The heavy brass bell atop the hall clanged and echoed. The
meeting was about to start. Jack had finished in the office and
checking the work of the townsfolk only a short time before. It
was all he could do to rush back home and hurry through dinner
before heading out to the meeting. Sally was at his side. They
had bundled the twins into their pram. While Jack had been
eating, Sally busied herself tickling and playing with the babies
so that they would be in need of a nap again by meeting time.
Sure enough, as she took her seat in the front row and Jack
parked the pram beside her, the babies were sleeping again.
"I'm sure they're not the only ones in town who sleep
through the meetings.", Jack whispered in his wife's ear.
Sally giggled and gave him a quick kiss before he took the stage.
The meeting began and progressed as always. The usual
issues and reports. The Mayor did most of the talking. It was
quite dry actually, and Sally had to fight to stay awake herself.
Tiring out her sons was tiring in itself.
Finally Jack took the podium. He said he had something to
discuss. Immediately one could feel a slight change in the hall.
Jack was loved and admired by his people. If he had something to
say to them, they sat up and listened. He began:
"I have special favor to ask of you all. As you might be
aware, Sally and I are approaching our anniversary. I've been
trying to find a suitable way to celebrate this occasion, and our
good friend Mr. Vampire made an excellent suggestion this
morning." The Vampires glowed with pride from their seats in the
hall. Jack continued.
"My beloved queen and myself would like to take a vacation,
just for a couple days. I think it would be splendid if we could
arrange some time in the Bermuda Triangle." There was an
impressed murmur among the townsfolk. The Bermuda Triangle was
certainly a retreat for royalty. It was a place most common
monsters and ghouls could only imagine going. "We need someone
to look after the princes while we are away. That is the primary
concern on my mind before I make any plans to travel. We need
someone, or several of you, with responsibility. We need to be
able to trust you with the most precious things in the world to
us. Now if you think you could help us, please let me know and I
can go over the things you need to know. Thank you." With that,
Jack left the stage with his customary flourish. The townsfolk
buzzed with talk. Many eyes were on the black pram by Sally's
side. The babies had remained silent throughout the entire
meeting. They seemed so quiet, so calm. Sally stood and Jack
joined her at her side. The hall doors opened and the meeting
began to break up.
Jack gently arranged the blankets around his babies to shield
them from the night air. He leaned down and kissed their little
noses before maneuvering the pram down the aisle and outside.
Sally followed. Her long black dress and careful steps made her
appear to glide alongside him as they headed back to the mansion.
The remaining townsfolk watched from the hall entryway.
"Huh. Did you hear that? They need a sitter for those two
babies! I wonder what Jack'd pay someone to do that. I'll bet
a lot!", said Lock. "And talk about easy work! All they do is
sleep!"
"I've seen em eat too.", Shock interrupted,
pushing her brother out of the way. "But yeah, we could do
that! We could watch em!"
"Do what? Watch who?", asked Barrel. "What're you talking
about?"
The Harlequin demon snorted from behind the trio.
"Don't be ridiculous! YOU'D never be allowed to mind the
princes! Jack wants someone with responsibility! He wants
someone with a high level of learning, not to mention natural
intelligence! I think I shall speak to him about it in the
morning."
"Well! It was my idea that he take Sally away on vacation
in the first place! The babies should naturally stay with us!",
said the tall vampire. His companions nodded in agreement.
"But the babies shouldn't leave the mansion! That would
frighten the little things! Whoever watches them should stay in
Jack and Sally's home and look after them there. I think I'd be the most
logical choice!", reasoned the fish-gal. The witches hovered
down on their broomsticks to join the discussion.
"That's nonsense! If that rag doll who's only a child
herself can take care of them, than we certainly could!", cackled
one of them.
The Mayor left the hall and passed the arguing crowd. He shook
his head in disbelief. Tomorrow would be quite a day.

In the Skellington mansion Sally and Jack knelt by the side
of the marble tub bathing their sons. Jack jr. splashed and
giggled while Nicholas remained uncharacteristically silent.
Sally washed his little face with a black washcloth and he pulled
away slightly. He began to sob.
"What's the matter Nicky?", asked Jack. "Hm. Maybe he's
cranky because he's tired."
"I don't know. He shouldn't be tired. He's had several
naps today." Sally lifted him from the bath and wrapped the
child in a thick towel. Nicky whimpered and squirmed.
"Do you think he's hungry?", asked Jack. His wife shook
her head.
"He shouldn't be..."
Jack dried off his namesake and dressed him for bed while Sally
examined Nicky. She caressed his cheek and he pulled away.
"Ah!", Sally breathed. She gently slid her fingertip into
his mouth and he cried out. "He's getting teeth.", she said
quietly. "They're just coming in...one is anyway. It must be
hurting him." Jack looked up. He saw a wave of maternal worry
wash over his wife as she looked into Nicky's tiny mouth.
"Well that's only a small thing then, love. Teething is
natural, nothing to worry over... He'll be fretful for a little
while as his teeth come in, but then all will be well. In the
meantime we'll give him something to chew on and he'll manage."
Sally said nothing, just nodded. Jack was right of
course. Babies teeth. It's something they do. They all do.
Still the sight of her baby in discomfort was enough to make her
ache inside. She hugged him and carried him into the nursery to
dress him for bed.
Despite Nicky's emerging tooth, both babies went to sleep
without much complaint. Sally and Jack lay together in their own
room, very ready to sleep themselves.
"Jack? What's it like? The Bermuda Triangle?", Sally
asked softly in the darkness.
"It's beautiful. I can hardly describe it. I haven't been
there in years and years. Not since I was a child. But
it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. There's
water and mist and the sand looks like snow. It sparkles
like that too."
"Is it a human place?" She said the word "human"
carefully as if it were a word in another language.
"No. If there are any humans there, they become like us.
Anyway, I wouldn't take you to a human place."
He felt her nod against his chest.
"I'll contact the spirits I know there just as soon as we
be sure of what's happening with the little ones. Hopefully I'll
find out about that tomorrow."
Sally yawned and Jack lay awake feeling her grow heavier against
him. He felt her breaths deepen and slow and he knew she was
asleep.