Spencers13 2001-2002
PG-13 — Sci-Fi/Fantasy — Action Drama
Story concept, Endri & Kyle © Spencers13
Chapter Eight - So It Begins
Lydia woke up early the next morning to the sounds of metal clanking down in the kitchen. She got up, feeling much better than the night before, and dressed quietly, then tiptoed downstairs. Her parents didn't know she was home, and letting them know would be a difficult explanation to tackle.
Peeking around the corner, Lydia caught sight of Beetlejuice slopping eggs and toast onto a plate.
"Beetlejuice?!" she shouted in a hushed whisper. "What are you doing?! What if my parents see you!"
He jumped slightly when he heard Lydia call to him. "They're still not home yet. I think they went somewhere on an weekend trip. There's a brochure on the kitchen table for a state park resort in West Virginia Blackwater Falls, I think."
Lydia nodded, accepting his information quickly. "Okay, good. Well, let's get going. We shouldn't waste anymore time here. We have to go to the Neitherworld and stop Kyle and Endri."
Beetlejuice plopped the plate of eggs and toast down on the table. "Eat first."
"You made this?!" she shrieked in surprise.
"Yeah. I ate already to give you more time to sleep. We need all the fuel we can get for today. I have a feeling we'll both be taxed. Eat, Lyds," he said, dropping the dirty skillet into the sink.
Beetlejuice had never been so commanding before, and it was almost frightening. Lydia had never known him to be so serious, and seeing him that way worried her. What was happening must be very terrible to make him act so. She obediently sat at the table and ate her breakfast quickly, looking up to him after every other bite. Beetlejuice noticed the fear laced in her eyes as he sat across from her.
"It's okay to be scared, Lydia. I know I am," he admitted. "This will be one of those days that will be written in Neitherworld textbooks. No one will forget today for a long time to come. In fact I actually think you should stay here, but I know you too well. You won't let me go alone, will you?"
"Never," Lydia said, stone-faced.
Beetlejuice nodded and smiled. "Yep, I know you too well."
She finished her food off quickly, dropped her plate into the sink and returned to her best friend's side.
"Let's go," he said, determination dripping from his voice.
Lydia looked into his eyes and uttered the word that seemed to have a power all its own, "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice."
Jacques LaLean was in a panic. He ran up to his two friends as soon as he saw them appear in the Roadhouse living room.
"Be-atlejuice! You will not believe what is 'appening! Two men 'ave come 'ere wis ze keys! Zey are opening all ze gateways!" he practically screamed, grabbing Beetlejuice by the lapels and shaking him.
"I know, Jacques. How many are open already?" Beetlejuice asked, trying to steady himself after his thorough shakedown.
"Zey already 'ave four keys in place!"
"FOUR?! How the hell did they do that so fast?!"
"People who 'ave seen zem say zey 'ave a map wis zem," Jacques informed.
Beetlejuice balled his hands into fists. "Dammit! It figures they'd have a map too."
Things were getting much too complicated. He hadn't planned on the two humans to have a map of where the gates were. He must work quickly to find where they are and stop them.
"Where are they now?"
"We do not know." Jacques lowered his skull in shame.
"It's okay, Jacques. Not your fault. Do you know which gates are open so far?"
The skeleton thought for a second. "I sink ze fi-aire, sand, rock and sky gates 'ave been opened so far."
Beetlejuice calculated in his head which two gates remained. "That leaves sea and star gates."
"But which should we go to first?" Lydia finally joined in.
"Hmmm" Beetlejuice thought, "The Star Gate is in the asteroid field orbiting the Neitherworld, and the Sea Gate is in the Last Place You'd Ever Look."
"Well, then, we should go to the Star Gate," she said.
"Why?"
"Because the Sky Gate is in the Last Place You'd Look," Lydia explained. "Logically, it's the last one they would get to."
"Yes, but," Beetlejuice reasoned, "the Star Gate is hidden in billions of asteroids which is harder to find?"
Lydia laughed slightly. "I guess you got a point there. All right. Let's go to the Last Place You'd Ever Look."
"Right behind ya, Babes!" Beetlejuice grinned.
As Lydia trotted off and out the door to start up Doomie, Beetlejuice turned to his skeletal friend. "Jacques, round up as many people as you can. If those gates open, we're gonna have major problems. You've gotta be ready."
Jacques nodded firmly. "You can count on moi, Be-atlejuice!"
The ghoul smiled and patted Jacques on his shoulder blades, then ran out through the door to Lydia who had pulled in front of the Roadhouse with Doomie. He leapt into the living car, and the three sped away in a billow of dust.
