Chapter Ten:

An Unfortunate Proposal.

Jack stared at the doorway wearily.

"Shock…I'm really not in the mood for visitors. Unless it's something important, I would suggest that you leave me alone." A shadow fell across Shock's face.

"Well, I hate to say so, Jack…but you really don't have the authority to suggest anything anymore." Jack watched her for a moment as she approached him. His eyes narrowed in concentration for a moment, then widened.

"He's taken over…"

"Earlier today, and with Jack Skellington dead, he really didn't have much trouble doing it…you know, I always wondered what it would be like having a mischievous madman in charge of this place. It has turned out as such a disappointment."

"Wonderful…" Jack said bitterly. "I thought I had more time to think of something." Shock's eyes widened.

"You mean you haven't yet!" She said, a little concern ebbing into her voice. "I thought that this whole dead thing was partly your doing. I didn't see any other reason for Jack Skellington to run away and hide in some dark bedroom." Jack's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not hiding. I came here to get some privacy and to prevent this decay for as long as I could. Unfortunately I am getting more and more tired everyday, and my mind has gotten so fuzzy that I cannot think straight at all." He touched his forehead morosely and waved her off.

"You being here is not helping things much." Shock scowled and grabbed Jack by the collar. Jack was completely taken off guard by this, because before, no one would have dreamed of doing it to him.

"No! You being here is not helping things much! I could not possibly be at a better place!" Jack watched her in speechless surprise. She let go of his collar and crossed her arms.

"Now if you don't do something quick, Murdock will find all of us and then the only people left will be those idiots he has wrapped around his finger at the moment. Don't get me wrong, having you as The Pumpkin King gets in the way of everything that I find entertaining. But at least with you wearing the crown, I don't have to worry about dying…again. That's an experience you'd really like to go through only once." Jack straightened and for a moment and they were both silent.

"Your right." Jack said after a moment. Shock raised her brow. "But I don't know what to do!" He added in frustration. "For the first time, I don't have the answer!"

"Well you can't sit in a dark bedroom and expect it to come to you! Jeez, Why are boys so dumb!"

Jack gave her a quizzical look.

"What else could I possibly do. I can't face him as I am now…that wouldn't do any good."

Shock scowled and shrugged.

"What are you asking me for? You're the Pumpkin King…or…were anyway. You think of something! I'd hurry up too, he's holding a town meeting tomorrow morning. Pretty soon the whole town will be with him. Brainless morons." She added the last bit under her breath. Jack sighed and buried his head in his long skeletal fingers. After a moment he looked up again quickly. His eye sockets, now wide, as though something had just come to him.

"Tomorrow morning?" Jack asked softly. Shock rose her brow and nodded.

"Yeah…that's what I said." He straightened and peered out the window.

"How did you hear about all this?" He asked while examining his tower. In a place deep in his mind he noted that the light had been turned off.

"I was in the square listening." Shock said, getting a little aggravated with Jack's sudden change of behavior. Finally, he tore his eyes from the desolate cathedral style windows on his crooked abode and returned his gaze to the small trick or treater.

"Murdock didn't see you?" He asked curiously.

"No…I was wearing a different costume." She said slowly. Jack grinned. It didn't have near as much power as his old grin had had, but it made a great improvement to his otherwise dreary countenance.

"Does Murdock believe that I am dead?" He asked, as he stood up and crossed the room. Shock followed him with her eyes.

"I guess…that's what he told everyone else, anyway."

"Perhaps I can use this." Jack said, mostly to himself. He turned on his heel and left Sally's bedroom. Shock shook her head.

"Poor Jack has lost his mind." She grinned with delight and followed him.

Sally sat in the shadows, gazing longingly at the distant shape of her and Jack's Tower. She whimpered a little. Jack. Because of the hateful phantom she was unable to see if he was still alright. She would have given anything to be with him at that moment.

The door opened a crack and she heard harsh whispering. She turned her head towards the sound and bit her lip, preparing herself for whatever Murdock had planned for her. The door opened all the way as Lock and Barrel headed into the tiny dark room. They were both wearing purple again, and did not look happy about it. When they saw her they stopped and exchanged a look.

"Hey, your that rag doll that's shacked up with Jack!" Lock exclaimed in slight disbelief. Barrel frowned.

"You don't er…know what's happened to him do you? I mean…is he really…uh…dead?"

Sally stared at them for a moment with wide eyes then shook her head.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him." She said softly. Both boys sighed in aggravation and stepped forward to untie her.

"Murdock wants you downstairs in the game room." Lock said bitterly. "Barrel, you burn the ropes." Barrel nodded as he took the ropes that had been around her wrists.

"What's he going to do to me?" Sally asked nervously. Lock shrugged.

