This story is dedicated to my hamigo Heather She gave me the idea and ambition while we were watching N.M.B.C. so I'm gonna try the best I can to see this story through. None of the characters belong to me; they are all creations of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman (music wise). With out further ado, here we go . . .
WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS MILD LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SCENES, AND YAOI!!! THINK OF THESE FACTORS, BEFORE READING!! DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU!!!
~ Wine Barrel ~
Voices. A few voices; some squeaky, some annoying, some . . . peaceful.
"Dr. is he going to be okay?" That voice. So beautiful, so magnificent, so . . . familiar.
"Be quiet, and let me work! If he wakes up, I'll have to start over!" Silence. For some reason, my eyes failed to open, but my hearing was in tune with everything around me. Another voice; this one was just as familiar, only more annoying.
"Where was he?" Back to that sweeter voice.
"I found him while I was walking in the woods." Another voice followed. "What an idiot. What did he do to himself?!" It was obvious, the only voice that one could belong to was Shock. No one could mimic her obnoxious high-pitched screech. But who was the mysterious voice that sounded like a piece of heaven?
"He was lucky you found him when you did Jack. If he had been found any later, his broken bones would have completely decayed. He's also lucky that I have spare bones here in my lab." So the groggy one was Dr. Finklestein, and the heaven-sent one was Jack?!? Jack found me!!! Does that mean he carried my defenseless and limp body all throughout town???
"Why were you in the forest anyway Jack?" Using my common sense and knowledge, I could tell that that annoying voice was none other than Sally. I also figured that if Shock was also here, then Lock was here as well, probably keeping his mouth shut.
"Quick Jack, he's waking up! Hand me the mummy's wrap!" It was hard to tell, but I felt some kind of cloth being wrapped around my arm, and possibly my leg.
It was about time that my eyes came to. Finally, my vision was as clear as well, day (or night, if you still consider the possibility that we do in fact, live in Halloween Town.) There were at least 5 different faces surrounding me. On my left was Dr. Finklestein sitting in his wheelchair holding some very thick thread and some kind of cloth (mummy's wrap?). Next to him was Lock looking on curiously, but at the same time keeping his mouth shut. On my right, was Shock and Sally; each giving concerned yet disapproving glances. And straight in front of me was Jack. What astounded me the most was that his face couldn't have been more full of worry and concern. For a few minutes they just sat there, as if they expected me to say something; not like I was going to actually ask where I was (considering that I all ready knew that I was in Finklestein's lab).
I just looked about the room and then stared up at them and said. "What?"
Expecting silence, I just sat there until a hard slap to the back of the head woke me fully.
"You're such an idiot Barrel! You can't do anything right!" It was Shock (who else would it be?). "I should have expected that from you Shock." She kept silent after that; I suppose she still remembered what happened earlier. The silence was killing me; I was lucky that Finklestein spoke up.
"Lad, what exactly were you doing that got you into this mess? More importantly, why were you and Shock stealing my hexing potions?" Apparently Shock confessed. Instead of telling him the truth, I decided to tell him only what they 'wanted' to hear; after all, I was good at persuasion.
"Experimentation is all. You see, being the age that I am, I figured that you wouldn't likely give the potions to me. You should know doctor. Experimenting is your life. You know what it's like to not have that certain ingredient . . . it ruins everything, doesn't it?" Did he buy it? He was laughing. But it wasn't in a bad way. I think he bought it.
"Well, when you're right your right, experimentation is the basis of all life and death situations. Without one ingredient, everything could fail in itself. But that still doesn't explain one thing."
"And what is that doctor?"
"The glass."
"What glass?"
"When Jack brought you to me, I inspected your arm along with the rest of your body and found many shards of glass. Explain that."
I definitely couldn't tell the truth on that one; no one would believe me anyway.
"Experimentation."
"Experimentation? Explain this one lad."
"Well, you see earlier on, I had put a few drops of the hex potion on my arms and legs. Considering the hex potion is a VERY powerful potion that can be used for multiple purposes, I wondered if it would grant me temporary invulnerability. Though, perhaps jumping out of a glass window from many stories up was a bit much for just a few, small droplets of the hex potion. . ."
Apparently, I had everyone fooled, fore their gazes seemed not as appalling (well leaving out Jack's gaze of course) as they had been when they had first awoken me. I happened to glance at Lock and Shock; the two of them were silently cheering; good thing that I'm a master of persuasion. Dr. Finklestein laughed again "M'boy, who knew you were such a little chemist?!?" The rest of them smiled; even Jack edged a smile which I had to cover my face to prevent myself from blushing.
"How 'bout this boy. I will forgive your adolescence with a little bit of charity. In exchange for the stolen bottles of hex potion, you will work part-time helping me with my various experiments. Perhaps, you might find something to your liking?"
This was definitely intriguing. A proposition like this was once in a blue moon, especially from an old crone like Dr. Finklestein. Instead of agreeing immediately (which I was going to anyway), I thought that playing with Sally's feelings might be a little bit of fun.
