What Happened to Lydia Deetz?

Newfound Sense of Worth

New York City, New York - January 2014

Lydia Deetz picked up the remote control and aimlessly flipped through the channels, the glow of the TV casting the only light in the small, cluttered living room. The walls were a tired shade of white, peeling in places, and the furniture looked like it had seen better days. A sigh slipped from her lips as she scanned the room, taking in the piles of unpaid bills on the coffee table and the half-eaten dinner plates on the floor. Richard, her husband, sat in the worn-out armchair, his eyes glazed over with fatigue as he stared at the flickering screen.

"Not again," she murmured to herself as she passed by the fridge, its emptiness echoing her desperation. Their four-year-old daughter, Astrid, slept peacefully in her bedroom, oblivious to the financial storm brewing outside her door. Lydia had always tried to keep their struggles hidden from her, but the lines on her own face grew deeper every time she saw the innocent trust in her daughter's eyes. The little girl's laughter was the only thing that kept the darkness at bay.

As the TV droned on, Lydia felt a chill run down her spine. It wasn't from the draft coming through the window, but from the presence of someone - or something - else. A ghost, she realized, was watching her through a window in the apartment across the street. The ghost looked like a a young woman in a flowing dress, her translucent figure shimmering in the dim light. Lydia had seen ghosts her entire life, but she had learned to ignore them, to keep her sanity intact. But tonight, she couldn't.

As Lydia starred at the ghost across the street, she thought about how annoying it had been at times growing up; how annoying it was to clearly see things others couldn't... and then... for the first time, Lydia considered that her gift could be a way out of her family's financial troubles.

"Okay," Lydia said, turning to Richard. "We need to talk."

He looked up from the TV, the weight of their situation etched into his face. "What is it, Lydia?"

Lydia then took a deep long breath... and then said, "You know how I've been trying to look for a new job? Well... maybe we could use my ability to see ghosts as a way to create a new job."

Richard's expression was a mix of shock and skepticism, but he didn't laugh or dismiss her. Instead, he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "How?"

"I've heard of people who do ghost tours, or help clear houses of spirits for a fee. We could start small, maybe offer my services to people in the neighborhood who believe in that sort of thing."

Richard rubbed his chin, thinking. "It's worth a shot," he said finally. "But we need to be careful. We don't want to get scammed or hurt ourselves."

The following week, Lydia posted an ad online and in the local paper: "Ghostly Encounters: Professional Spirit Communicator Available." She included a photo of herself with a gentle smile, hoping to appear approachable rather than eerie. The response was immediate, and soon enough, their first client called. An elderly woman named Mrs. Jenkins, whose house had been plagued by strange occurrences since her husband passed away.

Lydia drove to the quaint Victorian home, nerves fluttering in Lydia's stomach. Mrs. Jenkins greeted her warmly, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting her late husband to appear at any moment. She led them through the house, pointing out cold spots and strange noises, her voice quivering with a mix of fear and hope. Lydia felt the weight of the woman's grief, and she knew that this was more than just a job. It was a chance to help someone in pain.

As they entered the attic, the air grew thick with the presence of spirits. Lydia took a deep breath, focusing her energy. She had always been able to see them, but simply summoning them was a skill she had never honed. "Is anyone here?" she asked tentatively.

A low murmur grew into a cacophony of whispers, and the room grew colder. Mrs. Jenkins clutched her pearls, her eyes wide. Richard put a protective arm around her. "It's okay," Lydia said, more to herself than to them. "I'll handle this."

The whispers grew louder, swirling around them like a ghostly tornado. Lydia's heart pounded in her chest, but she pushed through the fear, closing her eyes and reaching out with her mind. Slowly, the chaos of voices began to form into coherent words, each one a puzzle piece of a larger story. She opened her eyes and spoke to Mrs. Jenkins, describing the spirits she saw: a young man in a military uniform.

Mrs. Jenkins's hand flew to her mouth. "That's my son," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "He died of a heart attack while visiting me her, and... I thought it was my husband trying to say goodbye to me, but... are you saying my son has been lonely this whole time!?"

Mrs. Jenkins began to cry. However Lydia focused on the ghost of the young man before her, and then spoke to Mrs. Jenkins.

"He misses you," she said gently. "He just wants you to know he's okay."

The room grew warmer as the spirit of the young man moved closer, his translucent hand reaching out to touch Lydia's left hand, as Lydia's right hand touched Mrs. Jenkins. She felt a rush of love and loss pass through her from son to mother, which suddenly caused Mrs. Jenkins to look very relieved.

As they later descended the stairs, Mrs. Jenkins leaned heavily on Lydia's arm, her face a mask of disbelief and relief. "Thank you," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."

Lydia felt a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. She had done it. She had used her special ability to see ghosts in a way that helped someone... and helped earn her first payment for doing so as a gift.

Lydia eventually got home, where she found Richard building a block tower on the floor with their daughter: Astrid. As Richard continued to play with Astrid, Lydia sat down with them and explained everything that just happened. Upon finishing her story, Lydia looked a little overwhelmed, but Richard looked impressed as he said, "I'm glad you were able to help her."

Lydia smiled as she said, "Yeah. It was actually amazing. I mean... you can see ghosts too Richard. You should come do that with me sometime."

Richard however was in the midst of accepting a hug from a loving Astrid as he said, "I could... but we can't both go on ghost hunting adventures and leave Astrid alone. So whenever we get a ghost call, I'm happy to stay home and be Mister Mom."

Astrid then slowly walked over to Lydia and gave her mother a hug. As Lydia hugged Astrid, she held her daughter close as she said, "It's okay Astrid. Mommy is gonna make everything better. Mommy is gonna make sure her little baby grows up with everything she could ever want..."

The next day, as she sat at the kitchen table with a fresh pot of coffee, Lydia felt a newfound sense of worth as she looked at her laptop and phone, and saw dozens of messages from people around the city asking for her services. Lydia then made a little smile as she called out to the bedroom: "Richard! I'm gonna need you to watch Astrid! I've got a real busy day ahead of me!"

TO BE CONTINUED...