Sally Skellington sat in a rocking chair by the bedroom window, a small pair of black booties in her hand. Within a few months her baby would be wearing them, but for now the infant was sleeping peacefully in her stomach. She set down the small socks, gazing out the window at Halloweentown. The sky was lined with dark clouds, threatening a downpour at any moment. Hopefully her husband Jack would return from Town Hall soon. He was the almighty Pumpkin King, ruler of everything that went bump in the night. Without him October 31st would just be another night. She had fallen in love with him around three and a half years ago, one fateful Christmas Eve. That year he had tried to take over the festive holiday, nearly getting the both of them plus Sandy Claws killed in the process. But while everyone else celebrated the demise of Oogie Boogie, the local villain, she had slipped away quietly to the graveyard to be alone. That was when Jack had joined her, and life never had been the same again. The creation of an evil scientist Sally had run away from her creator, unable to live under his harsh rules. Now she was married to the King, and was madly in love with him. Together they had a son, Ezra, who had died at two years of age after a horrible accident. Now she was pregnant with her second child, into her sixth month. After their marriage Jack and herself had adopted three children, all siblings; Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Formerly Oogie Boogie's henchmen, their own parents had abandoned them at an early age. Now Shock, eldest of the three, was the heir to the throne, and would do her job well one day. But the bond that had developed within them all over the past few years was tremendous, they were a family. And the new baby would become another addition to their happy home. Her baby...she sighed, placing a hand over her stomache. This time, her child would survive. She wouldn't let this one die as well, like her first.
At that moment from the corner of her eye she believed she could see her dear husband, hurrying up the path towards their mansion. Struggling to get up she headed downstairs, stepping into the kitchen just as he got in. Horribly tall and thin, Jack was definately the most handsome man in Halloween. Wearing a black pinstriped suit and a bat bow tie, the other women in town continued to flirt with him, despite the fact that he was married. Upon seeing his wife he smiled, sweeping her into his arms. "How was your day?" he asked her.
"Alright I suppose. I wasn't feeling too great at around noon but a quick nap seemed to cure that right up."
"You're alright now though?"
"Yes, fine."
"Positive?"
She rolled her eyes. "Goodness, stop worrying so much. I'm okay."
He gave her a kiss. "I'm sorry love, I'm just concerned about our baby, about you. I apologize if it's in any way bothersome...."
"Don't worry about it, you're just anxious. Can't blame you though, so am I."
"This child means alot to me, you know. After what happened to Ezra, I'm determined not to go wrong like that again."
"It really wasn't us though, dear. It was an accident what happened, that sword falling down...a horrible mistake. It'll never happen again."
"Next time I'll keep all sharp objects away from the crib." He placed a hand on her stomache, feeling a small kick.
"Oh, did you feel that?" his wife cried.
"I certainly did. Wow...that's my little guy!" He smiled at her. "I love you Sally, more then anything else in the entire world. This child means so much to me, it's as if the gap left by Ezra when he died is being patched up again. I won't let anything happen to our baby, I promise. It won't be like last time."
She patted his jaw. "I know you won't dear. Now let me go make supper..."
"No, I will!" he cried as she headed towards the stove. "Just relax, take it easy."
"But..."
"No buts, I cook all the time. Now sit."
Reluctantly she sat down, just as the door swung open and three familiar shapes came charging in. "What took you so long?" Sally asked them. "Jack's been home for a while already."
Lock, Shock, and Barrel simply glared at each other. "We had to wait for my dumb older sister to finish speaking to her stupid boyfriend," said the later.
"Why didn't you just leave without her then?"
"Because she had our shoes," piped Lock.
Both the adults we puzzled by that. "How did she manage to get your shoes?" Jack questioned.
"Long story but in the end we both had major headaches."
The Pumpkin King just groaned, looking at the girl. "Shock, what's going on?"
A shrug. "You told me not to let them wander off, and I didn't."
"I didn't mean that way..."
"But they were annoying me!"
"So? You do the same with me just about every day, there's no difference. Still, have I ever stolen your shoes?"
"Well, no...."
"There, my point exactly. Besides, that's no way to resolve a conflict. One day you will be queen, my dear. Stealing people's shoes will not get them to see things your way. Do you understand me?"
She nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry."
He gave her a smile, patting her on the back. "That's my girl. Now, I'd best go finish supper..."
But when he looked, Sally was already up and at it. "Hey, I told you to sit down."
"Oh, come on..."
"No, I don't want you to end up tired or hurt. Relax, take a breather."
She wasn't at all pleased by that but took her place at the table with the kids. Barrel glanced at her swollen belly.
"How's the baby?" he asked her.
"Oh, fine," she replied. "Here, give me your hand." He did, allowing her to lay it on her stomache. Underneath it he could feel the slight movement of the littlest Skellington.
"Hey, cool!" he cried as he pulled it away. "So is it a girl or a boy?"
Sally was silent for a moment. "I really have no idea. For some reason though, I believe it will be a girl. Just a feeling but I'm almost sure it's right."
"Another daughter?" Jack said inquisitvely. "That would be wonderful! But how precise are you theories?"
A shrug. "I don't know. Mother's instinct."
He smiled at her. "Imagine, a little girl. You'd be able to make her wear the all the dresses and outfits Shock refused to wear."
The spiteful teen simply glared at them. "If you believe that I would ruin my reputation like that then you really don't know me very well. To this day I will not wear anything like those outfits."
"Geez, lighten up a bit," Lock said. "They're only joking."
"I don't take well too jokes," came the snapped reply.
"What is wrong with you today?" Sally asked her. "Is there a problem?"
"No, everything's fine. Just perfect."
"I don't believe that. I know you; when you get snappy like this, something's up. What is it?"
"Nothing!" she cried as she pushed the chair away from the table. "I'm going to my room, don't bother getting any supper for me." And with that she stormed away, leaving the room in silence.
Jack just sighed. "Alright, which of us should go up there?"
Shock lay on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. What a horrible day it had been. It was all Malik's fault. He was her boyfriend, yet sometimes he drove her up the wall. Today they'd had a fight; that's what they had been talking about when she'd stolen Lock and Barrel's shoes. How did it even start? It had begun as a simple conversation about Halloween, more exactly Jack. At one point he had said something that puzzled her. Now it was a well known fact that Jack was often depressed, and that occassionally got in the way of holiday production. So when he said that the Pumpkin King would eventually be the end of them all, she'd naturally asked what he meant. He'd gone on to say that while he was a great King, his habits could cause trouble. That had infuriated her, simply drove her mad. "So what?" she had cried. "He has his problems, yeah, but doesn't everybody? He might be a bit depressive but he's getting over it, little by little. I'm sure you're not exactly perfect either."
"At least I'm not putting the well-being of an entire town at stake," had been his comeback.
"Fine. If you can't accept him, then I guess you can't accept me. Good-bye, Malik." And with that she had tossed her brother's shoes at them and told them that they were going home. Now she felt absolutely horrible though. The two of them had been together for over a year now, both in their first relationship. Everyone was amazed that it had lasted so long but now there was the risk of it all being over. A sudden knock at the door interrupted her thoughts and she sat up on her bed. "Enter."
Jack poked his head in through the door. "Shock? What's wrong?"
A sigh. "I'm sorry, don't worry about it...it's nothing..."
"Too late, you've already got me concerned." He took a seat next to her. "Tell me everything."
"Well, me and Malik had a bit of a fight you could say. I'm afraid I might have ruined everything we had..."
"Oh, I see. Your first agrument, a true turning point."
She gave him a look. "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"Well, it depends really. If you both still really care about each other, then it only reinforces the bond you share. If you don't, however, then changes are it's all gone. Ask yourself this question, though, from a person who has been in your position many times. How do you feel towards him?"
"I care more about him now then ever before."
