Chapter 5: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Jake tapped his finger absently on his black school desk, nothing was coming into focus. It had already been a month since Jack had gone off to help solve the crisis in Christmas Town, one boring, uneventful month. So what was going on over there? Had they found Santa or not? What if something really bad was going on in Christmas Town? Or what if... Person: "Jake!" his teacher, an evil looking corpse who was almost as thin as Jake, was staring down at him. Jake: "Huh? Oh, sorry." he apologized to her, trying to figure out where the class had gone with out him. Cindy looked out from another row at her brother. "Were you even paying attention?" the teacher asked crossly. "Ah, yeah..." Jake answered, not sure which way to turn the pages of his book. "We're on page 66, Best Ways to Sneak Up on Mortals. Atleast try to keep up. When I taught your father he always paid attention." Someone then spoke up from the back of the class, kid: "Yeah, but Jake's not half as scary as his Dad. He's scared of everything." A group of assorted ghouls broke into laughter at the back of the room. Jake: "That's not true!" Jake responded angrily. "Yeah, we're so scared." the same kid laughed. Jake stood up and growled, "Hey, knock it off! I'm not scared of anything!" he seemed to be repeating that more often these days. Teacher: "Jake, all of you, stop!" she yelled, glaring at both Jake and the group of students in the back, "That's enough. I'll see you all after school." "Uh, but." "A good torture should straiten you out." she said, then turned back to her desk. Jake sighed, sitting back down.
The seven year old skeleton walked out of school an hour after it let out with a depressed look on his face. Cindy was sitting on a stone wall to wait for him. She jumped off the wall, running over to meet him. Cindy: "Jake, you're an idiot, starting a fight in the middle of class!" Jake: "I didn't start it." he commented, "Those jerks are right." he added, heading out of the school courtyard. "Oh, you didn't listen to them, did you? Jake, they're just making fun of you for no reason. You get great grades, better than them atleast." "That doesn't mean I know what I'm doing. I couldn't scare a rat." "Sure you could. I've seen you do it," she said, only getting a look from Jake that said 'Don't humor me'. Cindy sighed, "Don't be so hard on yourself. It's not like you can be perfect at everything right away." "And suddenly you're my teach-" he stopped in mid-sentence, seeing something run just out of view and around the brick wall `which surrounded their school. "What was that?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer he went after whatever had just dashed from their view. He turned a corner, and there was nothing there. The only thing edging the school was an open field. He tilted his head, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Jake, what is so interesting?" Cindy asked, running up behind him. Jake looked around, there was nothing but a broken candy-cane on the ground.
The door creaked open, Jake and Cindy throwing their bags in the corner. A bark came from the other room, a translucent dog flying towards them. Cindy: "Hi, Zero!" Cindy said happily, rubbing Zero's head as the dog's nose lit up in approval. Sally: "I was starting to wonder where you two went off to." she said, walking into the hallway. "Jake had detention." Cindy said with a smile. Jake glared at her. "What happened this time?" she asked, not really surprised. Jake: "Aw, it wasn't my fault, Mom." he complained. Luke: "It usuwally is." Jake noticed his little brother standing just behind his Mom. "No it's not." he answered with a scowl. Sally: "Now don't you two start." Cindy: "Boys." she commented with a negative tone. That was when Cindy looked up and back toward the door. Zero was staring through it, growling at some unknown presents on the other side. "What's the matter, Zero?" Cindy asked. She went to the door, giving the dog an awkward look. She reached for the door knob but Zero pulled her back. Jake: "What's the matter with him?" he asked. "I dunno'." Cindy replied. Sally left Luke with Jake, walked over and opened the door. There was nothing there. She too looked at Zero with confusion, and went to close the door. A huge swarm of bats suddenly flooded the room, filling the entire lower half of the house. Cindy screamed in surprise as in all the confusion she somehow lost sight of any daylight.
