Chapter 4

You know how when you're about to die, your life is supposed to flash before your eyes? Yeah, well, I only saw one part of my life. The day that Jack sent us back to the Real World.

It wasn't like my vision blurred, and everything became wavy. No, it was more like I had just woken up from a dream. At first I could only hear voices. Lock was screaming, "NOOOOO!!!!! YOU CAN'T MAKE US GO!!!!!!" Slowly, my eyesight cleared, and the memory of that fateful day from my childhood played out before me.

I saw Lock digging his nails into the graveyard's dirt, his tail in Jack's left hand. Barrel and I were in Jack's other arm, writhing under his cold, bony grip.

"I told you, Lock, the town voted on you three going home, so I have to take you!" Jack grunted, pulling harder on Lock's tail. Barrel and I tried slowing Jack down, but our efforts seemed futile.

"Jack, please, PLEASE don't make us go back to the Real World!" I pleaded. "Our home IS Halloween Town!"

"Yeah! We love it here!" Barrel agreed, squirming to be at least a little comfortable under Jack's strong hold.

"I'm sorry, children, but everyone agrees that you three are just too much trouble!" Jack sighed, stopping in front of a huge mausoleum.

My cohorts and I wailed, sobbed, screamed, whined, ANYTHING to get Jack to change his mind. But the old boneman remained as steadfast as always and simply rolled his eye sockets at us.

"Okay, I know you three are upset, but making such a cacophony gets you nowhere. All it does is deprive you of your dignity!" Jack growled, officially annoyed at us.

But we ignored him, and continued making noise of such monstrous proportions, that Jack had to stick a lolly in each of our mouths to shut us up.

"Now look, it's not that I don't want to keep you three here. In fact, I would LOVE to have you guys join in next Halloween's affairs; you'd be such good scares!"

"I'm not a guy, I'm a girl…" I mumbled underneath my breath. Jack ignored me and continued his lecture.

"But, you worked for Oogie Boogie, and no one in town feels they can trust you. Perhaps sending you to the Real World is a little drastic, but it's what the town wants as a whole, and I can't go against everyone without starting a mob scene! I wish it didn't come down to this, but I'm going to have to send you through that mausoleum back to where you originally came from."

We weren't going to buy that crap, and Jack knew it! I, being the smart one of our trio, brought the old boneman back to reality. "Jack, we've lived in Halloween Town for, what, eight years now?" I started, my voice muffled a little by the lolly in my mouth. "We may have come from the Real World, but we've only lived there for one year! One year, Jack! And that was when we were infants! None of us remember anything from the Real World; their lifestyle, what's their norm, nothing! We don't even remember what it looks like! Yet you expect us to pop out of a random mausoleum, find ourselves a home, and live a successful life there knowing that there's a world better than that?"

He just remained silent. I hadn't really known it at the time, but what I'd said sent Jack into a never-ending spiral of doubt. So, instead of facing his one fear, he simply tossed open the mausoleum, threw us into the leering darkness, and waved a sad, bony hand in farewell.

We remained silent for a long time, the wind whistling around us, my right hand keeping my hat on my head. Barrel's voice was what broke the looming silence. "Lock, Shock…" We swam towards each other in the air. "No matter what happens, promise that we'll be friends!"

"You bet your ass!" Lock said. We grabbed hands, gripping each other tightly.

"And…let's make a pact!" I said. "Let's agree to find some way back to Halloween Town!"

"Yeah! I don't care when it happens, just as long as we get home!"

"I don't know if I could live without the scares!"

"Alright, then! Put your hands in the middle."

We each did so, and said together, "In the name of all that's good and scary, we will find a way back to our beloved Halloween Town!"

And, just as suddenly as it had enveloped me, the darkness faded. I opened my eyes, but everything was blurry. I coughed, and tasted the disgusting mix of salt and fish. I tried opening my eyes again, but this time everything was clearer. Now, a masculine face came into view. It looked so familiar, but my vision was so blurry, I just couldn't place my finger on who it was. I felt someone shaking me, and the face was saying a name that also sounded familiar.

