I awoke lying against a rock of some sort. A rock wall. I turned around and saw it was a tombstone.

"Here we go again…" I muttered, struggling to my feet. I was still in my pajamas, but there was something funny about them. They seemed to be a bit tighter. And I KNEW my shirt had shrunk. It wasn't too small, but now it fit me like a regular shirt. And the sleeves had gotten longer. The only things that hadn't changed were my black, knee-high socks. They still fit me fine.

"Where is he? He better have a damn good excuse for dragging me out of my bedroom in the middle of the night, scaring the living daylights out of me…" I stalked into town. By now, the townspeople knew how freaky I was (probably by word-of-Jack's mouth) and they kept their distance from the "Pumpkin Queen" (also by Jack's mouth).

Fuming, I banged on the door of his mansion, ignoring the bell-chain. I was mad, and I wanted him to know it, so I took out my anger on the wood. When he didn't come, I bellowed.

"JACK! Get down here!"

"He's not home." I turned the band was down at the gate.

"Well, where is he?" I demanded.

"Maybe he went back to Christmas Town," the big one offered.

"Try the cemetery," the sax player told me.

I sighed. "If he's not here, then who in all the hells pulled me through?"

They gulped and looked at one another nervously.

"The Shadow. He probably became Jack and pulled you here to take your place. Now he's where ever you were, in your form, and he's going to be you."

I looked towards the speaker. Sally. She was in the doorway, looking at me. Zero bounded through and attacked me with joyful yips and licks.

"Happy to see you too, buddy. Where's Jack?" I asked, fighting him off.

Zero barked and started for Town Hall. I had wondered why the town was so empty.

We entered in the midst of a heated discussion. From what I could tell, it was about the Shadow. I noticed that my skin had darkened a shade or two before looking up. There was Jack Skellington himself, surrounded by the Mayor and various other members of Halloween Town.

Zero barked and made for his master. Jack caught him and laughed.

"Hey boy. Who's here?" Zero looked toward me and yipped. Jack glanced up and almost dropped his jaw at the sight of me.

"J-J-Jaq?! What are you doing here?"

"Something pulled me in from under my bed. I believe it's you're 'Shadow'," I stated. "Anyway, I'm here now!" I grinned.

He ran over. "Forgive me for not being formal, but I'm glad to see you!" He picked me up in a bear hug. I felt my closer get a bit closer to me.

"Glad to see you too…" I struggled. I gave him a quick hug and he let me down.

"So what's this Shadow thing? And why am I here?" I asked.

His face fell.

"The Shadow, we believe, is what kept Oogie Boogie together and yapping. His 'soul', so-to-speak. Somehow it survived and can now change shape, but it retains the same voice. And attitude."

I looked at him. "So, what effects can it have?"

"Well, he's been 'switching places' with anyone he can. He took the Behemoth, so it looked like the bag of bugs and we attacked him without knowing. He's still alright, but the big guy's in bad shape. It did the same to the Creature Lady and both witches. It seems he favors female victims."

I gulped. "W-what happens if the Shadow gets into the real world?"

He tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Well, I expect it and whomever it catches will switch immediate forms. Which would mean…" He stopped.

"That means he is now me, and I'm going to be a- a-…"

"Shadow." We both said it together.

As if summoned by a password, my black clothing sucked at me. I felt strange, lightheaded. Suddenly, it was as if I was wearing nothing at all! I looked down. I had something on but didn't feel it. My whole body was black, including my hands and feet, although my feet had some sort of covering on. My socks, I expect.

There was a mirror nearby. Amid gasps of surprise, I looked into it. My face and hair were black. Pitch black. My eyes, no longer white and brown, glowed a solid purple. I turned away. Jack pointed wordlessly at my arm.

There was a bit of cloth left. I reached for it, but it sank into my skin!