Chapter 3

Holly woke with a start that morning to see her father's best friend staring at her. "Zero!" she growled threateningly. The ghost dog whimpered and his ears fell. She sighed and started to scratch him behind his ears saying "That's alright Zero, I forgive you." the little ghost barked and licked her hand then went on to her face making her laugh. "That's enough! HAHAHA Stop it!" she finally pushed him off then jumped out of her bed. She wondered when it was exactly that she went to bed, but shrugged it off. Stranger things had happened. She got dressed then headed down stairs to find her parents, Zero floating along side her.

"Sally have you seen my Jack-o-lantern blue prints?" she heard her father ask as he walked into the dying room to where her mother was.

"They're on the desk." Sally replied.

Her father walked past her saying "AHA! Thank you Sally." he picked them up, put them in his case and was off to work. He walked past her on the way out and kissed her on the head saying "Good morning pumpkin. Bye girls." then shut the door and was on his way.

"Dad's certainly in a hurry this morning." Holly commented as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Well he is still the Pumpkin King." her mother told her grabbing her bag and heading towards the door.

"Where are you off to?" Holly asked getting up from the table to watch her mother leave.

"I have to go over to the doctors today. I'll be home late, love you." then she was gone. Holly sat at the table with her hand under her chin and the other stroking Zero. She didn't know how long she sat there, but just then the door bell rang.

"Coming." she called and got up to open the door. Holly pulled the little handle open to see Wolfman waiting there. "Oh hi, Wolfman what can I do for you?" she asked.

"Is Jack home?" he asked.

"No, sorry he went to work." she told him weirdly.

"Oh well I guess I'll go talk to him there then. Umm good bye." he told her awkwardly.

"Bye." she said back uncomfortably and shut the door. Holly looked down at Zero and asked "What was that all about?" Zero whined and tilted his head to one side. Even he didn't know. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bite to eat then went up stairs and got dressed. She came back down stairs to see Zero hovering at the door. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he barked and spun in the air. Holly laughed "I'll take that as a 'yes'." she opened and the door and led the little dog outside. Then turned around to lock the door. "Let's go to the market and get a cone of iced slime." Zero barked and she laughed.

Holly walked into the market to find the hustle and bustle like always. She walked over to the iced slime cart and ordered one cone of iced slime with rabies and turtle toes and a small cup of iced slime with cat's tails. She carried their treats to Spiral Hill and set them down up against the bottom. Then sat down herself. Zero started on his treat and it was gone with in moments. The little ghost whimpered and covered his face. Holly chuckled "That's what you get for eating it to fast, Zero. A brain freeze." she rubbed his head and that seamed to comfort him. For a while she sat there enjoying her cone of slime until it was gone. She gave it to the trash eater then went back to join her companion at the hill. She laid there petting Zero until sleep over came her and she rested her head on the side of the hill then closed her eyes.

Holly opened her eyes to find herself in a dark place that seamed to suffocate her. "Where am I?" she asked the darkness, but the only reply was a dark chuckle. "Who's there?" she demanded. No one answered her desperate question, but she suddenly saw a flash of red and felt warm liquid flowing down her body. She lifted her hands and saw red blood spilling onto the floor. Horror filled her heart and not the good kind. What had made this happen? Suddenly light filled the room and she saw her father on the ground his body into so many pieces not even a master puzzler could put him back together. "FATHER!" she screeched and fell to the ground gathering what was left of his head. More light filled the room and she saw her mother splayed onto the ground covered in blood. "MOTHER!" she yelled and ran over to her. Holly begged them to wake, but they would not. What happened? She heard the terrible laugh again and felt her blood run cold. "WHO ARE YOU! DID YOU DO THIS TO THEM? I DEMAND YOU TELL ME!" she screamed at the stranger.

The laughter came again and finally the voice spoke "Why should I tell you?"

"I AM THE DAUGHTER OF THE PUMPKIN KING! THE PUMPKIN PRINCESS HOLLY! YOU WILL TELL ME EVERYTHING I WANT TO KNOW!" Holly bellowed at the voice.

"Well, well, well excuse me 'your highness'. HAHAHAHA!" the voice said snidely.

"NOW!" she roared. Her despair giving way to pent up anger.

"Fine don't be so mean." the voice said as if it was hurt. "Well I guess I can tell who did this wonderful mess here." she waited for it to finish. It waited for a long time then finally said "You."

Holly went paler then a ghost. She wound never hurt her parents let alone kill them! "YOU LIE!" she yelled.

"Do I?" the voice asked then darkness swallowed her and she opened her eyes screaming into the evening's setting sun. Holly looked around and found that she was still sitting up against Spiral Hill with Zero whining next to her.

She panted and wiped the sweat from her face and said to Zero "It's alright boy, I'm okay." he tilted his head to one side and snuggled up against her to comfort her. "Thanks boy." she got up from her make-shift bed and started to head towards the town hall. She finally made it to town hall to find the mayor on the pendulum writing something. "Mayor!" she shouted causing him to fall off and switch faces. She didn't bother to ask if he was okay she didn't much care. "Have you seen my father?" she asked hurriedly.

He groaned and rubbed his head then said "I haven't seen him since he left this afternoon."

"Where did he go?" she demanded making the mayor cower in front of her.

"I don't know, your majesty." he was scared of her. So scared he even called her your majesty. She hasn't been called that in like forever. But she was scared herself. That her dream might come true so she didn't care to tell him not to call her that she just screamed angrily and rushed out of town hall past very scared citizens and to the doctors.

