"WORK HARDER! IMPRESS ME!" bellowed Oogie.
The Halloween Town citizens had been forced to be tortured by the vile minions Oogie had conjured up. They had no choice, it was either that or they were decintigrated.
Oogie cackled evilly, beaming at his victory before him; then he turned his attention to Jack, who was tied up in a cage next to him.
Jack's eyes were filled with tears and no matter how hard he tried to fight them back, he couldn't.
It was his fault Amy was dead, if only he'd taken better care of her when she was a baby.
"What's the matter bone man?" hissed Oogie. "Guilty 'cause you killed your own daughter?"
"I didn't murder her, you did!" murmered Jack.
"Oh yeah, suuure! Of course I did, because
I was the one who
lost her and then when I found her, I lost her again!" snapped Oogie, enjoying Jack's torment.
"Face it Jack, you're as rubbish a parent as you are a King!"
Jack's head shot up and his eyes slanted.
"What?" he said, grinding his teeth.
"Oh. So sorry, you ain't even that! You're always the prince and never the king!" barked Oogie.
Jack would have ripped him apart if he could, but it appeared that someone had hurt Oogie for him.
An arrow had shot into Oogie's left hand, pinning him against the podium behind him. Oogie cursed.
Just then, two figures came sliding down the line of decorative flags above, to reveal none other than Tim and Amy, both armed with weapons, both as infuriated as eachother.
***
"WORK HARDER! IMPRESS ME!" bellowed Oogie as Tim pulled Amy through the secret door in the clockface.
"This way!" whispered Tim in the dark.
A small glimmer of light from four broken floorboards was the only thing lighting the dark room filled with cogs, gears and other clock parts.
Amy walked to Tim's illuminated face and looked down below.
The hole lead to a small ledge in the Town Hall.
Tim slid down first, followed by Amy. They kept their bodies low and their ears alert.
"See those flags?" breathed Tim. Amy nodded.
"When I say 'now' fire an arrow to distract Oogie and we'll slide down the rope of the flags on your bow."
"Alright..." she whispered. "Tim..."
Tim looked at her, his dark eyes shining in the light of the spotlights on the stage.
"I-If I don't make it out alive, promise me you'll never forget me..."
Tim smiled and held her shoulder. "We're gonna make it out alive, I promise you..."
"What?" said Jack from below.
"Get ready!" hissed Tim. Amy took out her bow and arrow and aimed.
"So sorry. You're always the prince and never the king!" barked Oogie.
"Now!"
Amy fired directly at Oogie's hand and it hit the exact middle.
Amy quickly smiled at her achievement before handing the bow to Tim.
He quickly fastened it to the line, took Amy by the waist and sild down the line.
===
YAY! THEY'RE BACK!!! ^_^
