Chapter 1 The Memoirs of Sybil

I don't remember a lot of my mother, but I do remember one memory in particular of her, she was mixing some stew for my father, and she seemed to be crying. For some reason my mother never liked me or my father. She never spoke a word to me, and practically ignored me for the time she was alive. But on the day I remember I guess she just wanted to be hugged. For I ran over to her, tugged her tattered dress, I was only five in this memory so it was very blurry. I said something to her which made her hug me. I can't remember what I said, but I do remember my mother's brown eyes glancing down at me with sorrow. I remember the way she felt as she hugged me. For a moment in my life actually felt something other than hatred. I felt like I was loved.

Now, lets fast forward to when I was six years old, my mother had killed herself when I was around five, leaving me in the hands of my father, he never liked to be called father or dad, so I had to call him by his real name Oggie or I could call him Sir. He preferred Sir a lot more than Oggie. I would always get a smile from him when he heard the word Sir. He didn't talk to me a lot, he only spoke to me when it was on how to make his snake and spider stew. Which, if you didn't get it right, he would burn you with it. I learned that the hard way many times. Until finally I had the ingredients down, he stopped burning me after that.

Father for some reason hated going into town, he always sent me at a young age to go and get the ingredients for his snake and spider stew. I soon realized why he hated going into town. Everyone hated my father, and for some reason everyone hated me. I hadn't done anything wrong to them, but I guess it was because I was related to my father. I do remember one memory I hated the most when I was around seven. I was heading into town to look for some more snakes and spiders. The other folk in Halloween town were laughing with each other, and having a good time. I of course, silently crept passed them and started my hunt for the ingredients as quick as possible. It was because I hated when they glared at me when I was in town, so I always went into town quickly and quietly. But one day me being a klutz I tripped over a tree root which was in the ground. I was trying not to fall, I grabbed on to the first person I could see and flung my stuff all over them, it was completely by accident. I forgot in the moment I had my stuff in my hands. But this wasn't just any creature I had flung my stuff into. It was Jack Skellington, I gulped really hard and started to apologize.

But I guess he wasn't accepting it, he grabbed me by the hand and dragged me all the way home saying not a word to me. He banged on the tree house door and my father answered with his usual word "what!" Jack then spoke. "Your daughter thought it was funny to throw all your horrid ingredients on to me!; I don't know what joke you're playing at, but next time she will be banned from going into town" he yelled. "Oh Jack my boy! I assure you she will be dealt with in the proper manner" explained Father. Jack shoved me toward the tree house door, "good" he mumbled and he then turned to me, "next time young lady, watch who you play pranks on" he snapped. "I-I" I didn't know what to say, but before I could say anything else. My Father was at the door dragging me into the tree house by my hair. He took me down into his layer and started to beat me with a scrap of metal he had found. I remember being in so much pain I went to the bathroom in my pants. Then, my father mocked me for it "you pissed yourself!" he said with a laugh. That night, I cried myself to sleep.

Another memory I have is when I was eight years old, father had just met these three children, who really didn't have any parents and they kind of roamed around Halloween town. The skellington one was seven years old and his name was Barrel, the witch on the other hand was nine years old and her name was Shock, and finally was the devil child named Lock, who I hated the most, he was always nasty to me and not to mention he was also nine years old. Father soon relied on them to go into town and bring back stuff for him because they did it better than I did. After Lock, Shock, and Barrel came around, my father pretty much ignored me. Lock, Shock and Barrel hated me and never let me join in their games. They would sometimes let me in their games if it involved them humiliating me, or getting me in trouble by my father.

Now this memory I can remember the most, again I was still eight years old. Jack Skellington had been missing for a few days. He came back though, talking to the whole town about this place called Christmas town. He then apparently wanted to rule over Christmas town, he put Lock, Shock, and Barrel on a special mission on getting this guy called Santa. Well, because they were so loyal to my father they brought Santa to him instead of keeping him safe like Jack asked for. Of course I stayed out of the biggest argument that Jack and my father had. It ended up my father being unwrapped from his seams and ending up a huge mess. Lock, Shock and Barrel had disappeared for Jack dealt with them another way, so I was left to clean up my father.

