My first Nightmare story. Read and review. On a note, the song below is one that I made up myself, and it took a damn long time. The inspiration came from "Kill the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast, not the chorus of that song, but the melody of the verses. It's to be sung like that until the last verse, which has a slower tempo, rises, pauses, then rises again for the final words. I really hope that made sense to you. The beginning of this chapter is based off of the beginning of Hocus Pocus.

Shade's Hollow

Summary:In the town of Shade's Hollow, every day is spent preparing for All Hallow's Eve, on which the legend of Skeleton Jack comes alive. However, this year, the Hallow's Eve festival takes a startling turn and a young girl is spirited away to the realm of the Pumpkin King of Hallow's Eve, where her loyalty to her hometown and her love for the legend are put to the test.

Chapter 1: Beliefs

"On a crisp Autumn night,

When the moon is high and bright,

The impossible becomes reality.

Though you try as you might,

You'll soon be in for a fright

For it's the closest that our worlds can ever be.

"For the ghouls roam the streets,

Ever searching for the treats

That will satisfy their ever-present greed.

And the spirits in the skies

Dwell among us in disguise,

Spilling forth from dark places where they've been freed.

"But don't pay them any heed.

Let them do their evil deeds,

For there's a greater threat from which to watch your back.

Do not think to be brave.

He has risen from his grave,

The King of Hallow's Eve whom they call . . .

"Skeleton Jack!"

"BOO!" the teacher shouted, jumping into a few of his female students' faces as they chittered to themselves, screaming and laughing in good humor. His blond hair was bound at the nape of his neck by a rubber band, letting a good six inches of hair hang down his back. Though he had a very sophisticated look when serious, the light in his grey eyes gave him a boyish look, even with his glasses. He stalked around the room, sinisterly. "Beware of Skeleton Jack! When the moon is full this Halloween, it may just be His skeletal face you see outside your window!"

"Mr. Spectre, Skeleton Jack is a myth passed down from the founders of Shade's Hollow," a rebellious youth with spiky red hair interrupted, smugly, "He's an old wive's tale to tell naughty children who misbehave. Be back before dark or Skeleton Jack will eat your soul! What a bunch of baloney."

William Spectre straightened, staring at the teen with an amused expression. "Oh, is he now? A wive's tale, says you? Then am I to assume you do not believe in the spirits of the world hereafter, Mr. Trevis?"

Troy Trevis rolled his eyes. "There's no such things as spirits," he said, simply, putting one earphone in his ear, only to have it be pulled out and off his person by Mr. Spectre. He glared at his teacher, who simply dangled the earpiece in front of his, smiling amusedly.

"I suppose you believe that there's no such things as rules, either, Mr. Trevis. This becomes mine and Mrs. Moonblood will see you after school today. You can have this back when your parent comes for it." Troy snorted and put his head down. Mr. Spectre continued to walk around the room until he was standing before another desk. He carefully lifted the book out of the hands of the young girl who'd been reading it and, without losing the page she was on, began to read aloud. " ' "Oh, what a night is this that even the stars dare not show themselves, hidden behind the grey clouds in fright? Why, dear Moon, are you my one companion on this hallowed night of nights? And what youth is this that dares speak my name in vain? Foolish one, do you not know who I am? Why, you've every right to be frightened, for you are in the presence of the Pumpkin King of the town of Hallow's Eve, the Master of Fright! Speak, dear youth who hath spake my name and spat in utter defiance against me. Tell me, are you unafraid now? Run back to your parents and never once utter my name again, lest you provoke the wrath of Skeleton Jack!" ' "

The room fell silent as their teacher recited the passage from the book, staring at the girl who calmly stared up at him, waiting patiently for her book to be returned. Her teacher pushed his spectacles further up his nose, staring down at the book with an amused expression, not at all reprimanding. He chuckled and returned the book to her. "The Legend of Skeleton Jack. How very fitting, Miss Wraith," he said, patting her head and smiling cheerily. "If only some people," he threw over his shoulder at the still-sulking Troy, "were as dedicated to tradition as you."

Troy waved a hand in the air. "Only stories!"

Mr. Spectre turned back to stare at the girl, smiling again. "Then again, I suppose it fits. You are the Spirit Dancer for the festival this year, after all, Bella. I'll have you know that I'm going to come see it once again, as will all the rest of the town. Shade's Hollow is very lucky to have you." He winked at her.

Isabella Wraith, Bella for short, was a junior at the school, with pale skin, long, wavy black hair and cat-like amber eyes. She was tall, just under six feet, and skinny, making many people crack jokes about her last name. "You should be renamed Skeleton," they all said, "Then you could be Jack's Queen!"

She cocked her head, closed her eyes, and smiled. "Of course, Mr. Spectre." Just then, the bell rang, causing the students to jump from their seats as though they were on fire. The flurry of activity ceased as they left the room. Troy waited for Bella in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"Miss Wraith, a word with you, please," Mr. Spectre called after her, causing her to turn and walk towards him. He was sitting against a corner of his desk, arms and legs crossed, casually. He lifted his head in Troy's direction. "Run along to detention, Mr. Trevis. Bella will see you afterwards." Troy rolled his eyes and stepped away from the door, down the hall.

Mr. Spectre turned a tender gaze to Bella and held out his arms, which she stepped into. "I'm so proud of you, Bella," he said, a hand lingering on the side of her arm. "You've always been like a daughter to me. I'm very sorry about what happened to your parents. They would be proud of you, too. How are your aunts treating you?"

"They're fine," Bella said, "After the festival, Aunt Elle wants you over for dinner."

"After midnight? Would that be considered breakfast?" Mr. Spectre asked, causing them both to laugh.

"And Aunt Emily says that she's going to finally beat you at President," Bella said, and they both laughed again.

