I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas. I got a warning for this chapter, there's some pretty gruesome things described a few times so beware if you're squeamish. Reviews would be appreciated, after all, I can't correct my problems if I don't know what they are so give me a hand. Is my writing too long winded? Is the dialogue awkward? A few lines telling me you're interested in the story would be fine even, since this story is only just starting out.

Chapter 3

A Familiar Story

"Sorry," Mark said, "I just…"

"I know."

Mark swallowed at her cold tone, "Remind me. What were the dreams about."

Anna closed her eyes and pictured each dream in her head. She tried her best to recall every detail she could. When she was satisfied she remember what she needed, she began….

"The first one was about the man in a quince tree yelling at another man on the ground who was laughing really hard. The man on the ground had used a dagger to scratch a cross symbol into the bark and the angry man was cursing at him. I mean, I think he was cursing. I couldn't understand what they were saying. I think they were speaking Irish. Or Gaelic. I think. I don't really know what those sound like."

Her voice was without feeling at first, like she was recounting what she had for breakfast, but as she got into the rhythm of the story emotion laced its way throughout. It bled into her descriptions and she never missed a beat or faltered in her words. She knew the story by heart and knew exactly how she wanted to tell it.

"The laughing man said something up to the angry man and the angry man yelled again before nodding. Then the man on the ground scratched a line through the cross and the man in the tree suddenly disappeared."

Mark nodded. Anna had told him the story before but he was checking to see if she remembered it the same way as before. "What happened next?

"It was like I had blinked. The next scene went by so fast, I wasn't sure it had really happened. I saw the laughing man working at a forge, hammering a sword I think. He was a blacksmith. There was a little boy sitting on the bench in a corner staring at a bucket of vegetables and a pot. The boy said something that sounded like he was complaining and the man stopped working. He took off his gloves and walked over to the boy and asked him a question. Then he picked up a vegetable from the bucket and looked it over. Then he grinned and took out a knife and with a few quick cuts he carved a little face in the vegetable. It was either a turnip or an onion. He handed it to the boy who pouted as the man went back to work, but when he thought the man wasn't looking, a little smile crept up his lips. The scene changed again, sort of. A little like the way a movie scene charges but this one was so fast and violent that it scared me. It was like I was there. I screamed but I couldn't hear anything. I mean I could hear things, just not myself. There was fire everywhere. I thought it was melting my eyeballs."

"Cool," Mark said.

"Shut up. Anyway I could see the laughing man from before and he was holding something close to him in a bundle and surround by fire. We were in a barn I think. Or a house. He couldn't see me but he was looking for a way out. The barn door had collapsed and I could see people outside trying to pour water on the burning wood that was blocking the way out but the fire was too hot. The laughing man from before was yelling back and forth with someone outside. He was crying, I think, but the fire was evaporating his tears. He pulled down the blanket around the bundle and hugged the little boy he was holding. The boy was coughing and about to pass out. He looked about seven or eight. The crying man…"

"I thought you said he was the laughing man," Mark smirked.

"Well now he's the crying man. I'm on a roll here. Let me finish. Anyway! The crying man said something to the little boy and the boy nodded. I didn't know what they were saying but I could hear the people outside yelling frantically and louder now. Suddenly, the crying man threw the little boy through the fire and over the burning wooden beam. Someone outside caught him and hugged him really tightly. It was a woman who was also crying. The blanket caught on fire and someone else drenched the boy in water and some hair on the side of his head was singed, but other than that he was okay."

"The crying man was laughing again because the boy was safe but he was still crying. Only now it was tears of joy. Almost as soon as he saw the boy was safe there was a loud creaking sound and the entire house, or barn, collapse on top of us. I didn't get hurt but I was now in a little cave made by a burning pile of wood and the laughing man was pinned underneath a huge beam. It was on fire too and it was huge! The man was crushed…" Anna trailed off here, her voice getting tight. "I thought he was dead. He wasn't yet but the flames were catching on his clothes and his hair." Anna voice stalled as she swallowed a sob and glared up at the roof of the car in an effort to keep her tears from falling out. "But he was still laughing. He just kept at it. It was horrible. I could see blood under him boiling. And his skin was…melting….And he was screaming but at the same time he kept laughing. He was just so happy that the boy was safe that he didn't care that he was literally burning alive. I was gagging from the stench. And then his eyes..."

