A year went by, and Sally had discovered more places around the town, she took long walks and tried her hardest to trick the doctor to escape his clutches, she had stopped telling him when she was going out which gave her more time to herself, and she had turned to poisoning the food for her creator. Beside the cemetery grew a herb garden where she had found her new ingredients, every day she picked a new bundle of deadly nightshade discovering that this put her creator to sleep without harming him too much giving her the time to enjoy freedom in the strange town, it also meant she could make friends and work on the talents she had once had in life. Sally walked into the town hall and crossed the room up to a large piano, it didn't bother her that people came to listen but she was always wary of Jack walking in, her fascination with the skeleton had become almost an obsession, but to him, she knew he considered her as only a friend. Relationships in the town were rather scarce but most had someone to enjoy life with, she didn't have everyone really apart from Doctor Finkelstein, she sat down upon the stool and began to play a piece she had learnt as a child, bats looked down on her as she played and she smiled hearing them squeak their delight at the tune, she closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, Jack was leaning on the piano, the notes jarred as she jumped.

"Jack!"

"Good to see you, Sally."

"I didn't hear you come in," Sally smiled as she tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear, "do you play, Jack?"

"Yes, a little. I'm more familiar with the organ."

"Yes, I've heard you play I think, up at the old church."

"That's right," Jack took Sally's seat and she hovered by the instrument, "sit with me?"

Sally blushed, "ok."

Jack began to play the same lullaby Sally had heard echoing over the town on some nights, "do you mind me asking what you did in your human life?"

Sally nodded, "it's fine to be curious. I was a dressmaker and worked from home, my husband was malicious and used me as a maid for his needs, I hated him and well, the rest is history. I died."

"I'm sorry about your husband."

"Don't be, it was an arranged marriage of sorts, he was rich and my parents wanted me to marry him so I would have money," Sally looked down at her stitches in her legs, "I never knew my afterlife would be like this."

Jack paused and looked at her, "but you do like it here?"

"There could be worse places to end up. At least there's stuff to do here. I hope no-one has ended up with Barkis back at home, I couldn't bear to think of any of my friends ending up with him, he would probably kill them too."

Jack narrowed his sockets, "that's horrible."

Sally nodded, "yes, it is," she looked up at the clock on the wall, "Doctor Finkelstein will be needing me soon."

"Sally, wait?" Jack stood up from the piano stool.

"Yes?" Sally turned around with a catch in her voice as he smiled at her.

"Would you like to come on the next trick or treat outing this Halloween?"

"With you, and the others?"

"Who else?"

"I would love to."

"Good, goodbye then,' he smiled then left the hall with a spring in his step.

Sally groaned to herself, her feelings for the skeleton were really beginning to get stronger and yet she could never think of a way to talk to him about them, she left the hall and passed a sign on the door advertising a Halloween town ball on the next Saturday evening, she grinned to herself as an idea sprang to her mind, she would ask Jack to dance with her, there was no point asking him if he would go with her as he would be the one hosting the event, but this would be a chance to get close with the pumpkin king, With a giggle, she left the hall and sidetracked her way home through the cemetery to gather more deadly nightshade for future meals, she stuffed them into her pocket and passed a gravestone with a familiar name written across it, "Jack Skellington. So, he died here. I wonder how he became the Pumpkin King?" She looked around at the pumpkin patch then back to the gravestone, "he was buried in the pumpkin patch, and the town residents named him the King of Halloween. What a man," she sighed lovingly as she ran her fingers across his name then got to her feet again to return to Doctor Finkelstein, he was not happy with her.

"I've told you not to run off Sally, why must you disobey me?"

"I'm not your slave Doctor, I've told you this. I will not be imprisoned in my own house."

"Foolish girl, you have not earned my trust for freedom."

"I can't help wanting more out of this life I now lead, I had dreams when I was alive and they've been crushed by death."

Doctor Finkelstein laughed, "everyone's dreams change, there's nothing we can do about it. You're on house arrest for two days young lady, go to your room."

Sally frowned but walked away miserably, "fine, I have work to do anyway."

"Of course."

Sally sat down at her desk as Doctor Finkelstein closed the door on her bolting it shut with a clunk of the lock, she kicked the floor then looked up at Jack's house, the lights were off in the observation tower, but she noticed they were on in the main chalet below, she smiled to herself and pulled some dark material out of a chest in her room then sat down at her sewing machine, she began to design a dress and music drifted out over the town again, but this time it seemed to be coming from the king's house, she closed her eyes for a second then continued sewing the dress until at last she had made a black gown, she accessorised it then hung it up against the wall, she would escape to that ball and she wasn't going to let her creator stop her.

