HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Because, you know, Halloween is really the entire month of October in my opinion. We all know Jack and the others are busy working hard to meet their yearly deadline, so I'm going to work hard on keeping up with updates this month. Sorry for disappearing on you all, but I've been in College for 7 weeks now, and I'm only just now getting a slow week (not really).

Thank you everyone who's reviewed! It makes me so happy to hear from you all. I know a couple chapters are really slow, but hopefully forcing through writer's block like I have will pay off. There's so much to this story I'm excited for, so I hope everyone sticks around!

Remember: some Citizens only exist because humans continue to believe in them. Read and review to remind Anna she exists!

Annalise: Could you be any cornier? I'm not a Legend. I'm Undead. I can survive on my own soul. If they really want to help, they'd go read Frankenstein or Edgar Allen Poe's work. Or anything really.

Ps. I might be rewriting the first chapter sometime soon. It's too long and verbose.

Chapter 28

Unexpected Thanks

"Hello!"

Anna looked at the young boy who climbed up onto the seat next to her. The skeleton cocked her head.

"Um…hello?"

The kid studied her a moment and frowned thoughtfully. "You have a funny voice."

Anna snorted and groaned slightly as the laughing hurt her still healing spine.

"White!"

The boy jumped down and ducked guiltily.

Anna waved her uninjured hand at the boy's mother. She cringed at the stern gaze sent her way. "He wasn't...er…it's alright ma'am. I don't mind."

Anna hesitantly dropped her hand at the woman's intense stare. She nervously drummed her fingers on the thick table.

The boy sulked away to sit next to his mother. He was in a good mood seconds later as a plate of food was put in front of him.

Was the lady concerned about her son being rude, or worried about him being close to the skeleton and her claws?

They weren't claws. All skeletal fingers taper to a thin point.

That didn't seem to matter to the crowd she was stuck with currently.

How did Anna get to this?

Food and music (mostly Hymns) were everywhere. When she was alive, the large meal set on the vast table would have had her walking up and down the line taking in the buffet with a growling stomach.

The "Table" was actually a hundred or so individual dining tables from all the households pulled outside and set end to end, stretched into a rough circle around the tree and branching out down the various streets.

A hundred tables may be an underestimation. They literally turned their entire town into a big open-air dining hall.

The partying was kind of loud as Citizens laughed and sang and prayed together. They didn't stay in one place for long. The seats around her were continually shifting inhabitants as Pilgrims, Indians, and Turkeys got up to sit in another area as different conversations began and ended. Somehow, they managed not to ruin the neatly set tablecloths or the presentation of the meal with all their seat swapping.

Despite the dwindling food as people ate, the tables still looked like a Hallmark card overflowing with cornucopias, gold tinsel, squash, corn, decorative plates, and pumpkins. Even the pumpkins looked different than Halloween's.

Anna didn't move, deciding she wasn't welcomed enough to join in any conversation. It was too awkward, and she didn't know anyone. She merely poked at the food and listened to conversation nearby, all the while ignoring the staring and fearful glances.

An icy breeze brushed against the back of her muddy pant leg, and Anna immediately reached a hand down to scratch Zero behind the ears.

The ghost dog was sticking nearby, more for her sake than the Thanksgiving Citizens' comfort.

She discreetly dropped a slice of ham for him, and he settled against her leg as he gnawed on the salty, savory meat.

Anna wasn't sure how he actually ate it, but it didn't drop straight through him, so she assumed it was fine. It disintegrated from view inside his mouth at least.

Jasper was around somewhere, probably watching judgmentally from someone's roof and making sarcastic commentary to himself.

Anna eyed a grasshopper that jumped next to an oblivious Zero. Almost without thinking, she reached down and popped the insect in her mouth. She was probably too used to Halloween Town food.

Thanksgiving Citizens really go all out when it comes to meals. Anything one could possibly imagine eating on Thanksgiving was there from turkeys (still really strange if she considered the giant turkey families sitting around the tables) to some random stuff Anna had never seen before. No bugs though.

She crunched a turkey bone in her jaw and washed it down with some cider.

Those closest to her didn't seem too pleased about a skeleton, a symbol of death, sitting at the table with them and their families. But the leaders had refused to let her rot in a cell for hours while they all celebrated. That and Little Braid threw a bit of a fit when the leaders came back to the jail and found she had broken in. The girl ranted about hospitality until the Governor and Chief agreed to let Anna join them.

