Introduction
Welcome foolish mortals to my new Haunted Mansion fanfic: The 13 Days of Christmas. As you may have guessed, this is a sequel to Happy Haunts. Kim, Jody and Sakura are back along with all of your favourite characters. Madame Leota will be in it, and also one or two ghosts from the Phantom Manor. Jack Skellington will also make a cameo appearance in the story. Now take your loved ones by the hand and board your Doombuggy and prepare to enter a world full of horror, hauntings and holidays!
Please note that this story takes place from December 20th to December 31st.
Prologue
The time on the old grandfather clock in the never quiet hallway in the old Gracey Manor chimed 13 o'clock, the demon claw-like hands rotating slowly around the dust covered clock face. The last chime signalled the final countdown, the countdown to the New Year, so to speak. But halfway between the last 13 days, was a special occasion, known as Christmas. But Christmas was not something that was celebrated in the Haunted Mansion, as the spirits living there were rather…how can I put it…grim grinning ghosts. You see for the last few centuries, 1001 ghosts have all gone to stay at the Haunted Mansion, each one suffering quite a gruesome death. There once was 1002, but the mansion's gypsy, Madame Leota, is now in regions beyond. Christmas has never been a typical thing seen at a haunted house, but this year, things were to be different, much different. As a jolly fellow named Jack Skellington is just wandering into Liberty Square, and will change the way the mansion's history forever.
The 13 Days of Christmas
Chapter 1: The Haunted Mansion's Makeover
Life at the Haunted Mansion had become dull. Not because it was all gloomy and very old, but because Master Gracey had allowed Marc Davis and his team of "Imagineers" to turn the Haunted Mansion into a public attraction. They had installed a track that went all around the mansion, and into the graveyard. The track now had an unbroken chain of black carriages known as Doombuggies, which the mortals sat in and experienced the mansion from their seats. The other annoying thing was that cameras and other such equipment had been built into the mansion's walls and ceilings.
Kimberly, Jody and Sakura, the mansion's latest arrivals, were very unhappy about the changes to the manor. For one, they could not do anything private anymore as they had mortal eyes staring at them for every second, and the secondly was that the Imagineers had given everybody a place to stay for the whole day, every hour, doing the same thing. Kim had to stand on a wobbly ladder in the library, invisible to the naked eye, attempting to a place book on a high shelf. Jody was out in the graveyard, singing the unforgettable lines to Grim Grinning Ghosts, and Sakura sat in the grand ballroom, sitting at the dining table, boringly watching Abigail Boufout try and blow out the candles on her cake, that just seemed to have the power to not be extinguished. Everyone was getting deeply sick and tired of their new lifestyle.
One day, Kim was standing on her ladder, pathetically attempting to put the book back on the shelf. She could clearly see a group of people staring at her as they went by in their Doombuggies, and she was getting very, very, very annoyed with it. As son as the visitors disappeared out of the library, Kim angrily shoved the book into its position on the shelf, slid down the ladder and slumped into the red armchair beside it.
"I can't take it anymore!" she wailed, taking a book from a pile on a table beside her, called "How to Haunt, for Dummies". "It's the same thing every day, my arms are killing me!"
"They can't, your already dead," laughed Edgar Allan, one of the watching busts in the room.
"Oh, be quiet, Edgar," snapped Elizabeth Barrett, another bust.
"I have to stand on that ladder from 9 am to 11pm, and then we only get twelve hours of sleep!" continued Kim. "If Master Gracey doesn't do something soon, I'm going on strike!"
"You're lucky," said Henry Wadsworth, a bust that resembled a bearded man. "We have to follow the guests' eyes every time they go by, as if watching them. Boy does my neck hurt, even though it's made of marble."
"You're a bust!" cried Kim. "Busts can't feel pain!"
"Ah, but since we are spirits, we can feel pain," said Alfred Lord, another bust.
"Right," said Kim and putting the book back on the table, she returned to her perch on the ladder.
Much later on, after the mansion had closed to the public, practically every ghost in the building has confronted Master Gracey, who had declared a meeting in the conservatory. He was trying to quiet everyone down, but there was too much racket for them to hear him.
