Author's Note: Glad you all are enjoying the origins so far. Up next we have Doctor Frederick Finkel, but we know him as crotchety old Doctor Finkelstein. Doctor Finkelstein was just one of the characters in The Nightmare Before Christmas. This isn't originally where he or any of the other characters came from. It'd be cool if they did, but they didn't. Well, Henry, on with the tale. (Re-edit comment: How cool that one of you readers knew of someone from Freiburg. Very neat.)

Germany during the late 1930's was not the place to be. I knew it, and so did Doctor Finkel. He was going to leave his beloved Freiburg, just not the way he planned. Not if I had anything to do with it. Poor man, just when he thought he found at least one other person he could talk to, everything came crashing down. I wish I could have planned these soul collections better. Unfortunately, that's not my department.

— Henry Cadaver

October 26th, 1938

Why did Freiburg have to be so close to peace yet so far? It was right near the border of Germany and Switzerland. Of course, it had to be on the side of the country that had fallen into economic despair and was only bouncing back because of a maniacal dictator. Ach. Doctor Finkel was starting to work himself up again. The doctor sighed to himself as he looked out of the window in his study at the medieval buildings surrounding his own home, which on the outside appeared as old as the other buildings but in reality was home to a modern lab. The doctor then looked to a picture of his departed wife, Helene, and sighed once more.

"Helene, my precious jewel," Frederick said as his wrinkled hands traced her outline. "At least you are not around to see this madness." he said before the phone on the desk rang. "Hello?" the doctor asked, picking it up.

"Doctor Frederick Finkel?"asked the voice on the line, that of a nervous young man.

"Johann. I've been waiting for you. Have you arranged a ride for me?"

"Ja. There will be a caravan of autos heading into Freiburg on the thirty-first. I've informed them of your interest in Switzerland."

"Danke, Johann. Are you leaving Berlin soon?"

"When I get the chance. I've already stopped attending classes at the university. The program's become propaganda anyway," Johann complained.

"Such a shame brains like yours have to be wasted in these times. No pupil of mine is going to stay in Berlin while this goes on, do you hear me?" Doctor Finkel asked, which sounded more like an order.

"Ja. I'll probably be on that caravan when it passes through Freiburg, don't worry."

"Bring your science books. I'm going to enroll you in a Swiss school the first chance I get."

"Ja, ja."

"Don't you ja, ja me, boy. Helene and I raised you off of the streets to be a science prodigy and you were doing splendid until the Nazis took over."

"Watch your blood pressure, Papa Finkel. You sound upset."

"I've much to be upset about, my boy," Frederick sighed into the phone before he heard a knock at the door. "I have company, Johann. I'll have to be leaving."

"Ja, Papa," Johann said. "Watch your blood pressure. Lebe wohl."

"Good-bye to you too, Johann," the doctor replied before hanging up the phone.

Doctor Finkel got up, feeling some of his bones crack as he did so. Barely sixty-five and he was already turning into dust. Even if he was an old coot, he had to look presentable to whomever was knocking at his door. The doctor examined his appearance in a hallway mirror on the way to the door. None of his remaining white hair was out of place, and no stubble had appeared on his chin yet. There were no stains of chemicals on his lab coat, at least none he could make out through his safety goggles. The doctor took them off and saw that his coat was perfectly fine, rubbed his blue eyes as they adjusted themselves to the light, and finally opened the door.

On the other side of the door stood a young woman. She looked to be no older than twenty-five and in a state of dishevelment; her brown hair was tangled, her skin pale, what appeared to be her clothing in tatters. Frederick noticed something on her overcoat that struck him as odd. There was a yellow, six-pointed star patch sewn onto her jacket, which she tried to hide with her right hand. Frederick didn't think twice about hurrying the girl inside his home before locking the door.

"Where did you come from?" the doctor asked the young woman.

"Danke sehr, mein Herr," she replied, tears beginning to form in her brown eyes.

"Don't thank me yet, Fraulein. You've come at a bad time."

"Please, don't send me back out there," she said. "I've come a long way, from Berlin."

"You're from Berlin? I have a student of mine there on his way here. He's taking me away from Freiburg to Switzerland in a few days time. I can have you stay here until then."

"Mein Herr, I have to go with you," said the stranger.

"Fraulein, I don't even know your name. Why would I take you on a caravan to freedom? You could be a Nazi spy for all I know."

"Nein. I am not a spy. Please, mein Herr, you have to take me with you. You're the only one who has opened a door to me, looked at me like a human being during my travel from Berlin. If you won't save me, then you must save her," the woman said, firmly placing a hand on her stomach.

That was when doctor Finkel realized how desperate this young woman was; she was pregnant. She looked around four, maybe five months along, enough to begin showing. The doctor couldn't turn her away now. He sighed and led her into his study, where he sat her down next to a radio and got the girl some water. If he was going to take her under his care, doctor Finkel had to get to know her a little better.

"What is your name, Fraulein?" Doctor Finkel asked, sitting in a chair across from the young woman.