"Uh Anna. I'm sorry but…um…" Mark was pale as a sheet and a little green. He had just eaten before picking Anna up. Mistake. "I heard this before. You saw him die, then you woke up."

Anna swallowed and nodded. She was disturbed by the dream but it was sad and gross, not scary for her, just like the big voodoo doll. "Okay. The second dream I had the week after. It was about the next morning after the barn fire. I saw the little boy sitting in black ashes on the ground staring at the black sooty ruins of the building. Suddenly, the woman who caught him picked him up and held his face away from the scene and a group of men pulled a blackened skeleton out of the ruins. They didn't all look very sad but they did look…regretful? They wrapped up the blackened skeleton and took it away and the woman put the little boy down and held his hand as they walked away." Anna paused briefly to collect herself.

"Then the scene changed and I was standing next to the boy who was holding something in his hand. It looked like a vegetable. A turnip. A really big one too, not like the ones we get at the grocery store. It was almost as big as my head. It was later in the day, almost dark, but the wood was still smoking a bit. The little boy was also holding a knife."

"Dagger," Mark corrected.

"Yes, a dagger," Anna agreed, "And I think it was the same one the laughing man used to carve on the tree in my first dream. At first I thought the boy was cutting up the turnip to eat it, then I saw the group of people, villagers probably, behind him. They didn't look like they were there for a ceremony or anything. They were just watching the boy. It seemed like they were working to clean up the remains of the fire and had stopped to see what the boy was doing. After an hour or so the boy stopped carving and I saw that he had hollowed out the inside of the turnip and had carved a face in it. He looked sadly satisfied and sat down on his knees and pulled out a little candle and two rocks. He hit the two rocks together but nothing happened."

Anna opened her eyes again and looked to her boyfriend in earnest. She wanted him to understand how heartbroken the little boy was. "He did it again and again and again and cut his fingers of the sharp edges and started to get frustrated. Until one of the men came up behind him and took the rocks gently away from the boy's bloody fingers. The man lit a little fire with a bit of tinder. The boy used it to light the candle. The boy quickly put the candle inside the turnip and stood up so fast his head almost broke the helping man's nose. The boy held the lantern carefully and started walking away from the black ruins. It was a short walk through the small village until he got to the forge I saw earlier. He put the turnip lantern on a bench out front and without a word took the woman's hand and walked away while crying. There was a little blood from his fingers smeared on the lantern."

"Was that it?"

"You know it wasn't," she said quietly and leaned her head back on the window, "Next I saw a mountain. A huge mountain with the rest of the earth far below and stars so close I could actually touch them if I wanted. There was a little gate in a crevice not far from me and on my side I saw the laughing man and on the other side I saw another man without any shoes wearing a white dress. Don't laugh. It was a tunic but it looked like a dress. There were talking but this time I could understand what they were saying. The man in white spoke; he said, 'Though you knew of our Savior, you never renounced your pagan gods. God does not know you and I cannot allow you entry. I'm sorry but there is only one other place left for you.'"

"The laughing man laughed again but this time it was nervous and slightly terrified. 'Alas I cannot. I beg of you, I was wrong. Will thou not allow me another chance at redemption?'"

"'My sympathies, Jack. However, the Lord's will is law and you brought this upon yourself by your own free will. God so loved us that he gave us the ability to choose our own path and you have chosen yours brother.'"

