DISCLAIMER: These characters aren't mine in any way shape or form. The idea is all that is mine. Besides that, Halloween town, Jack, Sally, Dr. Finklestein, Lock, Shock, and Barrel all belong to the genius that is Tim Burton.

WARNING: This has many references to blood and many disgusting things to read (and write about). This chapter is why this fiction is rated R.

Chapter two

She was cleaning the windows when he came in and saw her. It had been ages, it seemed, since he had seen her, but she didn't look as if she noticed him.

"Sally," he called out to her. She didn't turn around. He repeated her name, hoping that she would notice him, he needed to see her face just once more...yet she continued to clean the windows, her arm going in a smooth, circular motion and paid him no attention at all. There seemed to be music coming from somewhere, going in exact tempo as Sally's strokes.

"Sally!" he cried out to her. He needed to see her. It was an obsession; his life would end if she didn't turn around this instant and notice him. "Look at me!" he screamed. "Acknowledge me! " still, no answer. "Love me! "

Dr. Finklestein jolted awake. It was only a dream. He hadn't really meant that. He had never loved Sally. She was only his servant, his excuse for someone to talk to.

"Igor!" he called out angrily. It was dreadfully silent, compared to his dream. There seemed to be music playing in the background, accentuating her soft auburn hair and her pale blue skin...no, it was just a dream. Dreams didn't mean anything.

"Igor!" he called again. What was it with people and not hearing him? Igor soon came hobbling out of the hallway and into his bedroom. "Bring me my chair," he obeyed immediately; he swerved the doctor's wheelchair up to his bed, picked him up, and carefully set him in it.

Dr. Finklestein wheeled himself over to the window near his bed. His gaze traveled, once again, over to the Skellington house. What an ugly tower. Who would buy a tower like that?! Only Jack. Why would Sally ever want to live in a place like that when she had a beautiful tower like this? The doctor glanced around his own tower. It was nice, why would anyone hate it here? Maybe Jack is her reason for moving. Perhaps he brainwashed her into thinking that he loved her and that's why she moved. Not the tower. I'm sure she's realizing what she left behind. Perhaps I could help her. He began thinking.

"Tell Lock to sweep the floor of my lab. Shock should start preparing breakfast. Barrel...I need to see him personally," Igor obeyed and left the room.

"Good morning," a voice whispered softly to Sally, who was lying across the bed on her back with her hand slung over her eyes. She slowly opened them, focusing on Jack's hollow eye sockets.

"Good morning," she replied, smiling. She sat up and looked around the room. Christmas-free and spotless. "We did a nice job last night, don't you think?" she asked. He was quiet for a moment. She turned around and looked at him. He was staring at a spot on the wall, his head slowly turning to look around the room.

"Remember?" Sally said, hiding the panic in her voice. Jack was forgetting more frequently nowadays. She wished that he would just remember for once... "Jack, last night?" He looked at her with a blank expression on his face. "We cleaned up your room. It had decorations from last Christmas in it." A blank look. "Jack, please, remember..."she said, pleadingly. Realization enveloped his face and he suddenly brightened up and smiled.

"Yes, I remember now. The decorations from when I came up with the idea to take over Christmas. Yes, I remember," Sally felt relieved.

"Jack, when is this going to get better?" she asked, touching his skull lightly.

"I don't know, Sally...I'm not sure why it's happening either," he looked confused. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through his. I don't know how it started, so I don't know how it's going to stop," he glanced at her face. Sally felt hopeless. Is he just going to keep forgetting and forgetting? Will he eventually forget that he loves me?

"Jack, I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid that you'll wake up one day and forget who you are," she said, pleadingly...I wish this would just go away...

"I love you, Sally. You are a part of me and I can never forget you, so I can never forget who I am. You help me remember. Thank you," he hugged her. She leaned into the embrace and inhaled deeply.

"I love you, Jack," she whispered. A moment's pause.

"I love you too, Sally."

"Barrel," the doctor said, staring menacingly down at the small boy, "I have a special job for you," Barrel waited. "Well, you should be excited, boy, should you not?! I'm giving you a unique job, apart from the slave work your siblings must oblige to! Show some enthusiasm!" It took Barrel a while to comply. He eventually feebly bobbed up and down once, and said, whispered,

"Yay," the doctor silently rolled his eyes. Great. I picked the stupid one. Oh well, he'll die anyway. The doctor opened his mouth and considered how he should respond to this obvious lack of respect. He decided to let it slide.

"Good. Now, you will follow me down to the dungeon. We must build something. Do you like explosives, boy?" Barrel gave a small nod. "Good," the doctor said, wheeling his way towards the dungeon, smiling balefully.

Shock glanced over at the stove. She was supposed to cook?! Yeah, right. Oogie Boogie never wanted them to cook. All he wanted them to do was bring him things to eat. Never actually cook... if Oogie were still alive, he would have stopped Dr. Finklestein from doing this. After all, old business partners had influence over what people did, most of the time. Though, the doctor might just be crazy. He spend like, three years down here all by himself?! No wonder he built that rag doll. The doctor wasn't much of a family guy, either, so why would he be pleased in the company of Igor, his only son? It's a shame his wife didn't decide to come down to Halloween town along with himself. I wonder what happened to the doctor's wife. Well, he must have had a wife...unless they just, had a kid...eww...I don't want to think about that...she giggled to herself. She sighed. What am I supposed to do around here? She stood on a stool and looked through the cabinets in the kitchen; some Fog Juice, Wormswort, Deadly Night Shade...Deadly Night Shade? Shock began to get ideas...

