Chapter 2: Eavesdropping and questions
Sally came quickly into the living room as the door swung open. She looked extremely worried. Sally: "Did you find them?" Jack: "Oh, yeah," he stepped inside, Jake and Cindy coming in behind him. Jake: "Hi... mom...." Sally: "I was so worried about you two!" she said, hugging both of them, "Where were you?" Cindy: "Around town..." she said quietly, "are you mad at us." "I will be later, but right now I'm just glad your home." Sally glanced at the grandfather clock against the wall then looked up, "Jack, you're going to be late for that meeting with the mayor if you don't go now." She reminded him. Jake looked at his dad with a sad expression, Jake: "You're going out? Come on, Dad, it's late." Jack smiled, Jack: "I don't have much of a choice. The mayor can't run this town without me." Jake smiled back, "I think you should be in charge of the town, dad." "Sometimes I think I am." Cindy and Jake left for their rooms as Jack headed for the door. A little 3 year old who looked just like his brother, Jake, opened one eye from his spot on the chair. Kid: "You gots in twouble," he said, smiling. Jake: "Did not, Luke," Jake said sternly. "Did to's." the three year old said again, then went back to sleep. With that, the kids went upstairs. Jack had said good bye to Sally and opened the door, only to run into the Mayor. Mayor: "Well, hello there, Jack!" he said happily, walking inside, "Hello, Sally," he said, tipping his hat. Jack: "Mayor, what are you...?" "Couldn't wait. This is terribly important and it's not like you to be late." "Well, Jake can be a handful. I was out looking for them." "Ah, kids will do that. Run off I mean. Now, listen, Jack. Uh, could I perchance speak to you alone?" His eyes glance swiftly at Sally who was watching slightly confused. "Uh, sure."
Jack closed the door of the study behind them and turned around. Jack: "So what's this all about?" Jack asked the nervous looking mayor who wasn't sporting his cheerful expression any longer. Mayor: "Well, I'm in a bit of fix..." Outside the door, Jake was trying to hear what they were saying. It took a bit before anything was audible. Mayor: "Please? It's only a month." Jack: "Mayor, I can't. What about Sally and the kids?" "Oh, them? They'll be fine with it. I'm sure. Come on, Jack, please? I'm only a re-elected official! I can't do something this important. Ah, besides, who would look after the city? And, I, uh, I'm sure they'd rather have you there than me." There was a pause in the conversation before Jake heard Jack say, "Alright, alright." "Oh, thank you, Jack!" Jake hurried away from the door as it opened.
Only half an hour later, when Jake, Cindy, and Luke were pretending to sleep, Jack told Sally what the mayor wanted. Outside the door, Cindy, making like her brother, crouched down to eavesdrop. Sally: "Do you really have to?" Jack: "If I don't, no one will." "But it can't be that serious." "Probably not." Cindy leaned closer, suddenly losing her balance. She fell forward with a slight gasp, but someone grabbed the back of her shirt, stopping her from hitting the floor. Jake pulled her back, hoping they hadn't been heard. Jake: "Shhh. What are they talking about?" he whispered as they both peered into the room. Cindy: "I don't know. I think the mayor asked Dad to go somewhere." "Yeah. I heard 'em. Something the mayor doesn't want to do." "Like always!" she said in a harsh whisper. Jack and Sally turned their attention on the door, both the kids moving back quickly. Jake pulled Cindy back upstairs, both going as quietly as they could. They walked into Jake and Luke's bedroom and sat on Jake's bed. Cindy: "Dad really should be running the town. He's the smartest and scariest person in the whole lot." Jake smiled, sitting up slightly with a smug look on his face, Jake: "And I'm gonna' be just the same when I'm older." Cindy gave him a sideways glance, "As I remember, Jake, when you were Luke's age, you were scared of your own shadow." "I was not!" he yelled back, his pride deeply insulted. "Shhhuut up!" Cindy growled, pointing at their younger brother who was asleep in the other bed. They both sighed. "So what are we going to do for a whole month?" Jake asked. "I'd rather like to know what the mayor is having Dad do that will take a month." Cindy commented. "Yeah, but, what about us?" "You're really so self-centered, Jake." she said angrily. "I just meant that Halloween is about a month away. It's not Halloween without Dad. It's just not." he counter. Luke: "What da ya mean?" The other two jumped at the sudden noise and noticed a rather upset looking Luke staring at them, "Isn't daddy gonna' be here on Halloween? Where he going?" Cindy: "We dunno', Luke. And Halloween's a month and a half away. So don't worry," Cindy said nicely, but mostly just because Luke looked ready to cry and they didn't want to get caught being up. "But you just said..." Luke started. Jake: "Chill out, bro. Nothin' gonna' happen. I mean, in the name of Halloweentown, this place would fall apart if Dad was gone for too long. Remember when he found Christmastown and the entire city back here was flipping out when they couldn't find him?" Jake asked. Luke smiled, beginning to fall back asleep, "Yeah. I like that story..." Luke said, going back to sleep. Cindy: "He's to young to get the full extent of the whole story." she said, crossing her arms. Jake: "Yeah..." Jake said, then laughed, "You act like you were there. Just because you made Dad tell it to you every night when you were younger, doesn't make you a book on the event." Cindy just put on an insulted look, but it was true. She new the entire story inside and out about the 'nightmare before Christmas', as it was called with great pride amongst the town folk. Cindy headed off to her room a minute later, and Jake went to sleep, after a restless half hour of questions.
Chapter 3: Listening and Answers
