Chapter 4: Plot thickens
Jake emerged from the forest alone, kicking a rock down the road. Jake: "I wanted to go." he said angrily, "Aw, but what were the odds I was gonna' be allowed?" he asked the gray sky. Three: "Allowed?!" Jake screamed, falling backwards as Lock, Shock, and Barrel appeared from behind three gnarled trees. Lock: "Man, kid, we've taught you nothing." he said, folding his arms. Shock: "Why do you need permission to do anything?" Barrel: "Well, look at him," the shorter brother commented, swinging from a tree branch, "Whatda ya expect from someone scared of his own shadow?" Jake: "I'm not scared of anything!" the seven year old skeleton protested. Lock: "Yeah, right. Every time you get scared you just run to your dad!" Shock: "Cindy's got more guts than you, Jake." Jake: "I do not and no she doesn't! My Dad's not gonna' be around for awhile so I'll show you!" That was it. All three mischievous siblings stopped laughed and smiled at each other. Lock threw his arm around Jake's neck, sharp teeth falling over his lower lip, Lock: "So, Jake, were did good 'ol Jack disappear to?" "I..." Shock: "We saw him leave. Come on, you can tell us." "No!" Jake pushed Lock away, "Why should I?" Barrel: "See, he's scared to tell us." "No I'm not! He went to ChristmasTown!" Jake stopped, regretting what he'd said. Three: "ChirstmasTown!" Barrel: "What's he doing there?" Lock: "You don't think." Shock: "He might of..." Three: "Oooh..." They all seemed to realize something at once, then turned sharply on Jake. Lock: "Well, gotta' go. Day's getting late, you know." Shock: "See you later." Barrel: "Bye, now." They all dashed down the path, away from the forest and down towards their dark and secluded house.
Shock: "So what do we do now, genius?" she asked the devil want to be running ahead of her. Lock: "I dunno', but we'll have to figure something out." They piled into the bird cage of an elevator and in rose into the tree house. Barrel: "We'll have to. What do we do without Jack?" They crossed the room, swinging a door open where the shoot to Oogie Boogie's lair used to be. Lock: "I said we'd have to figure something out!" he snapped. The staircase descended into the depths beneath the tree. Oogie's lair had changed very little, they wanted it that way. There was, however, one main difference. The far wall had been knocked out, opening to a huge cave beyond it. There were candles lighting the walls of the cave, but the extent of it was enshadowed. The three-som moved over the large, demonic turn table in the center of the room and enter the cave. "Well," Lock said, looking up, "Let's hope the boss can deal with afew stand-ins." As if a tidal wave were coming out of the cavern depths, swarms of multicolored bugs stampeded around Lock, Shock, and Barrel, all crying something too minute to be audible.
It seemed to take less time to stumbled across the six portals than it had before. It was someplace that no one, not even Jack, had visited since that event so many years ago. The six trees sat silently in their clustered circled, awaiting anyone curious enough to find them. Jack had come to a realization about this place some time ago. That was not important now, though. Jack turned to the tree most decorated in the lot. He stopped short, not expected what he saw. The once bright portal of a tree now looked darkened and alone. It did not match the others. The Christmas tree door was slowly turning brown as the ornaments rusted. Jack: "What on...?" he touched one of the ornaments and it broke on contact. The pieces fell onto the presents below, which were also losing their color. Jack looked the portal over with a look of confusion and concern, then turned the gold door knob which somehow had escaped the transformation. The door swung open, that familiar blackness staring back at Jack. "There may very well be something more to this than what it seems...." he thought absently as an icy wind rose from the tree. Jack sighed, and jumped into the portal.
