Sorry it took so long to upload these, had other things to do.
Walking through the forest in the fall always had a soothing effect on me. The leaves changing colors, the way they dance on the wind as the fall to the earth, and the subtle smell of decay. But that never compared to the 700 year old best friend casually floating next to me. His green glowing eyes staring at the trees, pale blond hair standing more wildly in the wind than normal, and his trademark suit that smelled of graveyard soil. The wind continued to blow more fiercely, wrapping me in a tornado of dead leaves. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen, until I noticed that Beetlejuice wasn't with me.
"Beej!" I cried not knowing what else to do. "Beej where are you?!"
"Lydia! … Lydia! ..."
"Lydia Deetz"
My eyes shot open as my name was being screamed into my ear. I was in class; I must have nodded off during the lecture.
"Well Ms. Deetz, It's good to see that you decided to join us this afternoon. So do you plan to stay for the duration of the class or is the material not good enough for you to actually pay attention?" barked Mrs. Miller.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Miller, I had a rough time last night and wasn't able to get much sleep." That was an obvious lie. It's just that Mrs. Miller was a renaissance master at making even the most exciting things boring.
"That is a personal problem Ms. Deetz, and therefore it doesn't matter what the excuse is. You need to try to be more professional, or else I will drop you from the class." She said with a triumphant smirk.
"Yes Mrs. Miller, I will try to be more professional." I said, looking around the room to see everyone staring at ME like I was poison; and hell, there were even people snoring in class. WHY was I always the one being singled out by everyone?
"See that you do. Now time is up and be sure to do the homework over the break, now get out!"
I gathered up my things and made a straight run for the door. Down the hall and out the doors into the park, I had to walk fast if I wanted to avoid the ever annoying shrill noise of Claire's voice. It wasn't enough that we were roommates at the dorm; she actually went out of her way to bully me while her troop of brain dead fans laughed. As I made my way through the park, I noticed people staring at me more than usual. The men actually flinched whenever they thought I was looking at them, and the girls pointed and whispered amongst each other. This was no doubt the effect of Claire's latest rumor.
Finally getting to my room, I open the door and was met with the ever present sense of illness looking at the clashing decor. My side of the room was almost complete black with the exceptional dark colors and the mural of the Neitherworld I painted on the wall. Claire's was the complete opposite; her stuff was bright colors and an over-saturation of pink.
It only took a second to drop my things and crash on my bed. For my entire college career, this room had been the only safe place I had since Claire only used her half as a storage unit. Now on the verge of sleep, for some reason or another, I started to look back on how my life had started to fall apart. High school was hell in its own right, but after graduation, I and my only living friends, Bertha and Prudence, went our separate ways. When I came to college, I tried to make new friends, but my natural demeanor and Claire's constant rumors immediately labeled me as the campus' reigning and uncontested 'Ice Queen' and 'Cold Hearted Bitch'. The first couple of weeks I cried on this bed until I fell asleep. Now I just lay here like some depressed cat. The situation wasn't that much different from home. My relationship with Delia hit rock bottom. This would all be manageable if I could still go to the Neitherworld, but ever since that day I have never able to open the portal.
'That day.' Yes, my life started to unravel on the day that Beetlejuice abandoned me. What he had done was unforgiveable sure, but the fact of his betrayal to our friendship hurt more than the truth of what he did. I would be lying if I said I didn't blame him for what I've been going through. In fact, at some point and in a fit of rage, I destroyed everything that could remind me of him. All the photos, gifts, and even my diaries went up in flames in my bathroom tub. Immediately, I regretted it and made something that I could remember him by.
Rolling over on my side, I started pawing under the covers and pillows looking for it. Finally finding I pulled out a miniature stuff replica of Beetlejuice. I even surprised myself with how skillful I was when I made it. It was a perfect likeness even down to the smell of graveyard soil. Claire made it a point to tease me about it when she eventually came to the room, and yeah, it would seem rather childish for a grown woman to still sleep with a stuff doll. But sadly, this doll was the only thing that got me through the day. It was either talking to the doll of the only person that ever accepted me or talking to my own reflection in the mirror, and actually expecting an answer in return. This alone made me realize that after everything that happen and regardless of how much time has or will pass, I still miss him. With that though in mind, I fell asleep and dreamed of the days we had together.
I always hated alarm clocks, mine most of all. Nevertheless, I got up, after all today was the last day before the break and I had only one class to go to, for a damn sketching assignment. I didn't bother to change clothes. I don't think I would be their long. This was due to the fact that Claire was also taking the class. I know I can't avoid it, so I just grabbed my things and left.
After my 'normal' walk to the campus, I swiftly moved to the class room and my seat of choice. Naturally people moved away from me, but I didn't care so I just focused on the assignment. The assignment was simple: from our vantage point, we are to draw the sculpture and the reflections of it from the mirrors surrounding it. In less than an hour, I was almost done, when the one thing I wanted to avoid shows up and, for reasons God only knows, she started to talk to me.
"Like Lydia. Like what are you doing here?" Really that was possibly the nicest thing she has said to me all year.
"Just finishing the assignment."
"Like no. Like, what are you doing in my seat?"
"Just finishing the assignment, if you want the chair, just await 5 minutes. I'm almost done."