"Well, as much as I would love to be your personal assistant, I'm afraid there wouldn't be any room for me . . . well, with Jewel and all." I decided to give an innocent face (which isn't easy to pull off considering you're covered from head to toe in scratches, bandages, and dried blood.
"Nonsense! Jewel is my life partner, she is not my assistant. Well I suppose she assists in certain things, well more particularly things my 'first' assistant couldn't manage." How hysterical I found this to be; Dr. Finklestein was of course referring to Sally, and we all know that Sally was just too spoiled, too good, and too smart to do anything that was asked of her. The look on Sally's face was filled with sadness and regret. If I had the time, I would continue this conversation till she burst to tears, but alas, other things were on the agenda.
"About your proposition; what times do you expect me to work?"
"Early dusk, till I say you can leave. Is that reasonable enough?"
Did I have the choice? "Yes. You've got yourself an assistant."
One thing that I could tell was that Shock, nor Lock looked too thrilled about it; in actuality, I didn't think much of it. More possibilities and factors. How interesting.
"Now, it's getting late boy. Why don't you and your siblings get home before it gets dark?" I didn't bother to correct him; like said: no one takes a "child" seriously . . . Lock and Shock opened the door for me and Jack handed me a bone-like crutch for me to use. I inspected the crutch, and to my amazement, the craftsmanship was absolutely beautiful.
"Did you make this?!?" The second I said that I closed my mouth shut. He didn't look surprised; in a way, he actually looked kind of happy, but at the same time, he had that gloom that presided with him constantly. "Yeah, the Dr. had many spare bones and parts and so I started to work on one, well . . . considering the time I have now."
He really did quit. After looking at the crutch, I saluted them and saw myself out along with Lock and Shock.
Next dusk wasn't as pleasing as I had hoped (well, then again, hoping that Oogie would take it lightly was definitely off the list) . . . Shock kept her distance from me, but had no trouble telling Oogie how much of a screw up I was. Lock just sat in the corner, trying to stay out of the way. "You did WHAT?!?!?" Before I could actually say anything, Shock took the case.
"This idiot can't even steal a crumb let alone potions from Finklestein. I mean, how hard can it be to steal from an old codger like Finklestein?!?" The only thing I could do was point my head downward, and offer a "sincere" apology in the best way possible to Mister Oogie. "Mister Oogie . . . I didn't mean for this to happen, but I promised the Dr. that I would help him . . . to refuse such a thing would be for the worst." Oogie pondered for a moment.
"I suppose you're right Barrel . . ."he sighed disappointedly. "After all, no one knows that I'm alive yet, well except for you three."
I watched him pace about the room back and forth. "You really screwed up this time Barrel!" My glance was only able to leave the floor for a moment to realize that Shock wasn't wearing her mask. Calmly I decided to raise my head a little to focus back on Oogie.
"So when do you start?" All eyes were again on me; not that it bugged me all that much.
"Tomorrow . . . Dr. Finklestein made it clear that he meant"immediately". In return, all Oogie could do was shake his head in disapproval. The most surprising thing however, was that he wasn't being extremely over the top, like he normally is if it's the three of us (or just Shock).
There was a time that Oogie did tell me that I was the closest thing he had to a real son, but that was also the same time that Oogie added a rather distasteful stinkbug to his "collection". Then again, perhaps it was me who found Oogie . . . At that moment, my thoughts vanished, all that came to me were images of my "arrival".
I remember coming to Halloween Town; being for that moment in time the fascinated and admired. How old was I? I want to say around 6. As the weeks went by, my popularity died down, leaving me with nowhere to live. I roughed in the streets for the longest time, where I met Lock and Shock in the same position. Instantly, we made a strong team, but how I remember even then, Shock was a pest. The three of us were considered "friends" back then, and originally we were the ones who built the tree house above Oogie's base.
It was funny how I met Oogie. He was a small insignificant little beetle that just happened to be crushed under my feet. I can still remember what he said when I stomped on him.
"Little brat! How dare you step on me! I am the shadow in the night! I haunt your dreams! How dare you crush the Great Oogie?!?" Even then his tiny head was over inflated.
Looking back at my memories was wasting what little freedom I had still had left. In a few hours, I would have to face the music, whether I liked it or not. With the 'dignity' that I had left, I lifted my head to the aloofness of Lock, Shock, and Oogie.
"Mr. Oogie, sir," I felt the stares of Lock and Shock, but Oogie refused to turn around. All that came out was a simple "huff". "Mr. Oogie sir, why don't we pick out a night where everyone least expects us to commence our operation?" Still, the glares of Shock and Lock were cast upon me. Another "huff" from Oogie.
"Think about it Mr. Oogie! If I work for Finklestein, getting supplies will be a cinch! Conjuring spells to our advantage. Think of it Mr. Oogie! Finklestein will be the key to Jack's downfall!"