Jack landed on his feet atop the ice and snow covered hill. It was just like the first time. The lights and sounds were highlighted to Jack, as they represented the parallel opposite of Halloween Town and sparked the skeleton's interest for the different. He walked down the hill, coming to the edge of ChristmasTown. Something was different, though. While the lights and music were still quite active, there were no people in the streets. No children playing in the snow, no elves carrying presents. There weren't even snow flakes in the air. Jack gave the town square a confused look, then walked off down the street toward Santa's workshop. When he turned a corner, something slammed a shutter closed on the near by house and stood there dormantly. Jack: "What is going on?" he asked himself. The workshop, just outside of the houses, was no better. The silouets of machines in the windows were still without any elves to work them. Jack went up to the door, still looking confused, and knocked. Voice: "Oh, who's that? Coming!" A short lady answered the door, it was Misses Clause. Before Jack could say as much as hi, Mrs. Clause screamed so loudly it even surprised the Pumpkin King. The door was promptly slammed shut. A moment later it creaked open, one eye peering out. "What- what do you want?" she asked. "Hello, Mrs. Clause. You're husband set for me." he answered, not at all insulted by the rather rude greeting. "Oh, you're -you're." the door opened again, "You're that skeleton that kidnaped my husband eight years ago. I told that elf to give the message to the mayor." "Uh, may I come in? I'll explain." This wasn't exactly the Mrs. Clause portrayed in all the stories. Mrs. Clause paused, then stepped aside to let Jack in. The cozy looking room evidently led to the workshop, which was quiet and deserted. "I- I'm sorry for being so rude," Mrs. Clause apologized, closing the door, "It's just that since Nicholas disappeared, well, no one is quite calm." She walked over in quick steps, keeping a distance. She then sat down, looking anxious for why Jack had come rather than the Halloween Town mayor. "Our mayor decided to send me because I understand your world much better than he does." Jack said, answering her query quite simply. "Well, I suppose you're here now. Nicholas honestly spoke rather highly of you, Jack, is it? Yes, after he had gotten over that fiasco and things were back to normal. 'Never seen someone with so much ambition', that was his way of seeing it. Oh, my dear husband sees the good in everything." she said, rather fondly then looked back, "So you've no idea where he might have gone?" she asked. "No, I don't have any idea. I have been wanting to see him again, though. Although I assumed no one on this side would ever want anything to do with us again." "Well, that may be true. Alright, Jack, I'll introduce you to the others." She got up and walked through another room, Jack followed her. She came to a highly decorated, candy-cane outlined door. Pulling it open easily, the lights of the workshop flooded the room. "Boys!" She called happily. Jack looked around the shop, and one by one, small elves started peering out from behind the machinery. Seeing Jack, several ducked back into hiding. "Oh, it's alright," Mrs. Clause assured them, "Come out, don't be shy." Again the small, pointed hats of the elves started to appear. Trusting her, they all came to the center ally of the shop, which was striped as the candy-cane door was. There were hundreds of them, no taller than two feet at the most. "Everyone, ahem, this Jack, from Halloween Town. Santa sent for him." The elves looked up apprehensively. Elf: "But where is Santa?" one asked. "We're going to find him. But for the meantime, make sure that you're nice to Jack." It was obvious by her expression that this far from pleased her. There were things about Santa Clause even his wife didn't get.
Elf: "And that's where the sleigh is kept." an elf explained from Mrs. Clause's shoulder. Mrs. Clause: "So what do you think, Jack?" she asked, looking back. Jack was looking around, intrigued by the entire concept. Jack: "It's simply incredible. We were far off." he admitted. Elf: "That doesn't mean you're going to make a second attempt, does it?" he asked, looking afraid. Mrs. Clause: "Now be nice." she warned, "We have been having problems recently, ever since Santa disappeared. Afew things have broken down, or gone missing." she said, not really noticing that Jack was still enthralled in what he was seeing.- There was one thing that was bothering him, however. Christmas was something that had always seemed like a great mystery, but being immersed in everything, made him miss Halloween. Jack: "Well, we'll certainly hope to find Santa soon, Mrs. Clause." he commented, snapping his fingers behind his back as the faces on a row of lollipops turned into pumpkins.
Chapter 5: Something Wicked This Way Comes
