A story about life, love, courage, and testing ultimate friendship. What happens to Beetlejuice and his friends when one of their own falls into despair and changes completely? Nothing will ever be the same. This story is an Alternate Universe set five years after Dark Shadows in the year 2008, and does not follow the intended story line. I repeat, this story does NOT follow the intended story line of the two stories (A New Beginning & Dark Shadows) included in my Beetlejuice Afterlife series, which is why it is simply titled "Mania" and not "Beetlejuice Afterlife – Mania". If I have someone ask me why I would put this as a sequel, I'll ignore them, because, right here it says: THIS STORY IS NOT A SEQUEL. This story was just bursting to be written, but I have no intention to make it part of my previous series. It just happens to use that series' events as a prelude. I hope there is no confusion.
Thank you Maya and Wanda for your reviews. They mean muchos.
I particularly like this chapter, and I hope you will too.
WARNING!!! Graphic detail of nasty fleshy stuff is in this chapter!! If you don't like gore, please spead read past it or something.
Enjoy. ;
Mania
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Ten – Out of the Past
"Daddy!" Faygo yelled at the top of her lungs, leaping into her father's arms for a huge bear hug.
"F–Faygo? What are you doin' here?" Kyle asked, surprised, reaching up to support his daughter as her feet had left the floor.
The joyful woman pulled away, an obvious fake frown upon her young face. "It's been almost three months since I've seen you last, and you ask what I'm doing here?!" She batted at his arm playfully.
Kyle chuckled, fake–rubbing his arm. "Sorry. Well, how's things?"
"Good, good!" Faygo held her hands behind her back and swung back and forth innocently. "I got that job I've been after finally!"
"The internship at the Neitherworld Check–in Station?!"
"Yeeeup!" She giggled, a huge grin spreading her full lips wide.
Kyle picked his daughter up and twirled her in a circle. "Way to go, sweetheart! I knew you were good enough to get that job! Of course, you are my little girl, so such things should come naturally for you." He winked.
Faygo just laughed and hugged her father. "So, tell me, Daddy."
"Tell ya what, honey?"
"Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"You know" she leaned in to almost whisper, "about you and Uncle 'Dri."
Kyle stared at her for a moment, almost not registering the question, but as soon as he did, a frown was all over his face. "Who told you something like that?"
"No one!" she retorted quickly, shrugging her shoulders high and lifting her hands to wave noncommittally.
He crossed his arms and gave his daughter "the eye".
"Okay, okay, Mom did," she relented all too quickly.
A repressed growl hung in Kyle's throat, and he closed his eyes. "And what else did your mother tell you?"
"Um" She bit her lip and scuffed her small sneaker against the floor.
"Come–on, out with it. I probably know it all anyway. I just want to know what version she told you."
Faygo sighed and relented again. "Sheshe told me you left her for Uncle 'Dri. And that you only stayed with her until you could find the right opportunity to leave. She said she figured you only stayed because of me, and that you wereusing her in the meantime." A saddened look passed over her soft features.
The growl that he had been repressing couldn't be held at bay after such a revelation, and Faygo looked up at the odd sound rumbling from her father's throat.
"Now that is a complete lie! First of all, she left me! Secondly, she used me while she ran off with someone else every day. And thirdly," he quieted his shouting voice and stepped closer to hug his daughter tenderly, "I stayed with my family because I loved everyone in it. I never tried to leave anyone, Faygo, especially not you. I love you so much, sweetheart, and no matter how old you get, you'll still be my little girl."
The young ghost buried her face into her father's chest and clung tightly. "I love you, Daddy. I knew you'd never leave us on purpose. I realized Mom was lying to me whenever she told me about how 'cruel' you were to her. And I saw the signs for months before it happened."
"What signs?"
"Mom would always ask me what you'd been doing while she was gone. I thought she was just interested at first, but then I realizedshe was keeping tabs on you through me. She wanted to make sure you stayed home. I guess it was 'cause she didn't want anyone else to meet you and find out you were still human. I–uh" she paused for a moment, "I know about 'Humans', Daddy."
Kyle grunted, his lips pulling into a thin line.
"I know she was keeping you to herself too. That was obvious. And I also knewh–him."
He scowled. "You shouldn't have to go through all of this, Faygo. This is all my fault." A head of white hair hung, and his body turned to the side. "If I had just left well enough aloneif I had just stayed in the Real World, none of this would ever have happened. You may not've had me, but at least you wouldn't have this."
Faygo stepped around into his line of sight to be sure she had his attention. "No, don't say that, Daddy. Even if you had stayed in the Real World, Mom would still have left you. I knew about that guy ever since the beginning. She told me about him, even. She said that we should probably move on because it would be a long time before we saw you again. She said things change. But I thought she was done with him after you came back."
Kyle huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Humphapparently not. Things sure do change. People apparently change too, according to her."
"Please don't be too upset, Daddy. I'm not." She smiled lightly. "Besides. Things happen for a reason, didn't you know that?"
A smirk couldn't help forming on the human's lips. "YeahI know."
Faygo leaned close, saying coyly, "Sois it true?"
Her father leaned in as well. "Is what true?"
"Daddy!" She laughed, batting his arm.
"Ha–ha! I'm just teasing."
"Weeeeell?!" Delicate, purple eyebrows raised.
Kyle's white eyebrows pulled into a frown. "We are not together. Pepper jumps to way too many conclusions, and so does everybody else. All these accusations are really starting to piss me off," he grunted, sounding very annoyed. "Doesn't anyone get it?"
Faygo shrunk into herself, feeling like she was being reprimanded, but knowing she wasn't. Her father seemed to have a lot of pent up anger about such accusations. Apparently, he hated having his manhood questioned in such a way.
"Why is it that two guys can't be best friends, hug, hang out together all the time, or even live with each other without everybody thinking they're sleeping together?! Hell, I might as well start fuckin' him if everybody thinks I already am!" He took a deep, calming breath, and his features softened. "Sorry, Faygo, I—"
"No, Daddy. It's okay. I'd be frustrated too."
Kyle smiled and nodded, glad she understood.
"Kyle?"
Father and daughter looked to their side toward the staircase to see Endri descending in only a pair of blue–grey sleep pants and tank top. He looked very tired as he rubbed at his eyes and took shaky steps as he walked over to the two.
"I wokeand couldn't find you. I thought you disappeared," he said to Kyle, stepping right up to him, wrapping his arms around him, and burying his face into white hair for comfort.
The human smiled and hugged back, petting the ghost's mussed hair. "S'okay, 'Dri. I'm right here. I wouldn't disappear without telling you first, ya know that."
"Mm."
Looking over to the side, Kyle noticed his daughter staring and blushing at their hug and frowned, rolling his eyes. Even his daughter thought they were more than friends. It disappointed him to say the least. Was everyone's mind in the gutter?
"Hey, 'Dri, look who's come to visit," the human spoke up, gesturing to his daughter only feet away.
Endri pulled back and looked over, just then noticing the young, purple–haired ghost. "Faygo? When did you show up?"
A confused look was tossed in Kyle's direction, but he subtly waved for her to pay it no mind. "Uhwell, I just thought I'd drop by to see you and Daddy. You lookgood, Uncle 'Dri."
"And you are still beautiful as ever." The tall blonde smiled roguishly, making a bright red hue rise over Faygo's cheeks and a giggle spill from her full lips.
Kyle poked his friend in his side. "Hey, now, that's my daughter you're talkin' to," he scolded, but couldn't help his growing smirk.
Endri drew into himself, looking sheepish. "I know. I was only being nice."
Faygo giggled and blushed more, unable to keep it in.
Shaking his head, the human leaned close to his friend. "All right, let's see your eyes so you'll keep 'em off my daughter."
The ghost obediently leaned down a bit, letting Kyle lift his upper eyelid to check each iris separately. It seemed like a routine to Faygo.
"Mm You still haven't been sleeping much, have you?" The human tried to not sound reprimanding.
Endri looked down as if being scolded anyway, and his friend sighed wearily at the sight.
"It's okay, 'Dri. I know you can't help it. I justI wish you'd try, ya know?"
"I do. I try, Kyle, every night. ButI–I can't." He bit his lip and fidgeted, starting to become upset.
"Shh It's okay, don't worry about it right now. 'Kay, 'Dri?" Kyle suggested, holding the ghost by his shoulders while he nodded slowly, agreeing. "Good. Now, why don't you go and wait in the kitchen. I'll make us some lunch since you stayed in bed late today."
Smiling, Endri turned and headed for the kitchen.
"Hold it!"
He stopped and turned.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kyle asked, crossing his arms and nodding toward his daughter.
"Oh!" Endri quickly stepped back over and hugged Faygo tightly, kissing her cheek. "Sayonara, Faygo. Have a lovely day ne?"
She giggled. "I will, Uncle 'Dri. Say, what's my Japanese word for this time?"
Looking to the ceiling in thought, he said, "Today, your word is'ningen'."
"Ningen," the girl repeated to get the pronunciation. "Okay, give me context."
Endri thought with a forefinger to his bottom lip. "Hmm I'll just give you a general hint. How about: Kyle is a ningen."
Faygo repeated the phrase, looking thoughtful. "Ummmperson?"
"No."
"Umman?"
"No."
"Uh"
"Come–on, Faygo, even I know that word." Kyle laughed at his only daughter.
"Yeah, but I bet Uncle 'Dri told you! I haveta guess it!"