They would decide what to do with her by the end of their feast. Or at least before they left for the Real World.

She glanced over and down half a dozen tables to see Little Braid still talking to the town rulers. The American Indian sat across from them, emphatically arguing on Anna's behalf.

Anna still wasn't sure what she said to make the other girl trust her. They just talked.

Little Braid's decisions didn't make sense to anyone but herself.

Governor Hale was listening intently to Little Braid's vouching for Anna, leaning forward with elbows on the table. How unladylike.

Meanwhile, Chief Squanto sat rigidly against the back of the chair with a blank, unreadable expression. He hadn't eaten yet.

Little Braid's back was to her, so Anna couldn't even lip-read.

Not knowing what was said about her was a bit distressing.

Anna and her oversharing to strangers got her into this awkward nightmare.

She didn't tell her new acquaintance about Jack and his role in her…death. It wasn't…appropriate. It still felt like something that should be a secret. At the very least, she didn't want to cry about it to someone she just met. But she did talk about her troubles with training to be a monster. She spoke of protecting her little sister and brother. She spoke about how her memories and unfinished business with her family weren't letting her find peace.

Unfinished business. It was a strange cliché of a concept pulled from ghost stories. But that didn't mean it didn't make sense.

Anna managed to avoid having to name just what her "unfinished business" could be. Honestly, she didn't think she had any. It wasn't like she never got the chance to tell her parents, siblings, or Mark that she loved them. And learning to drive a car seemed much too trivial, as was graduating high school.

There wasn't much else she could think of. Plus, she wasn't a ghost stuck in the Real World right? She had moved on. To Halloween. That was supposed to be her Heaven.

And yet…

She gripped her stick-like knee under the table and stared at the slice of turkey on her plate. It looked delicious, but it just didn't seem very appetizing to her. She could eat it, she knew, but it wasn't making her "mouth water."

She wasn't supposed to be here, in the Holidays.

Jack messed things up for me before I was even born. It's his fault. Why would I want to stay in the same town as my…my…murderer?

She refused to think about Helgamine, Zeldabourne, Harlequin…

Stop it. Stop thinking about them. They don't matter anymore.

Sally.

The Gatekeeper—no…Nevermore. That's his semi-secret name. If she was going to privately "not" think of him, she might as well use his name.

Stop it!

She even refused to think about Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Why would she? She only met them a couple times. She hated those little brats…but…she couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

Anna's eyes fell for a moment. She actually felt pity for those little hellions. They were pretty much fending for themselves in a drafty treehouse without the town's help for some reason. Did Jack abandon them too?

STOP IT!

Anna shook her skull out of those musings. She shouldn't be having second thoughts.

She was going home.

Anna wasn't an irrational person. Her motivations were usually sound. However, she sometimes ignored specific obvious details. Like specific facts regarding her existence and demons. Despite this, she often had a plan. She couldn't have gotten away with as many pranks as she did if she didn't know how to plan. She knew what she would do when she got home. Mostly.

She couldn't reveal herself to her family of course. She knew that was a terrible idea, no matter how much she wanted too. She couldn't do that to them. What would she expect them to do anyway? Hide her in the basement? Accept her with open arms and not shrill screams?

Anna smirked. The idea of her dad screaming like a little girl was too ridiculous to not be funny. The only time she ever heard him scream was when her youngest uncle convinced him to ride shotgun during a drag race. That and when she poured fake blood on her head at the age of nine and presented him with the wood ax.

Keeping an eye on her family as a guardian of sorts for years without speaking to them was going to be insanely boring. She might have to throw a little travel in. It's not like she has to concern herself with sleep or food, at least on a survival level. It was a weak plan, she knew, and really not much of one anyway.

Her frown deepened a little. She knew what her plan sounded like. She was going to pretty much do the same thing Jack did after he died. Wander around aimless, keeping a socket on her family.

But what was the alternative? Stay in a town where she wasn't supposed to be, no matter how much she loved it? A town where the man who practically killed her haunted?

Someone touched her foot. Not Zero.

Anna yelped and yanked her knees up to her chest. The chair wobbled.

Zero yipped at the loss of his "pillow."

Her short shriek caught the ear of Thanksgiving Citizens around her.

A Pilgrim across from her stared in confusion for a moment before ducking their head under the tablecloth.

"Jesse! Rebecca! Get out from under there."

