Chapter Twenty-Five:

The Last Will And Testament

Dawn staggered down the stairs, her eyes dark with a weariness of life. She directed them into the living room and let them fall on her son, who was slipping on his loafers. She stepped into the room and stared at him with eyes wild with a sort of sorrowful madness.

"Go to school, Justin." She said in a croaky voice.

The boy looked up at his mother. He took a moment to be disgusted by her strewn appearance, then is brow furled and he stood.

"Can't you see that's what I am already doing, mother." He said nastily.

"Well do it faster." She shot back, her voice suggesting that she would not take kindly to any disobedience. Justin's face colored a little but he kept his mouth shut. There was something about his mother this morning that suggested that she should be locked up somewhere and shielded from anyone who might be at risk of falling under her wild gaze.

Justin snatched up his bag and headed towards the front door. He reached the knob just in time to hear a blood-curdling yell from his father's study. Behind him, his mother had barely moved, her eyes were set just above his head at the front door.

Jeff, who had seemingly just arisen ran to the head of the stairs and stared wildly at his wife and son. His wife, who was turned away from him, began to smile. His son however faced him with a look of terror in his stricken façade.

"Someone's been in my study." He said angrily. "Everything…the map on the wall…who took it!"

Justin, who was not inclined to answer his father when he was in such a state, quietly recalled the night before. After that idiot, Gregory and his beastly aunt had gone he had made his way to bed. He had noticed the map was gone, since it was just down the hall from his own room…but he hadn't thought anything of it. Jeff often took the map down to examine it for his own peculiar reasons.

Dawn had begun to laugh in a humorless and unhappy way. Out of instinct, Justin backed away from her a little, giving her a startled look. Jeff looked livid.

"Why the hell are you laughing Donna? If you are behind this then I demand…"

"Oh, shut up Jeff." She said, cutting him off. "It was that stupid boy you insisted having over last night. I heard him in there while I was trying to sleep." She turned to her husband and gave him a hateful look.

"You're so hung up on this place. I don't know why you don't just give it up! The people hate you here; your family has no respect for you, and you've become completely paranoid. It was a little boy Jeff, just a stupid little boy playing a stupid little prank."

Jeff's face had turned bright red with fury.

"Their out to get me! Don't you understand that? This whole town! That…idiot Jack! And you…my own wife has begun to fall in league with them!"

Dawn's false humor fell from her face.

"Listen to yourself. You sound like you've lost your mind!"

"You called him!" Jeff yelled while pointing his finger at her in an accusing manner.

"Because I hate this place!" She screamed back. "I hate it! I hate these people! I hate you!" She had screamed herself into an angry bout of tears. Behind her, Justin cowered towards the door, opening it with a shaking hand.

He managed out of the house and shut the door against the currents of his parents rising anger.

"Nut jobs." He said, shaking his head. Anyone else might have questioned at the conversation the two had been having (Or…argument, I suppose is a better word.) but Justin, who could have cared for little else then getting to a school where he could boss people around let it go, and hoped that he wouldn't set foot in the house that eve to find his parents were still standing around. They had really begun to act crazy since they moved into this town.


Violet was silently reading through the various documents that Gregory had given her. So far the only interesting thing she had come upon was the list of previous owners, which, mostly, she had already known and those she hadn't were of little importance.

She sighed as she skipped a few official looking documents that she didn't have the patience for and then stopped when she saw one large piece of aged folder with a vibrant seal across the front. The seal was shaped almost like a casket with various symbols on it. There was lettering underneath in bold and elegant print.

Shady Grove

Funeral Home and Legal

Services.

H. Skellington

Violet stared at the piece of parchment in awe. Quickly, she thumbed open the folder and pulled out the contents…which turned out to be a single sheet of russet stained paper. Her eyes moved quickly over the page.

I, Hector Skellington, a resident of 1313 Hemlock Grove and owner of Pumpkin Town, being of sound mind and disposing mind of memory, do hereby make, publish and declare this to be my last will and testament.

Violet swallowed, her throat feeling quite dry. Inwardly she had begun to laugh. What she could do with this! Jeff had had this the whole time…had even pronounced that the government had lost it. She could get him so good with this! Her mind filled with glorious thoughts of banning their fool of a leader eternally from Pumpkin Town.

