Lydia's jaw dropped. So did Chris', as did several other people's. Beetlejuice, however, leaned against a wall and inspected a bug he caught climbing up the wall.
"You what?" she demanded.
"I want to go to the Neitherworld and see the guy."
"Lira, that's crazy. Living people can't go there!"
I made my hands into fists and kept going. "What about the door? In your old attic? The house is still there, right?"
"Honey, I don't know. I don't think so. It's been so long…" she returned, rubbing her temples exasperatedly.
"Well let's stop being stupid and go see! I want to go to the Neitherworld!"
Lydia looked to Beetlejuice. "Beej…?"
"You didn't see this coming, Lyds? I figured she'd want to as soon as I'd mentioned it." He looked over, like he was amazed she hadn't discovered it sooner.
Lydia turned back to me and tried to change my mind. "Lira, even if the door was still there, I doubt you could go through. From what Beetlejuice has told me over the years, security is really tight, and-…"
"So what? Where there's a will, there's a way!"
"Lira, living people can't go to the Neitherworld!"
"How do you know?"
She turned to Beetlejuice and gave a sound of disgust. "Beej, back me up here!"
He was rubbing his chin and thinking to himself. "Well, actually, there was one case I know of. Kyle got in while he was alive."
"Who?" we both asked.
"Special case. Had to go through lots of red tape. But they let him in because of some…heh…gross intimidation on Endri's and my part. But we won't get into that." He grinned.
Lydia shrugged, and I took her example to not say anything more about it.
"Anyway, kid, if you wanna get in on short notice like you're giving me…there's only one way."
A silence settled over the room. People looked shiftily and uneasily at each other. I tried to catch someone's glance, but no one was making eye contact with me.
After some time, I lost patience. "Is anyone going to tell me how?"
Chris wrung his palms as he tried to explain. "Well, Lira, you kind of gave us both barrels when someone here semi-suggested it before. We're not sure you're going to want to listen."
I shook my head. "What?"
"Remember when Lydia gave you that 'talk'? It was only a few hours ago."
I felt my eyes go wide. "Oh…yeah. Well. Are you saying that the only way to get in to just see this guy is to…bite the big one?"
"As you so eloquently put it, yes. Although your recent escapades certainly won't be helping your inspiration much, I suppose I could assist in your current situation."
The voice made me shudder. Turning, I laid eyes Andrew. With a sharp intake of breath, I noticed he was smirking slightly and his eyes were full of mischief.
"How could you help, Andrew? Last time you tried to 'help' me, I was falling three hundred feet down into frigid water."
"Ah, my dear, but this is the point! If you want, I could make it as painless as possible. I had tried last time. The water would have numbed you and you would have simply fallen asleep."
"Thanks but no thanks. I don't feel like leaving behind a blue-tinged, bloated corpse."
He shrugged and started to turn away. A thought hit me and I rushed to ask before he left.
"Why would you want to help, anyway?"
He turned back and shrugged again. "Why, simply because I am going myself in a short while."