Anna looked on with a thinly pressed jawline as the young male pulled the two giggling kids out from under the table.

"Sorry miss," the girl said, hands clasped behind her back. She swayed a bit and smiled shyly, her nose barely reaching above the tabletop.

"Told you she's really tall," the boy whispered loudly, plainly pointing at Anna.

She really was. The table was so short for her that Anna had no problem seeing them from her vantage point.

The person across from Anna sighed and eyed the skeleton cautiously, "Sorry about that."

Anna swallowed and blinked as she focused her sight on the kids. "What were you doing?" She gingerly lowered her legs to the ground, letting her shoes sink into the crinkly leaves.

"We just wanted to pet the puppy…"

"Oh."

Zero wagged his tail and perked up, floating over and through the table to lick the girl on the face.

She squealed while the young man leaned back and observed the ghost.

"Zero, off the table," Anna said calmly.

The little boy stared at her.

"Yes?" she said.

"Are you really a skeleton? Like bones and stuff?" the boy said, holding up an arm and pointing to it as he wiggled his fingers, his embroidered shawl that was much too big for him slipping from his bare shoulder a bit.

Anna's mouth corners twitched. "What else do I look like?"

"I dunno. Wood?"

"Plastic? Are you bones everywhere? Or just your head and hands?" the girl asked.

Anna thought back to a few times when she was dressing and had taken a minute or two to inspect her ribs and spine.

She never looked indecent when she was naked since there literally wasn't anything to show, but she suspected it was a standard image Jack upheld by wearing nice clothes.

When she got down to it, she doubted the town would be disturbed by her if she had decided not to wear clothes. They didn't act drastically uncomfortable when she fell in the fountain and walked around sopping wet. Plus, there were other creatures that it wouldn't matter for anyway so clothing was just personal preference. Most likely.

"I'm completely a skeleton made of bones. The same kind of bones covered by your flesh under all that skin," Anna said kindly with a sharply tilted head, her dark, thin crop of hair barely brushing her shoulder.

The guy who pulled the children out from under the table laughed weakly at the creepy phrase. Flesh? Skin? Why'd she say it like that…

"See?"

Someone nearby gagged as she pulled off her arm (it hurt, but she was getting used to it) and held it up.

The disturbed murmur started up quickly.

Anna winced, swiftly threaded her arm back up her sleeve, and clicked it back into place at the horrified and disgusted looks she got. "Sorry."

Someone set down their piece of apple pie in annoyed disgust, unable to eat anything after seeing that.

The skeleton fidgeted at the muttering. She was so out of place here; tall, thin, and monochrome contrasting against the homey, warm feel of Thanksgiving.

"Does that hurt?" another voice asked.

Anna jumped and turned around in the too-small chair, almost tipping it again. Her eyes widened, and she set her jaw in surprise.

There was a crowd of kids cautiously gathering around.

Anna's sight darted among them, surprised that they were brave enough to speak to her. It was hard not to marvel at a child's curiosity. It seemed to be a characteristic of all creatures of a certain age, regardless of species.

"…Yeah."

"What does it feel like?" another kid asked. Pretty soon there was a small group around her seat, staring with wide innocent eyes.

"Just the same as when you dislocate your arm."

"But that hurts!" a smaller kid with green eyes said.

The other children gasped, remembering when the green-eyed kid fell off a wagon and hurt his shoulder. He was really crying and screaming even as the doctor set it back. Then he was wearing a sling for weeks.

"You're not even crying!"

"Can you cry?" someone added.

"I think so," Anna answered, propping her head on her knuckles while leaning her elbows on her knees.

"But you don't have any eyes."

"Well, yes. But I can see anyway. And cry.."

"Is there anything in your….your…?" one girl asked, raising her hand shyly.

Anna shook her skull. "No. And they're called eye sockets."

"Can I….can I see?" the same girl asked bashfully.

Anna blinked. "Um…okay."

She leaned down but paused when the girl raised her arms expectantly.

The girl looked to be about six, though realistically she was probably much older.

Anna hesitated before lifting the girl up by the underarms and setting the child to balance on her leg, one hand around the back and on the arm to keep the kid from falling. The skeleton heard the sharp gasp from an adult nearby before someone else calmed the woman down.

They were watching warily, ready to move at a moment if Anna meant harm to the girl.

