A/N: Warning:The first chapter of this story is a bit scary, sad and a bit bloody. Read at your own risk!

I don't own anything!

The Lost Brothers

Chapter 1: An Untimely Death

Two brothers were walking down the street to town while having a conversation. The two were followed by two dogs. Both were miniature Dash hounds. One had light brown fur with a spot on its back, whose name was Scraps, while the other was white, and was named Zero.

"I'm telling you Victor," began the oldest of the two brothers. "I'm gonna leave this town and never comeback! But don't worry Victor; I'll take you with me. Plus, not only will we be very successful men. We won't have to worry about mother anymore!"

"You'd leave even though it would be against mother's wishes? I sure do wish I had your courage Jack," Victor commented.

"Oh, come now Victor. It's not that hard to stand up against mother," Jack told his little brother.

The two brothers were the closest brothers you'd ever see in town. They did almost everything together. Both of them had black hair and blue eyes. Jack had just turned 13, while Victor was 9 turning 10. They were wearing black coats, pants, and shoes. It was just another cloudy chilly fall day in town. The dogs, Spot and Zero, continued to follow the boys, for they belonged to them.

"How do you do it Jack?" asked Victor.

"Do what?" Jack replied confused.

"Stand up against mother and go against her wishes," Victor repeated.

"As I said Victor, it's not that hard," Jack replied. "Right Zero."

The white Dash hound barked in happiness and agreement at his master's comment.

"Jack you're so brave. A natural born leader. I bet you could even make the mayor here eat out of your very own hand," Victor commented. "You're everything I wish I was…."

Jack looked at Victor with a sympathized look and then patted his brother's back.

"Victor, you're special in your own way. Besides, I can't think of anyone better at coming up with tricks and ideas, to help me celebrate Halloween in this old town of ours," Jack said reassuringly.

"It was pretty funny when the mayor tripped on our trip wire, causing our catapult to shoot the pumpkin that was in it, at him last year," Victor smiled while Jack laughed.

"Exactly, and that was your idea to begin with too," Jack said confidently to Victor. "And besides, you know what tonight is, right?"

Victor smiled. "It's Halloween."

"Exactly! Now we're going to need a good trick this year," Jack said deviously.

Later that Night

"Jack…! Jack..!JACK!" Victor cried, at the motionless body of his older brother.

It had all happen so fast. How could have one little prank, go horribly wrong. Victor tried to relay what had happen in his head.

15 minutes ago….

"Come on Victor! This prank is going to be the crown of our achievements!" Jack exclaimed happily and proudly.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Victor asked.

"Of course Victor," Jack said reassuringly. "I'd never let anything happen to you."

Victor gave a reassured smile. "Okay Jack! Now….Where do you want this?"

The prank was all set. All they needed was a victim. Then they heard the sound of someone walking down the street.

"Hide!" Jack yelled softly, while trying to hold back a laugh.

The 2 brothers hid behind some bushes.

"Shhh," Jack hushed Victor, who was having a hard time controlling his laughter.

The prank went off. The two brothers came out from behind the bushes, laughing. That's when everything went wrong. The brothers' eyes widened after they stopped laughing. The man, who was hanging upside down with cream pie all over his face, was a notorious serial killer. He wiped the whip cream off his face and stared at the boys in anger.

"You….little….BRATS!" the serial killer yelled in anger.

Before the two had the chance to run, the serial killer pulled a butcher knife out of his sleeve and threw it. The butcher knife hit Jack right where his heart was. Jack fell to the ground covered in blood, dead. Zero charged at the killer, who had cut himself down using an extra knife, and sank his fangs into the killer's leg. He screamed in pain and looked at Zero with a look of pure rage.

"Mangy, MUTT!" yelled the killer while he stabbed Zero.

"Nooo! Zero!" screamed Victor with more tears running down his cheeks.

The killer stopped stabbing Zero and started to walk toward Victor. Victor was to scared and upset to move. The killer raised his knife above Victor's head. Victor closed his eyes.

'I'm coming Jack…' Victor said in his head, willingly accepting his fate.

Then the sound of the police filled the night air. They surrounded the killer.

"Put your hands in the air or we'll shoot!" shouted one of the police men.

Present Time

And that's what happened. The killer was finally caught.

'But at what cost,' Victor thought while looking at Jack's body.

Victor cried, even when one of the police men told him it wasn't his fault.