Endri chuckled for a moment before suddenly saying, "Faygo, why don't you just tell me your answer the next time you stop by? Kyle told me to go to the kitchen, so I have to go now."
The young ghost gave her father a look which he just waved off again. "Sure, Uncle 'Dri. Umhave fun in the kitchen."
He just smiled and hugged her again. "Take care, and if you ever need anything, call."
"I will, Uncle 'Dri."
With that, he turned and left.
Kyle and Faygo waited until he was gone to begin speaking again.
"UmDaddy?"
The human rubbed his temples, sighing. "He does that occasionally now, sweetheart. It isn't as bad as it used to be, but he still spaces out once in a while."
"So he really hasn't gotten much better?"
"Not reallypoor guy. I feel so bad for him sometimes, and other times I just get so frustrated with him. I know he tries, but" he sighed again, "SometimesI just wish I could have my old Endri back. The Endri that didn't stare at the wall for an hour and think only a minute went by."
"He does that?"
Kyle nodded. "And a lot of other shit too."
"I had no idea he was so bad."
"Oh, he's a lot better than he used to be. You should have seen him when this all started out." He shook his head sadly. "He was a real mess."
"Ijust can't imagine."
"It's hard to. We all survived, barely at times, but we still made it. And he does keep getting better. It's just a slow process."
"Question."
"Mm?"
"What made you decide to be his caretaker? I mean shouldn't Uncle BJ be doing that kind of thing?"
The human stared at the kitchen doorway for a moment, pooling the answer to his daughter's question. Honestly, he was a bit fuzzy as to why he did it himself. Maybe if he answered Faygo, he would also understand. But then again, there was only one answer to give, and he had known it all along.
"At that timeI was really confused. Your mom left me. I was alone. I thought I didn't have anything anymore. ButEndri was always right there, just like he always had been. I realized that no matter where I was or what I was doing, I could always fall back on 'Dri. No matter what happened, he was there to support me at every major turn of my life since we met. And then I remembered a long time ago, not long after I lost you and your mom. I was really depressed, ya know. Andwell, Endri kinda gave me a swift kick in the ass and put my head back on straight. Then he promised he'd always be there for when I needed him. And he's been true to his word ever since. Wellonce we kinda had a little misunderstanding about it, but"
"What happened, Daddy?" Faygo asked, voice quiet.
Kyle shook his head, still staring at the kitchen door. "Nah, it was a long time ago."
"What?"
Sighing, he relented and finally dropped his eyes from the door to the rotting floorboards at his feet. "Wellone time, I kinda got mad. I thought he was treating me unfairly, and it pissed me off. So, Isaid a few things I shouldn't haveand we almost ended up parting ways. Actually, we did. For about three months, I never saw him. Then one day, he shows up at my door. We kinda talkedworked out misunderstandingsand then things were okay. But ever since then, he was a lot more open with me, and he's kept every one of his promises." He paused a moment, letting his explanation settle between the both of them. "So when I was debating over this whole 'caretaker' thing, I remembered everything Endri's always done for me, and I thought, 'Where is my gratitude?'"
Faygo smiled warmly. "I think I understand. Wow, that's great, Dad. I've never seen anyone so determined to keep their word."
Kyle chuckled and shook his head lightly. "I'm sure if you ever promise someone you care about something, you'd go to the extreme to fulfil it too." He turned a grin to his daughter. "It runs in the family, ya know. Like your hair."
Blinking, Faygo looked up at her father's hair, then fingered her own. "I never thought about that! I have a puff like you!" she realized, pulling a little on the tuft of red bangs fluffing from her forehead.
"It used to be blonde, though." He looked almost sad as he uttered the thought.
The young ghost just smiled again. "I know." Her amethyst eyes fell away from his, unable to keep eye contact as she changed the subject, saying, "If you don't mind me asking something personal?"
"What's that?"
"Have you been seeing anyone since Mom?"
Kyle stared off at nothing for a minute, just letting his mind drift. Finally, he said, "No, honey. Honestly, I haven't had much time for a personal life now that I'm taking care of Endri. He'squite the handful." He sighed. "But, ya knowI wouldn't trade 'im for anything." Smirking, he wiggled a finger in his daughter's direction. "And now, when you call him 'Uncle 'Dri', you should know that he pretty much is."
A curious frown drifted over Faygo's visage. "What do you mean?"
Holding his right hand out, Kyle displayed his scabbing bite wound—his entire palm bruised.
"What happened?!" she shouted in worry, touching the purple flesh tenderly.
"Ah, 's just a bite. Doesn't hurt," he said nonchalantly, shrugging. "Anyway, he's got one too. We kindacame to an understanding, so to speak."
"Wow! You did one of those mix-the-blood-together things?" Faygo shouted, seemingly very excited over it.
"Well, yeah."
"That's awesome, Dad! I didn't think you were so cool. Wow, blood brothers! Kick ass!"
Kyle laughed at her enthusiasm. "Yep. Kick ass."
His daughter laughed along with him for a bit, enjoying the small bit of quality time she rarely had with her father. When she glanced at the skull clock on the wall, however, she knew that short time was swiftly coming to an end. "WellI guess it's time for me to get going." But even though she said it, she was still hesitant about leaving yet.
A more serious disposition fell over Kyle, and he took his daughter's shoulders in hand. "Faygo, I want you to know something before you run off. I want you to know that if things had happened differently, I would still be with your mother. I loved her, I really did. But she chose her own path, and left me to find mine. One thing that you should never forget, honey, but never hope to see very often, is that people change. Things change. Times change. It's lifeor afterlife, in your case. Heh." Sadness drew his lips into a thin line, and he pulled Faygo into a hug. "You shouldn't have had to go through the things you did. You're still way too young for thisany of this to be happening to you. I wish I could've protected you and your mom better while you were still alive." He buried his face in her colorful hair, trying to apologize in every way possible.
Faygo hugged tightly. "It's okay, Daddy. You can't blame yourself. And besides, you and Uncle 'Dri destroyed the thing that killed us. That's more than enough for me."
Kyle just huffed. "Endri did most of the work."
"But you put it in that field that held it still until he could call the sandworms. And you were the one that pushed the button to release it and let the worms eat it."
"Hmmgot a point there, I guess," he admitted, smiling lightly.
Faygo grinned. "Ya know what, Daddy?"
"What's that, sweetheart?"
"Love you."
"Hn–hnlove you too." He kissed his daughter's forehead tenderly.
"I bet Uncle 'Dri is sitting in there waiting for some lunch. And I have to head along; I need to get a few new outfits for my new job," she said, grinning wolfishly.
Kyle chuckled at her small antic. "Just as long as I don't have to be along for the ride this time. Shopping with you gives me a migraine," he groaned, rubbing his head dramatically.
"Oh!" She smacked his arm, but immediately after, leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Take care, Daddy. Take care of Uncle 'Dri too."
"I always am." He smiled. "You will stop by more often, right?"
"Absolutely!" she called, heading out the door. "Love you, Daddy! Bye! Say hello to Uncle BJ for me too!"
"I will!" He waved as he watched his only daughter leaving in her little black sports car.
Kyle sighed deeply. At last, he was able to talk to her about the separation and make her feel better about it. But after all was said and done, he didn't know if he felt better about it, though. Closing the door softly, he headed for the kitchen, intent on making his sleep–deprived friend some lunch.
After a filling lunch of Chef Ghoulyardee, two best friends made their way out of the kitchen and into the living room, ready to begin tackling the rest of the day.
"Why don't you go upstairs and throw some shorts on and practice some of your routines out front? You haven't been exercising lately. You're losing wei—"
A strangled gasp erupted from Endri's throat, and he stopped short, Kyle almost slamming into his back.
"What th—? 'Dri?"
The ghost never said a word, just stared toward the front doors, mouth gaping, eyes huge and glossy. Kyle followed the unbelieving look only to see the wispy figure of a little girl of about six or seven, kneeling on the floor and playing with a ragged doll like it was her most prized possession. Her entire body was transparent and black and white, but her hair was the color of a golden, sandy beach, so gold it was almost brown, and her eyes were shining hazel. A slow, little tune hummed from her small throat that echoed through the air around the two friends hauntingly.
Endri released a held breath and spun to hide against Kyle, curled up into himself. "It'san illusion. It must be an illusion. It isn't real." he mumbled to apparently no one but himself.
Confusion ate away at the human as he unconsciously patted the ghost's shoulder for comfort. "Who is she?" his voice spoke quietly.
Endri reeled back from his new brother in shock. "You see her too? IImpossible! Iie, iie masaka!"
The raised voice grabbed the little girl's attention, and she looked over to the two men as if just seeing them. Her eyes grew wide, and she jumped to her feet, holding the limp little doll by the arm. "Daddy!"
Endri utterly froze.
Kyle stared in shock. "Daddy?!"
The girl ran over, seemingly in slow motion, becoming more and more solid with each step. Elated giggling echoed around her, filling the Roadhouse with the fear–inspiring sounds no matter how jovial they were meant to be. Tiny hands and thin, but healthy–looking arms wove around the ghost's hips, and the little girl hugged against Endri tightly. "Daddy, I missed you!" she exclaimed happily, nuzzling against his side.
Even though she was not a foot away from Kyle, and no space resided between her and Endri, that nearly monochromatic girl still didn't seem as though she belonged to reality.
Looking down with a heavy swallow, the ghost stared, obviously terrified and disbelieving. He seemed to know the strange apparition. "K–Kaia?"
