Chapter 7: The Start of a Disaster

(Will's POV)

The crow of the skeletal roster signaled the dawn of a new day. I felt so tired and had that bird not already been dead I would've throttled it. Once I'd gotten back inside Jack's house, he had me helping him with more experiments. I was supposed to find any hidden facts in the Christmas books and so far I had nothing. I glanced out the window to see a crowd gathering outside the gate. I couldn't help but mumble, "Something's up with Jack, Something's up with Jack."

I smiled until I caught Jack passing by me. He hadn't heard me, but he was pacing back and forth in front of the window. I knew what was coming next:

Christmas time is buzzing in my skull

Will it let me be? I cannot tell

There are so many things I cannot grasp

When I think I've got it, and then at last

Jack sat down at his desk where a house of cards had been built.

Threw my boney fingers it does slip

He took the final two playing cards and placed them at the top of the house, only to have the whole thing collapse. Jack sneered and knocked the cards to the side.

Like a snowflake in a fiery grip

Something's here I'm not quite getting

Though I try, I keep forgetting

Like I memory long since past

Here in an instant, gone in a flash

What does it mean?

What does it mean?

He walked over to where he had a few toys suspended in odd jars.

In these little bric-a-brac

A secret's waiting to be cracked

These dolls and toys confuse me so

Confound it all, I love it though

Simple objects, nothing more

But something's hidden threw a door

Though I do not have the key

He paused and picked up a little doll with twin blond braids tied with pink bows, and a white ruffled, pink trimmed dress. Jack seemed to study it as he continued:

Something's there I cannot see

What does it mean?

What does it mean?

He shook the doll as if it would answer. Instead it remained silent.

What does it mean?

Hmm...

He threw the doll over his shoulder and it landed in Zero's basket, waking the poor pup up. He looked lazily at his master with a worried expression on his face. Jack then walked over to the stack of Christmas books and pulled one from the pile.

I've read these Christmas books so many times

I know the stories and I know the rhymes

I know the Christmas carols all by heart

He walked down the short ladder and collapsed on the bottom steps.

My skull's so full, it's tearing me apart

As often as I've read them, something's wrong

So hard to put my boney finger on

I hadn't noticed when Zero had gotten up, but he was floating toward a dejected Jack. He held a picture in his mouth. It was of Jack as the Pumpkin King. Jack took it.

Or perhaps it's really not as deep

As I've been led to think

Am I trying much too hard?

Of course! I've been too close to see

The answer's right in front of me

Right in front of me

He got up and began dancing around the room. I had to admit; his dancing was more impressive than I'd seen before.

It's simple really, very clear

Like music drifting in the air

Invisible, but everywhere

Just because I cannot see it

Doesn't mean I can't believe it

Uh oh, I thought, here it comes.

You know, I think this Christmas thing

It's not as tricky as it seems

And why should they have all the fun?

It should belong to anyone

Not anyone, in fact, but me

Why, I could make a Christmas tree

And there's no reason I can find

I couldn't handle Christmas time

I bet I could improve it too

And that's exactly what I'll do

Hee, hee, hee

Jack laughed manically as he threw the switch and the Christmas lights exploded on the electric chair. He then raced to the window and threw it open.

"Eureka!" he shouted, drawing the attention of the whole town. "This year, Christmas will be — OURS!"

Everyone down below cheered at their Pumpkin King's brilliant plan. Everyone that is, except for Sally and myself. The next thing I knew, Jack was bustling about the room gathering numerous Christmas items.

"Jack, do you honestly think this is a good idea?" I asked.

"Oh yes, in fact it's brilliant. What better way to feel the joy if Christmas then to celebrate it."

"True but how about instead–" I was interrupted by a knock at the door. That seemed to happen a lot.

"Do you mind getting that Will?" Jack asked me.

"Sure, why not?" I muttered under my breath, although I already had a pretty good idea who it was. Sure enough, as soon as I opened the door the Mayor brushed past me and up to the study. I followed after the little man as he entered Jack's study.

"Jack this is marvelous, simply marvelous," the Mayor declared.

"Thank you, but just wait until you see what I've got planned. I guaranty that this will be one Christmas no one will forget!"

You don't know the half of it, I thought.

The next twenty minutes was spent with Jack explaining his plans to the Mayor. Jack had me write a list of all the things that needed to be done for Christmas, while the Mayor made a list of everyone one in town. Once that was accomplished, Jack and the Mayor went over who would be best to do what for Christmas. When the list was complete the Mayor left to let the citizens know they needed to gather at Town Hall to receive their Christmas assignments.

"So," I said once he was gone, "guess this means we should get this stuff over to Town Hall."

"Yes but there's just one more thing," Jack insisted.