"It's not your fault boy. It was a freak accident. Just a prank that went horribly wrong. Plus I'm sure you and your brother didn't expect to catch a killer in your prank," the police man said soothingly, while patting Victor's back.

But no matter what anybody said he still felt responsible for Jack's death. The next few days went by fast. First, was the news of Jack's death in the paper. Next, was the funeral. Then finally, there was the burying of Jack's body. It was a rainy day when they were burying Jack. They even put Zero's grave right next to Jack's in the cemetery. As other people were under their umbrellas, trying to keep dry. Victor stood on top of a hill, out in the rain and away from the group.

'One day I'm gonna leave this town and never comeback! But don't worry Victor I'll take you with me,' Jack's words echoed in Victor's head.

"I guess you got what you wanted, Jack….You left this town, and you can never come back," Victor said to himself sadly. "Only….You couldn't take me with you."

Scraps came up the hill and sat by Victor's leg. He started to howl when they began to lower Jack's body into the ground. Scraps continued to howl for the loss of Jack and, his friend, Zero.

Jack awoke in a cemetery. He got up and looked around. He saw a spiral hill and a pumpkin sun shining bright.

"What is this place?" Jack asked intrigued. "And how did I end up here?"

He then sat back down and started to think what had happen. Then it all came back to him, the prank, the knife hitting his chest, and dying. Jack turned around and read the tombstone that was right behind him.

Jack Van Dort

Born: Oct. 30

Died: Oct. 31

"I'M DEAD!" Jack yelled loudly with shock.

He turned his head toward the grave next to him. Laying there was a ghost dog with a bright red-orange nose. Just reading the name on the dog house tombstone was enough to tell Jack who the little ghost dog was.

"Zero…?" Jack asked.

The ghost dog picked up his head, looked at Jack and barked happily.

"If you're a ghost, Zero. Then what am I?" Jack asked while, putting a boney figure on his chin.

"A BONE!" Jack yelled shocked.

He held out his hands and they were nothing but bones.

"I'm a skeleton," Jack said in amazement, while looking at his new form. "But my clothes are still the same."

Jack looked at Zero and shrugged.

"Now….Where are we?" Jack asked.

Then Jack thought of Victor.

'I hope Victor is alright,' Jack said in his head, while looking down.

"The new arrival is over here Dad," came a thirteen year old boy's voice.

Jack turned around to see another skeleton, his age, wearing a black cloak. The taller one held a scythe in one hand and wore a black hooded robe. The teenaged skeleton was pointing at him. Jack figured that the taller skeleton must be the teenaged skeleton's father. The adult skeleton walked over to Jack and inspected him.

"Well this is unexpected," said the adult skeleton.

"What is?" asked Jack.

"You weren't supposed to die….Your younger brother was."

Jack then remembered that the killer's knife was about to hit Victor, until he pushed him out of the way and took the knife to the heart himself.

"I promised that I'd protect him, and that's what I did. So sorry for the in convince," Jack commented.

The adult skeleton sighed.

"Well….we better take him to Halloween Town, son," spoke the adult skeleton. He turned around and started to walk toward the exit of the cemetery.

"Looks like we don't have a choice," Jack said while looking at Zero.

The teenaged skeleton held out his hand in front of Jack.

"My name's Grim Reaper," Grim introduced himself while shaking Jack's hand. "And that's my Dad, Death Reaper."

Grim pointed to the adult skeleton with his free hand.

"My name's Jack Van Dort," Jack said.

The two teenaged skeletons let go of each other's hands and, started to walk toward the exit together.

"You're going to love Halloween Town, Jack," Grim smiled.

"Where's Halloween Town?" Jack asked.

"Not too far from here. Did you really take your little brother's place in death?"

"I guess I did."

Grim then began to tell Jack as much about Halloween Town as he could. The two then reached the gates to the cemetery were Death was waiting and, overheard Grim telling Jack about the Town. Which seemed to be overwhelming Jack a bit.

"Settle down Grim. First we need to find a family that will adopt Jack," Death interrupted.

"I know just the person! The Pumpkin King!" Grim exclaimed happily.

"Who?" asked Jack.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the 1st chapter. I will not accept any negative comments on how the chapter started out. Cause I gave you a fair warning at the beginning of it. So if you ignored the warning, TO BAD! I will however, take ideas and comments on the grammar of the story.