Zero wasn't an especially old dog; only about eight years old. But he had had heart problems since he was six. John knew the day would come when his canine friend would be no more, but it was still a shock the morning he found out.

"Good morning, Zero," he said when he woke up. Usually Zero would let out a little grunting noise and stretch. This morning he just lay there, curled up as he had been all night.

"Zero?" John said hesitantly, and tiptoed over to his dog's pillow, "Zero!"

His paws were slightly cool, and his chest no longer rose and fell with his breath. John buried his face in his arms and took a few deep breaths. He put on his suit, and, without stopping to have breakfast or even a cup of orange juice, he picked up Zero and took him down to the graveyard near their house.

"I'm bored!" Lock moaned, throwing his devil mask down next to him.

"Who cares?" Shock asked sarcastically, and proceeded to boil a rat alive. Lock peeked over her shoulder, a terrified beetle in his hand.

"Let's put this in, too," he said, trying to stick the bug in.

"No! You'll ruin it!" Shock screeched, knocking the beetle out of Lock's hand, and her witch's hat nearly fell in the cauldron.

"Stop being so stupid!" Lock said, then looked around the small room, "Speaking of stupid, where's Barrel?"

"How should I know?" Shock asked sassily, stirring the boiling rat with a cast iron spoon.

"Well," Lock said irritably, "I thought you were the last one who saw him! I'm gonna go look for him. Maybe if I stick a scorpion down his shirt I won't be so bored."

He slipped on his mask and grabbed a box of scorpions on his way out, spaded tail waving.

Once she was sure he was gone, Shock cackled and yelled towards a small closet, "Barrel, he's gone! You can come out now!"

The boy in the skeleton outfit came out, also laughing.

"He'll be looking for hours!" he said.

"Yeah, but he'll beat you black and green when he gets back," Shock said matter-of-factly. The grin faded somewhat from Barrel's face.

"Oh well," he said, "It's still funny."

"Gimme a couple of bugs," Shock said, holding out her hand, "It's time for Mr. Oogie's lunch."

But Barrel was looking out the window.

"There goes Finkelstein's ragdoll. Looks like she's running away again."

"I don't care, just gimme those bugs!"

"Saaally! Saaaally! You can't keep running off like this, you wench!"

The ragdoll didn't hear her "father's" shrieks; she was already halfway to the old abandoned castle next to The Hill. She reached the front gate soon after, and slipped through the wide-set bars. Her favorite place to sit and think was The Hill, as everyone referred to it. It was indeed a hill, but not just any hill. It was shaped like a spiral and served as a ramp to reach the pumpkin patch below it when it uncurled.

Sally had picked up a small dead looking flower on her way there, and now sat on The Hill, plucking the petals off. She was about to pull a third one off when she heard a faint barking.

"Hm? Who's there?" she asked, putting a small hand up to her sewn-on ear. The barking continued, but a little louder this time. Sally put down the flower and wandered towards the graveyard, where the barking was coming from.

"What's this? A new grave?" Sally said to herself. There hadn't been a new grave there in many years. It only happened when someone died and came to Halloween Town.

The new gravestone resembled a doghouse on the front, with a carved, long-nosed hound peeking out from the door. On the top of the gravestone were carved the letters ZERO, which Sally assumed was the dog's name.

"Zero!" she called into the grave, hoping he could hear her. She heard another wave of barks from deep in the ground.

"It's alright, Zero!" she said, "Just keep moving up!"

Everyone in Halloweentown (including Sally) knew that sometimes new citizens struggled with some of the effects of being dead. With some difficulty, a ghostly dog with a long, thin nose pulled himself out of the ground. Sally smiled.

"Hello, Zero!" she said kindly, patting his misty head, "You're in Halloweentown now!"

Zero yipped happily and gave her a ghost dog kiss that sent chills down her spine, but she didn't mind.

"I wonder if the Doctor-"

Sally was talking about her father, but Zero began barking madly and doing small flips in the air.

"What is it, boy? Do you know Dr. Finkelstein?"