The girl immediately pulled Anna's face down, her small hands holding the skeleton's cheekbones, and peered into Anna's sockets with one eye. She had such a funny serious face that Anna couldn't help but snicker.

"Hey, be still!" the girl complained.

"Sorry," Anna giggled.

"Anything Misty?" one of the boys demanded, hopping from foot to foot.

Misty's childishly serious expression deepened, and she shook her head. She reached up.

"OW!" Anna yelped, pulled her head back fast enough to feel her spine stretch, and covered the offended socket with a hand.

"Sorry!" Misty cried out and tucked her hands close to herself fearfully as Anna's grip on her arm tightened instinctively.

Anna didn't hear a nearby adult surge to their feet. She winced as she looked back at the girl with one eye, loosening her grip immediately. "Did you just poke me in the eye?"

"Sorry," Misty repeated quietly.

Anna sighed and blinked her abused eye. "It's okay, just don't do again okay? What is it with you people and poking my eyes out?" she groaned dramatically, "Oh look! Black holes in the middle of a person's face! Let's poke one of them with a stick or our fingers."

Misty looked about ready to cry.

Anna frowned. Guess her joking wasn't that funny.

"Look…uh…Misty," Anna assured, "I'm fine. You didn't know any better. I would have done the same thing."

"…Really?"

Anna nodded.

The man who got up eased back into his seat cagily.

"You can feel pain that much?" an older kid, probably around ten, asked worriedly. Wasn't the skeleton…dead? What a horrible sounding word.

Anna nodded, their full attention on her. "Monsters get hurt a lot while they work, but the older ones are more used to it. I'm pretty sure they can't feel pain anymore. Younger monsters like me still can get hurt."

"How come monsters get hurt all the time?" another girl, this one wearing pigtails and a Pilgrim boy's suit despite being a Native girl.

Anna remembered what Helgamine said when she asked a similar question. "When monsters scare humans, they sometimes get hurt. Like they don't stick a landing right, or a human attacks them. I think a lot of scares actually require hurting our bodies to succeed. Like if I pulled off my head to scare someone."

"Why would you do that if it hurts you and humans don't like it?!"

"It's our job," Anna said automatically. "Just like Thanksgiving is your job."

"But it's really mean to scare people," one kid said.

The children nodded enthusiastically. The idea of even scaring another person as a prank was foreign to them. Thanksgiving was about coming together. Being mean drives people apart. Why would Halloween want to drive humans apart?

"It's our job, but we're not mean," Anna snapped her jaw shut and stared off into the distance for a moment before snickering, "Hhehe. Well, we're not supposed to hurt humans. But it's a lot of fun to be scared every once in a while." She grinned and wiggled her thin fingers. "Your heart starts racing, and you think faster. You can do things you never thought you could. Fear reminds your soul that you're alive. It pushes you to go beyond your limitations and face a darkness to prove to yourself that you're human and alive. Or rather…" she trailed off at the confused looks.

Right. You aren't human.

She paused for a second, noticing that a few parents were staring at her, likely not pleased about her "indoctrinating" their children with a devilish Holiday.

She chuckled. Her heart (or something that felt like it) felt a little lighter. For someone without much experience with fear, the words had just rolled off her tongue without thought. It was a nice feeling to talk about something she could get excited about. Did other monsters feel like this when trying to explain things to her?

"I supposed that can't make much sense to you," she guessed.

A couple children shook their heads hesitantly.

"That's okay," her smooth yet slightly clattery voice said gently. "I don't think we're supposed to understand each other."

"That makes some sense, but why do you think so?"

Anna jumped and sucked in a breath, not expecting someone else to join the conversation.

An old man sitting a couple seats down nodded at her while the other adults around listened in interest, especially Misty's father who looked ready to attack an unknowing Anna a moment ago.

"I have an idea, but I'd like to hear why you think that is."

Anna glanced at the kids. They were losing interest in her anyway.

"Because you aren't human," she said, "I haven't been a…holiday spirit…for very long. But I'm noticing that humans are the only commonality among us. And each of the holidays seems to focus on a narrow aspect of humanity. Like…um…" she trailed off, but they waited for her to continue.

She cleared her throat. "Well, Thanksgiving is about remembering to be grateful and appreciate what you have. Counting blessings. Right?"

She was met with pleased, proud grins and enthusiastic nods.

Misty nodded her head so fast Anna was momentarily afraid it was going to come off.

