Chapter 7
Lydia quickly ran downstairs to the basement. In the basement, she saw various machinery and computer screens. In a corner was a black four- poster bed and sprawled on it was Dr. Notrub still dressed in his Vincent Price getup. She ran over to the side and shook Dr. Notrub yelling, "Dr. Notrub! Wake up! Please!" "Huh? What?" said Dr. Notrub as he slowly awakened and reached for his glasses on a nightstand and put them on.
"Oh Lydia. What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he asked. Lydia was frantic and her words were incomprehensible. "Take a deep breath and calm down," advised Dr. Notrub. Lydia inhaled and exhaled. Then she started to talk.
"I don't expect you to believe me, Dr. Notrub. But you're the only one I could come to. My friend was just kidnapped," she said. "Oh my! Then we should call the police. We must report it," said Dr. Notrub as he got up and headed for a nearby telephone. "No, Dr. Notrub. The police can't help because." Lydia stopped because she started to hesitate to tell the doctor. "Because what?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He's.. he's a ghost," said Lydia with some reluctance in her voice.
"A ghost?" asked Dr. Notrub staring at her in surprise. "I knew you wouldn't believe me," said Lydia. "No wait. Lydia, are you saying you've actually encountered and become friends with a ghost? And he was here in my mansion?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, yes," said Lydia.
Dr. Notrub immediately ran past her and into the laboratory area. He ran to a box and started rummaging through it. He threw several mechanical devices out until he took out something that looked like a cross between a calculator and a tennis racket. He rushed to the stairs. Lydia ran after him.
Dr. Notrub burst into Lydia's room and started to scan the room with his device. "Dr. Notrub, this is no time for your experiments!" yelled Lydia angrily. The device started to beep as Dr. Notrub looked at a small screen. "Yes! My psychokinetic energy reader has detected traces of an otherworldly being. There was a ghost in here!" shrieked Dr. Notrub with rapture. "Yes, Dr. Notrub. I'm glad you believe me," said Lydia.
"Now Lydia, you said this ghost friend of yours was kidnapped," said Dr. Notrub now paying full attention. "Yes. His name is Beetlejuice and he's been my best friend for years," said Lydia. "I see. And am I the only other human being you've told?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. I've never told anyone else until now," said Lydia.
"What did this kidnapper look like? Was it another supernatural being?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, it looked like the Grim Reaper. But it wasn't supernatural. It was actually some sort of robot. He said that Beetlejuice was the key factor in the global domination plans of someone named Dr. Gothic Grim," said Lydia.
Dr. Notrub's eyes opened in horror. "Dr. Gothic Grim? Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed in a tone of horror. "You've heard of him?" asked Lydia. "If it is Dr. Gothic Grim, then we might be in trouble. Get dressed Lydia and meet me out back. We're going to save your friend Beetlejuice. I'll get the necessary equipment," said Dr. Notrub as he ran through the door.
"Wait! I don't understand!" cried Lydia as she watched Dr. Notrub run down the hall. It seemed that Dr. Notrub knew something more about what was going on than she did. Lydia decided to trust Dr. Notrub and started to get dressed.
Later, fully dressed, Lydia made her way to the back of the mansion. She saw Dr. Notrub was loading various pieces of machinery into the back of a black hearse. "Get in, Lydia. I'll explain on the way. It is important that we save your friend because if Dr. Grim is going to do what I think he's going to do, the entire spirit world and living world are both in danger," said Dr. Notrub urgently.
"But how will we find out where Beetlejuice is?" asked Lydia as she got into the front passenger seat. Inside, the dashboard had all kinds of meters and computer screens. Clearly, Dr. Notrub had made some improvements on this hearse. Dr. Notrub got in and placed a computer disk into a disk drive. A radar screen popped up on one of the computer screen.
"Using the psychokinetic energy reading I scanned from your room, we'll be able to track Beetlejuice wherever he is in the world. Take a look," said Dr. Notrub pointing to a little moving dot on the radar. "That's Beetlejuice's energy being picked up. Obviously, the mysterious mechanical kidnapper is still on the move. Let's go," he said turning the ignition key and stepping on the gas pedal. He drove the hearse around the house and down the driveway. Lydia didn't know how Dr. Notrub was going to help her save Beetlejuice. But she hoped he knew what he was doing.
