Chapter 4: Alarm

Rachel was reading the paper when she gasped in shock. "What is it, love?" Rook asked.

"Ten children disappeared last night in town," she said, reading the paper. "Parents said it looks like the children wore their costumes when they left, but they don't understand why their children would suddenly run away like that."

Ben came in and he wore a worried look. "They're not the only ones," he said. "Several other towns have reported children missing suddenly."

Rachel looked grim. "It can't be coincidence," she said. "One or two children, maybe, but ten or more children and from several towns? No, it's something else."

"But what?" Rook asked.

Jack came in, having caught part of the conversation. "Could it perhaps be one of your enemies?" He asked. "The Forever Knights or that mad scientist?"

Rachel and Ben shook their heads. "No, this is too extreme even for them," Ben said. "Dr. Animo experiments with animals. He's never experimented on humans except himself, as far as we know."

"And while the Forever Knights know that we'd save anyone they kidnapped, they don't have enough numbers right now to have pulled off several kidnappings like this," Rachel said. "Last we checked, it was just the Forever King and about a handful of his knights."

"And we fixed it so they can't recruit anyone else or deceive them," Rook said.

Jack took this in thoughtfully. "And the children were wearing their costumes?" He asked.

Rachel nodded. "That's what the parents claim," she said. "And that's all that's missing too."

"Doesn't sound like a robbery and why would a kidnapper want the kids to have their costumes?" Ben asked.

Snare-Oh came downstairs and he looked like he hadn't gotten much sleep. "Snare-Oh? Are you alright?" Rook asked.

The alien mummy shook his head. "We Galactic monsters couldn't sleep much last night," he said.

Jack's brow furrowed. "Sally and I slept a bit fitfully last night too," he admitted.

Rachel stood up. "Okay, something is really up," she said. "First, we all feel off like something is about to happen or has happened, but we can't figure out what, the prisoners at Plumber HQ are acting weird, the Galactic Monsters feel off and can't sleep, the Pumpkin King and Queen also can't sleep, and now there are children missing from here and several other towns."

Ben nodded. "It can't just be coincidence," he said, agreeing with Rachel's earlier statement. "Something's up, but what?"

They all sat around the table, wondering what could be going on that they felt off and that children were missing.

Pennsylvania, The Scare B&B...

Oxana and Boris looked at the paper worriedly. "So many children have disappeared," Boris said in surprise. "I wonder why."

"And in their costumes," Oxana said.

"Something is terribly wrong," said Chef Remy. Though he was still getting used to some human traditions, he knew for a fact that the children usually didn't dress into their costumes and go out at night unless it was for trick-or-treating, but that was still a few days away and they certainly wouldn't be out without their parents or chaparones.

Vampirina came downstairs and the doorbell rang, so she answered the door to find Bridget and Poppy there, but they looked tired. "Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"Not really," Bridget answered.

"The strangest thing happened last night," Poppy said.

"What happened, chere?" Chef Remy asked.

"Well, we really don't know," Bridget said.

"Bridget and I were asleep and suddenly we both woke up and we were outside with our moms calling us back in," Poppy said. "We couldn't figure out how we got there and our parents thought maybe we had been sleepwalking."

"But you two haven't sleepwalked before, have you?" Boris asked in concern.

"No," Bridget said, shaking her head.

Poppy then recalled something. "I...I remember hearing a voice," she said. "But I had never heard it before."

"What kind of voice?" Oxana asked.

"I don't know," the brown-haired girl said. "It was kinda rough and...almost sounded evil, like a really evil person."

"And this was last night?" Boris asked. "Around what time?"

"I remember the kitchen clock saying 12:30," Bridget said. "And...I think I saw other kids out there at the time too."

Chef Remy looked at the paper. "Oxana, Boris," he said, sounding worried. "The police are saying that after midnight is around the time the children vanished, according to some of the parents who checked on them at midnight and the children were still in their beds."

"Alright," Oxana said. "This is highly unusual. I think we need to call the Pumpkin King himself. Perhaps he can, as I've heard humans say, 'shed some light on this'."