She didn't bother knocking she just barged in yelling "DOCTOR FINKLESTEIN!" Holly saw Igor limp towards her, but she didn't have time for him so she just shoved him out of the way making him scream. She ran up the long ramp and found the doctor wheeling his chair towards the door.

"What on earth do you want, Holly?" he said snapping at her. She glared at him and she noticed him flinch ever so slightly.

"My mother! Where is she?" she demanded walking menacingly slowly up to him. The doctor had to regain some composure before he spoke.

"She left this afternoon. I don't know where she went." he finally said wiping the sweat from his head. She roared with frustration and ran down the ramp again. Holly swung the door open and found some of the town's people freeze and watch her run past them. One women actually shielded her son from the angered princess. She didn't even notice Zero floating worriedly next to her. Nor did she remember that Zero could've found them in a heart beat, but she wasn't thinking strait. Too worried about her dream. So she started to run and found herself running faster and faster until she was sprinting across the town to the cemetery. She was so intent on finding her parents that she didn't notice someone in the way. Holly ran strait into Barrel causing them both to fall onto the ground.

"What does the world have against me anyway?" she heard the youngest of the trick-or-treaters say.

He got up first when he noticed Holly still on the ground. Barrel offered her his hand and she took it hesitantly. "S-sorry Barrel. I didn't see you." she stammered trying to hide her blushing. After all the last time they saw each other they were in a very precarious position and he told her that she was pretty much perfect.

He waved it off "That's alright I-" he stopped mid sentence when he finally noticed it was Holly who he was talking to. "I-I was just walking that way." he pointed in the opposite direction away from her. "Umm can I ask why you were in such a hurry?" he rubbed the back of his head, uncomfortable. Maybe he shouldn't have been asking.

Holly felt the tears well up in her eyes and hugged Barrel crying hard. "Barrel! I can't find my parents anywhere and I had the most terrifying vision! They're in trouble and I am the cause of it! I know it! What do I do!" she cried for a while and Barrel didn't know what to do either. If he comforted her, she might slap him again, but if he didn't, she might slap him again. What was he supposed to do?

Barrel moved his hand to her upper back and hugged her. "That's okay. I'm sure they're just fine. After all it was just a dream-"

"IT WASN'T JUST A DREAM IT WAS A VISION! My mother has them sometimes and they always come true! What if this one comes true too?" she screeched interrupting him.

Barrel grabbed her face and pulled her up to look at him. "Its okay. I'm sure Jack and Sally are just fine. I'll even help you look if that'll make you feel better." he told her and she started to calm down.

"Okay." she nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thanks Barrel. I'm sorry I freaked out." she got up and started to walk away.

Barrel got up with her and joined her at her side. "That's okay. I didn't mind." he smiled a goofy smile and she couldn't help, but laugh.

They walked along in silence until Holly stopped suddenly "Is something wrong?" Barrel asked a little worried.

"I just got a great idea." she told him then called Zero to her. "Zero I need your help finding mom and dad." the ghost dog barked and zoomed of toward the hinterlands. She and Barrel had to run to keep up with him.

"Why didn't you think of this before you went on a rampage through the town?" Barrel asked her sarcastically.

"I don't know, but I'll need to apologies to everyone especially to the mayor and the doctor." Holly told him shamefully. The two rounded the corner and found Zero sniffing the ground. He then sped off to the right and waited for them to reach him before moving on. Holly and Barrel ran past a particularly large hill then heard the sound of voices. Two voices in particular that she was looking for. And as she reached the clearing she found the owners. "MOM! DAD!" Holly exclaimed then ran to meet them.

"Holly!" her mother said standing to meet her daughter's embrace. "What are you doing here?"

"I had the most terrible dream!" Holly cried.

"That's wonderful!" her father said happily.

"No," Holly said shaking her head "The bad terrible."

"What?" her father asked and she slapped her forehead.

"Oh no, what happened?" Sally asked ignoring her husband and hugging her daughter tightly.

"I had a vision that you were both dead and I was the one who killed you." Holly said sadly.

"Oh Holly." her mother hugged her and they stayed like that until the bushes moved making Jack step in front of them protectively.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

"It's just me, Jack." Barrel told them stepping out from behind the tree.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked him disbelievingly.

Holly got up and walked over to Barrel and stood in between him and her father. "It's okay dad. I asked him to help me find you."

"But why would you need help finding us?" Sally asked her and Barrel and Holly shared a look.

"Nobody knew where you two were and I had that dream. I felt a terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen to you and I needed to make sure you were okay." Holly told them.

"Well, everything is alright now so let's just go home." Jack said walking toward Holly and Barrel. He then ushered Sally ahead of him then Holly leaving Barrel there alone.

..::-::..

Holly lagged behind as her mother and father walked ahead of her. She couldn't help, but feel like she'd betrayed Barrel somehow. She was about to go back and find him, when she heard her name being called. "Holly!" she turned around to see the very person she wanted to see. Barrel was racing up to her then finally stopped in front of her panting. "Barrel, is something wrong?" she asked plainly.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just that…umm," he said uneasily. She waited patiently for him to continue. "Will you…umm…go…go on a…a…d-d-date with me?" he finally finished.

"What?" she asked shocked.

Barrel lowered his head and started to walk away "Never mind. It's not important."

Holly ran after him and stopped him by standing in front of him. "Barrel, you didn't even give me a chance to answer."

He waited with his head down as if he already knew the answer so when she said yes his head shot right up. "Really?"

"Really." she told him happily.