The Beetle Bride (ON HOLD)

Chapter Fourteen; A Grave Situation

**A/N**
Okay guys, shorter chapter but it didn't take as long for me to complete so, at least it hasn't taken me ages to update. This ones intense, as both Beetlejuice and Lydia reveal details about their past. And it's going to be a bumpy ride.
As always, a huge thank you to those who have taken the time to comment, and vote etc. Your feedback inspires me to keep on writing.

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Smiling nervously, Lydia tried to ignore the fear she felt forming a tight knot within her gut.
He couldn't have meant that. And she waited, holding her breath, hoping that any second now she'd wake up and realise this had all been a profound nightmare.

Beetlejuice was many things, but a killer? No, he wasn't that. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't harm her, especially not now. Not after what they'd shared.
Then suddenly Barbara's words were echoing inside her head..

"you don't know him. He's dangerous. You don't know what he's capable of."

Shaking her head vigorously she tried to rid herself of the unwanted thoughts that were now careering around her mind. It wasn't possible. Surely she couldn't have gotten it so wrong.
She noticed the way he stood before her, his shining eyes glistening in the gloom, scanning her face. Awaiting her reaction.
Fortunately for her, Beetlejuice lacked the ability to keep silent for long, and he spoke again so that she needn't respond to his outlandish question.

"You gotta understand that I need to. 'Cause I err, well I can't take you back. I've been put back here, and I ain't goin' anywhere unless some breather calls me. And well..."
Pausing to drag on his cigarette, the emanating smoke hung in the damp air of the confined space. Shrouding his glittering eyes, and shallow smile.
"...There's just no way back for me now, I'm stuck here. So I guess that makes two of us."

"But..but what exactly did you mean, about killing me? And why do you need to? I don't understand."
What was happening here? She felt as if she were being targeted by a bad joke
.
"'Cause I got your damn soul, I just told you that. Are you paying attention or what? I intercepted your dream, luckily for me, you're a lucid dreamer, so I managed to bridge the barrier to get to ya, and well...the fabric of your dreamscape kinda got fucked up. So I brought you across the astral, back here."

Swallowing hard, Lydia drew a deep breath in order to try and steady her rising panic.
"The astral? W-what is that?"

"The astral plane, it's a place of existence crossed by the soul in it's astral body on the way to being born. But you get the odd spirit or immaterial being wandering around up there, or breathers dabbling with astral projection...that's real dicey, I tell ya'."

"So what's going to happen to me? What about my body?"

Seeming completely indifferent to her distress, Beetlejuice strutted across the small space, and flopped heavily into the tattered, worn out armchair.
"It'll be in some kind'a catatonic state, ya' know? Like as if you're unconscious. And then you'll most probably slip into a coma or somethin' and end up on life support or some shit like that..."
Crossing his legs, he rested a booted ankle on his thigh and began bobbing his knee up and down, swaying it in a frivolous manner.
"...but it won't be too long before they switch the machine off. D'ya got any idea how much that shit costs? Whew wee, that'll soon burn a hole in daddy's wallet."

A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of her stomach, his blasé attitude was enough to make her blood run cold. He seemed deadly serious. As serious as a heart attack. She didn't understand, though she desperately tried to. He'd somehow invaded her dream, and stolen her soul. And now she was trapped here, leaving her body soulless like an empty shell. Until it withered and died.
"Oh god. Why? Why did you bring me here?"
She demanded, her voice breaking as she did so.