Author's Note: I've been working on this story before, when I was depressed and had that whole lament thing going on but I actually like how this story was written. Half of the story may sound different since its been awhile I worked on it, first half was worked around April or May and the second part was written this month July...oh and that I totally forgot what the plan was to make the ending...but luckly it came back to me. Its just a short story about a silly relationship I made up between Jack and Sally before the whole nightmare started. As I keep reading this story, the more it touches my heart. I say this is far beyond the best story I ever made. Thank you all for reading and keep on reviewing!

And I donot own The Nightmare Before Christmas; since the almighty Tim Burton does, but I do own one character I made up and her name is Alice.

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Before The Nightmare

The night was as dark as every Halloween night was, where the children scream and the monsters took pleasure frightening them with joy.

The wind was cold, senting spine chilling thrills creeping up the edge of your back, as the wolves howl beyond the moonlit sky.

There was still 364 more days before Halloween arrived but of course our young dear friend, Jack was still working hard up the very tip of his bony fingers...

Sally sighed deeply with passion, running her fragile fingers down her red coarse hair. Just one string of lead can tore her apart, from the very tip of her fingers down to her toes.

She quitely sat at the very top watching through her window pane, looking and being amazed of how this Pumpkin king can just sit there all day long thinking of the Halloween fesitivites.

The yelling and screaming from Dr. Frinklestein earlier this day was still running over and over through her mind. Her mind was too filled of non-sense that she couldn't hold it any longer.

It seemed to haunt her every day, that it always feels like a whole big competition between Jack's new crush.

Her name was Alice.

Always thinking she couldn't make it through Alice's superior mind and beauty, always nice and friendly.

Ever since that day she came, Jack was always by her side whispering little dirty secrets that made her giggly and made Sally furious.

Sally tried to make herself just as nice but it seems to fail because the results always show that she didn't won any attention at all.

Is this jealousy?

Feeling tears run down her pale cheeks she brushed them off softly, getting up and gentely walking towards a small little desk, with a dark black feather and ink, laid beside a interesting looking staionary, elegant yet quaint.

Softly she sat down on a little stained bucket then dip the dark black feather into the ink, carefully she thought, dabbing the ink on her fingers, and suddenly had an idea to write for Jack.

Her deep emotions took over her and Sally felt she was on a roll, making sure her grammar was perfect.

After she was done writting, she carefully placed the feather and ink right back down, having a little grin crossed her face as she re-read the letter and folded it nicely, placing a tiny lavender pink bow on top.

Sally had the feeling that this letter was just too perfect, it will knock some sense into Jack and make him fall deeply for her, letting his thoughts fall into place on Sally not Alice.

Though? How can she give the letter?

It was raining hard tonight, what if the rain smudge her writting? And of course Dr. Frinklestein will never let her out for what a commotion and embrassement she caused for him today deserves nothing but a cold shoulder.

She wanted so badly to give it to Jack before time runs late, Alice's suduction will suck Jack right into a trap!

Never did Sally trusted Alice, not because of jealousy but had a feeling that she may hurt her only Pumpkin king.

Random thoughts flew through out the air that it drove Sally even more insane and anixious to give Jack the letter, she threw herself across the room with frustration.

The tears flow freely down her paled face, stinging and blinding her eyes to the real truth, Sally thought this was the end for her.

But then she looked down at the light lavender envelope on the rusty broken plank ground, tilting her head to the side she figured out this letter was the only thing she got left, that it wasn't exactly the end untill Jack recieves the letter.

Sally's ragdoll eyes brighten with joy but still depressed and gloomy to see it was still raining though she knew the pouring rain won't stop her, nothing will.

Feeling a sudden pride tingle throughout her body she quickly got up holding the tiny envelope and dash to her bed, gathering all the blankets and sheets, making it into a rope to swing outside down Halloween's steps.

She stuck the little envelope inside her rag dress, holding the letter close and tight to her chest making sure not a single water drop will flow inside and ruin the ink.

Slowly she made her way down gracefully, the rain was harder than she thought, the rain soaked through her clothes, to the letter, make the ink smudged abit.

"Oh no."

The rain continue to pour and pour as our dear Sally quickly rushed over to Jack's place, panting and taking deep heavy breaths, she rang Jack's doorbell.

The doorbell made a frightful screech, loud enough for everyone in Halloween Town to hear, luckly outside Jack's door there was shelter to cover the person standing outside the door from the pouring rain.

Jack quickly shot up straight from bed from hearing a familiar screech downstairs doorbell, he yawned loudly as he rubed his eye sockets, moaning and groaning, of how late it was and how he just fell asleep that now he has to get up again.

He's eyes still closed, lazily he stumbled downstairs, into the the front door, trying to find the spider shaped door handle as he was still rubbing his eyes frusteredly, he answered with a adnormal groan, "What? Yes? Who's there!"

Sally looked up at Jack happily, her eyes still as big and bright as ever, she slowly reached inside her rag dress and took out the little lavender envelope with Jack's name written nicely in black print cursive. Sally smiled, "I'm so dearly sorry for waking you up so late at night Jack...but...I-I-I have s-something to give you...its not much...but..."

She didn't bothered to finished the sentence since she was so embrassed, blushing a bright red, fridgeting with her fingers, random thoughts flew through the air again, too excited of what thoughts Jack would bring her, good or bad?

So quickly Sally shoved the little lavender letter on Jack's bony hands and looked away, she felt so close to him, feeling Jack's heavy breathing ruffled her hair, the rain still falling freely, tiny drops making little tick tack sounds on the roof.

Jack was stunded, so surprised she would go all this trouble late at night in the pouring rain just to give him a simple letter, swallowing hard all the effort he could say to her was, "Thanks".

Sally frowned, she was expecting more from the Pumpkin king, but then again it was very late at night and he was very sleepy that he couldn't barely think right, sooner or later he'll thank Sally more.

Suddenly that frowned turned into a smile again, "Your welcome, I was glad t-"

Jack stop Sally before speaking more and looked down, "But...I-I can't..."

"W-what? What do you mean you can't?" Sally exclaimed abit worried now, she felt a sudden breeze swooped down around them.

"...Ah...Sally...you see...I...just..." Jack sighed, it was harder than he thought, "...Alice..."

Sally felt her whole body drop down, her eyes blood shot, her mouth ran dry, stuttering, trying to find a way to speak, trying to run away but her whole body froze, felt as though someone super glued her to Jack's front porch.

She couldn't believe of what she was hearing from Jack, she thought Jack would apperciate her more for coming all this way to his house, in the pouring rain, giving him something she thought was very special.

Trying to speak again, all Sally could get was, nothing...

Some strange reason her whole body unfroze and she quickly dashed home in the pouring rain, crying, tears stinging, hard to see where she was exactly going. Home? No, she wanted to get away from here, from Halloween Town, from Jack...

As Sally was blindly running a single thread got stuck upon a willow tree, pulling her whole body, arm to pieces, down to the ground.

Her fragile ragdoll body was no longer together...

"S-Sally?" Jack managed to whisper but all to late for Sally to ever hear, Jack felt...depression was about to occur, he felt all too much pain for anyone to express with words, only seeing was believing.

Hesitating he looked down at the little simple light lavender envelope, opened it slowly with his bony fingers, inside...there was three words...printed nicely in cursive, was...

"I Love You"

If skeletons could cry, Jack would.

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- xwaffleszimx aka Clarissa