"I'd like to see her try!" Mr. Spectre exclaimed, putting a hand on her shoulder. He suddenly became serious. "Are you nervous?"

Bella nodded and sighed, hanging her head. The memory of three Halloweens past still lingered with her, after all this time.

"Bella, are you sure you're ready for this?" He gazed at her sadly. "What happened to Mia . . ." He took a sharp breath in through his nose upon saying the name. " . . . What happened to your mother that night . . . Oh, Bella, she's in a better place now." He took Bella in his arms again, trying to blink away the tears forming in his eyes. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Bella nodded, holding herself a distance from him to look at him. "Shade's Hollow hasn't held the festival in three years. Skeleton Jack hasn't been celebrated and he deserves it. I want to do it for Mom." Mr. Spectre went to speak, but she put two fingers to his lips, and spoke in a conspirator's whisper, "Jack didn't take Mom, Uncle Will, it was something else. I don't know who or what, but I know in my heart that it wasn't him. Jack wouldn't do that. He represents All Hallow's Eve and everything sacred and good. He's everything that Shade's Hollow needs." She pulled her hand back and Will Spectre sighed, smiling.

"You look so much like your mother, Bella. I look at you and I can see her there," he said, passing his hand over her hair.

Bella smiled. "She's with me and in me, Uncle. I feel her all the time. She's somewhere out there, but she's still watching out for me," she said, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder. "Well, I should go. Aunt Elle and Aunt Emily are making my costume for the ceremony. I don't want to keep them waiting. They're excited about it."

"Alright. Take care Bella," Mr. Spectre waved as she jogged out of the room and down the hall. She continued on out of the school, until she was walking down the road that wound past the old cemetery. She sighed to herself as she walked along.

"Hey, Bella, what's up?" Troy said, suddenly appearing beside her. She turned to him, startled, and glared.

"Troy, you're supposed to be in detention," she said, stopping in her tracks.

"Bella, you don't honestly believe that demons came and took your mother away from you, do you?" Troy said, changing directions with the conversation. Bella jolted in her place, taken aback. As soon as she got her bearings, she glared at him, harder.

"You were eavesdropping on my conversation with Mr. Spectre!" she scolded, furious, "You had no right!"

"Bella, don't you hear what people are saying? They're calling your entire family nuts. Your father came and caused some sort of distraction so he could sneak away with your mother. She didn't just disappear; that's impossible." Troy glared right back.

"How can you even say that, Troy? I thought you were more mature than that." She continued walking, fury present in her every step, but he grabbed ahold of her arm and jerked her to a stop, forcing her to turn around. His eyes blazed defiantly.

"You just can't deal with the fact that your mother left you to be with your father," Troy snarled at her, "You're denying it to yourself. It happens all the time to kids like us, but we're powerless to stop it. It's not your fault she did what she did, but we can do nothing about it. Dressing up the truth with pretty, imaginative lies doesn't do any good. They're always ugly, always."

Bella pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Is that what you think, too, Troy?" Her voice was soft, low, hurt. She was done arguing. "That I'm making up some story because I feel empty inside? Because I'm denying something that I say happened, and that I'm too damaged to see the truth? I know what I saw!" Her voice rose, tears close to breaking loose. Her voice became shaky, unsteady. "I know what happened! My father never came back to take her away; my father is dead! He died long ago!"

Troy advanced on her, but pulled up short when he saw the tears glimmering in her yellow eyes. Regret flooded him and his throat went dry. Waves of guilt washed over him. He reached out to her. "Bella . . . Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"Yes, you did," she accused, backing away. "You meant every word." The tears that she had been holding back were now spilling down her pale cheeks and she was unable to stop them. Her show of weakness, of vulnerability.

"Bella . . ."

"No, go away!" Bella screamed, running away down the street.

Troy attempted to pursue her. "Bella, please!"

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, disappearing in the distance. She turned into the graveyard, pushing past the gate and closing it behind her, convinced that he was still chasing her when, in truth, he'd stopped long ago. She sprinted past all of the gravestones, tripping on the cobblestone path that wound around them. She sprinted past Jack's Forest and the King's Archway, the site where the ceremony would take place. She went to the farthest corner, where the forest thinned into light woods, and escaped through a hole in the fence large enough for her to squeeze through. She continued running until she found the barren dirt path that wound through the woods, all the way to her aunts' house. By then, she was walking, wiping her face with her dirty hands, leaving smudges.

As she walked into the house, her aunts noticed that something was wrong immediately. They'd always been sensitive to her feelings. They held her as she cried, listened to her story, and dried her tears. The rest of the day was spent fixing her costume, and by evening, she'd forgotten all about the day's events. She turned her gaze to the sky, anticipating the coming festival, only two days away.

Okay, that's the first chapter. My first draft of this was a bit lacking, because I did it so quickly. Just so you know, Will Spectre is her uncle, which explains the touchy-feely crap there. I showed this to a friend and she was like, "Oh my God, she's going out with her TEACHER!?" But then she read the rest and was all, "Oh, I get it." There was no student-teacher relationship, it was a very close niece-uncle moment. So what really happened to Bella's parents? Why is Troy so pessimistic when it comes to the holiday and why doesn't he believe in Skeleton Jack? And what awaits Bella at the festival? Find out in the next chapter (or coming chapters). Reviews are appreciated. Flames will be used in the festival, but they are not needed. Or wanted. I don't own TNBC, but I do own all the OCs, the song I made, and the town of Shade's Hollow. That is, unless there really is a town called Shade's Hollow somewhere in the world. Don't ask where this is, because I don't even know. I just made it up. It's supposed to be like the town in Hocus Pocus, only a bit more traditional, less modern. Let's say it's in the upper East coast, maybe near Salem, Massachusetts. And the town basically worships their patron "saint": Skeleton Jack.