A/N: This chapter may contain uncomfortable material. Take heed.
"Hee hee!"
The three trick-or-treaters skip joyfully into the dark streets of Halloween Town. Residents scamper into the shadows upon their sight. Their presence has been abundant lately, and with a poor reputation. They bring terror and vandalism everywhere they go - leaving monsters on edge and officials waiting on uneasy feet. They've tormented the Mayor with every opportunity they had, and only received a few scoldings from Jack Skellington's way. He seems to be exceptionally busy these days, enabling Lock, Shock, and Barrel to bully fellow children and petrify citizens in their wake.
But they aren't here to do that today. Oh, no . They have other plans. Important ones.
They reported their first findings to their boss, after visiting Sally Finklestein's sewing shop. Oogie seemed bored with the results until they mentioned her stay in the Skellington Manor. He encouraged his henchman to have their fun in Halloween Town, with the promise that they will learn about and continually visit the ragdoll. So, they are doing their part - spending their free time around her, putting on a small act of childish innocence to gain her trust. It sickens them to do it, but they'd rather bat their eyes at some woman than end up in one of Boogie's stews.
Today, he asked them if he could meet Sally. But the boogeyman is forbidden to leave his Lair. So they will have to bring * her * to * him*. And they are all too excited to put this into action.
"How are we going to do it?" Asks the small devil, as they are preparing for this trip. Lock is uncertain they can pull this off.
"It's easy! She thinks we're good children, doesn't she? We just have to act like we care , that's all!" Shock easily replies, packing their large bag.
"I'm sick of pretending, though!" Barrel protests in the background. "I want to kick her windows in already! Find her candy stash! Why do we have to act like we're 'good'?"
"Oogie knows what he's doing!" The witch defends with a stomp of her boot. "We'd be stupid not to do this. Do YOU wanna get eaten, Barrel!?"
The message is clear. There is no further argument as the three prepare, feeling only slightly regretful as they pack their emergency weapons.
Their bathtub's legs kick faster as they advance on the sewing shop. They grin wickedly behind their masks, already excited for the outcome. They can taste the delicious snake & spider stew already! They find Sally inside, blissfully unaware as she works on some clothes with one of her machines. They park their tub outside and leave all their keepsakes in there. They can't risk her seeing them. They're only there if it's absolutely necessar y….lest they receive some trouble getting her to come and see the boogeyman himself…!
" Hello~ !" They greet as they walk through the front door. The bell rings to announce their presence. Such a sound serves a warning to many, but to Halloween Town's seamstress, the company is welcomed. Sally looks up from the sewing machine and momentarily pauses her movements.
"Oh, hello, children..! Just let me finish this up here…"
They sit and wait patiently as she completes the stitching. They begin to wiggle in their seats, antsy to complete their job already. The children glance at each other and giggle under their breaths. They're already imagining what the boogeyman is going to do to her…! They get a kick out of their vivid imaginations. Eventually, the seamstress is finished and sets aside her work to address the three. They clasp their hands together and cross their legs politely, blinking innocently at her. Despite the figurative halos above their heads, the ragdoll remains uneasy.
"What are you three here for today?" She inquires. They've been visiting her shop almost regularly now. They pretend to think of an answer to this question.
"We wanted to see your work!" Barrel replies enthusiastically. "Your clothes always look, uh, pretty!"
"Yeah! Maybe you can even make a dress for Shock!" Lock snickers. The witch momentarily gives him a glare before grinning back at Sally, her lips twitching at this idea. She speaks through gritted teeth.
"Sure! Or maybe you can make Lock a tutu!"
"WHAT!?" The devil screams as the other two laugh. "That's going too far!"
He's about to wrestle with her until he realizes where they are and what they are doing. He forces a smile as he keeps his hands to himself. But she's already witnessed this small display of teasing between the trick-or-treaters, and can't help tittering to herself. The kids look confused as she laughs. Then they get slightly offended. They puff out their chests to attempt to get her to stop.
"Hey! What are you laughing at?" Shock shoots daggers at her.
"Oh, nothing." The tall woman waves it off. "It's just nice to see how close you three are. I've heard siblings tease and fight all the time."
"We're not siblings! We're Boogie's Boys; birds of a feather, now and forever!" Lock exclaims with his small arms crossed.
