A/N: Hello again. :) I apologize for the delay. The plan was to post them on Halloween night, but since there was a certain problem keeping us from posting more stories or chapters, well, you can see the difficulty. I even had to change the title so many times before this one stuck. Anyway, here, we have the first chapter of "Coraline 2: The Nightmare Before Christmas" featuring Chris Sarandon as Jack Skellington (Danny Elfman also voices him whenever he sings), Cathrine O'Hara as Sally, William Hickey as Dr. Finkelstein, Dakota Fanning as Coraline Jones, and Keith David as the Black Cat. Also, I do not own the characters, nor the stories based off for this story. The credit goes to their respective creators, Tim Burton and Henry Selick. :) And I apologize for the late arrival. This was originally going to be released on Halloween, but I came across unexpected conundrums involving its availability. Anyway, enjoy.
Coraline 2: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Chapter 1: "This is Halloween"/Jack's Lament
It all started as it showed the 7 holiday trees gathered in a circle with the holidays shown being New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and of course, Halloween.
"'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story that you are about to be told took place in the holiday worlds of old. Now, you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't, I'd say it's time you begun.", the narrator spoke before the door to Halloween opened.
Play Marilyn Manson Music: "This is Halloween"
In the shadows within, a Jack-o-lantern on top of a scarecrow was shown with the sign that says, "Halloween Town" on top of it before the wind turned said scarecrow around as a few leaves were blown by the wind, leading to a series of tombstones in the graveyard with shadows of a ghost, a werewolf, and a Siamese ghost appearing on each one before the gates opened with a creak, showing a sort of creepy castle before ghosts appeared, singing as each Jack-o-lantern lands in each spike on the wall with barbed wire before the ghosts then flew over to the town square of the Halloween world and went in through a broken mirror.
Shadows: Boys and girls of every age
Wouldn't you like to see something strange?
Siamese Shadow: Come with us and you will see
This, our town of Halloween?
Pumpkin Patch Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Pumpkins scream in the dead of night
Ghosts: This is Halloween, everybody make a scene
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It's our town, everybody scream
In this town of Halloween
Then, it showed a creepy bedroom with an unknown monster underneath it with sharp teeth and glowing red eyes before another monster was shown, but this time, underneath the stairs with spider for hair and snakes for fingers, not to mention a snake-like head before then showing a different room with pages turning via wind before 4 vampires with the first three popping up from a grandfather clock, a couch, a coffin-shaped, upright box, and the 4th appearing upside down, hanging from the ceiling before later going outside together and flying upwards.
Creature Under Bed: I am the one hiding under your bed
Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red
Man Under the Stairs: I am the one hiding under your stairs
Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair
Corpse Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween
Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Vampires: In this town we call home Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
Then, it showed the Mayor on top of his vehicle dancing before it showed a black cat with blue eyes going down the stairs as it sang while also going up to the top of the lid of a trash can before it suddenly sprang up, sending him flying as a Harlequin Demon sprang up like a Jack-in-the-Box before a werewolf burst through the wooden door and a melting man popped up from the sewer grate. Next, it showed the two witches flying on their brooms across a sort of tunnel before they flew out of an apparent well, passing by a living tree, assorted with skeletons with ropes on their necks.
Mayor: In this town, don't we love it now? Everybody's waiting for the next surprise
Black Cat: Round that corner, man, hiding in the trash can
Something's waiting now to pounce, and how you'll scream
Harlequin Demon, Werewolf, and Melting Man: Scream! This is Halloween Red 'n' black, slimy green
Werewolf: Aren't you scared?
Witches: Well, that's just fine
Say it once, say it twice Take the chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
Hanging Tree: Everybody scream, everybody scream
Hanged Men: In our town of Halloween
Then, a clown emerged from the darkness and pulled off his face, showing only a sort of face-shaped hole that showed only darkness before smoke erupted from below before the clown disappeared. Afterwards, a ragdoll-like being named Sally was combing her hair before the wind blew through her hair with leaves blowing past her before Oogie Boogie's shadow appeared on the moon before several bats seemingly came flying from it as the shadow vanished before it showed the citizens entering as the gates to the square opened while hauling in the same scarecrow from earlier before elsewhere, a small demon with big wings pulled the lever on the guillotine, chopping off a Jack-O-Lantern before another monster, this time, a sort of overweight child with no eyes, although with one eyepatch, popped up from the well with their parents turning up as well before they walked out away from the well with the two kids following them.