"There you go then. Just tell him how you feel and everything will be well again. And make sure that your apology is true, not just words you think will work. It has tio mean something to you."
"Are you positive?"
"Absolutely. Trust me, I've done this quite a bit."
A chuckle. "I wouldn't doubt that." She was silent for a minute. "What if he doesn't forgive me, though?"
He smiled at her. "How could he not? Look at you; a flash of that beautiful grin of yours and he'll be falling at your feet. What was the fight about anyway?"
"Well...ummm....you actually."
The smile faded. "Me?"
"Ah, yeah."
"What about me, though?"
Shock knew that she'd have to tell the truth. "Well we got talking and somehow you came up. He said something about you being uncapable of handling Halloween and I flew off at him."
By now all traces of the smile had disapeered. "Uncapable? What did he mean by that, how am I uncapable?"
"Well, he blamed it on your rather morose state of mind. I told him that he was wrong, though, I got angry at him."
"Yes, I know. Don't worry about it, things between you two will be fine. I promise."
"Thanks, Jack. For everything."
"No problem. I'll call ypou down when supper's ready."
"Alright."
He left then, walking down the stairs slowly. He headed back to the kitchen, where Sally had picked up on supper. He didn't even bother telling her to sit down. Instead he pulled out a chair, collapsing into it and holding his skull in both of his hands.
"Darling, what's wrong?" his wife asked upon seeing him. "It seems as though something's the matter."
He waved Lock and Barrel up to their rooms at that point, not looking up. Once they were gone he sat back in the chair, staring straight at the wall. "Sally," he said at last, "Do you believe what the others do? Am I really about to drive Halloween into the ground?"
"Whatever makes you think that?" she asked. "Of course I don't, why would I? You're the Pumpkin King, my husband. I love you."
"But is it true, though? Am I that bad?"
"What do you mean?"
"Am I that depressive that I'm filling my people's heads with these horrible thoughts? Tell me the truth, please."
She shook her head. "No, absolutely not. You've come along so far since Ezra's death, honestly. Besides, nobody's perfect. Not even the Pumpkin King."
He plastered a fake smile onto his face, fooling her that her words had totally changed his frame of mind. the last thing he needed to do was cause he to worry. "Thanks dear, you're absolutely right. Now you sit down and let me finish supper."
Once the food had been eaten and the dishes washed, Jack decided to take a little walk out to the graveyard. Pulling on a black cape he set off, telling his family that he simply wished to be alone. Passing through Town Center he watched as folks passed by and children played, only making him feel worse. Eyes seemed to glaring at him from every direction, screaming that he was a failure. It wasn't until he was in the safety of the cemetary that he felt comfortable. Slowly he headed towards his favourite thinking place, a hill with a strange looking curl at the end. Sitting now on the end of it he was able to clear his head a bit. That comment from earlier was still bothering him. Could it be true? Was he really that bad? He had a bad history for his dismal attitude. It had always gotten him into trouble as a lad. Tired of his role as King he had once run away for nearly two weeks. When found by the mayor and dragged back home, Halloweentown appeared to literally be in ruins. He hated to think now that he just might end up destroying all of the hard work he had out in during the past 500 years...
The large cast iron gates to the graveyard swung open at that point, and Malik Ghoulman stepped inside. Carrying a bouquet a black flowers he walked over to a grave, placing them down and standing back. After a moment or two he glanced up, surprised to see Jack standing there watching him. "Oh, hi there," he said, acting as if he had never said anything. "How are you, Mr. Skellington?"
The Pumpkin King didn't say anything, just beckoned the him closer with a boney finger. The lad climbed the hil and stood next to him, glancing at his face. It was expressionless as he gazed up at the night sky.
"Am I really that bad?" Jack said at last. "I mean, am I really that bad? Have I gone so far that people are now talking about me, ridiculing me behind my back?"
"Sir, what do you mean?"
"Don't play me for the fool, son, my daughter tells me everything that happens in her life."
"You mean the...agruement?"
"More exactly the topic of the agruement."
Malik froze in his spot, his skin turned pale. "She--she told you about that?"
"Of course she did, my girl would never lie to her father. I know everything about you two, boy." He looked towards him. "Really, though, am I so horrible? Is Halloweentown destroyed? Is it crumbled at your feet, crying out for someone to save it? Am I that bad of a King?" He shook his head. "You know, I try my best, and it's not easy. If you knew half the things I've gone through, you wouldn't be so quick to judge me. Both my parents were dead by the time I was twelve, and I've been the sole ruler of this holiday ever since then. That was nearly 500 years ago. After that I never was the same...never was ble to get a break. My sad state of mind led me to almost killing myself, and I came so close a number of times. Then my son died, my precious son...that had only set me back even farther then before. But now my wife is going to have another child, and I am getting over all of this melancholiness. And your opinion of me and my ruling habits doesn't help me at all!"
"I'm sorry sir...I didn't know..."
"Nobody does, kid, nobody does. But it'd be nice to live without worrying about your pety comments, you know. I am making an effort, you know, and I am making progress. But you know what? I refuse to let you get me down; No matter what, I'll change. I'll put more into it now then ever before, Just you watch me,boy. I'll show you."
"I apologize, Mr. Skellington...I don't really think I meant it. I've just been on very tense ground with Shock lately...she seems distracted by something, disturbed. That's been worrying me, I guess. She's been so quick to snap at me, and when she does that I just can't help myself. I'm really sorry if I offended you..."
"Think nothing of it boy, if anything it did me good. I have a question, though..."
"Yes, sir?"
"Tell me, does anybody think that way? That I'm a born failure?"
"Uh, no, not that I know of. Everyone loves you. Why without you, Halloween would cease to exist."
"Yes, thank, you." The lad turned to walk away, but Jack called for him to stop. "Remember, I am the father of your girlfriend. I have the power to forbid you two to speak to each other again. Consider yourself lucky, though, for I could never break her heart like that. She'd never forgive me." He looked at Malik. "You know what else I'd consider doing if I were you, boy?"
"What?"
"Apologizing. I have a feeling you'll be forgiven."
The next day at Town Hall, the first thing Malik did was search for Shock. At last he spotted her, talking with Jack. As soon as she saw him she left the conversation and hurried over, wanting so desperately just to hug him. But she didn't. Standing now in front of each other they could only say the first thing that came to mind...
"I'm sorry," the both of them said.
"No," Shock replied, "I am,"
"No, I am."
"I guess we both are. I apologize fior getting so angry with you, I just believe that Jack doesn't deserve to have such things said about him. He's a great king, despite everything else."
He nodded. "I understand now, better then before. I don't like fighting."
"Me neither. So let's just forget this whole thing ever happened, okay?"
A smile. "Sounds like a great plan to me."
Jack worked away as usual, performing all of his Pumpkin King duties. Checking the carved pumpkins, making sure the witches performed their spells properly, creating new schemes from scaring the pants off those useless little humans. And as he worked he put all of his effort into it, doing the best job he possibly could.
As Jack surveyed the crowd he laid eyes upon the newest citizen of Halloween. An elf from Christmastown, Jingle had apparantly been exiled due to his behaviour. Always trying to frighten the other elves, Sandy had complained upon bringing the reject to Jack around two weeks ago. Better suited for Halloween. Now here he was, painting jack-o-lanterns green. Hey, jack-o-lanterns weren't supposed to be green! Oh great, the kid had screwed up for the what seemed to be the hundredth time that week. Containing a groan he headed over to where the lad was working, picking up one of the ruined pumpkins and shaking his head. "Listen," he said. "You do NOT paint these things, especially not green. If you want to be useful, go and observe the vampires as they make new jack-o-lanterns to replace these green ones. Alright?"
The little elf simply nodded. "Yes, sir."
