's image returning. "Just what we needed. You always like to pass between our worlds through a mirror," she said as she adjusted her gravity-defying ponytail.
"Hey Lyds! Check out how the doc rigged this wardrobe," said Beetlejuice as he opened the wardrobe. It was empty. Beetlejuice then closed the door and then opened it again. This time, a human skeleton dangled from a rope around its neck. Beetlejuice closed the door and opened it again. The wardrobe was empty. "This house, aside from the Roadhouse, is a dream house. Or to be more fitting, a nightmare house. You'd be out of your mind to turn down an offer like this," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head flipped open like a lid and his brain launched out on a spring. Lydia giggled.
"I'll go tell Dr. Notrub that this mansion is perfect. Then we'll go and get my stuff from the dormitory at the college," said Lydia. Beetlejuice's brain lowered back into his head and he changed into a mover's outfit. "For all your moving needs, call Beetleman movers, the best moving service in the Neitherworld," said Beetlejuice. "Since when did you become a mover?" asked Lydia for she knew that Beetlejuice had never worked in his entire afterlife. "Since I heard you were moving into this mansion," said Beetlejuice with a hearty laugh.
Then they heard Dr. Notrub's voice call, "Lydia, did you find a room yet?" "Hide!" exclaimed Lydia. Beetlejuice quickly opened the wardrobe and hid inside just as Dr. Notrub opened the door. "Ah! You have made an excellent choice, Lydia. Although, I would personally choose the room with the levitating bed. Are you going to go get your stuff from the college dormitory?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes, I was just on my way," said Lydia. "Give notice that you've moved out at the office. Dinner will be at six and then I have some work to do in my lab. You'll be on your own for the rest of tonight. See you at dinner," said Dr. Notrub as he left.
As soon as he shut the door, Lydia opened the wardrobe and found Beetlejuice hanging by his neck on a rope beside the skeleton. "Looks like we can hang around together in the Neitherworld tonight, babes. I've got a surprise for you. I got tickets to a concert starring the Rolling Kidney Stones," said Beetlejuice as he floated out of the wardrobe. "My favorite Neitherworld rock band! You didn't get them off a scalper like you did the last concert, did you?" said Lydia. "Nah. I remember what happened last time. It took a lot of money to get my scalp back," said Beetlejuice as the top half of his head vanished for a second and reappeared. "Let's go to the dormitory and get your stuff," he said as they exited the room and headed for the stairs.
Meanwhile, far away from 1313 Poe Lane, in the pitch-blackness of Dr. Gothic Grim's secret laboratory, Dr. Grim looked eagerly at his computer screen. "Yes! It happened again. That entity has made another transdimensional crossover and this time, I've pinpointed the location," he said as he scrolled down his computer screen to a map. His maniacal grin got even wider. "How convenient. The point of the crossover is located in the nearby town of Sleepy Hollow. At last, my dream of global domination will be realized. Mecha-Reaper!" he yelled.
Out of the shadows, Mecha-Reaper stepped with his red eyes glowing in the darkness of his cloak. "Yes, Master?" he asked. "I have a job for you. I want you to go to Sleepy Hollow. The tracking device in your system will enable you to detect the presence of ectoplasmic entities. When you find it, capture it and bring it to me," said Dr. Grim.
"Your wish is my command. Finally, I get to test my abilities. For you designed me to be the ultimate ghost hunter," said Mecha-Reaper as he stepped into a doorway. "Do not let me down Mecha-Reaper or you're heading for the scrap heap," said Dr. Grim.
Automatic doors slid shut in front of Mecha-Reaper. He had stepped into an elevator and it started to rise up. Soon, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. There was a wooden door in front. Mecha-Reaper extended his hand, turned the knob, and opened the door. He stepped outside. Behind him was an old broken-down shack that Dr. Grim had used to disguise the entrance to his underground lair. Mecha-Reaper shut the door behind him. Suddenly, bat wings sprouted out of his back and the sound of an engine starting was heard. Underneath Mecha-Reaper's cloak was a jetpack that he used to fly. Mecha-Reaper, scythe in hand, took off into the air in the direction of Sleepy Hollow.
Author's Note: A little factoid about Dr. Notrub. I based him on the character of Vincent from Tim Burton's first film Vincent. Notrub is also Burton spelled backwards.