Chapter Seventeen

~In which Jack makes a new friend~

Jack looked at Myra with an incredulous gaze, stared for a moment and then chuckled after a beat. Myra held her serious expression. Jack brushed his hand through his hair, his voice cracked as he struggled for the words to describe his astonishment.

"Y-you think I'm here to kill Eve? I don't understa-" he began. Myra shook her head, annoyed.

" Look don't bother denying it, I've seen it. You are going to kill Eve." She said clearly beginning to lose her temper. Jack hesitated. He took a seat across the bed and began to study Myra a bit. He leaned upon his fist, concentrating. Finally his eyes lit up in enlightenment.

"You're a seer?" he asked quite sure he was right. Myra sighed.

"Yes….how did you guess?" she asked. Jack chuckled again.

"You're sort of making it obvious…and….well, I can just tell." He said amused. Then it was Myra's turn to study Jack. There was a long pause, until finally Myra's eyes too lit with enlightenment.

"Before I say anything…..just who are you? And don't lie; I know you're not from here…..at least, not really." Myra said tactlessly. Jack sighed; he didn't exactly want to recite his entire story again the way he had done for Wallace.

"Let's just say you're right. I'm not from around here. And for all intents and purposes, let's just say whatever else you think you know about me is probably right too…." Jack said a little annoyed at the game Myra seemed to be playing. "But you are wrong about what you said before. I'm not here to kill Eve." He added. Feeling fatigued from the day he had Jack leaned against his chair and closed his eyes for a bit. A few seconds passed and Jack felt a small, very cold hand against his cheek. His opened his eyes to find Myra grabbing his face and staring into it.

"Wha-?" Jack began to protest. Myra shushed him with a sharp shhh! Jack sighed again and just decided it would be best to go along with it. After a few minutes Myra pulled away, a small frown on her face.

"Well you're certainly a mystery aren't you?" she said sitting back on the bed. Jack rubbed his eyes and shrugged. Normally Jack would have obliged everything Myra said with a decent and polite answer, but tonight he was feeling the weight of being human and it was taking its toll on his patience.

"So….Jack Skellington….you seem pretty familiar with my type. Is there a reason behind that? Perhaps you're from a place where we're a bit more common and easier to spot?" Myra said her tone pressing upon Jack for answers. Jack frowned.

"Go on then." He said shortly. Myra frowned back, however this time it seemed almost playful.

"You're not making this any fun." Myra said in a pouty kind of voice, which annoyed Jack even more. "Fine." She said. "Jack Hershel Skellington, born October 31st, 1866 to Charles and…" Myra paused. "…Vera Skellington, second of two children, died December 6th 1889. So you were twenty-three years old…." She paused a moment to study Jack a bit more. "…and apparently still are. So I've told you what I know. Care to fill in the gaps?" Myra finished without losing breath. Jack massaged his temples and sighed deeply. He shrugged.

"I honestly don't see what else there is you need to know. In fact, what I need to know is why you think I am here to kill Eve. Such nonsense anyway… I should think you got me confused with another skeleton." Jack said haughtily before stopping short after he had felt that he had said too much. A chill ran down his spine from the mere mention of the other skeleton. Myra's eyes widened.

"Skeleton? That's what you are? A skeleton?" she asked excitedly. Jack rolled his eyes, frustrated with his own loose speech, but he chuckled a bit.

"Technically everyone is." Jack giggled. Myra rolled her eyes.

"Think that's funny, huh?" She scoffed. Jack shrugged and grinned his charming grin which Myra had some difficulty ignoring. Jack leaned back into his chair, sensing that Myra had been given just the right amount of information to figure who he really was. Myra was silent for a while, looking a bit unsure of herself. Finally she got up from her seat on the bed and walked up to Jack.

"I'll tell you everything I know if you'll do me a little favor." She said seriously. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Give me your hand." She said softly. Jack gave her a dubious look and was about to protest until he caught Myra's eyes and knew at that moment that this was something she needed to do and might in turn be beneficial for him too. Cautiously Jack gingerly placed his hand in Myra's. At first he didn't feel anything peculiar, just a little odd that he was touching someone other than Eve. Jack began to tap his foot, already feeling uneasy, now wanting even more to hurry up the process of whatever Myra was trying to do. Suddenly he began to feel a cold sensation in the tips of his fingers. Instinctively he tried to pull his hand out of Myra's but she gripped him with almost inhuman strength which Jack found immensely surprising considering her petite size.

"Don't struggle." Myra said sharply in a voice that echoed with a creepy ambiance. Jack stiffened, his entire body began to feel cold and sullied, his eyes started to droop and he felt his energy leaving him, an immense sleep hovering over him. Finally when Jack felt as if he could no longer stay conscious Myra threw his hand away in a fierce motion and both of them drew rapid breaths as if they had been holding it in for several minutes. Both attempted to catch their breath, coughing in between inhales.

"Wha-?" Jack began to ask between coughs. Myra gulped and calmed herself down, placing a hand to her head, her other stabilizing herself upon the bed which she had just stumbled to. She turned and glared at Jack.

"I know who you are! Y-you're not human! You almost killed me right now!" she yelled at him. Jack waved her away.

"You almost killed me!" he shouted back. Myra cocked her head back.

"How can I kill something that isn't even human? You're not even alive technically! " she retorted scornfully. "You could have warned me you know! If I make a psychic connection, with something that isn't human, without any warning, I could be killed!"

