Cobwebs Tend to Grow on Halloween

I don't own anything but my OC's.

Chapter 6

Everyone was silent.

Jack knelt in front of Cobweb, the shock still evident on his face. A limb-taking spider? Why? And who was the person in the coffin? The electricity?

Cobweb wiped his eye sockets clean of any tears. "That's it."

Jack held his head in his hands. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"It's alright, I'm glad I have my arm again." Cobweb said.

"Jack, could I talk to you?" Shadow asked.

"Of course."

They both got up and walked into the kitchen.

"Jack, maybe we should take Cobweb to Doctor Finkelstein." Shadow recommended.

"So he can experiment on Cobweb? No."

"But, Jack, maybe that would be best."

"Shadow, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Cobweb."

"I know, Jack. I don't doubt you. But maybe we should enrol him into a school."

"A school?" Jack asked, crossing his arms. "Shadow, Cobweb is terrified of anyone besides us and Zero. He wouldn't be able to cope in a school full of people he doesn't know!"

"Then…who will educate him?"

Jack paused in thought. "…I will. I'll teach him everything I know."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Shadow sighed with relief. If there was one person she could count on, it was Jack. She was sure Jack would teach Cobweb until Cobweb was a genius.

Jack turned and walked back into the living room.

"I'd best be on my way." Shadow spoke up.

"Alright. I'm sorry to have bothered you." Jack rubbed the back of his head.

"You didn't bother me, Jack. I care about Cobweb as much as you do."

With that, Shadow walked out shutting the door behind her.

Jack tilted his head. I care about Cobweb as much as you do. What did she mean by that? Yes, Jack did care about Cobweb. But…

Jack sighed. Maybe it was because Cobweb looked like Jack that he felt the urge to protect the boy. Over the few days that Jack had known Cobweb, he'd grown quite fond of him.

"Jack!"

Jack turned and speed-walked into the living room.

"May I have breakfast now?" Cobweb asked innocently.

Jack smiled. "Of course."

Both skeletons entered the kitchen, Jack getting the things needed for Cobweb's breakfast while Cobweb took a seat at the table.

"I'm going to educate you, Cobweb." Jack spoke up while he poured the milk into the bowl.

"What does that mean?" Cobweb asked, turning and kneeling on his chair to look at Jack.

"It means I'm going to teach you how to read, write and draw."

"Oh."

Jack placed the bowl in front of the child, who turned and sat properly on his chair.

Cobweb began eating his cereal eagerly.

Jack sat opposite him. "I'm sure you can read enough by now. You have been reading that Christmas book."

Cobweb nodded.

"But I'm still going to have to teach you how to write."

Cobweb nodded. "Alright."

"We'll get started after breakfast." Jack said, getting up and making himself a cup of coffee.

Cobweb ate in utter silence, minus the crunching noises when he ate the cereal and the soft clink! when his spoon touched the bowl.

After breakfast, Jack waited for Cobweb to change into his suit. While washing up, Jack thought of where to start with writing. Most likely the alphabet. Yes, then Cobweb would be able to write letters or notes if he wanted to. Perhaps even become an author.

Jack shook his head. "I'm getting too optimistic."

Jack left the bowl and mug to dry, wiping his wet hands on a towel before entering the living room, only to see Cobweb sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

"Come along, follow me." Jack said with a wave of his hand.

Cobweb followed him up the stairs.

…

"Alright, this is the letter 'J'." Jack explained, pointing at the J he had drawn on the board. "It's the same letter that begins my name." He wrote his name in chalk on the blackboard. "J-A-C-K."

Cobweb nodded.

"The lower case J looks like this." He drew the lower case version of J on the board.

"There is no J in my name, is there?" Cobweb asked.

"No. Your name is…" He wrote the boy's name on the board. "C-O-B-W-E-B."

"What's that squiggly one between B and E?"

"That's a W." Jack pointed to it. "Don't get it mixed up with the letter M." He drew the M on the board.

"I see." Cobweb nodded in understanding. "What about that spiky one after the C in your name?"

"That's a K." Jack responded. "It's the next letter after J." He pointed at the laminated list of the alphabet stuck to the blackboard with Blu-tack.

Cobweb nodded.

So far, Cobweb had understood everything Jack had said.

Jack knew Cobweb would pick it up fast. He was smart in his own special way.

…

Jack sighed and collapsed into his armchair. "Perhaps we should take a break."

Cobweb turned to him and nodded. "Hm."

"Shall we go for a walk?"

Cobweb shrugged. "Don't see why not."

Jack stood and took hold of Cobweb's hand and led him out.

They walked down the streets, people wishing them a good evening.

"Good evening, Jack." The Vampire Brothers greeted in unison.

"Evening." Jack greeted back.

"Would you like anything?" One of them asked.

Jack searched the stall with his eyes, looking at all the varieties of objects.

Cobweb looked over at the gates leading to the Pumpkin Patch and the Twisted Hill. He looked up at Jack, who was too busy looking at the Vampire Brothers' wares to notice Cobweb begin to slip away toward the gates.

Once he was sure Jack wasn't going to hear him, Cobweb ran and opened the gates; running freely into the Pumpkin Patch.

Cobweb skipped and twirled around the graves, laughing and feeling stupid. He liked Jack, but it was nice to be on his own sometimes.

Cobweb remembered when Jack had found him, when he was feeble and vulnerable. Now, he was clean, safe and happy.

Cobweb hopped from tombstone to tombstone, making his way to the Twisted Hill. He began climbing up the hill, steadying himself and holding his arms out. He reached the top and stared out at the sky.

Cobweb had heard the twisted part could uncurl and people could use it as a path back down.

Thinking about this, Cobweb took a step forward, only to see that the rumours were true. The twisted part began to unwind and Cobweb began to slip. He flailed his arms, trying to keep balance but failed miserably; as he was still slipping.

Just as he began shouting, he stopped slipping.

Cobweb opened his eye sockets. Well, this was odd. His feet were no longer on the hill, so why was he not falling? He was hunched over, arms and legs hanging.

Someone had taken hold of his tailcoat.

Cobweb looked back and gasped.

…

Author's note:

What is it with me and cliff hangers? Well, I don't know. I know some people call it 'Curly Hill' or 'Spiral Hill', but I've always called it 'Twisted Hill' so that's what I'm going to call it in this story. In the next chapter, we'll meet a new character that I quite like. Bet you can't wait, can you? No, I bet you can't! See you next time!