"Like no thanks, I might get cursed or something." There was the insult. I guess the latest rumor had something to do with witchcraft. I only wish it was true. "And like what are you even doing here in the first place? It's not like you have a future anyways." I don't know why but that added to every other thing that has happened to me this year. I just snapped.
"Ok listen up you alcoholic, drug-addicted, little slut." I know that she was just doing it to get under my skin, and that I was giving here exactly what she wanted. I can't beat her up again, the odds of me getting expelled were very good at the moment but that was nowhere in my mind. "I know you think you're the hottest shit to happen to this college. I know you think that people are around you just because they like you." At this point, Claire's eye began to widen. I honestly thought that I was scaring her. I didn't notice that the temperature in the room suddenly dropped or that I could see my own breath. "But let me tell you the truth, since no one else will. Your relationships with your 'friends' is as fickle as you are, and when the time comes that you actually need one of them, well you'll be royally fucked."
Claire started to back away, which made me feel great seeing her in fear. Until I realized that she wasn't backing away from me. I look around and saw that everyone else was either frozen with fear, screaming, or had already made it to the door. My curiosity got the better of me as I turned to find what they were so afraid of. And what I saw was hands down the most beautiful thing I've seen in years. The mirrors around the statue were glowing green; but not just any green, they were glowing Neitherworld green. As everyone was backing away or scrambling to get out of the class, I found myself slowly heading for the portal that has opened before me.
My heart was pounding as the energy started to extend out of the mirrors and swirl into a confined cyclone. I hoped it was Beetlejuice. I prayed he'd come back even though I knew it was impossible. I didn't have to wait long to get my answer. The energy dispersed leaving a man with long black hair and dark draped clothes. The small golden crown on his head made me recognize him immediately. I started to run to him as he collapsed to the floor.
"Vince!" I cried kneeling down to help pick him up. I was shocked to discover that he was as skinny as a twig. He was literally skin and bones, even though I know ghost don't really have skin or bones but I didn't know how else to describe it. His head suddenly shot up, and I saw what was in his undiolated eyes as the moved around the room almost in a blur; true fear. They were the eyes of a wounded, scared, and desperate animal afraid for his life.
"Lydia? Lydia, is that you?" The way he said it was more that he was surprised that I was alive at all.
"Yes, of course it's me. Who did this? What happened to you?" I tried to sound as calm as possible in hopes that he would follow the example.
"Lydia listen, I don't have that much time to explain. You need to get back to Peaceful Pines now. That is the best place we can protect you."
"Wait. What? Why do you need to protect me? Protect me from what?"
"He got out Lydia. I don't know how he did it but he's free and he's looking for you!"
"Who got out? Who's looking for me, why me?"
"Because you were his best friend."
"Wait are you saying Beetlej-mphe…?" Vince put both his hands over my mouth and started to shake like I just stepped on his grave.
"Don't say his name Lydia, not even once. The rules have changed. He can somehow cross between the worlds freely and uttering his name once, even by mistake, will tell him exactly where you are." He said almost pleading, begging me to listen to him. I didn't understand what was going on but I got the message and nodded my head.
"Why do I need to go back to Peaceful Pines? What's going on?"
"A disaster has fallen on the Neitherworld and is starting to spread into all of reality. Please Lydia, I'm out of time, promise me you'll stay there until we can stop it. Please."
I didn't understand any of this. Why was Bettlejuice looking for me? Why did I need to be protected from him? What the hell is going on?
"Ok"
He smiled and vanished in a puff of Neitherworld energy. I spun on my heel and made my way for the door, swiftly grabbing my things without stopping or slowing down. Thanks to months of avoiding Claire and all other people. I made my way out the front door only to be struck dead in my tracks. The sky wasn't blue anymore or anywhere near it. It was now a swirling mixture of orange, black, and purple, but none of the colors mixed with each other. They shifted and waved like tall grass in the wind. If I didn't remember what Vince had told me, I would have gazed in wonder. I forcefully drew me head out of my imagination and ran to my dorm room. I dragged my suitcase out of the closet and began to toss all my cloths into it along with other object I refused to leave behind. I closed the suitcase and made my way to the door only to stop halfway. I turned around and grabbed my Beetlejuice doll off the bed and continue out of the dorm. I tossed everything into the backseat of the car my dad bought me as a going away present. I got in and stopped to take in everything that happened in less than an hour. It only now dawned on me that I am playing a role in a story I know nothing about, and that was the most dangerous place to be with Beetlejuice. I started the car and made my way back to Peaceful Pine, having no idea what awaited me there.
Thank you for reading. If you plan on giving me a review, please keep in mind that this is the first time I have ever done a first person narrative and there for I have some personal questions if you would be so kind to answer like:
Did the chapter have a good flow to it?
Do I need to make Claire more of a bitch?
Did I transfer Lydia's current circumstances and emotions to the readers clearly, or could I have gone darker?
Did I give the characters enough personality and emotion?
If you want to answer I'll be reading your comments and will try to grow from them. Oh I will also probably revise some chapters over time, when I do that I will leave a foot note at the end of the next released chapter. Again thanks. Oh right do you think this would be OK as a T rated story or should I keep it M.