Author's Note: Ok guys, I'll level with you. Long ago, about four years to be exact, I began my interesting life as a fanfiction author writing in the Invader ZIM fandom. It wasn't until two years into writing that I considered other fandoms and began work on my first "Nightmare" story. I never thought I'd be successful in either medium, but as it turned out, I really found my place in the fandom dedicated to The Nightmare Before Christmas. As happy as I was, it brought some sadness because it meant having to stop all of my works in the first fandom i ever wrote for in order to fully dedicate myself to my new fandom. In other words, this story was meant to bridge my old writing life with my new one, and I'm glad everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, with no more misspellings or flaws, it'll be better than ever.
Spooky Doom
"Tonight, on Mysterious Mysteries," started an anchor for the show as the television blared the show's theme rather loudly. "Proof that the Easter Bunny is a real entity. We've asked-" he continued before the channel changed to what appeared to be a press conference about to start.
"Gaz!" the previous watcher of the show, a large-headed, bespectacled boy, exclaimed to the violet-haired girl sitting next to him. "I was watching that!"
"You don't own the TV, Dib," she replied through a squinted glare, as usual. "Besides, Dad's on tonight."
"He is?" Dib asked.
"Psh. Yeah, he's going to make some announcement about dimensions," Gaz said.
"That's tonight?" Dib asked in a nervous tone.
"Obviously," Gaz said as she pointed to the TV.
"Tape it for me," Dib said before leaping off of the couch in a heroic manner and running to his room.
"Psh, Dib." Gaz said in an irritated tone as she patiently waited for their father to make his television appearance.
There wasn't much time, that was for sure. Dib readied everything he could possibly take with him to that press conference. Knowing Zim, Dib figured the Irken would try to do something at that conference. After all, he'd tried to sabotage Professor Membrane's work before. Dib shuddered at the memory of Zim's near dominance of the Perpetual Energy Generator. Lucky for Earth, Dib had stopped the nefarious Irken. He hoped he could do it again this time, and maybe get some recognition for something other than his oversized cranium or 'insanity'.
"Stealth suit, check," Dib said as he pulled a black ski mask over his head, his scythe-shaped hair poking out of the hole on top as it fitted perfectly. "Alien sleepcuffs, transmitting watch, laptop, there, that's everything," Dib said to himself before climbing out of his window and out onto the streets.
Meanwhile...
The Pumpkin Sun had long set on the land of Halloween, but it was still full of life. Well, it's own brand of life anyway. The Mayor had spent the entire day driving around town announcing Doctor Finkelstein's latest creation. It appeared to be some kind of space adjuster or dimension opener, something along those lines. Whatever it was, it interested the Pumpkin King himself, who was on his way to the laboratory that very moment with his dog.
"I wonder what he's done this time, Zero," Jack said to the spectral canine beside him. "The Mayor sounded pretty excited about it. Then again, he sounds pretty excited over everything."
"Jack?" asked the subject of conversation as he caught up to the skeleton. "Hey, Jack, did you hear my announcement?" he asked.
"I sure did, Mayor. Think it'll be scary?" Jack asked.
"Oh, I hope it'll be horrible," the Mayor replied with a wide grin. "Doctor Finkelstein's been very secretive about this project. From what I've heard, it can bring changes to scaring. Big changes."
"That would be interesting," Jack said as the pair found themselves at the door to the lab.
They entered to find pretty much all of Halloween Town already waiting for Doctor Finkelstein to show them his invention. The one keeping track of everyone was Sally, Doctor Finkelstein's handmade assistant. She was making sure no one went upstairs before the doctor was ready to demonstrate what he had made. Sally was doing a good job of that too, until she saw Jack.
"Oh, um, Jack... I didn't know you were coming," Sally said, appearing a bit flustered.
"And miss the big night? He'd have to be crazy," the Mayor interrupted before walking over to chat with the witches and vampires.
"I haven't seen you in a while," Jack said to Sally.
