Disclaimer: Beetlejuice and all related characters belong to Warner Bros. I wouldn't take responsibility for BJ if you paid me. No way, baby.

AN: These chapters are really short-- i notice that when i am having trouble with a story, the chapters are reduced to scenes-- complete thoughts that are individual pieces of the narrative. So, if you were wondering, that's why. :smiles: For more information on ley lines (these really exist!) and electronic voice phenomenon (EVP), google!. Ghost hunting is a highly researched and interesting field of study. And EVP you can do yourself, if you're brave enough... ;)

Chapter 11: Question and Answer

"Fine," she said sullenly. "Why are you haunting my room?"

He paused, gathering his thoughts and poorly attempting to suppress the gloating look of triumph in his eyes. Lydia groaned and threw back the second glass of wine. Before it hit the table, it was full again. He cracked his knuckles to draw her attention back.

"I'm in my house, which you are only borrowing, because it happens to sit on a convergence of ley lines."

"What's a ley line?"

He wagged a finger at her. "My turn. Why did you let me out?"

Lydia took another sip of the wine, which was actually exceptionally good. "Two reasons. The first is that I like puzzles, and I wanted to solve the puzzle you gave me. What's a ley line?" In asking this, she was aware that she was following his train of thought rather than her own, but she was simply too curious to let it go.

He opened the second bottle and filled his glass. "Ley lines, my sweet, are lines of energy that crisscross the earth. All major religious buildings, megaliths, sacred places, whatnot are built on ley lines. And when ley lines cross, they produce a locus of great power. Before there was a house here, this was a sacred place, too." He left her with a question already hanging from her lips, and she struggled to resist it. This was much harder than she thought it would be. And he was grinning at her again, because he knew it. "What's the second reason?"

With some small satisfaction, she grinned back. "Because I wanted to meet you. My curiosity got the better of me." He smiled at this, and she guessed what his next question would be. But she had one of her own. "Why did you need me… no. Why did you need to trick me into letting you out?"

At this, he frowned. He had hoped that she would take his bait, but she hadn't. She was getting better at playing. He sighed, and swirled his wine moodily. He decided to give her the whole story, just to get it over with, and because it gave him a chance to brag. "I'm no run of the mill poltergeist, Lydia. The longer our kind stays on Earth, the more powerful we get, and I've been here for six hundred years. So somebody decided that I wasn't allowed to roam free anymore. I got put on a leash." At this, his voice sunk to a throaty growl. "To get out, I have to persuade someone to say my name three times. But I'm not allowed to say it myself. Hence the…" He waved his hand to encompass the entire situation. "…the sideshow." He flashed sharp teeth at her. "It's getting' towards dawn. One more, and then we can… continue… this later." She was reminded of her promise, and she didn't know whether to be nervous or repulsed. She no longer knew what to think about this strange spirit.

He took a long drink, and then fixed her with a slightly disturbing seriousness "How long has your mother been haunting you?"