Dream a Little Nightmare

By: Laney Sanchez

Note: Ah, it's 2:06 in the morning and on I continue to write. Ain't life grand?

( \/ ) Chapter 8 ( \/ )

    o A Friendship Between a Skeleton and a Girl o

            He had been wrong. Dreadfully wrong. This was far from being the best Halloween ever. Not even more than a minute through the door that connected the two worlds, and he had already lost Poe. Jack Skellington was mentally cursing himself. How could he have been so careless? How could he have been so irresponsible!? Poe didn't even know how to get home!

            Jack had quickly abandoned his dreams of Halloween glory, immediately returning to Halloween town. Something had to be done fast and Halloween would just have to miss it's yearly visit from the Pumpkin King. It was that simple because it would only be one night that Poe could spend peacefully in the mortal world before the mortal population would begin to clearly notice. After Halloween, Poe would be breaking just about every law there was in Halloween town.

            Only briefly had he debated on informing Sally of Poe's disappearance. He had hurriedly decided that there was no need. With any luck, and Dr. Finkelstein's aid, he would have Poe back safe and sound before Halloween was over. No one would ever know.

            That was, with luck and deep down Jack knew he'd need a lot of luck.

            Poe examined the small object. It was weak structured and rather crumbly, but he found it oddly interesting. "So it's a kooky?"

            Nameless shook her head, quickly correcting him. "No. COOK-IE!"

            "Well, it's basically the same as what we have in Halloween town, except these don't snarl at you when you pick one up…" Poe said, still considering the cookie in his hand. Nameless snickered. "I'd like to see that. Cookies snarling…"

            Poe shook his head. "No, Kookies," he said, smiling at the chance to correct her for a change. Nameless didn't look at all bothered by the correction. In fact, she looked rather intrigued.

            "So they're called 'Kookies'?" Nameless asked, enjoying the idea. Poe nodded once, still thoroughly examining the cookie. Nameless then snickered again. "Kookies…interesting…"

            Poe smiled and took a light bite from the cookie. His face positively beamed as if he had just experienced the best possible thing in the world. "This is wonderful! It's sweet! It's…so soft…"

            Nameless began a fit of laughter. "Yeah, it's also sugar. Almost anything with sugar is good."

            Poe looked confused. "Sooger?"

Nameless beamed at him. It was hard not to like Poe. In many ways, he was like a little child experiencing the world for the first time. Everything was wonderful and new to him, nothing was trivial or old. Nameless decided that the best way to show him was through demonstration. "Alright. Look. See this?" she asked as she used a hand to gesture to a tubby round clay pot. The pot looked friendly in Poe's opinion. There was no razor sharp teeth or yellow beady eyes on it anywhere. It was painted white with fine red apples, unlike in Halloween town where everything was cold steel or black. Poe noted that in fact, there was a ninety-percent chance that the apples would've been pictured as decayed and rotting, rather than red and juicy.

            "Well, if you lift this up…" Nameless demonstrated, lifting the lid and interrupting his current thought. "You found the sugar. It's the main ingredient in lotsa stuff," she explained. She enjoyed watching his face light up further (if possible). "Quaint…" Poe whispered. He took a pinch of sugar, sampling it. Nameless smiled, but turned away heading back for the living room.

            "Poe, if I may ask, how'd you get here?" she asked, approaching the window. The question had just tumbled out of her mouth. In fact, she was a little surprised at how casually they were with speaking to each other. It struck her as just a little comedic.

            "Throo da door…"

            "I didn't hear you…"

            Poe repeated himself. "Ah shaid, ah came throo da door."

            "I still can't-" Nameless looked to the ceiling, almost immediately after she turned to face him. It was all she could from not rolling on the floor with laughter. Poe had the whole sugar container in his arm and was steadily scooping handfuls of sugar into his mouth. She didn't even know how a skeleton could eat sugar by the handful, but it was a funny site none the less. (*If Jack can eat snow, then I figure Poe can eat sugar ^-^)

            "Wash wong?" Poe asked, apparently onto another scoop.

            Nameless just smiled and shook her head. She couldn't deny that apart of her was having a lot of fun with Poe and showing him all the "new" things, but another part of her was also very much bothered. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous. More so than that, she felt just a small pinch of anger. Poe didn't value his world at all. She would've given up her life, as she'd known it, to simply have one day in a town like Halloween town.

            "Nameless!"