"Well I didn't know that! You didn't give me much warning either!" Jack snapped, angry that he had to deal with this. Myra sighed deeply.

"Sorry, your Highness." She said in slight sarcasm. Jack snapped his head back to her.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that." He said seriously. Myra frowned.

"Well that's what you are and you better get used to it already because it's the reason your holiday is failing." She said curtly. Jack glared at her.

"What?" he asked, fear beginning to dawn on him.

"You heard me. What do they call you…..King of Halloween is it? The Pumpkin King? And what have you been doing, wallowing in your own self-pity, feeling sorry for yourself while your holiday approaches its extinction? What a careless ruler you are being! How can you expect to win Eve back if you can't even have enough confidence in yourself to revive your holiday?" Myra interrogated. Jack was boarder line livid. What did Myra know? Sure she was a seer, but she didn't know what was in his heart, what had been weighing on his soul for the last four years. Jack didn't speak for fear he might say something he would regret. He sighed and strung his hand through his hair. They sat in silence for a good long while. Jack was thoughtful, now almost considering what Myra had just yelled at him. He knew that by touching his hand, she must have seen into his easily accessible past. Something that most people could figure out after a few weeks of knowing someone, but with one touch, Myra could know in a second. A useful tactic in getting to know someone you are unfamiliar with. Jack felt a breeze blow in through the window. The air smelled faintly of rain and wet leaves. It was a smell that usually told him that his holiday, his favorite part of his year, was rapidly approaching. Now, however, it was just a nagging reminder of his holiday's impending doom. He buried his face in his hands, now becoming more and more ashamed of himself as the intensity and truth of Myra's words sunk into his brain.

Myra said nothing. They had both been completely silent now for almost fifteen minutes. Myra sighed, now feeling that a different approach to the situation might have been prudent. Myra turned it over in her mind; what she knew about Jack thus far, as well as what she knew about Eve. Finally she broke the silence.

"I'm sorry." She said genuinely. Jack didn't look at her or make any attempt to, just shook his head slowly. Myra frowned, angry at herself for making such a hasty and distasteful first impression on Jack.

"I know you're trying…it just makes me a little upset because Eve is my friend….and I don't want to see her hurt….although I already have." Myra said, her voice shaking. Jack looked up at her through his unruly locks. He was about to say something when Myra cut him off.

"Don't bother trying to explain. I know who you are, what you are, and why you want Eve. But have you ever considered if maybe what you want isn't what she wants?" Myra asked gently. Jack took a deep breath and nodded.

"Ever since I learned that Eve was part of the riddle to saving my holiday I've been a war with mysel-" Jack began.

"Did you just say that Eve was part of the riddle to saving your holiday?" Myra interrupted. Jack nodded. Myra shook her head.

"No, that's wrong. You and Eve both are part of the riddle to your holiday. It's not about saving it. It's about making it what it truly is. What it always has been." Myra paused and thought for a moment. "Look I know about your past, I know about Eve's and I know of your future. Usually there are a couple of paths to the future, but with you both, I only see two. That's it. One is amazing and wonderful and beautiful from what I can tell….I can only see so far ahead. The other…..let's hope it doesn't come to that okay? However there is another past you and Eve share. Not really your past….more to do with your bloodline, your ancestors. I can show you if you like, but I'll need your blood to do it. Not a lot, just drop. "Myra offered and Jack considered this. He had not known of another past between him and Eve and now his resolve was becoming all the stronger in getting Eve back.

"I'll think about it…I'm too tired to do anything like that tonight." Jack said feeling fatigued, his stomach growling gently. Myra looked down. "What?" Jack asked seeing her disposition.

"Well it's just that…I want to show you something…it might help you in winning Eve back." She said softly. Jack's eyes lit up a bit. Anything he could use or remember to win back Eve's heart was most welcome, even if he was exhausted.

"What is it?" he asked excitedly. Myra shrugged.

"I can access direct memories from me to you from your past life with Eve. It will be like you are actually there, back in that time. But I can only do it as long as you hold the memory of your love for her, past present and future in your heart. And if you promise me you won't hurt her….you won't k-"

"I would never." Jack said softly and seriously, looking Myra in the eye. Myra sighed and nodded.

"Okay…." She said slightly unsure, but willing to trust Jack. "Look there is only one way someone like me can access the deepest reaches of the shared past love between you and Eve…" Myra said in an uneasy tone. Jack frowned in confusion. He wasn't sure he like where this was going

Without warning and to Jack's horrid surprise, Myra grabbed Jack by the collar of his shirt and thrust her lips upon him. Jack didn't have much time to really feel what the sensation of kissing Myra was like before he felt his whole body lunge as if being whisked off to another, far off place. It was as if someone has shoved him violent, so as to make him fall hard and painfully upon the ground. But Jack didn't fall. Within moments Jack could feel a cool breeze on his face and the slight and weak rays of sunlight desperately trying to pierce his vision. Jack hadn't noticed he had closed his eyes until he felt them open. His heart skipped a beat as he took in what lay before him. Eve, smiling radiantly, was standing only inches from him.

"Hey there, you silly fool, you didn't doze off did you? I thought we were to walk in the park." She said cheerfully. Jack stood there, before her, speechless, his words lost in another time. Where was he now?