Doomie skidded to a halt near the entrance to the Sea Gate, throwing up dust and debris. The surroundings were relatively quiet, and the two friends jumped out of their car and ran toward the gate, whipping their heads about in search of the humans. When Beetlejuice's eyes came to rest on the Sea Gate's key console, he shrieked in anger.
"Arrr! Dammit! They were already here!" He took a deep breath to calm himself and get a hold on the situation. "Well that leaves only one place where they could be. Stay here, Lydia," he said turning to her, "this will be too dangerous for you." The ghoul looked straight up to the sky and steeled his expression and tone. "I have to go alone."
"But, Beetlejuice--!" Lydia began to protest.
"No! No buts! You have to stay here. Besides, you can't breathe in space." Beetlejuice rested his hands on her shoulders and smiled down into her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll be back."
Lydia nodded reluctantly. "Okay. Please, be careful."
"I will."
Beetlejuice crouched for a few seconds, then leapt straight up into the air. Lydia watched him disappear into the atmosphere, praying for his safe return.
"I thought he'd never leave."
She spun on her heel to see Kyle, grinning and stepping out from behind a large rock formation.
"You bastard! Do you realize what you're doing?! The whole Neitherworld will be destroyed if you continue with your plans!"
"Yeah Won't it be great?" he said, stalking forward, ignoring her comments.
His trench coat flowing in the slight breeze as he walked reminded Lydia of his partner, who seemed to be absent. "Where's Endri?"
"We split up," Kyle said, still advancing. "I came here, and he said he knew a way to get to the asteroid belt in space, so he went there. But you're too late. He's bound to have the key in place by now."
Lydia smirked at him when he finally came to a stop right in front of her. "BJ will stop him."
"You think so?" he asked, innocently. "Well I don't!" He grabbed her by her throat and lifted her a foot off the ground with one arm. "How can he save the Neitherworld when he has to save you?"
Lydia tried as hard as she could to beat on her assailant, but all attempts were fruitless. He was too strong, and his grip too powerful. She held onto his wrist with both hands to help support her so she wouldn't choke to death in his grasp. She glanced to the side and caught sight of her car, Doomie, looking very nervous. She opened her mouth and did her best to get his attention.
"Doo mie-!" she called.
The car immediately revved its engine and sped toward the two.
"STOP!" Kyle shouted, pulling Lydia closer to himself. Doomie slid to a halt a few feet away, realizing he would hit her as well if he continued. "Call off your Pinto now," he said squeezing her neck tighter.
Lydia tried to struggle more, but it was useless, the older man was far too strong for her. Turning a sad eye toward Doomie, she urged him to retreat. The car backed away slowly, revving his motor threateningly.
Kyle laughed at his victim, releasing her neck just a bit. He leaned his head down and whispered into Lydia's ear, "I don't really want to hurt you. You're innocent in this but I can't have you helping that ghoul. So you're gonna help me. Now scream, little girl. Scream like you mean it."
Lydia blinked away tears of frustration. "I'll never obey you"
"Oh, really?" The white-haired man reached for Lydia's arm with his free hand and twisted it roughly behind her back. "Scream," he commanded.
"N-No" she spat between gritted teeth. Kyle responded by twisting her arm even further, and finally, Lydia could stand it no longer and cried out in agony, stopping him just before he would have broken her arm.
Beep-Beeeeeep!
Kyle looked up in time to see Doomie speeding toward him again. Quickly, he released Lydia's arm and pulled his pistol from its holster inside his coat, aimed and pulled the trigger. The shot rang out and Doomie skidded out of control. The bullet had punctured his back tire, and his back end swiveled around as he began to skid sideways. The speed at which he was traveling was too great for going sidelong, resulting in the car flipping over several times, scattering shards of glass and metal all over the dusty ground. He finally came to a rest smashed against a formation of rock.
"Doomie!" Lydia screamed, choking on tears.
"Great!" Kyle grinned. "Why didn't you show this much enthusiasm when I tried to get you to scream last time?"
"Bastard! BJ will get you agggk-!" she choked as Kyle squeezed her neck tighter.
"We'll see We'll see"
***************
UH OH! Major problems for BJ and Lydia! It seems that Kyle and Endri are much more formidable than they thought! I do hope they can turn the tides quickly! And where's Endri? In space? Dude, how'd he get there? Continue on and find out! Please review! I worked long and hard on these two chapters for everyone! Thanks!