So here is my latest full chapter, i hope you all enjoy it. I am starting to feel a little better now but i'm still not over the bug but i'm getting there. I ill continue updating in half chapters as its a lot easier on me than doing whole chapters at a time. I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews, i really appreciate any and all feedback so keep on reviewing and enjoy.
"Right, so ground rules," Lydia said wondering just what the Ghost with the most had up his sleeve but she had a feeling she would have to agree to something she didn't feel comfortable with.
"Ok, the first ground rule is no spying on me, especially when I am changing. I'm not going to go out of my way to avoid you or your stupid mirror. Oh, and if you interrupt one of my photo shoots to perv over the models I swear I will drop you in the winter river you got that!?" Lydia asked sternly. Beej glared at her through the mirror, his emerald eyes seemed to glow with anger. Lydia thought he was about to explode when he did something most unexpected.
He ran his red and black stained fingertips through his thin and mouldy hair with a slight sigh. "That was two rules, quid pro quo Lyd's," he said with an unnerving smile. "My rule is that I get to spend as much time as I want on the outside," he said rapping his knuckles on the inside of the mirror.
"No way in hell am I letting you out. No fucking way," Lydia said adamantly fuming at the idea of having him in Her house.
"MMM, I like it when you talk dirty like that" Beej teased causing Lydia to get even more flustered.
"Alright let's open a negotiation here," he said a pair of thick-rimmed glasses appearing on his nose and a scroll of paper in his hand. He unravelled the scroll and cleared his throat as a quill appeared from nowhere and began taking down notes. "I will not only agree to the two rules you have already proposed but I will also give you a freebie. If you agree to let me out every few days…Let's say for argument's sake at least a few times a week meaning no less than 2.5 days during any one week. Then I promise I will take you to see the netherworld just like you always wanted". He said with what looked like a genuinely pleasant smile yet it just looked so snakelike to Lydia that it was unnerving. She could see how he could be such a shroud businessman. That smile was so convincing and he made it seem as if he was going out of his way to please her, though she knew it wasn't the case. It was easy to envision him conning some poor sap out of their money and soul to boot.
"Alive!" Lydia replied adamantly. "I want to see the Netherworld while I am still alive," Lydia her voice stern and unwavering.
"I know all about you and your dodgy back alley deals and I'm not going to fall for it. I'm not letting some loophole mean that I only get to see things once I'm dead" Lydia spat as she had a feeling he was already mentally searching for loopholes so she needed to nip it in the bud as much as possible before he had an Ah-ha moment that inevitably would lead to her damnation.
"I know what your mind is like and I'm only agreeing to it if you give me your word as the self-proclaimed 'Ghost With The Most' that you will take me there Alive and in good health. Not that your word means all that much here or on the other side" Lydia said snidely, folding her arms across her chest as she glared at the spirit in the mirror.
"Wow Babes way to hit a guy when he's down," he said acting as if he was hurt though inside he secretly loved the fact she was picking up on things. He had underestimated her intelligence and he was interested in just how far he could push her before she would crack.
"Alright you have my word that I will take you to the netherworld alive and in good health but..." he trailed off hoping that he would get to see if she was truly invested in the deal.
"But?" Lydia asked urgently, falling for the bait hook, line and sinker.
"It takes a lot of power to take a mortal to the netherworld alive let alone in good health. I don't have my powers back to even a quarter of what they used to be. All the time I am in this mirror it's keeping me from rejuvenating my essence, it blocks my powers from doing much at all" he said conveniently forgetting to mention to Lydia that his powers reached outside the mirror thanks to their little blood transfusion. He wasn't sure quite how far his aura of influence extended but why test it if he had a ticket to freedom practically in the palm of his hand? The only thing that was blocking him was the fact that he was bound to the mirror and he just needed someone to summon him from the real world.
"If I were to take you I would need to be out in the land of the living practically every day. All the time I am in this godforsaken mirror it stops me from being the best of the best. I mean you wouldn't sail a ship if it was stuck at less than half-mast would you?" he said with a wicked smile before continuing.
"Even when I am in the human world it might take me quite some time to get back to normal. Then I have to factor in the extra strength I need, so i can protect you. There have only been a few mortals to ever visit the Netherworld and it drained their vitality so quickly that they ended up being permanent residents if you know what I mean." He said with a smile that made Lydia shudder.
"So what you're saying is that I have to let you out every day so you can heal and it will take a while to get things going but you will have to make sure I'm safe when you take me to the other side?" Lydia asked her voice full of hope and her eyes glimmered intensely as she looked at Beej.
"Of course Babes, can't have anything happening to you" he replied happily. What he didn't tell Lydia was the fact that he had to keep her safe because of the blood tie. Yes, she was his ticket to freedom but she also meant a hell of a lot more and she needed to be protected. If she died he would be back to square one again, powerless and pathetic. He would sell his right arm before he let that happen again.
