Slave to the Music
An alternate universe fanfiction, I'm sorry to admit. An aspiring death metal band decides it needs some less-than-divine intervention, and summons a demon from hell. Instead, they get Jack from Halloween Town. It seems the only one sympathetic to the poor skeleton's plight is the lead singer's sister, a woman named Sally. My first PG-13 for for minor swearing and… let's call it aggressive flirting. Oh yeah, and attempted demon summoning.
Deathplosion was the newest death metal band in town. It consisted of several suburbanite men with nothing better to do, but nobody told them that. They believed they were the next phenomenon to hit the music industry since Curtis Wolfbane. Or, at least, they would be. They just needed a kick-start.
"And that!" explained Sid, the lead singer, "Is why we are here!" He, a scrawny 28-year-old with wispy red hair and a rather round face, lost his imposing leader pose for a moment. "Sally! Where are the Cheese Munchies?!"
A female voice rang in from the kitchen. "Um, I think you ate them all already!"
Sid turned at his waist towards the kitchen door. "No I didn't!"
The doorknob twitched, and soon Sally had nearly fallen through the door carrying at least four 2-liter bottles of various sodas. "Well, then, maybe one of your friends must have, and-"
"Sally…" Sid growled. "For the last time. They are not my friends. They are my band mates."
"Yeah," mentioned another Sid, this one the rhythm guitarist. "We're his band mates, because… we, like, are… his mates and we play… in his band."
Sally placed the bottles of soda on the coffee table and tried not to laugh. "Thank you very much, Fr-"
Rhythm guitarist Sid nearly jumped out of his chair. The sudden movement sent Sally flying backwards into Drummer Sid and Bass Player Sid. "SID!"
Lead Singer Sid pointed to Rhythm guitarist Sid and glared at him with enough force to drive him back into the chair. "Don't muss with my sister, Sid! You nearly ruined the sodas!"
"Sid! Sid, right!" Sally stuttered, trying to get her footing. "Sid! I'm sorry, Sid!"
Lead Singer Sid growled and mentally pushed everyone back into their seats. "Okay, now everybody be quiet. I have found the solution to all our problems."
Drummer Sid crossed his arms and leaned coolly back in his chair. "You mean our total lack of stage presence or our total lack of talent?"
Lead Singer Sid glared at Drummer Sid. "Shut up, Sid."
"I didn't say anything!" moaned Rhythm Guitarist Sid.
"Not you!" Lead Singer Sid groaned. "I'm talking about-
He slammed a thin leather book onto the coffee table, knocking over several of the soda bottles. (Sally mentally went "Hey!" but kept her mouth shut.) It was heavily bound, as if it were originally intended to be a much bigger volume, but it was barely any wider than a children's picture book. The trim and the thread in the spine were a faded yellow, and the leather was turning black and starting to stink. There were no words, illustrations, or any hints as to what the book would be about in any way shape or form. It was just a thin leather book.
"This."
Drummer Sid scoffed. "Great. You've got the newest collection of Alan Lee drawings."
Sally lowered her eyes, murmuring to herself. "I like Alan Lee…"
Lead Singer Sid hissed. "No. This book appeared in a flash of light while I was down in the basement, and when it did, the room got cold. That could only mean one thing. This…
He picked up the book and displayed it to his band mates (and sister), delicately stroking its spine. "Is a book of demonic summoning."
"DUDE!" went the Sids. Sally gasped and pressed back as far as she could into the chair she was sitting against.
Lead Singer Sid cuddled the book to his chest. "If we summon our very own demon to play for us, we'll be instant billionaires! Even the most metal of metal bands don't have their own demon!"
Lead Guitarist Sid leaned forward, squinting to see any details he could have missed. "Quick, turn it on! Turn it on!"
The until-then-unheard Bass Guitarist Sid raised his hand. "Shouldn't we take a vote on this? All in favor raise your hand!"
The Sid's hands all darted up. Sally faltered for a moment, chest pounding in fear, but the collective glares of the Sids force her hand into the air.
Bass Guitarist Sid clapped his hands together joyfully. "I love it when we all agree on something!"
Drummer Sid put his hand on Bass Guitarist Sid's shoulder. "Sid, stop being happy. You're ruining the band's image."
Bass Guitarist Sid thought for a second. "Okay!"
Lead Singer Sid sighed one last time and began reading the text.
"Sih nih ted seehee…" he scratched his head. "Uni ti-no-kee amy…"
"Sid, you're messing up the incantation!" Drummer Sid wailed.
"Maybe this is a sign we shouldn't do it-"
"Shut up, Sally," Lead Guitarist Sid growled.
"Right," Sally whispered and looked back to her lap.
