"Hello?" I said, entering a still house. Almost everyone was asleep… well Barrel was passed out on the table… and Ranchero was awake and clawed my leg to show it. I punted him into a full clothes hamper; Angeline would take care of it. I couldn't believe Nick was not only in Halloween, but was holding a serious grudge. Ever since he punched me in the gut I noticed something, he was stronger… much, much stronger. I left and went into town, to Jacks house. I knocked on the door, ringing the doorbell would wake half the town. After a few minutes The Pumpkin King was standing there, in his royal Pumpkin Pajamas.

"Will?" he asked, somewhat confused. "You're lucky, a half hour more and I would have settled into bed. Why so late at night?" He asked.

"Because something like this is too important to wait for morning." I said coldly.

"Oh. Do come in, tell me all about it." Jack said. We sat in his living room and he handed me a cup of coffee. "Your hands are shaking." Jack noticed.

"Jack, how much does a person change when they come here from the other side?" I asked.

"Well that usually depends on the person and the costume they were wearing I believe." Jack answered.

"Well I was in the exact place I woke up two Halloweens ago… A person came up out of a flash of light, a newly-dead. My old friend Nicholas. He was crazy, plain and simple. He was also strong, way stronger than he was in life." I explained. Jack picked up two books, one of which I recognized. "That second one, it's a book on the occult. Nick had it when we were alive, he was working on decoding it."

"This book also has information on the holiday worlds. With this if you timed your death to the exact second you could end up here easily. And this other book, it can only help if you open it." Jack explained. I opened it and A picture of Nick slowly formed on the page. Jacks eyes widened as he looked through all his books until he pulled out another one I also recognized.

"Nick had that book too." I said, remembering looking at the pictures.

"This is a book of demons, powerful ancient demons. They were around when the holiday worlds were still created. According to this book when they were born out of hell, lord declared them to pure for that realm but not enough for earth or heaven." Jack started. "He then created a new realm. The oldest of which died and his death split the realm into smaller pieces, with one of the master demons on each piece."

"Where does Nick play into all this?" I asked, sipping at my coffee.

"Each of the Demons, without the magic auras of the others, grew old and as they did their small chunks of land flourished, and when they died the last bits of their magic created invisible bridges between life and death, letting mortals on the brink pass over at certain times." Jack continued.

"TELL ME HOW NICK IS INVOLVED!" I seethed.

"Please, don't yell, this is important." Jack said, finding a picture and showing it with the picture of Nick that formed in the book, they were extremely similar, but the part that stood out the most was the severed arm connected to the shoulder by a length of chain. "This was Jaq Hallow, the second most powerful of all the demons, the first being the one who split the realm into many others. Your friend Nick must have timed his death and wore a Jaq Hallow costume."

"And thought there was a chance of finding me. The originals were somewhat pure, but with Nick playing around in the form of a powerful demon I would be scared. And he's not only doing that, he's gone insane, it's like feeding pure anger to a gorilla that already has a half dozen grenades." I said, lowering my head. "Thanks Jack, sleep well. If the guys come over, explain this all to them." I said, leaving.

I walked home and thought a bit. I decided to do a few things, first of which was to put a pillow under Barrel's head, because he was still sleeping on the table. I got Tut's favorite chew toy, which I kept on the high shelf to punish him for biting me, and put it by his bed as he slept. I then checked on Alex. "I'm sorry." I said quietly before leaving a note by her bedside.

Dear Alexandra, Angeline, Barrel, Lock, Shock, and Tut, certain things have come up which have made me too dangerous to live with, to keep you all safe, the people who took me in and gave me friendship… and a few concussions, I must go. Don't try to follow me, it will only put you in horrible danger. If I get the chance I will visit, but it can and will only be a few hours. I need to keep moving, and keep you all safe. There is something horrible going bump in the night, and until I bump it back into hell, it's better you are all away from me.

-William Oliver Cody Jr

P.S. Alex, don't doubt this for a second, I love you.

P. P.S. Lock and Barrel, stay the hell out of my room.

A/N: Woah, with the first in the series it was just boredom, this one has been worded way better, and the whole demon realms thing, I made it all up as I went along… I am really getting better at all this.