"Why did you agree with that Marc Davis guy!" shouted Abigail Boufout with rage.
"My dress is ruined cause I'm now limited to that blasted attic!" screamed Emily, Gracey's second wife, at the top of her lungs.
"Our hitchhiking days our over!" sobbed Gus the Hitchhiking Ghost, blowing his nose into his long beard.
"Does this suit make me look fat?" cried another ghost.
"Help! Let me out! Let me out!" said the muffled voice of Jamie Padgett from his coffin.
"SILENCE!" roared Master Gracey so loudly, that a nearby chandelier fell to the floor and shattered.
Everybody went silent and looked at Master Gracey as breathed heavily for a few seconds before clearing this throat.
"Now, my decision may have been bad, but I truly think this will be the better course for us," said Master Gracey.
"I doubt it," said Phineas, waving a fist at Master Gracey.
"The worst decision you made this bad, was when you brought that wacky medicine man guy here!" squealed Little Leota, pointing at an old Native American sitting before a green-flamed fireplace, his back turned to them.
"Oh, leave Medicine Man Tiki alone!" cried Sakura, barging her way through the crowd to face Little Leota down in a staring contest.
"Now look! Tiki might be able to help out," said Master Gracey. "He's our new spokesman to the spirit world."
Tiki looked deep into the green fire, his eyes lost in the flames. He then raised his head.
"The spirits tell me that the mansion will undergo a transformation over this evening and the next few," said Tiki. "For thirteen days, there will be light and darkness, a great evil will pluck the mansion from its curse and destroy all! Unless, three spirits band together and destroy the darkness. Apart from that, the mansion's lifetime looks pretty good."
Everyone chattered quietly, until Master Gracey ushered them back into silence.
"Thanks for those...words…Tiki," said Master Gracey. "I think it might be lights out any second!"
The ghosts slowly filed out of the room, through the walls, the floors and ceiling. As Jody and Sakura disappeared through a wall on their way to their bedroom, Kim paused and took a quick look back at Tiki, who disappeared into the fireplace.
The three children clambered into their beds, although Sakura fell through hers like she always did every night, while Jody and Kim successfully clambered into their beds.
"I wonder what Tiki was on about?" asked Kim.
"Don't worry about that Kim," said Jody, his face vanishing under his quilt. "Besides, Tiki is just a nutty old guy."
"Maybe…" said Kim and quickly went to sleep.
Sakura entered the room through the floor and noticing that her fellow friends were already asleep. Rolling her eyes, Sakura leapt into bed and as she quickly drifted off to sleep, she whispered "Lovebirds…"
That night, the entire mansion was in total silence, a single noise could be heard for miles. But as all the ghosts slept peacefully in their beds or coffins, a sudden chiming of bells could be heard overhead. Emily was the first to hear it. She didn't actually have a bed in the attic, so she slept in a trunk which was very uncomfortable. The bells go louder and louder, until they were right overhead the attic.
"What in the afterlife?" cried Emily.
There was a shuffling noise in a dark corner of the room, and a white-haired man wearing a top hat and cloak appeared. In his hand was a hatbox.
"Sounds like a giant bell flying across the sky!" shrieked the Hatbox Ghost and cackled insanely.
"You really don't get out much do you brother?" said Emily, looking blankly at the laughing ghost.
Pretty soon, most of the ghosts were awakened by the sound of jingling bells up above the mansion. The ghosts all met in the ballroom, most in pyjamas, except the ballroom dancers who was dancing continuously, even though they were asleep.
"What is going on!" cried Wolfgang Furlong, the mansion's organist.
"I knew it! The Space Invaders are going to destroy us!" screamed Elma Belle, Gracey's aunt and she dived under the dining table in fright.
Kim and Jody exchanged disturbed looks. There was a loud squawk and a black raven flew through a window and landed on the organ.
"What's out there, Fonzie?" asked Master Gracey.
"Squawk! There is a dark vehicle flying in midair, led by skeletal reindeer, and there's a really thing man in the vehicle laughing evilly," squawked the raven, before flying away into the air.
