THE GRAVEYARD

Zero kept barking and barking. It was really starting to irritate Jack. He sighed. Of all the nights he wanted to play, it had to be tonight, he thought.

"I'm sorry Sally." He apologized. "Alright Zero, I'm coming."

Sally turned towards him and smiled, giving his hand a small squeeze, and said "It's alright Jack. It's only Zero."

Hand in hand they wandered towards the glow of Zero's nose.

"Shoo! Go!" Valary was starting to panic. She could hear the people getting closer, and the dog would not shut up!

"Zero? What's wrong?"

Valary gasped. The people were now in front of her, but now they clearly were not just people. They were dead people. The man was tall and so thin! And he was...a skeleton? He noticed Valary with his … eye sockets? For where there should be two huge round eyes were just gaping holes staring out at her.

"Oh hello! Are you alright? Zero be quite."

She must have looked quite helpless, cowering from a ghost dog and her right arm missing its hand.

"Here, let me help you." He held out a long bony hand to her. In a daze, Valary accepted his hand, and got up slowly so as not to fall and make a fool of herself in front of him. He looked handsome…in a horrible kind of way.

"Jack?"

Valary turned and saw the woman…who also looked dead. Stitches ran all around her body, and she wore a nightgown that had been patched up with different sorts of material. It reminded Valary of Riks' dress that she had worn for the party…

"Oh hello," she said a bit startled. "Are you okay?"

"Um," Valary couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Uh, I'm lost," she said quite lamely.

"Lost?" Jack said incredulously. "How can you get lost around here?" he waved his long arms around him. "Unless…" His black holes for eyes narrowed at her. He thought of something that he hasn't thought of for a long time. "Are you…from somewhere else?"

Valary was about to answer when Sally cut in, "Oh, your arm. I think this is yours." She held up Valary's hand. Valary stood staring at it. It gave her a small wave.

"Um, thanks," She said as the woman handed it to her (hahaha, that was a lame pun Oo). Valary attached her hand. She could move it, just like she could move her other hand. Now that is weird.

"Thank you," Valary repeated. She didn't feel threatened by these…people. On the contrary, they were really friendly, not exactly what she expected from what looked like a pair of nightmare prom dates.

"Ah," the skeleton spoke suddenly. "Where are my manners? I'm Jack Skellington, and this is Sally." He said wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm Valary. Valary Jacqueline." She shook hands with Jack. As she shook hands with Sally her hand came off again.

"Whoops! Sorry," She took her hand back and tried to reattach it but it wouldn't stay in place. In the end her hand crept up her arm onto her shoulder, startling Valary. It was like it had a mind of its own!

"You really aren't from around here, are you?" Sally said laughing. "Come back with us. I'll get your arm back on."

"If-if it doesn't trouble you," Valary said quickly.

"Trouble? Not at all!" Jack reassured. "You can tell us about where you come from."

They started to go when Valary called "Wait! You're forgetting something Jack."

"Huh?" He turned as Valary handed him his bone. "Ah, thank you." He popped it back inside him and announced "Well, off to my house then!" And altogether they walked out the graveyard, Jack and Sally close together and Valary wandering behind, wondering what was happening with the party. She wasn't aware of the person hiding behind a gravestone watching her.

"Wait 'til Oogie hears about this!" cackled Shock as she crept away unnoticed.

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yawn I am blinded be thee oh bright light of thy compooter screen

whack

Ouch. Needed that. If any speeling/grammatical errors seen, please report (not including this little bit)

Thanks everyone for your comments.