"Shock, please, PLEASE wake up! Come on Shock, this isn't funny anymore! SHOCK!!!"

And then everything clicked. My memory came rushing back to me, as did my vision and oxygen. I felt a freezing chill envelope my body as I shivered on the cold ice.

"L-Lock…?"I mumbled softly, my teeth chattering. "Wh-what's wrong? Are you…c-crying?"

I sat up abruptly, but regretted this action soon after. I felt like screaming because of my massive headache, and my chest burned with every beat of my heart.

"OW!!!" I screamed, clutching my head with one hand and leaning on the other.

"SHOCK!!!" My three comrades shouted. Barrel and Darryl cheered in happiness, and Lock, who was sitting next to me, wiped his eyes. And then…I surprised myself! I wrapped my arms around Lock and gave him a big hug, collapsing onto his body, but not before quickly pecking his cheek. He hugged me back, and whispered into my ear, "Thank god you're alright!"

I opened my eyes in time to see a smug Darryl give a shocked Barrel a look that said, 'I told you so!' Hastily, I got up, pulling my hat down to cover up my blushing face.

"Come on, guys!" I said quietly. "We've still got a long way to go."

I picked up my now soaking bag that I'm guessing Lock saved when he saved me, and skated far ahead, ignoring the now fading headache. But, Barrel WAS one of the better skaters in the group. So, he caught up to me, and gave me a quizzical look.

"Hey, Shock," he said slowly. "I thought you liked Darryl?"

"Was it that obvious," I said, embarrassed at my recent behavior.

"No, no…it's just a gay thing! We can tell, just like a girl can tell if another girl likes a guy!" I stopped short. Luckily Barrel and I were so far ahead, we had some time to stop without being over heard.

"Back up…YOUR GAY?!" I gasped in a whispery voice. After all, Barrel had left this key fact of his life quiet, and I was curious.

"Well, yeah. I thought you knew? I mean, the signs were everywhere!"

"NO! HOW THE FUCK COULD I HAVE KNOWN! YOU NEVER TALK ABOUT IT!!!"

"Umm…that's beside the point! You're evading my question! Do you like Darryl or Lock?"

I sighed, trying to buy myself some time. But then I decided that I had to confess to SOMEONE. "I like them both! You see, Darryl's cute, and smart, and funny, and he's got that whole 'mysterious' factor going for him. But, I've known Lock so much longer, and I feel I can trust him more. I don't know who I like more, or even if either of them likes me back! I'm just really confused right now…"

Then, Barrel did the strangest thing. He started laughing. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed. He was doubled over, he was laughing so hard! I nervously looked behind us to see Lock and Darryl catching up with us, and fast! So, I dragged Barrel to his feet, and got us on the move again. He calmed down eventually, although he still chuckled every once in awhile.

"Honey, I've got the answer to all your problems! In fact, it'll make your life a whole lot easier! You see, DarryyyyyyyYYYYYYL'S-"

Sadly, Barrel never finished his sentence. Instead, he was sent tumbling into the mirage that mortals know as the horizon. Lock and Darryl skidded to a stop next to me and gazed in wonder at where Barrel had just fallen through.

You see, it's not like he just crashed into a picture that tore to shreds once he collided into it. No, it was more like a picture that had swallowed him whole. The only evidence of him was small ripples starting where he fell through.

My friends and I exchanged nervous glances, hoping that our other comrade wasn't hurt. I gulped hard, and…pushed the other two in before me with a small smirk on my face.

"YOU BITCH!!!" Lock screamed his voice fading as he fell through the picture. The ripples appeared again, only this time they started where Lock and Darryl had fallen.

I said a little prayer, shouldered my damp bag higher, and dove into the picture. All I could do was hope that what met me on the other side was the Forest of Nowhere.


A/N: Sorry to everyone who apposes me on the whole 'Barrel's gay' thing. I have many different theories on each of the trio, so don't resent me!! THERE! YOU HAPPY!? Ahem…excuse me for that…on with the disclaimer!

I only own Darryl and the plotline. Tim B. owns…well, everything else!