Author's Note: Whoa, sorry for the major anachronism, readers. I wanted to use Sleepy Hollow as the scary movie Billy and Vanessa are watching, but it came out about four years after this story is set, May of 1995. So, I can't exactly have them watching a movie that hasn't premiered on technology that doesn't exist yet (not many DVD players in 1995, none that I remember anyway.) So, I'm just going to replace it with another film. Sorry if you really wanted to "see" some clips from it, but the perfectionist in me can't let that happen. Not yet. Oh, and I own no rights to the films Alien and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Just a fangirl, not an exec or movie mastermind. (Re-edit comment: I still can't believe I missed that! Bad author, bad author.)

While the opening credits of the movie played on the television screen, the kitchen was home to a very different show. The first round of poker had just ended, with Saint Patrick winning one of everyone's marbles. He balanced them all in his right hand before placing two in front of him for his next bet. Santa Claus dealt the cards again, and soon enough, every member had his face buried in his hand of cards. Then, Jack let out a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong, Jack?" Santa Claus asked.

"Oh, nothing," Jack replied. "Just, well, I was kind of hoping to get August, but I'll probably lose my marbles before then."

"You have a point there," Cupid said as he put down his hand. "Look, I have three fives. Pretty good play, eh?" the God of Love asked, watching both Jacob and Tevel scowl at their cards and relinquish their marbles.

"Not so fast, Cupid," Saint Patrick said as he put down his hand. "I have a flush of clubs. That beats three-of-a-kind."

"Beats me too," Santa Claus said before the Easter Bunny put down his hand and smiled broadly. "Patrick, he has you beat."

"Not possible," Saint Patrick said as he looked at the rabbit's cards. "Well, well, a full house. Lucky rabbit."

"Well, Jack, put down your cards," Santa Claus said.

"If you say so," Jack said gloomily as he put them down and watched the eyes of all the other council members widen.

"You trickster! That's a royal flush of hearts!" Cupid exclaimed while Jack collected the marbles. "How on Earth could those not have gone to me?"

"It's all in how the cards are dealt, Cupid," Santa Claus said as he gathered them again. "And you can't be trusted, Jack."

"Ok, ok, I did act like I had nothing. Can you blame me? Oogie Boogie lived in my world, I had to have picked something up from him."

"At least it was one of his good qualities," Tevel said.

"I didn't think he had any," Jacob said before taking a whiff of the air. "Um, does anyone else smell something burning?"

"I do, as a matter of fact," Santa Claus said before the Easter Bunny hopped to his feet and pointed to something with his right paw.

The machine Billy had put the popcorn in had begun to smoke. After a moment of initial panic, Jack opened the microwave door and was the first to look at the charred remains of a microwave-able popcorn bag. There was no way to salvage any popcorn in there, although whatever was in that bag would certainly add to a mulch pile.

"That is definitely not edible," Cupid said.

"What should we do? That popcorn is stinking up the whole kitchen," Tevel said as the Easter Bunny covered his nose and whiskers.

"Well, first I'll throw this out," Jack said as he dropped the popcorn bag in the kitchen's trash can. "Next, we make a replacement bag and actually watch it pop this time," he said before the kitchen door opened.

"Guys, keep it down," Billy said before he started coughing. "Oh no... you didn't..."

"Sorry, Billy. We kind of got sucked in the game," Jack apologized.

"I tell all of you to do me one favor, one, and my kitchen looks like it going to be set on fire. Again," Billy said, directing that last word to Jack.

"You set his kitchen on fire?" Santa Claus asked Jack.

"Correction- his overcooked dinner set his kitchen on fire," Jack said.

"Billy? Is the popcorn ready?" Vanessa asked from the living room.

"It will be," Billy replied as he pulled another bag from a cabinet and practically threw it in the microwave. "I'll be out in a few minutes!"

"Ok. I'll pause the movie." Vanessa replied.

"I don't know why you're worried," Jack said to Billy. "She can't hear us."

"She can't?" Billy asked.

"Well, let's be sure," Rabbi Tevel said. "What's her full name?" he asked Billy.

"Vanessa Bianca Donovan."

"Is anyone here the guardian of that soul?" Tevel asked the rest of the group, who all shook their heads. "She's not marked, so she can't sense we're here."

"Well, that's one less thing I can worry about," Billy said.

"What are you watching?" Jack asked as he crept over to the kitchen door.

"Alien. It's a horror movie," Billy said before slapping his hand over his mouth.

"Horror? Well, it really is your lucky day, I'm going to scare the both of you right-" Jack started before Santa Claus interrupted him.

"Jack Skellington, you are here to play poker, not scare the living daylights out of mortals."

"Awww," Jack groaned. "Not even a little spine-tingling?"

"Sit back at the table," Santa Claus said, watching the Pumpkin King slump back to his seat.

"Don't try any spooky stuff, Jack. I mean it," Billy said as the popcorn stopped popping. "I'll be going back to my movie now," he said as he left the kitchen and headed right back to Vanessa.

"Billy, it smells kind of smoky in here," she said as Billy gave her the bag of popcorn.

"Yeah... the microwave had a bit of a malfunction," Billy said.

"It did? Maybe it needs to be fixed."

"No, it just does that from time to time. Ready to keep watching?"

"Definitely. They haven't even landed on the planet yet. It gets much better from there."

"I thought you hadn't seen this movie in a while."

"It doesn't mean I don't remember it, Billy," Vanessa said.

"True," Billy said as he looked towards the kitchen door, hoping the poker players wouldn't cause any further trouble.

"You ok, Billy? You sound a bit nervous. Don't tell me you're scared already," Vanessa said as she offered Billy some of the popcorn.

"You'll me jumping all over me in a few minutes. Not that I'll mind," Billy said as he dug his right hand into the popcorn.

"Oh please, even if I haven't seen this movie in a while, I still remember where all the scares are. I'll be fine," Vanessa said, unaware that she could be heard in the kitchen.

"Tempting, very tempting," Jack said to himself as he grinned behind his new hand of cards.

Oh, Jack, can you fight the temptation to scare just this once? And will you start a winning streak that will lead to August itself? Or will you say the heck with it and go into Master of Fright mode? Find out next time.