A/N: In this chapter, Coraline discovers what Halloween Town is like and resolves to help Jack help the citizens of Halloween Town learn what Halloween really is and how it works. of course, it isn't without some difficulty.

Coraline 2: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Chapter 3: Town Meeting

The next morning, Halloween Town's residents were starting to get worried.

"This has never happened before.", the clown stated.

"It's suspicious.", the witch added.

"It's peculiar.", the little witch interjected.

"It is scary.", the vampires agreed as the mayor went past the werewolf and behemoth.

"Stand aside. Coming through.", the mayor urged as the werewolf growled in annoyance before the mayor climbed up to the top of his vehicle and spoke through a small horn connected to the built-in megaphone on top of the vehicle

"We've got find Jack! There's only 365 days left till next Halloween.", the mayor urged.

"364!", the werewolf corrected.

"Is there anywhere we've forgotten to check?", the mayor asked.

"I looked in every mausoleum.", the clown replied.

"We opened the sarcophagi.", the witches added.

"I tromped through the pumpkin patch.", Hyde added as he walked in.

"I peeked behind the Cyclops's eye. I did! But he wasn't there.", the vampire added, taking his eye out, although not too far, before letting go of it for emphasis.

"It's time to sound the alarms!", the mayor urged before the mummy turned the knob on the cat, making it give out an alarm-like meow that can be heard all the way at Dr. Finkelstein's castle.

In the meantime, at said castle, Sally was cooking up a sort of soup for the doctor when she overheard the alarm. Then, she took out a jar of Deadly Nightshade from the cabinet and poured it into the cauldron, making it give off a skull-shaped smoke as Sally covered her nose and reeled back to avoid smelling it before getting out a small jar of Frog's breath.

"Frog's breath will overpower any odor.", Sally states as she opened the lid, revealing a small frog crawling out of it just enough for his head to be in view.

Then, as Sally aimed the jar at the cauldron while preparing to cover her nose, the frog burped his breath into the cauldron before said breath emerged as a swirl of smoke from the cauldron as Sally reeled back from it, coughing from the horrible smell of it.

"Bitter!", Sally coughed, barely able to arrive at the cabinet before frantically searching for the last ingredient needed.

"Worm's wart. Where's that worm's wart?", Sally asked.

Just then, a voice shouted out.

"Sally, that soup ready yet?", Dr. Finkelstein asked just as Sally finally found it and then poured it into the cauldron before smiling.

"Coming!", Sally shouted in reply.

At the lab, Finkelstein was looking through his x-rays via motorized, handheld microscope with two scopes instead of one before he then opened his helmet, showing his brain, which was then poked around by the right side just as Sally arrived with her concoction.

"Lunch!", Sally shouted before Finkelstein turned around and moved his scope away before turning his wheelchair slightly and then closing his helmet.

"Ah, what's that? Worm's wart, mmm, and...frog's breath?", Dr. Finkelstein asked as he noticed his favorite soup only to notice a suspiciously terrible smell as he picked up a spoonful and glared in accusation.

"What's wrong? I-I thought you liked frog's breath.", Sally asked in feigned puzzlement.

"Nothing's more suspicious than frog's breath. Until you taste it I won't swallow a spoonful.", Dr. Finkelstein responded as he scooped up another spoonful and moved it toward Dr. Finkelstein.

"I'm not hungry.", Sally responded before she knocked the spoon down.

"Oops!", Sally shrugged before Dr. Finkelstein spoke his disbeliefs.

"You want me to starve. An old man like me who hardly has strength as it is. Me, to whom you owe your very life.", Dr. Finkelstein rambled as Sally pushed the spoon away and got out a spoon with holes on it from her socks and stood back up.

"Oh, don't be silly.", Sally responded as she grabbed a spoonful and "eats" the soup with the trick spoon.

"Mmmm. See? Scrumptious.", Sally assured before Dr. Finkelstein then ate the soup with slurps from the bowl as Sally eagerly looked on.

Later, at sunset, the mayor wanted to know about a certain location.

"Did anyone think to dredge the lake?", the mayor asked.

"Ah, this morning!", the vampire replied.

Then, unexpectedly, the sound of Zero barking caught the citizens' attention.

"Hear that?", the witch asked.

"What?", the little witch puzzled before the witch shushed her just in time for Zero to give another bark.

"Zero!", the vampire realized before Zero arrived first, phasing through the gates, which opened up for Jack and Coraline into town.

"Jack's back!", one of the kids shouted excitedly.

However, the joyful cheers turned to shocked gasps when they saw Coraline next to him up front with the Black Cat on her laps.

"What is that?!", the clown exclaimed.

"This one's different!", the witches added.

"A stranger!", the werewolf added.

"A human!", the vampires added before Jack and Coraline stopped near the mayor's vehicle.

"Monsters scared of kids? That's a first.", Coraline commented.

"Where have you been?", the mayor asked before noticing Coraline and quickly switching to his worried face with a gasp.

"And who on earth is that human?!", the mayor exclaimed.

"Call a town meeting and I'll tell everyone all about it.", Jack responded.

"When?", the mayor asked.

"Immediately!", Jack responded.

Later, the bell rang loudly as the mayor was making an announcement on his truck.