Jack shook his head as the elf walked away. He had a looong way to go yet.
Jack was very pleased with his job that day as he walked home. Whistling to himself he checked the mail before heading to the house, where his wife waited for him. Flipping through the envelopes he came upon a very odd looking one; it had the name Sally Skellington written across the front but neither a mailing address nor a return address. Nevertheless, he was quite curious as to what was inside of the envelope.
Jack cooked supper that night, seeing as how Sally was so upset. But she didn't heat, simply sat there and pushed her tarantula legs around with her fork. "Please, darling," he begged her. "I know how you're feeling but you've gotta have some kind of food. Remember, you're eating for two now."
A sigh. "I know, but...I'm just worried, that's all. I'm sorry." She began to shovel it into her mouth, small forkfuls at a time.
The next day Jack addressed all of Halloweentown regading the issue. At around noon he called together a town meeting, declaring it a state of emergency. He was stood on the stage behind a poidum, the crowd on the floor in fronrt of him.The entire room was silent as he began.
The mayor returned an hour later, out of breath. "Did you find someone for the job?" Jack asked.
Sally was sitting in the living room, knitting a small black sweater. The note continued to haunt her, but she refused to let it get to her. That morning Jack had said he was going to get guards for her, but she had insisted no. She didn't want to feel like a prisoner in her own home. So reluctantly he had gone to work, but she knew the subject wasn't over yet. That skeleton was so stubborn, pushing the limits until she finally gave in. Not this time, though. Not now. She would get through this, prove to whpoever it was that she wouldn't be frightened that easily.
Jack came home at around 5:30 that day, followed by Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They were quite puzzled by the soldiers patrolling their homuse.
It was around 7 when Jack decided it was time to check the mail. He passed by the guards at the
main gates, walking down the path towards the mailboxes. Pulling out his key he opened the Skellington's box, number 13. Not much today; some junk mail, a letter from some buisness regarding Halloween accessories, and a letter for him from an unknown person. It had his name and address on it, even a return address. The return address didn't appear to be any place in town, but harmless nevertheless.
I see that you have taken heed of my warning. Nice attempt, but it won't work. I am too smart for that. Trust me, a few pety soldiers will not be enough to save neither her nor your child. I will get them both, despite how much you try to protect them. Better off just quiting now, before I destroy you as well. Remember my warnings, Mr. Pumpkin King, and take them into consideration.
Yours truly,
The Black Joker
P.S: Don't even bother looking up the return address; it's a fake one I created to get you to open the envelope.
Sally's hand quivered as she put down the letter. "Jack--what do we do now?"
Jack shot up in his bed like a bullet, sweat soaking through his pajamas. What a horrible dream. He had seen this shadow, this faceless image. It had stolen his wife from him, and then reached right into her stomache and ripped out their unborn child. Before their very eyes the monster had consumed the infant, then turned towards Sally with a hideous smile on its face. That had been the point when Jack had woken up.
An hour later they were both running through the Halloween forest, towards the doorway which would bring them to Christmastown. Their feet were going as fast as eartly possible, shaken from the disturbing image. They'd very quickly told Lock, Shock and Barrel the plan, that they were going to go and hide Sally. Where to, that hadn't been revealed, but the three were warned to tell nobody that Sally was in hiding. They had agreed not to tell, and then told them to hurry. Now they were almost here, just a few more feet until they reached it.
When they looked again they were in a land with amazing lights and colours all around, a magical feeling sprinkled in the air. They diodn't have the time to bother with that though; they needed to find Sandy Claws. Searching for his house they found it, running over and pounding upon the door. "Hold on," called a voice, "I'm coming." A momenty later Sandy poked his head out, surprised to see the Pumpkin King and his Queen. Why, Jack, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
Everyone was wondering what the deal was with Sally the next day. Where was she? Was she alright? But no matter how many questions they asked Jack, he simply would not answer. Safe, was all he'd say. Not even Lock, Shock, and Barrel knew of her location. They begged to be told but their request had been refuse. "If I say anything anbout it," said the King, "then the criminal behind this crime could overhear and go kill her. I won't risk it. All I can tell you at this moment is that she's in good hands."
Dear Jack,
It's been nearly two weeks now without you and I miss you like crazy. Have you found out who sent the messages yet? Please hurry, I miss you so much. Santa is being very kind, and Mrs. Claus is a doll. Still, I want you to hold me again, say that everything will be alright. The baby is doing fine, I visited the local doctor. He says I still have around two and a half months before it comes. I do hope that all of this is over by then! I don't know if I could bear to have this child without you there beside me to hold my hand. I need you, Jack, you're my one and only true love. Without you, I'm nothing, just an empty, lifeless shell.
Your hopelessly devoted wife,
Sally
**************************************************************************
Dearest Sally;
Oh, how I yearn to be with you once again, to hug and comfort you. Actually, I believe you'd be doing most of the comforting. I try to be brave through all of this but it's very hard. Each day I simply feel like giving up but I know I can't, for you and the baby. We have been working non-stop on the case but nothing has turned up yet. We know the manufacturers of the arrow, but that really does us no good. As for the blood, it is apparantly taken from a cat, probably freshly killed before the messsage was written. How it was even written, I don't know. There were no sign of anyone actually entering the bedroom, none of the windows had beeen unlocked or anything. No-body could possibly have gotten in to write it. We are still far frm cracking the case yet. I promise you this though; I will not miss the birth of our child for anything in this world. I will travel to you especially for the occassioin, I would never make you go through it without me. That is my solemn promise to you.
With love,
Jack
*********************************************************************
Jack stood watching everybody busily preparing for Halloween, sighing miserably. Despite the daily letters he recieved from his love, it wasn't the same as having her there with you. And now he was concerned about whether or not they'd ever find the person sending the messages. He liked to think so, but at times it was hard to keep your spirits up. He had to keep going though, the holiday needed him. There was no way he could quit this late in the game. Glancing around he watched as everyone worked. Vampires carved pumkins, a werewolf designed new headstones, and the witches created new brews. These brews were used for different purposes; one could turn a person invisible, and another could drive a human insane with the slightest whiff of it. Every year the witches created new batches, with more ways to frighten those puny little mortals out of their minds. He approached their work area silently, watching as they poured ingrients into their cauldron.
A few minutes later they stood outside the building, apparantly the residence of the Vampson family. The men hired on as Sally's guards were already there, attempting to bargain out a deal with the criminal. All that the stranger was saying, though, was that he wanted to see the Pumpkin King. When Jack finally got there he picked up the microphone from the mayor's car, speaking into it.
Sally was just sitting down to supper with Mr. and Mrs. Claws when the doorbell rang. Sandy answered, and within a minute a person whom Sally recognized as one of her guards was standing in the kitchen. "Whats going on?" she asked. "Did the catch the person ho sent the message?"
Lock, Shock, and Barrel took the news hard. It was difficult to accept the fact that the man you called father was soon going to die. "You can't do this to us!" cried Shock. "You can't simply leave me with the throne!"
The next day was a sombre, cheerless one, perfectly matching everyone's frame of mind. Jack waited for the stranger's arrival, saying his final good-byes to all of his friends. He had tried to discuss his decision with Lock, Shock, and Barrel, but they still didn't understand his reasons for doing it. It didn't matter to them either; the only man they had known as a father was going to die today, and there was nothing they could do about it.
A couple of minutes later he stepped through the front door of the Skellington mansion, making his way upstairs to the master bedroom where Sally was most likely seated. He was right; she sat in her rocking chair, knitting a small black sweater for th baby. She smiled upon seeing her husband, standing up to greet him. He planted a kiss on her lips. "Hello dear," he said. "How was your day?"
"Oh, great, thank you. And yours?"
"Actually, quite lovely. I did such a great job today that we were ahead of schedule by the time the day was over."
