GAH! It's been too long! Read and review please! Feedback is a gift. Report: We hit 5,050 views today! Cool!

And finals are over. Have been for the past week. I got all A's and one B. So, I ruined my 4.0 gpa. :/ I'm done grieving. What's important is that I accomplished something. Though several of my friends were sorely unsympathetic of course. You guys are awesome.

Chapter 24

Missing

Trouble stared up at his witch with as downcast and sheepish an expression as a cat could manage. He had explained how he and Jasper didn't do anything as Anna snuck out her window.

And then he took so long to tell Zelda. Granted, in his defense, he couldn't find her for hours.

Zeldabourne for her part was too busy trying to decide what to say to Anna to concern herself with a disobedient and irresponsible familiar.

Helgamine was visiting monsters who would be answering to them this year and wouldn't be back for several hours, so that left Zeldabourne to discipline the skeleton.

She knew they shouldn't have let it go that one time!

It should have been a red flag that Anna disobeyed Jack's request so soon after he made it, but the witches let it pass. They should've told the Pumpkin King. Why didn't they turn Anna in that time they caught her? She would have learned her lesson sooner.

They both expected Anna to behave like a monster. But humans are stubborn. When they want something and see it as their right, they will trick themselves into justifying even the worst actions.

Had they scolded a Halloween-Born, a Legend, or even another Undead, they would be respected and listened to.

But Anna didn't have that close a trust with any of them. She saw them as friendly, but not elders to heed. She didn't understand! The lass didn't understand just how damaging it was to grasp at tenuous connections to her life as she did.

Zeldabourne tightened her grasp on her broom.

The Wind was having a field day, its wordless shrieking drowned from her own ears. It wasn't safe to fly her broom. Normally she wouldn't care anyway, but the gusts were stronger than normal. She couldn't be bothered to concern herself with the lack of a faint voice crying haunting praises to the storm. The Wind wasn't quiet in the slightest, but it said nothing to her.

She entered the pavilion that housed the cursed cauldron, half expecting Anna to be sitting on the ground waiting for her punishment with an uncaring look in her eyes that said, "Better to ask forgiveness than permission."

But she wasn't there. Neither was Jasper, as Trouble said he would be.

The witch looked down at her trusted companion. "Trouble?"

The cat looked genuinely surprised and meowed a little.

"I believe you. Where could they have gone?"

The shrill scream of Jack's doorbell interrupted lunch. He and Sally weren't using the dining table this time as the kitchen table was enough for such a hastily put together meal.

Despite their conversation in the parlor, Sally was still reeling from the secrets Jack had told her in the privacy of his study after the fallout with Anna. Despite what she said, the poor ragdoll still wasn't sure what to make of everything. But things were getting better. She didn't feel too terribly sick about what she knew, but she did still feel guilt gnawing at her insides.

Jack once again made her promise not to tell Anna anything, a feat that was easy so far because the young skeleton hadn't shown herself to Sally in the past five days.

The atmosphere between the bone-man and ragdoll was still a little awkward as Sally had so many questions that Jack wasn't ready to answer.

Jack's sockets twitched as he watched Sally stand up, realizing too late that the doorbell wasn't his imagination.

"I'll get it," he said quickly, but Sally was already walking to the door.

Zeldabourne didn't wait for Sally to greet her.

"Is Anna here?" the witch said hurriedly, an almost frightened tone dripping from her already scratchy voice.

"What?" Sally said, her grip tightening on the door at Zelda's voice, "No. Why?"

"I can't find her anywhere. My cat is off searching the streets, but he can't find Anna or Helga's cat."

"She's not in her room?"

"Of course she's not in her…!"

"What's going on?" Jack said as he came behind Sally.

Zeldabourne felt more conflicted than she had in a long time.

Jack was The Master of Fright. A witch's fondest dream.

But Anna was shaping up to be an adopted charge of sorts, and Zeldabourne's glossy eyed vision of dear King Jack had gotten a few…uncomfortable cracks of late.

