Chapter 7…The Hill
Sally rolled around in the bed restless thinking about her son and finally turned to Jack. He layed there sleeping like nothing was wrong. How was he to understand anyhow? He was never around. Sally poked his head.
"Jack? Jack please wakes up." He slightly opened his eyes and turned to her.
"What is it Sally?" He asked. She looked around.
"Jack, I'm worried about Sunny and Crystal." Jack picked up something and pointed them at Sally and rolled them.
"Sally, I'm rolling my eyes at you." She giggled but stared at him.
"I'm serious Jack!"
"Sally, they're a sleep, what could happen to them?"
"Jack, that's not it." He looked at her. She sighed. (I guess) "Listen to me, you're never around. Sunny needs you, he needs his father. I don't usually say anything but Jack, you want to know how many times I've seen him try to impress you and you never care?"
"Oh Sally, I do so."
"Name one time." He thought.
"Well, I can't think of any right now." Sally put her hands on her hips.
"Jack, you are his father. I can see Sunny is crashing on the inside and that girl is the best thing that's happened to him so far." Jack looked down. "For once, can you two have a father, son talk?" He looked back at her and smiled.
"Your right Sally." She smiled. "Let's go check up on our son." They got out of the bed as they started walking towards his room.
"Aren't I always right?" They came to Sunny's door to see it shut. "Strange, Sunny never closes his door."
"Sunny?" Jack knocked but there was no answer. "Sunny, you and I need to have a talk." He knocked again but still nothing. He turned to Sally. "You think he's mad at me?" She shook her head.
"If he heard you talking right now, I assure you he would rush to the door." Jack looked back at the door. It had a picture on it, hand drawn from when Sunny was 4. It had Sunny holding Jack and him smiling back. Jack smiled at it and knocked again.
"Sunny, please open the door." Still nothing. Jack looked back at Sally. "Maybe Crystal can wake him up?" Sally nodded as she walked downstairs to Crystal's room. The door was open. Sally walked in to see that she was nowhere to be found. Jack waited back at Sunny's door as Sally yelled up to him.
"Jack! Crystal isn't in her room!" She looked over to see one of her coats was missing. "And one of my coats are missing!" Jack looked at Sunny's door again and opened it to see Sunny nowhere to be found either.
"They're both gone!" Sally ran up to him as they looked out Sunny's window to see a blanket sheet hanging down. "He climbed out the window."
"Why didn't he just go through the door?" Jack looked around and saw a note. He picked it up and read it. It read:
Dear Mom and Dad,
I have followed Crystal to wherever she's going. If I don't come back, it's because I'm with her. I'm sorry to say, but if we find her home, I'll blend myself in somehow and stay with her. I hate this town, no one likes me, I get bullied, and I'm the clean up boy. Dad- you always expect me to do stuff and be the most perfect kid in the world when I'm not. I can never impress you no matter what I try. Mom- you're always worrying about me when I'm fine, but you're the only person that seems to even care about me. Now since Crystal is here, she can take care of me. I'm a man now; at least that's what Dad always says. He thinks he knows me, but he doesn't. He's never around and if he doesn't care, I don't either. Good Bye. I always loved you guys.
Sincerely,
Sunny Skellington
Sally stared at Jack with her hands on her hips.
"SEE!" She said. Jack looked down as he caught a glimpse of that hill. He saw it curl back up as his jaw dropped.
"The hill." He grabbed Sally by the hand and led her outside and started heading toward the hill. "They just went over it!"
"How can you tell it's them?"
"The hill only opens up to me and my family." Sally nodded as they arrived at the hill and crossed it. "Stay right here." Sally stood next to a tree as Jack saw Sunny and Crystal walking. They stopped for a minute to look around.
"Look what we've been missing all this time!" Crystal exclaimed.
"And you're going to continue missing it." Jack said. They turned around to see him standing there. Sunny looked around and pointed at Crystal. Jack walked up toward them. "You don't know where this forest leads to, it's dangerous." They both looked down.
"Like you care." Sunny said. Crystal and Jack were both surprised at this. Jack looked down at him then kneeled down to him.
"Sunny, you and I need to have a talk." He looked up at him. "I'm sorry for all that I've done that made you think I didn't care for you. I love you, you're my son, and always will be. Sunny, I think everything you do is amazing and you impress me with anything. I'm going to talk to your cousins and Dr. Finklestein about this bullying situation." Sunny looked at him with amazement.
"Really?" He nodded.
"I love you son." They hugged as Crystal smiled. She saw a flash and looked around. She heard scrimmaging around then just Jack and Sunny.
"Did you hear and see that?" Crystal asked. They looked at her.
"Hear and see what?" She shook her head.
"Never mind." They all got up and started walking back to the house.