"Wow, that doesn't happen very often. That's wonderful, dear."
"Yeah, and it's not the last time either." He then handed her the envelope. "This came in the mail for you."
"Huh? With no address?"
"I know, I'm as curious as you are. What's inside?"
She shrugged as she headed back to her chair, opening it up. As she read it her eyes seemed to widen with fear and she collapsed into the seat.
"Sally, what's wrong?" he cried as he ran over to her. Her hand trembled as she handed him the letter, face paler than that of death. He read it silently; the queen and her child must die. The few simple words sent an icy chill down his spine. "Who would do such a thing?" he said. "Such a vile and cruel thing...don't they have any idea who they're dealing with? I am the Pumpkin King, and you are my wife! I could eaily have the criminals behind this put to death for treason! Why I---" He stopped upon seeing the look of concern upon his love's face. "Oh, Sally...I promise, I won't let any harm come to you or the child. Whoever is behind this will be stopped and severely punished. Nobody threatend my wife and gets away with it!" He knelt down in front of her, grasping her hands and she sobbed, tears dripping down her cheeks. "Darling, you know I'll do whatever I must in order to keep you ssafe. You know that, right?" She nodded. "And remember it. You mean the world to me; I won't let any harm befall you. Never."
"I know, it's just...oh, Jack, what if it's not a joke? Maybe somebody is plotting my death as we speak!"
He gently pulled her hands down. "I know, darling, so do I. Nothing will happen to either of you." He embraced her, trying to calm her. "I know it's scary but you have to trust me. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if I have to send you to Christmastown for a spell. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."
She pulled away. "That doesn't matter to me, just as long as this child is unharmed! I already lost Ezra; I don't want to have to go though that again."
"And you won't, darling, you won't. Trust me."
She held his hand in her own, sighing. "Oh Jack, why is this happening? Why can't they simply leave us alone?"
"I don't know, darling, I don't know." He stood up, offering her a hand. She accepted, leaning heavily on his shoulder.
"I only hope this turns out alright, Jack." She clutched at his arm as they headed downstairs. "I don't want to die."
He was frightened to death during all of this, but he had to be brave for the sake of his wife. He had to find the fiends behind this, or risk losing his love - and their child - forever.
"What's up?" asked Barrel. "Sounds like there's a problem."
The king simply nodded. "There is. A rather disturbing message came in the mail today, threatening the lives of both Sally and the baby. There was no return address, no nothing. Just the threat."
"But - does whoever it is mean it?" piped Shock, a slight tremble in her voice.
"I don't know, dear, but I will provide the best protection possible. Nothing is going to happen, I promise you."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I fear that the well being of my wife and your queen is in jeopardy. Yesterday the lives of both her and her unborn infant were threatened against, and I am determined to keep the both of them safe as well as find the person responsible for this crime." He stopped, surveying the crowd. It could be any of them...everyone was a suspect. "The criminal is free to admit his wrong-doings now," he continued, "and save himself alot of pain. I guarantee you, the punishment will be severe." A sinister smile spread over his face. "Burning at the stake. Now you can either admit that you're quilty, or die for it." The grin faded. "Now, confess." Nothing. "Once more, confess!" Still nothing. "Fine then, whoever you are, you will die once you are discovered! Furthermore, anyone caught revealing information from me who knows something will also be punished. If you know something, come forward now." Still no-one. "Alright then, your choice. Until the criminal is found, Sally will be guarded twenty-four hours a day, mark my word. Now, everyone get back to work. Know this though; you're all going to be kept under supervison." The crowd began to split up, heading back to their work. As they did so Jack motioned the myor forward.
"Uh, yes sir?"
"Mr. Mayor, I want you to find me five qualified guards. Once done this line them up outside and call for me."
"Where do I find something like that, though?"
"I don't care, just make it happen!"
"Right away." He hurried off to do as he was commanded, leaving the king to stand there by himself. His wife...his beloved wife...what would happen? She meant so much to him, more then his own life. And their child, what would happen to it? Did somebody actually mean the words they said, did they actually intend to murder the queen? Would they dare to, knowing the consequences in store for them if exposed? Or were they confidant that they'd never be caught? He didn't really care, though; someone had made a threat and he was going to treat it with seriousness. Prank or not, it should never mave been done.
"I certainly did."
."Great, I'll go take a look at them." Jack hurried out the main doors, allowing the mayor to follow him. He stopped upon seeing his guards. These guys weren't exactly your ordinary 'guards'. These were miliatry men, trained in battle skills and combat techniques. He had originally hoped for something less...menacing. Sally wasn't even fond of his original plan, she'd get really angry over this. But then again, he didn't care hoe angry she got. He would protect her, no matter what. These men didn't look so bad, though. They'd do their job good. Slowly he headed down the steps towards them. There were 6 soldiers, each wearing blue uniforms and wedges upon their heads. Every one of them looked the same. He gave them each a quick insopection, weawlking down the line and doing things like adjusting ties and fixing collars. He gave a satisfied nod. "Yes, these'll do Mr. Mayor. Thank-you."
"Not a problem, sir."
Jack just stood in front of the six, eyeing them. "You all know why I've called you hear," he began. "You are on a mission to protect my wife, to make sure no harm befalls her. I expect no less then your best. This is a very important task, trusted with only the best. The entire royal famaily needs help right now; you are that help. For now I just want you to go up and protect the perimeter of my home. Make sure no-body without authorized permssion enters. If Sally wishes to leave the house, then two of you will protect her. Got it?"
"YES SIR!!!" They bellowed.
"Good, now get going." They marched towards the Skellington mansion in single file, staying in step as they went. The king simply crossed his arms in front of his chest, smiling to himself. If tht didn't do the trick, nothing would.
Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw someone appraoaching the house. Standing up, she observed the scene a bit more carefully. It looked like...soldiers? Yes, six of them, each one ready for trouble. They marched in single file until reaching the gate, where they crowded in a circle and made some type of plans. Occasionally one of them would gesture to different areas around the perimeter of the building. Finally they split up, each positioned in a certain area. Three of them were outside the fence, three were inside. Each one of them made sure nobody was trying to get onto the grounds, while one person always stood by the gate.
As Sally watched this, she became infuritated. He had promised that he wouldn't do this! And these weren't even guards; this was part of the friggin' army! Her husband would get in a lot of trouble for this.
"What's going on?" demanded Barrel. "Why are they here, are we in trouble?"
"No, they're protecting Sally."
"Oh. Will they be here long?"
"As long as need be." After recieving permission to enter from the soldier at the gate they slipped inside, only to find more of them. Jack didn't pay heed to him, just nodded and headed straight up to the house. Unlocking the door he let the kids step inside, going in after them.
He came face to face with the face of Sally. She didn't look at all pleased. "Hi dear," he said cheerfully. "How was your day?"
She ignored his happy comment, glaring at him. "Kids," she said bitterly, "would you please go upstairs for a moment? I'd like to have a word with Jack here."
They knew what they meant; trouble. Silently they slipped upstairs.
"Is - something wrong?" asked her husband timidly.
"You know very well that there is," came the reply. "Who gave you permisson to send a herd of soldiers up here to guard me? I told you very specifically not to, but you went ahead and did it! Do you not care about my wishes?"
"Yes, darling, but if I decide now to do what you want me to, you could be killed. It is my duty to protect you, and that's what I'll do."
"You're making me a prisoner in my own home!" she cried.
"No, you can leave wheneve you like. Just go on out, one of them will go with you."
"I don't want to feel like restrained like that, though! Do you give a damn about what I want?"
"You know I do, but I have to keep you safe."
"Isn't there another way? A better way?"
"Listen, I'm doing this for your own good! So stop whining, stop complaining, and just accept it. I am the King, and this is my rule. Nothing you say will change my mind."
