"So," Sally said, after another moment of silence, "You don't look like you're from around here." Jack shot her an obviously grateful look.
Tera shook her head. "I'm from somewhere completely different…I just have no idea how I got here."
"Well, did you take a path?" Jack said. "A road?"
"Uh…" How was she to explain the tree? "Not…really…to tell you the truth, I really don't know." A sudden fear seized her. "Am I dead?"
Jack looked slightly shocked. "I don't think so. Not everyone here is dead…at least, as far as I know."
"I'm not dead," Sally said from beside him. He smiled. "There. See?"
Tera's smile was small. Really, she wasn't very reassured, but she held her breath for a moment and heard it: her heartbeat. It still beat gently inside of her, keeping her alive.
"Jack, Sally," she said, "Do you have any idea how I could go home?"
They glanced at each other. "I don't know if we can help at all," Sally said softly.
Tera felt empty. She wanted to go home.
"Do you want somewhere to stay while we try to find a way home for you?" Jack asked. She looked up at him, the small smile coming back onto her face. "Sure."
He smiled and took her hand in his bony one. He led her through Halloweentown, and she tried her best not to turn bright red at all the stares of the monsters.
They came up to a building she recognized from the movie. It was tall, with a tower, and the door was very tall and skinny. Jack reached over and opened the door, but Sally suddenly said, "I have to go. Jack, I'll talk to you soon?"
"Yes," he said, and she turned and sprinted across the town. Soon Tera spotted the problem: Dr. Finkelstein had just rolled out of his house on his wheelchair, looking very angry.
Jack gently pushed Tera inside the house and came in after her, closing the door. A small ghost dog flew up to them, his pumpkin nose shining a bright, orange color.
"That's Zero," he said. She smiled and held out her hand, and Zero nuzzled it. Instead of the ghost dog's head going right through her hand, as she had expected, it had a slightly cool touch. He barked happily.
"Excuse any mess," he said. "The Mayor keeps me quite busy planning for next Halloween."
"But…you're planning for that already?" she asked. He smiled. "Of course. You can't start too early, can you?"
She shrugged, and smiled. He smiled back, a toothy grin that made her feel very much at home.