"Uh-huh." She takes a seat across from them. "You've been visiting me in my shop a lot lately. Is there any reason why? I know you pay a visit to all the shopkeepers, but I'm the only one you haven't caused trouble with yet."
They glance at each other wearily. So she's noticed. How to answer this question without being obvious..? They wave their small hands to her, attempting to make as small of this as they can.
"Like we said-" Shock begins. "-We want to get to know you…" Barrel continues. "So why would we be mean?" Lock finishes with a shrug.
She narrows her eyes for a moment, thinking. "If you want to get to know me…then why don't I get to know you, in return?"
They look at each other again, clearly uneasy with this suggestion. Oogie never said anything about her getting to know * them*..! They can clearly decline if they want to, right? But this won't work out in their favor so easily if they withdraw themselves…so they slump in their chairs and nod weakly at her. Shock gives a quiet message to her cohorts to resume their act, and lie when they can.
"It's only the polite thing to do," She resumes, seeing their hesitancy. She hopes this can be a small lesson to them - to get them to act normally around other people. "How old are you three?"
"Dunno'." Lock replies. Shock and Barrel agree with him. She blinks a few times in surprise. They don't even know their own ages? She senses this will not be an easy exchange between them. She clears her throat and thinks of something else to ask.
"Well…have you ever gone to school? Is there anything you're interested in learning?"
They scoff at her questions. She's treating them like they're little kids..! They can't express how much they hate this. Regardless, they swallow the heat in their throats and allow Shock to answer this one.
"No, and we don't need to! We've learned how to survive from Oogie. Who needs book smarts when you can just beat people up..!?"
She pumps her gloved fists in the air. Her group cheers her on with this answer, exchanging high fives in agreement. Sally is surprised at this reaction. Then she remembers they are delinquents. She plays with her hands as different questions come to mind. Maybe she shouldn't beat around the bush and just address the obvious…
"May I ask why you aren't good children..?" She asks, hoping she isn't too forward.
They clearly take offense to this question. But they remember they're supposed to play nice. She must be looking past their fake exteriors right now, what with the slip-up from earlier. They scold themselves for this and think up an answer on the spot. They allow some honesty to escape from their lips.
"We just wanna' have fun!" Barrel defends. "And in Halloween Town, 'fun' means danger..! Mischief! All the good stuff!"
"So, what is the difference between 'good' and 'bad' to you..? Because I know some adults and other children who would think your 'fun' isn't necessarily 'good' ..."
"No, we have no idea! We're just having fun in our own way."
She truly wants to believe them. It makes sense - their fun can just be playing tricks and pranks, like how the other Halloween Town children find playing in leaves and decapitating dolls as fun. She insists on finding some good within these trick-or-treaters; surely there must be some wholesome part to them, deep down..? Perhaps they are capable of change, just like Dr. Finklestein is..?
The three notice she's gone quiet and decide to pick up the conversation. They whisper something to each other before holding their hands together and batting their eyes once more. "Have we ever told you we've never had a mother..?"
She looks at them in surprise. "No, you haven't."
"You're so nice and pretty." Shock brings up, dragging a finger along her stockings. "If we ever had one, we'd want her to be just like you ..!"
She becomes flattered at their words and places a hand on her chest. This only gives her hope with what she wants to accomplish for them. "Aw, thank you."
They continue to give her more compliments, giving good words about her and the clothing she makes. She takes these with a smile, believing them wholeheartedly. When they are certain she is comfortable, they decide to change subjects and get things rolling. Readjusting themselves in their seats, they finally bring up the topic that will change the conversation drastically:
"You know, if you really want to get to know us, you should see our treehouse..!" Barrel suggests, licking his lollipop.
"Yeah! You can see how we live!" Lock adds.
"We never invite grown-ups there! We want you to come because you're special, and we like you." Shock smiles at her.
These words touch Sally more, but she remains uneasy to let her guard down. She thinks about this and fidgets with her fingers. She remembers what the ladies said during their lunch…not to trust these three, and especially not get the attention of the boogeyman. Even Jack warns her not to trust the trio. But she can't deny how curious she is to know their living conditions…maybe it can give her a better idea with what she's dealing with. So she can help these children become better..!
"Alright, I'll come and see. But you have to promise me you don't have any tricks. And you won't pull anything funny at all."
