***Well, my friends. This is the final chapter. So let's jump right in, eh? Anyways, the good stuff belongs to Tim Burton, the story plot belongs to me, and let's begin!

Chapter Six: The Boogie Man

It was a rare thing to see Lock scared. But now, he was backed against this lair that looked to be a twisted, black-lit casino with a look of utmost terror across his features. Shock and Barrel went over to him. "What's up with you?" Barrel asked. "Turn. Around," Lock said through clenched teeth. So, Shock and Barrel turned around.

They saw a giant sack monster who appeared green in color because of the black-lights in the area. The sack monster was singing happily to himself as he mixed some kind of liquid in a large sort of cauldron, clearly gleeful. "Oh," Shock said simply.

After a moment, the sack monster turned to face the three trick-or-treaters. "Well, well, well. What have we here? Does the little devil boy have some friends?" he asked. Barrel nodded, earning him a whap to the back of the head from Shock. She turned back to the monster in front of her group of friends.

"Who even are you?" she asked. "If you must know, princess," the sack monster began, noticing Shock's annoyance at the nickname, "I am Oogie Boogie. You ever heard of the Boogie Man? You're looking at him!"

Lock, Shock, and Barrel looked at each other for a few moments. They had been told stories of the Boogie Man in the past. About how he would hide under the bed or in the closet. But they had never and would never had imagined him to be this... thing standing before them. "Now, what are your names?" Oogie asked.

"Lock."

"Shock."

"Barrel."

Each child said their own names. Oogie nodded. "Well, it's a good thing that my stew could use three little intruding brats for a little extra spice. Now... how about we go with the smallest one first?" he asked. He picked up Barrel by the back of his shirt.

"Wait, wait!" Lock yelled. "Don't eat him!" Shock agreed. Oogie stopped in what he was doing. "What would you do to save your little friend?" he tested. "Anything!" Lock and Shock said in perfect sync. "We're pretty much all that we have!" Barrel added on. He was dropped onto the ground. So, he went back over to his only friends.

"I'm a real gamblin' man, you three. So let's make a deal," Oogie offered. "And that deal is?" Lock prodded.

"If you will do anything to save your skins, then you will do this. You will be my henchmen and do anything that I tell you to do. Anything and everything that I tell you to do. In exchange, you three can live in this treehouse. The surface part of it. But if you take a single step out of line of my orders, you will be my dinner. As long as you do what I tell you two, however, then you can do whatever. I don't care. Now, what do you three say?" Oogie asked.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel formed a huddle. "So our options are live with a ton of rules under Jack..." Lock began. "...or no rules if we listen to Oogie," Barrel finished. The three looked at each other for a few moments and nodding at each other, as if having a silent conversation.

"I'm not a patient monster," Oogie said. The trick-or-treating trio broke their huddle. "We're in!" they all agreed in sync with one another. "Perfect. Now, go get me some bugs," Oogie ordered.

So Lock, Shock, and Barrel went off to do the task that was bound to be the first of many.

XxX

After getting and giving over a sufficient supply of bugs, the children settled into their treehouse. "Well," Shock said to her two friends, "this is a new beginning." The boys nodded.

"How about as Boogie's Boys?" Barrel suggested. "You came up with that?" Lock asked. "Just now, yeah," Barrel confirmed. Lock and Shock looked at each other as they thought about the proposed title. "As Boogie's Boys," the agreed at last. Barrel was proud that his idea had been accepted.

And, just as Shock had said, this was indeed a new beginning

The End

***And there you have it! My origin story of the terrible trio. I understand that this wasn't too good of an ending, but it was the only way I could think of to wrap it up properly. Anyways, leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you in the next one! Bye!