She dialed a number and it wasn't long before she reached him after speaking to him for a brief moment, she returned to the living room. "He's at the Grant Mansion," she said in surprise.

"Why, that's Rachel and Sasha's home," Boris said. "They must know the Pumpkin King too."

"Who's the Pumpkin King?" Poppy asked.

"He's the King of Halloween," Oxana replied.

Bridget swallowed. "Is-Is he n-nice?" She asked.

"Oui," Remy said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "He is nice and he loves children."

Boris nodded. "Remy, can you, Demi, and Gregoria hold down the fort while we go to California?" He asked.

The skeleton chef agreed and the Hauntleys got into their car with Bridget and Poppy, who had gotten permission from their parents to go too. Boris started the car and they were off.

Grant Mansion...

Jack was now worried and sought out Rachel, who was in the kitchen. "Rachel, I just received a call from an Oxana Hauntley," he said.

She turned in surprise. "Oxana?" She asked. "Is everything okay?"

He looked at her in surprise. "You know Oxana?" He asked.

"Yes," she said. "The Hauntleys are good friends of the family."

Jack smiled a little before looking serious again. "They're on their way here," he said. "Apparently, they have a clue about the disappearances."

Rachel paused and looked at him. "They might have an idea as to who is behind this?" She asked.

"Well, not quite," he said. "But one of the girls with them mentioned hearing a voice that she had never heard before."

The owner of the Grant Mansion gasped. "Wait, you mean, this child with them might have almost been a kidnapped victim?" She asked.

"Sounds like it," the skeleton said.

The doorbell rang and Rachel answered it, welcoming her friends warmly. Bridget and Poppy hid behind Oxana when they saw a tall skeleton in a suit standing by Rachel as the Hauntleys politely bowed to the skeleton. "Forgive us for disturbing you, Your Highness," Boris said.

Jack warmly smiled. "Please, call me Jack," he said to put them at ease.

Rachel looked at them. "You guys have heard about the disappearances?" She asked.

"It's happened in our own town too," Oxana said.

"Then it's no coincidence," the blonde-haired girl said. "There's a mastermind behind this, but who and why?"

Jack looked greatly concerned. "And where are the children disappearing to?" He asked.

Just then, his phone rang and he responded. "Hello?"

"Jack, my boy, thank goodness I reached you," came Dr. Finklestein's voice, but he sounded panicked.

"Doctor? What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"Lock, Shock, and Barrel stole my robot and I fear they may have brought Oogie Boogie back to life," the doctor said. "Jewel has spread the word and everyone is holed up in their homes."

The skeleton's eyes widened. "Oh, no," he said.

"Jack?" Rachel asked.

He looked at her. "Oogie's back," he said to her.

She gasped. "Oogie Boogie?" She asked before she snapped her fingers. "Ben and Rook said the prisoners kept repeating the word 'boogie'." She now had a look of understanding on her face. "They were trying to warn us."

"But why?" Ben asked.

"Possibly because they fear him," she said.

Jack put the doctor on speakerphone, just as Jewel had returned and told the doctor some more news, which he now gave. "There are human children being lured here and turned into undead trick-or-treaters and what's worse, they're being used to take over Halloween Town," he said.

Jack straightened. "Doctor, can you and your wife get to safety?" He asked.

"Yes, my boy," the doctor said.

"Hurry and join the others. I'm on my way."

The skeleton looked at them. "I have to return to Halloween Town," he said.

Rachel gently took his arm. "I'm going with you," she said immediately.

"Count me in," Ben said.

Sasha, who had heard Jack, came in. "I'm going too," she said.

"Same for us," Whampire said as the Galactic Monsters gathered around.

Oxana and Boris looked at each other. "We have some moon dust," she said. "It could be of help."

"We can help too!" Vampirina said, gesturing to herself and Bridget and Poppy.

The two looked unsure, but nodded, wanting to help. "Yeah," Poppy said and Bridget echoed her response.

Jack nodded. "Alright then," he said. "Follow me."

Looks like the gang's going to Halloween Town. Will they make it? Read on! :)

GoldGuardian2418