"I say we just bust in there and totally ruin this bitches shit." Lock
peered over the side of the bridge and grinned wickedly. Shock cast him a
fierce look.
"Idiot, this isn't a fucking game, you know. You, I mean, we could all get seriously hurt."
"At least we can't die again. I mean, if Death herself said so, we should have nothing to worry about." Barrel added.
Shock shook her head. "Lets not take any chances though. I'm not ready to leave Hallowe'en Town on a permanent basis."
The three were waiting for Jack on the edge of the bridge in front of their tree house. He had instructed them to wait while he took Sally back to Skellington Manor. She may have been brave in the past, but if anything were to happen to Jack, Hallowe'en Town needed its' Queen. Barrel kicked a stone and watched the path intently.
"What's taking so long? Dammit." He paced the pathway before making his way over to the main road. "I'm going to keep an eye open for Jack. Yell if anything happens, ok?"
"Chicken shit!" Lock yelled back. Barrel gave him the finger before disappearing from sight. The oldest of the three turned and watched Shock. Memories of the last few days flashed through Lock's head like a broken slideshow. He thought about Shock and about what she must have been thinking. How she must have been feeling. He looked at her neck, which she now left exposed to all, not caring anymore if people saw. She had nothing left to hide. Sure, Death had said that they would not be returning to her palace, but did that really mean that none of them would die? Again?
"Hey, Shock?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think we're going to make I out of this alright?" Shock turned and gave him a pained look.
"Honestly Lock, no. Do you really think that after all this I'm going to be alright? After this week, I'm not." She turned away. "And I don't think I ever will be." Lock came up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her body.
"Sure you will be. It'll all be over after tonight. Everything is going to be fine." He leaned his head down and brushed it against her ear. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Shock." She leaned against him and sighed.
"Oh Lock, thank you."
Barrel, meanwhile was pacing in front of the town gates, not really paying much attention. His mind was too busy processing all that had gone on recently. He found it quite ironic that all this chaos was occurring during that one week that should have been filled with good luck and celebration. Maybe he was being punished for something. Maybe this as just the path Fate had carved for him.
He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts hat he didn't hear light footsteps plod up to him until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Barrel turned around and came face to face with Melicia, the young daughter of the vampires. The girl he had been pining for since he first laid eyes on her.
"Barrel? Vat are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be preparing for ze anniversary celebration? It's tomorrow evening, you know?" Melicia had a soft whispery voice and a thick Vamperian accent. It was one of the things that Barrel liked about her so much. He wondered what she would sound like in bed. (Barrel was dirty that way.)
"Hey, Vampie. I'm just waiting out here for Jack. We have a few things to take care of tonight." He answered smoothly.
"Jack, ah? Who vould have thought you, of all people, vould be vaiting for Jack! Vhere are ze ohzer two? Lock and Shock? You three are almost never apart."
"Yeah - they're back at the tree house preparing things." Barrel realized that he couldn't say too much. He fidgeted. "For the anniversary, I mean. They're getting things ready for tomorrow."
"I see." Melicia stretched and looked at the full harvest moon. "Vell, I better be off. I'm rahzer hungry tonight." She started to walk away. Barrel reached out and touched her arm gently.
"Hey, Melicia?" She turned. "Would you want to go to the ball with me? Kind of like a..a.."
"A date?"
"Yeah.." The vampire placed a small bite on Barrel's neck and winked.
"I vould not have had it any ohzer way? I vas hoping you vould ask.." And with that, she disappeared into the night, leaving Barrel feeling rather good about himself. He had almost forgotten about why he was out that night when he heard Jack call his name.
"Barrel? Where are the other two? Has it already begun?"
"Nah - I just wanted to give them a moment. Plus I had to ask someone something." Jack gave the younger boy a quizzical look but said nothing. Barrel rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get back before it's too late."
Shock was the first to notice Jack coming over the bridge. She was sitting between Lock's legs and leaning against his chest. He still had his arms wrapped around her protectively, his tail was curled around one of the bridge supports (just in case). Neither of them looked too happy.
"What took you so long? We were about to go in without you." Shock said irritably.
"Like hell you were." Barrel retorted. Jack reached into his coat and produced six small, deadly looking daggers.
"Take these," he said, "And don't use them unless you have to. I also want them back at the end of this, ok?"
"Wow, Jack, how long have you had these lying around?" Lock accepted the small ornate dagger and placed it inside of his long, black trench coat.
Jack shrugged. "I've had them for a while. I got them during one of my trips to the mortal world." He handed Shock three small throwing daggers, which she placed with the small knife Dream had given her. "I thought these would be most appropriate for you considering you have the best aim out of the lot of you." Lock looked up.
"No she doesn't! It's gotta be me - hands down!"
"You wish!" Shock retorted.
"You're both idiots, it's me! I have the best aim!" Barrel shouted.
"Do not!" Lock and Shock shouted back.
Jack flashed them his most horrifying look and they fell silent.
"You three are amazing! Even after all these years you STILL bicker like children sometimes!" Barrel lowered his eyes.
"We do not." He argued quietly. Any other arguments were cut short by an ominous rumbling sound rising from the dark abyss below the bridge. Jack nodded and headed towards the basket elevator.