"That's…. a big part of being a healthy minded human. If humans forgot how to be thankful, they wouldn't be able to appreciate other humans or find contentment in life. When humans can't find contentment or joy, that's where evil like greed and jealousy can breed."

She thought for a second to put her words in order. "Fear is an important part of humanity too. Without it, humans would do reckless and dangerous things with no conscience or concern for themselves or the well-being of others. It sounds a bit like tyranny, but healthy respect branches from fear, and love I guess. Without fear of something more powerful than themselves, like society or justice, then the difference between good and evil would never be defined. Fear reminds people they're alive and keeps them that way by reminding them they are limited in what they can control. Meanwhile, fear can also be thrilling and a reminder that the world is more colorful than first glance."

"But fear is dangerous is it not? It can be used to harm and control others."

"That's misusing and manipulating it. Fear itself is a good thing, but I think almost anything can be dangerous if there isn't balance."

"You're well informed for a spirit devoted to fear."

Anna smiled sheepishly. "…Thank you, I think?"'

"I'm curious as to how you're able to understand our Holiday. I can't even pretend to do the same for yours."

"Did you…Did Little Braid tell everyone what I am?"

Misty shifted impatiently so Anna let her go and the girl slid to the grass before running off to play with some other children.

"There's a rumor…" the woman who glared at her earlier said stiffly. She narrowed her eyes, "I heard someone mention you used to be human?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Anna stiffened at the sudden gasps and whispering. She guessed that most of them didn't believe the rumor before.

The old man didn't react. He simply studied her, taking a swig of the wine in front of him.

"I think…no…I know that has something to do with why I understand all the holidays," Anna said. "I celebrated everyone's Holiday when I was alive. I remember Thanksgivings with my family."

She shifted. It was a little silly to say but….

"You all did a good job last year. Thank you." Something hit her in the ribs, and her voice cracked on the last word.

Her last Thanksgiving. She was never going to have another Holiday with her family. Ever. Why did she ignore that realization?

She already had all of her "lasts" with them. Even going back to Washington wasn't going to change that.

The noise of the festivities quieted as her words were overheard. For a minute, the only sound was the game of telephone as surprised and shocked spirits relayed what she had said to those who didn't hear her.

There was a softening quiet as what she said reached everyone.

The heavy shift in the chill air was almost tangible.

Anna looked around in worry. Why were they all staring? She looked down only for a moment to nibble on a piece of cornbread to distract herself, and suddenly there was stillness. She looked up to find the entire visible town was staring at her as best they could from where they sat.

Did she do something wrong? Was she not supposed to touch the cornbread?

She looked across the courtyard for help from Little Braid, but the girl was wearing the same expression. Shock. Wonder. Awe. Pride. All of these were mixed together, yet overshadowed by an odd streak of surprised joy.

"What are you-."

"You're…thanking us?" Governor Hale said loud enough to be heard across the courtyard. The regal lady's voice was wavering.

Anna frowned. "Of course."

"We've never…."

Silence.

"No one's ever thanked us for what we do…" the Chief finished, his voice distant.

Anna stilled.

Humans didn't know where Holidays come from. They're just days—special days, but days nonetheless. Holiday towns devoted themselves to their Holidays without ever expecting any thanks or acknowledgment from the humans they worked for year after year.

And then here comes an outsider, someone who was one of the humans they served so dutifully.

And they're being thanked. For the first time in probably forever. Anna hadn't considered just how monumentally life-changing that might be, especially to creatures that made gratefulness part of their very being.

They're celebrating! They're thanking us for doing such a good job!

Where had she heard that?

Anna shook her skull slightly at a sudden headache. She thought she was done with those.

The quiet murmuring stretched on as the Citizens processed the unique gift Anna gave them.

"You're welcome!"

Anna smirked and laughed at the kid in the distance who suddenly jumped up to break the silence.

The tension disintegrated easily enough.

Anna smiled softly and looked back down at her food as conversation slowly resumed.

Someone sat next to her.

She looked down at the man in surprise.

"Greetings," he said awkwardly.

"Hi..."

He quickly held out a hand before he could think better of it. "I'm Joseph."

"Anna…" she grasped his hand and pumped it once before letting go. She could tell he was having a hard enough time as it was even speaking to her.

"I'm Misty's father. I almost came over to pull my daughter away from you."

"Oh…I didn't notice," Anna admitted nervously.

"Sorry she poked your…eye…She's very curious."