It's just as the saying goes: Lock, stock, and barrel. Oogie bought it. That same spark since day one lit up in Oogie's eyes, except I was surprised at what happened next . . .
Early dusk, I headed to Finklestein's. Still carrying crutches, as well as sporting a few itching stitches here and there, I walked down the cobblestone paths of Halloween Town, watching as the massive black tower edged closer into view. What would he have me do first? Find some Rat Tails? Pluck the petals of an odorous, prehistoric Stench Plant? Make him a fungus infested sandwich? All of the options sounded so exhilarating. But then what good was Jewel? On second thought . . . I'd rather not know . . .
I approached the coal, black observatory as clear as, well . . . dusk. The beastly building towered high over the town like a demanding behemoth. I saw why Finklestein didn't often get visitors. My hand reached toward one of the black iron doors and with the strength I could sport, with my crutches and my bad arm, and all, I knocked on the door and waited for a response. To my utter surprise Dr. Finklestein answered instead of his assistant Jewel.
"I've been expecting you." The look on my face, must have been shocked, fore he chuckled a few times. To tell the truth, I wasn't shocked at the sight of the observatory, or the fear of Dr. Finklestein, but at the fact that an old fart was able to answer the door SO quickly from a wheelchair!!!
"Follow me." His wheelchair turned toward the spiral ramp leading upwards, and squeaked here and there as he descended. "Hurry up, boy!" He was losing his patience. Breaking the daze I was in, I followed him for several minutes up the ramp, in one of the most awkward silences I will never forget. Finally, we reached the top floor, and Finklestein led me into the room with the same closet that we tried to steal from.
"Now, for your punishment." I must not have realized my expression yet again, because he took great pride in handing me a broom larger than myself and one of the tiniest dust pans that I had ever seen, and said
"NOW GET TO WORK!"
I looked around the room. The entire place was covered in cobwebs, dust, mold, and even a bit of fungus in the corners . . . to be perfectly honest, I didn't understand why I was cleaning it. I mean, doesn't Halloween Town normally sport these kinds of things? Before I could say anything, Finklestein interrupted,
"You can start with all of that shattered glass in my potions closet." Realizing that I should keep my mouth shut, I sighed and began cleaning. Originally, cleaning would have been an easy task (and kind of an enjoyable one, considering that I'm kind of a neat freak deep down), but the fact that I had the largest broom in the world, matched with the world's smallest dust pan, didn't make the job easy(don't forget the pain, stitches, and the task of keeping myself upright with crutches). Not to mention, Finklestein watched as I cleaned the entire time.
I figured that maybe I could prevent a little of the misery by engaging in conversation. "So, professor, where's Jewel?" "Is that any of your concern? Get back to work!"
Well, I can't say that that worked like a charm . . . I decided to continue cleaning up the remnants of the glass.
"She's out" I turned around.
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"You heard me. She's out . . . running errands . . . or something."
"I see . . ." I see? What kind of conversation was that? Damn my social skills to hell!
"Don't miss that rat pile over there. It's been piling up for a few years now." He cackled a few times, but ended it with a few terrible coughs. I watched as he moved his wheelchair over to a table and began fixing some tea for himself. By this point, my throat was beginning to dry from all the debris and dust. Beautiful steamy rifts came out of the teacup as he poured the sweet, enchanting liquid. After taking a few sips he looked at straight at me.
"What? Do you want some?" I knew that he wouldn't give me any, but pathetically, I shook my head yes non-stop. "Tea isn't free, boy, do you know that?" I didn't bother to respond. "Organize my vials alphabetically, and I'll give you a taste." I turned toward the closet and began placing a jar of Worm Wart next to a jar of Viper Spines.
"No, boy, Follow me." Again, Finklestein led me to the large spiral ramp and we descended to a lower room with a large lock on the door. From his doctoral coat pocket, he pulled out a large key that fit snuggly into the harsh looking door. For a few minutes I could hear the grinding of the metal as the door was unlocking itself. When the screeching finally stopped, the massive doors opened to a large corridor that reached so far that my eyes were unable to see the end. Finklestein then handed me a lantern that he took off of a nearby shelf, lit it, and then handed it to me.
"Get to work."
The moment I lifted the lantern to my face, I saw the entirety of the room and I swear that my white complexion grew even whiter. The ceilings seemed about as tall as the observatory itself, and the hallway, like I stated previously, still looked almost endless. I felt a deep pain in my chest, and then I realized that I was having a heart attack . . . Dr. Finklestein left me to organize the jars alphabetically, but not without locking the giant doors behind him. Trapped in a room that felt like a wine cellar full of nothing but darkness and rats . . . It was then that I knew that this was going to be a long night . . .
***So here is the third chapter!!! ^^ I hope you guys are enjoying this story, and I hope to continue on it as much as I can. Meanwhile, thankies so much for reading, and I look forward to any reviews and future readers XD***