You had been so excited to go out tonight. You enjoyed Halloween; and this was your first outing with the so called 'big kids'. They had been nice enough to allow you to tag along this year, and you had been ecstatic at the prospect of being seen as more than a 'little baby'.

It was fine at first, all of you going up to houses and getting the usual one piece of candy; though you noticed some of the older kids grabbed more if they could get away with it. Things continued like this for a while, you happily strolling along behind them in your little costume with your trick or treat pail, going along the neighborhood house by house until there were no houses left.

Then one of them had made a suggestion to go into the woods as a sort of shortcut to reach the other neighborhoods around town. They said it was for better candy, and who were you to say no to that? Not like you could protest, small, tiny thing that you were. You wanted them to see you as a big kid, not a little child, and so you said nothing despite the trepidation making your heart beat faster in your chest. Though you had felt a tiny shiver go down your spine as some of the kids stared at you, their gazes somewhat menacing in the dark of night. What was there to be afraid of, you told yourself? You were five years old; certainly big enough to do something like this by yourself. Besides, it's not like they would leave you all alone in the woods as they ran off to find candy, would they?

Oh, how naive you were!

You tried to run as fast as you could after them, your stubby little legs not as nearly well equipped to traverse the uneven terrain. The small pumpkin shaped container that held your candy rattled continuously as it kept bouncing and slapping against your side, candy sometimes spilling out and forcing you to stop running to pick it up every so often, fear building in your gut as you saw their forms get farther and farther away. They didn't really seem to notice you, and you thought you heard some of them laugh in the distance, but you couldn't be too sure.

"Wait for me!"

Your weak, tiny voice cried out, a last ditch attempt to get them to notice you. Not a one of them turns back, making you wonder if you didn't shout loud enough. You try shouting once more, hearing your voice crack somewhat due to fear as it is swallowed by the darkness. You were all alone then, their figures nowhere to be found in the dark expanse of trees. They had left you, running off somewhere in their rush to acquire more candy, and possibly trick more people while they were at it, and you were now on your own.

It was scary for you to be here, the wind's whistling sounding almost like howls to your young ears and the trees' large branches looking like claws that would grab you up in an instant and snatch you away to who knows where. You felt your heart catch in your throat, effectively stopping any further attempts to cry out that you tried. You shivered as you felt the cold wind bite your skin, unsure of what to do or where to go as your eyes darted to and fro. No, you weren't going to cry, you tried telling yourself. You were a big kid now; Big kids didn't cry!

Still, despite your best efforts, you felt your eyes start to burn as your vision became blurry, tears trailing down the side of your face as you let out a tiny sob. That small sob turned into one of many, your tiny body slumping against a tree trunk as you huddled your arms around yourself. What were you going to do?

The lanky skeleton carefully extricated himself from the tree hollow, being cautious not to bump his head on any of the taller branches. If only the trees in the human world were able to grow as big as they did back in Halloween Town, he mused as he dusted off his suit. Though, 'Halloween Town' was still more of an idea than an actuality; the place mostly empty and abandoned aside from himself, which was quite a sobering thought for the tall skeleton. Trying to build a town wasn't easy; there were a lot of small things needed to get it going. Sometimes the trip between the two realms was more than he had bargained for. But, it was worth it, he thought, for him to be able to go out and terrify the humans. Here, he felt, he could truly practice his craft. And possibly distance the odd, creeping loneliness in the depths of his heart.

Scanning the forest, not entirely sure where he had ended up this time, the skeleton began walking at a somewhat leisurely pace. He hoped to find some unaware humans with which to practice his spooking technique; Jack not entirely confident in his ability to scare people. Ever since he had 'awoken' so to speak, he just understood that was his calling; what he had been brought into the world to do. And so he had tried to practice his craft as much as he was able.

The sound of crying made him pay more attention to his surroundings, the noise slightly out of place in these dark woods. It didn't sound like the hysterical crying of someone who had just been scared out of their wits; the skeleton would know that sound anywhere. Or at least, he hoped he would, seeing as he was getting better at scaring humans every time he came into the human world.

