CHAPTER 13

Progress Report

Like in the old TV show, Sliders, Lock went screaming down a green portal. It was his first time here because Shock and he was always sending Barrel to report to Oogie Boogie. This time however, Barrel was quicker with swinging his mask.

Lock rode the green dram portal until he was dropped off in a dark, moist, Batman-like cave. The portal appeared 10 feet off the ground, dropping Lock on is butt like a sack of potatoes. After he stood up to dust himself, off a green bon fire suddenly ignited from a crack in the ground. The fire grew to be about fire times Lock's size, but it didn't radiate any heat. In the center of the flames, the insidious, inhumane face of Oogie Boogie took form.

"Lock," Oogie's voice boomed through out the cave, "long time no see. Mind telling me why that is?"

"Well…uh…first off, whatever you're mad at me for, it was all Barrel's fault! Second, I have news for you."

Oogie liked the sound of this, "Go on."

"Easter Town was being taken over by some crazed skunk the same time Jack and Sydney arrived. They basically rode in, kicked the skunk off his throne, and returned the enchanted Easter Bunny back to normal. After that, they left."

"This isn't making a lot of since."

"It's a long story."

"Did they get the egg?"

"Oh, not just any egg. To show his appreciation, the Easter Bunny gave them the Royal Cottontail Egg of solid gold! It's guarantied not brake."

Oogie Boogie became excited, "Oh, goodie! Were their identities discovered? Did they get caught? Where are they now? "

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there! Do you have ants in your sack?"

Oogie Boogie froze, completely stunned. Then, he glared at Lock, and the flames burst to a Hellish red, "DON'T YOU DARE BACK SASS ME, BOY!" Oogie's roar shook the cave.

"Sorry, master!" Lock bowed down to him, "I was out of line. Jack and Sydney are still roaming around, and no one knows of their existence. They left Easter Town an hour ago, and are now on their way to Thanksgiving Town, completely incognito. They only have four more objects to get from the list."

Oogie Boogie had cooled down a bit, and his flames were green again, "Excellent! Everything is going according to plan. Lock, I want you to wake up, get the other two idiots, and continue reporting on Jack and Sydney. By the way, how is that girl doing?"

"Fine, sir. Even better, Jack doesn't suspect a thing."

"Good. And before you leave, take some bread and water to-"

"What about…" Lock's interjection trailed off.

"Whhhhhhaaat?" Oogie asked extremely annoyed.

"What about the Angel of Darkness?" Lock completed his question.

To this, Oogie had completely forgotten Lock's rudeness, "Ahhhhhh yes…the Angel of Darkness. Now there is a real problem…hmmmm…or maybe not! Lock, recite to me the prophecy."

"Right away sir!" Lock looked around him, "Uhhhhhhhh…how?"

"Use this," Oogie shot out a roll of parchment at Lock.

Lock unrolled the parchment and read it aloud. It was a copy of the prophecy predicted by one of the Halloween Town witches, "The Angel of Darkness…" Lock quickly scanned the page, only reading the important parts, "…She will be the one to slay evil. She will be the one and only to end the fears of the future. If she fights on midnight of October 30th, she will concur against the evil-."

"Yes, yes, but cut a head to the other part. Where it tells you who this Angel of Darkness is."

Lock scrolled down the parchment, "Here it is, the five indications, 'There will be no words to describe the radiance of her beauty. She will have a fighter's will. During a battle, she will penetrate an already dead man. She will have the body of a monster, but the soul of an angel. And she will have the scar of a woman reborn.'"

There was a few seconds of impatient silence.

"Well?" Ooige asked annoyed, "Is that it?"

"Yeah, that's it. How are we going to find this…angel?"

Oogie thought for a minute, "Just keep your eyes open. If you find a girl that matches this description, keep an eye in her and let me know. Keep taking notes and keep me up to date with everything that goes on. Got it?"

"Yes sir," Lock bowed.

As Lock turned back to leave through the newly opened portal, Oogie stopped him, "As I was saying before, before you leave take same bread and water to that bitch, doll face. Approach her with caution though. She's been kicking, screaming, and throwing herself against the cell walls since I had her kidnapped. She's even been trying to escape by various means of dismemberment. Too bad she hasn't even come close," Oogie chuckled to himself.

Lock started to walk in the direction of Sally's cell, however he was stopped by a mysterious female voice in the shadows, "Never mind him, Oogie Bogie, sir. I'll feed her. I always enjoy our little…" she cracked her knuckles in her palms, "…meetings."

Without waiting for a reply, the woman walked in the direction of Sally's cell. Her evil grin she wore foretold that nothing good was to come for Sally.

"Alright then, Lock, be off with you!"

"Yes master," Lock turned toward the green portal, took a running start, and then leapt into it. He was waking up.