Lydia quickly ran downstairs to the basement. In the basement, she saw various machinery and computer screens. In a corner was a black four- poster bed and sprawled on it was Dr. Notrub still dressed in his Vincent Price getup. She ran over to the side and shook Dr. Notrub yelling, "Dr. Notrub! Wake up! Please!" "Huh? What?" said Dr. Notrub as he slowly awakened and reached for his glasses on a nightstand and put them on.
"Oh Lydia. What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he asked. Lydia was frantic and her words were incomprehensible. "Take a deep breath and calm down," advised Dr. Notrub. Lydia inhaled and exhaled. Then she started to talk.
"I don't expect you to believe me, Dr. Notrub. But you're the only one I could come to. My friend was just kidnapped," she said. "Oh my! Then we should call the police. We must report it," said Dr. Notrub as he got up and headed for a nearby telephone. "No, Dr. Notrub. The police can't help because." Lydia stopped because she started to hesitate to tell the doctor. "Because what?" asked Dr. Notrub. "He's.. he's a ghost," said Lydia with some reluctance in her voice.
"A ghost?" asked Dr. Notrub staring at her in surprise. "I knew you wouldn't believe me," said Lydia. "No wait. Lydia, are you saying you've actually encountered and become friends with a ghost? And he was here in my mansion?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, yes," said Lydia.
Dr. Notrub immediately ran past her and into the laboratory area. He ran to a box and started rummaging through it. He threw several mechanical devices out until he took out something that looked like a cross between a calculator and a tennis racket. He rushed to the stairs. Lydia ran after him.
Dr. Notrub burst into Lydia's room and started to scan the room with his device. "Dr. Notrub, this is no time for your experiments!" yelled Lydia angrily. The device started to beep as Dr. Notrub looked at a small screen. "Yes! My psychokinetic energy reader has detected traces of an otherworldly being. There was a ghost in here!" shrieked Dr. Notrub with rapture. "Yes, Dr. Notrub. I'm glad you believe me," said Lydia.
"Now Lydia, you said this ghost friend of yours was kidnapped," said Dr. Notrub now paying full attention. "Yes. His name is Beetlejuice and he's been my best friend for years," said Lydia. "I see. And am I the only other human being you've told?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Yes. I've never told anyone else until now," said Lydia.
"What did this kidnapper look like? Was it another supernatural being?" asked Dr. Notrub. "Well, it looked like the Grim Reaper. But it wasn't supernatural. It was actually some sort of robot. He said that Beetlejuice was the key factor in the global domination plans of someone named Dr. Gothic Grim," said Lydia.
Dr. Notrub's eyes opened in horror. "Dr. Gothic Grim? Oh my gosh!" he exclaimed in a tone of horror. "You've heard of him?" asked Lydia. "If it is Dr. Gothic Grim, then we might be in trouble. Get dressed Lydia and meet me out back. We're going to save your friend Beetlejuice. I'll get the necessary equipment," said Dr. Notrub as he ran through the door.
"Wait! I don't understand!" cried Lydia as she watched Dr. Notrub run down the hall. It seemed that Dr. Notrub knew something more about what was going on than she did. Lydia decided to trust Dr. Notrub and started to get dressed.
Later, fully dressed, Lydia made her way to the back of the mansion. She saw Dr. Notrub was loading various pieces of machinery into the back of a black hearse. "Get in, Lydia. I'll explain on the way. It is important that we save your friend because if Dr. Grim is going to do what I think he's going to do, the entire spirit world and living world are both in danger," said Dr. Notrub urgently.
"But how will we find out where Beetlejuice is?" asked Lydia as she got into the front passenger seat. Inside, the dashboard had all kinds of meters and computer screens. Clearly, Dr. Notrub had made some improvements on this hearse. Dr. Notrub got in and placed a computer disk into a disk drive. A radar screen popped up on one of the computer screen.
"Using the psychokinetic energy reading I scanned from your room, we'll be able to track Beetlejuice wherever he is in the world. Take a look," said Dr. Notrub pointing to a little moving dot on the radar. "That's Beetlejuice's energy being picked up. Obviously, the mysterious mechanical kidnapper is still on the move. Let's go," he said turning the ignition key and stepping on the gas pedal. He drove the hearse around the house and down the driveway. Lydia didn't know how Dr. Notrub was going to help her save Beetlejuice. But she hoped he knew what he was doing.