This...wasn't that.

The pitch and tone of the sobs were easy for him to follow, even in this dense forest, curiosity making him want to seek it out just for the heck of it. The tall tees and creeping foliage were of little obstacle to Jack, his long legs easily able to stride over the inconveniences as he crept along. Soon enough, he came upon the source of the sound; a small, huddled child, tears streaming down their red face.

He only looked at the tiny, shaking figure on the ground from a distance, not wanting them to spot him and run off, it's pitiful cries making something inside him ache. They were only a child, after all; And an extremely small one at that, Jack reasoned, going by their size. Then again, he was quite tall himself, well over the size of a normal human male, so maybe he could have been mistaken. It had been a while since he had went out into the human world to scare someone, after all.

The thing was truly terrified, going by the hiccuping sobs it made; and not terrified the way that he usually preferred his scare victims. There was fear, and then there was fear, and this seemed to him like a case of the latter. He didn't like it; what kind of...jerk...would leave a small child out here in the woods all alone? This certainly seemed like a place not suited for a small child. The skeleton wasn't sure of what he could do to help, seeing as he was an outsider who rarely intervened in human affairs—aside from scaring the daylights out of unwitting humans—but he wasn't just going to stand here and do nothing!

But, Jack was concerned about scaring them, a slight smile coming to his stitched lips as he understood the irony of the situation. He wasn't exactly drop dead terrifying, only when he wanted to be, but a small, confused and frightened out of their wits child might think otherwise. He didn't want to scare them and cause them to run off deeper into the woods; they could get hurt. Then again, he reminded himself, it was Halloween, after all. The child might just see him as someone wearing a costume, albeit much more detailed than normal. His mind firmly made up, Jack made sure to move towards them as loudly as possible to announce his presence.

You weren't too sure how long you just stayed there, sobbing. It felt like ages, the cold wind brushing against your cheeks, your shoes buried deep in the cold, damp soil where you sat for what seemed an eternity. You didn't want to go anywhere else, too afraid that you'd get lost further and no one would be able to find you. So, the best thing your tiny mind decided was to stay here, in case maybe one of the bigger kids came looking for you. You hoped they would, anyway.

Hearing a noise to your side, you nearly let out another sob as you saw something emerge out of the brush. It was hard for you to make out what it was, seeing as your vision was blurred from the tears streaming down your face. It was a tall, thin person, and you could watch in surprise and fear as they crouched down to your level. It took you a moment to realize it was an adult—or maybe a teenager—wearing a costume; the lack of light making it more difficult to make out their features. You just waited as they stared at you with a concerned look in their eyes.

"What's this? Did you get lost? You poor thing; it's scary out here at night for a child your age! Where are you parents? Are you with anyone?"

They didn't scare you, even though you were told numerous times to not talk to strangers. Maybe it was because of the odd looking smile on their face, the calm tone of their deep and melodious voice or how they gestured to you, but you felt an odd sense of peace despite the fear making you nervous. Maybe it would be ok to let them help you; it was certainly better than sitting here in the cold and crying! You just do your best to give them piecemeal details of what happened, in between small sobs, your mind too flustered to remember everything clearly. They listened patiently, coaxing it out of you gently with questions and suggestions.

"...I-i d-don't...I-I-I—"

You tried to say, before you burst out yet again into tears. You couldn't help it; you were just so scared and flustered. The person didn't seem to mind at all, even going so far as try and keep you calm,

their oddly soothing voice assuring you that everything was going to be ok. You felt something silky and soft start to wipe your cheeks then, your eyes blearily opening to see the strange person holding a handkerchief, long, gangly arms carefully mopping up your tears and slobber. That made you feel a little bit better, and you try to continue through racking sobs. They are nice enough to try and put a hand on your shoulder, their voice calm as they comfort you.

"Don't cry; there, there now. Just try and tell me what happened!"

