Jack jr. and Lock sat on the floor drinking soda and eating
candy. A pile of horror comics rested between them. Shock announced
that she wanted nothing to do with the royal offsprings' nocturnal wanderings,
and she pulled her quilt over her head like a small tent. Nicholas
wished he could enjoy this spontaneous adventure as much as Jack jr. was.
He tried to eat a piece of toffee but it tasted like sawdust to him.
Every ounce of his being was occupied with guilt and the fear of being caught.
"Nick, do you want to play cards?", Jack jr. asked. Nicholas shook his skull. He never averted his gaze from the window pane.
"What's the problem with him?", asked Lock.
"Scared as usual.", said Jack jr.
Lock laughed. Jack jr. continued:
"He thinks he can see the future. What's even worse, mama and dad believe him! That's why I haven't been allowed out by myself. Nicky thinks he had a vision saying I'm gonna get hurt or killed or something." The boy laughed nervously, expecting Lock to join him in the absurdity of it all. Instead, Lock frowned. His face was serious.
"A vision huh? Like your mom has?"
Nicholas brightened. For once he was interested in something Lock had to say.
"Yes! You know about that Lock?"
Lock shrugged.
"Sure, I do. Most everyone does." He looked across to his friend.
"Jack, maybe you should be careful you know. Your mom's visions are pretty serious. That's what I've heard anyways…"
Jack jr. shook his skull. He waved his spidery hand dismissively at his twin.
"Nah. Nicky just had a bad dream. That's kinda why we're out tonight. This should prove that there's nothing bad going to happen to me. I've snuck out in the middle of the night, walked through the tunnels, crossed the pumpkin patch, and here I am visiting Lock. Nothing has happened! You see?"
"We need to go home Jacky. Soon!", warned Nicholas in as stern a voice as he could muster. His brother sighed. Talked to Nicholas was like talking to a wall sometimes. A weird, freaky, little wall.
"Relax. We'll go home soon Nick"
Nicholas turned from the window and looked at his brother. Lock shuffled a deck of cards. The deck used to belong to non other than the infamous Oogie Boogie. As Jack jr. picked up the hand dealt to him, he noticed faint russet stains on some of the cards. Lock had led a far more interesting life than either of the twins. No wonder it was difficult to impress him. Jack jr. ran his small boney fingers over the playing cards.
"What did you mean by tunnels? How did you get out without anyone in town seeing you and ratting to your parents?", Lock asked.
"We didn't go through town, we used the tunnels.", explained Jack jr. Nicholas' head spun towards his brother.
"Jacky!"
Lock's face reflected sudden, sharp interest.
"What tunnels?"
"Under the house. Our house, I mean.", said Jack jr.. Nicholas looked as if he wanted to jump out of his bones.
"Shut up, Jacky! That is secret!"
Lock laughed lightly. He ignored Nicholas. He and his companions traveled this town from one end to the other. Surely if there was some kind of secret passage system they would have happened upon it by now, wouldn't they? A challenge was in order. He smiled slyly at his guest.
"No way. Prove it!"
Jack jr. sat up straight, weighing his options. He slapped the cards down before him.
"I can show them to you if you walk back with us."
Nicholas leapt from the window sill.
"Jacky, no! Those tunnels are secret!"
Lock groaned.
"Nicky? Do you ever just act like a kid? You never want to have fun, never!"
Nicholas pursed his lips. He glared at Lock. Jack jr. chimed in with his friend.
"Yeah Nicky. You act like you're the king or something. You're not even going to be the king, so why don't you just calm down for once?"
Nicholas flopped back onto the window sill. Inside his ribs, he felt a tiny flame of anger seethe and throw.
"Nick, do you want to play cards?", Jack jr. asked. Nicholas shook his skull. He never averted his gaze from the window pane.
"What's the problem with him?", asked Lock.
"Scared as usual.", said Jack jr.
Lock laughed. Jack jr. continued:
"He thinks he can see the future. What's even worse, mama and dad believe him! That's why I haven't been allowed out by myself. Nicky thinks he had a vision saying I'm gonna get hurt or killed or something." The boy laughed nervously, expecting Lock to join him in the absurdity of it all. Instead, Lock frowned. His face was serious.
"A vision huh? Like your mom has?"
Nicholas brightened. For once he was interested in something Lock had to say.
"Yes! You know about that Lock?"
Lock shrugged.
"Sure, I do. Most everyone does." He looked across to his friend.
"Jack, maybe you should be careful you know. Your mom's visions are pretty serious. That's what I've heard anyways…"
Jack jr. shook his skull. He waved his spidery hand dismissively at his twin.
"Nah. Nicky just had a bad dream. That's kinda why we're out tonight. This should prove that there's nothing bad going to happen to me. I've snuck out in the middle of the night, walked through the tunnels, crossed the pumpkin patch, and here I am visiting Lock. Nothing has happened! You see?"
"We need to go home Jacky. Soon!", warned Nicholas in as stern a voice as he could muster. His brother sighed. Talked to Nicholas was like talking to a wall sometimes. A weird, freaky, little wall.
"Relax. We'll go home soon Nick"
Nicholas turned from the window and looked at his brother. Lock shuffled a deck of cards. The deck used to belong to non other than the infamous Oogie Boogie. As Jack jr. picked up the hand dealt to him, he noticed faint russet stains on some of the cards. Lock had led a far more interesting life than either of the twins. No wonder it was difficult to impress him. Jack jr. ran his small boney fingers over the playing cards.
"What did you mean by tunnels? How did you get out without anyone in town seeing you and ratting to your parents?", Lock asked.
"We didn't go through town, we used the tunnels.", explained Jack jr. Nicholas' head spun towards his brother.
"Jacky!"
Lock's face reflected sudden, sharp interest.
"What tunnels?"
"Under the house. Our house, I mean.", said Jack jr.. Nicholas looked as if he wanted to jump out of his bones.
"Shut up, Jacky! That is secret!"
Lock laughed lightly. He ignored Nicholas. He and his companions traveled this town from one end to the other. Surely if there was some kind of secret passage system they would have happened upon it by now, wouldn't they? A challenge was in order. He smiled slyly at his guest.
"No way. Prove it!"
Jack jr. sat up straight, weighing his options. He slapped the cards down before him.
"I can show them to you if you walk back with us."
Nicholas leapt from the window sill.
"Jacky, no! Those tunnels are secret!"
Lock groaned.
"Nicky? Do you ever just act like a kid? You never want to have fun, never!"
Nicholas pursed his lips. He glared at Lock. Jack jr. chimed in with his friend.
"Yeah Nicky. You act like you're the king or something. You're not even going to be the king, so why don't you just calm down for once?"
Nicholas flopped back onto the window sill. Inside his ribs, he felt a tiny flame of anger seethe and throw.