"What?"

Instead if answering he fumbled around his study looking for something. He retrieved a pencil, paper, a red pen, and the picture Zero had brought him. Then Jack sat down at his desk and began tracing his picture.

When he was done he stood up and placed the picture in a trunk filled with Christmas items.

"Ready to go?" he asked me.

I sighed, "Give me ten minutes. You might be able to wear the same thing everyday, but I'd like to change."

XXX

"Maaaaaaa."

"What kind of noise is that for a baby to make?" asked one of the vampire brothers. It had been about an hour or so since we came to Town Hall, and Jack was all to happy handing out Christmas assignments. And right now he was having the vampires come up with a new design for a baby doll. Meanwhile the Mayor, who was covered in ink, was taking notes and marking off the citizens as they each received their assignments. I was standing by the overflowing trunk of Christmas items.

"Perhaps it can be improved?" Jack asked.

"No problem," they replied in unison before leaving.

"I knew it!" Jack cried cheerfully.

I waved the vampires off just as Doctor Finklestein wheeled himself onto the stage. I took the liberty of ducking behind the Christmas pile. If the old doctor saw me he'd most likely demand I tell him where Sally was.

"Doctor, thank you for coming." Jack turned and picked up Santa's Workshop and flipped to the specific page of Santa and his flying reindeer to show the doctor. "We need some of these."

"Hmm…" studied the page, "Their construction should be exceedingly simple, I think."

"How horrible our Christmas will be! " the Mayor said with a smile as he looked up from his list.

"No," Jack said, causing the Mayor to switch to his unhappy face, "How jolly."

"Oh. How jolly our Christmas will be," the Mayor repeated. He placed an ink-stained hand to his worried face, leaving a handprint on his cheek. I then counted down from three and suddenly two bones and a ball pelted the Mayor in the face. He growled over his podium to see who did it - then recoiled in fear when he saw three kids dressed as a witch, a devil, and a skeleton. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Jack sent for us," said the devil.

"Specifically," stated the witch.

"By name," added the skeleton.

I knew immediately who they were as the pulled off their masks and stated their names.

"Lock!"

"Shock!"

"Barrel!" He licked his lollipop before looking back at the rest of us.

The Mayor grabbed his megaphone and whispered to Jack. "Jack, Jack... it's - Boogie's boys!"

Jack knelt down as he greeted the kids. "Ahh... Halloween's finest trick-or-treaters... The job I have for you is top-secret. It requires craft, cunning, mischief."

"And we thought you didn't like us, Jack!" Shock said innocently, causing her and her cohorts to laugh.

"Absolutely no one is to know about it, not a soul! Now..." Jack then began to whisper his plan to the kids. Of course I knew it was to go and "retrieve" Santa Claus from Christmas Town. Still, it was fun to watch the Mayor attempt to listen through his megaphone. He then reached inside - and recoiled back in pain from having been bitten by a spider. He scowled at the arachnid before placing in back on his shirt collar, and patting it to resume its position as his necktie. I chuckled; he scowled.

By then Jack had explained all the details. The three prepared to leave, but Jack grabbed Lock's tall and jerked him back. "And one more thing - leave that no-account Oogie Boogie OUT OF THIS!"

"Whatever you say, Jack," said Barrel innocently.

"Of course, Jack," Shock said as she took a step back.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Jack," Lock included. The three hide their crossed fingers behind their backs and ran off, laughing. I sighed and shook my head. Apparently I hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Will, is something wrong?" Jack asked.

"You didn't check," I stated.

"What?"

I groaned and then looked him in the eye socket. "They had their fingers crossed behind their backs, you baka! And you didn't even seem to notice. How could you NOT notice?"

Jack gave me an utterly blank look resulting in me face palming myself. After the trio left, Jack spent the next few hours handing out more Christmas assignments. Finally we came to the town band. I knew what was coming when Jack asked me to hand him the jingle bells. "It goes something like this…" Jack then took the bells and played the first part of the chorus for "Jingle Bells". "How about it, think you can manage?"

The head inside the base answered. "A one and a two and a three and a…" The band began to repeat the tune Jack played for them. Only it was way off key and had a very macabre tone. As much as I wanted to cover my ears, I decided against it so not to be rude.

"Next," the Mayor called.

"Fantastic," Jack joyfully exclaimed. "Now why don't you all practice on that and we'll be in great shape."

I immediately perked up. I knew that after the band members left the stage, the next person would be…

"Sally!" Jack said as she approached the stage. She looked very nervous, although Jack was oblivious to it. "I need your help more than anyone's."

"You certainly do, Jack. I had the most terrible vision!"

"That's splendid!" Jack replied as he rummaged threw the trunk full of Christmas items.