"Town meeting, town meeting, town meeting tonight, town meeting, town meeting tonight!", the Mayor announced as meanwhile, in the castle, Dr. Finkelstein was already fast asleep when Sally places a blanket on top of him before taking her leave from the lab.

At the meeting, Sally entered in as the clown peddled his way inside before bumping into Sally with a giggle before Jack and Coraline walked in through the side door.

"Listen, everyone! I want to tell you about Coraline Jones and everything she knows about Christmas Town.", Jack announced before the mayor turned the spotlight on, causing bats to fly away from it, taking Coraline aback some.

Then, Jack sang first before Coraline did after the curtains opened, showing a Christmas tree with lights around it and a star on top with a present beneath said tree with the monsters looking in awe, especially Sally. Afterwards, Coraline picked up the present and then moved the bow up a bit before the witches swarmed around her, catching her a bit by surprise before the clown grabbed it with his grabby hand toy with the Creature from Black Lagoon popping up from the ceiling upside down before Jack got the present back and set it back down on the stool with Coraline then showing a stocking and placing it on the wall only for Mr. Hyde and his two smaller versions on top of him to get right in front of Coraline before she got out small toys from inside the stocking with the monsters guessing what they're about before the mayor gave a bit too hasty answer and nearly tripped, causing the spotlight to move around before focusing back on Coraline and Jack with the audience getting quite baffled and puzzled.

Jack: There are objects so peculiar, they were not to be believed

All around, things to tantalize my brain

It's a world unlike anything I've ever seen

And as hard as I try, I can't seem to describe

Like a most improbable dream

But you must believe when we tell you this

It's as real as my skull and it does exist

And the explanation to all this may send chills to your bones,

But I believe it may be best explained through the human named Coraline Jones

Coraline: "Okay. Here's the basics of Christmas."

This is a thing called a present

The whole thing starts with a box

Devil: A box? Is it steel?

Werewolf: ?Are there locks?

Harlequin Demon: ?Is it filled with a pox?

Devil: A pox?

How delightful, a pox

Jack: "If you please."

Coraline: Just a box with bright-colored paper

And the whole thing's topped with a bow

Witches: A bow?

But why?

How ugly

What's in it? What's in it?

Coraline: That's the point of the thing, not to know

Clown: It's a bat

Creature Under the Stairs: Will it bend?

Clown: It's a rat

Creature Under the Stairs: Will it break?

Undersea Gal: Perhaps it's the head that I found in the lake

Jack: Listen now, you don't understand

That's not the point of Christmas land

Coraline: "Now, pay attention."

We pick up an oversized sock

And hang it like this on the wall

Mr. Hyde: Oh, yes! Does it still have a foot?

Medium Mr. Hyde: Let me see, let me look

Small Mr. Hyde: Is it rotted and covered with gook?

Coraline: "Um, let me explain."

There's no foot inside, but there's candy

Or sometimes, it's filled with small toys

Mummy and Winged Demon: Small toys

Winged Demon: Do they bite?

Mummy: Do they snap?

Winged Demon: Or explode in a sack?

Corpse Kid: Or perhaps they just spring out

And scare girls and boys

Mayor: What a splendid idea

This Christmas sounds fun

I fully endorse it

Let's try it at once

Coraline: Everyone, please now, not so fast

There's something here that you don't quite grasp

"Well, I may as well give them what they want.", Jack spoke.

"Well, if there's no other choice...", Coraline added before the two went closer to the audience with Jack even going to the melting man and pulled out the behemoth's tongue before letting it go as Coraline did twirls and did spooky movements before doing spooky laughs as red light shine of them in the dark before the audience cheered and clapped.

Jack: And the best, I must confess, I have saved for the last

For the ruler of this Christmas land

Is a fearsome king with a deep mighty voice

Least that's what I've come to understand

Coraline: And I've also heard it told

That he's something to behold

Like a lobster, huge and red

When he sets out to slay with his rain gear on

Carting bulging sacks with his big great arms That is, so I've heard it said

Coraline: And on a dark, cold night

Jack: Under full moonlight

Coraline: He flies into a fog

Jack: Like a vulture in the sky

Coraline and Jack: And they call him Sandy Claws

"Well, at least they're excited.", Coraline assured before Jack sang in response as he set the snow globe on a flat surface nearby.

Jack: Yes, but they don't understand

That special kind of feeling in Christmas land

Oh, well...

Later that night, at Jack's house, he was reading every Christmas book he has in his bed, including those of "Santa's Workshop", "A Christmas Carol", and even "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", but still, he could not find a certain answer to his dilemma as he looked around his home and saw Zero sleeping as he was holding a candy cane in his mouth.

"There's got to be a logical way to explain this Christmas thing.", Jack spoke.

Then, Jack remembered a certain book entitled, "The Scientific Method" and got it out before reading it as he turned the page.

Meanwhile, after returning home for dinner and later at bedtime, Coraline was faced with the similar problem in her own bedroom in the real world as the black cat was nearby on the window as she tapped her head, trying to think of a way.

"There's got to be some easier way to explain Christmas to those guys.", Coraline spoke to herself before remembering the presents as she widened her eyes with a gasp of realization.

"Of course. That's it!", Coraline spoke softly as she snapped her fingers before rushing off.

A/N: Pretty good so farm huh? So, what do you think would happen next so far? Feel free to lend suggestions so that I may work them out when I post the next chapter of this story. :)