"The rocks under 'Jack's' feet gave away and he was falling, screaming the whole way. I lost my footing too and fell with him and I tried to scream but I couldn't. I thought we would be smashed to pieces when we hit the earth but somehow we kept falling past the earth and deeper. It was black and shapeless when my body slammed into the slick ground. It was like black glass and I thought I would slip if I tried to stand. I was still on the ground when I looked up and saw Jack arguing with the man from the very beginning. The man he stuck up in a tree. I could hear them talking but I could only understand Jack at first. He was begging to be let in saying it was so cold and that the warmth of Heaven had rejected him and that he only had the eternal burning damnation of Hell left. I know that sounds dramatic but it was something like that. Then the other man laughed and I could hear what he said at last."

"'Why Jack,' the tree man said mockingly, 'Don't you remember our little deal? I may be the Father of Lies but I keep the deals I make with you funny little worms that my dearest Father likes to dote on. I won't let you in. Just as we agreed.'

"'Please…' Jack started but Satan interrupted. It was Satan by the way. It was strange. He didn't have silly horns or a tail. He was actually really handsome and he wore a robe with red and blue jewels. A lot better dressed than when I saw him in rags in a tree. But he looked too good. Like a model. His appearance felt fake and… desperate."

It left a bad taste on both their tongues when she had to mention how handsome Satan looked. It just felt so wrong. However, they both could remember reading in the Bible how Lucifer was the most beautiful and honored of all the angels before he fell.

"'Do not try the Angel Lucifer's patience Jack. It's a shame you won't receive the eternal death the Enemy created for me and my followers down here but I'll enjoy watching you torturously squirm in the shadows, walking amongst man yet not. Walking until Times End when I take my rightful place as my Father's zenith of creation. I will be God myself. When that day come's, make no mistake, I will remember you and your humiliation of me.' The Devil leaned in close until he stared Jack in the face. Jack grunted in pain as the coldness from the Devil frost-burned him all over again. 'I will make you wish you were never once even an idea in God's mind. Leave and never return.'"

"'But I have nowhere to go,' Jack said as the angry red light that was the door to Hell started to fade."

"'Curse you and be gone you pitiful ape! ' Satan screamed in rage, losing his aforementioned patience, and a fire ball shot out of the light and slammed into Jacks stomach. Jack screamed and convulsed on the ground and I suddenly felt the urge to help. But I couldn't. I saw that the fire ball was really a tiny ember that burned as hot as the sun. Jack was so cold that he gripped the ember in his hands even though it burned off the skin and flesh of his hands and face right down to the bone. He shouted in pain but couldn't let go."

Anna made a disgusted face.

Mark had to tear his eyes away from Anna to look back at the road. She was just so animated when she told stories. No one could tell stories like she did.

"Eventually he dropped it but not before all of his clothes and flesh was completely burned off until he was just a skeleton. Yet somehow still alive and moving. The ember didn't char his bones like the 'real' fire that killed him did. It left them a bright polished white. Like porcelain. He was curled up on the ground with his skull in his hands and I could see his rib cage expanding and contracting like he was still breathing and there was a weird rattling sound. It took me a bit, but I realized that the rattling was his bones shaking and hitting together at the joints."

"He was crying but there weren't any tears. He was whispering something I couldn't hear over and over again and when he finally looked up I noticed that we made both moved somehow. Instead of an empty black, we were now in the middle of a street in the medieval village from earlier and the ember was still burning on the ground in front of Jack. I couldn't get closer because it was still very hot. It was like a bonfire heat but it looked so tiny..."

"Jack was still shaking and held his hands up to the ember. It seemed to help but Jack wouldn't pick it up again. He finally seemed to recognize where we were, though he still hadn't noticed me. We were right next to the forge where he and the little boy were earlier. The turnip was still on the wooden bench but the candle had blown out just then. There was a little wisp of smoke. Jack saw the turnip and smiled again. His smile was…sad and nice looking…ish… but it was really creepy looking on a skeleton. He didn't have any lips and it made him look…eh…"

"Disturbing?" Mark supplied as he turned the car off the highway and through town.

"Maybe. That still doesn't seem like the right word. But yeah, disturbing. So he looked at the turnip and smiled sadly. Like he knew the boy had carved it for him. Then he frowned. His frown was worse than when he smile. Ironically, it looked like all his emotions were even more exaggerated without a real face and flesh to hide behind. Does that make any sense whatsoever?"