They play coy, hiding a hand behind their backs. "Why would we do that to someone so wonderful…? We promise we won't do anything nasty! You can take a look and leave whenever you want!"
She gives them a smile and informs them she'll get ready for this small trip. Lock, Shock, and Barrel practically jump out of their seats and prepare their bathtub for the trip. They're ecstatic their plan actually worked ! For a moment, they were worried getting Sally would be too difficult…but she is a lot more naive than they credit her for! The boss will surely be happy with this outcome…they simply can't wait for their reward!
The tall ragdoll meets them outside, locking her shop before they leave. She notices the large bathtub with legs that they usually ride into town. They've cleared their bags and weapons from it, secluding them in a nearby hiding spot of theirs in town. They gesture for her to get in. She looks reasonably weary at this suggestion. The last time she was in it, they took her to that boogeyman…where she was held captive for what felt like eternity…
"You want me to get in there ..?" She points. They nod their heads impatiently. It'll take forever to get to the hinterlands waiting for her to keep up with them. They want this trip to be speedy.
"So you can take it easy on your feet!" Lock brings up. "You wouldn't want to fall apart on the way, would you?"
She thinks about this suggestion. It is considerate of them. And she does appreciate the means of transportation…she just can't bring herself to trust it. They roll their eyes at her hesitancy and begin ushering her inside the bathtub. She's practically pushed in it and gives them a pained look, which they ignore as they hop right in with her. The bathtub begins its route back to their home - and they smile in satisfaction the entire way.
They ride in the forest until they reach a clearing. Sally is surprised to see them approaching a treehouse - built on the remnants of a large, dead tree, circled by a strange abyss. The wood is rotting and splintering by this point. So they aren't lying about where they live…but she can't shake this uneasy feeling as they approach it. As if something truly evil is residing within those walls. The wind picks up around her, giving her a quiet warning of what's yet to come.
The children jump out of the bathtub when they're in front of it. She gets the message to exit along with them. She wants to go back already, but they've gone too far. It would take her forever to return to Halloween Town on her own. And she has the greatest feeling they won't give her another ride. She holds her breath as she faces the decision she's made - hoping she will not come to regret it…
"Here we are!" Lock presents their small treehouse proudly. "This is the place!"
She notices it is much too small for her to fit in. The elevator alone looks like it can only accommodate small children and animals. She already feels like she's been tricked. "But how will I ever get inside?"
They pretend to think about this. "Well…there *is* a way you can, from below ..!"
They motion to the dark pit surrounding the tree. She leans over and notices there's a structure built down around the base of the plant, much larger than the treehouse itself. She attempts to see any reasonable way to get down there. Beyond the elevator, she can't really find a way…the apprehension shows on her face as she looks at the children. They notice this and point downwards easily.
"There's a chute you can enter through." Barrel informs her. "The elevator will support you for a little bit…then you crawl inside, and you'll be in our house!"
Sally feels uncertain. Is their treehouse big enough for something like this? And did they build it themselves? Questions pile in her head as the seconds go by. The children begin to lure her towards the elevator, patting her back and urging her forward. She has no choice but to hang onto the rope as it descends, the image of the trick-or-treaters getting smaller the further she goes. It gets colder as she's enveloped in the darkness. She suddenly can't hear a sound.
As they promised, a chute awaits her at the bottom. It's big enough for her to slip through…she lets go of the rope and brings herself into the circular opening. She crawls for what feels like minutes until she reaches the end. She helps herself down carefully and looks around. This looks nothing like a normal treehouse. It is a large structure consisting of metal and painted walls with bright colors.
There's no sound of the elevator moving, or any sign that the trick-or-treaters are coming. Sally realizes something is wrong.
. . .
The floor feels hard as she walks forward aimlessly, noticing how dark it is in here. She squints her eyes in an attempt to see. The only sound she can hear are bugs crawling around, but things are silent otherwise. Her hands start to shake as she stands there, feeling vulnerable. It's so dark that she can't find the way back where she came. She wishes to be anywhere but here right now. She eventually calls out.
"Hello?"
Her voice echos. Something appears to have heard her. Movement comes from the room, though she can't see where. That's when the lights flicker on - dimly lighting her surroundings. She gets a better look where she is, now. There are various torture machines sitting around the room, along with roulette wheels, blades, and cages. It resembles nothing like a treehouse, but rather, a casino. It all looks familiar to her. This is when her phantom heart sinks. She's struck with a numbing realization: She's been here before.