He couldn't help but get a little flustered as he looked at Lydia through the mirror. He loved the way she was looking at him, there was just something about her that really wound up his spring. He wasn't quite sure what it was, though. After a moment of reflection, he was struck with the realisation that he had never seen Lydia look happy let alone how she was now. She was smiling at him, with not a single ounce of fear or repulsion tracing her pale beauty. Even in his little fantasies where he and Lydia did the horizontal monster mash, she wasn't exactly happy about it. It was more as if he had tormented and juiced her so much she had no other choice but to please him. Somehow now he had seen actual joy on the woman's face it didn't seem appealing anymore. Instead, his mind began to wander back to that very dirty place he liked to visit when he was alone, or with company, it didn't really matter to him. But instead of a hypnotised and juiced-up Lydia becoming his unwilling yet subservient fuck doll sex doll. He instead envisioned her as she was now. Radiating happiness so that her eyes sparkled with intensity. He imagined her laughing as he pressed his kisses onto her beautiful slender neck. It was a simple image but it was a powerful one and he felt his trousers tightening more than they ever had before. He shifted awkwardly and made a mental note to come back to that particular mental image when he had some alone time.
He took a moment to compose himself before he began to talk again.
"So if we are agreed on the terms I'm going to need you to sign here," he said pushing the scroll against the glass.
"Wait I feel as if there should be more rules," Lydia said suspiciously but for whatever reason, she was drawing a blank as to what the other rules could be. "Make it an open-ended contract that we can add new rules to if and when the situation occurs and then you have a deal," Lydia said sternly
"You're twisting my arm here Babes but fine, an open deal," Beej said tapping the contract to the glass.
"You said you would stop calling me that" Lydia replied as she reached for the glass. "Er how's this supposed to work?" she asked perplexed as all she could feel was the cold smooth surface of the mirror.
"Give us a sec Lyd's" Beej replied graciously following her request. As she watched the surface of the mirror rippled and the quill began to move in front of the contract, its tip breaking the otherwise smooth mirror's surface pricking Lydia's index finger.
"Son of a bitch" Lydia exclaimed recoiling from the mirror. "What the hell was that for?" she asked as she began to suck on her now bleeding fingertip.
"Sorry babes it has to be signed in blood, you know how these sort of things go," he said gently almost as if he was apologising for it.
"Well, of course, it has to be in fucking blood, I swear you are just trying to bleed me dry".
"Am not!" Beej said defensively with a small sulk as he pressed the contract further against the mirror. He couldn't quite get it to go through the mirror's surface so with a sigh he muttered:"Just put your signature on the mirror, it should transfer".
"What do you mean it Should transfer? You're telling me you haven't done this before?" Lydia asked, her voice going up an octave or two.
"Well, er no," Beej said scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I have done plenty of deals in my time but this is all pretty new. I've never been swallowed by a sandworm before and I've certainly never been trapped in a fucking mirror before. So yeah, you could say it's a bit of a learning curve" he said aggressively before adding "Just sign the contract" he said with an exacerbated sigh.
"Fine" Lydia said sharply as she pressed her bleeding fingertip against the mirror and put her dripping signature on the contract. As soon as she was done the smudge of blood disappeared from the silver surface and stuck itself to the contract. Lydia was hit with the realisation that she had just made a Faustian pact and no doubt it would come back to bite her when she least suspected it but there was nothing she could do about it now. She would have to bide her time and see what happen. Hopefully living with the ghost with the most wouldn't be too taxing but she wasn't going to hold her breath. She had to admit that things had certainly picked up in the last few days and who knows perhaps she needed the antics of a manic ghost to give some life back into the old house.
A few minutes passed in awkward silence, as both parties watched as the contract rolled itself up, tie itself in a ribbon around its now cylindrical body only to disappear into the ether.
"So what now?" Lydia asked already knowing what his request would be.
"Now it's time for you to say the B word Lyds," Beej said with a creepy smile that made Lydia shudder. She knew she didn't have a choice in the matter, not if she wanted to visit the other side someday, but somehow the thought of seeing him in real life was a bit much for her. The thought of just touching him made her feel sick or was that just nerves? She wasn't sure but she knew everything would change once he was physically in the room with her.
"Come on just say those three little words," Beej said encouragingly as he could practically feel her apprehension.
Lydia got up from the seat in front of the mirror and stood in the middle of the room. She took a deep breath before she locked eyes with the green glowing pair in the mirror. "Beetlejuice," She said her voice wavering as she said his full name. Years ago she had made a promise to herself that no matter what happened she would never say that name again but here she was saying it. Almost the exact moment the name left her lips the room began to darken as if it the sun had been blocked out. It made her more than nervous and her anxiety was higher than anything she had experienced before but she knew she had to continue. "Beetlejuice" she uttered and she could hear a rumbling scratching noise that she could have sworn was coming from inside the walls but she carried on. She took another deep cleansing, calming breath before she uttered the last and final word. "Beetlejuice," she said with trepidation as the rumbling noise got louder. The window burst open and lightning seemed to consume the whole room as it hit the mirror. The silver surface warped and bubbled as if it had turned into molten liquid. The lightning flashed once more and a deep, manic and yet familiar cackling filled the room. The flash of lightning was so bright Lydia had to close her eyes, shielding them from the burst of light. She slowly opened her eyes again and the lighting situation seemed to be back to normal. It was daytime and the low winter sun was shining brightly outside despite the cold. Lydia Looked at the mirror which luckily hadn't sustained any damage as it looked the same as when she had first unearthed it. She looked around expecting to see the ghost with most breathing down her neck.
