back again with just a wee chapter.it's actually kind of crappy and rushed. sorry guys. the only reason why i uploaded it tonight is because it's christmas eve, and that's when this chapter takes place.

just to clear up any confusion about when this is in comparison to the movie plot: emily, uhm, butterflied herself about a month ago.


Bonejangles sat in the nearly empty pub, gazing at his fleshless fingers. He guessed that everyone had already gone home to celebrate Christmas Eve. It seemed like everybody in the Land of the Dead had some sort of family with them…Everybody, that is, except Bonejangles. He sighed morosely. Last year, Emily had stayed with him at the Ball and Socket, seeing as she didn't have a family, either. They had a fine time, as Bonejangles remembered fondly. And Mrs. Plum even made a Christmas dinner for them.

"Are you alright, Bonejangles?"

Speak of the devil, he thought as he looked up at the worried cook. She seemed to be packing up to go home soon, too.

"I'm groovy," he said unconvincingly. "Merry Christmas and a happy New Year."

He stood and, with another long sigh, left the pub. Mrs. Plum shook her head sadly.

"Poor dear…"

Walking out the door, he braced himself for the December cold, forgetting that winter and summer didn't exist there. Rarely did it happen that Bonejangles forgot he was dead, but on occasion, little things like that would come up that would make him realize all over again: I'm dead. He was usually alright with this fact. Sometimes, though, when no one else was around, he would lose his laidback attitude and miss his old life.

Christmas was always fun when he was alive, especially with LuLu. They would go out in the streets and have snowball fights with the neighborhood kids or build snowmen. Afterwards, they'd drink hot chocolate laced with rum at the speakeasy.

"Not here, though," he muttered bitterly as he shuffled down the empty street, "No snowballs. No snowmen. Don't need a coat. Even if you wore one, you wouldn't get hot. Everyone's stone cold down here."

He sat down dejectedly on a splintery bench and pulled the photograph out from under his hat.

"Things wouldn't be half bad if I had some company, Lu," he said softly, "Now I don't mean to tell you to hurry up and die, but I'm rotting away down here. Literally. I'm not one for this 'Christmas wish' mumbo jumbo, but if I were, I guess I'd wish for you to be here with me, kitten."

She didn't answer, only stared all the more sweetly up at Bonejangles.

"If you were here," he murmured, "what would you tell me?"

He stared at her thoughtfully, remembering her personality and trying to formulate an answer to his question with it.

You should never be unhappy, Bojangles, he came up with finally, especially not on Christmas Eve!

He chuckled. "Thanks, Lu."

But no snow fights? That is pretty bad.

He laughed aloud. She would say something like that, wouldn't she? She was a kid at heart, no doubt about it. She still held a fondness for dolls always found pleasure in catching fireflies. Not that there were any to be had in the city. Bonejangles laughed softly and shook his head.

It's probably better like this, he thought, with her up there and me down here. I'm being selfish.

After all, she was only nineteen when he died. It would be at least another fifty years before she came down to the Land of the Dead. That is, if nothing happened to her.

Bonejangles shook his head to rid it of horrible imaginary death scenes. He could never wish something like that on LuLu. All the same…

Suddenly, a loud sound caused him to jump. The series of alarm bells set up around the town began ringing violently. New arrival!

Bonejangles leapt up, putting LuLu's photograph back in its proper place as he ran back to the pub.

"Don't get your hopes up, cat," he told himself breathlessly as he ran down the alleyways, "It wasn't her last time, and it probably isn't her this time."

But he couldn't convince himself of it. It just had to be her! After all that Christmas wish junk, the timing was just too perfect!

Like a whirlwind, he rounded the corner to the pub and rushed through the door.


teehee, it's a christmas cliffhanger! oh how festive!