Their voice is nice and gentle, soothing, and almost reminding you of something. It helps calm you, and you try to explain once again from the beginning. You even go so far as to give the person some descriptors of the big kids you had been trick or treating with. If they were an adult, and they seemed trustworthy to you, maybe they could help reunite you with the others. Though most of you just wanted to go home by now; you were tired, and cold and maybe even a little peckish. The tall person only attempts to look you in the eyes once more, and you follow suit, curiosity making you anxious.

"That's horrible! You must be terrified! While it is Halloween, and I do love a good scare, this is pushing things!"

You hear them say, their voice rising in volume and deepening as they spoke the last sentence. They must be angry about it, you guess. You weren't really sure and didn't care; you just wanted to go home! You watch as their expression shifts suddenly, the odd cloth covering their eyes widening in surprise as they smiled at you.

"Ah, with all that was going on, I nearly forgot to introduce myself! You may call me Jack, little one. Would you give me your name?"

You nod, giving your own name as you were taught to do. Jack just smiled again, even going so far as to pat your head a couple times.

"So, [Name], is it? How nice to meet you! Maybe we should try and get you home, yes? Come with me; I'll keep you safe."

You let him grab your hand then, the feel of it odd to you as it wrapped around your much smaller hand. It was hard, and slightly chilly, and textured differently from any other hand you had held before. Despite this, it wasn't uncomfortable, just different. You just didn't feel scared around Jack; quite the opposite really. You felt safe, calm even. He carefully began to walk, his long legs dwarfing your stubby limbs as you both moved through the woods. He seemed to be conscious of this however, being careful not to walk too fast for you. You just followed him through the woods as best you were able, not wanting to be left behind. After a while, Jack began to speak, you listening intently.

"Are you ok? Let me know if you're tired, alright? Do you need me to carry you?"

"No, I can walk...T-thank you, mister."

You mutter, hanging your head down slightly, sort of shy and nervous. You just feel Jack's suddenly tug on your arm stop then, the tall costumed adult turning your way once again. You couldn't really tell what expression he was making, but your stomach still was slightly unsettled as you watched him crouch down towards you again.

"What's wrong? Are you sure you're ok?"

"..."

You can't really answer him, since you weren't too sure yourself. You try to say something though, not wanting to be rude seeing as he asked you a question.

"I'm ok…"

"You don't sound ok. Are you still scared?"

"...N-no."

You lie, and he can obviously sense it, going by the frown on his spherical face. He sighs, shaking his head as he regards you.

"Everyone gets scared. Just because you're afraid doesn't mean you're not brave or strong."

"E-everyone? Even adults? The big kids called me a crybaby. I don't wanna be a crybaby anymore. I want to be big and strong! If I can't be scared, I'm strong, right?""

He heard the child mutter, the semblance of an idea coming to Jack suddenly. He let out a small chuckle then; children really were quite precious. They saw things differently than how cynical adults or teenagers did; more simply, more pure hearted. Which was probably why he often targeted older humans on Halloween; to show them that they could still be scared out of their wits. That, and it was quite a challenge for Jack; he also saw it as a way to improve his skills.

It was one of the few things he understood to be his purpose, something that gave him a sense to keep on going, despite the uncertainty for the future he held. He quite enjoyed watching fully grown men be reduced to sobs and shrieks after one of his tricks was successful. It was much more satisfying to him than scaring a small child. He rather liked children. Jack only offered the small child a sincere smile as one of his long arms reached out to pat them on their head.

"Of course! Fear isn't a bad thing. Not at all! It's very good!"

"It is?"

He stopped speaking then, his bony hand cupping his chin in thought. Explaining the nuances of fear to a small child was not exactly easy. Maybe there was some way to show them...That's it! A mischievous smirk lit up his face, sockets narrowing as he thought up a plan. Maybe there was a way to give them payback for what they had done to the small child, and he could get some good scares in as well. And, the child could learn a lesson about how fear was a good thing, something positive, not negative. Yes, that was it.

"Being afraid isn't a bad thing. Maybe I can help teach you why; after we find those bullies!"