"Can't we work something else out, though?"
He shook his head. "I'm sorry, this is the only thing I can do for you. Please, just trust me. I love you more then anything else, that's why I'm doing this. If any harm came to you or the baby..." He laid a hand on her stomache.
She was silent for a moment or two. "I'm sorry," she replied at last. "I suppose you're right. This whole thing must be taken to extreme seriousness, this is the best way to ensure my safety. I shouldn't have jumped at you like that. Do you forgive me?"
He smiled. "Of course I do."
She flung her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. "What if your soldiers are unable to keepy me safe? What if something happens?"
He forced her to look at him. "Nothing will happen, darling, I promise you. Nobody will be able to harm you."
"Swear to me, Jack. Give me your word on Ezra's grave that nothing will happen to this child."
He traced her face softly with a boney finger. "I swear. On everything I ever have and ever will love, I vow to you that I will keep both you and our baby out of harm's reach."
She smiled. "Thank-you, dear. I know I can count on you."
He gave her a kiss. "As long as we both live, Sally, I'll do everything I can for you."
"And I trust you, with all my soul. I know that you'll keep your promise to me."
At that he didn't reply, just held her tight. They'd pull through this, together. The culprit behind this heinous crime would pay for his wrongdoings.
He opened the envelope as he entered through the gates once more, pulling it out upon stepping inside the house and closing the door. As he read it his knees grew weak and he leaned against the wall for support, unable to believe the words in the letter. After re-reading it he came back to his senses, racing up the stairs towards the mqster bedroom in a mad flurry while screaming out to his wife.
"Sally! Sally, get your bags packed, you're leaving!"
"Jack, what on earthj is wrong?"
"This..." he stammered, handing her the letter. She read it aloud;
Dear Mr. Skellington,
He reached under the bed, pulling out a suitcase. "I'm sending you to Christmastown for a bit of a stay, that's what," he replied. "You'll be safe there."
"But Jack, I don't want to leave."
He grabbed her hands. "Listen, we have no other choice. It's either that or you'll be killed. Which one do you choose?"
A sigh. "Alright, I'll do it. For you."
He released her, heading over to the dresser and throwing clothes into the suitcase. "Good. I'm telling you, whoever this creep is he means trouble. This is the only way to keep you safe."
"Well, when do we leave?" she asked.
"Tommorrow before dawn, three of the soldiers will accompany us. That way no-one will be able to harm us. Got it?"
"Yes."
"Wonderful." He threw in a few last items before slamming the case closed. "Don't worry, darling, you'll be safe with Sandy Claws. I'm sure he won't mind."
"How long will I be staying there?"
"I don't know, until the person who's sending these notes is caught. Could be a couple of days, could be a few months."
"Will I see you?"
He set her luggage upon the floor. "I will visit you, but the number of times we see each other shall be limited. Someone could be watching us, observing our every move. That's why we have to be very careful."
She nodded. "I understand, Jack. I just wish there were something else we could do."
"I'm sorry, but this is all that we can do. I just hope it works."
Wiping his forehead he turned on a light, glancing at Sally. She was sleeping peacefully, dreaming pleasant nightmares. Standing up he pulled on a pair of slippers, glancing back at his love. She rollen over into his spot, enjoying the extra room. He just chuckled, walking down the stairs.
Once in the kitchen he poured himself up a nice glass of water, cooling him down. He only hoped that he had no other dreams like that. He began to head back up to his room, yawning. The yawn ended as soon as he saw it. An arrow had been shot through the window into Sally's sleeping space, which was unoccupied since she had rolled over. But the creepiest part was the message scrawled on the walls in thick red blood...Next time, Jack.
"Sally, wake up!" he immediately screamed. "Get your clothes on and say good-bye to the kids, we're leaving right now!"
Finally, they arrived. A circle of 5 trees stood in a circle, each one leading to a different holiday; Easter, Valenrine's Day, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day...and Christmas. Without a word they headed over to the Christmas door, a green tree decorated with beautiful ornaments. Jack pulled it open quickly, allowing bith himself and Sally to be dragged won into a white, windy flurry.
"It's a long story, Sandy. Can we come in please?"
"Why certainly." He allowed them to step inside, taking their jackets and hanging them up.
"Would you like a drink? Hot cocoa maybe?"
"No thank-you," the King replied as he took a seat in the living room next to his wife.
"So, how have you been? I see that you're expecting another addition to the Skellington clan."
"Not too well at all, Mr. Claws. We've actually come to ask a bit of a favour from you. You see, the past few days we've been recieving some very disturbing messages, threatening to murder both Sally and our unborn child."
"My, that's horrible! Do you have any idea who it is?"
"No clue whatsoever. Just an hour or two ago she was nearly killed by an arrow, which somebody shot into our room. What we were wondering was if she could stay here with you for a while until the criminal behind all of this is caught. It's not safe anymore back home for her, she needs to be somewhere where she won't be in danger. What do you say?"
Without hesitation, Sandy nodded. "Why not? I always have liked you, Sally, ever since I first met you. You're welcome to stay here."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Claws. You don't know how grateful I am."
"Aw, don't worry about it. I'm glad to help. So, do you have all of the stuff you need?"
She motioned twards her suitcase, now on the floor. "All right here."
Jack stood up at that point, shaking Sandy's hand. "Well, sir, I must be off now. Don't want to risk my being seen. Thank-you."
"Not a problem, anytime."
He leaned closer to the old man's ear. "Take care of her," he whispered. "She means the world to me; don't let anything happen to her."
"I won't, have no fear."
The skeleton turned his attention back to Sally, who had since stood up as well ."I guess this is it," he said. "I love you."
"Oh Jack...." She embraced him. "I will come back to you, and we will have our child. Count on it."
"I know, I won't let anything happen to either of you." He gave her a long, passionate kiss. "Write me."
"I will."
"Uh, Jack?" Sandy said before he left.
"Yes?"
"There's a new citizen in your town, a former resident of Halloween I believe. Am I correct?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'm just warning you, keep an eye on him. He's a trouble maker that one."
"Just watch out, okay?"
He nodded his reply. "I appreciate the warning. Good-bye." And with that he was gone, grabbing his jacket and disappearing. Sally stood there in the window watching him dash away, a tear rolling down her face.
"He really loves you," Sandy Claws said from behind her.
"And I love him," she sighed.
"He seems much happier now then he was that year he tried to take over Christmas. Even though he was quite upset over the situation and all, it's obvious that you've done miraculous things for him and Halloweentown."
"And he's done miraculous things for me. I just hope that he knows what he's doing through all of this."
"I'm sure he does, your husband is a very bright man."
"A bit stubborn a times, but bright nevertheless."
He laughed. "That's the truth. So how's he doing lately, still depressed?"
"Very well actually, he's getting over it really quickly. Pretty much after getting over it. Now and then he has a bad spell or two but not too often anymore."
"That's wonderful to here. How are Lock, Shock, and Barrel?"
"Oh, just fine. Lock is 13 by now, while Shock is 14 and Barrel is 11. They're all wonderful children."
"Shock's 14? Already? Seems like only yesterday she was only 11 and kidnapping me."
"Oh, both she and her brothers are all over that type of behaviour by now. She even has a boyfriend now."
"Really?" he siad, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, apparantly they've been going out for more then a year now. That's really surprised us all."
"I know, I'm pretty surprised here myself. She's happy though?"
"Yes, in her own little heaven."
"That's wonderful then, simply wonderful. Anyways, I guess I'll show you to your room and we can both go to bed. How does that sound?"
She yawned. "Like the best idea I've heard in ages."
Meanwhile, back in Christmastown, Sally was having a wonderful time. The townspeople were simply enthraled with her, having never seen a creature of Halloween before. They found her simply amazing, and asked her zillions of questions.