"The doctor's been busy. I have to help him out and pick up his brains when he picks them out by accident. Sorry," Sally said, wringing her hands nervously.
"It's ok. We just have to catch up," Jack said.
"Oh, I haven't been doing anything interesting. Really," Sally said.
As the pair talked, neither noticed three small forms creeping past them. They snuck down the hall and snooped around before making sure no one had seen them. Without bringing any attention to themselves, they broke into the room with the very large DO NOT ENTER sign and began their work.
Meanwhile...
"Professor Membrane?" asked a stagehand as he walked around the backstage area of the press conference. "Professor? Pro-fess-or?"
"Yes?" asked a rather stately voice from behind the stagehand.
"It's time for your speech, sir," he said, bowing his head slightly to perhaps one of the greatest minds the stagehand would ever meet.
"Good, good," the professor said, making a shooing motion with his left hand. " Run along now."
"Yes, sir," the stage hand said before leaving the professor to collect his thoughts
"He smelled like chicken!" exclaimed the professor's abdomen.
"Quiet, GIR," shushed the 'professor' in a much different voice than the one he used to address the stagehand. "The only way we can get to that device is if no one suspects we're not the Dib's father."
"Ok!"
"Human stomachs don't talk, GIR."
"Do they sing?"
"No!"
"Awwwwwwww," GIR whined before becoming quiet.
"Alright, GIR, move the stilts to the stage," said the imposter as the one operating the body's legs moved to the stage, both unaware they were being spied on.
"I knew it," Dib whispered to himself. "I have to find Dad and get him to the stage before it's too late," he finished before a guard picked him up.
"Where's your backstage pass?" he asked the boy.
"I'm the professor's son."
"The crazy one?"
"Yes," Dib said reluctantly.
"Sorry to trouble you," the guard said as he put Dib down and watched him run off to the dressing rooms.
Meanwhile...
"Hurry up, you guys," Barrel said to Lock and Shock as he kept watch at the door. Whatever the pair were doing to the machine seemed to be taking longer than it should be.
"We can't take this to Oogie Boogie's lair. It's too big," Shock said as she and Lock tried to push the large metallic portal from its spot. "It won't budge."
"He said it was gonna be smaller," Lock said as he kicked the machine, hurting himself in the process.
"I guess he was wrong," Barrel said.
"Try telling him that to his face," Lock said as he hopped around on his uninjured foot.
"We should mess with it a little, just to see what happens. Might as well do something worth getting in trouble over," Shock said.
"Great idea," Barrel said as he ran from the door and pressed random buttons while the others pulled and un-pulled levers. Then, when they heard voices coming closer to the room, the trio hid under a metallic table and hoped for the best kind of mischief.
"Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Continuum Portal," said an elderly man in a wheelchair as he maneuvered himself into the room.
"Wow," Jack said, taking it all in. "It's so amazing."
"How did you come up with the idea of making it, Doctor?" the Mayor asked Doctor Finkelstein.
"Well, I wanted to take a break of creating solely terrors. So, I decided to create a way for us to travel to other places. If they exist, that is. You can say curiosity killed the cat," Doctor Finkelstein said, causing the Halloween Townsfolk to chuckle at the remark.
"Fascinating," Jack said as he inspected the machine even closer.
It was more of a metallic arch than anything. On it's right side was a control panel with an assortment of levers and buttons. Right now, it was humming silently. It was definitely turned on, however it took power. That struck Jack as a little odd.
"Is it supposed to hum like that?" he asked the Doctor.
"Strange. I don't remember turning it on," the scientist said as he opened his head to pick his brain. "No, I didn't do it," he said, causing some more chuckles, though more high pitched than before.
"Shhh!" Shock said to both boys beside her under the table before they heard footsteps and then saw a not very amused skull looking straight at them.
"Having fun, kids?" Jack asked through squared eye sockets. They were certainly in for it now.
To Be Continued...