"Mm-red nerrus why-berry hi dead-knee-"
Bass Guitarist Sid chirped. "Let me try!"
Lead Singer Sid stopped kept going, "Ih-lit nunny ap-foe…"
Rhythm Guitarist Sid now scratched his head. "Maybe it won't work if he doesn't pronounce it right."
"That's why I should do it!" Bass Guitarist Sid explained. "I'm good at reading! I got accelerated reader status in ele-"
Drummer Sid growled, "Sid, shut up. That's so unmetal."
"Right," Bass Guitarist Sid whispered and looked back to his lap.
"Ethan ommusi insert purpose here- oh crap!"
The Sids groaned collectively; Lead Singer Sid had flubbed! Lead Singer Sid pushed the book into Sally's arms. "Here, you do it!" ("Hey!" yelled Bass Guitarist Sid.)
Sally pushed the book away from her, holding in tenderly at arm's length. Her shivering fingers made the book feel like it was moving, like something was clawing under the cover to be let out. "I-I-I don't really-"
"Sally!" Lead Singer Sid nearly screamed, "If you're going to be a death metal-head like us, you cannot be afraid of a harmless demonic summoning! Now HURRY UP!"
Sally gulped, the fear of her brother overpowering the fear of the book. She opened the book to the only page and began.
"Sih nih taed sihe uni tnocy ameh tah tosdlro. Wsi htine fily mred nerrus ybere hi dedne sahec ivress ihlit nuni apfoe. Cnaru ssa niretsam sihnro csotro erusa elpfoe pohnire tsa msih evresot yli. Mafno tgi nglle kseht foelam gnivilt sedle, ethn ommusi-"
Lead Singer Sid suddenly tore the book out of her hands. "Make us the most popular metal band in the universe foeso prupe htrof!"
The room swirled in a flash of light, the wind whipping around the band and Sally. Each flinched and hid under anything and anyone they could, screaming so loud they couldn't hear themselves and waiting for the end. Only Lead Singer Sid had the presence of mind to face the wind, holding the book in front of him like a shield and staring intently at the page.
"WoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA-"
A black mass launched out of the book! It repelled off of Sid's chest-
And tripped over the coffee table. The wind died in an anti-climactic puff, sight instantly coming back to the band mates and Sally. The Sids hurried rushed to the other side of the coffee table, huddling behind their leader. Sally was affixed to her chair, unable to move out of terror. The black mass began to grow, and grow…
And fell over the coffee table again, gangly arms sprawling out and knocking over the remain soda bottles.
They had summoned a stick figure. The thing, whatever it was, had long thing arms and (from what Sally saw) legs, not to mention nonexistent hips and an equally skinny waist. His chest swelled out from the rest of his body like a balloon, matching his spherical white head. His fingers seemed to start at his wrist; the Looney Tune generation adults quickly overlooked the fact that he only had three of them. As his head slowly rose off of the table, it revealed itself to be near identical to the "Have a Nice Day" smiley. The only differences were the notches on his mouth (probably for his teeth) and two little slits for his skeleton nose.
The stick figure's head lolled a bit on his shoulders before he shook himself, a rattling noise coming from his chest. Then it clicked with them; a skeleton! They had summoned a skeleton!
The skeleton rubbed his temples. "Holy shit! That hurt!"
Lead Singer Sid blinked. "Holy shit?"
"Where in blazes…" the skeleton mumbled before shaking his head again. He rose to his feet, towering a good two feet over Lead Singer Sid (the tallest one in the room) and nearly scraping the ceiling with his crown. "What am I doing here?"
"Uh- um-" Lead Singer Sid took a step forward, shins bumping against the coffee table. "I brought you here. I-I summoned you." He pointed to the tome, which was lying spread open on the floor. "W-with the book."
"The book?"
The skeleton looked past the coffee table and saw the corner of the book, which had somehow turned a fresh, healthy brown. "Oh!"
He turned which a flourish and steadied his posture, putting his legs together so he looked like a syringe and holding a hand to his chest. His suit (a nice black-and-white pinstripe) was open at the jacket save for the last two buttons, revealing a clean, white shirt and a bow tie shaped like a bat's head with wings. "No, no, no, you summoned my father. I should not be here."
The Sids looked at each other, confused for a moment, before Lead Singer Sid spoke up again. "But… you're here."
The skeleton looked around again, but now his face seemed… distracted? No one was used to reading an animated skeleton, but something was definitely disturbing him.
"All right…" He rubbed his neck. "I'll play along… for now." With a flip of his head and an audible crink from his joints (it made Sally's stomach jump), he turned his attention back to Lead Singer Sid. "I'm Jack. Jack Skellington, oldest brother of the house of Skellington. And you are?"