"Actually, it kind of does."

"Okay. So he was still on his knees, in the dirt. No flesh, no clothes. Dead. With empty black eye sockets."

Anna stumbled a bit when she thought of the other skeleton she saw in her third and most recent dream. She shook her head briefly and resolved to worry about it later.

"He looked between the turnip lantern and the ember from Hell a couple time. Then he stood up and walked a few shaky steps to the bench where the turnip was and reached way down. I didn't notice before but he was really tall. That scene in the forge I saw when he was alive; his head almost brushed the ceiling but I didn't think of him as a very big man because he was really thin. But now he seemed even taller and because he was just bones he was even thinner and lanky. His arms and legs seemed a lot longer than they should have been."

Mark tried not to laugh as she made another funny face, this one somewhat confused.

"It's weird but I kind of knew why. I didn't hear anyone say something or see it, but I just knew." She broke from her story to explain what she meant to Mark, "His spirit was damaged from dying to violently that his soul was distorted, so his ghost appeared distorted and changed according to what happened to him. Satan throwing an ember from Hell helped but he would have ended up like a weird skeleton anyway the longer he wandered on Earth between Heaven and Hell."

"That's a very detailed explanation. Are you still sure you didn't make it up when you woke up."

"I'm sure Mark," she was already thinking about her last dream with the different skeleton again and didn't need Mark making her think of why she knew about the "soul distortion." That seemed like a good name for it, if any.

"Okay okay!" the sixteen year old boy would have put his hand up in surrender if it didn't mean taking his hands off the steering wheel.

"Any-way! Where was I?"

"He bent down to pick up the turnip," Mark said, imitating Anna's story telling voice.

"He bent down to pick up the turnip. But was hesitant. Like he wasn't sure if his hand would go through the vegetable or not. I think he knew ghosts weren't supposed to be able to touch physical things. He looked so relieved when his finger touched the turnip and it wobbled a bit that I actually laughed at how tragically comical his face was. This time I heard myself and slapped a hand over my mouth. The skeleton looked up but his eyes- dang it! Sorry. Backing up a bit. He didn't have eyes anymore but he could still see. Shame though. He had really pretty bright blue eyes."

Mark made a face. Anna always added in that part to mess with him. He had bright blue eyes too.

"He looked up but still didn't see me and I don't really think he heard me either. But with more confidence he picked up the turnip and took a few steps back toward the ember that was still burning a bright red. The candle had melted enough to secure its base to the inside of the vegetable and Jack didn't seemed to want to accidently damage the lantern in order to light the candle so he didn't break it out. He stared at the ember and sneered. Then he steeled himself and as fast as he could, picked the ember up on the tip of his bony finger. He stifled a groan of pain and stuck his finger through the eye of the lantern and put the ember to the wick of the candle. Immediately, it burst into flame and Jack now had a brightly burning lantern. He quickly removed his finger which didn't have the ember anymore and stuck it in his mouth. He held the lantern almost reverently and looked at it eye to eye in amusement.

"'Tis looks like thee shall have a companion on thy accursed journey,' he said, voice deep and thoughtful."

"Suddenly there was a clatter and we both turned to see a girl staring at us, actually Jack. She had dropped the jar of water she was carrying and stood stock still as if hoping Jack wouldn't see her if she didn't move. Apparently she didn't think it worked because she suddenly screamed loudly, making Jack jump and drop his lantern. It didn't go out though it should have and Jack took a brief moment to look at it in curiosity as he instinctively picked it up. People were coming out of the houses now and saw Jack. Some women and the children screamed, a few men too I think, while the rest turned as pale as Jack's bones. There was a brief scrambling for weapons and Jack had plenty of time to run. However, he looked too shocked at the realization that they could see him to move. He did move to get out of the way of a thrown spear and ax and found his voice. I thought I wouldn't be able to understand them anymore but I could. Jack said, 'Halt friends! It is I, Jack! He who departed life but yesternight! Please, I mean thee no harm!'"

