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The year was.... wait you folks don't really care about that do you, you just want a story eh. Fine fine well I have a story for you a story of hauntings, love.... I was gonna say death but I really hope not.
It was Midsummer when I got the letter, claiming I had won a haunted house. I had never entered any contest so I knew this was a scam.
Fall came and more papers came a formal apology for how long it took then to send me the house deeds and they hoped I was doing well. No return address on this one either, but this on contained some very authentic looking documents. Deed of ownership, tax info, proof of ownership claiming it was gifted from Betelgeuses Haunt-apolusa, there was even some weird page about how the house was insured under a Mr. Beetlemans horror house insurance. It assured me that all haunting related accidents are fully covered. . What's considered a haunting related accident?
I put it down at that and left it for another month. But my curiosity was killing me, I went made copies of all the papers and went to seek legal advice/confirmation something.
To much money and a few months later I found the truth.... I was the legal owner of a so called haunted house in Bum-F%$# nowhere Connecticut.
I did what any sane person would do I dropped everything and packed most of my stuff in bags and made my way across the country. Many amazing stops later I entered the small community of Winter River, my house... gosh my house. It was an amazing thought, I had always rented my whole life never able to save enough to even think about owning a house. Now here I was thanks to a weird prize in a contest I never entered!
It was a blink and you miss it town. It did have a grocery store and a few others but I knew from experience it would be more expensive and I decided I would need to make the longer trip to the next town over to get supplied from the a box store.... I would support local when I was more financially stable.
The house was amazing! Three stories and a full basement... one thing was it did look haunted. The windows glared down at me like angry eyes I could see torn curtains hanging beside the windows as I got closer.
I had somehow missed the heavy key the 2nd letter had come with I had found it when I tried to find some sort of return address to who sent it and the key had fallen out. Not sure how I missed it, but the whole thing was weird I could not find any info about a Betelgeuses Haunt-apolusa or any Mr. Beetlemans haunted Insurance. The legal help did state that both did have listings as legal businesses but did not say anything else. Maybe they were both small buisness' that did not have internet presents but its also weird seeing as how I lived in on the other side of the country.
Beetleman, Betelguese both names where so strange but at the same time similar maybe brothers who lived in Winter Creek? Anyways that did not really matter seeing as how I was now here and legal owner of this grand old house.
As I was saying the closer I got the more haunted it looked, the grass on the outside was dead which was normal its early spring now.. but it was kinda creepy since the grass around 20 yards out was green and thick.
Never mind that is was probably just a weird coincidence or someone dumped to much weedkiller and it actually did its job.
The door, I was to the door it was... normal just a normal door the knob looked old but so did the key. But no old style knocker with some creepy face like I was expecting. I felt a chilly breeze as I placed the key in the keyhole and twisted.... for the door to not open.
Man locks where weird a few twists one way, then the other I got the door open. To anther surprise it was clean, now its not to say there was not dirtiness there was old carpets and the nasty curtains but no piles of dust like I was expecting...
Then I saw it a card on the entrance table it had said Bio-Dust-Exorcist! Just Call Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse. I slowly read stopping after saying Betelgeuse twice. It was very old looking and the bio had been scratched out and Dust had been written above it. It also had a cute beetle art in the corner. But saying that I felt like I had started something.
I didn't know what happened but somehow the cold desolate feeling of the house changed in that instance. It made me feel happy, I dashed around the house. It was so big 4 bedrooms, 3 and a half bathrooms, a full basement that was already half full of dusty box's and the attic which was a full sized as well, old styled kitchen, living room, dining room, I was used to eating in my tiny kitchen at a small card table with folding chairs an actual room made for eating! There was a study on the 2nd floor, and the bedrooms. Fancy enough house that the bathrooms where on-suit except the half bath downstairs.
It was huge and mostly furnished and it was all mine. I was basking in the sun in the study on the 2nd floor when I heard a knock. Peeking out I saw it and my heart started to go double time. What had I done a local authorities vehicle was sitting out front beside my beat up old truck.
Its ok, I did nothing wrong they probably just wanted to make sure nobody was wrecking the house right. I mean I did speed a bit on the way here but how would they know.
Best not to keep the man waiting, running down I shouted as I went one minute.