Lead Singer Sid felt some of his confidence returning. He went to take a step forward, forgetting he was already touching the coffee table, and rammed his shin into the plywood corner. "J-gah!"
"J-gah?" Jack questioned. "Well, J-gah, nice to meet you."
Sally, despite her terrorized state, started giggling. Jack smiled proudly, not turning his head. "Thank you, I'm glad somebody-" (he addressed the still-in-awe other Sids) "thought that was funny."
"J-gah? That's cool!" cried Bass Guitarist Sid. "Is it too late to change my stage name?"
Drummer Sid grunted, "Yes!"
"Shut up!" Lead Singer Sid finally managed to squeeze out. "I am Sid Ferocious, lead singer of the band Deathplosion.
He put his hand over a short, fat man with straggly black red that almost matched Lead Singer Sid's red. His t-shirt, which didn't quite fit after too many Domino's pizzas, was emblazoned with the Hot Topic logo. "This is Sid Dangerous, lead guitarist.
His hand moved to another man, much taller. With his purple Mohawk and piercings coming out of nearly every orifice, it looked like he hadn't quite left the punk movement just yet. "This is Sid Feral, rhythm guitarist."
Jack waved his hand carelessly, a smirk coming across his face. "I'm starting to detect a pattern." Sally giggled again, and made Jack smile without looking at her.
The next one introduced was a long-haired blonde, a little shorter than Rhythm Guitarist Sid. His clothes and nails were all black, and there were small traces of black makeup around his eyes. "This is Sid Rabid, drummer.
And finally, he passed on to a chipper looking tall man with dark hair and friendly eyes, dressed in bright colors and immediately smiling at Jack with pearly white teeth. "And this is bass guitarist…" Lead Singer Sid lowered his head, cheeks turning partially pink. "Sid Extremely Unfriendly."
Jack burst into a harsh, shrieking laugh and nearly fell onto his back.
"It's a temp name!" Lead Singer Sid roared over the skeleton's laughter. "It's a temp name! We just need to find a thesaurus!"
"Dude, don't say 'thesaurus' in front of the demon," Drummer Sid mumbled. "Very unmetal."
Jack began laughing even louder. "Demon! Oh, that's rich! You guys life me! This is great!"
Jack recovered enough to pull back a section of his sleeve; Lead Singer Sid, Bass Guitarist Sid, and Rhythm Guitarist Sid all saw the rest of Jack's wrist and both of his arm bones. "Look, no flesh. No muscles, no organs, nothing but bone. I am a skeleton." Jack put his hands up to his skull and made little horns with his index fingers. "Demons have little horns and red skin. I know. One lives in my town. He's our local carpenter."
Lead Singer Sid heard the words, but they didn't quite register. "Then why didn't the book send us a demon?"
"Because there are no demons in the Skellington family." Jack popped Lead Singer Sid on the crown of his head. "Hello? Even my skull isn't that empty."
Sally had to cover her mouth with a throw pillow to keep from laughing. Jack felt a warm feeling in his chest, rather like hot chocolate, and was about to turn around to look when Lead Singer Sid caught him by the arm.
"Enough of this shit!" Lead Singer Sid growled. "I summoned you to make my band the most popular band in the universe, so start doing it!"
Jack blinked twice, and odd feat that made the Sids stare.
"That's it?!"
Jack exploded laughing again, and the Sids all groaned and sat down wherever they could.
"I have heard stories," Jack began to explain, "From my grandparents about the stuff they were summoned for! Eternal life, riches, revenge, but you! YOU want me to make your band popular?!" The skeleton had an awful laugh; a shrill "hee hee hee" that didn't fit with his baritone voice. "Oh, God, at least I got someone original! His band! Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!"
Lead Singer Sid felt like he was about to exploded, but with a different emotion. "This is frikkin' GREAT! How are we supposed to make a great death metal band with this?"
The skeleton suddenly stopped laughing. His body was loose, but not limp, and his face was blank. The Sids felt their chests chill collectively; it couldn't be.
Drummer Sid worked up the courage. "Hey… Jack? You do know what death metal is… don't you?"
Jack blinked again, a sight Sally wanted to see again so she could figure out how he did it. Jack put his legs together again, placing one hand on his hip and the other on his chin (now, with his elbows sticking out like they did, he resembled a black stork).
He finally answered, pantomiming the motions as he guessed, "A lead pipe that you beat someone to death with?"
"HUDDLE!"
The Sids rushed to the opposite corner of the room and began whispering to each other. Jack held his arms open, waiting to hear the correct answer, but comically shrugged in defeat.
And that's when he spied Sally, innocently clutching the throw pillow she had been laughing into. She, although still shaking nervously, politely smiled and waved at him.