"It's okay. Curiosity killed the cat you know," Anna grinned.

He stared blankly for a second, not sure how to take that. In the end, he couldn't help cracking a smile at the friendly enthusiasm in the teen's voice.

Anna still didn't move from her seat. Now, people were getting up and coming over to introduce themselves.

Anna was talking with an older lady by the name of Mrs. Reminiscent about pumpkin pie when a certain teenager grabbed the back of her chair excitedly.

"ANNA!"

"AH!" Anna cried out and kicked her legs. She felt the small chair start to tip and panicked. But it was too late.

She blinked up at a group of concerned faces above her, her sockets clicking lightly.

She chuckled and groaned, swearing under her breath. There was a sharp pain in her spine, and the back of her skull was sore. Nothing too bad though.

This was starting to get ridiculous. She should just avoid top-heavy chairs until she got her fear under control.

The crowd of Thanksgiving Citizens leaning over her immediately started babbling in worry, asking if she was okay.

She just gave them strange looks at the bizarre concern at her stupid reaction. It wasn't something she was used to. She sat up, leaves clinging to her already tangled hair.

"What's wrong?!" Little Braid asked eyes wide as her loosening braid flopped in her face like a sad, limp tail. She was going to have to redo it soon.

Anna stared at her from the ground. Did Little Braid not realize that she startled Anna?

"Just…thinking of something…scary…" she lied.

Little Braid frowned. "You Halloween Citizens are weird."

"Thanks."

"Come on. Get up! The Chief and Governor want to speak with you."

Anna groaned, her bones creaking a little as she got up and assured Mrs. Reminiscent that she was fine.

The Chief raised an eyebrow at her somehow further disheveled look as the girls approached but didn't question it.

This table was empty of other Citizens and out of earshot.

"Have a seat Ms. Grisholme," the Governor said.

Anna eyed the chair distrustfully. "Can I stand please?"

"If you like."

Anna nodded and folded her hands behind her back. She noted Jasper and Zero approach out of the corner of her socket.

The cat and dog discreetly slinked under the table to listen in.

Little Braid sat in the seat next to the one Anna stood behind. It wasn't like anyone was asking her to leave.

"We'll be leaving for the Real World in about an hour," the Chief started, "Little Braid explained as much of your reasons for trespassing as she could, but we'd like to hear some things from you before we make our decision."

Anna swallowed and shifted on her feet for a moment. She looked off above their heads at the red leaves of the tree.

She still had the leaf things—the Thanks—she knocked off earlier.

Anna let her eyes roam around to keep from focusing on the co-rulers and panicking, knowing that they couldn't tell where she was looking.

"We have three choices," the Governor said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "First, we let you come through our gate with us, leaving you to your goals and devices in the Real World. Washington State correct?"

Anna nodded silently.

"Hm. Or we can have someone guard you and wait for your King to collect you as I'm sure you know he inevitably will."

Anna's face twisted a little.

Sarah found it amusing how expressive the spindly teenage monster was.

"…You said three choices?" Anna prompted politely.

"Before we tell you, please answer us," the Chief said, "We don't know much about Halloween besides what we've heard from Santa Claus and Jack Skellington. However, we find it hard to believe that any Holiday inhabitant would leave their town by choice."

Anna didn't react.

The Governor leaned forward and lowered her voice, "I only ask you this because we believe leaving behind your Holiday will be more damaging to your sense of self and sanity than anything else. I'm sure you sense this is the truth."

Anna's mouth formed a grim line, and she felt her joints tense and lock.

"What could chase you away from something your soul is meant for?"

"Must I answer?"

They both nodded.

The Chief explained, "It would be irresponsible for us to interfere in another Holiday. There's been enough of that. We must have an excellent reason for helping a Halloween Citizen desert their people. You realize this is what you're doing young lady?"

Anna nodded stiffly again.

"We won't speak about this with our people," the Governor added.

"I can leave," Little Braid piped up.

Anna gave her a sidelong look. She knew that personality….

Annalise had long figured out why she had gravitated toward the Thanksgiving Spirit.

Little Braid's personality was almost the same as Anna's when the skeleton was alive.

The skeleton hadn't noticed before, but the American Indian girl made her realize just how different of a person Anna was in death.

She blamed the fear. She used to be so much more confident, jumping into situations and figuring things out as she went.