The evening of the dance arrived and Sally had been let out of her room but restricted from going out, she sat by the wall in the kitchen waiting for the doctor to call for dinner and formulated an idea to knock him out, he was beginning to get suspicious of his blackouts and keeping an eye out on where Sally kept her ingredients for dinner, but she was crafty and put them out of reach from the scientist. Doctor Finkelstein called down asking when the food would be ready and Sally smirked to herself before answering.

"It's on the boil, I'll bring it up," she stood up and moved to the cupboards taking out the jar of crushed nightshade, she shook out a large helping and stirred it round wincing at the skull-shaped smoke emulating from the broth, grabbing some thyme and newt's blood she mixed them into a pleasing perfume and smiled, "much better, this will knock him out for the whole dance."

"Sally, are you finished yet?"

"Coming!" Sally served up a large bowl and walked up the ramp with a smile, "newt's blood, it is a Saturday after all."

"You tire me out child, but your food is always rewarding," he picked up the spoon and began to eat, "you've added a herb to this?"

"Yes, thyme, plenty of it."

"It's delicious."

"Well, bon appetite, I'm getting an early night," she backed out of the room and shut the door to her chamber to change into the black dress, she stitched the back to herself to stop it from slipping and tied up her heels, she heard a bang as the bowl fell to the ground and smiled, "freedom."

Sally followed the long queue of townsfolk into the town hall and looked up at the stage where a trio of musicians were playing a waltz, Jack was talking to the witches who were flirting the way they always did with the king, and she took herself over to the tree she had made friends with and hopped up onto one of the branches.

"Good evening Sally, found a way out of the laboratory did you?"

"I always do, he can't hold me there forever, but there's only one person who could give me freedom, and that won't happen."

Pairs took to the floor to dance and Sally watched them from where she was sat in the tree, her eyes fixated on Jack who was talking to the mayor on the stage, she sighed and leant her head against the branch, one of the hanging skeletons looked up at her.

"Just ask him Sally."

"I can't Frankie, it's not my place to. He's engaged in conversation. Besides, I don't even know how to ask."

"Care to dance? It's that simple."

"No it isn't, not for me."

"If I wasn't hanging here, I'd ask you to dance."

Sally laughed, "that's sweet. Oh I shouldn't have come, he's not thinking about the dance, he's thinking about Halloween."

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions, he's looking this way."

"What?"

Jack walked over and smiled up at Sally, "Sally, you're missing all the fun, will you dance with me?" He offered her his hand and Sally blushed.

"I'm not a great dancer," she took his hand in hers and he lifted her down from the tree, "but, yes, I'll dance with you."

"Wonderful," Jack grinned and placed his hand on her back to lead the waltz with her, "just count three."

"Only if you lead."

During the dance, time seemed to stop for Sally as she danced with the man she secretly loved, no-one else in the room seemed to matter to her and she rested her head against his chest as she lost herself in the eerie music drifting around the hall, she heard him chuckle and looked up at him feeling slightly embarrassed, he only shrugged and pulled her closer as they span around the room until the music faded away.

"Thank you, Sally, you danced perfectly."

"I don't think I did, but thank you."

"Nonsense, you're the best dancer in the room at the moment, it's so nice to have a real friend here for a change."

Sally's heart spilt, he still only saw her as a friend, "you flatter me Jack Skellington."

"Are you still coming to the trick or treat festivities?"

"I'll do my best, it will be my first time."

"Great. Did you make this dress yourself?"

"I did, I told you I was a dressmaker in life, it didn't take long at all."

Jack chuckled, "I remember, I'll get us a drink."

Sally watched him leave through the crowd and sat down by the fountain, "this is paradise," she rubbed her twisted her fingers together and her strings came loose, she gasped as her left hand fell at her feet and she reached down to grab it, a pair of shiny shoes appeared at her feet and a bony hand picked up the lost limb, "I apologise."

Jack smiled as he held her hand, "yours I presume?"

Sally laughed, "I'm always falling apart," she unpinned the needle from behind her ear and threaded it.

"Allow me," Jack took the needle from her and rested her arm on his leg, "seems only fair, to give you a hand."

Sally laughed, "a pun, how witty."

Jack sewed her hand back on and bit the end of the thread off, "there you are, and here's your drink."

"Thank you, Jack," Sally smiled, suddenly a bark sounded and a little ghost dog floated up to where they were sat, "who's this?"

