Ok, I love being a Theatre Major... but Argh with the rehearsals! I have the rehearsal schedule from HELL! Anyway, new Chapter makes me go Yay! Now, I kind of promised myself that I wouldn't leave you with another cliffhanger chapter, and I was actually working on this one and it was much longer, but then my computer froze and I lost a good two hours worth of my work. I almost cried for you guys, I really did. This is the part that was already saved so... Sorry for the suspense. I promise I'll have Betrayal Part2 up ASAP, my show opens next week so I won't have things to worry about! Thanks for your reviews guys, I really appreciate them! You have no idea how much they make me want to write more for you! Happy Reading!

-DJ

Lock passed through the gates of Halloweentown just as he had almost every single day of his life. This time, no Shock or Barrel strode at his sides. There was no sound of Shock's heavy boots in his ear, nor of Barrel's shuffling quickstep. There was only the click of his own red boots against the cobblestone path. He felt alone, but this was a feeling he had become accustomed to, no matter how untrue it was. He walked on, shoulders back, every muscle in his body tensed. He was strangely calm, so calm he almost frightened himself. But there was work to be done. So close… so very close to the end of all of this…

He turned a corner and was forced to stop. The gaiety of the Halloween celebration in the town square was before him. The light, laughter, song, and frivolity of the townspeople had a power all its own and for a minute he stood, entranced. He watched the faces of the new trick-or-treaters, eager to begin their hunt. Torchlight flickered over the smiling faces of the crowd, illuminating the joy and passion that was shining through their eyes. Here were the vampires, preparing for a night of a different kind of hunting. Here were the witches, brooms at the ready, about to take the sky and own to moon. The clown, ready to hide in closets or pop round corners. The werewolf stood off to one side, near where Lock stood, doing voice exercises to prepare for a long night of howling. The devil-man had his bag of tricks. Not a single one of them had their minds on anything else but Halloween. Not a single one of them had any idea, could have had any idea, of what was waiting for them.

Lock came suddenly face-to-face with the realization that this was the end of Halloween as he had known it all his life. In an hour, perhaps a little more, this street would be empty, and there would never be such celebration. The thought of that, combined with the knowledge that it was he that would be the cause of this downfall of innocence, spread through his veins like fire. He was almost drunk with the euphoria that seized him suddenly, but he stepped with confidence out into the throng. He tried, oh he tried, to push his way past the people, to shake the drunkenness off of him and continue on with his mission. But when a pair of pretty young witches took hold of his hands and drew him into the circle of trick-or-treaters, he couldn't resist the pull any longer…

He couldn't help it; he was a part of the Halloween magic that had held him his whole life. He grasped the hands of the younger trick-or-treaters and allowed himself to be pulled into their circling dance. Round and round and round, faces and colors flashing past him in the firelight. He closed his eyes and spun out of the circle, the laughter filling his ears, and danced through the streets with the others. Swirling, twirling, spinning, a smile playing over his features, hidden behind his mask. He flung his arms out and spun towards the edge of the square in a gradually slowing frenzy. In a haze, he stopped his spinning at the edge of the throng. He opened his eyes, glazed and unfocused, and gazed back on the scene before him. He looked unseeing at the blurred figures before him. He saw two figures gliding at the edge of his vision, across the square; one with red hair and pale skin and one three heads taller than anyone in the crowd…

Lock's mouth split into an awed, drunken smile as the crowd before him cheered and bowed… and then slowly, low and soft, oh so softly… his voice rose unheard by anyone but himself.

"In this town… we call home, everyone hail to the pumpkin song…" The vapor of the song traced the inside of his mask like an exotic perfume, suddenly so sharp and bittersweet that is physically hurt to breathe. In an instant Lock's vision sharpened and his head snapped back into reality. The mission, the mission, how could he almost have let it go? He growled as he mentally berated himself. His eyes followed Jack and Sally as they paraded arm in arm through the townspeople. Lock clenched his fists and thrust himself back into the crowd. The spell was broken, and all feelings of inclusion that this Halloween had given him were gone. He was again alone in the surging sea of creatures, totally bent on his mission.

Jack stood smiling, oblivious to the approaching footfalls of doom barely audible within the sounds of the Halloween celebration. It was a hollow smile, making him look for once like a real skeleton, empty and dead. His thoughts lingered on Fink, no matter how much he tried to push him from his mind. The only thing keeping his face in a smile, however fake it was, was Sally's strong soft hand on his arm. He felt the satiny fingers of her left hand reach over and caress his bony right hand. He looked down at the top of her head and his smile became slightly more genuine. He breathed in Halloween and though he did not know it, the spark of it began to gleam deep within the hollows where his eyes should have been. Glancing around, he caught sight of Shock and Barrel directing the town's little trick-or-treaters. He smiled.

