Author's Note: Time to make some mischief! The chief troublemaker will be Jack Skellington, whom I do not own. No, I'm just using his persona for my own purposes. Thank others for making him and his respective poem, movie, and game The Nightmare Before Christmas, not me. But if you want to give me props for writing about him and the many characters in his world, from the movie and from my head, then hey, you can do that too. (Red-edit comment: And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where all roach-related hell breaks loose.)

"Now, let's get started," Santa Claus said as he sat down to the table before Jack groaned.

"I don't feel very well," Jack said, dramatically putting his right hand on his forehead.

"You were fine a few minutes ago," Rabbi Tevel pointed out.

"I know. It's scary, and not the good kind," Jack said.

"What was in that can Billy sprayed on you?" Tevel asked as Santa Claus shook his head.

"Oh come on! You can't possibly think that pesticide affected a dead man," Santa Claus said to the rabbi.

"Better wash off your face, just in case," Cupid advised. "Then again, it could be a side effect from the potion."

"Potion?" Saint Patrick asked.

"Long story. I'd better go with him to the washroom. No starting without us, now," Cupid said to the rest of the table as he dragged Jack out of the kitchen.

"I don't like the looks of this, do you?" Saint Patrick asked the Easter Bunny, who shook his head.

They were right to be concerned. Jack and Cupid crept upstairs to the bathroom without being seen by Vanessa and Billy and high-fived each other when they got there. Jack was impressed with Cupid's ability to improvise so quickly, especially since they didn't rehearse any excuse beforehand. Jack asked how Cupid came up with bringing up the potion, and his answer wasn't that surprising at all.

"Jack, if you dealt with my Mother day after day, you would learn to make little white lies and half-truths. They keep the peace," Cupid said as he studied the Raid can.

"Not when I tell them," Jack said before Cupid passed him the can. "Hmmm, what to do..."

"Maybe you can change the effects of the spray," Cupid suggested.

"Yes, that's a very good idea. Instead of Raid, I'll make it Afraid," Jack said.

"Fascinating," Cupid said before Jack put his bony index finger up to his jaw, signaling complete silence for his plan.

Cupid watched as Jack focused on the can of Raid. It wasn't long until it began to shake in the Pumpkin King's hands. The longer he stared, the more it shook. Even the lettering on the can changed to reflect its new purpose. When it did, the can stopped shaking in Jack's hands, now reading 'Afraid' instead of 'Raid'. Jack, always one to experiment, spritzed out some of the spray. What came out was a small, misty black spirit which landed on Cupid's shoulder before disappearing, causing the Love God to shiver.

"What was that?" he asked Jack.

"Was it scary?" Jack asked in return.

"A bit. Maybe you need to use more of the spray," Cupid said before putting his hands up. "Not on me though. On Billy."

"Right. Let's go," Jack said as he shook up the can.

There they were, two Holiday Leaders acting like naughty children as they crept back down the stairs. Billy and Vanessa were immersed in the movie they were watching. They never sensed the pair watching them. Nor did they hear Jack spray most of the can's mist over them. The black spirits danced around them, invisible to their mortal eyes. They finished their dance by lulling them to sleep. Billy and Vanessa were captives of their own minds now.

"Pleasant dreams," Jack said with a low dark laugh as he and Cupid walked past the slumbering couple and into the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" Jacob asked Jack as he sat down, hiding the can of 'Afraid' under the table.

"Much," Jack said, grinning as he picked up his already dealt hand.

"See, I knew it had to be the spray," Tevel said to Santa Claus.

"Yes, well, let's carry on with the game," Santa Claus said.

"I'm still a bit curious about that potion you mentioned," Saint Patrick said to Cupid as he took his seat.

"Sorry. That is classified information," Cupid said.

"Since when have you kept classified information secret?" Saint Patrick asked Cupid.

"New habit I'm developing," Cupid replied.

"Enough of the questions. We have a month at stake here," Santa Claus said.

With that, the game went on. The group was able to finish the seventh round after all, the winner being a quite pleased Saint Patrick. They are also went on to play seven more quick rounds without incident. By the end of fourteen rounds, the Easter Bunny was in the lead. Poor Jack had only one marble left to his name. Cupid was already betting days in February. As if that wasn't enough, Santa Claus was already growing suspicious of why Billy had not come back into the kitchen.

