I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! Just got back from Mexico and Belize! I got sunbaked on my face and shoulders, and that was fun! I wasn't able to do a lot of writing though. Well, I am no longer on hiatus. So...Here. We. Go.
Word of warning: Things get heavy, and oddly sexual in this one. So, slight hints of T ratings.
Chapter 12:
Bram was frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Holly had just proved his true identity, and instead of smacking him senseless...she was hugging him. He never really thought she meant what she said back at the auditorium, but the tears soaking through his shirt were enough to convince him now. He impulsively threw his arms around her waist, burying his head into her neck. Neither heard what the other said, but both uttered a trembling apology.
"What did you say?" Holly asked.
"I'm so, so sorry, Holly. I...I just wanted you to like me, and tell you that I'm not my father. I didn't mean to keep secrets from you, and I didn't want our Holiday pasts to interfere with...with what we had."
"You know I forgive you. I have to admit, I was quite shocked when I found out who your parents were. But, I was only angry because I thought you were taking advantage of me. I see that everything I did was of my own accord, and we were both being brash. I'm sorry."
The situation was beginning to process in his head, all making sense. He supposed the situation was a bit awkward at the time, and neither of them knew what was going on between them. But, it felt good to finally apologize to her, to talk to her, to really be himself with Holly. He tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"Maybe we both should just be glad that we don't have to keep any more secrets from each other."
Holly nodded, but stepped back. "I still don't understand. How are you like...this? What happened to your yarn hair and stitches."
Bram sighed. "I knew that I couldn't bear to show my face in Halloween Town again, and I would never be trusted here. So...I made a deal with Oogie Boogie."
"You WHAT?!" Holly screeched so high, it was more of an adorable squeak. "Oogie Boogie is a monster, Bram. What did you trade with him?"
"A song."
She raised one eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"I know. It sounded reasonable at the time."
"Bram," her voice was serious. "My father knows what Oogie Boogie is capable of. He doesn't play fair, and who knows what could happen if he got a hold of Halloween, or worse."
He looked down at his hand. "What did he do with my skin?" Anger was rising in his voice. If Oogie had taken his skin, who's to say that he wasn't prancing around in it, doing terrible things to his parents and friends.
"Holly, we need to get to Halloween Town."
The sun was barely over the horizon, and Sally was less worried, more suspicious. Bram had told her where he had gone, but he'd been gone all night. He had been acting rather strangely. He barely touched his music anymore. All that paper and ink was used to devise plans for Halloween. Never did he talk about taking a break to his organ. And, above all, since when did Bram have green eyes?
She turned over in her bed, Jack still sleeping soundly. She decided not to wake him as she carefully slid out of bed, taking his empty teacup with her. She set the cup in the kitchen.
It's still early, she decided. Might as well make myself some tea.
She prepared the tea, stirring the unusually heavy teabag into warm water. Her mind was far from the tea, however. Bram wasn't being anything like himself. Had that outburst affected him so much that he...reverted back to the Halloween spirit? It sounded so ridiculous; it didn't seem plausib -
This tea takes disgusting! She had already drunken half the cup and she just noticed its bitter taste. She leaned into it to smell it. Frog's Breath! Frog's Breath overpowers any odor, even Deadly Nightshade.
"Oh, jeez! JACK!" She dashed back up the stairs, hoping Jack hadn't suffered the same. Her vision was beginning to blur, and her eyelids were growing heavier. She flung the door open, but only took one glimpse to see Jack was gone before falling to the floor.
"What's happening?"
"I dunno!"
"Look out, see what just happened."
Three heads popped out of the closet, staring at Sally's unconscious body. Shock pushed the door open further, Lock carrying the other two on his shoulders. He struggled to gain proper footing, much to the annoyance of Shock and Barrel. Shock finally jumped from Lock's shoulders, tossing Barrel from her own. Lock took a piece of wood from the wall and cautiously poked Sally's shoulder.
"Yep, she's out cold."
Shock pulled the burlap sack from the closet. "Okay, put her in."
"I'm not touching a lady!" Lock argued.
Shock looked to Barrel. "You know I have Opposite Sex-based anxiety!"
"You don't even know what that means!" Shock groaned. "I gotta do everything around here!"
She set the bag on the floor, slowly inching its way down her red hair.
"You guys got Jack?"
The two boys nodded. "He's in the tub."
"He shoulda been at the lair by now!"
"Hey! Do you know how long it took us to get those legs into the bath?" Lock complained.
Barrel rubbed his cheeks. "I still have bruises."
Shock finally finished containing Sally and tied a rope at the opening. "Oh, cry me a river. Let's get outta here before someone notices!"
"What about Bram?" Barrel trembled.
"Oogie Boogie is taking care of him."
Bram held tightly to Holly's wrist, running through the forest at speeds he never knew he could reach. Every once in a while, he would slow to grab a better hold of her wrist before starting back on the run again. The Holiday Doors were nearly in view. They just had to go a bit further...
Bram came to an abrupt halt, Holly falling flimsily to the ground. He went to pick her back up, but she was just as in shock as she was. She was three inches in front of him, at his poorly-styled shoes. A black suit with purple pinstripes covered the stark-white skin, a black-cat bowtie spread proudly over his chest, but it was all overshadowed by the luminous green eyes.
"B-Bram?" Holly shivered.
"Oh, my God! I'm...I'm...wearing a suit!"
Bram's body marched forward, swiveling his shoulders.
"Oh, you don't like the gambling look?" He shrugged. "Well, too bad it's not you anymore." He posed. "It's me!"
Bram groaned in disgust. His body knelt down to pick up Holly by the chin. Bram rushed over, pulling her away. "Don't you touch her!"
Bram's body shook his head. "Tsk, tsk. I expected more from you, Bram. You should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?!" Holly spat. "You stole his body, impersonated him for a month, and now he doesn't know what you're doing with his family!"
"And you dressed me like a lawyer!" Bram added.
"This is what you wanted, Prince. Don't blame me." A bug crawled out from the seam in his body's wrist.
"What have you done with my parents?!" Bram demanded.
A swarm of bugs began to surround Bram's body. "They're none of your concern anymore. They've decided to take a nap for a while."
Bram clenched his fists, preparing to jump and attack the thief in his body. Holly held his chest. "Give them back! Give them back, or I'll kill you!"
Oogie's oddly serene look turned into a terrifying look of warning. Swarms of bugs poured in from every angle, surrounding the three. Bram held Holly close as Oogie commanded the cursed insects. They crawled up the couple's legs, trying to pry them apart. Bram tried desperately to hold onto Holly as long as he could, but her grip slipped, and she was thrust into Oogie's arms.
"Bram!" she called desperately. Oogie traced Holly's face lightly with his fingers, running them through her hair. She flinched away from him every time.
"Don't be like that, baby," Oogie purred to her.
"Let her go!"
Oogie turned back to Bram. "Oh. You're still here?" He pushed Holly away from him, a new swarm of bugs taking hold of her. "If Christmas is so much better than Halloween, then maybe you should take a look at the other Holidays."
The bugs whirled Bram around to the Green Flower Door. He struggled against the hold, trying to keep his eyes on Holly. He could only manage a glimpse of her falling through the Heart Door before he tumbled down through his own.