Thankfully I was right, he said they have had some teens trying to break into the old place. I asked him about Betelgeuse he just looked at me weird said he had never heard of it.
***
I don't think the house is haunted, I tried talking with the ghost to no avail. I really told it about my day, I told it about how I wished to meet the betelgeuse who gave me the house maybe the one who cleaned to they both seemed to be funny people.... but there parents must have hated them giving them the name Betelgeuse.
They must be real though a few days after I got a letter from Betelgeuse's Haunt-apolusa it had a fancy wax seal, and fancy quality paper. It thanked me for coming and said it hoped I enjoyed my stay. The writing was not the greatest and whomever wrote it must have been distracted cause there was doodles of ghosts and beetles and a little silly fellow was sitting on the corner beside him was a signature Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. Three brothers? Was is it supposed to be Beetlejuice or Betelgeuse (which I had looked up and found out was a star in Orion) maybe they used them both cause they sounded similar and Betelgeuse was a bit harder to spell.
I liked it though and it went on my fridge for a bit cause the art was cute. (Was this weird naw I could not draw and liked art) Still nothing from the ghost unless the feeling of the house was them. Some days it just felt so dreary in the house when it was a perfectly fine day outside. And when it was rainy the mood in the house always seemed happy.
***
I now realize I was wrong, I saw my ghost. Standing at the foot of the stairs, I saw him he smiled and waved.... then vanished.
I was half asleep so I don't recall what he looked like. Just a lot of white. Must be my imagination I thought at first... but then I found what my mind saw as more concrete proof.
Each time I saw him I got a letter from the Mr. Betelgeuse. My mind started coming up with crazy ideas. Like Beetlejuice/Betelgeuse was the ghost... he somehow sent me all that stuff and every time I saw him he would give me a letter.
It would explain the weird looks I got whenever I asked in town about him. Nobody had a clue so it honestly did make the most sense..... someone had questioned me whether it was a movie but no this was my real life he gave me the house.
The movie thing popped up a lot when I posted a picture of the card for the cleaning company. A cult classic horror/comedy, I had never seen it. Never planned to I wasn't much of a movie watcher, something about a pervy ghost marrying a teen for a green card. There was even a musical and a cartoon.
Yet somehow nobody in town knew of it weird? Well i did not either but I never saw musicals and the movie and cartoon came out in the 80's before my time.
Pervy ghost though? Naw I don't think so, I mean he never even touched me and according to the many (ok does a few episodes of ghost adventures count as many...) sources say ghosts can touch people. They can also hurt people so far I haven't been touched or hurt I just saw him a few times.
I was a bit paranoid after the first time and wondered if he watched me in the shower but realized ya right like anybody even a pervy ghost would wanna watch me in the shower. I wasn't exactly peak condition to what was considered pretty.
I wanted to call him three times but was scared and decided not to. Yes I talked to him on a regular basis before work, when I got home... but what if I was wrong and it was just an elaborate prank of the person who used to own the house. Or I could be going crazy!
Crazy... ya I realized there probably was a good chance of that I had started isolating myself after I moved here. The only person I talked to was my ghost and at times my boss I worked security at a local business. Most people saw the vest and stayed away. I knew the isolation was not good for me but I just never felt very good at talking. It was safer this way and if I never tried to call him I would never get hurt knowing in the end he was just a figment of my imagination.
I told him that... and he stopped sending me letters. Meaning I stopped seeing him by the stairs, or in the kitchen in the morning. I felt alone, I don't know it was a weird thing I never felt alone in this house and I did now...
Had I insulted my ghost made him leave was he real.
***
I could not take it anymore the house was lonely. I picked a rainy day cause he seemed to like them. I sat in my favorite chair and I chickened out I said it once then froze up.... what if...
***
It has been a few days since then. I got fired.. for not being aware enough of my surroundings... i was having a bad day.. week... whatever. I was truly alone nobody in town cared if I died up here right.... right I thought with a sigh.
***
I sat in my favorite chair again a bottle of alcohol in my arms wondering would it kill me to drink the whole thing... I could not do it... I took one gulp and spit most of it out. It was for mixing and I really could not do that to myself.
***
I got drunk and called him... he did not come I knew that it was fake. Probably some sort of projector projecting the ghost places... like in scooby doo... and they probably placed cameras around the place to watch my mental decline. That's why the house was a "Prize" was my last coherent thought.