Part of her wanted to plead to Jack for assistance, another part wanted to glare at him and blame him for Anna's disappearance.

It may seem silly to you. But please, you must understand, the Citizens of Halloween all loved Jack. Adored him. He was their celebrity. Without going so far, he was their god. He was always so caring and passionate and always so eager to please to a fault, that to see another side of him—a side that used to be human, that could anger, that could turn away a youth who was looking for someone else to look up to—it was almost painful.

Imagine someone you trust. Your father. Your mother. Anyone you look up too. Have they ever disappointed you? In that moment did the world crack just a little when you realized that they were people just like you.

The witch knew she was overthinking it. But a part of her felt betrayed.

Often Citizens forget their age, but she remembered that Jack was even older than her. In fact, no one was sure, but Jack was likely older than nearly everyone in town. Even Finklestein! The skeleton saw them at their worst. At their beginnings, even before he was the Pumpkin King. And they always took it for granted because of his youthful lighthearted persona.

Zeldabourne shook herself out of her thoughts and quickly explained what Trouble had told her about Anna sneaking off to use the cauldron and how she couldn't find that Skeleton anywhere.

"She doesn't wander town very much," Jack mused with a frown, ignoring the slight glare Zelda unconsciously gave him as he spoke. He knew it was unconscious because the witch's eyes narrow more if she's trying to make a statement. "She mostly stays around the Shop, this house, the square, or the Gate."

Sally decided not to question how Jack knew that if he barely spent time with the teen.

"She could be with the Doctor," Sally suggested.

"Immediately after seeing her sister abused by a rotten little twerp? Why go for a check-up? She doesn't like Finklestein," Zeldabourne growled.

"I'm assuming you checked the Gatekeeper?" Jack said.

Zeldabourne's glare hardened. "No." Now the look was on purpose.

"Well, she's most likely with him then. They seem to have crafted quite a friendship. When you find her, please tell her to meet me at Town Hall. We need to discuss what to do about her breaking the rules. Besides that, I'm not sure there's need for alarm."

Sally stiffened at the look that went between the other two monsters.

"I'm alarmed because the girl who's apparently my charge, and not yours, is missing!" Zeldabourne snapped, slamming her broomstick into the porch. "And the Gatekeeper is on his break, and I don't know where he goes off to. Otherwise, I would not be coming here of all places. Someone has to worry about her."

Jack looked shocked at the small witch's behavior, "If you please. Perhaps you should calm…"

"Do not tell me to calm down! Can't you sense it?! Something's wrong. The Pumpkins are dying. Strange shadows appear on the lake. The Hinterlands are frightening even to us! And now Anna is gone after she sees her living sister in danger! She has dreams about you? Jack, you can't reasonably tell me something isn't wrong."

"It isn't my place to…"

"How can something not be 'your place,' Jack?! You're the Pumpkin King!"

"That's exactly why I can't tell you."

"That's cr—"

"Enough," Sally didn't need to yell, but her voice was stressed enough that both older monsters shut up.

She looked at them sternly. "What is wrong with everyone?" she grieved. "I'm only three years old, and both of you hold centuries of experience over me, yet here you are arguing like children." She sounded like she wanted to cry. She took a deep breath and said calmly, her voice a rock in the windy storm, "Why don't you think anything is wrong Jack?"

Jack looked down at Sally and Zeldabourne. "It isn't that I don't think something's wrong. I just want to be sure we aren't overreacting…"

"Perhaps I am overreacting," Zeldabourne admitted, claws drumming her broom in a staccato fashion for a few seconds before she gripped it solidly. "But I was always able to tell where she was, and given what happened Saturday…"

"I understand," Jack said, guiltily sighing through his nose a little, "Do you think this warrants an emergency meeting?"

"Everyone will be very cross with me," the witch said, "But yes."

Jack thought for a moment before clearing his "throat" and nodding. "…Very well."

Zeldabourne nodded sharply and turned on her heel.

Sally looked up at Jack as Zelda stomped down the steep, uneven walkway.