"Was this dream about Shakespeare in the Park by any chance? 'To be or not to be? That is the question. Whether tis nobler to…'" Mark started by using one hand outstretched dramatically.

"Oh shush. That's what he said. Then one of the villagers yelled, "Begon evil creature! Jack thy may hast been in life, yet even then we suffered your wickedness, our patience kept in check by thy skill at the metal. Thy and thy son had shelter among us! Yet even though thy claim to be Jack, demon now I only seen before me an evil wraith to be destroyed. Woe be to us for not disposing of thy remains as we should have.' All the men cheered in agreement at the older man's word and Jack's eye sockets widened in fear. He stepped back past the forge and continued to plead, 'Have mercy bretheren. I was cursed. Accurse by the foolishness of my youth.'

"'You have no youth! No past nor future! We will not stand to be misled by thy tricks and foolishness in death as in thy life.'"

"Suddenly, Jack saw a little face in the crowd, hiding behind a wall of men with weapons and women with torches. 'James! Jamie!' he cried, 'It is me. Your father. Son please! I mean no harm.' But the little boy was frozen. He stared at the skeleton that claimed to be his father in shock. He was pale and frightened and couldn't move. Then one of the women shouted that the monster's come to take the child away. That seemed to provoke the men, who in hindsight, were far better armed than I thought people who were farmers would be."

"Jack continued to back up toward the outskirts of the village but he didn't look away from Jamie the entire time. All the while the villager were making different signs over their chests and jeering and all around acting a lot braver than they really were. Suddenly, one of the men with spears got too jittery and nervous."

"Jack put his hands up to add to his attempt at convincing his previous neighbors he was safe but the man saw it as an attack and threw his spear in panic. He was shaking so much that it was a miracle he hit Jack at all, but as it was, it clipped his shoulder bone, uh…the clavicle, leaving a short but deep grove in the bone. It looked painful but I think it surprised Jack more than hurt him. There was a bit of blood, which was really weird to see on a skeleton with no flesh but it probably came from the marrow, which is still very strange."

"Jack stumbled back and clutched his shoulder. The blood was leaking out, not really 'bleeding.' Jack shouted and ducked around the corner of the nearest house."

"They chased him, the warriors, and surrounded the house on all sides. But when they looked he was nowhere to be seen. They sent the women and children indoors while the men embarked on a hunt throughout their village and in the nearby forest. They left nearly every woman with a weapon of some kind, be it a large knife, a bow and quiver of arrows. One man even handed his wife one of two swords he was carrying." Anna scoffed. "She actually looked pretty threatening."

"I was stuck in one place the entire time so even though I tried to follow Jack I couldn't move my feet in the direction he disappeared. I didn't know where he went but I found I could follow the son, Jamie, if I wished. I did and we when a relatively big house. Well, big for the time period."

"Jamie ran to this little bed of furs and quilts on a slab of wood in the corner. The other people mostly ignored him as they busied with barricading the door. When he was sure no one was watching him, he snuck to the back door and cracked it open. Once outside, he sat against the wall and looked back and forth. He whispered; 'Father?' but he didn't hear anything but the wind whistling through the trees. He sat there for nearly a whole hour by himself. The voices of the yelling men and the light of the dim torchlights had faded long ago. No one came for him and the moon was his only companion. Was that as sappy as I think it was? Well I was there. I sat next to him and talked for a while but since he couldn't see me or hear me I doubt I count as a 'companion'."

"There was a creaking noise above our heads and a bit of thatch from the roof landed on his knee. He looked up just as a shadow dropped to the ground next to him. I had to scramble out of the way. Jamie almost screamed in shock but a skeleton hand reached up and covered his mouth quickly. 'Hush my boy,' Jack said quickly, 'You know I would never hurt ye.'"

"Jamie nodded numbly with wide eyes."

"Jack removed his hand and reached forward but Jamie flinched away. Jack retreated and looked at the ground."

"'Why are you here, papa?' Jamie said quietly."