"Hello, Doll-face."
She yelps in surprise as a deep voice comes from behind her. She jumps instinctively before whipping around, only to be met with a huge figure that eyes her curiously from above. It is a large burlap sack with empty eye sockets and a hollow mouth. She can hear the bugs squirming inside of him. This is all it takes for her to recognize this creature.
"B-Bug King!" She spits out. Oogie Boogie smiles at the term.
"So you do remember me!" He comments smugly as he circles around her. "I think I'm over that little holiday now. You should call me the 'King of Halloween ' instead, hmm?"
"But Jack is-"
"- AH ! Ah, ah, ah ." His tone rises as he advances on her, wiggling one of his 'hands' in warning "Watch that name in here, missy! I don't condone such language ."
She feels confused as he moves around her. She fearfully turns her head in search of the children, but unfortunately finds herself alone with the boogeyman. Her chest feels completely cold by now, understanding that she has made a mistake. This is the man who held her captive and said such terrible things to her…who scared her out of her wits with his devices; the first being to truly touch and feel her body. None of it is pleasant to remember.
She needs to get out of here as soon as she can. Her black eyes attempt to find a visible exit. He notices what she's doing and blocks her vision. She bites her lip as he gets closer to her. What can she do now..? Her feet feel glued in place as she stands there, completely petrified. Boogie thrives off of her fear at this moment. It tastes delicious. He almost feels spoiled with how much she's giving him to feed on.
"Looks like you're all alone here, heh . Well, welcome to my casino, Dolly." He gestures around them. "I recall you being a previous client. I've made some changes since then - a few cutting edge devices here-and-there, ya' see-"
"What do you want from me!?" She interrupts, shaking in her heels. He notices her weak tone and chuckles, moving until he's standing right in front of her. His form towers over her own, casting a cold shadow.
"I've been hearing some rumors 'bout you from my boys, an' I wanted to see what all the fuss is about!" His burlap hand comes forward and strokes the side of her face. He can't help but admire her stitches. "You haven't aged a bit… "
She flinches at his touch and backs away. He finds no offense in this. For now . She thinks of his words and weakly asks, "What have you heard about me..?"
He hums in thought, turning away and rolling some dice in his hand. He despises even saying his name, but he has to talk about his arch-nemesis in order for this conversation to progress. "-They say you're Jack's girl now. That true?"
She doesn't know if being honest is a disadvantage in this situation. Against her better judgment, she nods weakly. "Y-Yes…"
"HAH!" He suddenly laughs. He wipes a fake 'tear' away from his socket in amusement. "Why in HELL'S NAME would you want to date HIM !?"
He continues to laugh as she stands there, dumbfounded. She can't fathom how this is entertaining in the slightest. It makes her feel angry as she clenches her fists and narrows her eyes at him. How could he laugh at her feelings for Jack Skellington..? He's the kindest and most selfless person she's known. The only man who's made her happy after all this time…
"He's a wonderful person! Nothing like what YOU are!" She spits, remembering their last encounter all too well. He doesn't seem to appreciate this tone as his laughter stops. Her eyes widen when he abruptly snaps his head towards her. She momentarily fears what he'll do.
He ends up rolling his 'eyes'. "You n' the rest of the town. 'Jack's the greatest! Ooo! We love him!' - PHAW!" His snake tongue spits from his mouth onto the floor. "Thinks he's the best thing to happen since the electric chair…"
She looks at the burlap man's back strangely. "Why do you hate him so much?"
"Take a guess, doll-face! You were there ." He snaps at her. She shrinks down to the floor in response. "After all we've been through, he goes n' banishes me! I can't go ANYWHERE! Do you know how BORING it gets here, bein' alone this long..!?"
She looks around and notices how empty it is in the casino. Beyond the caged skeletons and bats hanging around, there's no one else down here. It makes her feel both afraid and pitiful. However, she refuses to feel sympathy for the being that captured her and made her time here so scary…she thinks of how she's ever going to escape. She's not fast enough to run away. Maybe being kind to him can do it?
"I-I'm sorry…" She nervously manages. "How close were you to him?"