"Are you really not worried?" the ragdoll asked tensely under her breath, almost snapping at him.

Jack took her hand overlooking the fact that she was a little angry with him. "Actually, I'm terrified," he hissed under his breath, "I need your help to get everyone to Town Hall as quickly as possible."

Sally looked at him in surprise, "Then why didn't you say so to Zelda?! She thinks you don't care about Anna."

"There's no need yet. Someone has to be calm."

"And you are the last person to be so." Sally forced a scoff, but her voice wavered.

"Let's just find her, please. She's probably just exploring."

"What if she isn't?"

"Then I'll deal with it."

Sally nodded and went off to fetch the Doctor, knocking on doors as she went, while Jack went to the Mayor's house.

Less than five minutes later, a screeching cry of the Mayor's alarm and the deep tolls of the town bell-the regular one, not the Requiem Bell- echoed through the townscape.

The Gatekeeper looked up in surprise. He was hidden away in the back of the library writing his newest poem before he was rudely interrupted. He tilted his feathered head, listening to the tolls of the bell.

They had a system. If it were a scheduled Town Meeting, no alarms would go off, everyone would simply pass the news along or check their calendars. They had regular meetings every fortnight on Sunday. But it was Thursday.

If Jack or the Mayor called a meeting that was important, but not dangerously urgent, they would sound the bells and alarm, and the Mayor would go about announcing a meeting that night. Just like the regular meetings, not everyone was required to attend, so long as they had a proxy or someone who could tell them the news later.

However, if it was an emergency, everyone or an official proxy for their street had to be there immediately. And you had to have a damn excellent reason for not attending.

The Gatekeeper counted the tolls. An emergency meeting had a particular rhythm to the tolls, unlike an important-but-not-urgent meeting.

Dong-dong-dong dong dong-dong-dong dong dong-dong-dong dong….

The Gatekeeper's eyes widened, and he surged to his feet, shapeshifting into a raven and flying as fast as possible through the bookshelves. He left his work, quill dripping ink on the paper.

Unfortunately, much of the Library was underground in a sectioned off part of the catacombs that ran under the town and connected to the graveyard crypts. Nevermore twisted through the tunnels looking for one of the stairs, hoping he wasn't as far down as he sometimes accidentally went when he wasn't paying attention. The loud sound of bells was misleading as they were designed to be heard everywhere, even underground. It didn't matter how far underground one was. They were sounds made to wake the dead. Literally and metaphorically.

Jack stood on the steps of Town Hall directly underneath the Year Clock, impatiently pacing back and forth as the skeleton eyed the rapidly growing crowd, searching.

The Gatekeeper was one of the last ones in the square and hurriedly perched on top of the fountain, right on the edge of the fountain serpent's mouth where the water came out.

The bird and the skeleton locked eyes and sockets, and to the Gatekeeper's confusion, Jack looked distraught at seeing him.

The Pumpkin King looked away and hid his expression quickly.

The exchange was bizarre enough that the Gatekeeper wasn't insulted but concerned about why the emergency had anything to do with him.

Jack and the Mayor kept a close watch on the flow of Citizens who entered the square.

There was a relatively large population in Halloween town, some of whom were recluses and hadn't been seen by any other citizens except on Halloween, if at all. Thus, emergency meetings couldn't reasonably fit inside Town Hall and had to be outside in the square.

The Gatekeeper shifted awkwardly as a wraith hovered next to him.

"Greetings," it said.

"Hello, Tyrsicsa," the Gatekeeper cawed. "Long time."

The wraith's pale face and burning eyes nodded. "Why was my slumber interrupted?"

"I suspect we'll find out soon enough."

"Everyone quiet down please," Jack called when the trickle of creatures had slowed to a steady crawl. "Would Annalise please speak up?"

The crowd murmured in confusion. Even the majority of those who weren't the most social of creatures knew of a new arrival. Why was she an emergency?

When no specific voice rose above the crowd, Jack turned to the Head Witches who were up on the steps with him. "Does she know to come when the bell rings?"

