Ivy's footsteps clacked back at me in an annoying rhythm. She was chattering fast as the crickets about how they proposedly gave out king sized chocolate bars in Summer Creek, the rich neighborhood. My feet hurt and I was freezing, but I couldn't imagine how she was still bright and sunny in her black skirt and striped tights. She was a witch, even though according to legend they didn't look like the candy cane thing she was dressed as. I stuck my hands in the pockets of my hoody, pulling my head deep into its hood to shield myself from the wind. The Oregon night was freezing, out of character.

Ivy turned abruptly to the right, into the forest the sidewalk was built up against.

"Where are you going?" I called after her.

She turned, her black pointed hat wobbling, "Ben said this was a short cut, remember?"

"It's dark, Ivy," I huffed. She's the one who dragged me out to go trick or treating. I'd obliged but wasn't wearing a costume or collecting candy, which had bothered her but I wasn't budging. I'd found a wooden sword that some kid had dropped and turned it over nervously. No way was I going into a dark forest on Halloween.

"Come on," she whined, turning and disappearing into the trees.

I pressed my lips together, looking around as if someone was going to tell me what I was thinking: this is a stupid idea. But the street was abandoned and the night bitter and lonely. I started to follow her, soon surrounded by black foliage.

"Ivy!" I yelled, jogging forward thinking I'd see her soon. There was a whisper ahead, and I moved toward it, "Come on, stop it,"

"She looks funny," something whispered.

"Kind of unenthusiastic, huh?"

"What-"

I saw three figures step out behind some trees. They were kids in masks- a Devil, Witch… whatever that one was supposed to be. Something about them wasn't right, and a pang of fear jolted through my heart. I turned and started running, stumbling over raised roots.

"Let's get her!"

They were on me in a flash, small but impossibly strong hands forcing me into a bag and dragging me into some sort of tub.

The Town Square was in its usual post-Halloween celebration. They were all waiting for Jack to return. After the fire scarecrow last year they wondered how he was going to top it. The mayor was on his podium, cheering with the rest of the ghouls.

And, like he always did, Jack came. Mist curled around the civilian's ankles, lower and less thick than Sally's stunt last year. A deep, creeping laugh came from above, and everyone looked up, seeing a dark figure suspended in midair. Recognizing the thin siluet they gave out cheers and howls.

Jack, balanced gracefully on one foot, pulled out the flaps Sally had so carefully sewn for him. With a high piched laugh he shot into the sky, swooping down upon the monsters below, a bat against the moon. Sally applauded with everyone else, glad the wire sewn into his suit had held. When he reached the ground and gave a bow, the congratulations began. He no longer had the uncertainty that haunted him last year, and took to his holiday with spirit.

"Ghastly Job, everyone!" he tells them, standing on the edge of the slime fountain and bowing to them. They cheered, and slowly begin trickling out of the square to await the next day to begin the preparations for next year.

"Great job with the wings, Sally," Jack tells her. She smiles her red lips and links her arm in his. Before they can leave, however, there's a scream (well, more of a yell of discomfort) that echoes through the whole town.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel waltz in with their living bathtub in pursuit.

"What did you do?" Jack says, regarding them distrustfully. He hadn't forgotten what they'd pulled last year.

"We've kidnapped a kid, Pumpkin Head!" they snickered.

"You've brought a human," Sally said flatly.

"Let me out!" the burlap sack sitting in the tub writhed.

Jack looked at it with realization and turned to glare his hollow sockets at the trick or treaters, "Get out," he said, anger echoing in his words.

"Out?" Shock said, eyes widening.

"Get out of Halloween Town!" he yelled at them, "You've been nothing but trouble and this, this is crossing the line,"

"But Jack-"

"Now,"

They scampered away. Cowards they were, mischievous cowards.

"What do we do?" Sally asked, looking at the civilians watching, "Let it out?"

"Not here," Jack said. There'd be a mob with a human in the town. Sally went to the Doctor since he'd be expecting a visit and might know how the Treaters and gotten it here.

"It's nothing!" Jack said the the crowd, waving at them dismissively, "Good night. We'll begin preparations in the morning."

When they'd finally left he led the bathtub with the human inside back to his crypt, not speaking to anyone and wishing the child would be more quiet. In the highest tower he cut the twine tied around the opening, and met her for the first time.

A teenage girl scrambled out, a flash of long brown hair and a red hoody over some jeans and sneakers. She was slender, her figure only beginning to define itself, her eyes too big for her round white face.