"Me n' bonehead? Oh, we go WAY back!" He rests an elbow on her shoulder and she feels the pressure on her seams. She doesn't like being this close to him at all. "We were old friends. Didn't stop him from exiling me, apparently. "
"You two were… friends ?"
"Rather not talk 'bout it." He retorts quickly.
He brings his attention back to the woman and notices the way Sally's shivering. It's a pleasant sight for him - it never takes much effort for the boogeyman to scare his company. His gigantic form and bugs do plenty alone, but he'll never get tired of seeing people shake and weep under his grasp. It reminds him of his golden days…which he misses the more time goes on. He nostalgically remembers the time of his nightmare-inducing visits to the human world…
"Y'know, ya' got quite a mouth on you." He moves his face closer to hers. "I kinda' like it."
She whimpers when he reaches for her. "P-Please…"
"Where ARE my manners?" He slaps his head as he plays with his trusted dice. "Would ya' care to play a game, dolly?"
"A…game?"
"Anythin' you want! Cards, poker, board games…hell, I'll even play darts! Always a tradition of mine to offer my company a game or two."
"I'd better not…"
"You sure ? I'm a bettin' man, Dolly….if you win, you can ask for anything you want. No strings attached."
She pauses. Anything she wants? What she wants more than life itself is to simply get out of here…she can't think of any other way out. Those trick-or-treaters likely abandoned her. She feels so stupid for even trusting them! Now she's left alone. No one even knows she's down here right now. She didn't even tell Jack where she was…her lips fall as she debates her options. After a moment, she boldly looks into Oogie's eye sockets.
"If I win a game, I want to leave."
" Ho-oh ! Goin' straight for the gold! I love that!" He laughs. "But ya' gotta' offer somethin' for me in return. What'll it be if I win?"
Her eyes widen as she realizes she has nothing to offer. She thinks on the spot and chews her lip. Then she remembers her sewing needle behind her ear, and the thread in her dress' pocket. The two items she always keeps on her person. She hesitantly grabs them from their places and presents them to the boogeyman. He leans down and inspects them with a curious hum.
"These are all I have."
"..."
He says nothing as his smile falls, observing the needle quietly. As much as he hates to admit it…he can get a use out of these things. His burlap sack is always catching on sharp edges and making holes, spreading open. He can't have more of his bugs escaping. Although the children help sew him when he's incapable, he would favor having something like this on him at all times. He leans back and grins.
"Deal. Go n' pick your game."
He motions upwards and a large board lowers from the top of the room and into his hand. On it are symbols and titles of different games. There's a long list, almost like he has every play from the human world. She barely recognizes any of them. She's never had the leisure to play anything like this…with anyone, as a matter of fact. The Doctor discouraged these types of entertainment. She tries to think of any she understands how to play. She doesn't trust Boogie to play something she doesn't know. This is a serious betting match…
Oogie grows impatient until she finally picks one. He perks up and follows her finger, only to shrivel in disappointment. "-Go fish!? Are you kiddin' me!?"
"It's the only game I know," She defends weakly. "You told me to pick one I wanted."
" Humph ." He exchanges the board for a deck of cards and starts shuffling them in defeat. "This is kiddie crap, y'know."
A light shines on a lone table just a few feet away from them. He motions her to go ahead. She slowly approaches it and lowers herself into one of the chairs. She hates that she's in this situation to begin with…having to bet for her freedom. She doesn't want to think about what will happen if she loses. If he'll keep her prisoner again, hiding her down here until someone eventually comes to her rescue…or what he may even do in that time. Touch her? Kill her? She shivers at the thought.
He eventually comes and sets the cards down, taking a seat across from her. He looks almost disappointed with this game, having no enthusiasm starting it or even playing it. Truth be told, he hasn't come up with a particular cheating scheme yet for go fish…it is a child's game that he never thought he'd have to gamble on. He only keeps it on the board as an option for Lock, Shock, and Barrel when they want to play with him. And they always let him win.
Regardless, he's surprised at how terrible she does. For a game relying on pure luck, she doesn't seem to have any of it. Even less than himself ! The look of fear on her face is substantial when she realizes she loses. He hears her hold her breath in shock. He's relieved to be done with this situation as is.
"Well, well, well!" He decides to rub the obvious in. "Looks like I won!"
