Disclaimer: I own none, I repeat, NONE of the Nightmare Before Christmas
character. Willis Wolfe and any other humans in this chapter are all mine,
though. Based on LoKi-Shiver's "Seven Days." For background info on
Hariti, check that story out. It's excellent.
Chapter 1
It was Halloween again.
Lock breathed in the cool night air. It was such a thrilling feeling, being back in the human world. He leaned back against the brick wall behind him and chuckled.
Looking out from the alleyway he was in, he surveyed the scene before him. Children running everywhere, masks covering faces, bags filled to bursting with delicious candies of every sort and design. He licked his dark purple lips. It would be so simple to just jump out and grab one of those bags...
No. No, he wasn't here for candy. Let Barrel collect all of that. He and Shock came out evey Halloween for a different reason now.
It had been 3 years since the horrible incident with Hariti, and things were definately better now. Since then, the three of them had discovered the more fun side of Halloween for people their age.
Lock stood up straight. His thin, muscular form was nearly hidden by his blood-red trenchcoat, but the tight black shirt clearly defined his flat stomach and well-developed pecs. The thin, pointed devil's tail swished around the ground, disturbing the dust by his feet. He had been searching for this year's target for the past two hours from this very spot, and he was getting restless.
Ever since Lock and Shock had discovered the potential between them for a relationship, they had decided they were too old for candy-gathering on Halloween. Barrel was a year younger than Shock and two below Lock, so he considered himself still young enough, but the two others had moved on to what they considered a more adult Halloween. Enough of the treats, Barrel. Let's get on to the tricks!
The past two Halloweens had been devoted entirely to playing pranks on the inhabitants of the human world. Jack couldn't argue with that, since he could remember doing the exact same thing in earlier years, so he let them go on the understanding that they couldn't actually hurt anyone. Ah, what's the worst that could happen? Lock thought with a grin. With his well-gelled hair turned up in his devil-horn hairdo, he looked positively wicked.
Shock ran in from the other end of the alley, gasping for breath. Her long, black hair waved in the wind she created, billowing around and exposing her pale face and neck. Lock could remember a time when her neck looked terrible, rope burns from her violent death marring it's appearance, but all that remained now were a few scars.
Shock stopped a few feet from him, bending over and resting her hands on her knees while she gulped in massive breaths. "I... found him," she wheezed.
Lock nearly jumped for joy. Shock always found the best victims, so the young devil was more than willing to trust her judgement.
Shock straightened and adjusted her tight lavender dress. Lock couldn't help but notice how she'd developed over the last 3 years, her curves looking so dangerous he was afraid she'd burst out of her dress. Not that I'd really mind, he mused to himself with a grin.
Readjusting her tall witch's hat, she moved to the mouth of the alley and whispered, "He should be coming any moment now." She motioned for Lock to join her.
"What are you guys looking at?" a loud voice that sounded slightly muffled by a full mouth uttered behind them.
Lock cursed to himself and spun around. "Dammit, Barrel, could you be any more loud?" he hissed.
Barrel grinned evily through a mouth full of candy and said, "Of course, but I want you guys to be able to hear."
Lock grimaced. He knew what a pair of lungs Barrel had in that rotund torso of his. He looked his friend up and down. The bone images on his black clothes almost looked silly on the large form. It wasn't that Barrel was fat, but he certainly wasn't thin. He was probably stronger than Lock, though. The devil knew all to well that those layers of flab weren't very thick, and underneath was toned muscle.
"Shock's found someone," Lock whispered ruefully. Barrel stopped with a candy bar halfway to his mouth and grinned, his light blue lips curving dangerously.
"That's great!" he whispered back. "Where is he?"
"Here he comes!" Shock hissed urgently, thrusting a thin, pale arm forward and pointing down the street.
Lock looked down the path her arm made and saw her choice of victim. He was slightly surprised. Normally they picked on younger children, people they could frighten easily, but she had picked someone closer to their own age. He was walking down the street surrounded by young children, laughing and dancing with them! It was enough to make Lock feel sick.
"That's him?" Barrel asked incredulously. "That's your pick of a guy? Why him?"
Shock looked back at the skeleton boy and grimaced. "Because he wasn't scared by anything! These big guys jumped out of the bushes and tried to take the kids' candy, and he just leapt in, swinging and fighting until they left!" She squinted her eyes at the youth walking down the street. "I figure, if we can scare him, then we really are the best!"
Lock took on almost a hungry look. "Good idea, Shock! If we can take this guy out, no one else will be any problem!" He rubbed his hands together.
Barrel looked down, rubbing his three-toed feet together. "But what are we going to do to the guy?"
