Here you go! Thanks for the awesome replies!

Jack Nightmare 2 U: Sorry, I don't! Bummer!

Disclaimer: sigh Again? Fine. NOT MINE.

Chapter Nine

She settled into the bed, glancing around nervously. She mentally shook herself. She was getting paranoid.

The large sun (which was, believe it or not, a large jack-o-lantern) was beginning to set. The citizens of Halloweentown were retreating to their homes, other than the vampires and the werewolf, who lived in the night.

Finally, as Zero settled in beside her and his nose dimmed in sleep, her eyes closed. She struggled to open them once more, just to make sure there was nothing there…and then she fell asleep.

A noise made her wake up. Her eyes opened immediately, and she held her breath, listening. Zero was gone, but he wasn't barking, so it couldn't have been them.

She sat up and looked out the window. The pumpkin sun was just rising over the horizon.

There was a note on the floor beside her. It was written in thin, spidery writing, and it read:

Tera,
I spoke to Sally, and she told me that it's fine if you want to stay with her, until we get you home. Unfortunately, the Mayor had a problem, and I had to leave before you woke. It's most likely something about next Halloween. I shouldn't be too long. I've left Zero, I didn't want to wake him. If there's any more trouble, you must promise me that you'll hide again. And if you get frightened because of anything, you can go to Sally's house. Don't worry, you're going to be fine. I promise.

Jack Skellington

She smiled. She looked down and saw that he had placed a blanket over her. Pushing it aside, she got to her feet and stretched, watching the sun slowly rise into the sky.

Zero was curled up in a small basket. She quietly walked past him and down to the main floor, getting her sweater. She slipped into it, shivering slightly, and went back up the stairs, making the bed.

The door opened downstairs.

She went to the staircase and then stifled a gasp. Three small shadows, carrying what looked like a bag.

Frantically, she looked around for somewhere to hide. She ran back to the electrical chair, but it had been pushed closer to the wall.

Finally she ran and ducked on one side of the bed, opposite the staircase. She saw something tin there and carefully avoided it, not thinking to move it.

The tip of a purple witch's hat appeared, quickly followed by Shock. Lock and Barrel came up behind her, lugging the large, black, jack-o-lantern covered bag.

Lock set it down and ran over to the note. Tera's eyes widened. She had forgotten to grab it!

"Hey!" he cried. "Look at this!"

The other two came to peer over his shoulder. Shock cackled, clapping her hands. "She's here! She's here!"

"Now to find her!" Barrel said, a broad grin on his child-like face. Tera shuddered. Afraid to breathe, her hands clenched against the floor, she watched them begin to search the tower, checking behind the electrical chair.

"She must be downstairs!" Shock said. "Come on!"

They ran down the stairs. Tera slowly let out the breath trapped in her lungs and shifted. The hand she was resting her weight on slipped suddenly and knocked over the tin object, making a loud clattering noise. She stifled a distressed cry and bit down on her lip hard.

Lock appeared. "She's here," he called down. "Didn't you hear that?"

The others came up and they started the search over again. Barrel suddenly caught sight of the tin object and grinned, edging over to the bed, producing the black bag. She moved back, trying to be as quiet as possible, but she glanced over her shoulder to find Shock there. As soon as the little witch saw she had been noticed she laughed, and another black bag appeared.

All reason for quiet was over. With a cry she jumped over the bed. She towered over them by at least two feet, but they came on uncaring as she ran to the window, looking for escape. She was cornered.

She kicked out at them as they came close, and Lock quickly dodged out of the way. Now all three of them had bags and were holding them open, ready to grab her if she ran, like cowboys trying to catch a wild horse.

She feinted right, then left. They followed her closely, but didn't fall for it for a moment. Finally, with a hiss of breath, she lunged for right between Lock and Barrel. All of a sudden Shock was there, and with a triumphant cackle the bag was closed around her.

She let out a shriek, struggling hard, twisting, kicking, hitting. The bag was tied securely, and she felt it being dragged. She braced herself for the stairs, but when they came, she couldn't stifle the yelp of pain as her wrist crunched under her. It was hit every few seconds when there was another stair, and she fought to keep the tears of pain from her eyes.

Finally she was being dragged over the smooth floor. Before they hit the stairs on the front of Jack's house, she squirmed slightly and pulled her wrist out from under her. When they did hit the stairs, her back received the damage, but nothing bad. Most likely just a bruising. She felt herself being heaved into the bathtub, and groaned when her head struck the porcelain.

A weight settled onto her. "Why does he always get to sit?" Lock whined.

"Because he always gets it first!" Shock answered. "Now shut up and get this pile of junk moving!"

Lock grumbled something under his breath but the bathtub jerked to life. She had no idea how they were going to get through Halloweentown without anybody noticing.

It seemed to go on forever. At one point Barrel began giggling and jumping up and down on her, and for some reason his feet felt very sharp. Her eyes narrowed. She waited, and just as his feet were about to hit again, she jerked her hip upwards, hitting him back. He let out a yelp and she was battered with two hits.

"No one can hit them except for me!" Shock shrieked. Tera grinned through the darkness.

The bathtub stopped suddenly, making her hit her head again. She winced, thrashing out with her good arm. A cry made a feeling of satisfaction grow in her, and she couldn't help but smirk.

She was pulled from the bathtub. Once again dragged, she was careful to keep her wrist out of the way of the ground. She somehow knew that all of a sudden they were rising…and she thought, This is it.