***
I woke up in bed I swore I fell asleep in the chair maybe not though the night was pretty hazy... I called one time just to see again waiting the house it felt warm again maybe he was back? Or maybe I left the heating on too high? Gaa the bill would be through the roof the house was so big and old.
But then he appeared in a flash of green and hugged me tightly. He spoke fast in a gravely voice about how he was sorry he left he felt defeated. Like I would never call to him, he did not mean to make me feel so lonely I did not need to try and hurt myself again.
Hurt myself? I asked but he paid no mind just held me tight and pet my hair gently. It was him wearing a neat and clean pinstripe suit, with a blood red tie his colors seemed a lot more meshed out and he had in ghost form. Not that I ever tried to touch him before but he always seemed fuzzy when I saw him.
***
We never really mentioned that night again. But we talked a lot, now that he could be heard. He said he was not much for writing when he was alive there was not much use for it unless you were rich or a worked in a job writing. He was neither, well he must not have been he did not really remember being alive.
I asked him about the movie and stuff and he got so mad. Yes there was a house that these people called the Maitlands had lived it it was this very house. They had died away from home but he had worked out a deal with some of the higher ups to let them live as ghosts in their home so they would be more comfortable in the whole transition period.
He was not a bio-exorcist but did use that idea now, but he had been a guide. He tried to help them through all that happened with death but they took it all wrong. And they got even more upset when breathers moved into their home. Tried to scare them out they did and failed.
He himself had tried to help the scaring part cause he loved the feel of fear.... but then the breathers started taking it all the wrong way. The daughter who knows what she was called she was insane thought he was in love with her. The only reason he stared is cause he wondered how the hell she got her hair to do that. She had been a strange one with the ability to see ghosts without them putting an effort into being visible. Or in his case being called 3 times. (At that point the curse had still been pretty annoying to him. He had been cursed cause of bad behaviour on the job)
He was understandably upset that the movie had turned him into a creepy old perv. The suit was almost right, they kept changing the name though, he told me he thought his mom hated him saddling him with a name like Betelgeuse that the musical had one thing right that it was a middle name and he really was cursed that when it was called he was summoned like some sort of pet... but he was able to ignore most summons now-a-days thankfully the musical seemed very popular and made a lot of fans for beetlejuice just happened to be that he was the real Betegeuse.
But man the weirdos gaa and people trying to call for a booty call. People reading weird smut fics about him, people shipping him with a child. He was fed up with that he actually cursed the house so while he was in it he only heard calls from inside it.
After the Maitlands attempted to have him Banished (which they failed) he waited in hiding. Till they finally did there 'good deed' or whatever horse crap they thought helped them move along (he had explained it was all about feeling they felt locked there they felt they needed to do this and that). They had always wanted a child so the afterlife had let them help raise the Deetz brat. Then it was to the nether with them, then he haunted the fuck out those damn Deetz.
Maybe that's why they lied and got their stupid movie done. But they messed with the wrong ghost! They messed with the ghost with the most! He had been pissed off and stewing for all that time what did they expect of coarse he was gonna scare the pants off them. But they had at least left and the house had been his... he was actually using it as a lucrative way to make himself stronger.
He told me how ghosts could get stronger with fear. He had bean 'Gifting' the deed to the house to people for years. Waited for them to come let them live here for a bit. Then scared them let their fear feed him he felt so good scaring people. Then after a while he would get bored and want them gone and do a huge pièce de résistance for last. He had chased out the last family with a dragon form, he was quiet proud of it but he had been sure they would come back. I mean... the whole dragon thing was kinda unrealistic. . But the how do you explain that away I guess.
Then he went silent when I asked him why he did not scare me? He stopped talking and just kinda forced me to cuddle.
Which was totally ok with me for some reason he was very cuddly. I woke up most mornings now with a fluffy ghost cuddling me he was so soft and cuddly there was no way I would say no to him. (Also when I did be looked like a kicked puppy qWq) So I did not ask again.
He may have not wanted to say anything about not scaring me but then he went on a weird tangent saying really though he was not a perv yes he had watched me in the shower a few times.... but really what kind of guy would say no to that kind of thing. Watching a beautiful woman showering even if it was just to get clean no teasing involved. He started swearing it was totally an accident... but ok he did do it a few times after that cause he enjoyed the view but be promised he had not done it since I had called him.