After that Lock, Shock and Barrel were out of the picture for a little while and it was just me and my father again. But for some reason after the fight with Jack, people would say nasty comments to me, every time I was in Halloween town. I of course got used to it and just blocked them out. Now lets fast forward the clock to when I was 13 years old. Lock Shock and Barrel were back in the picture when I was 12 years old and it started with them going back into town for stuff. But the reason that I mention why I was 13 years old is because I felt something different about me. Every time I got upset or angry, things around me would move. That's when I figured out I was a witch. You see Shock was a witch as well, she explained to me it was normal for a witch to inherit her powers at the age of 13 for that was the start of puberty. Shock was 14 at the time of explaining this to me, and she kind of started to hate me a lot more. The only time she was nice to me was when she was explaining puberty to me.

It wasn't long after until my father found out about my powers. He was going to spell bound me like he did to my mother. But for some reason he didn't, in fact he had become a lot more interested in me when he found out I had powers. Every day after my 13th he made me practice my magic, if I got it wrong or if I messed up, he would beat me. But I was used to him beating me, I admit it hurt, but I guess I had to be beaten to learn. It was normal... right? Anyway, I remember being 14 years old and I had enough of my father, I had enough of Lock, Shock and Barrel being horrid to me, and I had enough of people in Halloween town. I had heard when I was younger that Jack went through a door shaped like a Christmas tree and everyone in Christmas town was nice. I also heard there was more than one door. So if I couldn't live in the Christmas world or town, it was possible for me to live somewhere else.

But as I packed my clothes that I had made, Shock came barging into my tiny room. "Hey where is my mask- what are you doing?" she asked with a frown. I quickly turned to Shock with a frown, I didn't know what to say. "Nothing" I said trying to act all innocent, "it doesn't look like nothing, where are you going?" she asked folding her arms. "Nowhere, I am just rearranging my room" I explained with a smile. "Really?" she said sarcastically, like she knew what I was up too. "So you're not packing your clothes to run off anywhere?" she said with a smile. I knew she had caught me out, but thinking on my toes I remember saying this to her. "I know you don't like me, so why can't you let me run off?; you will never hear from me again" I said with a smile. She thought for a moment, "fine, but if ya get caught I didn't see shit" said Shock, she turned around and left the room. I smiled and kept packing happily, once I was done I grabbed my bag and legged it down the stairs. This is it, I can finally be free, but my happiness soon turned into a pile of mush. Father was standing near the door, one of his legs were leaning against the door, while he threw his dice in the air catching it perfectly every time. Stood there was Shock with her fingers crossed, mocking me by waving her crossed fingers in the air.

"Shock here tells me, you're running off" said father with a nasty smile, I placed the bag behind me and swallowed hard. I knew this was going to be hard to talk my way out off, so I knew if I told the truth, maybe he will just let me leave. "I am" I said softly feeling my stomach turn, "you are; are you?; and why is that my gurl?" he asked with a snicker. "I-I don't think I can be the apprentice you want me to be; so it's best that I just leave" I said feeling more scared. Father stopped launching his dice in the air, his smile grew wider. "Well I disagree, I think you're a fine apprentice to have; so why don't you go back upstairs and unpack, like a good little dolly" he said with a chuckle, I never knew why he always called me a doll. I wasn't a rag doll like Jack's wife. I think her name was Sally, I am not too sure. But anyway, I felt a little bit of bravery came inside me. "No thanks, I preferred it if I just left" I said with a frown, father started to laugh, Shock started to laugh along with him.

"You can't leave me, even if you tried" he laughed. Tears flooded my eyes, I just wanted to leave. I then remembered the exit in the back. "Okay, I will unpack" I said softly picking up my bag from the ground. "Now, one more thing; come here for a second will ya" he ordered, something wasn't right. I wanted to ask "why?" but I wasn't brave enough to back answer him. I placed my stuff on the ground and headed over to him. Once I was in grabbing distance, he grabbed me by the arm and flipped me upside down. I was wearing a skirt so I placed my hands over my skirt to keep it up. "This is in case you try to run away" he said now holding me by the leg. I felt his two hands grab my left leg, and with all his force, I then felt a snap.