The little girl looked up and smiled sweetly, reaching her lithe arms to be picked up. Her childlike beauty was radiant. The fear evaporated when he looked into those smiling, brilliant eyes, and he bent down and grabbed her up quickly.
"Kaia! My little Kaia!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "Where have you been? I looked for you—looked so hard!"
Kaia just smiled her ethereal smile and hugged around Endri's neck, her little doll still dangling from her fingers and resting along his shoulder. "I love you, Daddy."
The ghost wept with joy and held her to him, holding her as if never wanting to let go again.
Kyle had backed away a few feet in silent awe, witnessing his best friend cradle a child he never knew the ghost had created. Endri had a daughter. It blew the human's mind. "Why did you never tell me about her, 'Dri?" he asked, voice quiet and barely even there.
Endri caressed the back of the girl's head and sniffed the tears back. "It was too painful."
Kaia drew back suddenly, glaring. "Pain? You don't know pain."
The ghost blinked at her, not expecting something so adult to come from her small lips. "What?"
"Pain is being trapped in your mind ever since I died, Daddy," she spat with sarcasm.
"Uh—wha—?"
"You kept me locked away and hardly ever thought about me, then when you did, you pushed me further back—locked me up tighter than before. I thought you loved me, but you kept trying to forget me!" She squirmed from his arms and jumped down, then glared up at him with accusing adult–like eyes. "And it was you who killed my parents!"
Endri winced and looked away shamefully.
"First you took away my parents, then you lock me away in your mind!"
Pale hands covered pale, pointed ears, and the ghost squeezed his eyes tight. "No, please, stop it!"
"No! You will not shut me out again! I've escaped, Daddy, and I'll make you pay for what you've done!" Kaia hissed, advancing on him.
Endri retreated in fear, eyes huge and glossed over. "S–Stay away from me! You're not Kaia! Sh–She's my little girl! She would never—"
"You cruelson of a bitch!" she sneered.
Backpedaling into the left corner of the living room next to the fireplace, his eyes incredibly wide with fear, Endri continued to plead weakly. "No, I've changed. I've changed!"
"Liar!" Kaia continued to advance, ceaselessly.
"I swear!"
"Then why would you raise me in your cozy little cabin as if you were some normal human being, but then go off and murder countless innocents just to prove you were stronger than they were?!"
Continuing to cower, the ghost closed his eyes against the pain. "I don't know. I don't know why I did that! I couldn't help myself!" Green eyes snapped back to the little girl. "But I loved you. I loved you more than anything. You were the only thing that brightened my day." Those same green eyes teared up, water brimming the bottom lids. "Why did you get sick?! Why did you have to die?! I lost control when you died—"
"So you went out on a killing spree to make yourself feel better?!"
"N–No, II didn't know what I was doing!! Didn't realize until hours later Please, forgive me, Kaia! You know I'd never hurt you!"
Kaia glowered and stopped a few feet away from her unintended stepfather. Her words came, with so much maturity. "You've already hurt me enough."
A look of devastation dominated the features on Endri's face, and he slid dazedly to the floor, staring at nothing. Why? Why was his little girl saying such horrible things to him. Even though he had orphaned her, he took her in and raised her as his own. He loved her, cared for her, provided for her, gave her everything she ever wantedbut it must not have been enough. No amount of spoiling could cover the fact that he had murdered her parents. He could never make up for that. Butwasn't she too young to remember such a deed? She was only two years old when he had orphaned her, and she never even witnessed it. He remembered that day now, so vividly.
--
The screams had died down finally. Those pitiful screams from frightened, weak mouths. It was fun to silence each scream and close each mouth. It was a rush to see their lives ending and drinking in the sight and taste of it. Their blood was still so warm, even as it settled in his stomach. He knew that soon, his body would absorb that hot liquid and make his veins hum and his head swim with euphoria.
Life never tasted so good.
After the annoying sounds of screams died away with the last Homo Sapien still in his clutches, a new sound permeated the smoky, burning atmosphere. A soft sound, different from a scream or desperate cry or dying breath. It piqued his curiosity, and he dropped the limp body of a woman to the dusty, charred earth. He didn't feel like carrying dead weight.
His expertly acute ears picked the sound out from the rest of the surrounding ambiance. He ignored the sounds of crackling fire from the burning homes, the light jingling of the metal weapons and things strapped to various parts of his virile anatomy, and the heavy tromping of his thick leather boots. Only that strange, soft sound did he listen to, and that strange sound drew him ever closer to its source. A wall of smoke stood in his way, separating him and the cause of that curious noise. But now, he was almost certain that that noise was the sound of a humana filthy humancrying. So, he had missed one?
With one step, Endriethi the Viking breached the dark smoke and emerged on the other side, his shining but bloodstained sword in his right hand, held out at his side. He stood tall and commanding, gazing down through heartless green eyes at the sight that befell him: a tiny female child kneeling between two humans, presumably its parents. The warrior didn't really remember killing those two, but then again, he had killed so many that day, it was easy to forget faces. He grinned to himself with that thought. Two more humans with forgotten facesjust like his own. A scowl settled back over his features, and he lifted his sword a little higher.
The sounds that child was making were beginning to become annoying.
At that moment, the little girl, only about two, looked up at the newcomer. Tears covered her dirty little cheeks, and her hazel eyes sparkled with even more. She was filthy from head to toe, covered in soot from the burning homes and soil from the ground that she had apparently been crawling on. Her hair reached just past her shoulders and was braided down the left side, much like Endriethi's, but it was so soiled, the true color of it remained hidden.
The little girl simply knelt there and stared up at him, sniffling weakly and wiping her dirty hands over her cheeks, swiping muddy paths through the tears there.
Endriethi the Viking halted his sword. Why was that little girl not screaming in fear of him? Why was she not running away or throwing curses at him for killing her parents? Then he realized; the child was too young—too young to know what death was and meant or who he was or his reputation.
" Mama " she cried in her language weakly, swiping more muddy tears.
His curiosity abnormally piqued, the most feared being in the known world sheathed his sword slowly, and, the most shocking of all, unthreateningly. He wanted his hands to be free of obstruction.
He had been ransacking and destroying villages and lives for a long time now, but he had never stopped to actually observe the humans he massacred. He wanted to see firsthand what his destructive nature did to the young and weak. It would be something to laugh about later.
Slowly, he bent down to his haunches and balanced elegantly there, perched only five feet away from the crying child, viewing silently.
The little girl sniffled and stared at the stranger, almost as if gauging him, but Endriethi knew she wasn't intelligent enough yet to do such a conscious thing. A few more sniffles later, and she leapt up, dashing for the blonde stranger and throwing her tiny arms around his neck without shame.
Endriethi held his arms out, bent at the elbows, almost afraid to touch the little creature that just threw herself onto him. Why had she done that? He was a vicious killer, and she had just run up to hug him? It didn't make sense. Everyone was afraid of him, so why was that little child clutching him like he was the only thing left in the world and crying onto his shoulder?
" Mama " she moaned in her language again, almost hiccuping in her sorrow.
Slowly, almost too slow for the naked eye to see movement, Endriethi brought his arms in and rested one huge hand to her tiny back and another to her dirty hair. He resisted the urge to squeeze until she broke in light of the very, very strange development. He simply had no idea what to do, and curiosity kept him from doing any harm to the ignorant whelp. He wanted to see what else she may do.
" H–Help " the tiny creature begged against the soft, weathered leather of his vest. " Help Mama an' Dada. Wake 'em up. "
Endriethi blinked and stared over the little girl's head at the dead humans. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
Suddenly, another feeling rushed over him, crackling in his veins and making his hands and feet tingle. Protectiveness. It blindsided him and made him scream at himself inwardly, wanting to know where it came from—why he felt a feeling he only knew for his horse, Vild.
Then, he slowly began to understand. He was protective of his horse because he owned it, and he was protective of the girl because he wanted to own her. He wanted that little girl for himself. No one else seemed to be around to lay claim to her, so why not take her?
A little human, all his ownhe liked the sound of that.
Knowing his strength could break such a fragile, small creature, Endriethi held onto her with the gentlest of touches. His rich, tenor voice flowed from pale lips and into her tiny ear, using a soft tone he reserved for himself in solitude or his horse. " Little oneyour parents are sleeping a sleep they cannot wake from, " he told her soothingly in her language.
The girl sniffled and pulled away slightly until she could look into the smooth face of the nice man. " Why? "
A barely discernable smile tugged at both corners of Endriethi's lips. " They are very tired. Come, we should let them sleep. " He cupped a hand under her knees and lifted, cradling her against his side as he stood.
" Will dey be up soon? " she asked innocently, her tears drying, and her curiosity of the nice stranger outweighing any sadness.
" No. They will sleep for a very long time. If you want, I could take care of you until you can see them again. Would you like that? " he asked sweetly, using one giant thumb to swipe away the dirt on one of her cheeks.
She sniffled and smiled, then nodded emphatically. " You be new dada till Dada wake up? " she asked, all the innocence in the world instilled in that one question.
Endriethi grinned a toothy grin and turned from the scene of death and destruction, carrying his precious cargo as gently as possible. " YesI will. " He trod carefully through the debris, mindful of where he was going, and moving slower than usual.
As he moved along, sidestepping bodies, stone, and charred slabs of wood, he noticed part of a cloth figurine half hidden by a pile of kicked up dirt from the hooves of a stampede of horses and the shoes of fleeing humans. Carefully, he stooped to pull it free and shook it, ridding the loose dirt from the material. It was a ragged piece of scrap, but, he thought, human children liked to play with such trivial things. He wondered how the girl would react if he gave it to her.
