F'cked Up Reunion - Chapter 3
In the cozy style of the rental trailer, Lydia stood in the shower and still couldn't shake the weird feeling of Claire's sudden intimate touch. "My god I hope that was a part of a prank or something" She said dearly praying it was.
Lydia finished the shower and dried off then opened her backpack for something to wear. Amongst all her black and other dark color clothing stood out a red poncho. She held the poncho to her chest in front of the mirror. "Well that's too small" She said with a disappointed frown.
But with her creative talents in sewing, Lydia made a few minor adjustments and turns a small full body poncho into a medium skirt. She modeled in front of the mirror once more and was quite pleased with the results. After all these years, despite she couldn't fit the garment as a poncho, the color was still crisp and the spider web designs were just as lovely as ever.
Now it was time for Lydia to journey back to her second home. "Even though I should be wary, still I want to venture someplace scary, ghostly haunting I turn loose… Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." And the simple quaint cozy of a suburban trailer turned into the hollow insides of a grey stoned passageway.
The green mist that filled the hall was thick as it always been, but the echoes of ghostly howls, that has changed. The sound of pain and sorrow as many pass from life to death is almost blood curdling, instead of the haunting yet mystifying moans.
Lydia finally entered the Netherworld. The place hasn't changed much except for the new buildings that weren't there before and the population seemed to have doubled or even tripled over the years. Lydia thought of her daughters, both of which haven't been to the Netherworld since they were very young tots.
The Netherworld has always been dark, filled with mystery at every turn, and the potential for danger always there; but never to the degree has Lydia felt right now.
The Roadhouse, a place Lydia has spent many of her youth, hasn't changed much at all. The yellow neon lights of Beetlejuice's name still illuminated clear across the neighborhood, the metal of the house still was rusty and smelled like burnt charcoal, and the old classic lime green 57' Chevy with its 'Doomie' novelty named license plate, still parked in the driveway.
Lydia knocked on the door and as always Jacques the skeleton, answered. "Bonjour Lydia, It iz long time." He greeted and allowed her to enter and then took notice and knew something was missing from her last visit. " Where are your babies?"
"They're barely babies anymore. Betty is almost sixteen and Violet, or rather Victoria is fourteen." She replied and reached in her purse and gave Jacques a large envelop. "I brought pictures."
Jacques placed the pictures away. "I'll wait and share zem with Ginger once she comes home."
"More tap dancing auditions?" Lydia figured.
"No, no, she iz… how you say… a cigarette bunny at a gentlemen club." He replied and shook his head "She iz in complete denial but I know she does not like it."
"Are you still a personal trainer at the gym?" She asked.
"Pffft… I don't work zere anymore, too much bull with my hours and pay." Jacques said with a careless wave. "I personal train independently and work at a tanning salon"
"A tanning salon?" Lydia retorted "Why is there tanning salon in the Neitherworld?"
"I dunno" He shrugged "Iz very popular to burn away ghostly flesh and there are some skeletons who do it too. Iz weird, no?"
Lydia scratched her head at the ideal, but then again, there were companies in her realm promoting six year old pole dancing classes. "Not weird, it's just plain stupid."
"Oui, oui," Jacques agreed.
Just then, Ginger entered the house. She was so exhausted she didn't see them at first. She flopped on the couch and kicked off all three pairs of her eight inch stilletto work hills. "Oh my back is killin' me" She complained. The night was rough, especially after the club was to packed for all to see guest celebrity, a once alive Beatles band member. "I'll never work a double shift again" She declared and then saw Lydia. "Oh, doll," She smiled and then gestured for her to come closer "let me hava look atcha."
Lydia sat next to the all too well lady spider of the house. "Hi Ginger, it's nice to see you again." She said and gave her a hug.
"Oh doll, I would be more invitin' but" Ginger said then looked away quite ashamed that her energy is not like it was.
"Don't worry about it I understand, believe me I do." Lydia reassured.
"Lydia brought us pictures of her babies," Jacques informed "and we can see zem after dinner"
"I'm sorry sweetie, I'm not in the mood to eat or do too much of anythin' tonight" Ginger said leaving from the couch and entered her room "I'll catch up with you kids later." She said and closed the door.
Lydia looked to Jacques "There's something beyond just being tired, I mean, she doesn't look well at all."
It couldn't be ignored, Ginger's once vibrant violet skin was now a pale purplish grey and her eyes appeared somewhat blind white. "She Iz slowly disintegrating into the next stage of death." Jacques informed. "Iz something we all go through."
The next stage of death. That passage was something Lydia read in 'The Recently Deceased' book, a guide for those who once lived but have died. But Ginger never lived. She was born and existed as a ghost or at least a creature of some sort. "Is the next stage different than the Lost Souls Room?" She questioned.
"For Ginger, it could mean a simple passing on, or a stage to be born into the Living Realm." Jacques replied. "I just want her final moments to be pleasant and not to worry about work." Lydia felt awful and completely helpless. She wanted to help but timing was just so limited. "Don't worry petite, Ginger will be fine." He assured.
During the night, Lydia chose to sleep the night in the Netherworld and slept in Beetlejuice's room on his king size coffin bed. The sheets were clean but they still smelled of smoky cigarette smoke. She looked out the window hoping that he would just come through, just for a moment, so she could give him a hug and chat, but sadly that didn't happen. However there a glimmer of Monster, who lived across the street, getting out of the shower. "Oh" Lydia eeped as she turned away with an embarrassed blush "I didn't mean to see that" She said and peeked again.
"Didn't mean to see what?" The voiced asked from behind and then looked in the same direction she was looking. The monster was still naked as he stood in the bathroom drying himself. "Urrrrggg…. Aw, man… Really?" Lydia turned around and saw it was Beetlejuice standing behind her. "Whoa Lyds, you must be stavin' for a man to peek at that."
