What if it All Happened Differently?

Chaos

"Keep it away from your sensitive parts"

Lydia stood in the shadows at the top of the stairs, watching as her father, Delia and Delia's guru Otho brought the 'soul box' into the house, to exorcise Beetlejuice. She held the open handbook for the recently deceased against her chest and thought over her plan. Her stupid father and dumb Delia thought Beetlejuice had possessed her. Nope! She just hated them and wanted to be left alone. The Maitlands were somewhere in the house still, but she didn't know where. They were being just as boring as her father and Delia. They had good intentions at heart, and Lydia felt so comfortable around them, but she needed people who weren't scared of everything. 

"-But you've made me come to Connecticut"

"Leave this house" said Lydia, coming downstairs with the glowing book pressed to her chest. 

"See?! I told you! Possessed!" Delia threw herself over the back of the striped couch and crawled away into one of the side rooms. Lydia rolled her eyes at the woman and focused her attention back on the two men in the room. 

"The ghost here wants you gone dad" said Lydia "and so do I" Beetlejuice got his timing perfectly and made the house echo with the sound of his evil laughter, also making the lights flicker. 

"Otho!" said Charles "do something!"

"Okay!" the life coach pressed a button on his iPad and the soul box glowed green. Lydia looked at the spell Beetlejuice had given her to bring her mother back. Just as she was about to start reading, two frantic voices interrupted her. 

"Lydia! Wait!" she looked up to see the Maitlands appearing out of one of the hallways on the ground floor. "You were right, we want to help you" 

"I don't want your help" said Lydia "I'm bringing my mum back" she made sure to look at Charles at this point. His eyes widened. "And none of you can stop me!" she looked at everyone once more before starting the spell "Shade maternal, fate infernal" the room seemed to spin, everyone went stumbling sideways. Lydia continued the spell and spoke the last words with triumph "-arise, and be released from death!" Lydia and Adam then watched in horror as Barbara rose off the ground.

"Barbara?" they asked simultaneously. The floating woman just screamed in pain. "Oh god, what'd you do?" asked Adam, going from his wife to Lydia and then back again. 

"Exorcism" said a voice. Beetlejuice rose out of the floor, his hair and shirt red, and he emitted a red and angry glow. 

Barbara was in the most pain that was probably possible. Floating above everyone else in the worst pain imaginable was awful and terrifying. She'd already been feeling off that day anyway but this made everything so much worse.  Why she was being exorcised, she had no idea, but she didn't like it. Every part of her being hurt. The pain spread throughout her whole body. 

Adam was looking at her with such a concerned look it made her heart ache. She wanted to tell him everything was going to be fine, but she didn't know that. And even if she did, she was in too much pain to do anything but scream. Beetlejuice, Adam and Lydia were talking but Barbara didn't take any of it in. She could feel her being going, her life draining out of her, if she was just going to disappear into nothing. 

All she wanted was to be back in Adam's arms, at home, on the couch watching a movie, but she couldn't. She knew if this didn't stop, and it didn't seem like it was, she was going to die. Just over a month ago she'd narrowly avoided death and here she was. What did she do to deserve the exorcism? Why was it her, not Adam? Not that she wanted her husband to go through the pain she was in, no one deserved it. 

Barbara screamed again as a wave of pain surged through her body. As the pain subsided she felt her could drifting away from the earth and into nothingness. She hoped someone did something, and fast. 

"If you wanna save Barbara, then I need you to marry me!" said Beetlejuice. Lydia looked at the guy like he was crazy, which he honestly was. 

"What?" asked Adam and Charles, both taking a step forward. Lydia looked at her dad and Adam and realised how they both wanted to protect her. Otho was huddled in a far corner being useless. "You're insane she's not-" Beetlejuice flicked his hand at Charles and he went flying into the wall. 

Barbara screamed again, this time louder.

"Somebody do something-" started Adam but was cut off when a piece of tape with screws on it attached itself to his mouth, then he was pushed against the front door next to where they'd previously drawn the door to the Netherworld and where his wife was currently floating. 

"Y'all are all screwed" said Beetlejuice, he looked at Lydia "You wanted me gone"

"I have no choice" mumbled Lydia, looking from Charles to Adam to Otho, knowing if she didn't do something they'd die. 

"You wanted your mum"

"It's my fault she's dying" said Lydia in an anguished tone. 

"You messed with the wrong book now look-" he turned Lydia to Barbara "-what you've done!" he flicked his hand and Barbara let out a scream. Lydia looked at each of the helpless adults in the room and then at Beetlejuice. He was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. Then she looked at Otho, Adam and Charles. The three men were all stuck in three different positions, all helpless. Then there was Barbara, floating above them all. Lydia looked at Barbara and swore she saw her form flicker. She's dying and it's my fault, was the only thought going through Lydia's head. 

"Fine, I'll do it, I'll marry you" said Lydia, only to save Barbara. Beetlejuice's face broke into a massive grin. "Just save her, please" whispered Lydia, looking at Barbara, who seemed to be disappearing right before her eyes. 

"There is going to be a-" Beetlejuice flicked his hand and everyone was released from their various states of helplessness. Barbara collapsed straight onto the floor and couldn't stand up. Adam had rushed over to her and was helping her stand up. Charles was looking from Lydia to Otho to the Maitlands to Beetlejuice and then back at Lydia. "Good old fashioned wedding" 

Lydia watched as the demon happily danced around the room and tapped on the wall, singing happily to the beats he was tapping out. He danced around the Maitlands, who were pressed against the door. Adam was supporting Barbara while she shook. Beetlejuice was getting triumphant and tapped loudly three times on the wall next to the Maitlands and the door to the Netherworld opened.

"Ohh, whats this?" he asked "You guys been reading the book I see" he approached the Maitlands "how did you two open it?"

"Beej!" shouted Lydia, throwing the handbook down on the table and approaching the demon "Oi! Leave them alone"

"Yes dear" said Beetlejuice, he blew Lydia a kiss and walked towards the table. Lydia looked at the Maitlands and saw how pale Barbara looked. "Hurry up sweetheart, we need to get married" Lydia looked back at the door to the Netherworld and an idea appeared in her head.

"Hey Beetlejuice! I'm going to the Netherworld"

"What?" he asked

"Classic bait and switch" said Lydia, taking a few steps towards the door "oldest trick in the book!" and with a final glance at the Maitlands and her dad she ran through the door to hell. 

"Lydia!" yelled Adam and Charles. The two men ran towards the door, but Charles pushed Adam out of the way. Adam and Barbara reached the door just as it slammed shut.

"Why does everyone keep leaving me!!!" screamed Beetlejuice like an angry toddler. He looked from the Maitlands, where Barbara had collapsed onto the floor, to Otho, who was huddled in the corner, and to Delia, who had poked her head out of the room she was hiding in "Okay! New plan. You are all going to die TODAY!" thunder sounded and Beetlejuice smiled an evil grin.