'Those two may be mischievous, but they're good kids… And they were good to Fink.' He began to turn his head back to the front and pass by.

'I wonder, however, where-' He was cut short in his thoughts as Lock appeared in front of him abruptly. Jack and Sally stopped in the road.

For an instant, Jack and Lock considered each other in silence. In the silence, two thoughts flitted across their eyes.

'Where has that one been? I haven't seen him in forever'

'….I will break you.'

Barrel tapped Shock rapidly on the shoulder.

"Shock! It's Lock!" Shock stood up straight from where she had been bent fixing a trick-or-treater's costume, a bit of thread dangling from her mouth. She clutched her scissors and spool in a fistful of cloth scraps. She watched the small staring contest between Lock and the Pumpkin King. Suddenly something tugged at her insides.

Shock was a witch. Not a very good one, not even a practicing one really. But she was a witch. And all witches, good or evil, can sense a plot brewing, no matter how well concealed or secret. But Shock, being so untrained and unpracticed, couldn't see the depth of it. She only felt this strange, insistent tugging within her when she looked at Lock silently gazing back at the King of Halloweentown.

She dropped her sewing supplies and grabbed onto Barrel's hand. Barrel looked down at the contact in surprise and then back up at Shock's face, a soft heat creeping into his cheeks. But at the stricken look written across her plain features, he quickly swallowed that… whatever it was that had suddenly lodged itself in his throat (what that his heart settling back into place?) and looked at her with concern.

"Shock?" He asked. Shock pressed her lips together.

"Something's… wrong… B." She said. "Come on." She pulled him towards Jack and Lock. Barrel, completely confused and still very aware of his hand in hers, stumbled after her.

Sally looked from Jack to Lock. Feeling not a little bit awkward, she cleared her throat with a small cough. Then she smiled nervously and stepped forward.

"Lock! We haven't seen much of you lately, how wonderful you've decided to come to the celebration this year." Jack broke the stare and glanced down at Sally before looking up again at Lock with a warm smile on his face.

"Most definitely my boy. You are always welcome here. I'm sure we've missed you!" Both the witch standing near enough to hear the conversation and Lock sneered in disbelief. Lock quickly banished his and reached behind his head to take off his mask. He unhooked the strap and brought the mask slowly down to rest near his side in his hand.

Sally's eyes went wide and she gasped and jumped back, placing her other hand on Jack's arm for support. Jack couldn't look away. Lock was not the same little boy that had terrorized Halloweentown. His bright yellow eyes seemed to pierce Jack's. He bowed slightly.

"I thank you, You're Highness" He resisted the urge to wince at the title. He bit his tongue and came up out of his bow. "But I'm here strictly on urgent b-"

"Lock!" Shock came running up with Barrel tripping behind her. Lock's stomach dropped to his feet. He ground his teeth together.

'Shit.' Shock stopped in front of Lock.

"…Hi Lock..." Lock fixed her with his yellow gaze.

"Hello Shock…It's good to see you…"

'You aren't supposed to be here… Why the hell aren't you at the tree house!' Barrel glanced between the two.

"Hey buddy, what's up? You never come to the celebration. This is…"

'This is strange'

"…this is pretty cool."

"Yeah, it looks great…"

'It's going to burn in ten minutes'

"We really miss you Lock, I'm glad you're here"

'Then why do I feel like my insides are being ripped out every time I look at you?'

"Yeah we both are"

'…There's something wrong here…'

Then they were silent. Jack suddenly realized that Sally had a death grip on his arm. He looked down at her. She was staring at Lock with wide eyes crowded with conflicting emotions of dread, disgust, but above all, fear. Her light body was shaking, but her hands were wrapped so tightly around Jack's arm that the seams across her knuckles were being pulled open across her stuffing of dead leaves. Jack placed a hand over one of hers in concern.

"Sally? Are you ok sweetheart? Sally?" He leaned down to look at her. She shook her head stiffly and slowly.

"No Jack. None of us are ok."

"Sally, what…?" Lock suddenly realized how very close he might be to failing.

"You're Highness!" He said, a little too loudly and a little too quickly. Everyone swiveled their heads back at him. His lower lip twitched once, his sense of purpose temporarily lost in his haste and embarrassment.

This was it, the moment on which everything hinged. The air seemed to freeze and become choking. There was no turning back after this point. After this, the tiny stone Lock loosed would start the avalanche and very nearly everything he had ever known would be wiped off the map. Could he do this? Could he destroy everything, would he take that leap?

…..

"I… I think there's something wrong with Fink."

Don't forget to check back soon for Part 2! It'll be a good one. And very long hopefully. Much love!