Again, Zero became excited at the word 'doctor'.

"Maybe," Sally mused, "You know another doctor..."

Zero barked, then whined, sniffing around for his beloved owner.

"Well, until I find out, I'll see if you can stay with me," Sally said, and motioned for Zero to follow her.

"Wait a moment," she said, staring thoughtfully at the dog, "Some people won't think you're scary enough to live in Halloweentown...Ah! I know!"

She stumbled down the slope to the pumpkin patch, where she found a tiny jack-o-lantern, only about the size of her thumb.

"Hold still, boy," she said when she climbed back up. She popped the small pumpkin on the end of Zero's snout. He sneezed a few times, then barked happily when the pumpkin lit up.

"There!" Sally said, smiling, "Now we can go."

Sally and Zero went back to Dr. Finkelstein's observatory-like home. She knew she would be punished for running away again, but she was more concerned about Zero.

John's two favorite holidays were Halloween and Christmas. He treated both with a good amount of respect...and decorations around his house. This year, he dressed as a skeleton for Halloween; a fitting costume, he thought.

As much as he enjoyed Halloween, it wasn't the same without Zero. Usually, John would let Zero make the trick-or-treaters laugh by running up to them in his sheet that served as a ghost costume. Once Zero became bored with this, John would amuse himself by jumping out and scaring the children.

This year, however, John passed out the candy like any other regular adult in the neighborhood. He got a few sympathetic comments about Zero, and thanked them for their concern.

After most of the children had gone home, John had changed back into his regular clothes, and sat on his porch looking up at the full moon.

"What I wouldn't give to have Zero back," he said wistfully to himself.

"I know a way you could see him again. I had to go through a lot of trouble to find you, so please come with me," a soft voice said behind him. He whirled around to see a woman about his age with long, straight red hair and pale skin. A closer look showed that she was sewn together, like a crudely made doll. Despite the threads, she was still very pretty.

"Who are you?" John asked.

"My name is Sally. What's yours?"

"John Kellington."

"I know a way you can see Zero again, John. You're his owner aren't you?"

"Yes, I am- or was. How can I see him again? He's dead," John said sadly.

"That doesn't matter," Sally said, her large eyes sparkling, "in Halloweentown."

"Oh, not this 'Halloweentown' again!" John exclaimed loudly, frightening Sally into taking a few small steps back.

"You've heard of it?" Sally asked, a little timidly.

"Unfortunately, yes. Someone wanted to take me there a few years back, but couldn't once he found out I was still alive! Can you imagine!"

"Oh, you must have met the Mayor," Sally said, "He said that he came to the mortal world before...hm, yes, I suppose it would be against the rules to take you there alive. But Zero has been so sad lately. I think he really wants to see you. I should be able to sneak you in."

The mentioning of Zero lifted John's spirits slightly and he eventually gave in and believed what the ragdoll was saying.

"How long will I be there?" John asked, after he had invited Sally in for a cup of tea.

"Well, I'm not quite sure," Sally said, "Maybe a night or two. Not too long."

"Alright, I'll need to..." he paused, "Do you smell smoke?"

Sally sniffed slightly, "Yes! Where is it coming from, though?"

"Stay here," John said, "I think it's coming from upstairs."

He bounded up the stairs and to the room at the end of the hall; his room. He burst through the door to find his room engulfed in flames. He could just barely see a candle on the mantelpiece that had fallen over and caused the fire. He was about to turn and get Sally and himself out of the house when he realized something.

"My books!" he cried and made his way across the room to his desk, carefully avoiding the flames. He grabbed the precious few books that weren't already burning and turned back to the door. He was almost there when a beam from the ceiling came crashing down, pinning him to the floor.

Sally heard the crash from the kitchen and rushed up the stairs. She saw the flames eating through the door at the end of the hall and ran towards it.

"John!" she yelled, attempting in vain to push the door open, "John! The door won't open!"

John couldn't hear her, though. Never again would he hear anything in that house, on that street, in that village. John S. Kellington was dead.