"Jack didn't answer immediately but he looked at his son, looking for hope. But his heart broke when he only saw fear in the boy's eyes. Jamie refuse to look at the skeleton's empty eye sockets, so devoid of life that Jamie was having trouble seeing his dad in the white bones before him."

"I started feeling tired really suddenly. I could barely stand straight. I sat down on the ground in front of them getting dirt on my PJs and exhaustedly watched them."

"Then Jack spoke; 'James Jack's-son,' he said softly yet seriously. The boy looked up hesitantly. 'Do you remember the stories about her God that Mama used to tell you before bed?" Jamie nodded, little tears glistening at the corner of his eyes as he thought of his beautiful momma."

"Just a second," Mark interrupted again, "You didn't explain to me before; how did you know what they were thinking of at different times."

"Eh. It was really strange. Every once in a while there was a flash of pictures and emotions from someone and for a moment I pretty much could see and feel what they were thinking. So back to James. He had lost both parents now. He was alone now even if his father seemed to be visiting him from beyond the grave."

"Jack smiled and I guessed he was thinking of his wife. 'Do you remember that I mocked her faith? I loved your beloved Momma dearly but alas I did not share her belief. Yet I was very wrong my boy. I made a terrible mistake and mocked both God and the Devil.' Jack leaned in and put a hand on Jamie's shoulder before the boy could pull away. 'I am cursed now to wander the ground beneath our feet for my wickedness in life and my foolishness were too great to allow me entry to Paradise'."

"Jamie frowned. He had heard the women gossiping about the bad things his father had done before fleeing to this village. Jack briefly told his son what had happen. I'm not going to repeat it again but he told Jamie about Satan walking down the path with Jack, threatening to drag him to Hell. Jack laughed in disbelieve and later tricked the Devil into never letting him into Hell. He skipped the part about the fire and told Jamie about the little gate to Heaven and how he was denied entrance by Saint Peter. Then he told about the ember Satan threw at him and how he put it to the candle in the turnip lantern James made and how it couldn't be blown out for all eternity."

"Jack demonstrated with the lantern he still had and let Jamie try to blow it out but it wouldn't no matter how hard he tried. If the whole scene wasn't so sad and strange, it would be actually really sweet."

"'I shouldn't be telling you this,' Jack said, 'you're too young to be burdened by my transgressions. But this may be the last time I shall even lay eyes on you my beautiful son. You deserve to know what happened. I feel…' Jack's voice broke, 'I feel that I shall need to leave and…I can't come back."

"Jamie sniffed and I finally realized just how terrible and hard on the little boy these events were. He started crying openly, his sobbing racking his tiny little body hard and big tears rolled down his face. He was just a little crying boy who wanted his mommy and daddy. Jack hummed a little tune softly and picked up his son. He gathered up the blanket and held the boy in a bundle and gently rocked him. The sun was just barely peeking of the hills in the distance. 'I don't want you to go father. Don't leave me!' Jamie sobbed and gripped onto the ribs of the skeleton much like he would his father's shirt and Jack let out a shuddery breath. 'It will be okay. I promise. I'm here Jamie. I'll always be here even when you can't see me...'"

"'No ye won't!' Jamie cried, 'Thy shalt be gone again. I don't want ye to go! I'll convince the others ye art nice! And if I cannot, ye shall hide in the crypt at the cemetery. Just please, stay with me papa. I can't lose ye!' His voice lowered and he whispered in a plea, 'Not again. Not Mommy and ye!'"

"'Oh my dearest child,' Jack said shakily, his sockets were squeezed shut but I could see a single tear streak down his bone. 'I can't hide forever. I'm sorry but something is calling me. I cannot explain it now but something I cannot hear is pulling me away. I have to go.'"

"'No you don't! You just want to go and leave me behind like a coward!' Jack started at these heated words and frowned with hurt at the little boy in his lap. 'No that is not it at all my son…' Jamie cut him off and yelled, 'Don't call me that! You're not my father! My father is dead! He hast gone and left me alone in the world. And he's never coming back. Just like Evelyn and Mama and the baby. Just go and leave me be!' Jamie climbed out of Jack's lap and fell into the dirt next to me still crying. He pouted and wouldn't look at Jack. Jack looked shocked and betrayed. He arose."

