They initially didn't think putting a lot of thought into simply getting a barrier and doors to the Netherworld up and working again would take up quite a lot of energy but it did (primarily from the deceased of the group of eleven). They were almost done with all of this... thirty seconds left until the barrier between the living world and the Netherworld and doors to the Netherword were, hopefully, all up and running again.
Fifteen seconds left. Ten. Five. Zero.
The gathered group of eleven, living and dead, sat in a circle right in the middle of the living room, released their minds from thinking constantly and on repeat about the barrier between the living world and the Netherworld and they let their minds wander elsewhere, each of them relaxing and closing their eyes (the living taking much needed deep breaths).
One by one, each one of them opened up their eyes and glanced nervously around the living room - hoping things had gone back to normal. And they had. Gone were the various ghosts that had filtered out into the living world through the door to the Netherworld. Gone were any possible shadow people. The deceased snapped their fingers in a perfect unison, each and every of them drawing energy from the living.
Not one of them spoke a single word for at least a while. At least until Lydia, confusion in her tone, spoke up.
"Did it work?"
"I think so," Barbara was quick to reply as she, Lydia, and the others stood up at once.
Miss Argentina, producing a chalk out of thin air, Marcus, Rose, and Arthur moved over towards the nearest wall - Argentina quickly using her produced chalk to draw a door to the Netherworld and knocking on it, her and her fellow deceased turning on their heels to face the Maitland-Deetzes and Betelgeuse.
"I don't know if we'll come back over here to let you know if the barrier is hopefully working again in the Netherworld, Lawrence," Leslie was quick to say, Betelgeuse. "But if we do, we do. Hopefully the barrier's working over here too."
"Hopefully," Betelgeuse said as Leslie, Marcus, Rose, and Arthur turned again and, one after the other, stepped through the door to the Netherworld - it closing, with little to no signs of a glitching, behind Arthur as soon as he stepped through. As Miss Argentina's drawn door to the Netherworld disappeared, Betelgeuse stepped a little off to the side - looking like he was seemingly focusing on something.
Barbara and Adam, as curious as the Deetzes, stepped closer to the demon - Adam peeking around his shoulder. "Hey, bud, whatcha thinking about?"
Betelgeuse said nothing, but, Adam could've sworn he heard Betelgeuse's voice filter right through his mind. 'Don't break my concentration, sexy. I'm trying to see if the barrier between here and the Netherworld is working on this side of it'.
Adam fell silent, waiting a little before Betelgeuse stopped doing what he said. Then, when the demon turned his attention over towards Adam, it was Barbara who spoke up, directing Betelgeuse's attention from Adam to her. "And how does trying to figure out how the barrier between here and the Netherworld work, exactly?"
"Didn't you just see me focusing my mind on seeing if it was up and running, Babs?"
"I- I did... but... how do you just focus your mind on that one thing? Is that something only you can do or?"
"It's something that only demons can, technically, do, but, sometimes, it's also something that the higher powers of the Netherworld, as well as ghosts who've been dead for quite a long time, can do. But sometimes, if you try hard enough, you can do it."
A green glow fell over the room, causing the Maitland-Deetzes and Betelgeuse to turn and focus their attention over towards the far wall of the living room - the very same one in which Miss Argentina, Marcus, Rose, and Arthur stepped through that door to the Netherworld - to find another door to the Netherworld and Miss Argentina peeking out through it. Betelgeuse broke away from the Maitland-Deetzes and made his way over towards Leslie.
"Les, is the barrier between here and the Netherworld working in the Netherworld?"
"Sí," she replied with a simple nod. "Así es. I have to say, us over in the Netherworld haven't gotten any new recently deceased since all of this started happening so I sent out as many guides out as I could to locate and get any and all missing recently deceased ghosts into the Netherworld. Is the barrier working over here in the living world?"
"Yes, luckily," Betelgeuse said, nodding as well.
"Bueno." Leslie nodded once more before heading back into the Netherworld - the door that she'd drawn closing and disappearing out of sight.
Betelgeuse turned his attention over towards Adam, Barbara, and Emily as soon as the three living Deetzes headed upstairs to their rooms to rest for a bit. After all, they needed that rest considering the circumstances of everything that had happened earlier. And the Maitlands and Emily figured it best that they let the living be for now. Who knew how long it was going to take the living to rest up.
"So," Betelgeuse said, looking from Adam to Barbara to Emily with a knowing look plastered across his face. "Do you guys want me to show you all how to focus your minds on seeing the barrier between here and the Netherworld or what...?"
A/N: Alright, the next chapter is both the last and the epilogue of this story. I certainly enjoyed writing it and can't wait to finish it. The epilogue chapter will be released in a few days so keep an eye out for that.
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Out of Sight, Out of Mind//A Beetlejuice Fanfiction
FanfictionLydia has been experiencing more than just being able to see the dead lately. A lot more. And it may just have something to do with the fact that there's a prophecy connected to her and her family and that the barrier between the living world and th...