With a smirk, he lifted the doll toward the little girl and raised a blonde brow, silently asking if she wanted it. Eagerly, she snatched the toy from his fingers and hugged it to herself lovingly. She pet its dirty hair, so much like her own, and smiled as if everything was just fine in the world.
" Thank youDada, " she whispered, leaning in to lovingly kiss the ghost's cheek and wrap her arms around his neck.
His eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such a strong reaction, and he froze, feeling the tiny, soft child nuzzle him sweetly. He always did like small, soft things.
" What's your name, little one? " he asked, voice a soft hum.
"Kaia!" she shouted happily, holding onto him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go again.
He smirked at her and lifted his free hand around and cradled it against her tiny back, hugging so gently, practically the first hug he had given to a single being since he was very young himself. " Then you will be my Kaia, little one. My Earth. " And I am Endriethi, he went on silently, wanting to at least be official in his mind. He was sure formal introductions would be lost on her young mind anyway. Endriethi the Viking, they call me. I spare none and destroy all. My name is the most feared name to be uttered by human lips. He looked down to his little cargo who smiled sweetly back up at him, making the glimmer of a smile appear on his lips as well. I'm just glad everyone here is dead, so they can't see that I have now become the sparer of one.
Silently, he continued on, enjoying the nearly weightless being in his arms, and very quickly getting used to the warmth she radiated into him. If he wasn't careful, she would make him go soft. But, he realized, by the time that happened, he wouldn't really care. That one, that child, he would protect, care for, and raise as his own. He would never hurt that little human, he decided as he mounted his horse and tucked her into the saddle right in front of him—would never hurt her, not for any reason.
--
"You've already hurt me enough." Her voice echoed throughout his mind, slowly pulling him back into reality. In the time it took to remember all those events, only the blink of an eye had occurred in reality.
"Now, it's my turn to hurt you." Kaia's doll, the doll Endri had uprooted from the death and destruction of her village, morphed in her hand into a long, dull knife, covered with rust spots and dried blood. "Hold still Hehha–ha–ha–ha!"
The young girl's body split into two with the disgusting sound of rending flesh, then those two split into two, leaving four little girls holding dull, dirty knives. All of them leapt onto Endri, trying to stab him. A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the ghost's lips, and he flailed his arms and legs desperately, half lying on the floor on his back, four little girls, all laughing and giggling their haunting titters, trying to cut him into pieces.
Kyle shook off his astonishment and scrambled over and attempted to grab one of the girls, but his hands passed right through her. He tried to grab another, but received the same results for his efforts.
"Endri! It's all right, they aren't real! They're not real!!" He looked through the thrashing bodies and saw that his friend's eyes were huge and dilated until the green irises seemed totally gone, leaving only a bright red ring around an endless ocean of black within a sea of faded yellow.
Beetlejuice skidded into the room, looking for the source of the commotion he had heard from out back. "What the hell?!"
The little girls halted their assault, but did not remove themselves from Endri's body. Each, in the same instance, transformed into four male doctors wearing white gowns and facemasks with white caps over their hair. They all held crude, dull surgical instruments, poised at the ready.
The ghost ceased thrashing and froze, his arms down to his sides and legs sitting straight out in front of him, almost like a doll. He jerked and tried to twist his arms and legs, but remained locked in that position, almost as if he was strapped there by unseen restraints.
"Nonot this again. Not again. Not again! Not again!! NOT AGAIIIIIN!!!"
All four doctors swung in and cut deeply into Endri's skin, and he screamed louder than ever before, making Kyle's ears ring. He tried again to pull the assailants off of his best friend, but, still, none of them were real. "Endri! Endri!" he shouted, trying to get through with words. He felt so helpless.
Endri screamed as the doctor's knives sliced through his arms and chest, leaving huge streams of blood as the skin separated and exposed muscle and even bone beneath.
Kyle held a hand over his mouth at the sickening sight, watching his best friend being dissected by creatures that weren't even real. What do I do?! What do I do?! I can't pull them off! I can't help him! Beneath his hand, his teeth took hold of his bottom lip, biting in nervousness and frustration.
With precision, the doctors sliced open the ghost's belly and pulled the skin back, opening Endri's abdomen and exposing the organs inside to the air. They weren't normal organs. No intestines, no bladder, kidneys, or liver were present. But set below the ghost's lungs and diaphragm were six organs, all identical, lining three on each side, all a bluish-purple with the slightest tinge of green along the bottoms. All six connected to an artery that lead up the middle, between the organs and lungs to split off again and join with the ghost's still heart. Another artery, only one, left the heart to travel about the body to deliver stagnant plasma and energy where it was needed. Blood and fluids oozed out through the gaping cavity, pouring down over Endri's legs and sides and onto the floor.
With a repressed gag, Kyle, still with his hand firmly over his mouth, whirled from the sight, unable to witness such horrors happening to his best friend. He could barely comprehend that he just witnessed Endri's internal organs being displayed for all to see. The gargled scream he heard, however, ripped his attention back.
The skin from Endri's chest was completely pulled open and staked to the hardwood floor and wall by four bloody scalpels. The doctors were now rooting around inside the ghost's chest cavity, poking at organs and moving things around to see. Their gloved hands reached right in, and one of them used a pair of dull, rusted scissors to cut away one of the six strange organs. It was lifted out and black eyes rested on it, poking and prodding.
"Nplease, no. Why'm not Stop Don't." Endri begged, unable to use air to help form his words, using words he had uttered only a few hundred years ago. It was all happening again, all of it, down to the finest detail. Only this time, he happened to be sitting upright, forcing his innards to slide down and out of the opening cut into his body. Tears poured from his eyes saturated with pain and anguish. He was being torn apart, and there was nothing he could do to stop themjust like before.
The doctors stared at him with no pity and nodded to each other silently. They all bent down to him again, more instruments poised, ready to tear, cut, and mutilate in their search to find out how he worked.
"Nono!" Endri cried, random limbs twitching involuntarily. The sharp objects met more skin, drew forth more blood and pain, and the ghost screamed. The shout was cut short as one doctor took a slice through his throat, cutting it wide open and destroying his voice box. Blood poured from his mouth and nose, backed up. His body convulsed more, as more of those odd organs were sliced from his abdomen.
"DADDYYYYYYYYY!!!" a terrified voice screamed, startling Beetlejuice and Kyle who had been staring in horror, unable to look away and unable to move in their shock, and only hearing the disgusting sounds of flesh and tissue being cut and sloshed around.
Beetlejuice regained his bearings and dove forward, reaching right through the doctors to latch onto the ghost's shoulder. His pale hand flew without restraint, then, slapping his son across the face very hard.
Kyle winced at the resounding crack.
Endri's head snapped to the side, his hair, damp with sweat, swinging out with the motion.
The doctors vanished, the cuts in his skin and opening in his chest vanished, the blood oozing down his limbs and torso vanished, all into mists that dissipated into the air around them.
Beetlejuice's voice was stern and strong as he said, "Wake up, Endri. You're having a nightmare."
The ghost blinked his eyes open slowly and turned his head back toward his father, the green orbs back to normal but glossy with remaining tears. "D-Daddy" he whispered, voice tiny, his entire body trembling.
The ghoul cradled his only son gently and rocked him. "Shhit's okay, boy. I got ya. Daddy's got ya."
Whimpering softly, Endri curled up against his father, his once strong hands—now only wearing a mask of strength—fisted into black and white material and gripped there as if the ghoul that held him was his only salvation. "Daddyit was scary. These mean men were hurting me," he managed, voice sounding like a frightened little boy.
"I know. It's okay now. It was just a dream."
Endri sniffled and nuzzled against his father's chest, feeling safe and warm in his arms. "I love you, Daddy."
Beetlejuice exhaled heavily and held his son tighter than ever.
Watching from further back as the ghoul returned the heartfelt sentiment, Kyle slowly turned and walked from the room, a dazed, sickened look resting on his features. He made his way upstairs and closed the bedroom door softly, not even noticing his own actions. Leaning against the door, he stared off ahead at nothing, his eyes unfocused. He swallowed hard, trying to keep the contents of his stomach from escaping at the thought of what just happened. It was so horrible.
A voice, not his own, drifted through his head, and he tried so hard to push it away.
That was what they did to me.
"Oh" Kyle moaned softly, tears making his eyes swim as they stared at nothing.
Softly, to himself, he spoke again. "Buthe didn't call for me." Blue eyes blinked slowly. "He called for his dadfor Beetle." Languid footsteps brought him over to his bed, and he sat upon it. Maybemaybe he doesn'tneed me anymore. Maybe he wants his dad to take my place. He swallowed heavily. Buthe's always needed me before. He wouldn't suddenly notwould he? Kyle held his head in his hands, burying his face in the limber digits in a vain attempt to hide from everyone and everything. Wh–What's happening? What's going on around here?! Why is everything so fucked up?! Why can't he just be my friend again—my old friend that wasn't likelike this?! I want him back. I want my old Endri back!
Slowly, the weary human leaned to the side and fell to the bed, light cries slipping from his throat. Anger swelled in his being—anger at himself for being weak and soft—for crying because of that blonde–headed bastard all the time. He hadn't cried so much since his family was killed by the Limbo Drinker. But after what he just witnessed, how could he not cry for his friend?
Feeling emotionally drained from not only that day but from the entire time he had been taking care of Endri, Kyle fell into a light nap, tears still slipping over his flushed cheeks even in slumber.