"I would have thought the movie would have ended by now," Santa Claus said as he dealt the fifteenth round of cards.

"Must be really long," Jacob said as he bet a marble.

"Even if it is, one of them would have come in for more snacks or drink," Rabbi Tevel said as he bet a marble.

"Maybe they're full," Jack said as he bet his last marble.

"Maybe," Saint Patrick said as he put in a marble and the Easter Bunny bet three.

"I bet February thirtieth," Cupid said.

"Bet a real day, Cupid," Santa Claus said.

"Oh fine. February twenty-ninth."

"Next Leap Year, interesting choice," Rabbi Tevel said.

"I have no real use for it anyway," Cupid huffed.

"Temper, temper," Saint Patrick warned.

"Look who's talking," Santa Claus said.

"I have nothing to fear, look at this," Saint Patrick said as he displayed a full house.

"I'm out," Jacob said.

"As am I," Cupid added, watching the Easter Bunny wiggle its nose in defeat. "See what happens when you bet too large?" the Love God asked the rabbit, who grunted in response.

"Yet again, you have spoken too soon, Patrick," Santa Claus as he put down a four of a kind.

"You too, Sandy," Jack said as he placed a straight flush of clubs on the table and collected his winnings.

"The game is still young. We've only played through half of the rounds," Santa Claus said as he collected and re-shuffled the cards.

"Good, because I need some marbles back, lest I lose February altogether," Cupid said.

"Valentine won't like that, Lad. I'm telling you that right now," Saint Patrick said to Cupid before a loud scream came from the living room.

Rushed footsteps soon made their way over to the kitchen. The door slammed wide open as a terrified Billy panted at the doorway. His eyes were darting all over the kitchen before they focused on Jack, whose face was in a mix of surprise and delight. At least, until the mortal tried to tackle him. Lucky for Jack, Billy was restrained by Tevel and Jacob.

"What did you do to me?" Billy exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"Don't play dumb with me! I had the worst nightmare of my life in there!"

"I knew you did something," Santa Claus said to Jack.

"I was in here the whole time," Jack said.

"They were everywhere. Eating my skin, crawling all over me. And they laughed at me! They laughed like you," Billy said to Jack.

"What did?" Jack asked.

"Roaches! Thousands of them. Buzzing and flying around, crushing my bones with their jaws," Billy said.

"Roaches have mandibles," Tevel corrected.

"Who cares? They were eating me alive and making fun of me!"

"Had your fun, Jack?" Santa Claus asked.

"Hey, now, that is not fair," Cupid said. "Jack was in here most of the time. When he was not, I was supervising him. He did nothing malicious to the mortal," Cupid finished.

"Twenty years of torture wasn't enough for you?" Billy asked Jack before another scream came from the living room. "You got Vanessa too?"

"What a coincidence," Jack said in a sheepish tone.

"Let me go!" Billy yelled to Tevel and Jacob, who immediately unhanded him. "Vanessa?" he asked as he left the kitchen.

"So... anybody have anything bigger than a straight?" Jack asked as he revealed his cards to the Council.

"Jack, relinquish your marbles and go sit in the corner," Santa Claus said.

"What? Why?" Jack asked.

"Do it or I'll disqualify you from the game altogether. You're punished for seven rounds."

"But-"

"Don't test my patience, Jack."

"Tough break," Cupid said before Santa Claus glared at him.

"You're joining him. For five rounds, though."

Jack sighed and Gave Santa Claus his marbles. The Pumpkin King then dragged his chair over to a corner of the kitchen and sat down. Cupid soon followed. They glanced over at each other for a moment before chuckling to themselves. Sure they pretty much messed up most of their chances for winning the whole poker game, but hey, it was worth it.

Ha ha, sit in the corner you naughty boys. So, can one of the pair actually come back from behind and win the game after all? Can Billy and Vanessa go back to sleep without any more nightmares? What about that can of 'Afraid' still under the table? Only another chapter can answer all of that.