Me: Hi again! Well now, lets see where we left off…..
Oogie: I was cornered by Jack Skellington.
Me: Oh, that's right! Ok, let's take a vote: All in favor ofleaving Oogie cornered?
Jack, Sally, Andromeda, the mayor, and Zero: Aye!
Oogie: Oh come on! Zero doesn't even know what's happening!!
Me: So?
Oogie: So what makes you think I'm going to stay now?
Me: I know things, Oogie.
Andromeda: Like what? TELL ME EVERYTHING!
Oogie: I really don't like you now.
Me: Whatever.
Oogie didn't answer right away. He stared, dumbfounded, at Jack. He had never seen jack look so murderous! But, he could see desperation mingled with his loathing. He saw a tear leaked from the skeleton's socket, but he did not look any less menacing.
"I, uh, you see, Jack-" began Oogie, trying to calm jack down a little.
"Oh yeah, nice explanation, Oogie," answered Jack sarcastically. His voice was cracking with the effort of not killing the boogieman.
"Jack, I, um," tried Oogie again.
"Where. Is. She," said Jack slowly and viciously.
"Jack, you don't- "
"NO, OOGIE! WHERE IS SHE?!" he yelled, trying to hit the boogieman.
"Jack!" yelled Oogie back, but they were interrupted. Another person came through the trapped door.
"Andromeda!" said Jack, blinking in confusion. Oogie jumped, surprised, and looked over Jack's shoulder. There stood the princess, clutching a stitch in her side, and looking like she had just ran a great distance.
"Dad…." she gasped. "Mom said. You were here. I came to talk." Jack ran over to her. When she could breathe better, she hugged her father and stepped in front of Oogie.
Her expression changed from one of tiredness to one of pure hatred. Her eyes blazed like fire, and her face was slightly contorted with rage. She still looked very lovely, but extremely scary. When Oogie found the courage to look up, he felt ashamed by her loathsome expression.
"I hate you," she said bluntly, and dispassionately. Oogie felt stung by her words. "You are the most sadistic man I have ever met. You are evil, nefarious, and God forbid that a girl like me should ever again run into a big jerk like you." She glared at him for a few moments, awaiting his reaction. His face was one of deep pain. His eye sockets were closed tightly, and it was in a hoarse whisper when he answered, "I know." Andromeda stepped back, surprised, and her father raised his eyebrows.
He opened his eyes. "I know," he said, louder, to Andromeda. She stared at him, confused, noticing that he was wearing the same goofy expression he had been wearing when she smiled. Jack scoffed, saying, "And how am I or my daughter supposed to believe the Oogie Boogie man?"
The answer came to Oogie again. Maybe I don't want to be the Oogie Boogie Man anymore… when he thought this, his heart (yes, he has a heart, it's about the size of a cherry tomato) opened, and Oogie felt happier than he had ever felt. He looked up at the girl again, and noticed her looking at him strangely, as though surveying him. Her deep blue orbs stared in to his black pools of darkness. Her face held an unreadable expression, and Oogie was so happy to see her not glaring at him that he smiled. After this, she stepped back to talk to her father.
"He isn't lying," she said softly. Jack stared at her incredulously, and then at Oogie, but when Andromeda tapped his shoulder, he nodded, and allowed her to return to Oogie.
"Prove it," she said imperiously, but softer. Oogie nodded, moving towards the trapdoor. He held it open for Jack. "Come on!" he urged, gesturing towards the open door. Jack stepped through, glaring at Oogie. "One false move…" he threatened. He turned to his daughter, and said, "Dora, honey, you don't have to come with. I'd say stay here, but-"
"No, no, no," cut off the woman, giving Oogie a taunting leer rather like his own, "I just can't wait to see what the sorry boogieman has planned!" She stepped over the threshold. Jack stared at her, and mumbled, "That's my girl." Oogie forced himself not to laugh as he closed the door.
When they had reached the town, Oogie was more than a little surprised. he had not seen the town in over 16 years, and was always a little eager to go back. But seeing the citizens was a different story. He had always known that they hated him, but were too scared to admit it. And with Lock, Shock, and Barrel out there, it wasn't much of an argument who was scarier, Jack or Oogie. Jack had a way of controlling his power, and that mixed with his obvious wit and charm, deemed him the Pumpkin King. He was, ever since grade school, considered the most eligible bachelor in town, along with his good looks. But when they got older, Oogie vented his jealous feelings by turning into the most powerful being in town. Certainly, now that he was in the company of two Skellingtons, he would seem far less intimidating. Especially when one of them managed to trick him into letting them go.
The town was buzzing with anxious citizens. They had heard Jack storm away, but were uncertain as to why. Was the boogieman really still alive? And was their beloved princess in his grimy and evil clutches? When they saw Oogie, gasps and screams were heard all around. Oogie felt a rush of annoyance mingled with adrenaline. Beside him, Andromeda groaned loudly and obviously, and yelled out, "Quiet!" The townspeople became silent almost automatically. Oogie was impressed by her authority level over the town.
The young woman turned to him and nodded. Oogie stepped in front of the town, and finally looked everyone in the eye. The first person he layed eyes on was Sally. He finally saw the resemblance between Andromeda and her. She had inherited Sally's over long eyelashes, and silky brown hair. Her height was about equal to her mothers as well, and her soft expression could have only come from Jack's wife. She was looking at Oogie with a furious expression, and Oogie forced himself to look away. He took a deep breath, and began to talk.
"Citizens of Halloween," he said, his voice cracking out of embarrassment, "I have made many mistakes in my life. Mostly to this town, for which I take a reasonable amount of credit for. I am truly sorry for, er, taking," he gestured towards Andromeda, unable to say 'kidnap,' "your beloved town princess. He turned towards the girl. He felt confused and angry with himself for showing weakness, and more than a little stupid, but he looked at her. His guilty feeling inside subsided for a few seconds, and he felt unnaturally elated. But when he turned towards the town with an apologetic expression, saying "I repent, and am willing to except my consequence," he smiled a little.
Oogie turned back to Jack. "If you're going to kill me, you may as well get it over with," he said nonchalantly. The town gasped. Andromeda stepped in front of Oogie again. "That was amazingly unorthodox, Oogie," she said bemused. Oogie smiled. Amazingly unorthodox sounds goooooooood," he thought happily. "But if you were too, that is, if you, um, well, you can stay." Oogie grinned incredulously. "But, you've gotta go back to that casino you call a home, and if you ever lay another foot in town again, I will personally see to it that you do not live. You got that, boogie boy?" Oogie nodded. He left hurriedly. Well, he thought happily to himself, that could have gone worse………
When he left, the town burst into shouts and applause. Andromeda was enveloped in several well wishing hugs. Jack grinned at her. He held her tight in his skeletal arms. "You're going to make a fantastic pumpkin queen, Dora," he said quietly. Andromeda felt wet tears in her eyes.
Me: Well, all in all, some of my best work, I dare say.
Andromeda: (snickering) I can't believe you don't know what unorthodox means!
Oogie: Doesn't it mean good? You said it meant good!
Me: Yeah. Anyway, review! (P.S. sorry Oogie didn't die. I didn't want any confusing questions from exterminators.)
Oogie: Shut up.
Me: Make me, sack boy!