Soonsomeone was going to crackand in his dreams, the human prayed it wouldn't be himself.
Japanese / pronunciation / English Translation:
iie / ee-eh / no
ningen / neen-gen (g in "gun") / human
Nippon / neep-pon / Japan
masaka / mah-sah-kah / Impossible!; That can't be!
Next...Abductions...
Thank you Maya and Wanda for your reviews. They mean muchos.
I particularly like this chapter, and I hope you will too.
WARNING!!! Graphic detail of nasty fleshy stuff is in this chapter!! If you don't like gore, please spead read past it or something.
Enjoy. ;
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Ten – Out of the Past
"Daddy!" Faygo yelled at the top of her lungs, leaping into her father's arms for a huge bear hug.
"F–Faygo? What are you doin' here?" Kyle asked, surprised, reaching up to support his daughter as her feet had left the floor.
The joyful woman pulled away, an obvious fake frown upon her young face. "It's been almost three months since I've seen you last, and you ask what I'm doing here?!" She batted at his arm playfully.
Kyle chuckled, fake–rubbing his arm. "Sorry. Well, how's things?"
"Good, good!" Faygo held her hands behind her back and swung back and forth innocently. "I got that job I've been after finally!"
"The internship at the Neitherworld Check–in Station?!"
"Yeeeup!" She giggled, a huge grin spreading her full lips wide.
Kyle picked his daughter up and twirled her in a circle. "Way to go, sweetheart! I knew you were good enough to get that job! Of course, you are my little girl, so such things should come naturally for you." He winked.
Faygo just laughed and hugged her father. "So, tell me, Daddy."
"Tell ya what, honey?"
"Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"You know" she leaned in to almost whisper, "about you and Uncle 'Dri."
Kyle stared at her for a moment, almost not registering the question, but as soon as he did, a frown was all over his face. "Who told you something like that?"
"No one!" she retorted quickly, shrugging her shoulders high and lifting her hands to wave noncommittally.
He crossed his arms and gave his daughter "the eye".
"Okay, okay, Mom did," she relented all too quickly.
A repressed growl hung in Kyle's throat, and he closed his eyes. "And what else did your mother tell you?"
"Um" She bit her lip and scuffed her small sneaker against the floor.
"Come–on, out with it. I probably know it all anyway. I just want to know what version she told you."
Faygo sighed and relented again. "Sheshe told me you left her for Uncle 'Dri. And that you only stayed with her until you could find the right opportunity to leave. She said she figured you only stayed because of me, and that you wereusing her in the meantime." A saddened look passed over her soft features.
The growl that he had been repressing couldn't be held at bay after such a revelation, and Faygo looked up at the odd sound rumbling from her father's throat.
"Now that is a complete lie! First of all, she left me! Secondly, she used me while she ran off with someone else every day. And thirdly," he quieted his shouting voice and stepped closer to hug his daughter tenderly, "I stayed with my family because I loved everyone in it. I never tried to leave anyone, Faygo, especially not you. I love you so much, sweetheart, and no matter how old you get, you'll still be my little girl."
The young ghost buried her face into her father's chest and clung tightly. "I love you, Daddy. I knew you'd never leave us on purpose. I realized Mom was lying to me whenever she told me about how 'cruel' you were to her. And I saw the signs for months before it happened."
"What signs?"
"Mom would always ask me what you'd been doing while she was gone. I thought she was just interested at first, but then I realizedshe was keeping tabs on you through me. She wanted to make sure you stayed home. I guess it was 'cause she didn't want anyone else to meet you and find out you were still human. I–uh" she paused for a moment, "I know about 'Humans', Daddy."
Kyle grunted, his lips pulling into a thin line.
"I know she was keeping you to herself too. That was obvious. And I also knewh–him."
He scowled. "You shouldn't have to go through all of this, Faygo. This is all my fault." A head of white hair hung, and his body turned to the side. "If I had just left well enough aloneif I had just stayed in the Real World, none of this would ever have happened. You may not've had me, but at least you wouldn't have this."
Faygo stepped around into his line of sight to be sure she had his attention. "No, don't say that, Daddy. Even if you had stayed in the Real World, Mom would still have left you. I knew about that guy ever since the beginning. She told me about him, even. She said that we should probably move on because it would be a long time before we saw you again. She said things change. But I thought she was done with him after you came back."
Kyle huffed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Humphapparently not. Things sure do change. People apparently change too, according to her."
"Please don't be too upset, Daddy. I'm not." She smiled lightly. "Besides. Things happen for a reason, didn't you know that?"
A smirk couldn't help forming on the human's lips. "YeahI know."
Faygo leaned close, saying coyly, "Sois it true?"
Her father leaned in as well. "Is what true?"
"Daddy!" She laughed, batting his arm.
"Ha–ha! I'm just teasing."
"Weeeeell?!" Delicate, purple eyebrows raised.
Kyle's white eyebrows pulled into a frown. "We are not together. Pepper jumps to way too many conclusions, and so does everybody else. All these accusations are really starting to piss me off," he grunted, sounding very annoyed. "Doesn't anyone get it?"
Faygo shrunk into herself, feeling like she was being reprimanded, but knowing she wasn't. Her father seemed to have a lot of pent up anger about such accusations. Apparently, he hated having his manhood questioned in such a way.
"Why is it that two guys can't be best friends, hug, hang out together all the time, or even live with each other without everybody thinking they're sleeping together?! Hell, I might as well start fuckin' him if everybody thinks I already am!" He took a deep, calming breath, and his features softened. "Sorry, Faygo, I—"
"No, Daddy. It's okay. I'd be frustrated too."
Kyle smiled and nodded, glad she understood.
"Kyle?"
Father and daughter looked to their side toward the staircase to see Endri descending in only a pair of blue–grey sleep pants and tank top. He looked very tired as he rubbed at his eyes and took shaky steps as he walked over to the two.
"I wokeand couldn't find you. I thought you disappeared," he said to Kyle, stepping right up to him, wrapping his arms around him, and burying his face into white hair for comfort.
The human smiled and hugged back, petting the ghost's mussed hair. "S'okay, 'Dri. I'm right here. I wouldn't disappear without telling you first, ya know that."
"Mm."
Looking over to the side, Kyle noticed his daughter staring and blushing at their hug and frowned, rolling his eyes. Even his daughter thought they were more than friends. It disappointed him to say the least. Was everyone's mind in the gutter?
"Hey, 'Dri, look who's come to visit," the human spoke up, gesturing to his daughter only feet away.
Endri pulled back and looked over, just then noticing the young, purple–haired ghost. "Faygo? When did you show up?"
A confused look was tossed in Kyle's direction, but he subtly waved for her to pay it no mind. "Uhwell, I just thought I'd drop by to see you and Daddy. You lookgood, Uncle 'Dri."
"And you are still beautiful as ever." The tall blonde smiled roguishly, making a bright red hue rise over Faygo's cheeks and a giggle spill from her full lips.
Kyle poked his friend in his side. "Hey, now, that's my daughter you're talkin' to," he scolded, but couldn't help his growing smirk.
Endri drew into himself, looking sheepish. "I know. I was only being nice."
Faygo giggled and blushed more, unable to keep it in.
Shaking his head, the human leaned close to his friend. "All right, let's see your eyes so you'll keep 'em off my daughter."
The ghost obediently leaned down a bit, letting Kyle lift his upper eyelid to check each iris separately. It seemed like a routine to Faygo.
"Mm You still haven't been sleeping much, have you?" The human tried to not sound reprimanding.
Endri looked down as if being scolded anyway, and his friend sighed wearily at the sight.
"It's okay, 'Dri. I know you can't help it. I justI wish you'd try, ya know?"
"I do. I try, Kyle, every night. ButI–I can't." He bit his lip and fidgeted, starting to become upset.
"Shh It's okay, don't worry about it right now. 'Kay, 'Dri?" Kyle suggested, holding the ghost by his shoulders while he nodded slowly, agreeing. "Good. Now, why don't you go and wait in the kitchen. I'll make us some lunch since you stayed in bed late today."
Smiling, Endri turned and headed for the kitchen.
"Hold it!"
He stopped and turned.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kyle asked, crossing his arms and nodding toward his daughter.
"Oh!" Endri quickly stepped back over and hugged Faygo tightly, kissing her cheek. "Sayonara, Faygo. Have a lovely day ne?"
She giggled. "I will, Uncle 'Dri. Say, what's my Japanese word for this time?"
Looking to the ceiling in thought, he said, "Today, your word is'ningen'."
"Ningen," the girl repeated to get the pronunciation. "Okay, give me context."
Endri thought with a forefinger to his bottom lip. "Hmm I'll just give you a general hint. How about: Kyle is a ningen."
Faygo repeated the phrase, looking thoughtful. "Ummmperson?"
"No."
"Umman?"
"No."
"Uh"
"Come–on, Faygo, even I know that word." Kyle laughed at his only daughter.
"Yeah, but I bet Uncle 'Dri told you! I haveta guess it!"
Endri chuckled for a moment before suddenly saying, "Faygo, why don't you just tell me your answer the next time you stop by? Kyle told me to go to the kitchen, so I have to go now."
The young ghost gave her father a look which he just waved off again. "Sure, Uncle 'Dri. Umhave fun in the kitchen."
He just smiled and hugged her again. "Take care, and if you ever need anything, call."
"I will, Uncle 'Dri."
With that, he turned and left.
