Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a Dr. Finkelstien invention gone wrong? Is it Inviso-Bill? No it's... um what is that? Who cares! Because I have finally finished the next chapter!
Hally headed back home, it had been the last day of school before Christmas Holidays and she really couldn't complain. The celebration that the students of Halloween High held to mark the ending of school before the holidays had gone on a bit longer than expected. Hally decided on leaving early seeking the companionship of her two best friends over her skeletal older brother who wasn't going to leave until the party was over. But Hally didn't mind leaving early if it freed her from her brothers incessant nagging for a few minuets. She would much rather travel in the company of her present companion, two fellow freshmen at Halloween High, and Hally's best friends ever since she could remember. The first one was Shade. He was almost like a third parent, always getting onto her about homework, projects, and the rules. But he could be persuaded to break the rules as well, normally just because he didn't want to get left out of all the excitement that the students stirred up. Shade had been created by "Grandpa", or Dr. Finkelstien as most citizens of Halloween Town called him; Hally and Jake just called him Grandpa because their mother had been a creation of his and it got on his nerves which was an added bonus, so their really was no one word to describe what Shade was like Vampire or Warlock. Shade was a mix of three things as far as Hally could tell: he was intangible most of the time and had to make himself tangible if he wanted to hold onto something which was the reverse of the talent that Hally had, the constant intangibility was a gift only given to the ghosts of Halloween Town so Hally had a good feeling Shade was part ghost. Then he had no eyes, just sockets like her father and her brother, and no he was not blind, in fact he could see very well, he had nocturnal vision as well as normal vision so Hally assumed he was part skeleton too. And last Shade had two very vampiric white fangs which he could make longer at will, so Hally assumed he was a ghost, vampire, skeleton… thing, the very opposite of her other friend Cree. Cree was rather tough and very touchy when it came to her appearance. Unfortunately for Cree she was a sorceress, not a witch, there was a huge difference between a sorceress and a witch, the main one being that witches, like everyone else in Halloween Town, looked dead; and sorceresses looked like they belonged in the mortal world, in fact very few sorceresses resided in Halloween Town most chose to live among the mortals, and for a very good reason. This was something that could easily bring out the bad side of her friend. Hally looked up at the moon of Halloween Town it was always full and the pale light illuminated the dark streets making them look as spooky as ever. Shade floated ahead of Hally, he hardly ever walked spending most of his time in the air, the moonlight shone right through him, making his pale complexion look almost white. His dark brown hair looked almost blonde in the moon's silvery light and of course he cast no shadow upon the silver bathed sidewalk. Cree lagged behind slightly, her raven colored hair pulled back into a single braid that swished from side to side as she walked, shadow covering her naturally dark skin, and her black witch's hat hid her bright amethyst eyes from view. "We've got some spare time, why don't we take the scenic rout?" Hally suggested a good idea forming in her mind.

"And what kind of rout do you suggest we take?" Shade asked halting at once almost making Hally walk right through him. Cree stopped as well finally snapping back to reality, puzzlement about the reason behind the sudden halting clear on her face. Shade looked at Hally his eyeless sockets narrowed suspiciously at her. Normally her scenic routs were a very bad idea.

"Oh I don't know…" Hally said pretending to consider her choices carefully though she had already chosen the way she wanted to go, and she was like her father, when she made up her mind you could not persuade her otherwise. "What about taking a shortcut along Sleepy Hollow? And go along one of those little unnamed paths… like... I don't know… the third one to the left?"

"The path that just happens to run right past Oogie's mansion?" Cree asked tilting the hat away from her dark purple eyes. "Girl, did your brother unattached your head one too many times? That's crazy!" Cree said with a grin. Hally laughed she knew her friend far too well.

"Cool off Cree," Hally said laughing. Cree raised at dark eyebrow at Hally. Shade shook his head he knew exactly where this was going, he had witnessed things like this almost every day he had known Hally. "If you're in just say so."

"Come on Hally, you know I'm in! Why would I want to miss out on the chance of a lifetime? As long as we don't run into Lock, Shock, and Barrel I think it'll be fun." Both girls looked at Shade; he was the only one in the group who would have any objection to this plan.

"I don't suppose my input about how stupid and dangerous this idea is, not to mention the amount of trouble we'll be in if anyone finds out about this will change your minds, will it?" Shade asked hopefully though he knew it was absolutely no use, telling Cree and Hally not to do something they had made up their minds to do was like telling Lock, Shock, and Barrel not to make mischief. No matter how much you begged it just didn't happen.

"Not really," both girls said in unison. Shade sighed tilting his head upward as if hoping by some miracle an inter-dimensional portal would appear and transport him back to the lab. But of course that didn't happen. He lowered himself so that his feet would have touched the ground if he had been tangible at the moment.

"Let's just get this over with shall we?" he asked almost sarcastically. Hally grinned and turned onto the road called Sleep Hollow. This particular road ran right through a forest of dead trees and had several smaller unnamed paths running along it. Once they reached the third one to the left they turned off going far off their original course in hopes of catching a glimpse of the tall, dark manor owned by one of Halloween Town's most infamous villains, the Boogie Man himself, Oogie Boogie.

