Chapter 3: The Boogie Man? Jack I'm not 6 anymore
I finally woke up after what seemed like ages, but not in the place I was expecting to wake up at. I was in a room that was not familiar to me at all. I was used to my room with the vanity and the frilly blue bed sheets and the comforting white walls. Instead I was met with a whole new room, one that had grey walls and grey furniture to go along with it. I thought that maybe what happened, seeing Jack as a skeleton and this "Halloween Town" was just a dream and maybe I was just in another room in my house. I got up and found I was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday so I was pretty convinced the whole thing with Jack was just a dream. A tear ran down my cheek at thinking this because in the dream, or whatever it was, I was very happy to see Jack again. I just didn't expect him to be a giant skeleton.
I finally gathered enough courage to venture out of the room and found that I was not in my house. I was in a house, but not one that I knew. I also got the feeling that this wasn't a house that would be around where I was from. I started to wander around when I stumbled into someone. I started to fall when I felt an arm catch me and bring me back up to meet its owner. I looked up and was met with Jack. Guess it wasn't a dream last night, guess I really was dead. Jack though started to talk before I could start to go back to the room.
"Antoinette! There you are, I was just about to come find you! Tonight you get to experience our greatest celebration ever, Halloween! I hope that you don't mind but after you fainted yesterday I carried you back here, to my house. You can stay here if you like, I don't mind. But today before the festivities I'm going to introduce you to all the people of Halloween Town! I'm sure they'll love you." I was happy that Jack still talked to me like we were never separated but the thing that was bugging me was what he said to me last night, "to become the Pumpkin Queen of Halloween".
Jack then grabbed my arm and said, "Well let's not get a late start! Come on!" and he grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the house. He then looped his arm through mine and started to walk me around town. I had met the mayor, the werewolves, the vampires, the witches, the clown with the tear away face, the monsters (under the bed and under the stairs), and every other member of the town. Well, almost every member. Jack then took me to the graveyard and pointed towards a tree house.
"You see that? That's where Lock, Shock and Barrel live. Some of the best trick-or-treaters we've ever seen, but boy are the some of the worst kids I've ever seen! And I don't mean that in your terms they would be delightful." At this I looked at him with a 'what are you talking about?!' face and he then got that I didn't understand what he meant. "What I mean is that when you want to say something is fun or delightful in Halloween Town, you would say it's horrible or disgusting. It's quite the opposite of how we were raised isn't it?" He laughed at that, but it wasn't that horrible clown-like laugh from last night. No this was his normal laugh, and boy did I miss it. I laughed with him and shook my head in agreement. He then continued speaking to me on Lock, Shock and Barrel I think their names were.
"They aren't the only ones that live there though. Their 'master' lives there too. His name is Oogie Boogie, also known as The Boogie Man." At this I started to bust up laughing. Jack just gave me this quizzical look and it appeared that he was raising an eyebrow. I gave him the 'what am I, 4?' look and said, "The Boogie Man? Jack, I'm not 6 anymore."
He then grabbed both of my arms and said, "Nette, I'm not kidding. Don't talk to those three and don't believe anything they say. Also if they tell you that Oogie Boogie wants to see you, come straight to me. Got It?" I nodded and didn't know why he was taking this so seriously.
He then led me to a spiral hill which was overlooking the pumpkin patch. I guess that's where Jack got his title "The Pumpkin King". We walked up it and stood at the top and overlooked all of Halloween Town. It was really lovely, wait I mean horrible, especially with the pumpkin sun setting in the background. I then felt something brush against my leg and jumped into Jack's arms. I looked down at the ground to see a little ghost dog. I kind of felt stupid for over reacting to just a little ghost dog but hey I was new to this town. Jack laughed at my behavior and set me back on the ground. He then pointed to the dog and said, "Do you remember my dog that we always played with a couple years ago, Zero? Well seems he was waiting for me here!" I screamed, "ZERO!" and then went down to the ground and attempted to pet him. My hand went right through him though and I just settled for the familiar barking.
Jack then let out a loud gasp and said, "Antoinette, I have to get going because the celebration is about to begin! Zero, can you take her back to town?" Zero then barked and I guess that meant 'yes' and Jack contined, "Well Nette, just follow Zero and stay close to the Mayor, he'll keep you up on everything that you need to know. Remember, stay away from Oogie's boys!" Jack then ran down the hill and off into the woods. Zero lead me back into town and I stood next to the Mayor. Just as I got there I heard singing.
Boys and Girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Come with us and you will see
This our town of Halloween
Here the people started to get really into it. They started dancing and singing along with the ghosts that were currently flying from the pumpkin patch. The song then continued.
This is Halloween
This is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
This is Halloween everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbor's gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody Scream!
In our town of Halloween
We could now see into a house, no idea how but we could and we heard these two monsters singing.
I
am the one hiding under your bed I am the one hiding under yours stairs
Teeth ground sharp and eyes
glowing red
Fingers
like snakes and spiders in my hair
We came back out and everyone started singing together again
This
is Halloween, this is Halloween Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween!
In this town we call home
Everyone hail
to the pumpkin song
The mayor even then broke into song.
In
this town, don't we love it now?
Everybody's waiting for the next
surprise
We then saw a cat running down the stairs and as they sang everything they said happened.
Round
that corner, man hiding in the trash can Scream! This is Halloween Aren't you scared? Well, that's just
fine Everybody
scream, everybody scream In our town of Halloween!
Something's waiting no to
pounce, and how you'll...
Red 'n'
black, slimy green
Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the
dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
The clown with the tear away face then came on
I
am the clown with the tear-away face I am the "who" when you call, "Who's
there?"
Here in a flash and gone
without a trace
I am the wind blowing through your hair
After this I felt the wind blow through my hair and spin me around
Then a terryfing shadow came onto the moon and I wished Jack was there so I could ask him who it was that did that illusion.
This is Halloween, this is Halloween
I
am the shadow on the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim
with fright
Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween! Halloween!
Then a bat child and a little zombie child came out and started singing but they were soon followed by the zombie child's parents.
Tender
lumplings everywhere That's
our job, but we're not mean In
this town Don't we love it now?
Life's no fun without a good scare
In our town of Halloween
The mayor then started singing again and after he did so a scarecrow with a pumpkin head was brought into town by a couple of the monsters I saw earlier. I still haven't seen Jack and I thought as the King of Halloween he would surely be here.
Everybody's
waiting for the next surprise Our man jack is King of the Pumpkin
patch
Skeleton Jack might catch you in the
back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your
skin
This is Halloween, everybody scream
Wont' ya please make
way for a very special guy
Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King, now!
At
this the scarecrow took a torch from one of the townspeople and
swallowed it and began to dance around on the horse and then spit
fire out at us. I guess this was Jack and this was his big Halloween
surprise. He then jumped off the horse and landed into the fountain
in the middle of the town. This
is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Halloween!
The
zombie child and a little mummified child then went over the fountain
and sang: In this town we call
home
Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
We
then all circled around as Jack rose out of the water. La
la-la la, Halloween! Halloween!
La la-la la, Halloween! Halloween!
La la-la la, Halloween! Halloween! Woo!
After that we all threw our hands in the air and laughed. I guess they really did take Halloween seriously here, well it is Halloween Town.
After all the festivities were done I went to try and find Jack but I found him slowly inching away from crowds of adoring women. He then finally got away when the Mayor announced they would be giving out awards. Jack didn't seem happy though and he went away from everyone else, towards the spiral hill and the graveyard. Zero sped ahead of me and followed Jack but unknown to them, so did I.