Kyle and Faygo waited until he was gone to begin speaking again.
"UmDaddy?"
The human rubbed his temples, sighing. "He does that occasionally now, sweetheart. It isn't as bad as it used to be, but he still spaces out once in a while."
"So he really hasn't gotten much better?"
"Not reallypoor guy. I feel so bad for him sometimes, and other times I just get so frustrated with him. I know he tries, but" he sighed again, "SometimesI just wish I could have my old Endri back. The Endri that didn't stare at the wall for an hour and think only a minute went by."
"He does that?"
Kyle nodded. "And a lot of other shit too."
"I had no idea he was so bad."
"Oh, he's a lot better than he used to be. You should have seen him when this all started out." He shook his head sadly. "He was a real mess."
"Ijust can't imagine."
"It's hard to. We all survived, barely at times, but we still made it. And he does keep getting better. It's just a slow process."
"Question."
"Mm?"
"What made you decide to be his caretaker? I mean shouldn't Uncle BJ be doing that kind of thing?"
The human stared at the kitchen doorway for a moment, pooling the answer to his daughter's question. Honestly, he was a bit fuzzy as to why he did it himself. Maybe if he answered Faygo, he would also understand. But then again, there was only one answer to give, and he had known it all along.
"At that timeI was really confused. Your mom left me. I was alone. I thought I didn't have anything anymore. ButEndri was always right there, just like he always had been. I realized that no matter where I was or what I was doing, I could always fall back on 'Dri. No matter what happened, he was there to support me at every major turn of my life since we met. And then I remembered a long time ago, not long after I lost you and your mom. I was really depressed, ya know. Andwell, Endri kinda gave me a swift kick in the ass and put my head back on straight. Then he promised he'd always be there for when I needed him. And he's been true to his word ever since. Wellonce we kinda had a little misunderstanding about it, but"
"What happened, Daddy?" Faygo asked, voice quiet.
Kyle shook his head, still staring at the kitchen door. "Nah, it was a long time ago."
"What?"
Sighing, he relented and finally dropped his eyes from the door to the rotting floorboards at his feet. "Wellone time, I kinda got mad. I thought he was treating me unfairly, and it pissed me off. So, Isaid a few things I shouldn't haveand we almost ended up parting ways. Actually, we did. For about three months, I never saw him. Then one day, he shows up at my door. We kinda talkedworked out misunderstandingsand then things were okay. But ever since then, he was a lot more open with me, and he's kept every one of his promises." He paused a moment, letting his explanation settle between the both of them. "So when I was debating over this whole 'caretaker' thing, I remembered everything Endri's always done for me, and I thought, 'Where is my gratitude?'"
Faygo smiled warmly. "I think I understand. Wow, that's great, Dad. I've never seen anyone so determined to keep their word."
Kyle chuckled and shook his head lightly. "I'm sure if you ever promise someone you care about something, you'd go to the extreme to fulfil it too." He turned a grin to his daughter. "It runs in the family, ya know. Like your hair."
Blinking, Faygo looked up at her father's hair, then fingered her own. "I never thought about that! I have a puff like you!" she realized, pulling a little on the tuft of red bangs fluffing from her forehead.
"It used to be blonde, though." He looked almost sad as he uttered the thought.
The young ghost just smiled again. "I know." Her amethyst eyes fell away from his, unable to keep eye contact as she changed the subject, saying, "If you don't mind me asking something personal?"
"What's that?"
"Have you been seeing anyone since Mom?"
Kyle stared off at nothing for a minute, just letting his mind drift. Finally, he said, "No, honey. Honestly, I haven't had much time for a personal life now that I'm taking care of Endri. He'squite the handful." He sighed. "But, ya knowI wouldn't trade 'im for anything." Smirking, he wiggled a finger in his daughter's direction. "And now, when you call him 'Uncle 'Dri', you should know that he pretty much is."
A curious frown drifted over Faygo's visage. "What do you mean?"
Holding his right hand out, Kyle displayed his scabbing bite wound—his entire palm bruised.
"What happened?!" she shouted in worry, touching the purple flesh tenderly.
"Ah, 's just a bite. Doesn't hurt," he said nonchalantly, shrugging. "Anyway, he's got one too. We kindacame to an understanding, so to speak."
"Wow! You did one of those mix-the-blood-together things?" Faygo shouted, seemingly very excited over it.
"Well, yeah."
"That's awesome, Dad! I didn't think you were so cool. Wow, blood brothers! Kick ass!"
Kyle laughed at her enthusiasm. "Yep. Kick ass."
His daughter laughed along with him for a bit, enjoying the small bit of quality time she rarely had with her father. When she glanced at the skull clock on the wall, however, she knew that short time was swiftly coming to an end. "WellI guess it's time for me to get going." But even though she said it, she was still hesitant about leaving yet.
A more serious disposition fell over Kyle, and he took his daughter's shoulders in hand. "Faygo, I want you to know something before you run off. I want you to know that if things had happened differently, I would still be with your mother. I loved her, I really did. But she chose her own path, and left me to find mine. One thing that you should never forget, honey, but never hope to see very often, is that people change. Things change. Times change. It's lifeor afterlife, in your case. Heh." Sadness drew his lips into a thin line, and he pulled Faygo into a hug. "You shouldn't have had to go through the things you did. You're still way too young for thisany of this to be happening to you. I wish I could've protected you and your mom better while you were still alive." He buried his face in her colorful hair, trying to apologize in every way possible.
Faygo hugged tightly. "It's okay, Daddy. You can't blame yourself. And besides, you and Uncle 'Dri destroyed the thing that killed us. That's more than enough for me."
Kyle just huffed. "Endri did most of the work."
"But you put it in that field that held it still until he could call the sandworms. And you were the one that pushed the button to release it and let the worms eat it."
"Hmmgot a point there, I guess," he admitted, smiling lightly.
Faygo grinned. "Ya know what, Daddy?"
"What's that, sweetheart?"
"Love you."
"Hn–hnlove you too." He kissed his daughter's forehead tenderly.
"I bet Uncle 'Dri is sitting in there waiting for some lunch. And I have to head along; I need to get a few new outfits for my new job," she said, grinning wolfishly.
Kyle chuckled at her small antic. "Just as long as I don't have to be along for the ride this time. Shopping with you gives me a migraine," he groaned, rubbing his head dramatically.
"Oh!" She smacked his arm, but immediately after, leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Take care, Daddy. Take care of Uncle 'Dri too."
"I always am." He smiled. "You will stop by more often, right?"
"Absolutely!" she called, heading out the door. "Love you, Daddy! Bye! Say hello to Uncle BJ for me too!"
"I will!" He waved as he watched his only daughter leaving in her little black sports car.
Kyle sighed deeply. At last, he was able to talk to her about the separation and make her feel better about it. But after all was said and done, he didn't know if he felt better about it, though. Closing the door softly, he headed for the kitchen, intent on making his sleep–deprived friend some lunch.
After a filling lunch of Chef Ghoulyardee, two best friends made their way out of the kitchen and into the living room, ready to begin tackling the rest of the day.
"Why don't you go upstairs and throw some shorts on and practice some of your routines out front? You haven't been exercising lately. You're losing wei—"
A strangled gasp erupted from Endri's throat, and he stopped short, Kyle almost slamming into his back.
"What th—? 'Dri?"
The ghost never said a word, just stared toward the front doors, mouth gaping, eyes huge and glossy. Kyle followed the unbelieving look only to see the wispy figure of a little girl of about six or seven, kneeling on the floor and playing with a ragged doll like it was her most prized possession. Her entire body was transparent and black and white, but her hair was the color of a golden, sandy beach, so gold it was almost brown, and her eyes were shining hazel. A slow, little tune hummed from her small throat that echoed through the air around the two friends hauntingly.
Endri released a held breath and spun to hide against Kyle, curled up into himself. "It'san illusion. It must be an illusion. It isn't real." he mumbled to apparently no one but himself.
Confusion ate away at the human as he unconsciously patted the ghost's shoulder for comfort. "Who is she?" his voice spoke quietly.
Endri reeled back from his new brother in shock. "You see her too? IImpossible! Iie, iie masaka!"
The raised voice grabbed the little girl's attention, and she looked over to the two men as if just seeing them. Her eyes grew wide, and she jumped to her feet, holding the limp little doll by the arm. "Daddy!"
Endri utterly froze.
Kyle stared in shock. "Daddy?!"
The girl ran over, seemingly in slow motion, becoming more and more solid with each step. Elated giggling echoed around her, filling the Roadhouse with the fear–inspiring sounds no matter how jovial they were meant to be. Tiny hands and thin, but healthy–looking arms wove around the ghost's hips, and the little girl hugged against Endri tightly. "Daddy, I missed you!" she exclaimed happily, nuzzling against his side.
Even though she was not a foot away from Kyle, and no space resided between her and Endri, that nearly monochromatic girl still didn't seem as though she belonged to reality.
Looking down with a heavy swallow, the ghost stared, obviously terrified and disbelieving. He seemed to know the strange apparition. "K–Kaia?"
The little girl looked up and smiled sweetly, reaching her lithe arms to be picked up. Her childlike beauty was radiant. The fear evaporated when he looked into those smiling, brilliant eyes, and he bent down and grabbed her up quickly.
"Kaia! My little Kaia!" he exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "Where have you been? I looked for you—looked so hard!"
Kaia just smiled her ethereal smile and hugged around Endri's neck, her little doll still dangling from her fingers and resting along his shoulder. "I love you, Daddy."