She frowns before reaching for his promised prizes and numbly setting them on the table. She looks at them for only a second before beginning to bawl - weeping into her own hands, hiding her face away from him. It doesn't take long before she's in a fit of sobs. He looks amused at this extreme reaction to the game.
" Please! I don't want to be down here!" She begs. "I only wanted to help those children..! They told me they'd show me around their treehouse…not this !"
"You care 'bout my henchman, do ya'?" He teases as he collects the needle and thread. They must've done a good job with her. Something he'll have to reward them for later. "Poor choice, Dolly. They don't listen to anyone but me ."
"I realize that now..." She murmurs into the table. A deadly mistake that will cost her, no less.
He observes her form for a full minute before grinning, moving the cards aside. "Y'know, I've really enjoyed your company..! In fact, I think I'm willing ta' let you go! IF you let me do one thing, that is…"
She looks up in interest. A chance to leave..? She's doubtful, but it's her only option right now. There's no other way but to accept it. "Wh-what is it..?"
Something changes in his tone. "Let me feel yer' leg."
"... What ?"
"You heard me." He reaffirms, not wanting to repeat himself. "It's been so long since I've felt a woman's touch….n' I want it. Badly." He gets out of his seat and closes in on her. "Ya' want to leave, right? Well, what's stoppin' ya? All I want is a little feel…a little tickle…n' you'll be on yer' way."
Words can't describe how uncomfortable she is with this situation. To promise something like this to him…it makes her feel sick to her stomach, and she can't help thinking of how Jack would react. It makes her feel dirty. Like she's about to be used as a ragdoll. Oogie surrounds her by the minute, making her realize she has no choice. Her breath is shaky as she glances down at her legs. It shouldn't be…too bad, right? All he wants is to feel. Nothing more….she hopes. She shuts her eyes tightly and sticks her right leg out, refusing to watch or enjoy any part of this.
"...F-Fine…" She mutters.
He's thrilled with her consent and wastes no moment reaching for her beautifully-sculpted leg. Oogie's jaw hangs open as he fingers over her stitches, trailing from her knee down to her shoe. He easily pops it off from her foot and makes a noise in satisfaction. He can feel her trembling in his grip - still closing her eyes, refusing to watch him. But he's not worried about indecency. It's not the most obscene act he'd ever done - he's committed far worse with real human women…
And he can't help marveling at how closely she resembles them. Everything about her body is modeled in its ideal image. He goes forward to tickle her - excited by the way her foot writhes and squirms as he does. But Sally does not laugh. Her lips are pressed into a firm line while he does all of this. He doesn't mind her lack of reaction while he has his fun. Eventually, he withdraws his grip and stands back, clearly pleased after sharing this contact.
"Alright. Ya' kept yer' promise." He begins to shout in the direction of the ceiling. "BOYS! BRING DOWN THE ELEVATOR!"
There is a collection of disappointed 'aws' . It seems like they were listening this entire time. Small voices reply from above. "Yes, boss!"
He looks back at the ragdoll. "Yer' free ta' go."
She finally snaps her eyes open and looks at him. "H-Huh?"
"Take the elevator oughtta' here. I'm sure this ain't the last time I'm gonna' see ya'." He leans in closely before she can move. "But you should do me a favor, since I'm lettin' ya go, and all."
He wants more? She can't give any more of herself to him. The look on her face makes this obvious. "What do you want..?"
"Ask Jack about me." He smiles mischievously. "I can guarantee one thing, Dolly: he ain't telling you everything 'bout himself. He and I…we have a past I think you'd love to learn about."
She looks lost as he says this, but he wears a knowing smile. He dismisses her with a wave of his 'hand' and walks elsewhere in his casino, cleaning up the mess of cards from the table. She makes no hesitation to pick herself up and bolt in the direction of where she came. She slips through the chute and finds the elevator waiting for her at the end. She isn't surprised when the trio are nowhere to be found outside, and is left to walk back to Halloween Town by herself.
She clutches at her arm on the way, feeling both violated and used after what happened. His words give her unsettling chills, but bring a new curiosity to her mind. How much does she truly know about Jack's past? And who this boogeyman exactly is? It hurts her to wonder if he's concealing more from her than she thinks…she clutches her hand as she walks through the forest.
She will have to ask him about this.