Helgamine nodded stiffly, having been one of the first to arrive. "We told her about the meeting rules."

Zeldabourne had explained to her what was happening.

Jack frowned and turned back to the confused crowd of horrible creatures.

"It appears that Annalise is missing," he announced tersely. "Has anyone seen her?"

The Gatekeeper looked up sharply and tried to speak, but his voice was suddenly drowned out by the complaints.

"Who's Annalise?"

"The newcomer."

"We have a newcomer?! Since when?"

"Halloween."

"Is she really a skeleton?"

"Did you hear? She attacked Jack. I'll bet she's in trouble."

Lock, Shock, and Barrel came too, but they were just sitting atop a roof quietly, for once. If anything, they looked disgusted and bored out of their brains. Who cares where the string-obsessed-twiggy-freak is?

"We were called here because a teen decided to wander?" someone shouted from the back.

"Surely she's simply not familiar with the way things work here."

"This is a waste of time, Jack!"

"Jack she…"

It was no use, Jack couldn't hear the Gatekeeper over everyone else.

It wasn't safe to fly with all the creatures taking up the air above him and with the Wind acting up for some reason. But still, if Anna was missing…

The Gatekeeper lifted his wings and flew straight into the air, immediately dodging a ghost and trying to reach the steps. The haphazard flight was more a case of one step forward, two steps back rather than actually useful. Maybe it would have been better to head low and dart through the walking crowd. Too late.

Zeldabourne noticed the animal's struggles to avoid the oblivious other flyers and frowned. Where was he when she was looking for him?

Jack facepalmed and sighed long-sufferingly as the crowd got out of hand. "Silence!" he screeched into the square, his skeletal shriek shutting everyone up. "One at a time, please, for Halloween's sake!"

The Gatekeeper was so surprised by the command that he didn't notice someone's wing before it was too late.

His small body was suddenly knocked out of the air, and he failed to stabilize himself, crashing into a pillar beside Jack.

The skeleton man ducked to avoid his head being knocked off and immediately crouched in amused concern as he realized what happened. "Gatekeeper? Are you alright?" he asked in slightly morbid curiosity.

"I'm sorry Gatekeeper!" Jersey cried, worried she had hurt him as the crowd murmured, most unable to see what happened.

But the bird shook his head and winced, his right wing hanging limply.

"I was trying to tell you!" the Gatekeeper snapped up at Jack, ignoring his obviously broken wing. "She came by the gate earlier today. She was with Helga's cat and heading to the graveyard."

"May I?" Jack said, putting a hand out.

The Gatekeeper rolled his eyes and nodded, allowing Jack to pick him up and hand him off to Helgamine where he was out of the way of being stepped on.

Jack said to the crowd, "Who was out in the graveyard today?"

Several appendages went up, Harlequins included.

"Did any of you see her?"

The was a round of negatives, and the appendages went down.

Jack crossed his arms and drummed his fingers against his arm in agitation. He had a terrible sinking feeling in his ribcage. He had hoped Zeldabourne overreacted.

"Could she have…left?" Sally spoke up. The ragdoll was seated in the branches of the Hanging Tree, her friend having offered a place out from the crowds below.

Jack looked at her, "What do you mean, my dear?"

Sally swallowed. "She used the cauldron…a-and she saw something that scared her didn't she?"

Zeldabourne nodded, "Trouble said they watched her sister attacked and beaten. The girl's just a child. No older than twelve."

There was a gasp in the crowd. A child hurt?

The Mayor wrung his hands, "Perhaps she just wants some time to process that unfortunate event…"

Helgamine snapped. "What's more likely? That she holed herself up somewhere to cry about it, or that she tried to find a way back to the Real World to help her sister."

Jack's posture changed so subtly that many monsters who noticed took a few seconds to realize they saw Jack afraid.

Not just situationally surprised, but honestly frightened with the kind of fear that really wasn't fun.

The skeleton hadn't been wanting to entertain the possibility.

"But how?" the Mayor argued. "Most of us can't leave except on Halloween."