"Sounds like Santa Clause lost weight," chuckled Ezra.
Suddenly, there was a loud clatter on the roof that made the large chandelier shake, the drunken ghosts sitting on top of it holding on for dear afterlife.
"What was that?" asked Sakura, looking about wildly.
"Sounded like a clatter," said Master Gracey.
"Let's hear it for Captain Obvious!" cried Little Leota sarcastically, and Gus stupidly applauded.
Then, the flames in the fireplace across the room went out and all of the candles in the room went out at once, the chandelier suddenly going black. There were screams and shrieks from the ghosts and there was a sudden crash. Lightning flashed in through the windows and a terrifying silhouette of a skeleton appeared on the wall. All the female ghosts screamed and Emily's loud heartbeat went into overdrive. Master Gracey went as white as sheet, as a loud cackling echoed across the room.
Next thing the ghosts of the Haunted Mansion knew, a mysterious slim figure had plopped down the chimney, carrying a large sack over his shoulder. Then, the lights came back on and standing before the 1001 ghosts was a tall skeleton dressed in a Santa Clause suit, complete with a fake beard. He grinned delightfully.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" he cried joyfully.
All the ghosts exchanged puzzled looks. Who in the world was this skeleton that had unexpectedly appeared before them, dressed as Santa, and shrieking like a banshee about Christmas?
"Who the devil are you?" shouted Master Gracey, appearing at the front of the ghosts and stepping up to face the grinning skeleton.
"I am Jack Skellington, once the Pumpkin King, but now Sandy Claws!" declared the skeleton, taking Master Gracey's hand and shaking it promptly.
"Don't you mean Santa Clause?" corrected Kim.
"That's what I said little girl, Sandy Claws," said Jack. "Have you been a good girl this year?"
"Er…" said Kim dumbly, but Jack smiled and patted her on the head.
"Don't trouble yourself with such a difficult question. Here, Merry Christmas!" said Jack in a deeper voice and threw the sack onto the ground and reached in deep and produced a squeaky toy bat.
"Why are you hear, Mr. Skellington?" asked Master Gracey.
"Why, to bring to this murky mansion the joy of Christmas. This house could do with some sprucing up," said Jack, examining the dark and gloomy ballroom.
"This house is just fine the way it is," said Master Gracey, looking stressed.
"I thought you'd agree!" cried Jack joyfully. "Zero?"
There was a barking from the fireplace a ghost-like dog appeared, with a glowing red nose.
"Ah, there you are Zero. Help me decorate this house!" said Jack and Zero barked happily.
"Now just a moment…" said Gracey, but was cut off when the whole house vanished in a flash of white light.
Within seconds, the entire Haunted Mansion was wiped of every cobweb and dust particle and covered in coloured bows, presents, decorations and pumpkins. The ballroom was covered in pumpkins and tinsel that ran across the ceiling, along the balcony and all over the organ. A giant Christmas tree stood in a corner of the room, sparkling with bobbles, tinsel and a glittery star on top. The chandelier was a bit overcrowded now, as there were thousands upon thousands of pumpkins on the chandelier and the drunken ghost who precariously hung from it was looking very grim. On the dining table was some sort of gingerbread house. The ghosts looked around in amazement. Jack and Zero were gone, as was the massive sack.
"Wh-what happened?" cried Sakura, a giant grin of surprise on her face.
"That skeleton is turning this place into a madhouse!" cried Master Gracey. "Quickly, search the mansion for that crazy creep and bring him to me!"
All the ghosts quickly dashed off into every direction on the compass, searching for Jack Skellington.
"Let's go and find that skelly guy," said Jody and disappeared in the direction of the foyer, Kim and Sakura in hot pursuit.
As all of the ghosts vanished, a large mysterious figure appeared in the room, resembling a giant burlap sack.
"Hahahahaha! Jack just made the biggest bone-headed mistake of his life!"
Medicine Man Tiki is my own character, and more will be featured on him. Please note that the next chapter takes place on the 21st December. Happy Haunts!