Chapter III
"Explanations"

"Just keep running," I murmured to myself. "Just keep running." I scooted along the stone walls and sprinted into Town Square. With a skid, I pivoted and hurried to my house. Up the stairs I went and I ran through the door.
"What's wrong, Dimitri?" I heard mom ask.
"Nothing." I replied quickly as I continued running. I continued up the stairs to my room and plopped down next to Zero. "Why," I asked Zero, "Does nothing ever work out for me? First my friend disappears from my life. Now she's back and she doesn't even remember me! How the hell could this get any worse?"

I heard a knock at the front door and I pushed my own open just enough so I could see what's going on.
"I'll get it, Sally!" I heard dad say. He walked "onscreen" and turned the knob and pulled it open.
Kate was there. "Hi, I'm—" Kate started.
"I know," Dad said, "Kate Johansson; I know all about you.
Kate looked a bit creeped out that he knew her name. "Yes. Dimitri Skeleton lives here, right?"
"That's 'Skellington', dear," dad corrected her with his skeleton grin. "Go up those stairs behind me and he's the first door you see.
"Crap!" I whispered to myself. "Why can't you ever be on my side, Dad?" I looked around and dove under my bed. I felt like a complete fool hiding under my bed from a human girl. But it seemed like a good idea at the time.
"Dimitri?" she asked. "Are you in here?" I could see her feet. She gasped when she saw Zero. "Aww, aren't you the cutest little thing?"
My ghostly pup barked happily, which I found typical.
"Do you know where Dimitri is?" Kate asked.
Again, Zero barked joyfully and zoomed under the bed where I was. He clamped his semi invisible teeth onto my hood and began dragging me out from underneath.

"Gee, Zero," I said sarcastically. "Thanks." I sighed, sat up on my bed, and turned towards the girl of my dreams. "Well, you found me."
"Yeah, I did." Kate replied with her arms crossed. "Now I want some answers."
"About…?"
"Where am I and how you know me? I can't even remember how I got here!"
"Well," I began, "This is Halloweentown. It's one of seven holiday towns that bring holidays to Earth. One day, I stumbled upon your planet and discovered you. You had a fight with your mother and went to a party without permission. You got drunk there and you began wandering around your hometown like an idiot. In your oblivious state, you got hit by a car and I dove to save you, which I did."
"Wait," she interrupted. "You were stalking me?"
"Uh, sort of…anyways, you woke up and we befriended each other. I took you here on Halloween night after your date for a Halloween dance at your school dumped you like a sack of potatoes. We danced on the crest of Spiral Hill," I pointed out the window to Spiral Hill. You could faintly see it from where we were, "and you…" I slowed down. "…kissed me…later on. The next day, your ex-date didn't take some sort of medicine and shot you to death. And you ended up here."
"I'm dead!" was the first thing Kate cried out. "Wait…how do I know what you're saying is true and that I really do know you?"
I was stumped. I couldn't think of anything that could persuade her.
"Well?"
Then I remembered. "The picture!" The picture we took in the photo booth (now framed) was on my dresser. I took it and handed it to her.
"Wow, this is wild!" Kate said in astonishment as she examined the snapshot. "Just waaay to wild…"
I agreed in my thoughts. I heard a knock at my door then. "Come in!"
My mom came in. "Are you kids having fun?" she asked.

"To put it simply," I replied, "No. Kate can't remember a thing."
Mom looked confused. "That's to bad." She muttered sincerely. She turned to Kate. "Do you have any place to go, sweetie?"
"I don't think so." Kate replied kindly.
"Dimitri's father and I discussed it and we agreed that you can stay here, if you like." Mom offered. "It'd be nice to have another woman in the house."
"I dunno…"
"Oh, come on, Kate," I egged. "You don't have anywhere else to go, do you?"
"I guess not." She said. "Alright, I'll stay."
"Wonderful!" mom said. "Come with me darling, I think I have something you'll like."

I sat on my bed with thoughts clouding my mind. I had to get Kate's memory back; she was a much better person with them. But how?