Clown: I am the clown with the tear-away face Here in a flash and gone without a trace
Second Ghoul: I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?" I am the wind blowing through your hair
Oogie Boogie's Shadow: I am the shadow on the moon at night Filling your dreams to the brim with fright
Corpse Chorus: This is Halloween, this is Halloween Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Child Corpse Duo: Tender lumplings everywhere Life's no fun without a good scare
Parent Corpses: That's our job, but we're not mean
In our town of Halloween
Then, it showed the mayor introducing the scarecrow on top of a horse made of hay being carted forward by a behemoth with an axe on his head before the scarecrow got the sign off him and then grabbed a torch by his right as Sally watched from behind the hanging tree as it and the hanged skeletons sang before the scarecrow ate the torch and lit up on fire with a spooky dance, frightening the crowd around him. Afterwards, the scarecrow eventually leapt off the hay horse and then splashed in a fountain of green liquid as the two monster kids looked down at the green liquid while singing. And sure enough, a skeleton-like figure emerged from the head up as the bat wings in his bow tie perked up slowly before he raised his left arm as the monsters then moved their arms around and then went down and lifted them up with a cheer before clapping their hands in applause, especially Sally.
Corpse Chorus: In this town
Mayor: Don't we love it now?
Mayor & Corpse Chorus: Everyone's waiting for the next surprise
Corpse Chorus: Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back
And scream like a banshee
Make you jump out of your skin
This is Halloween, everybody scream
Won't ya please make way for a very special guy
Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch Everyone hail to the Pumpkin King now
Everyone: This is Halloween, this is Halloween Halloween! Halloween! Halloween! Halloween!
Corpse Child Duo: In this town we call home Everyone hail to the pumpkin song
Everyone: La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween, Halloween!
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween, Halloween!
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, Halloween, Halloween!
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...
Whee!
Then, the witches cackled in celebration, took of their hats, and tossed them in the air.
End Marilyn Manson Music: "This is Halloween"
"It's over!", the clown spoke excitedly.
"We did it!", the behemoth added before he and the clown on the unicycle did a tummy bump.
"Wasn't it terrifying?", the werewolf asked.
"What a night!", Hyde and the Cyclops agreed as the former put the chain on the latter's neck as a sort of hug before the mayor walked over to Jack.
"Great Halloween, everybody.", the Mayor congratulated.
"I believe it was our most horrible yet! Thank you, everyone.", Jack thanked.
"No, thanks to you, Jack. Without your brilliant leadership...", the Mayor started before Jack interrupted.
"Not at all, Mayor.", Jack interrupted.
"You're such a scream, Jack.", one of the vampires spoke.
"You're a witch's fondest dream!", the witch added.
"You made walls fall, Jack.", the little witch added.
"Walls fall? You made the very mountains crack, Jack!", the witch responded as Sally watched only to be grabbed and pulled away from the hanging tree by Halloween Town's resident mad scientist himself, Dr. Finkelstein.
"The deadly nightshade you slipped me wore off, Sally.", Dr. Finkelstein stated, holding onto Sally's arm, before Sally tried to pry her arm off his hand.
"Let go!", Sally urged.
"You're not ready for so much excitement!", Dr. Finkelstein warned.
"Yes, I am!", Sally argued.
"You're coming with me!", Dr. Finkelstein urged, trying to drag her with him.
"No, I'm not!", Sally argues before she pulled out the thread that's holding her arm on, causing it to come loose as she ran without an arm with the Doctor falling onto the ground off his wheel chair before shouting to her.
"Come back here, you foolish...oaf! Ow! Ohh!", Dr. Finkelstein exclaimed as Sally's arm began hitting the scientist in the head.
Meanwhile, the monsters were fawning over Jack's work.
"Ooo Jack, you make wounds ooze and flesh crawl.", the Creature from Black Lagoon spoke.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you...very much.", Jack responded a bit nervously, practically swamped by admirers.