            "Wha-?! What!?" she snapped, probably sounding a bit harsher than she would've liked to. Poe looked a little taken back, but then gave her a suspicious look. "I called your name four times…"

            "I got things on my mind…" she said with a nonchalant shrug and turned back to the window. Poe tilted his head slightly. "Oh? Like what? What could a mortal in a world like this, have to worry about?" he said with an amused chuckle. Nameless turned her head over her shoulder and shot him a very dirty look. The little "pinch" of anger had just grown to a giant size within her heart.

            *

            "On and on about your town you jabber, just chatting all away. Here stands you and here stands me and do you REALIZE THAT'S WHAT I DREAM OF EVERY DAY!?" she said, not bothering to keep her tone down. Poe shot her a look.

            "Why's that?" he asked, still amused.

            "Why not?" she shot back, giving him an annoyed glare.

            Poe turned her completely around. "Let me tell you something, something very true. There's your opinion and here's mine. I'd give my left arm just to live in the world that you do!"

            Poe walked over to her TV, running a single hand along it. "Such things, such marvels you cannot comprehend. Sugar, color, lights so bright! Well, forgive me if I'm sick of gloom and doom around every single bend!"

            Nameless rolled her eyes. She wasn't impressed. Poe moved on to the table, picking up a single silver fork. "Look! Just look at the objects everywhere! Different, new, improved! Well, forgive me if I'd take your place here and not there…" he said with a slightly disgusted sneer.

            "Why's that?" Nameless asked, trying to get a decent answer out of him. Poe took a step forward. "Why not?"

            He continued. "Let me tell you something, something is simply quite true. There's your opinion and here's mine and I'd give my left arm just to live in the world that you do!"

            "That's great, just wonderful, believe me, I'm impressed. It's the same thing day to day! Well, forgive me but it makes me rather depressed!" she shot back, leering at Poe. Poe just crossed his arms, becoming more in thought.

            Nameless moved to the window. "Look! Just look out this window, tell me what do you see? I see dirt, dirt and maybe more brown. I'd give my life to be anyone but ME!"

            Poe frowned, beginning to take this all in. "Why's that?"

            This time, Nameless frowned deeply. "I don't fit in, I'm socially un-elite, and I have outcast written on my right down to my feet…"

            "You know, we're really not so different and now I think I understand, but listen close because I think I have a plan…" Poe said, moving closer to her. Nameless leaned in, intent on hearing it. "Here stands me and here stands you and finally at last I think I know what to do!"

            "Let me tell you something, something simply quite true, you've taught me about this world and now I'm going to do the same for you!"

            "That's great, just- what?"

· (song end)

Poe nodded, taking her hands within his own. "We're not that different at all. You don't fit in your world and I don't fit in with mine, right?"

Nameless frowned. She wasn't quite sure what he was getting at, but apart of her was becoming doubtful already. "Yes…" she agreed softly.

"Well then! I'll take you back with me! I'm sure no one will notice!" Poe said, smiling with the biggest smile he had ever smiled in a long time.

"Are you kidding? I'm a human…I'd look…odd…" she confessed, looking away. Apart of her was screaming to just go. It was screaming and mentally kicking her to grab this chance and to run away with Poe to Halloween town. The same part wanted to just scream. Period. It was so much to take in.

Then there was the part that had to be serious. The part of her brain that she decided she would gladly donate to science because it served her absolutely no use except to ruin her excitement. However, as much as she hated it right now, it had a bad habit of being right.

"Odd…" Poe laughed, giving her hands a light squeeze. Nameless still found it a bit eerie feeling, but she smiled none the less. "Nameless, that's what Halloween town IS! It's ODD!"

Nameless looked away and smiled. He had a very good point.

" You cannot do this! Think of your parents!" the sensible side of her brain screamed. Then there was the childish side, which always seemed to win out. "They suck."

"Think of your friend Faith!!"

"Poe's my friend now!"

"He's a SKELETON!!!!!"

"Oh…SHUT…UP!"

"Yes!!" Nameless screamed, taking Poe back a bit. Never the less, Poe smiled wide. Nameless blushed a little bit from her outburst, but returned the smile genuinely. If the sensible side had anything else to say, it sure wasn't speaking now. Poe stared back into her eyes and gave her a grin. It was a grin that his father had worn many times as well. The same grin that you wear when you have found something finally worthwhile. "You know, with the way your mortal eyes sparkle, happiness suits you much better," he commented.

Then somehow, in that moment, as weird as it may have seemed, Nameless knew that she had a new friend. She also knew that she would hug this friend, if she didn't have a tremendous fear of breaking him in two.