Lock rubbed his chin. "I have a plan for that. All you need to do is help me catch him."
"But how do we do that?"
Shock smiled evily. "Leave that to me."
Chapter 1
It was Halloween again.
Lock breathed in the cool night air. It was such a thrilling feeling, being back in the human world. He leaned back against the brick wall behind him and chuckled.
Looking out from the alleyway he was in, he surveyed the scene before him. Children running everywhere, masks covering faces, bags filled to bursting with delicious candies of every sort and design. He licked his dark purple lips. It would be so simple to just jump out and grab one of those bags...
No. No, he wasn't here for candy. Let Barrel collect all of that. He and Shock came out evey Halloween for a different reason now.
It had been 3 years since the horrible incident with Hariti, and things were definately better now. Since then, the three of them had discovered the more fun side of Halloween for people their age.
Lock stood up straight. His thin, muscular form was nearly hidden by his blood-red trenchcoat, but the tight black shirt clearly defined his flat stomach and well-developed pecs. The thin, pointed devil's tail swished around the ground, disturbing the dust by his feet. He had been searching for this year's target for the past two hours from this very spot, and he was getting restless.
Ever since Lock and Shock had discovered the potential between them for a relationship, they had decided they were too old for candy-gathering on Halloween. Barrel was a year younger than Shock and two below Lock, so he considered himself still young enough, but the two others had moved on to what they considered a more adult Halloween. Enough of the treats, Barrel. Let's get on to the tricks!
The past two Halloweens had been devoted entirely to playing pranks on the inhabitants of the human world. Jack couldn't argue with that, since he could remember doing the exact same thing in earlier years, so he let them go on the understanding that they couldn't actually hurt anyone. Ah, what's the worst that could happen? Lock thought with a grin. With his well-gelled hair turned up in his devil-horn hairdo, he looked positively wicked.
Shock ran in from the other end of the alley, gasping for breath. Her long, black hair waved in the wind she created, billowing around and exposing her pale face and neck. Lock could remember a time when her neck looked terrible, rope burns from her violent death marring it's appearance, but all that remained now were a few scars.
Shock stopped a few feet from him, bending over and resting her hands on her knees while she gulped in massive breaths. "I... found him," she wheezed.
Lock nearly jumped for joy. Shock always found the best victims, so the young devil was more than willing to trust her judgement.
Shock straightened and adjusted her tight lavender dress. Lock couldn't help but notice how she'd developed over the last 3 years, her curves looking so dangerous he was afraid she'd burst out of her dress. Not that I'd really mind, he mused to himself with a grin.
Readjusting her tall witch's hat, she moved to the mouth of the alley and whispered, "He should be coming any moment now." She motioned for Lock to join her.
"What are you guys looking at?" a loud voice that sounded slightly muffled by a full mouth uttered behind them.
Lock cursed to himself and spun around. "Dammit, Barrel, could you be any more loud?" he hissed.
Barrel grinned evily through a mouth full of candy and said, "Of course, but I want you guys to be able to hear."
Lock grimaced. He knew what a pair of lungs Barrel had in that rotund torso of his. He looked his friend up and down. The bone images on his black clothes almost looked silly on the large form. It wasn't that Barrel was fat, but he certainly wasn't thin. He was probably stronger than Lock, though. The devil knew all to well that those layers of flab weren't very thick, and underneath was toned muscle.
"Shock's found someone," Lock whispered ruefully. Barrel stopped with a candy bar halfway to his mouth and grinned, his light blue lips curving dangerously.
"That's great!" he whispered back. "Where is he?"
"Here he comes!" Shock hissed urgently, thrusting a thin, pale arm forward and pointing down the street.
Lock looked down the path her arm made and saw her choice of victim. He was slightly surprised. Normally they picked on younger children, people they could frighten easily, but she had picked someone closer to their own age. He was walking down the street surrounded by young children, laughing and dancing with them! It was enough to make Lock feel sick.
"That's him?" Barrel asked incredulously. "That's your pick of a guy? Why him?"
Shock looked back at the skeleton boy and grimaced. "Because he wasn't scared by anything! These big guys jumped out of the bushes and tried to take the kids' candy, and he just leapt in, swinging and fighting until they left!" She squinted her eyes at the youth walking down the street. "I figure, if we can scare him, then we really are the best!"
Lock took on almost a hungry look. "Good idea, Shock! If we can take this guy out, no one else will be any problem!" He rubbed his hands together.
Barrel looked down, rubbing his three-toed feet together. "But what are we going to do to the guy?"
Lock rubbed his chin. "I have a plan for that. All you need to do is help me catch him."
"But how do we do that?"
Shock smiled evily. "Leave that to me."