"Who are you?"
"What's this "Pumpkin King" thingie?"
"Do you really scare humans for fun?"
She laughed at their inquisitveness. They were all so cute. "You look like you're having fun," Santa said to her.
"Oh, I am. Everyone here is so nice."
"Well, they've all been taught to treat others with kindness and respect."
"Yeah, where in Halloween it's a much different story; casting evil spells over people, just to get a kick out of it."
"Bit of a contrast, eh? Anyways, I've got work to do. You're welcome to walk around the factory." And off he went, walking over to where toy trans were being manufactured.
The factory was definately a magical place. Little elves scurried everywhere, bustling here and there and making prepreations for Christmas. Brightly coloured lights were hung everywhere, and a beautiful tree stood in the centre of the room. Garland decorated the large columns supporting the ceiling, and toys of every kind were being processed, hand made with love and care. It was a marvelous sight; too bad it didn't exist in Halloween.
It was at that point when she was approached by a small little elf girl, no older then 7 years of age. She clutched in her arms a doll, old a ratted over years of cuddling. She stared up at the strange new visitor, her blue eyes shining. Enchanted, Sally sat on a bench by the wall, allowing the girl to sit next to her. "Hello there," she cooed. "What's your name?"
"Frost," she said. "What's yours?"
"Sally," came the reply. "Sally Skellington. Nice to meet you."
"That's funny name. Skellington."
"Well, I'm a funny person."
"I heard that you come from Halloween," Frost blurted. "You scare people 'n stuff."
"Yes, we do. Back there I'm the wife of Jack, the Pumpkin King. He's in charge of it all, just like Santa is here."
"Is he big and fat too?"
"No, very tall and skinny."
"Does he wear a bright red suit then?"
A laugh. "No, a black pinstriped one with a bat bow tie."
She recieved a strange look. "Is he human?"
"No. He's a skeleton."
"Then what are you?"
"There's really no name for a creature like myself. I'm just the creation of an evil scientist."
"Evil scientist? What's that?"
"You don't want to know, my dear."
The girl grew more interested by the minute. "Do you have any kids?"
"Yes, two boys and a girl."
"Are ya gonna have another baby?"
"Yes, I will."
"Why are ya here?"
Sally paused on that one. "Let's just say that it's best I stay here for a while. Okay?"
" 'Kay." Frost began to play with the doll's hair. "So what's it like scaring people?"
"Well, alot of fun actually.:
"What is scaring, anyways?"
The children here must not know anything about those scary kinds of things. "It's...something you don't need to know about," she replied. She expected more questions, but Frost appeared satisfied. With a shrug the girl simply shrugged and hopped off the bench. "Okay, buh-bye."
Sally just smiled as she watched the child toddle away. What a cute little girl. As she continued to sit there people stared at her, giving her starnge looks. A few were quite interested in her, while others were plain terrified of this stranger. She decided then and there to get rid of any rumors being spread about her and make some friends. If she was going to stay here, she may as well be content. Standing up she headed over to wher a woman was making teddy bears. "Hello," she began, extending her hand. "My name is Sally Skellington, nice to meet you."
The stranger extended her own hand cautiously, afraid that one wrong move and this...thing...would bite her head off. "Uh...um...my name is...ah....I'm...er..."
"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," Sally soothed her as she released her grip. The elf wiped her hands on her green dress.
"Well, my name is Noel, Noel Sparkle. It's...a pleasure."
"It's fine place you've got here, like nothing I'v ever seen in Halloween."
"Halloween? So that's where you're from?"
"Yes, that's my home."
Noel observed the visitor's stiches. "Did you hurt yourself or something?"
"No, those are just natural. Quick and easy removal of body organs." Noel was startled by that.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I keep forgetting that you people aren't used to those types of things! Did I scare you?"
"We don't exactly know what it's like to be scared," Noel said honestly.
"Never felt scared before?" Sally cried. "Whoa, that's different. Back where I come from, scaring is our way of life. We do it 365 days a year, but one night at the end of October we all go out for the big night; Halloween. It's then that we scare the most and the best, with a wide variety of demons and monsters. Vampires, ghosts, mummies, goblins...all kinds. My husband, Jack, is a skeleton. He's also the Pumpkin King."
"Is that an important role?"
"Yes, very," she replied. "He's in charge of everything, he oversees all of the activities."
"And you're the queen?"
"I guess so, yeah. We don't particularly think of ourselves as royal or anything, but that's just because we're strange. Even for creatures of Halloween."
Noel was quickly warming up to this new guest. "So what are you dong here?" she asked.
At that Sally grew quiet. "Well, as of lately I've been recieving these messages...threats against my life. Someone wants to kill both me and my baby, and last night they almost did. Jack insisted that I come here, so out of my fear I came along."
"Oh, how horrible...I do hope you'll be safe now."
"Me too. I'll be here until the person who sent the messages in in custody."
"Do you miss your home?"
A tear rolled down her face, and she wiped it away quickly. "Yes, very much. I have three other children back there, all adopted. I just hope that nothing happens to the rest of my family."
"They'll be fine. I'm sure they'll have that horrible person in jail before you know it."
A smile crossed her face. "Thank-you. You're very kind."
"Well, I like you. You seem like a nice person." She contined to work away at the Teddy Bears, poking stuffing inside of them. "Would you like to help me? I could sure use it."
Sally nodded. "I'd love to."
*****************************************************************************
Anyways, how are the children? Do they miss me? I hate not telling them my location but nobody must know of my whereabouts. Tell each of them I love them, I'm sending along a hug and a kiss for each of them, and you as well. I anxiously await for news from you.
Everyone here is very worried about you. The mayor desperately wants to know of your whereabouts, and the townspeople are growing restless awaiting for the capture of our criminal. They want to tell you that they al miss you very much and want to see your safe arrival back home with the new prince or princess. So do I, dear, so do I.
"What does this recipe do?" he asked.
"It's supposed to curse a person for life upon it being consumed," one of the two replied. "Here, would you like to be our test subject?"
'Uh---no thanks. I take it everything's going well then?"
"Oh, yes, perfect. Thanks."
"Hey, that's my job. I'll be back later to check up on you." He headed off to go check the jack-lanterns, but he didn't get too far.
"Jack! Jack!" came a sudden cry. He turned to see the mayor running towards him. The man was out of breath upon reaching the King and had to stop for a moment. When he finally did speak, his words were grave.
"Sir, we've just recieved a message from our culprit. It's bad, I'm afraid, very bad."
"How bad?" he demanded.
"He's holding an entire family captive, demanding to speak with you. He's threatening to kill them all unless you give him what he wants."
"I don't care, let me speak with him! I'll do whatever he asks, lead me to him!"
"I'm here," he began. "You asked, and therefore you've recieved, though your methods of doing so are less then favourable. Now, will you please talk to me?"
"Yes," came a voice, "but in here. You come in here."
He froze in his place. Should he dare? Would he dare? Yes, of course. Lives were at stake here, and he was the only one who could do anything about it. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Alright, you've got me. I'm coming in, just put down any weapons you might have."
"Come alone," the voice called.
"I am, just stay there." He looked over at the mayor, who nodded for him to go on. Gathering up all of his courage Jack walked towards the front door of the house, taking his time. The entrance opened for him upon his reaching it, and he stepped inside cautiously. No sooner had he gotten in then the door shut again, but nobody was behind it. Though this was odd he thought nothing of it, glancing around in search for the stranger. "Alright," he called, "I'm here. Now please, would you answer my questions?"
"Of course, dear sir," said the voice. "Please, come in."
He looked around, finally spotting the dark shadow that stood in the living room. On a black leather sofa sat the Vampson family, two small children buried in the arms of their parents. Tears rolled down their faces, but they appeared relieved to see the King. He walked towards the shadow, hoping to see the face underneath the hood. Not possible. The figure wore a long black cloaked that dragged behind him on the floor. Kind of looked like Death, but without the sickle.