"You!" Lydia huffed with a frown and then grabbed a pillow and hit him with it. "You… You…" She huffed as she continued to hit him "Where were you?" She yelled.
"I was in Sandworm Land, where the hell did you think I was?" He countered.
"Why! Why where you there?" Lydia shouted and then hit him with the pillow again.
Beetlejuice cleared his throat and began oh so casual "Well you know... playing in the sand, taking in the hot lovely atmosphere, running away from fuckin' sandworms… That sort of thing."
"I mean, what stupid prank or law did you break?" Lydia questioned. "I needed you, and you…you…" She said and broke down and cried.
"Look Babes, I didn't do nothin'. The sandworm sentence was for past stuff. I didn't wanna fuck up not bein' with you." Beetlejuice assured "Juno said if I didn't serve this sentence, you wouldn't be allowed to pass into the Neitherworld."
"Oh," Lydia lowered, not knowing how serious it was. "Are you totally cleared from all the charges?"
"Nah, I'm scheduled for an exorcisium but I dunno when." He informed and then placed his arms around her "Hopefully not too soon now that I have you."
"Oh Beej, I miss you so much." Lydia said and gave him a kiss. "There's just so much to tell, so much to share, so much –"
Beetlejuice cupped his hand over her mouth. "Lyds, after ten or so years of running away from sandworms, how about more kissin' and less talkin'" He said and got hit with the pillow. He looked at Lydia's disapproved eyes and pouty lips. "Ok, ok… Let's cuddle at least." He said and Lydia was ok with that as she snuggled with him on the bed and fell asleep.
The next morning, Lydia woke in an empty bed. At first she thought it was just a dream that Beetlejuice came back after all these years, which until of course she smelt the heavy smoke of Marlboro cigarettes burning through the hallway. Lydia leapt from the bed and followed the smell down the hall and into the kitchen and found it was Jacques smoking the cigarette as he was cooking breakfast. "Oh," She sighed in disappointment.
"Bonjour Lydia," Jacques greeted and then quickly snuffed out his cigarette. "Forgive me, I forget you don't like ze smoking"
Lydia was only a child when she expressed her dislike about it. "No, no, it's ok, I don't mind. I just don't do it myself."
Just then a loud wolf whistle echoed from the front room. Lydia rushed to the front room and saw Beetlejuice fondling a blonde ghostly woman. Beetlejuice turned to Lydia while still lustfully touching the woman "Are you jealous, Lyds?"
"Why?" Lydia sarcastically questioned and then leaned against the wall oh so uncaringly.
"Because she's a little bustier than you," He teased, grabbing her breast "and more curvy than you" He teased, caressing her hourglass figure "and more…" Beetlejuice stopped once his hands touched upon something not quite right "And more…" It felt a wet sock "And more…" And then bells in Beetlejuice's mind were ringing off and he looked at this woman.
The woman was his same height with blonde hair and green eyes, but not just any green eyes, green eye just like the males of the Juice family. All this study and Beetlejuice still had his hand down there. "Hi Beetlejuice," That voice, that bright straight smile, those eyes, it could only mean one thing. "Would you mind getting' your hand off mah penis now?"
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Donny!" Beetlejuice screamed and leapt and then realized something he just did. "I touched his junk!" He screamed with a frown and then lit his own hand on fire. Donny magically pulled a fire extinguisher from out of nowhere and put out the fire. Beetlejuice turned to him and then turned to Lydia.
"Why should I be jealous again?" She asked sarcastically with a raised brow.
"And because you've been in Sandworm Land for some time an' all, I just wanna let you know that incest is still illegal." Donny said from behind. Beetlejuice turned to Donny with such a disgusted stare. "Oh don't you look at me that way, you the one puttin' your hands where it weren't invited."
"What the fuck man?" Beetlejuice yelled and then looked to Lydia. "Oh ho, ho, ho… you got me good, Lyds. That was a pretty sick prank."
"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't prank you and I have no interest in pulling a prank on you." Lydia said folding her arms.
Beetlejuice pondered a bit. "Mah god you're an idiot, Beetlejuice" Donny commented.
"You shuddup." Beetlejuice eyed him. "Why the hell didn't you tell me it was you?"
"Well I can't say too much of nothin' with your hand over mah mouth, now could I?" Donny pointed out.
"Shit" Beetlejuice hissed under his lip and then studied him more. Donny looked like a real woman but he wasn't dressed at all like a goody two shoes, he looked more like an s&m domme as he wore a short shiny black vinyl dress and matching thigh high boots. "Pre-Op or Post-Op?" Beetlejuice asked figuring Donny got a sex change.
"No operation," Donny confirmed "it's just a harmless drag gig."
Just then the door bell rang and Beetlejuice entered. Lydia and Beetlejuice were amazed of how many odd characters entered the house. Somebody was dressed in a chicken suit and another person had blue and red cherry bombs smoking out of their ass and more. Sooner or later even Fuzzo the clown rollerbladed into the house, blowing animal balloons while asshole naked.
"Hey Lyds, let get the fuck outta –" Beetlejuice said and noticed she was gone. He took a look around and found her gawking, actually gawking pleasantly in amazement at all these sudden weird characters.
"Attention everyone, attention" Jacques announced standing next to Ginger, gaining everybody's attention "Ginger my dearest, iz a last minute surprise, I know, but I want you to know that you have been a great, and dare I say, sexiest roommate I every had. Now let as all wish her well on her final Happy Death Day."
The horns blown off as the confetti rained down from the ceiling and cheering yelled all around. Beetlejuice was shocked, he didn't know his longtime roommate and victim to his pranks was actually dying-dying. He looked to Lydia who was crying, and Donny who came to comfort her.