The ghost wept with joy and held her to him, holding her as if never wanting to let go again.
Kyle had backed away a few feet in silent awe, witnessing his best friend cradle a child he never knew the ghost had created. Endri had a daughter. It blew the human's mind. "Why did you never tell me about her, 'Dri?" he asked, voice quiet and barely even there.
Endri caressed the back of the girl's head and sniffed the tears back. "It was too painful."
Kaia drew back suddenly, glaring. "Pain? You don't know pain."
The ghost blinked at her, not expecting something so adult to come from her small lips. "What?"
"Pain is being trapped in your mind ever since I died, Daddy," she spat with sarcasm.
"Uh—wha—?"
"You kept me locked away and hardly ever thought about me, then when you did, you pushed me further back—locked me up tighter than before. I thought you loved me, but you kept trying to forget me!" She squirmed from his arms and jumped down, then glared up at him with accusing adult–like eyes. "And it was you who killed my parents!"
Endri winced and looked away shamefully.
"First you took away my parents, then you lock me away in your mind!"
Pale hands covered pale, pointed ears, and the ghost squeezed his eyes tight. "No, please, stop it!"
"No! You will not shut me out again! I've escaped, Daddy, and I'll make you pay for what you've done!" Kaia hissed, advancing on him.
Endri retreated in fear, eyes huge and glossed over. "S–Stay away from me! You're not Kaia! Sh–She's my little girl! She would never—"
"You cruelson of a bitch!" she sneered.
Backpedaling into the left corner of the living room next to the fireplace, his eyes incredibly wide with fear, Endri continued to plead weakly. "No, I've changed. I've changed!"
"Liar!" Kaia continued to advance, ceaselessly.
"I swear!"
"Then why would you raise me in your cozy little cabin as if you were some normal human being, but then go off and murder countless innocents just to prove you were stronger than they were?!"
Continuing to cower, the ghost closed his eyes against the pain. "I don't know. I don't know why I did that! I couldn't help myself!" Green eyes snapped back to the little girl. "But I loved you. I loved you more than anything. You were the only thing that brightened my day." Those same green eyes teared up, water brimming the bottom lids. "Why did you get sick?! Why did you have to die?! I lost control when you died—"
"So you went out on a killing spree to make yourself feel better?!"
"N–No, II didn't know what I was doing!! Didn't realize until hours later Please, forgive me, Kaia! You know I'd never hurt you!"
Kaia glowered and stopped a few feet away from her unintended stepfather. Her words came, with so much maturity. "You've already hurt me enough."
A look of devastation dominated the features on Endri's face, and he slid dazedly to the floor, staring at nothing. Why? Why was his little girl saying such horrible things to him. Even though he had orphaned her, he took her in and raised her as his own. He loved her, cared for her, provided for her, gave her everything she ever wantedbut it must not have been enough. No amount of spoiling could cover the fact that he had murdered her parents. He could never make up for that. Butwasn't she too young to remember such a deed? She was only two years old when he had orphaned her, and she never even witnessed it. He remembered that day now, so vividly.
--
The screams had died down finally. Those pitiful screams from frightened, weak mouths. It was fun to silence each scream and close each mouth. It was a rush to see their lives ending and drinking in the sight and taste of it. Their blood was still so warm, even as it settled in his stomach. He knew that soon, his body would absorb that hot liquid and make his veins hum and his head swim with euphoria.
Life never tasted so good.
After the annoying sounds of screams died away with the last Homo Sapien still in his clutches, a new sound permeated the smoky, burning atmosphere. A soft sound, different from a scream or desperate cry or dying breath. It piqued his curiosity, and he dropped the limp body of a woman to the dusty, charred earth. He didn't feel like carrying dead weight.
His expertly acute ears picked the sound out from the rest of the surrounding ambiance. He ignored the sounds of crackling fire from the burning homes, the light jingling of the metal weapons and things strapped to various parts of his virile anatomy, and the heavy tromping of his thick leather boots. Only that strange, soft sound did he listen to, and that strange sound drew him ever closer to its source. A wall of smoke stood in his way, separating him and the cause of that curious noise. But now, he was almost certain that that noise was the sound of a humana filthy humancrying. So, he had missed one?
With one step, Endriethi the Viking breached the dark smoke and emerged on the other side, his shining but bloodstained sword in his right hand, held out at his side. He stood tall and commanding, gazing down through heartless green eyes at the sight that befell him: a tiny female child kneeling between two humans, presumably its parents. The warrior didn't really remember killing those two, but then again, he had killed so many that day, it was easy to forget faces. He grinned to himself with that thought. Two more humans with forgotten facesjust like his own. A scowl settled back over his features, and he lifted his sword a little higher.
The sounds that child was making were beginning to become annoying.
At that moment, the little girl, only about two, looked up at the newcomer. Tears covered her dirty little cheeks, and her hazel eyes sparkled with even more. She was filthy from head to toe, covered in soot from the burning homes and soil from the ground that she had apparently been crawling on. Her hair reached just past her shoulders and was braided down the left side, much like Endriethi's, but it was so soiled, the true color of it remained hidden.
The little girl simply knelt there and stared up at him, sniffling weakly and wiping her dirty hands over her cheeks, swiping muddy paths through the tears there.
Endriethi the Viking halted his sword. Why was that little girl not screaming in fear of him? Why was she not running away or throwing curses at him for killing her parents? Then he realized; the child was too young—too young to know what death was and meant or who he was or his reputation.
" Mama " she cried in her language weakly, swiping more muddy tears.
His curiosity abnormally piqued, the most feared being in the known world sheathed his sword slowly, and, the most shocking of all, unthreateningly. He wanted his hands to be free of obstruction.
He had been ransacking and destroying villages and lives for a long time now, but he had never stopped to actually observe the humans he massacred. He wanted to see firsthand what his destructive nature did to the young and weak. It would be something to laugh about later.
Slowly, he bent down to his haunches and balanced elegantly there, perched only five feet away from the crying child, viewing silently.
The little girl sniffled and stared at the stranger, almost as if gauging him, but Endriethi knew she wasn't intelligent enough yet to do such a conscious thing. A few more sniffles later, and she leapt up, dashing for the blonde stranger and throwing her tiny arms around his neck without shame.
Endriethi held his arms out, bent at the elbows, almost afraid to touch the little creature that just threw herself onto him. Why had she done that? He was a vicious killer, and she had just run up to hug him? It didn't make sense. Everyone was afraid of him, so why was that little child clutching him like he was the only thing left in the world and crying onto his shoulder?
" Mama " she moaned in her language again, almost hiccuping in her sorrow.
Slowly, almost too slow for the naked eye to see movement, Endriethi brought his arms in and rested one huge hand to her tiny back and another to her dirty hair. He resisted the urge to squeeze until she broke in light of the very, very strange development. He simply had no idea what to do, and curiosity kept him from doing any harm to the ignorant whelp. He wanted to see what else she may do.
" H–Help " the tiny creature begged against the soft, weathered leather of his vest. " Help Mama an' Dada. Wake 'em up. "
Endriethi blinked and stared over the little girl's head at the dead humans. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
Suddenly, another feeling rushed over him, crackling in his veins and making his hands and feet tingle. Protectiveness. It blindsided him and made him scream at himself inwardly, wanting to know where it came from—why he felt a feeling he only knew for his horse, Vild.
Then, he slowly began to understand. He was protective of his horse because he owned it, and he was protective of the girl because he wanted to own her. He wanted that little girl for himself. No one else seemed to be around to lay claim to her, so why not take her?
A little human, all his ownhe liked the sound of that.
Knowing his strength could break such a fragile, small creature, Endriethi held onto her with the gentlest of touches. His rich, tenor voice flowed from pale lips and into her tiny ear, using a soft tone he reserved for himself in solitude or his horse. " Little oneyour parents are sleeping a sleep they cannot wake from, " he told her soothingly in her language.
The girl sniffled and pulled away slightly until she could look into the smooth face of the nice man. " Why? "
A barely discernable smile tugged at both corners of Endriethi's lips. " They are very tired. Come, we should let them sleep. " He cupped a hand under her knees and lifted, cradling her against his side as he stood.
" Will dey be up soon? " she asked innocently, her tears drying, and her curiosity of the nice stranger outweighing any sadness.
" No. They will sleep for a very long time. If you want, I could take care of you until you can see them again. Would you like that? " he asked sweetly, using one giant thumb to swipe away the dirt on one of her cheeks.
She sniffled and smiled, then nodded emphatically. " You be new dada till Dada wake up? " she asked, all the innocence in the world instilled in that one question.
Endriethi grinned a toothy grin and turned from the scene of death and destruction, carrying his precious cargo as gently as possible. " YesI will. " He trod carefully through the debris, mindful of where he was going, and moving slower than usual.
As he moved along, sidestepping bodies, stone, and charred slabs of wood, he noticed part of a cloth figurine half hidden by a pile of kicked up dirt from the hooves of a stampede of horses and the shoes of fleeing humans. Carefully, he stooped to pull it free and shook it, ridding the loose dirt from the material. It was a ragged piece of scrap, but, he thought, human children liked to play with such trivial things. He wondered how the girl would react if he gave it to her.
With a smirk, he lifted the doll toward the little girl and raised a blonde brow, silently asking if she wanted it. Eagerly, she snatched the toy from his fingers and hugged it to herself lovingly. She pet its dirty hair, so much like her own, and smiled as if everything was just fine in the world.