"How should I know." He pulled out two metal clasps that slightly resembled handcuffs and put them on her wrist.

Sally bit her lip and cast one last look out the window before she was led into the shadows of the dark tunnels that led toward the game room. A place which she would have rather not have to visit again. The last time she had been there, it had been to rescue Santa Clause. An action which had almost landed her in a stew. But then Jack had come, and everything had been alright. She didn't think anyone was going to save her this time.

The doctor had been working on an experiment that would send a persons brain oozing through their ears. (Some of the residents would not be too much different without them.) When Jack burst in. The doctor spun around in his chair and stared at the disheveled skeleton. He made a mental note to up the dosage on the elixir he had been giving him.

"Can I help you Jack?"

"I need you to sew me a cloak. Preferably purple. Something to rap my hands in and I need a mask. If you would be so kind as to send someone to the fence. I'm sure the mayor has plenty of them hanging in the open."

The doctor rose his brow.

"Umm…" He started. He cast a brief look at Shock who whirled her finger around her temple to signify that Jack was crazy. "What are you planning Jack?" The doctor asked carefully.

"I'm going to the town meeting tomorrow night." He said while straightening out his shirt.

"That's a bit risky don't you think?" The doctor said. He was still talking to Jack in a careful voice that the previous Pumpkin King did not care much for.

"It's important that I find out exactly what's going on before I make a decision about what to do." The doctor nodded.

"Alright." He started to shuffle through various materials he kept in the basement, before pulling out a bit of purple material. He scowled.

"Why purple?" The doctor said distastefully.

"It's his favorite color. If I know him, he'll be forcing everyone to wear it before long. I don't want to stand out." Jack said.

Shock noticed that he then half collapsed in a chair out of exhaustion. She frowned. They were all in a lot of trouble.

At around the same time that the doctor began working on sewing together a purple cloak, Sally was finding herself chained up to a large saw. She awaited Murdock's arrival with a growing dread. She closed her eyes and wished deeply, that she was not there. Through her wishing she felt a leathery finger wonder across her tiny hand. She shivered.

"My dear. It's so nice that we've been given the chance to spend…some quality time together." Murdock whispered. When Sally opened her eyes Murdock's face was a little over an inch from her own. She held back a sound of disgust. He grinned, baring his horribly white teeth.

"Your mine." He said softly. He ran his long rubbery fingers through her hair. She jerked away from his touch and glared at him in loathing.

"Never! You'll be sorry when…" Her sentence was cut off by his laughter.

"I'll be sorry when what? When Jacky comes to get me." He shivered mockingly. "Jack's a pile of dust somewhere. He can't do anything to help you. Sorry Sweetheart but Jack Skellington's gone. He can't stop me from taking over his town, turning Halloween into something that the people from the living world will remember for days to come and he can't stop me from doing this." He leaned forward and kissed her roughly on the mouth. Sally made a gagging sound and tried to turn her head. Murdock grinned with pleasure.

He unchained her and grabbed her by the wrist, holding it with almost immense pressure. Sally whined and tried to pull away from him. She was struck with inspiration as she realized both of her hands were now free. She pulled on the stitches of her left hand and disconnected it.

Murdock let out a cry of rage as she tried to get away from him. She didn't get very far. He grabbed her by her long red hair and pulled her back down to the ground.

"Nice try sweetheart!" He said through his teeth. "but if that's how your going to be then I'll just have to give you what you want." He wrenched her right arm off of her shoulder, ripping it a little and pulled her to her feet by her hair.

"I see now how closely I'll have to watch you." He pushed her toward the table that Oogie Boogie had once strapped her and Santa Clause to. As he held her down he grabbed the leather straps and bounded her to the table by her legs and waist. He smiled and straightened out his sleeves.

"There we are. Now. I think I'll keep you down here for a bit…to, you know, think about how bad you've been." He started to walk away then, appearing to remember something he turned back to her.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. Tomorrow morning, we are to be wed. As soon as I decide that you are ready to go back to your room, you will change into the dress I have for you up there and then we shall see what to do about your hair." He grinned and headed back up to the tunnels. Sally watched him go in horror. She started to sob.

"Where are you Jack?" She said softly to herself.

Once again, sorry for the delay. I've been a little busy lately (I got my drivers license! MWAHAHAHAHA!)

Ahh…I should probably move on to another story now, for a little while anyway. This ones actually nearing some sort of climax. Not there yet though. I hope you enjoyed the chapter…I can honestly say that I did not know that Sally was getting married until the end of this chapter…it's remarkable how stories sometimes almost write themselves. (Don't worry, things will work out.) Lucky for you I despise writing stories with any sort of depressing ending, so you can generally count on my stories to end on a positive note. Thank you for your reviews. I am very grateful for your suggestions and comments. Updates soon!