"It's Thanksgivings Day," Jack said in realization. His eyes narrowed. "Speak now. Who here knows how to reach the Holiday Doors?"

Hundreds of monsters fervently shook their heads, their strange features moving like a wave of the creepiest things in and out of existence.

"Only you and I, Jack," the Mayor said. "And Boogie's Boys…"

"Lock. Shock. Barrel. Are you here?" Jack called while other citizens grumbled.

"Here," Lock growled and waved from the top of the roof with the other two, clearly not happy about being called out. Still, it was really cool they knew something the other citizens didn't, especially since that was because the others were too scared of other Holidays to go looking, the wusses.

Jack narrowed his eyes at them and said seriously, "Did you have anything to do with this?"

"Maybe we did," Shock giggled with a mischievous glint.

Barrel panicked at the look on Jack's face and elbowed Shock roughly. "We didn't do this!"

"Barrel!"

Jack ignored the shouting and severe crash as the other two tackled Barrel and all three fell off the back of the roof they were on.

"Well, we're all here so…"

Jack's sockets widened, and he realized that someone else was missing. He cupped his hands around his jaw. "ZERO!" he called out into the air.

They waited for a second for the signaling bark of Jack's dog, but no sound came.

"ZEEERRO!" Jack said, unable to keep the urgency out of his voice.

Zero always came when first called, if he could; him being a flying ghost helped.

"Jasper and Zero have to be with her," Helgamine said with a scowl.

"But why would Zero…" someone started.

"Listen! Everyone!" Jack said, his tone catching their attention. "I know this is an unusual request, but this is an unusual situation. While usually, I would allow Anna to make a decision to leave on her own, it is imperative that we find her. She cannot leave Halloween! If she is still in our world, we have to find her. All those who have a secret way to the Real World, I need you to use such ability and search for her there. I know you can't interact with the Real World, but try your best to find her if you can."

"But where are you going?" the Mayor asked over the clamoring.

Monsters dispersed, no one complaining about losing a day of their own time to do as Jack requested. If Jack was willing to make a big deal of this, then it was just that. He would never normally ask those who could go to the Real World to do so.

Still, their loyalty doesn't mean silenced gossip.

Samara from The Ring and Bloody Mary met by the fountain, both girls to discuss where they would go before splitting up.

Samara went to her own little house with the wraiths that adopted her. There, a permanently static television was always on in her room as a gateway to her private void.

Mary went to the neighboring house with its cursed mirror she called her own.

Jack lowered his voice, "I'm going after her."

"Then let us help…" Sally said.

The Mayor's head switched around. "Oh dear…"

Jack considered it for a moment.

"We'll cover more ground in the Real World," Sally reasoned.

"Well you aren't leaving us behind," Helgamine said.

Zeldabourne nodded with her.

"Me neither. I'm coming too," the Gatekeeper said stiffly. He was well-rested so his voice wouldn't be fading for a long time, "After…I fix my wing…damn it."

"N-now hold on," Jack said, putting his hands up to slow them down. "I didn't say you could come. I need you all here. The Real World is dangerous for us when it isn't Halloween."

They hesitated.

"How different could it be…" the Mayor said eventually.

"…oh dear," Jack said.

"Jack please…"

"No, Sally. Elephant in the room. This is obviously my fault. I have to find her."

"Which is why you need the help of your loyal subjects," Helgamine said, with a forced playful tone. "Anything for you, Jack."

"Absolutely not."

"Jack Skellington," Sally scolded, "If Anna is in danger, a danger you seem to be avoiding telling everyone, then I will not sit at home on my hands!" Her voice wavered. She knew exactly what danger the girl was in.

"Not that I'm advocating Anna leaves, but why have others been allowed to leave if it was their choice, but Anna shouldn't?" Zeldabourne said.

"Here-here," Helgamine nodded sharply.

Jack glanced at the skyline, "It's a long story."

"Good thing long stories are exactly what we are."

"Either you let us come, or I'm never giving you children," Sally said bluntly, ignoring her own blush.

