The Keeper had been around for many years. He had seen humans do awful things to ghosts. There was one family that seemed to show promise; the Showenhowers. He created a special staff for them to use. They didn't want to destroy ghosts, merely find a way for them to exist in harmony with them. He explained to them how the staff worked. Ever since that day, the staff had passed down the Showenhower family for generations.
When Lydia's family circus went bankrupt, she was pissed. It didn't help when they were bought out by a bigger company. However, her mood softened when she got to hang around the performers. Besides, their son Freddie was rather cute. Every day he brought her black roses, her favourite flowers. It was blissful, at least... for a little while.
Freddie was preparing dinner in the kitchen when he heard a noise from the next room.
"Lydia, are you alright?" he said walking in. Lydia was crouched over, clutching her head.
"I'm fine babe." She responded.
"Are you sure? You've had headaches and joint pains for the last few weeks, had night fevers and even though you've lost your appetite, your belly seems to keep growing."
"Are saying I'm fat?"
"No, no!" Freddie threw his hands up in defence, his voice got high and squeaky. Lydia sighed.
"There's something you should know." Freddie looked into her eyes studying her face.
"I'm pregnant, but you're not the father."
"What?! Really?!" His voice reached a higher octave.
"No you dork." Lydia pressed her lips on his. "I'm just teasing you. I'll make an appointment with the doctor first thing tomorrow." She placed a gentle hand on his face and offered him a weak smile. Lydia was deathly pale. She didn't want to admit it to Freddie, but she was worried. The smell of smoke suddenly filled their nostrils.
"Crap!" Freddie rushed back to the kitchen.
"I'm afraid you have an aggressive form of leukaemia." Lydia felt her heart shatter into a million pieces. "Sadly we have caught it late so the best chemotherapy could do is give you another six to twelve months." She was absolutely torn. Now she had to go home and return to her family. Lydia dreaded seeing the look on her boyfriend's face when she told him the earth shattering news. Bankruptcy had seemed so easy compared to dealing with this.
Over the next few weeks, Lydia had started chemo. Freddie had always been so supportive. One day she came home from chemo to find Freddie had shaved his head.
"Now we match," he said proudly. Lydia laughed and placed her hand on his bald cranium.
"I was thinking of getting trans-dermal spikes but I think I rather like this look now." Freddie didn't admit it, but he was taking the news of her cancer hard.
"Now Frederik, one day I will retire and I want you to take over the business," his father explained. "I'll show you how to use the family heirloom. One of the most important things to remember when working with ghosts is that they were once human. Because of this, you shouldn't abuse the power of the staff..." Freddie had stopped listening. 'Ghosts were once human... Maybe there's a way to save Lydia! He thought hopefully. He ran off to find her.
"Frederik, wait! There's more to tell you!" His father called after him. Freddie ignored him and just kept running.
"Lydia!" Freddie panted bursting into the room.
"What?"
"I know of a way we can be together forever."
"If you jump off a bridge for me, I'll kill you in the afterlife," she scoffed.
"No, nothing like that." Freddie took a big breath before continuing. "There's something you should know about Circus Gothica. A sort of... family secret." Freddie told her everything. Lydia was sceptical, but then she thought of all the strange things she had seen while living with the Showenhowers and suddenly it all made sense.
Lydia was in so much pain. She could feel her organs shutting down as tears of agony streamed down her face.
"Freddie!" she screamed. Freddie held her hand as she died.
"I'm here." Finally, Lydia stopped moving. Freddie quickly used the staff and drew her soul out of her body but it wasn't the same. Her skin was green and her beautiful rose and butterfly tattoos that covered her body had changed into ghouls and bats. Lydia's eyes had turned red and trans-dermal spikes had grown out of her skull. The tattoos left her skin and started to swirl, coiling around Freddie's neck.
"Lydia what are you doing?! It's me Freddie!" he choked.
"Freddie? No, I don't know you," she said coolly.
"No! I didn't come this for just to lose you. We will be together..." Freddie used to staff on her. Lydia went away and joined the other ghosts of Circus Gothica. Freddie found himself alone in the room with Lydia's corpse.
The funeral hit Freddie hard. Lydia's brother placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder but it didn't help. He didn't know what Freddie had done. Now he had to live with the guilt of his sin for the rest of his natural life.
Circus Gothica rolled back into Amity Park after a long painful year. Freakshow slipped away before the second performance. He looked down at the grave at his feet, placing a bouquet of black roses.
Lydia Macintosh
September 19th 1990- February 14th 2012.
Loving daughter and sister.
How could he have been so stupid?! Of course it wasn't going to work. Freakshow slammed his fists on the ground, tears of guilty pain cascaded down his face.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured.
"Freakshow." The man stood up upon hearing her soft voice. "The show's about to start." Freakshow quickly wiped his eyes before turning.
"I'll be right there." Lydia couldn't explain it, but she felt connected to him. She couldn't quite place the feeling, but all Lydia knew was that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her afterlife.
Thanks for reading. This one was my favourite so far. Hoped you liked it!
