It had been a couple of weeks since the whole Christmas debacle. Things had more or less settled down, but the more settled they got, the less settled Jack got. It was strange, and this was for a town used to strange. Finally, he had announced to the town that he was going on a brief hiatus. The other goblins and ghouls would have complained, but at this point, they expected a few eccentricities from Jack. He had placed Sally and the Mayor in charge of Halloween Town, which of course meant that she was in charge. She still had trouble believing that he'd given her the responsibility.
Now, however, that wasn't her biggest worry. Her main problem was that Jack had been gone for over a week. Finally, she decided to do what she should have done at the first: check his room for clues.
The garret was always a mess. She had no idea how a skeleton with one suit and no appetite could create such a shambles, but she was new at the whole "girlfriend" thing. This time, she was alarmed by the sheer number of Christmas ornaments that he had retained, both original and homemade. They festooned the room, presiding over a seemingly endless array of clothes, ornaments, toys, scientific instruments, and, inexplicably, pickles. Sally waded through the sea of refuse to the only object in the chamber that seemed to have a point: the desk.
Atop it she found assorted pieces of paper (crumpled up), a few notebooks (new and used), and a crisp, sealed envelope. Jack's spidery script was clearly visible in the red ink. She picked it up, and with a cry realized that it was addressed to her. She quickly opened it and began to read:
My dearest Sally,
I'm afraid that I have some… troubling news. The fact is that I shan't be able to return to Halloween Town. Ever. For you see, in these past few weeks I've come to an epiphany: I am not needed here. Halloween's many devotees will continue on the tradition in my steed, and I have no doubt that you, my love, can well handle the workload.
Unfortunately, I now realize that I no longer belong in Halloween Town. I won't say that I've moved on or that Halloween is beneath me, for in fact it is the opposite that is true. I no longer truly identify with the… Halloween spirit, as it were. I cannot think the way that is necessary to be a true creature of the night. Furthermore, it is needless to say that my recent actions were far too heinous to make Christmas an option for me. For fear of doing similar damage to another holiday, I daren't go through any of the other doors. Lastly, I cannot well survive in the wider world, as its people are still justifiably enraged.
I have thus concluded that there is only one place for me now. By the time you read this, I will be long since gone. I know that you (and the Mayor) will run Halloween Town well and with pride. I love you.
Humbly Yours, Jack Skellington
She stared at the yellowed parchment in shock. Jack, she thought. What's wrong? Where are you?