I... did not know what to say he had mumbled most of that into my neck and was holding me close still. I could not escape... it was a bit disconcerting to know I was watched in the shower... but what could I do about it. It was before at least so he said and you know what I believed him... cause really who confesses to something like that... most people would probably not be ok with that kind of behaviour... remember I am not Normal.. and how could I stop a ghost from watching me shower?
.... and he called me Beautiful....
***
I had spent rest of the night combing my fingers through his hair. He had started a deep purring grumble, and would not let me go.
I woke to him drooling all over the throw pillow next to my head hanging half off the couch. I wish I had my phone, and wondered if he would wake up if i went to get it. Wish I had powers like him, since I had summoned him (or whatever you wanna call it) he had started just making meals/food appear which was great seeing as how I was out of work. I was to scared to ask if it was stolen... if it was who would notice right?
Anyways if I did I would magic up my phone whenever I could not find it. When the dastardly couch monster decided to try and consume my phone. When it fell off my dresser and the monster under my bed tried to steal it..... wait... if ghosts were real where their monsters under the bed? Wendigo! Werewolves? Vampires!!!!
Probably not ghosts made sense they were people who had died, Beetle had explained that saying some people either who had powerful souls or just had stuff left behind would sometimes linger behind. Well ok he said most people did end up lingering for a bit but most would pass to the other side on there own... some needed a nudge. It used to be his job to help them find solace in their deaths or just lead them to the nether to their life ever after....
But maybe I should ask him? I giggled as I watched him sleep... It was always funny a ghost sleeping. He was so cute asleep his usually immaculate suit rumpled, the tie had been loosened and was hanging awkwardly. I could probably fall in love with this man....
Wait what... love Bug?... I mean yes he had been taking care of me for the last little while, keeping me company even when I could not see him. But... he was dead, a ghost it would never work I should keep this to myself.
***
1
I watched the movie.... away from home. At a crappy old movie theatre that played old movies on a regular basis..... he had a right to be mad. I only told you folks a vague story of what he said but the only thing that really happened was that the Maitland died in an albeit ridiculous car crash... I could not help it I laughed when I watched it.
They made him out to be some sort of crazy creep who never showered. And I heard plenty of people calling to him during and after the movie. Man that must be annoying I think with a frown. Probably why he cursed the house so he would not hafta hear it...
I had sorta tricked Bug said I was needing girl time in the city. For Shopping... ya no.(To many people I am not fond of shopping.) I did go to one box store to buy a few things as proof I used the money he gave me, turns out people get scared enough to leave everything behind even wallets full of money.
But ya the whole reason was to see the movie cause maybe it had an answer to my problem of falling for a ghost... with the most.. it didn't it was garbage. Gaar its not like that Keaton fellow did a bad job.... he got given a bad script and the moss???
It was like someone's messed up fever dream... but it did make me wonder about the marriage... like why was it there was there any truth. Beetle had not really said anything other than why the fudge he would marry a child.
***
I told him the truth and asked him. He was very honest he said he did off-handily comment about how back in his day girls her age were getting married..... joked about maybe marriage could break his curse.... but he wasn't cursed he was dead. Well the name curse was a thing but as he said that was cause bad behavour.
So again I asked about why he did not scare me. He tried to scurry around that but I did not let him this time he was all flustered I know if he had some sort of mood ring hair it would be going crazy. He mumbled a I felt normal around you, then was gone.
Was that all he wanted someone to treat him like he was normal? The first thing I had done was try to talk with him. Not too much at first cause I had felt like a weirdo talking to my own house. But not to long after that I started having long conversations about my day, about things I liked I shared a few of my favorite songs with him.
I treated him like he was there and was not afraid even when I was told my house was haunted. And after I summoned him with his name it was mostly the same just a lot of cuddling and hugging. It was a bit shocking and made me slightly uncomfortable at first... but He seemed to be very touch starved. Really though what can you expect with him being the way he was a ghost. A ghost the thing the moment it touched you, you would run screaming, that is normal human behaviour right? Well who cares normal shmormal!
