DISCLAIMER: See chapter one.
Chapter Four: The Message
Candle light burned through the crack of Lock's eyes as he wearily opened them. The only thing he remembered was keeling over in the middle of a very amusing prank. He, Shock, and Barrel had planted a very large spider inside the Mayor's hat and he hadn't taken it very well. Just as the Mayor's head was spinning rapidly, an odd sensation had overcome his thoughts and he passed out.
"Ooohh, he's so cute!" Lock sat up and noticed the young woman that had commented. She was portly with vivid red hair and an equally vivid pink dress. All around the table Lock was sitting on were unusual people. At the head of the table sat an imposing, well-built medium. It only took seconds for Lock to realize what had happened.
"We have called you young Lock. You must fix what was broken long ago." The medium said this with a mystical quality. Lock narrowed his eyes to slits, a plan already formed in his mind.
"If you don't send me back to Halloween Town, I'll curse your lives forever more!" If Lock could convince them that he could actually do some damage, they'd send him home.
"Oh hush up. Our lives are already gone, so fix what must be fixed." It was the red haired woman that said this. Lock spun facing her.
"Send me back!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!" The elegant red haired woman that sat before Lock moments before morphed into a hideous gorgon in seconds.
"Holy!" Lock stumbled back in surprise. He fell off the table and into the lap of the brown haired woman. She caught him easily and wrapped her arms around his little 12 year old body. "Let me go!"
"Not until you fix it!" The brown haired woman said sternly. He just struggled more.
"I don't even know what you're talking about!"
"You mean you don't know?" The round man finally spoke up. They all looked at each other for a moment before finally looking up at the medium.
The stately man promptly asked, "Why doesn't he know, Madame Leota?"
Mme Leota focused her eyes on Lock.
"Upon dying, young Lock was wiped of his memory. That is the consequence of entering a holiday." Lock stopped squirming and looked straight into Leota's eyes.
"Memory?"
"Yes. Only you Lock can open your own memories and fix what is broken." The brown haired woman let go of Lock and vanished into thin air. Everyone followed her example. Mme Leota's head reappeared in the large, glowing crystal ball. Her eyes were shut and she was humming in trance.
After leaving the manor, Lock found himself in the middle of the woods. There was a familiarity to the area. He ambled around trees and seemed to be going in circles until he found the edge of the trees. On this edge of the woods where Lock stood was a small park. Lock's mind blurred momentarily as a faint memory passed in front of his eyes.
The girl hanging upside down haphazardly on the top bar of the jungle gym was Macy. Her long, jet black hair hung limply around her face. The boy sitting next to Macy's legs was Mervin, who sat there with an air of boredom surrounding him. His short, choppy blonde hair was hanging loosely around his face.
"Thanks for joining us Lock. Took you long enough." Macy snapped this in her usual fashion, but it wasn't as lethal sounding as usual. Mervin just nodded in agreement.
"My sister-" Lock started but Mervin took the opportunity to interrupt.
"You're too easy on your sister. You should have just ditched her." Mervin said this while grinning, but Lock just retorted with a glare. He couldn't help it if he had a soft spot for his sister.
The memory abruptly ended and Lock shook his head. So he had a sister. And two best friends. That was a start.
"I guess this means I should find them."
"Who're you talking to?" A young girl inquired as she approached Lock. He looked at her taken aback.
"You can see me?"
"Well duh."
A/N: Ok, slightly harder chapter to write. I'll update as fast as possible.