"Hold it! We haven't given out the prizes yet! Our first award goes to the vampires for most blood drained in a single evening.", the mayor spoke, prompting the audience to turn toward him and the prizes, giving Jack his cue to leave before the vampires were given said award in the form of a trophy with applause.
"A frightening and honorable mention goes to the fabulous Dark Lagoon leeches.", the Mayor added as Jack sighed and then started sadly walking down the lane past the musicians before tossing out a sort of coin toward the Sax Player's saxophone as a sort of tip.
"Nice work, Bone Daddy.", the Sax Player complimented.
"Yeah, I guess so. Just like last year and the year before that and the year before that...", Jack responded with a sigh as the gates opened for him.
Later, at the graveyard, Sally was putting in a leaf through where her arm was taken off before she heard a noise with a gasp and hid behind the tombstone only to notice Jack there as he walked down a hill until eventually, he passed a doghouse-shaped grave and tapped his leg two times before continuing his walk as a ghostly dog with a red nose named Zero emerged from the ground and saw Jack. Then, he started singing as he stepped on top of each tombstone with Zero following him as Jack sadly walked past the numerous tombstones, not knowing that Sally was listening before Jack walked up the hill with Sally walking toward a chest piece-like tombstone with which the Black Cat just so happened to be residing on top of. As he continued singing, Jack gestured to Zero first and then to the field of Jack-O-Lanterns, which opened their mouths and lit up with moaning ghosts escaping their mouths before Sally and the Black Cat moved closer with Zero then turning around to see them as Jack took his head off and then placed it on his right hand for a Shakespeare reference before putting his head back on and then eventually walking down the hill as it uncurled into a shrinking line, leading Jack to the ground before the hill curled back up as Sally and the Black Cat carefully peeped out before moving back behind the tombstone until Jack and Zero were out of sight before they peeped out from the tombstone again.
Jack: There are few who'd deny, at what I do I am the best
For my talents are renowned far and wide
When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night
I excel without ever even trying
With the slightest little effort of my ghostlike charms
I have seen grown men give out a shriek
With the wave of my hand, and a well-placed moan
I have swept the very bravest off their feet
Yet year after year, it's the same routine
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams
And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King
Have grown so tired of the same old thing
Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones
An emptiness began to grow
There's something out there, far from my home
A longing that I've never known
I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light
And I'll scare you right out of your pants
To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky
And I'm known throughout England and France
And since I am dead, I can take off my head
To recite Shakespearean quotations
No animal nor man can scream like I can
With the fury of my recitations
But who here would ever understand
That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin
Would tire of his crown, if they only understood
He'd give it all up if he only could
Oh, there's an empty place in my bones
That calls out for something unknown
The fame and praise come year after year
Does nothing for these empty tears
"Jack...I know how you feel.", Sally spoke softly.
"And you're not the only one. I know of a certain friend from beyond this realm who had the same feelings as him. And you, of course.", the cat responded.
"Really? There's actually such a being?", Sally asked.
"Yes. One day, she wanted an escape from her world and found the other world made by the Beldam herself. But the more she realized what it really was, the closer she came to the realization that the Beldam had to be stopped. Granted, it was arduous, but she managed to defeat the Beldam and return home, so she can be there for her actual family.", the Black Cat responded.
"That sounds really wonderful. Could you tell me her name?", Sally asked.
"Not just yet. I have often found there's not much use in telling things when they're much better off shown.", the black cat responded.
"What do you mean?", Sally asked.
"Let's just say that very soon, Jack will see that he's not alone in this the same way you do soon enough. For now, you do your business and I'll do mine.", the black cat responded before then walked over to the hill.
"Well, if you say so...", Sally sighed before she went over to a graveyard with the three tombstones reading "Hen Bane", "Witch Hazel", and "Deadly Nightshade" and then plucked out a couple of plants before then later placing said plants in a jar saying, "Deadly Nightshade" before closing the lid back home.
At that moment, just as Sally put the jar away, Dr. Finkelstein went down the banister in his wheelchair, holding his lantern, prompting Sally to close the cabinet doors.
"Sally! You've come back.", Dr. Finkelstein spoke.