I still wonder why I did not run. Maybe I was just that lonely, that the thought of a ghost made me feel less alone. I felt at home here it was weird I honestly thought I would never feel this way. It was like I belonged here.
***
I told him that after he came back.. and I asked him what his thoughts on marriage. He just gave me a look and said he wasn't cursed he was dead. And reiterated that yes he knew name thing was a curse but its not crippling anymore since he was now stronger then the curse. He didn't break it now cause it was convenient to him?? Also he was pretty sure marriage would not break it cause why would it?
He never explained more then that or even answered my question but he did seem happy that I felt at home here and gifted me chocolates... am I a bad person for not caring that its stolen.
***
Today was the day I kissed my ghost! Heck Ya!
What do you mean it doesn't count if he was asleep... it was still very sweet... I woke up in his arms, I snuggled closer head tucked under his chin. He mumbled my name, so I leaned back and kissed his chin at first then cheek....
Yup I am a certified weirdo. I ended up just laying back down and trying to forget I did that...
***
I tried to get more affectionate after that to no avail... I guess he was not interested. I mean its not like the moment you think someone is pretty you want to be in some sort of relationship.
I was to scared to ask so I just dialed down the hugs. And stopped nuzzling him... he never said no to it but he never said yes either.
***
So here was flopped on my bed hoping for some platonic cuddles... but he did not show up. I was so uses to having his slightly cool body next to mine that I could not sleep. But this was proof wasn't it. Not sure what the cuddles before now meant but they were gone now.
Midnight came and went and I just lay there... the sheets just felt uncomfortably warm and there was no soft ghost hugging me to sleep. I was always the small spoon but now I was the lonely spoon.
Since sleep was evading me I went down to the kitchen to get a glass of milk you ask.. no not that I wanted to make cookies that's normal right? Bug actually kept the kitchen stocked up with everything I could ask for. Even some weird stuff I would not ask for, like caviar no thanks.
I mixed the egg and sugars, salt ect. adding my flour I get my dough which I split in half. My recipe makes about 2 dozen so split it and made one half chocolate chip and the other half oatmeal raisin.
I hope I did not wake Bug up with my impromptu baking. I knew myself when I was younger sometimes people fried eggs at the weirdest times and woke me up. And I could not sleep after that cause the smell of fried egg just lingered... but cookies smelled a lot nicer then fried egg.
Half an hour and 2 dozen cookie later I was finally starting to get sleepy. Maybe it was all my head and I was just having a case of insomnia I did not need someone beside me to fall asleep right?
***
There he was sleeping on the couch. The smell of vanilla and chocolate still permeating the house. I stood at the door and contemplated joining him. I just finished thinking that I did not need to sleep beside someone....
Gaa who cares if he is not ok with it... well he would say something right... or was that what him sleeping down here was about. He told me he did not even need to sleep that he just did it so he was not bored all night. At least that's what he said...
Well just for tonight I always woke up before him anyways so I could leave in the morning and act like it never happened... man what was happening to me this weird relationship..
Aw fuck it I thought sliding down onto the couch to lay with him. He had somehow magic'ed (he called it juicing for some reason) it to be a double wide couch earlier on when we used to cuddle on it on rainy days.
The cool feel of just himself made me sigh. Trying not to wake him I just rest my face onto the pillow away from him but close enough his cool heat? Not sure what to call it but just laying there I could feel that he was beside me and I closed my eyes and fell asleep in within moments.
***
I woke to arms around me.. well fudge. This was not supposed to happen. Also a big fluffy blanket how was I supposed to escape this.
I tried to wiggle a bit but his grip around my waist was not tight but heavy. I froze as he groaned keeping still I waited hopefully he was asleep still this would be... wait there was no blanket before he must know I was down here. After a moment of my internal freaking out I was released, he rolled a bit letting me go.
I made a quick escape and run from the room. My escape leads me to my room. I huff out a breath... I needed help.... but had nobody to turn to...
Fanfiction..... maybe would have an answer.
***
I regret everything... why.... I would never be able to look at him the same again.... and I had just read one. Also not helpful at ALL but now I was sorta simpering for musical beetlejuice. Probably the closest thing (what's with the moss.... obsessive much) similar body. Bug was a bit chubbier and maybe a bit shorter.... Bug was also very pale.... and no mood ring hair it was white not a speck of color. Though at times it was poofy like that Musical beetle when it was humid.