The night sky was completely clear over Christmas Town. Afew
clouds were converging in the distance, causing light from the icecaps to shine off them in bright colors. Jack looked up with a sigh, something really wasn't right. elf: "Um... excuse me?" Jack turned around, a small elf walking out onto the balcony. "If I could, can I ask you something?" the elf took Jack's look as an answer and continued, "You don't seem too happy. I understand that the entire town isn't in the best of spirits without Santa Clause around, but, well, I was just wondering what was wrong." Even after a month some, if not most, of the Christmas Town inhabitants were still rather wary of Jack. This elf was no exception, his eyes hitting the floor. Jack turned around, looking back at the sky, Jack: "Well, honestly, I'm worried about my family." he admitted. "Your.. family?" the elf asked, raising an eyebrow. "My wife and kids," Jack elaborated. "You have kids?!" the small elf jumped, then tried to rid himself of the shocked expression, "Well, why are you worried about them?" "There are enough strange things going on here. I can't help but think that something's wrong."
Cindy fell out of the black bag like the rag doll she was and could hear two people talking. She shook her head as she got oriented to the scene. She was in a cavern, she thought. The walls were cast in haunting shadows, yet illuminated in certain parts by a large flame across the cave from her. Lock and Shock were standing only afew feet away, muttering something. Barrel was tieing her hands, and then ran around to his siblings. Cindy: "What's going on?" she asked them. Jake: "Yeah, what's the big idea?" Cindy looked to her left. The rest of her family was there aswell. Luke looked scared to being dead again, and Jake was doing his best not to show any fear. If anything, Cindy realized, he looked angry. Lock cleared his throat, stepping out from the group, Lock: "Well, it's really nothing personal, guys. See, while the rest of Halloween Town's been normal for the last eight years or so-" Barrel: "We've been getting bored." Shock: "World's no fun without a good scare, after all." Lock: "Plus that," he said, elbowing his way past the other two who had interrupted his speech, "We honestly were getting lonely with out you-know-who around. We are faithful minions." he concluded with a bow. Barrel: "So we're bringing the boss man back." Sally: "You-know-wh..? But that's impossible. Oogie Boogie was defeated years ago." Lock: "Uh-uuh, doll face. He died alright, but nothing stays dead." With that Lock, Shock, and Barrel ran over to the central flame that seemed to be growing larger. "We had a friend of ours in town find some stuff for us. He's alittle eccentric, but got the job done." the eldest brother said with a shrug. Jake and Cindy exchanged guilty glances. So that's what they were doing. Both thought to themselves. Shock: "Since then we've been trying to get it to work." she added. "But we had afew problems," Lock continued, "We couldn't just bring the guy back, as we found out from numerous tries." "You may have noticed afew things odder than usual happening," Shock suggested, "We needed the people directly involved with his death." "That was Jack." Barrel: "And Santa." he said. Lock: "We didn't have trouble getting the second part." as Lock said this, Barrel pulled down a switch and a light came on near the ceiling. Gagged and blind folded, hanging from a hook, was Santa Clause himself. He tried to yell something, but only muffled sounds came out. kids: "Santa!" Jake growled, Jake: "You kidnaped him again! My dad didn't have to goto Christmas Town! Santa was here the whole time!" Cindy noticed that her brother looked incredibly ticked off, and if anything else, someone to be fearful of. The mischievous three didn't seem to care, however, and broke out laughing. They stopped a moment later, and Lock decided to finish the devilish explanation, Lock: "That's actually what we didn't predict, kid. With Jack in Christmas Town we didn't know what to do, but we found a loop hole. Like always." Shock: "Family works too. All ya gotta' do is sit there, that'll be enough." "But who knows. Oogie Boogie may want alittle revenge when he 'wakes up'." "Most likely," Shock commented with a laugh. She pulled another switch and Santa Clause landing on the hard cave floor with a thud that shook the walls. Barrel: "Let's get this started," he said with a grin. The others agreed, and Lock opened a bag placed infront of the large flame. Jake: "You can't do this!" Lock: "Watch us." he snapped. The siblings all smiled, three: "Bring back the one that was lost. The dark, the night, our devious boss. Let evil rein on our dark land. Meant to be held in his corrupted hand." They repeated this three times, and then Lock