Other monsters nearby looked up in bewilderment at the overheard conversation.

Jack blinked at her, sputtering.

"Uh…." The Mayor, the Witches, and the Gatekeeper looked between the two uncomfortably. Well, actually, the witches looked like they wanted to burst out laughing.

Jack looked flustered. "S-sally. That's n-not appro—."

Sally crossed her arms, and Jack gulped.

Jack sighed heavily and pressed his palms to his sockets. He looked at everyone over his hands. Jack might be able to convince the others, but Sally would have none of it, especially if she were spiraling into ridiculous and embarrassing threats. She was very reasonably worried.

"V-very well," he acquiesced, apparently not pleased about being bullied into agreeing.

"He's hopeless," the Mayor muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Well…" Zeldabourne snorted, "That's one way to do it."

Helgamine hit her with the bristles of her broom.

Sally gave a strained impish grin, and she and the others walked ahead of him toward the gate, stopping by the fountain to let the Gatekeeper drink the water and take a dip.

Jack frowned. Why was he letting them come? This was dangerous. He couldn't put them, especially Sally, into the dangers of the Real World. Humans don't take kindly to monsters on days they don't expect to see them.

Then he thought of how little time Anna had.

What has he done? This wouldn't have happened if he kept her close as he should have.

"Step one to stage a coup," the Mayor forced a joke as he walked beside Jack, "Get the King's lady to lead it."

Jack groaned.

His eyes drifted upward. "Please. Don't let them near her. She doesn't deserve this," he pleaded.

"You really think He and they would answer?" the Mayor muttered.

Jack just looked ahead and frowned. "Someone else was missing from the meeting."

The Mayor's head was already on his unhappy face, but his frown deepened. "Who?!"

"Not Who. The Wind, it was unnaturally unspoken."

"They don't say much anyway…"

"Not to you. And they wouldn't hesitate to help in an emergency if they could help it. They've been around, but I haven't heard a single whisper from our dear element since they offered to guide Anna out of the woods."

"Wait. That long ago?" the Mayor shared Jack's concerned.

Jack nodded, and they walked unspeaking to the entrance of the graveyard.

"Hinterlands or Ghoul Gates, Jack?" the Gatekeeper asked.

"Hinterlands," Jack said immediately.

NO! It's a trap, Jack!

Hush now. You wouldn't want to spoil our fun.

Release my voice!

Can't do that. You serve the forces that came before you. The moment my sickening brothers come to take my hold on you from me, you take it up with them. But for now? I don't see them anywhere.

You angels.

Ah. Been a while since someone called me that little brother.

I am not your brother!

No. You're a measly servant of this world. Bending to the rules of nature.

I have my place. I bow to the moon and tides. The trees and rain bow to me.

What I want to know is why you found such comradery with these broken souls. They are flecks of dust! You blow away such flecks yourself. You've leveled cities greater than this. You help the Enemy shape his creation, yet you bow to these worms?

They listen to me! They hear me.

They can't hear your screams. Isn't it sad? These lesser beings you put above yourself, what can any of them do for you? You call one King! But he can't help you. And you only have power when we let you.

…Fallen…

You say it like an insult. Relax. I'll let you go soon. Then I'll stick around long enough to hear your pitiful attempts to beg Jack for forgiveness because the big bad demon didn't let you help little Annalise.

What are you going to do to her?

Before we drag her to Hell or after?

You're going to…You wouldn't…You have no power in the Holidays!

Exactly. There's debt to pay.

No! I remember! You can't if she…

Uh uh uh. What Anna doesn't know CAN hurt her. Especially if you can't warn her.

…I can be neither good nor evil. But I refuse to be apathetic to this…perverse manipulation.

Ha. Do you think I care how you feel? The only reason I'm speaking with you is that I'm bored at the moment.

Go to the Pit.

Been there. Done that.

Sorry this is so late everyone! I was having some trouble figuring out where this story needed to go. It originally was a much more simpler idea but it took on a life of its own and it's a lot more complicated than what I originally planned more than a year ago.