He was actually fairly obsessive about his cleanliness. Said it was from he was helping other ghosts out nobody wants to see a nasty looking man to guide them. He was partial to pinstripe suits but he did have a few that where thick striped he wore on occasion. Fridays where for his vest he said it was casual friday.... I told him that ain't casual.
Made me feel like a bit of a slop cause I wore pjs most days now. No point in dressing up I figured, no job just hanging out with my favorite ghost. Of course hee could change in a snap of his fingers.. I was kinda jealous, at times I was just to lazy to change out of my pjs...
I flopped on my bed turning off my phone not sure what to do. Change then go down make food I guess?
***
He made me breakfast! We also ate the cookies, well actually I went to the kitchen to find half the chocolate chip cookies gone and half am oatmeal cookie on the counter. He told me he took it by mistake and hated oatmeal, I had giggled taking the rest of the cookie myself... (yes i ate it >///< is this as weird as it felt for me...)
Funny boy, more for me though the oatmeal made them breakfast cookies! (Yes I don't care what you say its oatmeal and fruit and I like them sucks to be you if you don't more for me haa haa.. sometimes I add chocolate chips too) So we ate cookies with our eggs and bacon like kings in our castle.
***
Its been a while I needed to leave the house. Its probably been around a month, I am amazed Bug was ok with this he said when I came he was almost bored out of his gourd. I mean we talking and laughed, he juiced up a tv and we watched old movies at times.
But did that really replace scaring? He talked about how much he enjoyed it the rush of energy it gave him.... and here I was hoarding him and the house. I just enjoyed his company, his home (no my home now) how he took care of me. (This was my favorite who knew I would like being taken care of)
***
We started adding daily walks to our routine. I still had not told him how I felt... but I did end up reading more of those stories.... still no help. Everybody wrote him so differently and fun I could see why people enjoyed reading these.
Most people seemed to see it as a reader insert but I made up my own character for each story. Picking carefully I sat in my bathroom reading the next one. I tried to stay hidden while i read them... cause this would be awkward yes Bug I am reading stories about those counterfeit Betelgeuses... But the good thing was he seemed to also disappear at these times to who knows where.
I wonder how far he can go. He is never gone for very long. And he always seems so happy when he gets back so I won't stop him. I mean he is probably just going out scaring people right?
***
I have made by decision I was going to tell him. I won't be anything grand I will probably wait till evening with a simple supper and tell him after when we cuddle on the couch. Daily cuddle after supper was our thing, it had felt super awkward at first like him sleeping in my bed but after a while I began to enjoy couch cuddles too.
I stirred the elbow noodles in the pot. He loved cheesy noodles and hot dogs cut into octopus. I wanted to call him childish but I loved it to. The cut dogs were boiling in another pot. I was stirring a cheese sauce as well in another.
He always told me he did not need to eat but even though I was ok with eating alone I just preferred to eat with friends. I enjoyed to having him for dinner.. (NOT LIKE THAT YOU PERVS.... ok maybe like that but not now I haven't confessed yet)
***
Food was ready I called in Bug from the living room where he was trying to decided if the room should be black with white stripes or white with black stripes.
I was unsure of the difference but told him I prefer that we don't change every room to such a color. He seemed a bit put out but he had officially gifted me the house.
I smiled as he gorged on the food it was always nice to know when people liked your food. But with Bug I guess you could never be sure since he ate most food like that. Other then chocolate he always savoured it, taking small bites and moaning loudly. I think he did it on purpose to make me uncomfortable, cause his eyes always got this mischievous glow.
***
We stay on the couch like usual watching the sky out the window as the it got darker the sky alight with oranges and purples as the sun died.
This was it, I started to speak at the same time Bug spoke. We played the game of you first and I got so nervous I just grabbed his tie and pulled him down into a kiss.
It was cool, and very messy neither of us seemed to know what to do. But we both seemed to want it I felt a warmth in my chest at that. I gently pulled away and whispered that I loved him. His eyes were all starry as he pulled me back for more.
***
After a our cuddle makeout session he whispered the same words back to me he seemed all shy and nervous but I knew this was the beginning of an amazing journey for us. A ghost and a human in a haunted house in love.