She giggled viciously. Behind her, Edward emerged unnoticed and watched her with his brow raised. She wasn't aware of him and therefore, kept reading.

Therefore revoking and making null and void any and all other last wills and testaments and/ or disregarding other last wills and testaments heretofore made by me. All references herein to this Will shall be construed, as referring to this Will and Testament only.

I was married to Susannah Gravely. I was married to her for many happy years until her departure. The names of my children are as followed. I am writing this will to state whom shall inherit my town and fortunes.

My children are as follows:

Viktor Skellington

Alexander Skellington

Annastasia Skellington

I shall not distribute my inheritance to all three…or look to all three as heirs. For what reasons I have, they shall not be questioned.

The following off spring shall be in line for my inheritance: This includes Pumpkin Town, all of my riches and assets, and all of the paperwork included within the vault of Sanctuary Bank in Morning City.

Viktor Skellington, my eldest son.

Jack Skellington, my loving grandson

If for whatever reason neither of them is able to acquire the town, I will ask, as a last request that it be sold to the highest buyer. I will also ask that the highest buyer must NOT be a member of my family in any way. I will ask this with the faith that those who read it will honor a dying mans wishes.

Hector Skellington

"Why would he hide this?" Violet questioned herself in the silence of what she thought was an empty tree house. "He's technically following the law…aside from the part of ACTUALLY hiding the legal document and lying about it…he isn't doing anything wrong."

"Do you enjoy talking to yourself…because I can leave you alone if your having an important conversation." Violet jumped and spun around on the seat. Her brother was staring at her oddly.

"Ergh! Edward, don't sneak up on me like that!" She yelled angrily as she absentmindedly threw an eraser at him that had been lying on the desk beside him. It bounced off his chest and landed at his feet. He gave it a weary look and shook his head at her.

"Weak." Violet rolled her eyes and spun back around.

"Go away, Edward. I'm busy doing stuff that takes intelligence right now." Edward tightened his jaw, then, before she could prevent it, snatched the papers from her hands.

"Oh yeah? And what's that? Coloring pictures? Drawing weak little girly drawings? You-" He stopped short when he got a good look at the paper in his hands.

"You…what is this?" He said, the mocking quality in his voice completely falling as he stared at the documents peculiarly.

Violet grabbed them from him.

"It's stuff about Pumpkin Town and YOU could have ripped it with your stupid hands, you idiot!"

"Pumpkin Town? Really? Where'd you get it?" He asked, ignoring the comment about his stupid hands.

"Jeff's house." Violet said bitterly and with hardly any hesitation. Well, actually, Gregory got them from Jeff's house. I sat around at home and did nothing, if you must know. Didn't sound like a good statement to make.

"Really?" Edward asked. "You went in Jeff's house? When? I don't remember you being gone anytime this morning or last night." Violet stood, while tucking the documents into the album that her and Gregory had snatched out of Pumpkin House a few days before.

"It was this morning. If you recall, I was gone for an hour. I…uh…headed to the school and thought that this would be a funny joke to pull on King in the mean time." She frowned. No intelligent person would believe that in the hour she was gone she was able to sneak into a house where people were probably still sleeping and acquire secret documents, without being caught. Luckily, she was not talking to any intelligent person.

"Oh…" For a moment, he seemed to be thinking. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, looking slightly miffed. Violet sighed. She'd need someone around now that Gregory had opted out. She wasn't about to go and converse with Brutus by herself. Defiance was better in numbers, and she needed to maintain her defiance against an ex cop. Still, Gregory seemed a lot brighter then Edward, who wouldn't be much good to her in intellectual ways…but at least she'd have him to boss around. She sighed.

"Alright, Lock…this is how it is…" She started, while setting the documents down. Outside, the wind blew against the wooden walls of the tree house, singing a chorus of an eerie melody as it shifted through the leaves.

Once again with Pumpkin Town. I know that people prefer the Law Of Your Anarchic Demise, but I have felt like writing on this one lately. I'll get back to the other story next though. Sorry if this isn't what you want. Still, I would appreciate a review. Thanx 