Of Jack O' Lanterns and Hearts
Today marked the 900th year anniversary of Jack's crowning as King of Halloween Town. This year it was time for something different. This year Jack was going to pay his old friend Sandy Claws a visit. He had the day all planned out, he would go to Christmas Town with a special brew just for Sandy and they would drink it by the Christmas fire and catch up with what's been going on in each of their towns; the perfect plan. After telling the Mayer of his idea he began his journey to Christmas Town.
After the first day of his absence Sally grew worried for her friend. She went to the grave yard and summoned Zero, Jack's ghostly dog.
"Zero, zero," she started clapping in front of his grave to draw his attention and the white spirit of Zero came into view, "Oh Zero, I'm worried about Jack. He's been gone much too long for a simple visit with Santa. Won't you show me the way?"
Zero barked his approval and started into the forest with Sally in search of the holiday trees. On and on the forest stretched for hours, until the whole after noon was taken up and Sally began to wonder if they would ever reach their destination. But not to farther and there they were. Sally had never seen such strange shapes. She knew it was the Christmas tree that held her Jack but something else caught her eye.
A withered heart door was etched into one of the trees with a tiny handle that fit her hand just right. Zero watched her while motioning toward the Christmas door but Sally paid him no attention.
"Relax Zero, I'm only looking," she pulled the door all the way open to find nothing inside. When she looked down she could smell a sweet fragrance of chocolate and gingerbread but the tree was hallow and empty to her dismay. She turned to look at Zero with curiosity. Zero seemed surprised only for a second to Sally as a gust of sugar mixed with wind pulled her into the tree, the door snapping shut tearing her dress a bit.
Ch 2
Jack smiled and agreed with Santa that it was time to head for home, he had been keeping Halloween Town waiting long enough and he didn't want to worry his friends.
"Well I can't wait for our next visit!" he called to the big man in red.
"No, next time I'll come to visit you. I'd like to pay you're friend Sally a visit as well."
"Sure, any time just try to steer clear of October that's our busiest month you know."
"Sure Jack!" he called back as Jack made his way to the forest in search of the Holliday trees.
When he climbed out of the Christmas tree shaped door he was surprised when greeted by Zero.
"Oh hello boy!" he cheered, "Did you come all this way to see me home?" Zero barked with worry, "No don't worry boy. I'm here and in one peace. Let's go home to greet the others," his voice was full of life and excitement as it always was when he left Christmas Town.
"Come on boy I'll race you home!" Jack started running toward town with Zero on his heals barking at him almost out of anger before biting his leg and hanging on for dear death while Jack ran. When Jack realized the dog's anger he stopped and looked down at him.
"What's the problem boy? Did something happen while I was away again?"
Zero started barking and flying back to the holiday trees.
When they arrived Zero began frantically flying and barking around the tree with a strange heart shaped door. He paused to bark at the door itself hoping his master would get the idea.
After a moment Jack examined etches on the tree carefully to see that some cloth was stuck in the door by the handle. He opened it all the way to realize the fabric of the cloth was from none other then his dear friend Sally. His eye sockets formed a shape of surprise.
"Sally? Why would she have come here?" he looked down at Zero, "well where there's a holiday tree there's a holiday forest so I'll just have to find her and make my way back here. Zero, go home and tell the others."
Jack scribbled on some parchment he pulled from his inner jacket and handed it to Zero, "take this directly to the Mayer and I should be back hopefully by morning. I'm going to bring Sally back," he paused to look worriedly at the heart shaped door, "I just hope it's not dangerous in there."
About half way down his fall, Jack landed on a soft cloud that drifted him the rest of the way down. The town he saw ahead was much smaller then both Halloween and Christmas but held its wonders at every turn and it was more wide spread.
The houses seemed to be made of cake and ginger, the grass was soft and flowed slowly in the spring time breeze. The people where about the sizes of the people who reside in the living world and they looked similar too, all but the fact everyone here was albino, red or blue eyes with white hair and fair skin and all were beautiful to look at. All the trees were bright green and red arrows with heart shaped tips hanging from them, as if they were growing? What's this, Jack was feeling similar to when he stumbled upon Christmas Town for the first time. Nothing was dead, everything was bright and love filled the air. This was a feeling Jack enjoyed most!
"Where in the world am I?" he wondered into town and several people stopped and stared at the frightening figure.
What looked like a human baby boy with angle wings drifted over to Jack.
"Hello, what's you're name?" asked the toddler.
"Oh, I'm Jack, Jack Skelington. I'm from Halloween Town."
"Halloween Town," the baby thought a moment, his voice was innocent like a toddlers, "So you came from the pumpkin tree?"
"That's right," he smiled, "but I'm not sure were I'm at. You see a friend of mine found this place and fell into you're world by accident. I'm just looking for her to bring her home."
"Is she a girl friend?," the child blushed at the skeleton man.
"Well," he scratched his skull, "She is dear to me."
"Then I will help you find you're friend," he cheered happily.
"Swell! What is you're name little boy?"
"Cupid," he smiled bold and happily, "I'm the ruler of this village. You are in Valentines Village."
"Village," he thought for a moment, "you mean this is not a town?"
"We're too small to be a town, but we sure stay busy," he started leading the way around the block with Jack following him, "unlike Halloween we go to the world of the living everyday; not all of us just a few because people need us to help them fall in love."
"Fall in love?" he questioned looking around at all the albino workers and fairies exchanging small gifts and sweets.
"Yes, but there is one day a year were all of us go to the living world together. The human's can't see us but they can sure feel us," he giggled, "And as king, if a couple is having a hard time I shoot them with one of my arrows from our trees and they make up right away and fall passionately in love again!" he cheered loudly.