Sally looked out the tower window to her old home. The fat, ugly tower loomed back at her, almost calling to her...she turned away. I never want to step foot in that place again. She began to wonder if the doctor was being served well by his new wife. She was probably his most precious dream. Sally rolled her eyes. It wasn't her fault that she had turned out the way she did. It was his fault, after all. He made her. She looked down at the stitching on her arm and started picking at it. The sewing slowly came undone and she stared at the paper that was inside her. Slowly, she took some out and looked at it. This was what she was made out of. Thin sheets of paper. How wonderful. She jammed the sheets back up her arm, forcefully took out her sewing needle, and began stitching herself up. Jack needs help. He needs his memory back; he needs a doctor. She paused, turned around and looked out the window. But the only doctor is Doctor Finklestein... she turned around. Well, If I don't have to go in, I'm fine. He can go by himself. If it's the only thing that will help him...

"Jack," she called out into the distance. She heard him coming up the stairs behind her. She didn't turn around, but kept looking out the window.

"Sally, what is it?" he said as soon as he came within arms reach. Sally kept looking out the window.

"You remember Doctor Finklestein, don't you?" A pause. Sally closed her eyes forcefully and willed him to remember.

"Yes. I remember him. The guy in the wheelchair, right?" Sally nodded.

"I think he can help you,"

"Good, Barrel. Yes, just connect that wire to that one...that's a good boy," the doctor rolled his eyes. He hated being this nice. Actually, he hated children. Especially stupid ones who didn't know what they were doing and obeyed every single thing that they were told. But, well, that was the good part – they would do whatever he said. Perhaps even die. The doctor smiled.

"Like this?"

"Yes. Just like that, you've got it. Now, stay in this room and let me go outside. I need to test something," the doctor wheeled himself away from the padded room. It looked a lot like a room for the insane, where people in straight jackets would go. Just as well, it was used to deafen the sound of explosives. As soon as the doctor got out of the room, he shut the steel door tightly and dead bolted it. Barrel gave a frightened cry.

"It's all right, Barrel, this is just for your protection," he yelled. He didn't care if he had heard him or not. Doctor Finklestein then wheeled himself into another room with a window into the padded room, where he could see. It was about as big as his head, and as big as the glass in the door. There was a control panel in front of him with many buttons. He selected one and his finger hovered over it. Barrel sat in the room, oblivious, watching the doctor smiling at him.

"Now, can you hear me?" the doctor asked. Barrel nodded.

"Can I leave?" he asked. The doctor rolled his eyes.

"No. Now, where is the explosive?" Barrel pointed to something that was right under the window. "Move it to the back," he instructed. Barrel obliged. The explosive now sat near the back of the room, waiting, while Barrel sat near the front, wondering what the doctor was doing.

"Now. Close your eyes. I don't want you to see what will happen; it's a surprise," he said. Barrel closed his eyes. The doctor smiled. He pushed the button. A dull thud was heard as the explosive went off. The doctor watched as everything in the room exploded to pieces.

Shock heard a dull thud, but thought nothing of it. The doctor must be experimenting. She abruptly looked up as Lock walked into the room. He looked like he had been working.

"What have you been doing?" she asked.

"Cleaning up his lab. It's disgusting. Igor...I don't think he's, ah, trained," Shock looked confused.

"To do what?" Lock looked uncomfortable.

"Erm, to, uh, use the ...uh, restroom,"

"Oh, disgusting!" Shock looked appalled. Then, she began laughing. "You had to clean it up!!! Oh, that's great! Wait till Barrel hears about this!" they both started laughing.

"I wonder what he had to do," Lock said aloud. Shock shrugged.

"Something Barrel-like, I don't know. We'll ask him tonight," she said. She pictured her little brother's face as they told him about Lock having to clean up feces. She smiled.

The doctor then wheeled into the room, smiling.

"There's something that you need to clean up downstairs,"

"He can help me? Sally, I though the was evil..." Jack said, staring at her unbelievably.

"I know, I know," she said, walking toward the middle of the room, "I just think that it's our only hope. I mean, he's a doctor, isn't he? He'll probably know what to do...and you just need to watch him wherever he goes, and make sure he doesn't give you some pill to make you die slowly or something dreadful like that..." Sally said, restlessly. Jack began to think. Well, if Sally wants me to go...I'll go...

"Alright. I'll go," Sally turned around and grinned at him. She ran up and leaped into his arms. He laughed, and then felt for sure that this would help; going to the doctor's house would solve the problem and Sally wouldn't be so worried anymore, and then they could get married and live in peace...he smiled honestly. "Thank you for mentioning this to me. I think it would help. When should I go?" Sally looked at the grandfather clock. It was noon.