"The world was a deep hue of blue with early morning light as Jack picked up the lantern and walked out of town, too heartbroken to care if someone saw him. I tried to decide if I should stay with the boy or follow Jack. I decided to follow Jack and had to run to catch up as he disappeared into the woods. I looked back in time to see a woman come out the back door and gather up Jamie to take him inside. I wasn't looking where I was going and ran into someone then, which really freaked me out since before then I wasn't able to touch anything."

"Running into the other person was like running into an empty cardboard box since they were so lightweight. My own strength and weight sent the other person stumbling in surprise. I looked way up and almost peed myself. Jack looked right at me! Like he could see me. He could see me Mark!"

"He could see you," Mark agreed deadpanned.

"He glared at me and asked why I was following him. I stuttered and spat out the first thing that came to mind. I said 'You're just going to leave him?' Jack seemed surprised, there was a lot of that going around. He looked at me suspiciously but answered, casting a sad glance at the village which was now in the distance. I didn't understand everything he said. He said, 'Yesterday was the last day of harvest. The Samhaine Festival as my fathers called it since the time of ancients. Yet now I suppose it tis All Hallows Eve now with the 'Little Christs' group cropping up across this land.' He laughed derisively. 'Fitting that I shall meet my end on the Night of the Dead. The Christian missionaries came to this village years ago preaching that we should renounce our pagan gods and celebrate our honored day of last harvest as a time to mock the power of death as defeated by Iesus Christ and to honor our dead, not fear it and offer sacrifices to a false god. I was never one to believe in any superstitions, Christian or otherwise. Yet here I am, ye specter. A simple shadow of what I once twas.' I waited for him to actually answer my question. If that long winded history lesson was any indication, this Jack guy was pretty good at skirting the question."

"But he did answer, if after a long pause. Dreams must affect my sense of time because he didn't say anything for a while yet I didn't get impatient. 'I shall wander this world as punishment for my insolence,' he said, 'But I will return to my son every year. To watch him grow into a man. I will return on All Hallows Eve every year until God sees it fit to end my suffering'. He was more speaking to himself than me and when he was done, he looked back at me only to start in surprise. He looked around worriedly. I asked him what was wrong but he could not see or hear me anymore. He started to fade away along with the rest of the world and I woke up then."

Anna stopped but unspoken words hung in the air. Should she tell Mark about the last dream? It felt more personal than this "Skeleton Story" her brain made up, so maybe she should leave it to analyze by herself.

"Well at least you haven't had any new one's right? It's just the same two dreams every night," Mark said. "Right?"

"Yeah," Anna sighed. Why did she do that? She should have told him about the last one. But she couldn't… not yet. She had to figure it out for herself first.

"Well I'm sure they'll pass eventually though," Mark said calmly, "But you told it really well. You should write it down."

"I suck at writing," Anna muttered, "I'm better telling things orally."

"And your great at it," Mark retorted. They had finally reached their destination and the boy put the car into park. Like a gentleman, he got out of the car and went around to Anna's side as she rolled her eyes. With a flourish he opened the door and bowed exaggeratedly, "We have arrived milady."

Anna snickered and climbed out. She gave him a peck on the cheek and hugged him. "You're adorable. Thanks for bringing me home Roman."

"No problem Charmer," Mark said, "Do I need to pick you up for school tomorrow?"

"Probably. But I'll ask and check. I think Dad said he needed to use the other car to go his interview and Mom has to talk to the twin's principal. Jillian got in another fight today."

"Ok. Just let me know," with that Mark got back into his car, "Um…I'd walk you to the door but your mom scares me."

"Just go," Anna laughed, "Bye! Love ya."

"See you tomorrow," Mark waved goodbye as he pulled away and drove off.

Anna hurried inside. After all, she had both Halloween and her sixteenth birthday to prepare for.