"Who the hell are you!?' she yelled, pointing a wooden sword at him.

"Ssh!"

"What are you," she backed away.

Jack stepped closer, reaching out a skeletal hand, "It's alright, I-"

"Don't touch me," she turned and ran out the doors, heart racing as she tried to make sense of the dark maze. She opened a door to be greeted with the thin Pumpkin King standing by the window, "Just let me explain-" she slammed the door shut, turning and racing into the piano room. Her breath was shallow as she took in the oddly shaped instrument and thin curving windows. Whirling around she turned back down the hall, sprinting down some stair and finding herself on a balcony that overlooked a strange town lit with an orange glow.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" a voice came from behind her. She raised the idiotic little sword and back against the stone wall, eyeing him distrustfully.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I didn't. Apologies, but you can never trust those three. The question is, how did you get to Halloween Town?"

She took him in for the first time, realizing the absurdity of who she was talking to. A pale skeleton with a stitched mouth and pinstriped suit calling himself the Pumpkin King. She didn't ask if she was dreaming because her head really hurt so obviously not, "Those brats took me,"

"Well, then welcome," he grinned, his mouth stretching farther than it should have, "However wrong it was for them to have taken you I have to say this is marvelous! A human, a mortal in our town!" he moved forward swiftly to shake her hand and she pulled back, glaring at him.

He kneeled down on one of his spidery legs so they were eye to eye and brushed the sword aside, "I'm not going to hurt you, and if I was I already would have," he said, looking at her honestly. There was a moment where she had to make a decision of whether or not to trust him. Then she nodded slowly, dropping the wooden toy to the floor. Jack popped up, turning to walk down the hall, "So, if you're going to be staying we'll have to find you a room," he opened a door and a rush of black smoke roared out, He slammed it shut, looking back at her, "Maybe not that one. Come on then," she scampered to keep up with him.

"But I still don't understand. Where am I?"

"You're in Halloween Town, of course!"

"Yes, but what country? What state?"

"I don't know what you mean,"

She was getting frustrated, "Where on earth are we?"

"We aren't' on earth," he said, matter of factly opening a door and shutting it again when a screech came out.

She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.

"I never did hear your name," he said.

"Coraline Jones," she told him, putting her hands in her pockets, "And you? I heard Pumpkin King already,"

"Jack,"

"Jack What?"

"Jack the Pumpkin King,"

"No, but what's your last name?"

"You know what's funny about you, Coraline?" Jack said, changing the subject.

"What?"

"You haven't screamed yet," he sounded almost offended, "Not scary enough for you, am I?"

She struggled to keep pace with his long legs, "I don't know. I've kind of gotten tired of Halloween over the years,"

He stopped and she ended up a few steps ahead of him, "Tired of Halloween?"

"Well I'm a little too old," she stated. How many times had she had this conversation with Ivy?

"How old?" he asked, starting down the hall again.

"Fourteen,"

"That's not too old!" he exclaimed as they reached the heavy black door. Coraline shrugged.

He was quiet for a moment, then opened a door, "Ah, here we are," She saw a king sized bed with lime green comforter and a black and white deign on the pillows. It was matched with black desk, wardrobe, and window that had the moon shining full in its corners. Jack flipped on the light with a bony finger and the pumpkin lamp flicked on.

She realized what he was saying, "Wait-no. I'm not staying here,"

"I'm sorry, but we can't get you back to the world of the humans until next year. Sandy Clause made it impossible to get back until October 31'st," he said apologetically.

She sat on the bed, staring blankly at the wall, "So I'm stuck here for a year?"

"Yes,"

She ran a hand through her dark hair, and he saw how pale her face was, how dark the hollows under her eyes were, "You're tired,"

"No," she said stubbornly, "I need you to tell me everything about this place. If I'm going to be here for a year, I should know what to expect,"

"Tomorrow," he said, "And that is something to look forward to!"

"Why?"

"You'll meet my wife,"

"You have a wife?"

"Well, technically fiancé. I hope you like her… I hope you like it here,"

She was quiet, letting her dark hair fall forward to hide her face so he couldn't see she was fighting back tears. Oregon seemed like the best place in the world, suddenly, "I'm going to go to sleep," her voice was ridged. Once Jack was gone, she turned and cried quietly into her unfamiliar pillow, missing her best friend Wybie more than anything, until her dreams took her. She knew why she was scared. She was scared because the last time she'd ever been in a place like this she almost lost everything.

Her nightmares were full of buttons and black cats.