A Nightmare Remembered…

Chapter One: A Time Haunted

"Hello?" he called out. But there was no one and nothing. His only company was the black that filled the void, however empty it truly was. He was wary to walk forward, viewing nothing beneath his feet. As he began to lift his foot, he heard a small noise, almost like a hum. He looked quickly to his left and then right, a familiar, yet long forgotten feeling creeping over him. Suddenly the black of the abyss began to drip with colors of scenery. Grays, blues, purples, and blacks leaked from what seemed to be everywhere and yet nowhere. He heard footsteps not belonging to his own, for he hadn't ventured to move his own legs yet. The colors began to bring into view a place with which he had never been before, yet something about it seemed oddly familiar. A bright, pale moon hung above a grove of dying trees, orange leaves clinging to the dead branches.

Hidden below these sad, dying trees was something, something he couldn't quite make out. A growing feeling in the pit of his chest told him to inch closer and so he did. As he walked a figure took shape out of a surrounding fog. It seemed to move up and down ever so softly. He realized then it was a person and they appeared to be weeping. Sadness fell over him in an overpowering wave. He felt the need to run over and comfort this person. His pace quickened, but was brought to a halt quite suddenly when he finally realized just who he was looking at. He felt his shoulders sink, his legs grow weak, and his heart heavy. There she lay under the pale moon light, body shielded from the cold only by a black lace corset and torn gray chiffon skirt. The black of her mascara ran down her cheeks, dotting her gown. Her lips, red and untouched as the petals of a rose bud in bloom.

He felt the sob within him, with no way to come out for now he knew where he was and in turn, remembered who he was. He wouldn't touch her, he couldn't touch her. He fell to his knees before her, his head hung. The pain of the sorrow flowing through him was almost more than he could bear. And before he faded away, a whisper fell from his lips… "I love you…"

oOo

Nothing moved, shifted, or even noticed as Jack Skellington jolted awake. The bats hanging from the bare branches glared at him, dully. Jack looked up at the gray, cloudy sky and felt the hard, cold ground below him. He had woken up, not in his own bed and room, but sprawled upon the dirt of the Hinterlands. He sighed and brought his hands to his face in frustration. This had happened so often, around once or twice every week aside from the months of October and December, where it happened all the more frequently.

Jack grunted slightly as his hoisted himself into an upright position. He leaned over his boney knees, placing his equally boney elbows upon them. All at once, he realized how very alone he was at the moment. And yet, he never truly felt alone at all, but rather that something small, timid even, and faint lingered around him. It had been this way ever since, she, had left. Jack could already feel his thoughts becoming troubled. Suddenly he spotted a white wisp on the horizon.

"Zero!" Jack shouted to his loyal companion. At the sound of his master's voice, Zero darted over to where he lay. Upon reaching him, he danced and twirled around Jack, who to the dog's dismay, showed no response to this happiness. Zero began to whimper and whine. Jack absent-mindedly patted his mutt's head, but glared ahead at the empty landscape. However he thought of nothing, but simply stared, not wanting to move, think, or feel. The glowing pumpkin sun began to peak from behind the black-gray clouds and Jack realized he really didn't want to be where he was right now, but where could he go and what would he do? Do, he thought. He remembered then that it was October 1st and that meant the start of the most rigorous month of the year for him. Although he felt sorrowful and hollow, as he did every year, he couldn't ignore his holiday, one of the last things he truly loved that he could still have near him. But these days, even Halloween seemed to have emptiness to it.

Slowly, Jack rose to his feet. He looked down at Zero and motioned for him to start towards town. Zero lifted and licked Jack's 'cheek' and Jack, in turn, scratched behind Zero's ears. As they walked, Jack could feel it. That feeling. Something, dancing around him like a taunting wisp, a ghost of a ghost, reminding him, forcing upon him. He pressed his hands against his head, as if to drown out this tormenting shade. He looked up and could see the town coming into focus. He sighed and quickened his pace. He needed something, anything to take his mind off of this horror. He could start to feel the feeling fall off of him and he broke into a run. The heaviness was inching off of him. As he took his first step into town and all seem to clear and lift, a soft, fast voice shot into his ear and called out, "Jack!"

Jack fell into town upon his knees. He couldn't take anymore; this sadness and haunting had been lingering upon him for four years now. He closed his eyes hard and pressed his hands against his head.

"Stop…stop please!" he begged nothing. Zero whimpered sadly and began to howl. Jack crawled to the Town Centre Fountain and hung himself over it. His shoulders rose and fell, he appeared to be sobbing, but no tears formed. They never did and the sorrow just continued to grow. He looked over into the flowing water of the fountain and saw his reflection. Once again what looked back was disappointing…