"You," hissed Jack. "You're the one who's been trying to kill my wife, to murder my child. What is it you want of me?!?!?"
The dark entity made no sudden movements. "My reasons," he began in a hoarse voice, "are strictly my own. If you want me to end my attack on her, though, you must give in to my bargains."
"Yes, anything. Just name the price."
The shadow chuckled. "Your life."
"My...life? You want me to die? Is that what all this is about? Are you simply using my wife and unborn child to get to me?"
"Your life," he repeated. "I want the satisfaction of seeing you dead, or else I shall kill Sally before your very eyes, slowly and painfully. Which is it then?"
"Please...there must be a better way....I don't want to die, not yet..."
"You can choose to survive, but I will only end up killing the both of them. Which do you choose?"
Jack sighed. "Very well. I shall send for her right away. Tell me though, how do you wish for me to die? Suicide? Or do you want to do it?"
The figure thought for a moment. "I think I'll just do it on my own," he said at last. "Just to get the total satisfaction out of it."
"Fine then, whatever you want. Now, will you please leave this poor family alone? They haven't done anything to you."
"Oh, certainly. I want the woman back here by noon tommorrow, though. Then you shall die." Then he disapeared into a clous of black smoke, and the Vampson household was normal once again. The family simply sat there hugging each other, crying happily. "Thank you," said the father. "You saved our lives."
"Oh, what? Yeah, whatever." His head spinning, Jack headed back outside. "What happened?" the mayor cried anxiously. "Will Sally be safe?"
"Oh yes, she'll be fine. I'm going to send for her right now, and both her and the baby will be okay."
"What did he want though?"
A sigh. "As soon as she comes back, he's going to kill me. The cost for her safety was my life."
His friend gasped. "But we can't let that happen! You're the king! What will happen without you?"
"Don't worry, Shock will take my place. Everything will be fine without me. She's well prepared to take the throne."
"I can't let this happen to you though..."
"It must be this way, I'm sorry. I'd rather waste one life then two."
He shook his head sadly. "If this is your wish, sire..."
"It is." He turned to one of the guards. "Go to Christmastown and fetch my wife. Tell her to hurry."
"Yes sir." As the soldier hurried away, the King began to head back towards his mansion. "I'm going home for the rest of the day, mayor," he said simply. "I want to spend some time with my children."
"The King awaits your arrval back in Halloween," came the simple reply. "He assures you that all conflicts have been settled and your life is no longer in jeopardy."
"You mean I can really go home? No-one's going to kill me?"
"Yes. You must be quick though, Jack demands that you get back as soon as possible."
"Of course, just let me get my stuff." She disappeared upstairs and was back in a minute, suitcase in hand. "Thank you, Mister Claws," she said. "I truly appreciate your letting me stay here."
"No problem dear, anytime. It was wonderful having you here."
"See you Mrs. Claws, I hope we meet agan soon."
"Yes, that would be lovely," Sandy replied. "You'd better be going now."
"Oh, good idea. See ya!"
"Bye," The old couple stood in the doorway waving the Pumpkin Queen good-bye, smiling.
"What a nice girl," Santa said to his wife. "So kind and timid, northing like the rest of those dreadful creatures from her holiday."
"Well, she's not exactly like them," came the answer. "I think she's...special."
"She certainly is, dear, she certainly is. Jack indeed made a good choice when he picked her."
"It's the only way, though. Sally and your new little sibling are depending on me. This person, whoever he is, says that he wants me dead, and I guess that's the way it's going to be."
"We can't give up this easily though!"
"There's nothing left to do. I'm sorry. I want you all to know, though, how much I love you. Always remember that."
A sob. "We will. We'll never forget it."
We'll It was at that moment when the front door opened and in swung Sally. The kids simply sat there unable to move or react, but Jack leapt up and embrace her, kissing her warmly. "My wife, my dearest wife...how I missed you!"
"It's so good to be home! I missed you more then words alone can say!"
He released her, his happy expression faded. "Darling, would you mind taking a seat in the living room please? There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Is something wrong?"
"Please, just sit." The three kids took their cue and left. Now as the two of them sat here, Jack found it impossible to tell his wife the truth. Midas well just say it and get it over with. "I can't hide the truth from you, my sweet, so I'll just tell you. Today I met the man responsible for sending the messages, and he told me that the only reason he tried to harm you was to get at me. You were just the tool he used so that it would be easier to overpower me. During our talk he made it quite clear that he wanted me dead, and would stop at nothing to achieve his goal." He took a breath. "Even kill you. I had to do something to save your life though, anything. Eventually I was able to make a bargain though, one to free your life."
"Jack, what are you saying...?"
At that he broke down and crumbled to the floor, kneeling in front of her. Tears streaming down his face he clung to her dress, sobbing. "I'm sorry, I had no other choice...I'd do anything for you and our child, anything. You are my life, my sunshine...I'll die for you with honour, just please don't be angry at me..."
She couldn't quite comprehend this. "No, you're not going to die! Tell me that you're not going to let him kill you."
"It's the only way, darling, I can't let him take both you and our baby! You must understand my decision."
"Shhh, calm down," she told him, placing her hands on his. "I'm sure that we can work something out with this guy. There has to be something we can do, another solution..."
"No, there's not. I'm what he wants, but he'll take your life if he doesn't get mine. In the end though, we'll both both dead, maybe the kids as well. Isn't one life better then three?"
"But you're my husband, the love of my life! I can't just stand there and let you die!"
He touched her face softly, gazing into her eyes. "Ah, Sally, the love of my life. You've always stood by me whenever I've needed you, through good times and bad. Which is why I'd do anything for you, including sacrificing my life. You've been there through everytihng else, accepted my decisions... please, just stand there through this choice as well. I know what I want and this is it."
Her eyes welled up with tears as she joined him on the floor. "Oh, Jack...I wish there were a better way but there's not. I'll miss you so much..." She flung her arms around his neck, sobbing bitter tears. "Just hold me, please..."
Together the two lovers sat there in each others arms, the last night they'd ever spend together in this world. It wasn't fair that they should be taken so wrongfully from each other, when they were still so much in love. The world worked in mysterious ways, ways that Sally didn't understand and hated with an intense passion. Why couldn't people just leave them alone? When Jack was finally happy with his life, somebody had to come along and ruin it for him, for all of them. Their baby would never know it's father, would never to be able to do the things that a father and his child did together. Life was simply unfair. Whoever was behind this dreadful scheme, though, Sally vowed that she would get her revenge on him. One way or another, he'd pay severely for his sins.
By 11:45 everyone was beginging to cry, knowing that their Pumpkin King would soon be history. With a heavy heart he had shooed all the townspeople from Town Center, with the exception of his famiuly. They insisted on staying and seeing who this heartless really was. Quite reluctantly he had agreed, although he didn't want them to watch him die. "We are your family, though," Sally had insisted. "We'll stick by you to until the end!" Touched he had decided to let her and the kids stay, but they had to leave if it got too gruesome.
At 12:00 the shadow finally appeared, in the same cloud of black smoke he had disapeared into yesterday. He stood on the edge of the fountain, his cloak trailing behind him in the wind. This time he held a long stick in his hand, black with a brilliant blue cystal ball on the top. He floated down from his perch, hovering above the ground just slightly. "I see you've managed to get your wife back here in time," he said.
"I have, and now I give you consent to kill me. I have one final question though."
"Ask away."
"Will my family be safe once I'm gone? Will you leave them in peace?"
The stranger nodded. "Yes, they will be fine. Only if you do exactly as I say now though."
"I will."
"Good. You may say good-bye to your loved ones if you wish."