Instead, he was sprawled across her bed in what on anyone else would be considered a seductive pose. He was there in the flesh (so to speak) in his classic black and white suit which was discoloured from grime and yellowing in places such as the pockets. One pocket looked as if it had at one time contained a yellow slime which had now congealed to a crusty splatter. This led Lydia to wonder just what on earth he kept in his pockets. She remembered him keeping snakes and severed fingers in his so-called 'finery'. Which didn't give her much hope for what he kept in his skivvies. His Skin was its normal ashen grey with patches of mottled green mould that dotted his mouth and hairline. He had a layer of quite evident stubble on his chin, neck and around his mouth as if he had shaved of a heavy beard some time ago and it was already growing back. The stubble was also green in places, though the black hair of the stubble plus whatever it was caked in made it look a good deal darker than it probably was. At a guess she figured it was a dark brown vs the green and black spattering it currently was. . His eyes were sunken into their sockets which themselves looked bruised and battered to the point they almost looked black. His hair looked exactly like it had done the last time they met. It was thinning badly having receded quite far back making his large forehead look even larger. It stuck up like he had just received a bad electric shock and his hair colour what might once have been called a dirty blonde was now mainly a dusty greenish grey which only helped it to look more ratty. His hair clumped together making it seem thinner and sparser. It reminded her of spidery mascara. He hadn't changed a bit since Lydia had last seen him, but why should he when he was a ghost?
Beetlejuice was happy enjoying the feeling of the soft blanket and the gentle give of the mattress underneath him. It was a welcome relief after so many months of miserable nothingness. The bed smelt strange but in a very good way that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He had expected it to smell of sweat, dirt and body odour like his bed usually did but he was pleasantly surprised when he breathed in the smell that lingered in the blankets. It was like dark chocolate with a hint of caramel and the slightest touch of Cinnamon in there was a musty papery scent that reminded him of old books. He wasn't sure why it smelt this way if it was how Lydia smelt naturally or if it was perfume but her certainly liked it. He breathed in the intoxicating smell of the woman in front of him. It was certainly something to tick off his list, now if he could only find out what Lydia felt like then his night would be complete.
"Care to join me Babes" Beej practically purred as he lay across the bedspread.
"Get off of my bed right now" Lydia ordered practically shaking in anger. How dare he defile her property like that, especially something as intimate as her bed. She knew she would have to change the blanket if not the whole bed along with spritzing the living daylight out of the mattress to get rid of the Ghosts stink. Though he was across the room she could smell him quite well, he smelt of mold, rot and general uncleanliness. Lydia was no neat freak but she hated the thought of that smell, forever lingering around her house.
"Ok rule one, my bed is off limits. I don't care what excuses you come up with you are not to go near my bed, you got it?" Lydia practically barked at her new 'roommate' "If you want to go lie down you can have the guest room" she added briskly.
"Jeeze Lyds learn to lighten up a little. I haven't had real furniture in years, it's just nice to find something soft. There was nothing in that mirror, not a chair, not a bed, nothing but emptiness. I mean I have slept rough before but that place was like sleeping on shards of glass" he said floating over to Lydia. He was still in a reclined position that looked pretty odd to Lydia. The Maitlands had tried their best to feel as human as possible so they stayed away from things such as floating in the middle of the air so Lydia was a little unnerved by the floating.
"Well you were living IN something glass, what did you expect" Lydia retorted before she let out an exasperated sigh.
"You know what I'm going downstairs to unwind, seeing that I can't do it here," she said with a slight sneer. "I know you're going to do it anyway so feel free to explore the place. I've decorated since you were last here so it's not suburbia meets Delia chic. If you need me I will be watching a movie and thinking of all the ways I can decapitate a ghost" Lydia said with a smirk before leaving the room.
As she passed Beetlejuice she could feel the cold radiating from him and for some reason, she found it oddly comforting. She wasn't sure why but perhaps it was because it meant he really was dead. After all, he looked and smelt so real, it was odd to compare him to The Maitlands but they were her only frame of reference. It was easy for her to see that Adam and Barbara were ghosts as they had a slightly transparent aura around them that made them look somehow less solid. Less tangible as they stood there. Whenever they moved, it was as if a tiny piece of them lingered for a moment like a shadow before it caught back up with them. Perhaps it was because the pair were both so new to the ghost business but, Lydia never had any doubt that they were both ghosts. Beetlejuice however, didn't have this quality about him He looked solid as a brick wall even while floating through thin air. It was something she would have to ask him about another time but right now the bottle of wine in the fridge was calling her name like a siren's call and she didn't have the energy to fight it.