"I had to.", Sally responded.
"For this?", Dr. Finkelstein guessed, holding Sally's right arm, which waved to its slightly surprised owner.
"Yes.", Sally responded.
"Shall we, then?", Dr. Finkelstein smirked before he went back up, following Sally as she went back up.
Later, at the lab, Sally was strapped up in restraints as Dr. Finkelstein was patching her arm up.
"That's twice this month you've slipped deadly nightshade into my tea and run off.", Dr. Finkelstein spoke.
"Three times.", Sally corrected.
"You're MINE, you know! I made you! With my own hands.", Dr. Finkelstein snapped.
"You can make other creations. I'm restless; I can't help it!", Sally explained.
"It's a phase, my dear. It'll pass. We need to be patient, that's all.", Dr. Finkelstein assured.
"But I don't want to be patient.", Sally retorted.
Back at the forest, Zero barked eagerly as he caught up to Jack.
"No, Zero. Not now. I'm not in the mood.", Jack sighed before Zero barked insistently while flying in front of him.
"All right... Here you go, boy.", Jack sighed as he pulled a rib from out of his chest before tossing it with Zero then flying in to look for it before noticing a stump and using his nose to find Jack's rib in the hole before getting excited and then clutching the rib with his mouth and barking.
"I understand that your mood is quite melancholic.", the black cat responded, taking Jack by surprise.
"Oh... It's you. What brings you here?", Jack asked.
"I think I may have something, or rather, someone, that I think will help lift your spirits, merry or spooky.", the black cat assured.
"And what would that be?", Jack asked.
"If you want to know, I'd suggest you both follow me closely.", the black cat responded before he then led the way with Jack and Zero following him in puzzlement.
Meanwhile, at the Pink Palace Apartments, a girl named Coraline Jones was dressed in a witch costume as she was finalizing the Halloween decorations on the ground as a fake tombstone was set up along with a zombie hand looking as if it was emerging from the grave, although holding a candy bowl.
"And there. That should do it. Wait until Mom and Dad see this.", Coraline grinned.
But just as she started to walk back in and opened the front door, she felt an odd shape under her shoe and stepped back before noticing an odd key on the front porch, bending down to it and picking it up.
"That's odd. What kind of key is it?", Coraline asked before the skull's eyes on the key suddenly glowed green, startling Coraline as she gasped before the key moved by itself with Coraline struggling in grunts to hold on, although she held on as tightly as it could, sending her past the front door, around the couch, and toward a wall at the certain spot where the brick door used to be as in its place now was a Jack-o-lantern shaped door, much to her puzzlement.
"Oh. It's a...pumpkin-shaped door? But that wasn't here before.", Coraline puzzled.
Then, Coraline remembered the front door and decided to close it so no one could come in and made sure to lock it to be safe before going back to the Jack-o-lantern-shaped door.
"Okay. So, there's a different Jack-o-lantern shaped door now. The question is, why is it here now?", Coraline puzzled before the knob, which in this case, is the nose of the lantern, glowed through a keyhole on it.
Then, Coraline looked back at the skeleton key in her hand and saw the connection before inserting the key into the keyhole. Although, considering the last time she entered a strange world, it didn't exactly pan out all the way. So, needless to say, she was cautious as she took a deep breath and turned the key, unlocking the door before it opened outward, showing a similar portal like before, but pumpkin shaped with leaves blowing past Coraline, making her shiver a little.
"Okay. The leaves are new.", Coraline commented, looking back at the leaves that strewn past her before realizing that, if she is going to a new world again, she at least has to leave a believable note that would let her parents know where she is so they don't get worried.
When she finished leaving a note, she then turned back to the door as the note read, "Dear Mom and Dad, After breakfast, I'm going to be out for a while. But don't worry,. I'll be back before dinner."
"Well..., here goes nothing.", Coraline responded before she cautiously crouched and went through the entrance.
The closer she got to the door on the other side, the more said door opened, much to her wonder. As the door opened enough, Coraline's eyes widened with wonder as the white light shined through the door before she was forced to shield her eyes as the white light overwhelmed her.
A/N: And this is how Coraline gets introduced into the story. Pretty cool, right?