I awoke from the nightmare with a cold sweat. I looked around . It was dark and fluorescent lights blazed around me. Fluorescent lights?!
Uh oh.
Cackling echoed around me as a figure came out of the darkness in front of me.
It was me.
Technically, it was Oogie Boogie in my body. He laughed maniacally as I struggled to get free. No luck. I was bound.
"Too bad your little plans backfired to catch me. I sick of this body. Since you've been in our world before, you were in tune to the 'waves', shall we say. It was easy to link Halloween Town to you and your bedroom. But I miscalculated and I didn't realize I'd be stuck in here. So if it's alright with you, I'll just switch us around again. Then I'll have a bit of fun with you." He cackled and reached for me.
Under stress, your subconscious will work for you when nothing else will. I became a shadow in the midst of pure mortal terror and ran. I could hear Oogie yowling in rage. Before escaping, I heard him bellow, "I didn't expect you'd learn how to use those powers so quickly! But I still have one wild card left to play, Miss Pumpkin Queen!"
I was still frightened after I got out. I hadn't felt so scared since I was a kid and first rode the Haunted Mansion. Rushing back to Jack's mansion, I slipped under the door and shook him awake.
"Whuh? What's going on?" He inquired sleepily. The sun was rising.
"Boogie's back, Jack! He's here, in his hideout, in my body! And Lock, Shock, and Barrel are over there with him. They kidnapped me and Oogie tried to take his shadow-form back. But I dematerialized and escaped."
He was wide-awake now. Scribbling a note, he apologized to Sally for leaving so early and we raced to Town Hall.
Jack woke the Mayor and filled him in. The blue face worried over what they were to do. Jack held my shoulders and addressed me seriously.
"Jaq, I've dealt with him before. You stay here and keep this-…" He paused and looked over at the bumbling council. "-Fiasco under control." He stood straight up very heroically. Turning with a grim smile, he ran out.
We waited all day for his return, and night fell. Finally, the entire population in Town Hall, I addressed them.
"That's it. I'm not going to sit around and wait for Jack anymore. For all we know, he could be hurt…or worse." I paused, half for effect and half out of fear.
"I'll be back, with Jack and Boogie in tow." I walked out in the middle of applause and skewed mumblings and whispers. Reaching the cobbled streets, I became a shadow and headed for Oogie Boogie's lair.