" Thank youDada, " she whispered, leaning in to lovingly kiss the ghost's cheek and wrap her arms around his neck.
His eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such a strong reaction, and he froze, feeling the tiny, soft child nuzzle him sweetly. He always did like small, soft things.
" What's your name, little one? " he asked, voice a soft hum.
"Kaia!" she shouted happily, holding onto him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go again.
He smirked at her and lifted his free hand around and cradled it against her tiny back, hugging so gently, practically the first hug he had given to a single being since he was very young himself. " Then you will be my Kaia, little one. My Earth. " And I am Endriethi, he went on silently, wanting to at least be official in his mind. He was sure formal introductions would be lost on her young mind anyway. Endriethi the Viking, they call me. I spare none and destroy all. My name is the most feared name to be uttered by human lips. He looked down to his little cargo who smiled sweetly back up at him, making the glimmer of a smile appear on his lips as well. I'm just glad everyone here is dead, so they can't see that I have now become the sparer of one.
Silently, he continued on, enjoying the nearly weightless being in his arms, and very quickly getting used to the warmth she radiated into him. If he wasn't careful, she would make him go soft. But, he realized, by the time that happened, he wouldn't really care. That one, that child, he would protect, care for, and raise as his own. He would never hurt that little human, he decided as he mounted his horse and tucked her into the saddle right in front of him—would never hurt her, not for any reason.
--
"You've already hurt me enough." Her voice echoed throughout his mind, slowly pulling him back into reality. In the time it took to remember all those events, only the blink of an eye had occurred in reality.
"Now, it's my turn to hurt you." Kaia's doll, the doll Endri had uprooted from the death and destruction of her village, morphed in her hand into a long, dull knife, covered with rust spots and dried blood. "Hold still Hehha–ha–ha–ha!"
The young girl's body split into two with the disgusting sound of rending flesh, then those two split into two, leaving four little girls holding dull, dirty knives. All of them leapt onto Endri, trying to stab him. A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the ghost's lips, and he flailed his arms and legs desperately, half lying on the floor on his back, four little girls, all laughing and giggling their haunting titters, trying to cut him into pieces.
Kyle shook off his astonishment and scrambled over and attempted to grab one of the girls, but his hands passed right through her. He tried to grab another, but received the same results for his efforts.
"Endri! It's all right, they aren't real! They're not real!!" He looked through the thrashing bodies and saw that his friend's eyes were huge and dilated until the green irises seemed totally gone, leaving only a bright red ring around an endless ocean of black within a sea of faded yellow.
Beetlejuice skidded into the room, looking for the source of the commotion he had heard from out back. "What the hell?!"
The little girls halted their assault, but did not remove themselves from Endri's body. Each, in the same instance, transformed into four male doctors wearing white gowns and facemasks with white caps over their hair. They all held crude, dull surgical instruments, poised at the ready.
The ghost ceased thrashing and froze, his arms down to his sides and legs sitting straight out in front of him, almost like a doll. He jerked and tried to twist his arms and legs, but remained locked in that position, almost as if he was strapped there by unseen restraints.
"Nonot this again. Not again. Not again! Not again!! NOT AGAIIIIIN!!!"
All four doctors swung in and cut deeply into Endri's skin, and he screamed louder than ever before, making Kyle's ears ring. He tried again to pull the assailants off of his best friend, but, still, none of them were real. "Endri! Endri!" he shouted, trying to get through with words. He felt so helpless.
Endri screamed as the doctor's knives sliced through his arms and chest, leaving huge streams of blood as the skin separated and exposed muscle and even bone beneath.
Kyle held a hand over his mouth at the sickening sight, watching his best friend being dissected by creatures that weren't even real. What do I do?! What do I do?! I can't pull them off! I can't help him! Beneath his hand, his teeth took hold of his bottom lip, biting in nervousness and frustration.
With precision, the doctors sliced open the ghost's belly and pulled the skin back, opening Endri's abdomen and exposing the organs inside to the air. They weren't normal organs. No intestines, no bladder, kidneys, or liver were present. But set below the ghost's lungs and diaphragm were six organs, all identical, lining three on each side, all a bluish-purple with the slightest tinge of green along the bottoms. All six connected to an artery that lead up the middle, between the organs and lungs to split off again and join with the ghost's still heart. Another artery, only one, left the heart to travel about the body to deliver stagnant plasma and energy where it was needed. Blood and fluids oozed out through the gaping cavity, pouring down over Endri's legs and sides and onto the floor.
With a repressed gag, Kyle, still with his hand firmly over his mouth, whirled from the sight, unable to witness such horrors happening to his best friend. He could barely comprehend that he just witnessed Endri's internal organs being displayed for all to see. The gargled scream he heard, however, ripped his attention back.
The skin from Endri's chest was completely pulled open and staked to the hardwood floor and wall by four bloody scalpels. The doctors were now rooting around inside the ghost's chest cavity, poking at organs and moving things around to see. Their gloved hands reached right in, and one of them used a pair of dull, rusted scissors to cut away one of the six strange organs. It was lifted out and black eyes rested on it, poking and prodding.
"Nplease, no. Why'm not Stop Don't." Endri begged, unable to use air to help form his words, using words he had uttered only a few hundred years ago. It was all happening again, all of it, down to the finest detail. Only this time, he happened to be sitting upright, forcing his innards to slide down and out of the opening cut into his body. Tears poured from his eyes saturated with pain and anguish. He was being torn apart, and there was nothing he could do to stop themjust like before.
The doctors stared at him with no pity and nodded to each other silently. They all bent down to him again, more instruments poised, ready to tear, cut, and mutilate in their search to find out how he worked.
"Nono!" Endri cried, random limbs twitching involuntarily. The sharp objects met more skin, drew forth more blood and pain, and the ghost screamed. The shout was cut short as one doctor took a slice through his throat, cutting it wide open and destroying his voice box. Blood poured from his mouth and nose, backed up. His body convulsed more, as more of those odd organs were sliced from his abdomen.
"DADDYYYYYYYYY!!!" a terrified voice screamed, startling Beetlejuice and Kyle who had been staring in horror, unable to look away and unable to move in their shock, and only hearing the disgusting sounds of flesh and tissue being cut and sloshed around.
Beetlejuice regained his bearings and dove forward, reaching right through the doctors to latch onto the ghost's shoulder. His pale hand flew without restraint, then, slapping his son across the face very hard.
Kyle winced at the resounding crack.
Endri's head snapped to the side, his hair, damp with sweat, swinging out with the motion.
The doctors vanished, the cuts in his skin and opening in his chest vanished, the blood oozing down his limbs and torso vanished, all into mists that dissipated into the air around them.
Beetlejuice's voice was stern and strong as he said, "Wake up, Endri. You're having a nightmare."
The ghost blinked his eyes open slowly and turned his head back toward his father, the green orbs back to normal but glossy with remaining tears. "D-Daddy" he whispered, voice tiny, his entire body trembling.
The ghoul cradled his only son gently and rocked him. "Shhit's okay, boy. I got ya. Daddy's got ya."
Whimpering softly, Endri curled up against his father, his once strong hands—now only wearing a mask of strength—fisted into black and white material and gripped there as if the ghoul that held him was his only salvation. "Daddyit was scary. These mean men were hurting me," he managed, voice sounding like a frightened little boy.
"I know. It's okay now. It was just a dream."
Endri sniffled and nuzzled against his father's chest, feeling safe and warm in his arms. "I love you, Daddy."
Beetlejuice exhaled heavily and held his son tighter than ever.
Watching from further back as the ghoul returned the heartfelt sentiment, Kyle slowly turned and walked from the room, a dazed, sickened look resting on his features. He made his way upstairs and closed the bedroom door softly, not even noticing his own actions. Leaning against the door, he stared off ahead at nothing, his eyes unfocused. He swallowed hard, trying to keep the contents of his stomach from escaping at the thought of what just happened. It was so horrible.
A voice, not his own, drifted through his head, and he tried so hard to push it away.
That was what they did to me.
"Oh" Kyle moaned softly, tears making his eyes swim as they stared at nothing.
Softly, to himself, he spoke again. "Buthe didn't call for me." Blue eyes blinked slowly. "He called for his dadfor Beetle." Languid footsteps brought him over to his bed, and he sat upon it. Maybemaybe he doesn'tneed me anymore. Maybe he wants his dad to take my place. He swallowed heavily. Buthe's always needed me before. He wouldn't suddenly notwould he? Kyle held his head in his hands, burying his face in the limber digits in a vain attempt to hide from everyone and everything. Wh–What's happening? What's going on around here?! Why is everything so fucked up?! Why can't he just be my friend again—my old friend that wasn't likelike this?! I want him back. I want my old Endri back!
Slowly, the weary human leaned to the side and fell to the bed, light cries slipping from his throat. Anger swelled in his being—anger at himself for being weak and soft—for crying because of that blonde–headed bastard all the time. He hadn't cried so much since his family was killed by the Limbo Drinker. But after what he just witnessed, how could he not cry for his friend?
Feeling emotionally drained from not only that day but from the entire time he had been taking care of Endri, Kyle fell into a light nap, tears still slipping over his flushed cheeks even in slumber.
Soonsomeone was going to crackand in his dreams, the human prayed it wouldn't be himself.
Japanese / pronunciation / English Translation:
iie / ee-eh / no
ningen / neen-gen (g in "gun") / human
Nippon / neep-pon / Japan
masaka / mah-sah-kah / Impossible!; That can't be!
Next...Abductions...