Little Braid was like that. The only main difference was how logical Anna used to be. Little Braid was a little more...shoot from the hip, so to speak. A bit nosey and definitely more emotional. But she wasn't a prying busybody.

"You can stay," Anna muttered.

Her hosts waited for her answer.

The eight-foot-tall skeleton never looked smaller nor more fragile.

The leaders looked sorry for her but didn't back down.

"I…" Anna clicked her teeth loudly. "I wasn't originally running away forever. I just….it's been a bad week and I miss my family. A lot."

She scowled. "My little sister…she's getting herself hurt. I'm sure it's because she blames herself for what happened. I need to make sure she'll be okay. I just want to see my family for myself."

They didn't interrupt, but the leaders didn't look very happy.

"Once," she almost begged, "Just once. Just to prove to myself that they would be okay without me. I was going to go back to Halloween afterward, hopefully catching your gate before you closed it. I didn't think that far ahead. I was a little spiteful earlier, so I was fine with everyone thinking I was actually running away."

"But something changed?" the Chief prompted when Anna's pause stretched on.

The skeleton hung her head. "I…I…learned that the way I died… it wasn't just some stupid accident…" She looked up with a painful squint. "I'm mad, but not mad enough to go after the boys in my class responsible for what happened. They were just idiots," she clarified.

"…"

"I learned someone from Town is…" she trailed off and clenched her fist. "Someone from Town murdered me."

The Chief and Governor glanced at each other in shock.

Little Braid looked on in silent horror. She made a strange squeak but bit her tongue to keep quiet.

"Jack assured me that Halloween Citizens don't mean harm to humans," the Chief said blankly eyes narrowed.

Anna scowled at Jack's name, "That's true. But they weren't a Citizen when they killed me."

The Governor opened her mouth to ask for details before she shut it. They got the answer they needed. They didn't need to pry.

Still, she couldn't comprehend that someone would harm a fellow Citizen, regardless of their holiday.

"Very well. You'll join us when we leave," she said stiffly, not even needing to consult the Chief. They were always on the same page.

Anna breathed out sharply. Not quite a sigh, more of a stressful huff.

"And when Jack comes looking for you, which I'm sure he will, we'll send him in your direction."

Anna jolted and stepped back with a growl, "What?!"

"He needs to know of this," the Chief snapped, "This is a serious issue among his Citizens. Is he not the King?"

"Of course, but…"

"Then I'm sure as King, he needs to know one of his own harmed another."

He knows! Trust me HE KNOWS!

"I'm not going back!"

"That's your choice," the Governor argued, "Not our business, though we wish to discourage you. But Jack deserves a chance to convince you to come back."

"He deserves the chance to assure you you're safe," the Chief reiterated.

Anna snarled, more at the cruel irony than anger, though that was a part of it.

"Please just let me go," she pleaded.

"We can't do that. We leave in an hour after the Thanks on the tree are switched out. Stay near Little Braid. She'll make sure you're in the right place at the right time."

Anna clenched her fists, even the cracked one, her bones shaking weakly as she stared down at the golden red leaves at her shoes.

She didn't even ask what switching out the Thanks meant. She was a little too focused on not crying to say anything.

The Chief and Governor left after a long awkward moment, leaving Anna and Little Braid alone.

Little Braid frowned.

"You okay?"

"No."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No."

"Okay…"

Three more seconds and Anna suddenly turned on her heel and speed-walked toward the nearest alley with her coat rippling behind her, out of sight of strangers.

Little Braid hesitated, bothered by how smoothly the skeleton naturally moved. She needed to stay nearby so the monster wouldn't miss when they needed to leave. But at the same time, she didn't want to disturb her.

After a moment, the spirit followed the skeleton.

Under the table, the forgotten Halloween animals stared at each other, completely still.

Jasper glared at the dog, looking for any sign Zero knew what Anna was talking about.

"Zero…do you think she knew we were listening?"

"She forgot we were here, I'm sure…"

"…I'm not sure what to think…"

"That's new…"

"Idiot. Do you really believe someone we know killed her?"

"I don't know," the dog whined softly.

"That doesn't make any sense," Jasper purred thoughtfully, more to himself, "She said they weren't a Citizen when they murdered her, but they couldn't be a Citizen currently unless they died and arrived after her. But she's the only new arrival we've had in years. Interesting."

Zero was silent. He didn't know everything, but at least he had more pieces of the puzzle than the dumb cat.