"Sure is big isn't it?" Hally asked as the three first saw the dark towers rising over the tops of the dead trees. Of course the path they were taking did not run directly by the mansion, that would have been taking a real risk, and Hally and Cree weren't that adventurous.

"Looks like the lights are on; do you think he has company over or something like that?" Cree asked. She had a point the dim golden glow of lights illuminate the bit of the mansion that was visible to the three Halloween Town kids.

"Who would want to visit Oogie Boogie? Come on guys even the mayor isn't that idiotic." Hally said shaking her head. "I'm sure he's just waiting up for Lock, Shock, and Barrel; I mean if he was up to something I'm sure dad would have heard about it by now."

"Can we please stop discussing what Oogie Boogie might be doing, and instead focus on the much more important issue of what our family will do to us, or more importantly what Dr. Finkelstien will do to me, if we get home any later than anyone else at the party? I mean I'm already stuck walking and feeding Igor from the last time I was late coming home." Shade pleaded. Hally nodded picking up her pace and almost running full speed down the path. She looked back over her shoulder, what was Oogie doing?


Meanwhile in the Manor…

Oogie Boogie looked at the man in front of him bored expression clearly plastered on his face, he was trying his best to remember why he hadn't eaten the man already. He had been waiting for Lock, Shock, and Barrel to return from that torture chamber called a school when this man had burst in. Now don't get him wrong, Oogie loved torture just as much as the next Boogie Man, but with his three minions gone he was forced to actually do things himself and that wasn't worth the pleasure he got out of his minions' pain. With nothing to do but listen to the man before him blabber on, Oogie knew he had reached an all time low. "Remind me again why I haven't eaten you yet?" Oogie asked not even attempting to hide the boredom in his voice.

"Because I can help you." The man replied coolly. Oogie looked at him almost falling asleep as the man continued talking acting as if he hadn't interrupted at all. The man was more of a ghost then a man but he claimed to be from the mortal world. Quite frankly Oogie didn't care where he was from he just wanted the man to stop his incessant blabber.

"What could I possible need help with?" Oogie asked interrupting the man for the second time. But its not like he really cared, he just wanted to eat the man and get it over with. "I have three perfectly horrible minions already."

"Because, I find it demeaning that the Boogie Man, the very creature that used to pluck children from their beds. The very creature that used to terrify kids into insomnia, the subject of some of the most horrifying tales in all of time, allows himself to be placed in second in comparison to the Pumpkin King." the man said. Oogie shot up his attention finally focused on the insolent fool before him.

"How DARE you disrespect me!" Oogie shouted a few bugs flying from his mouth and hitting the man. He wiped them away without even flinching. "I am the Boogie Man and I am second to NO one! Especially not to that Pumpkin Chowder-head Jack Skellington!" The man smirked never once looking scared or even timid.

"I'm Sorry Mr. Boogie Man, I meant no disrespect." The man said looking at the enraged Oogie Boogie with a look of amusement. "I was simply stating the truth, or… maybe you aren't letting yourself be second to him, maybe he's just better? Or maybe you're scared of him. I find it hard to believe that the Boogie Man is scared of any creature dead or alive."

"Silence!" Oogie ordered. But the man refused to stop. He kept talking, his mouth releasing more and more disrespect as he spoke. "SLIENCE!" Oogie jumped on the man but much to his surprise went right through him as he would a ghost of Halloween Town.

"Then why haven't you taken care of this Pumpkin menace?" the man asked looking at Oogie triumphantly. The Boogie Man was too angry for words, which was a first, He tackled the man again this time he caught him. He was ready to drag this good for nothing into his torture casino to have a bit of fun with the man saved himself. "I think we can help each other Boogie Man." The man said.

"How so?" Oogie asked not letting go of him still intent on dragging him into the Casino. It had been too long since Oogie had lasted tortured anyone and he longed to once again have screams of agony pierce his eardrums.

"Halloween Town doesn't like Amity Park and Amity Park doesn't like Halloween Town. I have a few annoying pests in Amity Park I'd like to rid myself of, and you have a few in Halloween Town. So what happens if they turn against each other? What if something dreadful happens and by some horrible and of course 'accidental' misunderstanding they think it was the fault of the other town?" The man suggested. Oogie dropped him pausing thoughtfully. It would be nice to rid himself of the annoying Pumpkin brats and have Sally all to himself again.

"I think you just got yourself onto my good side." Oogie said a manic grin pressing itself onto his face. The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea. No more annoying Pumpkin King prancing around stealing his glory, no more disrespecting Halloween Town citizens, it was perfect. "I like the way you think, Mr. Uh…" Oogie paused. His guest had said his name before but by now the Boogie Man had forgotten it, he had not really paying attention at the beginning of the man's lecture.

"Plasmius," the man said calmly. Oogie watched the man scramble to his feet, its not like Oogie had placed him down on the ground and the Boogie Man was much larger than this… ghost man. "Vlad Plasmius." The man stuck out his hand and Oogie shook it. He was loving the idea more and more by the second.


Betcha can't guess what their planning!... Please review!