Jack immediately straightened up, looking refreshed. She looked rather nice, really; nice tanned skin, lovely red hair, and-
"Hi."
She distracted him before he could get a look at her legs. Damn. Maybe later.
Jack slinked into the chair with her, fitting into an inperceivable nook Sally had created in the crook of her legs. He slung one of his arms around her shoulders and effortlessly leaned against her side as if he'd known her his whole life. "Are they always this stupid?"
Sally blushed and became very interested in the pillow she was holding. "I-I wouldn't call it 'stupid'…"
"So they are?"
"Yeah." Sally fluffed her hair lightly. "That's not even their really names."
Jack smiled again, one eye growing rapidly in leu of an eyebrow. Sally giggled again at the sight. "I never would have guessed."
She allowed herself a few minutes to recover, then Sally explained, "They think the stage names are cool. Their real names are Reginald, George, Franklin, Blake, and Kyle."
"Oof!" Jack flinched at the sound of the names, but did it with a smile. "Who's the unlucky one named Reginald?"
It was now Sally's turn to smile. "I went in the same order you did."
The picture of Lead Singer Sid, all 5-foot-11 of him dressed in black leather and chains with a tiny nametag reading "My Name is: Reginald" popped into Jack's hand, and the skeleton laughed again. Sally let a few giggles escape, entertained more by the notion of a laughing skeleton than her brother's goofy name.
"What's your name?" Jack asked. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and lightly touched the bridge of his nose as if mentally punishing himself. "No, wait, how silly of me. It's Sid Mildly Unpleasant, right?"
She offered him her hand. "I'm Sally. Sally Harver."
"Enchanted."
Jack delicately took her hand and kissed it, making Sally giggle and blush even harder. His lips tickled; they were lightly textured and dry, but still warm and soft at the same time. Nothing like she was expecting. She wasn't even expecting the kiss! She just wanted a handshake!
As she giggled, Jack leaned into close to her ear and whispered, "And you think it tickles there…"
Sally's entire upper torso turned into a nice shade of magenta. Sally tugged on her shirt collar and curled into a ball. "Oh God!"
"What?" Jack asked, (not quite) innocently holding out his hands in surrender. "I'm not allowed to flirt with a beautiful woman?"
Sally half-moaned/half-squeaked into the throw pillow, making Jack giggle again.
"Okay, that's it!" Lead Singer Sid finally exclaimed as he left the huddle. "I'm sending you back!"
Drummer Sid pointed to Jack. "You're defective."
Jack slumped onto Sally, raising one hand dramatically over himself. "I feel so much love in this room right now."
Lead Singer Sid picked up the book and tried to flip the only page, making himself feel stupid and angrier all at the same time. "There's always a frikkin' counter spell, now where is it?"
But the book suddenly felt very hot in his hands. As if watched, the lone page curled up, and the bold shrunk and folded in on itself and, it a final flash of light…
Transformed into a television remote. With two buttons.
Jack saw the remote and suddenly froze. Sally could feel the area around Jack getting colder, and even a slight shiver coming from Jack's spine. He was afraid.
"S-Sid?" Jack felt a shudder knocking on his tailbone, asking admittance into his neck. "W-w-what is that?"
Lead Singer Sid (Reginald) noticed the writing on the two buttons, and sounded them out loud out of habit. "Pllleeeassuuureee." He looked to the other one. "Pain."
And then a shadow passed over the man's face, and he smiled eerily.
Jack whipped his feet underneath him and started to crawl over the chair, not taking his eyes off of the remote. "Please… don't let that be what I think it is. Come on, you know I was just making a joke? You can't take that laughing seriously, you can't take anything serious about me-"
Lead Singer Sid pressed the "pain" button.
Jack screamed in an unholy wail that made the entire town rattle. The volume of the shriek made the room flinch in pain, and Lead Singer Sid almost immediately released the button. He tried to screw open his eyes, and they finally complied with him after a few seconds of trial and error.
After only a half-second of the "pain" button, Jack had fallen into the ground doubled over in pain. His breath was heavy and forced, and his entire body was shaking. Beads of sweat were dropping off of the corners of his mouth… or were those tears?
Sally gasped in shock, looking bad and forth at her brother and Jack but unable to make any words come out. She finally kneeled on the floor next to Jack and tried to lift him back up. The Sids stared in amazement, trying to get a grip both on their sense of reality and sense of up and down…
A grin split Lead Singer Sid's face in half. "Guys… we have got the perfect death metal monster…"
Uh… I had notes… but I forgot them… I'm not a HUGE fan of death metal, but I do like it, and this isn't a fic to make fun of death meta- well, it is, because it lends itself well to being made fun of. It's more making fun of- you'll get it. Later. Hope this was a relaxing vacation from the Land of the Mary Sue Fic.