Disclaimer:Alas I don't own Nightmare Before Christmas
The Seven Nightmares of Halloween
The Second Halloween: The Haunted Trail
Deception and Surprises
The second year seemed to have passed even faster then the last. And by the down of the October Jack and Oogie were working tirelessly on their sections of the Haunted trail through the Pumpkin patch.
The Skeleton was taking a break stop a tombstone when, out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone ascending the spiral mountain. On a normal day he would not have given the stranger a second thought, but nowadays nothing was normal.
The skeleton boy snuck around from tombstone to tombstone toward the mountain. He gazed up to see the Queen herself standing on top of the curved peek. Her black dress and faded emerald skin held a faint bluish hue in the early morning sky as many clouds canceled the sun's rays. Her eyes seemed fixed to the forest border beyond the mountain's secret path; as though she expected someone, or something to emerge from that forbidden thicket. Or perhaps that she must go down that road.
Jack could not tell what the Gorgon was up to, but curiosity drew him closer.
"Jack! Where are you bonehead!" bellowed a voice for him back at the trail.
Sighing Jack hurried back through the graveyard.
The Queen's eyes followed the child back to the field of gourds with interest. If the other monster had not called for him she would not have noticed the skeleton so near. To creep to so close in the day showed true talent, or her senses were truly betraying her…
Jack did not tell Oogie of what he had seen. He even tried to forget it while he helped the doctor assemble his latest creation. He carefully placed the leaves and herbs into the different segments of the body while Dr. Finklstein sewed the skin and cloth swatches together.
The insect fueled golem was nowhere to be seen.
At midnight the bellowing sounds of the doorbell suddenly rang throughout the tower and into the laboratory. The doctor grumbled and limped his way out from the lab to the top of the stairway, "The door is open!"
With a soft creek the door opened, "Hello."
Jack in the lab lifted his head at the sound of the guest's voice and the professor's in the other room.
"Come in my dear! To what so I owe the pleasure?"
The voice was that of a woman the young skeleton barely recognized and pulled away from the worktable to the door. He pressed his hallow eye to the doorway to see the Pumpkin Queen herself talking with the mad scientist. A boney finger tapped curiously stop of his skull
"I have a favor to ask of you old friend. Something very special for the Third Halloween…"
The rest of their conversation was taken to another part of the tower where he could not hear them. Unwilling to incur the wrath of Finklstein Jack returned to his work area. A few moments later he felt a cool hand rest upon his shoulder. At once the skeleton jumped into the air and spun around.
"Quite the energy you have, Jumping Jack." The serpent headed queen laughed.
Young Jack tried to collect himself and bow to her respectfully, "I'm sorry my lady I… I did not hear you coming.."
The Gorgon grin with amusement, "Being silent is one of the keys to the perfect scare. Your victims cannot predict your actions if they cannot hear you."
The young skeleton fell short on words to say to her.
The Queen smiled and slipped a special herb inside the body segment that the boy was working on. She pressed a finger to her lips with a grin and vanished.
Jack felt stymied; confided; even awed that HE had encountered the most powerful creature in town so closely. To have her talk to him, and keep a secret from his deranged mentor…
While the First Halloween selected those devils and ghosts who stood out in the crowd, the Second Halloween will test their skills against the crowds single-handedly. Their talents would be tested throughout the night to see who would scare the most citizens, alone.
Jack and Oogie's section was near the end of the trail.
Upon his advice from the Queen Jack kept himself hidden among the tombstones and larger pumpkins and waited for the 'guests' to arrive. Just as in the last Halloween he set himself with a fresh pumpkin mask on his head and watched through the fresh cut eyes.
The people of the town looked around to see what the monster of the area had in store for them. Just as the guests were bout to leave he jumped behind them, beside them, or even right before their eyes. The monsters and ghost screamed and laughed with delight.
By the end of the night the Queen announced the winners of the second Halloween. Of the twenty candidates only ten had made it through the night.
Jack wondered what would have caused the unexpected decrease of potential heirs. While the test was tricky, it was not overly difficult. He knew most of the candidates and found them much scarier then he was most of the time.
After the selection the skeleton spoke with his friends to see what had happened. What he found was most surprising.
The Zombie woodsman who was planning to juggle several axes found the handles suddenly so slippery that they flew out from his hands. One of which ended up embedded in his skull.
The witch sisters' nightmare fortune telling potion bubbled out of control and unleashed a volcanic eruption that left their area covered with daises. Pretty yes, but hardly scary..
Jack Skeleton wondered what would have made the others' pranks go horribly wrong. He then asked his best friend Oogie if he had any trouble as well.
The golem laughed mischievously, "Of course not. Although who ever sabotaged the others I'm glad they did it."
Jack frowned, how could his best friend suddenly be so cruel?
Sorry about this Halloween being very short. Just couldn't think of any significant events for this one. The Third Halloween however WILL have some life changing drama in it. So Read and Review!
