Huzzah! The final chapter! I figure that you don't really wanna hear from me, so here we go!

Roll it, Louie!

Kesy stood in front of the hall mirror, fiddling with her hat. She tilted it to the right, to the left, the right again, further right, and then gave up. Tossing it up in the air, she caught it on her head. It tilted to the left and ended up looking rather fetching. That decided, the witch gazed at the clock and proceeded to hop front foot to foot.

There were significantly fewer pom-poms in the living room now. Some of them were long-term pets, designed to live for about three years, while others were one-use, predominantly for scaring on Halloween or on birthdays. Wilfred, however, remained with his mistress, although he had lately taken to hunting the bats that flew down the chimney. He was currently covered with soot, belching, and rather pleased with himself.

Kesy mentally rattled off everything she had to do. 'Oven's off…store's closed…hat's tilted…dress…' she looked down at herself, 'black…fruitcakes caged…'

Her doorbell rang, and Kesy ripped her tilted hat off her head and hyperventilated into it, walking towards the door as she did so.

Jack was not faring much better. Zero had to bark to remind him that he was walking into a broom cupboard and not the front door twice that morning. He was nervous, and was thankful that he didn't have nerves, or he'd be shaking.

Kesy opened the door slowly, peering around the corner of the wood. Plunking her hat on her head, she opened the door fully and smiled. "Hello, Jack! Very prompt, aren't you?"

"Good evening, Kesy. Are you ready to go?" the Pumpkin King asked, heartened by the fact that the witch was twitching slightly. It was good to know that he wasn't alone in his nervousness.

The witch nodded, pocketed her house key, and blew Wilfred a kiss. The pom-pom yipped the yarn equivalent of "Good bye!"

Jack and Kesy walked along the street, both lost in their own thoughts.

"Jack, what…" Kesy finally began, "what's this place like?"

"It's very nice. I'm sure you'll get a charge out of it. There's a bar side, but the rest of the place is like a restaurant. They mostly serve sandwiches, but they make a great home-y food, too. I noticed that you've got precious few pom-poms left. Business is booming?"

"Oh yes! They're flying off the shelves…knew I shouldn't have given them wings. But I'm working on a prototype for entire creatures made out of the little fuzz-balls. When someone recites a spell, they split apart and terrify whatever the target is. I'm working on a cat right now, but it only splits into clumps."

"How cost efficient! Many tools for the price of one!"

"Well, the price of many, actually," Kesy said, laughing.

Soon, they arrived at the pub. Jack held the door open for Kesy, and she stepped in, thoroughly unprepared for what lay ahead.

The first thing she noticed was that there was an astoundingly old and completely dead tree growing out of the middle of the floor. A dartboard was nailed to it. To the left of the tree, a long, improbably shaped bar stood, the liquor cabinets made of coffins and decorated with skulls. Barstools (some with nails sticking out the seat, some without) sat next to the bar, tilted and leaning like drunkards.

On the other side of the pub, tables adorned with simple black tablecloths stood. Chairs made of bones were tucked underneath, looking both fragile and dangerous. A large orange window decorated with a swirling design made out of dead vines sat near the west to catch the lingering afternoon sunlight. The rest of the walls were decorated similarly, but without the window.

"Wow," the witch breathed, "this is really…creepy."

"I know! Great, isn't it?" Jack responded, and Kesy grinned.

A rat in a waiter's uniform led them to their table, dragging a single menu in his teeth. After giving it to Kesy, the rat passed out from overexertion.

"You go ahead," Jack said, "I know exactly what I'm going to have."

Kesy gazed at the menu in a complete state of wonderment. 'Snake Blood Fritters…Eye of Newt Sandwiches…ooh, Liver of Bat Soup…Spider-Web Spaghetti…' Turning to the beverages, she tried to find the difference between red, white, and blush blood wine. She finally asked Jack.

"Red blood wine is ordinary blood wine, white blood wine is made up completely of white blood cells (that's very rare, mind you) and blush blood wine is from the face," Jack replied.

Something deep inside Kesy told her that she should be horrified and repulsed, but she felt neither. Instead, she gave a completely sincere, "Yum." Deciding on the Murderous Swamp Gumbo and a cup of Hemlock Tea, the witch put the menu down to see that a teenage zombie was looking at them expectantly.

Jack ordered the Muskrat Steak and a glass of mulled cider. Kesy returned the menu to the waiter, who swiftly left. After a moment's hesitation, she scooped the rat waiter up off of the floor and dunked him in her glass of water, jolting him awake. He scurried off, and Jack laughed.

"He was going to get trod on," Kesy said in defense, fighting a smile that was threatening to break out over her face.

"That was very noble," Jack said, grinning. The two simply sat and talked of everything and nothing until their food came. Each sampled the other's meal, and decided that Jack's Muskrat Steak was better than Kesy's Murderous Swamp Jumbo, which the witch had to cut up with a knife and fork to keep it from trying to eat her.

After paying the bill, the two strolled toward the graveyard, which Kesy admitted to only seeing once or twice. The thin crescent moon spread a fitful light over the expansive cemetery, and Jack pointed out one or two of the more notable headstones.

Kesy became quickly enchanted by the spiral hill, and stood on the top, turning 360˚ so that she could see the entire graveyard. The weak silver light made the grim place glow silver, and the witch felt thoroughly at peace. Soon, she noticed that Jack was gone.

Looking around with narrowed eyes, Kesy moved carefully, slowly through the graveyard, determined not to be scared. Sometimes she'd catch a glimpse of the moonlight shining off of what looked like Jack's skull, or the rustle of dead leaves. The witch spoke to herself to calm down.

"Okay…just relax, old girl. He's just trying to scare you. No worries…" the witch muttered, her eyes darting around nervously.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her head whipped around, to see that nothing was there. Turning slowly, she let out a yelp, finding herself centimeters from Jack's face.

"Boo," the Pumpkin King said with an insane grin. Kesy bared her teeth, and moved as if to tackle him, but he ducked away.

"Get back here!" the witch exclaimed, darting after the King of Halloween through the graveyard, dead set on revenge. Their ghostly laughter echoed over the hills.

Later, after Kesy had wholloped Jack to her satisfaction, they returned Kesy's home, both grinning like maniacs.

"I had a great time, Jack," Kesy said, looking back at the direction they had come from.

"Me, too," Jack said simply. "Can I see you again sometime?"

"Jack? I live in the same town as you," Kesy replied, raising an eyebrow, her strange smile still on her face.

"Yes, but…you know what I mean," Jack said, rolling his eye sockets.

"Of course, Jack. I'd love to have dinner with you again." Kesy gave the Pumpkin King a hug, and, after looking left and right, pecked him swiftly on the place where his lips would have been.

Suddenly shy, the witch made to go into her house, but Jack, who had been in a state of shock, quickly grabbed her and kissed her properly.

Three minutes later, an extraordinarily dazed and happy witch entered her home and hung her hat on the coat rack. She then went into the kitchen and scrawled on the notepad on the table, Jack, 7 o'clock Wednesday, Supper.
Okay, in case you couldn't figure out the last bit, it means that she's gonna see him again.

There you have it, folks! After all is said and done with this contest-doolie, I might write some more of these two. I make no promises, though! Thank yous go to all that reviews, punches to all that didn't!

Review please!

Until next time: my minions, my friends, this is Semine, signing off!