"Now would be the best time, I think. Don't you?"

"Yes. The earlier the better," Jack set Sally down and began to walk towards the stairway. He looked back at Sally. She looked beautiful, standing in the light of the window. "I love you," Sally smiled warmly at him.

"I love you too,"

Shock opened the door to the room that they were supposed to clean. A stench of blood sprang to her nostrils and she immediately retreated, not believing what she was seeing...what she was supposed to clean...her brother looked at her and the stared into the room.

"I can't...I can't..." she said to him. "You go...I can't look and see what that is..." Lock looked at her again and walked into the room. He almost slipped on the blood. The room was covered in red. There were some soot marks from what seemed to be some explosive, and over by the window...

Lock stomach heaved. No, it couldn't be...

"Barrel. Barrel, my God, it's Barrel...Shock..." a pause, "...he killed Barrel..." Shock almost collapsed, leaning against the wall.

"What??!" She gained her strength and walked into the room and the sight met her eyes. Barrels head, burst into what seemed like a million pieces, all smeared on the window, the blood marks of his broken body laying on the floor...

"Oh God...Barrel...our little brother, Barrel..."

"Well?! Clean it up then!" the doctor had wheeled up behind them in their brief mourning period. Shock slowly turned around and stared into the doctor's glasses with pure hatred.

"I will make sure you die slowly and painfully," Shock whispered. The doctor looked unfazed.

"Not if I kill you first," he smiled. "Clean it up, if you don't want to be next," he said, amused.

Shock looked over at Lock, her eyes passing over the devastation that was Barrel. Understanding passed through both of their eyes, and they picked up their rags, mops, and buckets (they were also handed a bag for the whole parts of his body) and started cleaning. The rags were useless, a small amount of blood would fill them up. They used the mops and filled the buckets, and by the time they had cleaned up most of the spilt blood, they began mopping and scrubbing the blood stains that had gotten into the foamy walls. Lock picked up the whole pieces of his little brother: a finger, a toe, a tooth. Smoldered strands of hair. The tears running down Shock's faces burned as she scrubbed the walls, always hating the doctor, always. She vowed vengeance on her brother. She didn't notice when the doctor left. She just kept scrubbing the remains of her brother.

The doctor opened the door. The doorbell had rang while he was observing Barrel's cleaning; he didn't want anyone else to see what they were doing, so he wheeled himself over to the door.

"Jack Skellington!" he said, sounding nicely surprised. Though, inside, a totally different emotion took place. What is he doing here? Who sent him here? Has he found out about my plan? Of course not. Nobody could figure out my plan. Has he, perhaps, dumped Sally and wants me to take her? Maybe the boy has some sense in him. What does he want?

"Doctor. I have a problem, and I was hoping that you would be able to fix it," the doctor smiled. This is too perfect.

"Of course, my boy, come in, come in. What is it that I can help you with?" the doctor looked expectantly up at him, a hidden hunger in his eyes.

"Well, I've been forgetting lately...I can't remember things as well as I used to, I mean," he gave a hearty laugh, "I can't even remember my past," the doctor twitched, "and so I was wondering if there was any medication I could take to help me remember the little things. Not necessarily my past, but ever since I got here in Halloween town."

"And how long ago was that?" Jack paused.

"I...I don't remember," Jack frowned, "You see, this is what I'm talking about. I forget the little things. And frankly, I'm quite tired of it. Can you help me?"

"Yes, in fact, I can. Follow me," he lead Jack down to his lab, careful to lead him away from the door that lead one through to the underground testing area.

"There is a place where one can go to rediscover his past," the doctor said, looking somber. Jack looked intrigued.

"Where is this place?"

"Let me finish, boy," the doctor snapped. Jack was startled. "Now...you remember after last Halloween, when you found the circle of trees that lead you to different holidays?" A pause. The doctor looked expectantly at him.

"I...I don't..." the doctor waited. He'll remember soon. Realization struck Jacks' face. "Yes, I remember that...yes, of course I remember..." he smiled, remembering Christmas-town, and the feeling that was filling up inside of him, that was empty before...this happy memory made him temporarily forget what he was here for. There I go, forgetting again... "What...was I here for?" he asked tentatively.

"Your memory," the doctor said, "There is a circle of trees that you must go to. It will take you to the past. You will see your past, but you will not be able to change a thing; you'll be invisible. Perhaps you can see if you did anything that made you forget. But, by seeing your past, you will remember it. But you mustn't tell dear Sally about this plan," Jack interjected immediately,

"Why not?!"

"Because she will try to go with you. This is for your past. Not hers. You need to do this alone,"

"But why can't I let her at least know where I'm going?"

"Because. She might not let you go, even though it's to figure out why you're forgetting so many things. Trust me," Jack did.

"Alright. Where is this place?" the doctor smiled to himself and started drawing a map of the circle of trees he and Oogie Boogie had constructed a long time ago.

Jack left the doctor's tower, map in hand, and a letter in another. It was a letter to Sally, telling her that he had to go away for a while. Not telling her where he was going, but he had some things to do that she couldn't help him with. He tried to make it as loving as possible. Later, he would wonder why he didn't go back and see her one last time.