We arrived in the town with cheers. Like we were the royal family. The family everyone looked up to. And then I realized we were just that. People cheered and threw crumpled Autumn leaves at us. Everyone here looked like the things people talked about on Halloween. The mayor was a short man with robotic face that turned from a sad worried face to one of somber joy. I, personally, thought that was kind of neat. He stood there and looked at me. "Jack." He said in a weird watery tone. "Who is this."

Jack took me under his arm and gave me a squeeze. "This is my son Harry. Harry this is the Mayor of our lovely town."

"Yes." He looked at Jack. "You and I must plan. there are only seventy eight days left until Halloween!"

"Yes and I have a child to consider now. So I am sure that there will be a time to plan tomorrow when there are seventy seven. You've got to relax you don't want another clunker attack."

"No I don't want that."

"Good.. So how about we start this again yes?"

Sally nodded.

"This is my son Harry. Harry this is the Mayor of your new home. Say hello."

I said hello, but I was still shocked by the way Jack spoke. It was this light playful tone, but a soft undertone of shut up or I'll finish you.

"Hello Lad a pleasure to have you here!" He said his tone changing as he shook my hand He shook it like he was afraid of my new found hero. Like if he didn't like me Jack would end his life. Which would be an oxymoron. I looked at them I looked at how Jack ruled.

"Harry."

"Yes sir?"

"I'd like you to explore." He said "This is after all your home."

"Yes! What a wonderful idea Jack."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome." She smiled "You men talk business I'll see you all at home." She took my hand and lead me out. "Now the school for the peculiarly odd children is right down the street. You will meet lots of people there! Besides we should get you in school don't you think?"

"Why should I go to school? I'm dead."

"Because Harry. Being dead doesn't mean you've got to stop learning."

I nodded. Maybe she was right. She knew best. Like a mother should I suppose. I walked up to the school and then looked at the children. They were peculiarly odd.

"Hi I'm Lock."

"I'm Shock." The girl said. She looked at me like I was made of candy. I knew I wasn't.

"I'm Barrel."

"I'm Harry."

"Pleasure to meet you Harry."

"Thanks." I said and looked around there were other children, but these seemed like they'd been their the longest from their out dated out fits, and the old but still fragrant way they looked at me. "So I'm going to be going to school here."

"Oh for?"

I looked up at Sally. There were different subjects among the dead; lessons I'm sure that I would never learn when I was alive.

"Harry will be taking Withcery, potionology, and wand working."

"Oh those are fun!"

"No they aren't they're all the same classes that odd girl takes."

"Odd girl?"

"She's blue."

"She's Pretty."

"She's Hideous!" Shock snapped."And you all are blind." She stomped off.

Shock was so odd it was almost off putting. I also didn't like the way she looked at me. I liked girls. I always thought some were pretty. I thought Emily was particularly beautiful. I loved the way she smiled. Even if she was kinda dead. She was still beautiful. Shock was bossy, mean, ugly, and had a horrendous attitude. I suppose that would also settle for mean or bossy, but I didn't quite understand it. Though through her angry rant I was curious as to who this blue girl was. I wanted to know, but I had to know my family first.

"So Harry are you okay with all those?"

I nodded."Sure, but why?"

"You never know who could come to find you."

"Who would come and find me? Those people in my obituary? No one cares for me."

"Oh that is Nonsense! I do. Emily does, Your father does."

"Yes, but he's not my father."

"Well he is now. I guess you could try to make the best of it." Sallys hopeful eyes bored into me like sunlight to the vampires who carried weird I would later call Aunt Moritita and Uncle Vladimir.

"Yes." I inhaled as if I had oxygen to breath. "I guess I could."

Sally walked me further into the acdemy for weird kids and she sat me on a bench.

"What?"

"I want you to tell me why you've got such a resentment of me and Jack. Have we done something?"

Oh no. I was scared. I was petrified what if this was the moment they sent me back. What if I said that I'm afriad to be sent away or used like some pitiful servant boy and they did one of those. The sad thing about it was I would've rather been the slave than sent away. I'd rather have been the most loved slave than the loniest free bird. Sallys warm hands rubbed the back of my sweater. It was odd to feel so comfortable with a woman, a mother, like I could be something.

In my life I've always depended on me. Why should I let someone in now? Because I'm dead?! Not bloody likely. I'm not going to be some boy who died just so I could get my unbeating heart broken. I took all this in like some orphan Annie would. I looked out to the sky. The hazed orange was comforting. Everything here was comforting. I thought Halloween was supposed to be a creepy scary day that no child was supposed to want, or have to live in. Not to me. It all seemed so...Right. Like I belonged. And that was scarier than being a servant boy, or alone.

"Harry?"

"I'm scared okay."

"Why?"

"When I was a kid my aunt and uncle used to fight and beat me, laugh and beat me, around guest I wasn't to be acknowledged. Just supposed to be some kick boy... I don't want to live that life again.. What if you don't like me? What if you don't want me after a while? What if Emily leaves me? What if Jack can't take having a son."

"You ask a lot of what ifs Harry."

"It's the practical, safer way to live."

"Oh you poor poor thing. You died without even living." She took me in her arms and stroked my hair, and she did something no one ever did to me. She sang

"What if I love you? What if we need you? What if you're happy?

What if you love it here and nothing seems so well... Crappy?

What if you find what you were looking for was down here all along?

What if you found it by the end of the song?"

By this time we were dancing, actual dancing. She was waltzing with me. Like I was her child. Not like some weird kid she just picked out of the deceased children bin. I was smiling. I could feel it on my face. An actual smile. It felt wonderful to smile. Like something I had never had before. Music flowed from nowhere. And I listened.

"What if you and Jack bond?

Like pumpkin king and pumpkin son?

What if your days are filled with love and laughter?

With no chores to do after.

What if your tummy hurts from all the candy?

And I rub it until it's fine and dandy?

What if I love you like my son, and you love me like your mother

Although it's true you were born from another.

No need to ask what if Harry. All these will be whens."

For once in my entire life dead and undead I believed in something. I was dead and this woman this frankenmonster was meant to be my mother. Also she could very quickly turn my life into Disney fairy tale whenever she damned well pleased. Which made it even better for me. I loved movies like that. I'd sneak out and watch the sword and the stone when everyone in the Dursley house was asleep. I loved adventure would I have them here? I was smiling now, but I still wanted to know if I could have them. I didn't want my life to be over. I didn't want it to be over at all.

"Harry my Harry your life on earth was short, but it's not over.

You've still got to find the end of a rainbow to find! And the search for a four leaf clover.

There are no what if's when it comes to us.

Harry we love you

Harry we care

Harry for you.. We'll always be there."

She ended the song with a hug. Like a hug you get when you don't get first prize at something or you skin your knee. She hugged me like she was worried. She hugged me like she knew I had found my home. And had I? Had I truly found my home in this funny little place called Halloween town?