"Thank-you." Jack turned to his wife, taking her hands in his own. "So long, my sweet. We'll meet again one day in heaven."
A tear rolled down her face. "Does it have to be this way?"
"I'm sorry my dear, I wish that all this could be avoided as well. Alas, though, it cannot. Never forget how much I loved you, though. And if you ever get lonely and need a new companion, don't hesitate to go for it. I know the consequences of living without love."
"I could never..."
"Shhhh, don't speak," he said. "It will happen, you can't just go for the rest of your life alone. I want you to happy. Please, keep my words in mind, okay?"
"Alright."
He touched her stomache. "Good-bye, my little baby. Daddy's sorry you never got to meet him, but I want you to always know how much I cared. I'm doing this for you, not just your mother." Next he moved to Lock, Shock, and Barrel. "Ah, my three loving children. I'm so glad that me and Sally adopted you. Take of her for me, alright? And look after yourselves, don't get into trouble. Make me proud in the years to come." He looked at Shock. "Rule well for me, daughter. I see in your eyes the heart of a true Pumpkin Queen, someone who will rule well once I am gone. I know you'll do a great job." He turned back to the shadow. "Alright, I'm ready."
"Good. Now, kneel down on the ground before me. Your death will be a quick and painless one."
He did as he was told, looking up at the silhouette. "This is it, Jack. Any last words?"
"Yes, I do. May you rot in hell for this."
"Believe me, I've already been there and back. I hope that you enjoy your stay though." Then without any further words he lowered the blue crystal ball towards his victim, pointing it directly towards him. Sparks of energy began to fly around it. "Just hold your breath and it will all be over with soon." Jack closed his eyes, fingers clawing at the dirt. As his family stood there and watched, the shadow prepared to fire his fatal blast of energy at the King. It all happened in slow-motion; there sat Jack, waiting for the arrival of the death at his door. Then out of nowhere a mysterious blur appeared, flying towards the cloaked figure and barreling straight into it, sending the blast of power on an alternate course. It collided into the town fountain, causing a horrible explosion that forced everyone to cover their eyes. Had that thing hit its original target, he would have died instantaneously.
"You fool!" cried the shadow. "Look what you've done now! I only had enough strength to conjure something like that up once! I worked for weeks to get that thing perfect, and look now what you've done! I should kill you now as well!"
Everyone turned to see who had saved the life of the king. "Jingle?" They all cried at once.
The elf stood there silently, a look of fierce determination in his eye. "I knew I couldn't just let him die," he said. "If nobody else would do something, then I'd do it myself."
"How dare you!" The stranger continued to blare. "After all this time, the kindness I've shown you! You decide to go and turn on me? I'll KILL you for this, Jingle!"
"No you won't!" The elf cried. "I'm freeing myself of you once and for all!"
"What is going on here?" cried Sally. "Does anybody care to explain?"
"Exactly what I was wondering," her husband replied.
"Jingle, I had such high hopes for you. You were to carry on in my place once I was gone, continuing to wreak my havoc throughout the world. Why did you chang your mind?"
"Because I know the difference now," he replied. "In the battle between good versus evil, good will surely win every time. I learned that by watching Jack try to overcome you, and I knew that I couldn't let you win this batle."
"But you almost did, though. You are every bit as much to blame in all of this as I am."
By now Jack had stood up, and was stunned in his surprise. "You were involved? Sandy Claws told me to keep an eye on you..."
"Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Skellington!" came the reply. "While I was but a boy living in Christmastown, I was approached by this...creature. He offered me everything I could ever desire, and even though my parents had tried to teach me right from wrong, I accepted his offer. I did his evil bidding, but by and by I was thrown out of my hometown for my misdeeds. I came here after that, and this guy ended up following me. Then he put by me the suggestion of killing the Pumpkin King, but I wasn't too sure about it. Why should I? I knew very well that he wanted to be the King, but I didn't see anything in it for myself. He convinced me after a while that we'd have 50/50 control, but I should have known better then to trust him. I'll be fully honest to you right now; It was me who shot the arrow that night, and I used magic to write the message on the all. I sent the first letter in the mail, but the second one was him."
"HOLD ON!" cried Jack. "You mean to tell me that you and this thing here have been plotting against me this entire time? Ever since you first got here?"
Jingle threw himself at his feet. "I beg your forgiveness, sir, I see the error in my ways now..."
"Stand up, don't grovel. All that matters is that you know the difference now, so I'll hold no grudges. Consider it forgotten."
"Thank you! Thank-you so very much."
"Think nothing of it." He turned back towards the shadow. "What is your name, anyways? You come here and do all this stuff and you still haven't told us your name."
"You do know my name," he said. "The second letter included my name on it, at least the name I go by."
"The Black Joker?" Sally said. "No offense, but that's not exactly creative or anything."
"Shut up, woman!" the joker yelled. "I am not interested in your opinion!"
"Alright, that's it!" Jack cried. "First you attempt to kill my wife, then me, and now you're telling her to shut up. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, will ever get away with saying that to her. It all ends for you now!"
"I'd just like to see you try. See this crystal ball?" he said, holding it up. "There's more power contained in here then you could ever hope to possess in an entire lifetime. No way will you to defeat me so long as I have it!"
A smile crossed the face of the Pumpkin King. "I don't know about that. You have the power of the cystal balll, but I have my own powers. Do you think that I'd be able to live for over 500 yeasrs without picking up a trick or two?"
"Don't be a fool, I am greater right now then you'll ever be."
"Don't forget, I am an intelligent being. You are not. That gives me a natural advantage."
He didn't like that. "Fine then, I challenge you to a battle of strength. Whoever has the most powers will win."
A laugh. "My dear fellow, I don't need magic to win. All I need is a plan." And with that he lept at The Black Joker, knocking him onto the ground and wrestling the stick from him. He stood up and held him down with a foot, grinning smugly. "Not so bright now, are you?" he asked as he pressed the crystal ball to his opponent's neck. "See you can try all the tricks in the worlkd but you will never win against me. I've seen it all, know everything you don't. And the fact that you even tried to win makes me scoff. Now I suggest that you get out of here before I am forced to get rid of you."
A grunt from beneath his foot. "I'll never surrender to the likes of you."
He just shrugged. "Have it your way then." And with that Jack gathered up all the energy in the ball, feeling the stick heat up beneath his hand.
"You can't do this to me!" came a cry from the ground. "No!"
As he continued to gather energy Jack's face remained expressionless. "So long," he said at last. "It's a pity we couldn't have gotten along better." And with that he released the tremendous power he had created, causing a cloud of dirt to rise as the stench of burnt flesh surrounded them all. When the air finally cleared he were able to see at last the remains of The Black Joker. He was nothing more then ashes now, merely part of the earth. Jack spit on the ground. "Good riddance," he said.
"My darling," cried Sally as she ran to her love, diving into his arms. "It's over...it's finally over..."
He ran his fingers through her hair as he threw the stick to the ground, crashing the crystal ball. "Yes, we're safe now. Finally, we're safe." He smiled at her as she pulled out of his embrace. "Now we can get on to more important things, like thinking about our baby."
"It's so good to finally have things back to normal." She looked at Jingle. "Thank you for saving the life of my darling husband. Without you, he'd be dead by now, maybe all of us."
"Anytime. Well, goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Skellington, Lock, Shock, and Barrel. I learned a lot here today."
"So did we Jingle," Jack replied, "so did we." At that they went their separate ways, the elf heading to his home and the once-again big happy family heading for theirs. The three siblings ran on ahead to have fun while the two lovers walked slowly, arm-in-arm. "Do you think that he'll be alright?" Sally asked at last. "Jingle, I mean?"
"Yeah, I think he'll be fine," her husband replied. "Somehow I have a feeling that he'll fit in just perfectly here."