flung a handful of powder onto the flame. The fire turned black, flickering with green light. The floor suddenly began to rumble and the cave shook again. Santa: "What's going on?! I demand to know-!" he yelled, managing to free himself from the gag. "Shut up!" they yelled as a wall of bugs rampaged into the cave, merging behind the flames. The fire engulfed the bugs but rather than burning them alive the form flux, shivered, and erupted. It jumped over the fire, landing on the floor, and a roar filled the room. The insects had been welded to eachother and came form one large, black shape, a shape five people in the room could account for quite easily. On the shape's face, two eyes slit open, glowing bright yellow. Jake: "No!" The creature took in a breath than looked around, Oogie Boogie: "What's going on?" he demanded in a deep voice, turning on Lock, Shock, and Barrel sharply. Lock: "Good to see ya, boss." Barrel: "We brought you back." Shock: "Did you miss us?" Oogie: "You three doofs again. I remember what happened. That loser of a skeleton, Jack-!" Jake: "Hey! That's my dad you're talking about!" One of Oogie Boogie's glowing eyes opened wider in confusion, and his darkened body turned around slowly. He saw Sally, Santa, and Jack's three kids sitting there, and both eyes widened. Lock: "It's, uh, it's been eight years since that Christmas Eve." he explained. Oogie Boogie suddenly broke out into an evil laugh which subsided as he spoke, Oogie: "Weeelll, ha ha, so this is Jack's extended family, huh?" His form collapsed and re-assembled infront of Jake. "So what's your name, pip-sssqueak?" he asked, a snake acting as a tongue. Jake: "My name is Jake," he said with resentment, "And I know just who you are. You're the loser that my dad got rid off eight years ago." Oogie growled, one of his bug-created hands wrapping around Jake's neck, "You ought to learn some respect, kid. I was obviously to smart to get destroyed by your dad." his eyes flamed. "My dad's alot smarter than you, you big bag-a-bugs." "Hmph," Oogie let go of Jake, "There's a fine line between genius and insanity, kid." he argued, his yellow gaze then shifting. "Lookie what we have here!" He slithered over to were Santa was sitting, still blind folded. One black hand lifted the blind fold just enough for Santa to see, "Boo." Santa screamed, trying to back away. Oogie laughed again, "Did ya miss me, Sandy? I never did get to make my Sandy-stew." The darkened monster seemed to be having a great time tormenting the terrified Santa Clause. Jake: "He can't do this." he whispered. It was like seeing an old enemy for Jake, even if he had never actaully met the Boogie Man before. It must have been a combination of fear and rumored stories about Oogie Boogie that was making Jake so angry at the site of him. Cindy took her eyes off of what was going on to look at her brother. Cindy: "Jake." she whispered with a surprised tone in her voice. "What?" he looked at her wondering what was so interesting. "It's about time. Look at your hands." That was rather difficult seeing as how Jake's hands were tied behind him. A second later he relized what she meant. His finger tips were sharper and demon like, something he hadn't been able to ever do. It was more of a technique to scare mortals, but was going to be very useful. Jake managed to get his hands in the right place to cut through the ropes, making sure no one else noticed. "What now?" he asked. Sally: "Go get your father. We'll be alright." "But-." Lock: "Hey, what's going on over there?" he asked, drawing attention to them. Oogie looked up from his torment of Santa with suspicion. "Weelll?" Lock asked, walking over and glaring at Jake. He stared up at Lock for a second, not believing he had ever trusted the mischievous liar, then bolted up and ran for the stairs. "What the?!" Cindy: "Remember, Jake! You can get to the trees if you're looking for them!" she called. Lock, Shock, and Barrel chased after him only to be suddenly stopped half way to the stairs. Oogie: "Don't bother." All three stopped at once, slamming into eachother. Shock: "Wh- what? Aren't we gonna' catch him." Oogie Boogie rubbed his hands together, a devious smile on his face. "I know where he's going." he said in a sing-songy tone, then looked at Sally, "He's going to find Jack, isn't he, rag doll? Perfect. That way Jack can watch as I destroy his family." Oogie laughed again, turning around. "Come on, boys!" he yelled to the three teenagers, "I haven't had a good game of poker in a long time." They left the cave and entered the untouched lair under the tree house. Sally sighed, looking down. Sally: "Jake, please be alright and Jack, I hope you can hear this. We need you." she whispered, a tear reluctantly hitting the cold cave floor.
Chapter 6: To the Rescue