"Eva Stein," she replied before sipping some water. "Danke."

"You're too kind to be thanking me so much."

"I'm sorry, but I'm just glad I have someone to talk to again."

"Again? What has happened to you?"

"My husband, Wilhelm, was taken away by... them. They came in the middle of the night. Wilhelm snuck me out of the house and told me to head to Switzerland. His grandfather lives in Geneva, he said the baby and I would be safe there. Ever since then I've been sleeping and eating where I can. People don't look me in the eye anymore, and I have to hide in the shadows, or else they'll get me too."

"May I place my hand on your stomach for a moment?"

"Why?" Eva asked as the doctor put his hand on the fabric over her stomach.

"The baby's still kicking, strong too. That's a good sign," Doctor Finkel said as he took his hand back.

"My poor little Linda. That's what I'm going to name her, once she's born. Poor child's been through so much trouble already. Ach, it's all my fault."

"For what, having different beliefs? Eva, if I may call you Eva, you've done nothing wrong. Our country has been through tough times, with the Great War and its fallout. Things are getting worse and I'm getting too old to deal with them. You, my dear, are in a very sensitive state right now, and I think it best you come along with me. No good can come for you if you stay here."

"So you do trust me now?"

"Eva, I'm an old codger. I don't trust anyone. I do follow my instincts, however, and they tell me you are a good person in need of help. I'm sure Johann won't mind."

"Johann? Is that your student, mein Herr?"

"Yes. My wife Helene and I came across the boy trying to pick our pockets when he was six. We took the little street urchin in and made him into a scholar. He's the closest thing I have to family."

"What happened to Helene?" Eva asked before blushing. "I'm sorry, mein Herr. It's a personal question. I must be wearing out my welcome."

"Now, now, no need to fret. Helene died two years ago. She was my precious jewel, beautiful to gaze upon and tougher than anything. She probably would have made me leave Freiburg sooner if she were still alive. Helene would have succeeded too," Doctor Finkel said with a slight grin before a noise came from the front door again, this time of something being dropped on the floor. "Ah, the post must have come through the slot, I'll go fetch it."

"Nein, I'll get it for you. It is the least I can do," Eva said as she got up and walked to the front door.

"Danke," the doctor said.

It was strange, having a woman in the house again. Frederick felt oddly calm about it too. Here was a pregnant fugitive on the run from the government and the man housing her wasn't even breaking a sweat. Doctor Finkel figured he was getting too old to worry about such things and focused on the radio. The "leader" was spewing out more nonsense to anyone who would listen, which did not include Doctor Finkel. He turned the radio off and looked out the window once more, only the radio didn't remain turned off.

"Many apologies for interrupting this speech, but I have a special announcement," said an unfamiliar, male voice on the radio.

"Stupid thing. Knob must be broken," Doctor Finkel said.

"No, Doctor Finkel. The knob isn't broken," the voice on the radio said.

"WHAT?" exclaimed the doctor.

"You're not going insane either."

"Who is this?"

"A friendly warning from a future acquaintance. Doctor Frederick Finkel, I wish you good luck on your journey, though, it will be quite different than the one you expect to take."

"What do you mean?" the doctor asked the radio as he scratched his head in a confused manner.

"I cannot say."

"Ach! This is nonsense!"

"It will be made quite clear to you in five days' time. The border you cross will not be that of war and peace, but of life and death."

"I am not going to let an inanimate object drive me mad!" the doctor yelled before clutching his chest.

"Mein Herr!" Eva exclaimed, rushing over to the study with the mail in her hands. "What is the matter?"

"Do you not hear the radio?" Doctor Finkel asked.

"It is off, mein Herr. See? The light is off. Here is your mail."

"Danke, Eva." the doctor said. "If it wouldn't trouble you, please refrain from turning on the radio again."

"Ja, mein Herr. There is nothing good to listen to anymore in the first place, if I can be allowed to say so."

"No, Eva. You're absolutely right," the doctor said before looking through his mail, catching Eva yawn out of the corner of his eyes. "You look tired, Fraulein. Go on upstairs. There should be a guest room the second door to your left."

"Danke, mein Herr. It's been a while since I've had a bed to lie on. I won't be able to repay your hospitality yet, but I will when I get the chance," Eva said, blushing before slowly walking out of the study.

"Don't worry, Fraulein," the doctor said before instinctively turning on the radio again.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it only brought static to Frederick's ears. Whatever was on the radio before was gone. That was a relief. Frederick figured he was only hearing things and turned the radio off again before going back to his mail. Hey, the letters weren't going to open themselves.

Present

I take full blame for nearly scaring the scientist into an early grave that day. I am glad Eva managed to interrupt before I brought Doctor Finkelstein to Halloween Town prematurely. As one can see, Pumpkin Kings have always been prone to being a bit over dramatic at times. Besides, there really wasn't anything good to listen to on the radio, only propaganda. In the end, I did Frederick Finkel a favor. At least he had a somewhat subconscious idea of what was to come, and that is much better than ignorance.

— Henry Cadaver