"No - it was about your Christmas," she tried to explain. "There was smoke... and fire!"

"That's not my Christmas! My Christmas is filled with laughter, and joy... and this." Jack produced the sketched drawing of himself, only it had a piece of tracing paper over it with a picture of Jack dressed like Santa. "My Sandy Claws outfit. I want you to make it."

"Jack, please listen to me. It's going to be a disaster!"

"How could it be? Just follow the pattern." He held up design of outfit for her to see and pointed to different areas on the drawing. "This part's red, the trim is white." Oh how I wanted to hit him over the head and yell out, She's not talking about the dang, freaking suit you IDIOT! But I held my tongue.

"It's a mistake, Jack!" she protested.

"Now don't be modest. Who else is clever enough to make my Sandy Claws outfit?" Jack led her off the stage before she could protest any further. "I have every confidence in you."

Sally walked away but I could hear her quietly to say to herself, "But it seems wrong to me… Very wrong."

I watched as she left in such a distressed state. I felt so sorry for Sally, but I was more annoyed with Jack. I turned around and saw him talking to the behemoth with the ax in his head. The skeleton was wrapped in his own little world. I seriously think his common sense was knocked out of his skull when he ran into the Christmas Town sign poll.

"This device is called a nutcracker," Jack explained as he showed the behemoth how the wooden toy worked until three small voices interrupted him.

"Jack! Jack! We caught him! We caught him!"

"Perfect!" Jack left the nutcracker in the behemoth's hands and ran over to Lock, Shock, and Barrel. "Open it up, quickly!"

The trick-or-treaters opened their very large sack, but instead of Santa Claus, a large pink rabbit popped out. He carried a brown basket filled with colorful eggs and wore a sash with 'Happy Easter' written on it. The Halloween citizens gasps as the rabbit began hopping around and exploring his surrounds.

"That's not Sandy Claws," Jack said.

"It isn't?" Shock said.

"Who is it?" Barrel asked.

"Well some people call him Peter Cottontail," I muttered to myself. Whether they heard me or not didn't matter, as long as Jack didn't ask what Easter was. I had enough to deal with Jack trying to steal one holiday. I watched as the Easter Bunny hopped to the front of the stage and started sniffing the behemoth.

"BUNNY!" the behemoth shouted, causing the poor Easter Bunny to squeal in terror and dive back into the sack.

Jack didn't seem too pleased and his frustration was taken out on the trick-or-treaters. "Not Sandy Claws. Take him back."

"But we followed your instructions," protested Lock.

"We went through the door," Barrel added.

"Which door?" Jack insisted. "There's more than one. Sandy Claws is behind the door shaped like this!" Jack reached into his jacket and pulled out a cookie shaped like a Christmas tree. Next thing anyone knew the three kids started fighting.

"I told you," Shock said as she strangled Lock. He retaliated by punching Shock in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. Then they stared punching and kicking each other.

Jack shook his head and slapped his palm against his forehead. When the kids still wouldn't stop fighting, Jack reached his fingers into the corners of mouth and pulled his mouth wide open and roared at the children. They gasped and instantly stopped fighting, Lock and Barrel trying to hide behind Shock. Even I cringed a bit; no matter how many times I'd seen this movie, this scene still freaked me out, but just a little.

Once the fighting stopped Jack returned to his normal demeanor to address the quivering bunny. "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience sir." Then he turned back to Lock, Shock, and Barrel. "Take him home first. And apologize again!" he warned. "Be careful with Sandy Claws when you fetch him, treat him nicely."

"Got it," answered Lock.

"We'll get it right…" Shock started to say. "Next time," the three said in unison and then left the Town Hall. Once they left Jack went back to work. He was speaking to the Mayor about something and his back was turned to me.

I still couldn't believe just how oblivious Jack was. He could be so infuriating sometimes! Watching the movie was one thing, but to be there while the plot actually happened was something else. Well, since I wasn't required anymore I decided to head outside. I really needed to get out; otherwise I'd go looking for something to hit Jack in the head with. I just couldn't take it any more. I didn't care anymore about keeping the plot going. No matter what, and without revealing what I knew, I was going to stop Jack from making the biggest mistake of his life.

The only question was, how?

XXX

GodlyJewel: I was having some writer's block so I decided, what the heck, I'll have Will help Sally stop Jack. How is she going to do it? You need to keep reading.

Jack: I can't wait to see everyone's designs for the improved Christmas toys, and I can't wait to see how the suit turns out. I don't know why Sally would doubt her sewing skills.

GodlyJewel: She wasn't talking about the STUPID SUIT YOU BAKA! *Jack doesn't listen and leaves the room* Grrr! Where's Al when I need her. *storms off after Jack*