"Let's go you three. It's time to settle this once and for all." They piled into the cage and began their slow decent into the dark.
"Idiot, this isn't a fucking game, you know. You, I mean, we could all get seriously hurt."
"At least we can't die again. I mean, if Death herself said so, we should have nothing to worry about." Barrel added.
Shock shook her head. "Lets not take any chances though. I'm not ready to leave Hallowe'en Town on a permanent basis."
The three were waiting for Jack on the edge of the bridge in front of their tree house. He had instructed them to wait while he took Sally back to Skellington Manor. She may have been brave in the past, but if anything were to happen to Jack, Hallowe'en Town needed its' Queen. Barrel kicked a stone and watched the path intently.
"What's taking so long? Dammit." He paced the pathway before making his way over to the main road. "I'm going to keep an eye open for Jack. Yell if anything happens, ok?"
"Chicken shit!" Lock yelled back. Barrel gave him the finger before disappearing from sight. The oldest of the three turned and watched Shock. Memories of the last few days flashed through Lock's head like a broken slideshow. He thought about Shock and about what she must have been thinking. How she must have been feeling. He looked at her neck, which she now left exposed to all, not caring anymore if people saw. She had nothing left to hide. Sure, Death had said that they would not be returning to her palace, but did that really mean that none of them would die? Again?
"Hey, Shock?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think we're going to make I out of this alright?" Shock turned and gave him a pained look.
"Honestly Lock, no. Do you really think that after all this I'm going to be alright? After this week, I'm not." She turned away. "And I don't think I ever will be." Lock came up behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her body.
"Sure you will be. It'll all be over after tonight. Everything is going to be fine." He leaned his head down and brushed it against her ear. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Shock." She leaned against him and sighed.
"Oh Lock, thank you."
Barrel, meanwhile was pacing in front of the town gates, not really paying much attention. His mind was too busy processing all that had gone on recently. He found it quite ironic that all this chaos was occurring during that one week that should have been filled with good luck and celebration. Maybe he was being punished for something. Maybe this as just the path Fate had carved for him.
He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts hat he didn't hear light footsteps plod up to him until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Barrel turned around and came face to face with Melicia, the young daughter of the vampires. The girl he had been pining for since he first laid eyes on her.
"Barrel? Vat are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be preparing for ze anniversary celebration? It's tomorrow evening, you know?" Melicia had a soft whispery voice and a thick Vamperian accent. It was one of the things that Barrel liked about her so much. He wondered what she would sound like in bed. (Barrel was dirty that way.)
"Hey, Vampie. I'm just waiting out here for Jack. We have a few things to take care of tonight." He answered smoothly.
"Jack, ah? Who vould have thought you, of all people, vould be vaiting for Jack! Vhere are ze ohzer two? Lock and Shock? You three are almost never apart."
"Yeah - they're back at the tree house preparing things." Barrel realized that he couldn't say too much. He fidgeted. "For the anniversary, I mean. They're getting things ready for tomorrow."
"I see." Melicia stretched and looked at the full harvest moon. "Vell, I better be off. I'm rahzer hungry tonight." She started to walk away. Barrel reached out and touched her arm gently.
"Hey, Melicia?" She turned. "Would you want to go to the ball with me? Kind of like a..a.."
"A date?"
"Yeah.." The vampire placed a small bite on Barrel's neck and winked.
"I vould not have had it any ohzer way? I vas hoping you vould ask.." And with that, she disappeared into the night, leaving Barrel feeling rather good about himself. He had almost forgotten about why he was out that night when he heard Jack call his name.
"Barrel? Where are the other two? Has it already begun?"
"Nah - I just wanted to give them a moment. Plus I had to ask someone something." Jack gave the younger boy a quizzical look but said nothing. Barrel rolled his eyes. "Come on, let's get back before it's too late."
Shock was the first to notice Jack coming over the bridge. She was sitting between Lock's legs and leaning against his chest. He still had his arms wrapped around her protectively, his tail was curled around one of the bridge supports (just in case). Neither of them looked too happy.
"What took you so long? We were about to go in without you." Shock said irritably.
"Like hell you were." Barrel retorted. Jack reached into his coat and produced six small, deadly looking daggers.
"Take these," he said, "And don't use them unless you have to. I also want them back at the end of this, ok?"
"Wow, Jack, how long have you had these lying around?" Lock accepted the small ornate dagger and placed it inside of his long, black trench coat.
Jack shrugged. "I've had them for a while. I got them during one of my trips to the mortal world." He handed Shock three small throwing daggers, which she placed with the small knife Dream had given her. "I thought these would be most appropriate for you considering you have the best aim out of the lot of you." Lock looked up.
"No she doesn't! It's gotta be me - hands down!"
"You wish!" Shock retorted.
"You're both idiots, it's me! I have the best aim!" Barrel shouted.
"Do not!" Lock and Shock shouted back.
Jack flashed them his most horrifying look and they fell silent.
"You three are amazing! Even after all these years you STILL bicker like children sometimes!" Barrel lowered his eyes.
"We do not." He argued quietly. Any other arguments were cut short by an ominous rumbling sound rising from the dark abyss below the bridge. Jack nodded and headed towards the basket elevator.
"Let's go you three. It's time to settle this once and for all." They piled into the cage and began their slow decent into the dark.