"Is that so," Jack tried to imagine Cupid shooting someone and they turn to kiss their love but all he could see is the guy turning and chasing the little boy down. The thought made him laugh to himself, "I'm sorry but I can't see it."
"It's okay, but it is getting late. What's you're friend's name?"
"Sally."
Cupid walked up to a taller man close to Jack's height and said, "Mayer, have you met a young Halloween lady by the name Sally today?"
"Why yes, I have," he pondered, scratching is over grown mustache, "Oh I remember the Lily sisters took her to their home to dress her up until she can be found by her king or something romantic like that."
Cupid turned to look at Jack, "I think she's expecting you to find her," he smiled.
"Something romantic like that," Jack repeated the words trying to grasp their meaning, "hmm."
"I'll take you to the Lily sister's house but I have to warn you they are the most flowery people in the village, literally," he coughed.
"Literally?" he continued to follow Cupid as he took flight for speed against Jack's long legs.
A clear, "Come in!" was heard when Cupid knocked on the Lily sister's door.
When Jack opened the door his eye sockets widened at the beauty of an inner cottage put together as a dress shop. Two girls and a boy about, Oogi's kids' ages came into the room. Hello we are Rose, Berry, and Cocoa," stated the girl in red, presuming to be Rose.
"Careful Jack," Cupid warned, "they can get out of hand with things sometimes."
"Oh, mind your own business kid," started the boy, presuming to be Berry.
"What can we get for you big guy?" asked the other girl in green and white, presuming to be Cocoa.
"Well I'm looking for my friend, Sally. I was told you have her here?"
"Sally?" started Rose.
"Oh yah the new toy!" started Cocoa.
"She's here what do you want with her?" asked Berry.
"I'm here to take her home," reasoned Jack.
"She," stressed Berry, "Is a rag doll, there for IT, is finder's keepers."
Jack seemed stressed.
"Give her back this instant," bellowed Cupid, "Or I lock up the candy factory from you three."
"Fine," they said in unison, "But we took so much time dressing her up," started Rose, "You will have to take care of changing her back."
"They what?" Jack's 'lips' squiggled uncomfortably, "dressed her?" he looked back to Cupid as he smacked himself in the forehead.
The kids showed Jack to the back room where Sally sat beautifully in a long, white wedding dress. Her face covered in makeup and made her look like a beautiful, living woman instead of the rag doll she was.
Jack stared for a moment before his jaw literally dropped to the floor. Cupid's eyes lit up at Jack's expression as he helped the taller man replace his jaw. Jack shook him self back to 'life', "Sally what happened to you?"
Sally blushed for a long moment, "it's called makeup Jack," she had troubles looking at him after seeing his reaction at her new found beauty.
Cupid shot Jack in the butt pushing him forward with an "Owe!" he looked back at the toddler with anger, rubbing his butt, "what was that for?"
"Oh just trying to see something," he rolled his eyes with a guilty smile.
"Jack," said Sally, blush gracing her face, "I knew you would come for me. I'm sorry I left Halloween Town, I was worried and went looking for you when you never came back I just –"
"Sally," started Jack, "Thank you for worrying about me but everything's fine. I just lost track of time, that's all," he moved forward to hold her hand.
The three kids in the back ground were making faces, "Why did you have to shoot him?" asked Cocoa to Cupid.
"I just couldn't resist. I mean look at them," he floated closer to the two, "Jack, Sally. Feel free to stay here for the night. I'm sure you have a long trip back to your own town in the morning so why not explore the Village tonight, like a date?"
Jack took a step back from Sally and turned his head, Sally did the same and both were blushing visibly.
Cupid laughed his child laughter, "Here's the key to room 6 in the hotel called Cloud 9. And two tickets to the fair just outside the Village called 7th heaven. I hope you have fun and enjoy!" With that, Cupid flew out an open window and the kids shooed the Halloween couple out of their house.
ch 2
Upon arriving at the fair, Jack presented the tickets and both received a wrist band allowing them both all rides free for the next couple of hours.
"Well since we're here, what do you want to do first Sally?"
"Let's try some rides?"
"Sure," As Jack watched Sally he realized warmth coming from with in his body. He didn't have a beating heart but there was still a bat flapping sensation in his chest that sent tingles up his spine. Sally slipped her little hands into Jack's long boney ones and he grasped hers lightly so as not to hurt her.
The first ride was the faros wheel. It was set up as large boxed in cages that allowed much movement and standing up if desired.
"Will you look at that," stated Jack, "We just keep going up and I can see the whole village from here," he stood and leaned against the side of the cage; Sally was more focused on watching Jack's excitement play across his face.
"Yes and we're almost to the top Jack. It is beautiful," she stood by him feeling a bit dizzy when she looked down and out of the cage. When the wheel stopped they had reached the highest peak and Sally saw the stars starting to shine as the sun's last rays of daylight in the distance defended. Without realizing it Jack had slipped an arm around Sally's shoulders and in response she laid her arm around his waste from behind and leaned her head onto his shoulder. Jack realized the sudden physical contact and he felt that fluttering sensation again.
"Something romantic like that," he whispered to himself as if calling back the memory. His words caused Sally to smile and blush deeply.
"I've learned something today Jack," she stated as the faros wheel started to descend.
"What's that Sally?"
"This holiday is very different from ours but not so different from Christmas," she turned her face up to catch his gaze, "I like this feeling Jack. It's strange and much stronger then when I feel it back home."
Her words caught Jack off guard, "What are you saying Sally?" he turned to face her putting the hand that was formally around her shoulders onto the side of her face, the curves of his eye sockets softening a bit.
"I'm saying that I love you Jack," she smiled and he held her close.
"I love you too Sally," the two shared a gentle kiss, "I'm so happy your are my friend."
"Maybe we should come back here next year too?" asked the girl with a shy smile.
"I would like that."
~FIN~