Jack grinned, "Sally, meet my faithful companion, Zero."

"Aww his nose is a pumpkin, that's very suitable."

Zero barked happily as he flipped over Jack's arm, "he follows me everywhere, but he's not allowed out on Halloween, he makes me look soft."

"And we can't have that, not for the Pumpkin King," Sally teased as Zero floated under her arm, "he's lovely. My murderer hated dogs, I think they could sense evil, he never allowed me to get any animals once we were married."

Jack narrowed his eyes, "I wouldn't mind giving him a scare, it might just kill him."

"I don't wish murder on anyone, Jack, however evil they are. He deserves to be scared though, out of his wits."

"That's better."

Sally laughed then looked behind her, her warm smile turned to a grimace and she shrunk, "he's awake. Impossible, I made enough to keep him down for hours."

"Doctor Finkelstein?

"I need to go, I'm sorry. Thank you for this evening Jack," Sally stumbled to her feet and ran into the night leaving Jack behind, she sighed feeling the tickle of tears in her eyes as she opened the door to the prison she called home, and shut herself in her room to wait for the doctor's wrath, she leant against the window and stared out towards the party in the hall and whispered into the wind, "I love you, Jack, if only you could see."

Doctor Finkelstein returned and locked Sally's door without a word, that was the last time she was going to poison him if he had any say in the matter, Halloween was approaching and he didn't need her messing up his plans just so she could go for walks around the town, when morning came she would stay in her room and that was it. A couple of days went by and Sally remained locked up making dresses and gift baskets meant for Jack whenever she could find time or a way to get them to him, the thought of climbing out of the window frightened her immensely and was bound to be noticed by someone who would alert the doctor, so in her room she remained watching the town prepare for Halloween the next day. Many villagers had come up to the house for Doctor Finkelstein's animatronic ideas, but Sally had been swept under the rug, she was all alone, and much to her disappointment, Jack hadn't come up at all despite him being down in the town constantly making preparations. Sally narrowed her eyes angrily and looked back towards the door, tomorrow she would escape even if it meant breaking herself apart, she was going to enjoy the Halloween festivities down in the town and wait for Jack's return from the human world, it would have to be done in the early hours so that her door was unlocked and she would get to work on a powerful deadly nightshade. Her creator was furious at her, but he still treated her as a fragile young woman who wanted her own life, and that was exactly what she was going to achieve whether it meant betrayal or constant running away. An eerie glow fell on the town as night drew in, Sally sewed up a new short dress she had been designing and decided to get some sleep, as she drifted off she heard the piano music again and smiled as she recognised it as Jack's lullaby, maybe he was playing it to her?

The next morning, Sally got to work on her next potion to knock the doctor out, the old man was inventing downstairs and she knew he would be wanting his meals regularly, she heard the town begin to wake up and begin decorating, the townsfolk would leave soon with Jack for the scare-fest so she had to work fast. With a grin, she stirred in an extra ounce of deadly nightshade and added lots of newt's blood to cover the smell of poison then got back onto her bed to tie herself up ready to see Jack later that day and apologise again for leaving the ball early, she gazed out at his house then brushed her hair back, suddenly a cat jumped up through the gaps in her window and meowed.

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while," Sally smiled, "tonight is Halloween, and I'm going to see Jack later, I may not be allowed to go out on the town run but I will welcome him back."

The hours passed by slowly and painfully as Sally did chores for the doctor just waiting for the town to leave, she stirred the stew again and added more poison determined that it would knock him out for the duration of the Halloween festivities, she looked out of the kitchen window and saw Jack leaving town followed by a mob of her friends and various creatures, silence fell and she decided to take a quick nap while she waited for her secret crush to come back, almost two hours later she was interrupted by the doctor calling her.

"Sally!? Where are you?"

Sally tumbled out of bed and opened the door, "here, as always."

"I have been calling you for the last ten minutes, I am ready for dinner."

"And it is ready for you, make yourself comfortable downstairs and I will bring it to you."

"Excellent child."

Sally smiled stiffly, "I'll be just a minute," her moment had come, she poured out the stew into a large bowl and made sure there was enough nightshade mixed in, then took it down confidently without hesitation, "I hope you enjoy it, I added newt's blood."

"Delicious," the doctor slurped it happily until every drop was eaten and he yawned, "wonderful as always…Sally…Hmm, what did you uh…."

Sally grinned, "sleep well doctor, I'll be back tomorrow," she walked out of the house as light as a feather and made her way into town where the residents were singing announcing that Jack was on his way back.