So, with Halloween just a few weeks away, Jack had to get back to planning for it.
The Mayor had brought forward all his ideas, however, Jack didn’t find anything special about them.
Yet again, like so many previous Halloweens, Jack wondered if this year’s would ever be worth while.
In the tower of his house, he sat at his desk with all the Mayors plans and searched for ways to improve them. And perhaps then, he might find something interesting.
“And what about the children?” He thought. “They’ve never even heard of Halloween before, we must show them amazing it can be, and just how terrifying it can be”.
But the plans the Mayor had were all one’s Jack had seen before.
“I guess it’s up to me to think of fresh ideas. The town seem to have taken a liking to Benjamin. And Annie’s still fascinated by this place, and everyone in it.”
And then, he had an even better thought.
“The children are new to this town. What if they had something to offer on Halloween?”
Jack began pacing up and down the room.
“Oh, I use to love Halloween. Now it just depresses me. I guess my journey in Christmas Town still wasn’t enough. I still long for something new.”
He sat down on his bed while he pondered.
But he then heard a sound that emerged from the silence.
It sounded like someone singing. The singing voice of a little girl.
Jack stood up and came to the window. He gazed out over the town.
He saw Annie out side the cemetery gates.
The singing was coming from her.
‘Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.’ She sang. ‘We pillage we plunder we rifle and loot, drink up me hearties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot, drink up me hearties yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho a pirate’s life for me.’
Jack needed new ideas for Halloween and wondered how to involve Annie and her friends somehow.
Jack remembered that Annie knew nothing about Halloween. He remembered how fascinated Annie was with Halloween Town. And he also remembered her very special talent and her ability to bring drawings to life.
After a few moments of thinking, Jack raced down the stairs with a whole new idea. But first, he needed someone very special…
Annie had wandered through the gates and into the cemetery.
She carried her blank paper book with her as she wondered round the tombstones.
Singing her song as she went, she searched for a sight worth drawing.
And then she found it.
Spiral hill.
Annie became fascinated by this bizarrely shaped peak of land.
As she had chosen to draw it, she sat herself down in front of a tombstone and rested against it.
Annie then flicked through her book for a blank page to start drawing.
She then slid the pencil out of the ring-binds at the top of the book.
Pencil to paper, she began scribbling as she continued with her song.
‘We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up me hearties. Yo ho. Maraud and embezzle, even hijack. Drink up me hearties. Yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.’
However, as she was singing and scribbling away, little did she know that someone had followed her and was nearby.
Jack had followed Annie into the cemetery and was listening to her sing and watching her scribble at her artwork.
Annie continued to sing.
‘We kindle and char, inflame and ignite. Drink up me hearties yo ho…’
‘We burn up the city. We’re ready to fight. Drink up me hearties. Yo ho.’ Jack joined in, (though he scared Annie a little and she was no longer singing).
‘Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.’ Jack sang.
Annie looked a little frightened.
‘Sire,’ She said. ‘You startled me.’
Jack sighed.
‘Forgive me. I sometimes scare people even when I don’t mean to.’
Annie stood up from the ground.
‘May I be of help to you, your majesty.’
‘Please call me ‘Jack’, Annie. Everyone else does.’
‘I feel that if I do then I am forgetting my place. You are a king, sire. I am just an orphan child.’
‘You’re not just a child. How many children can draw like that.’ Said Jack, referring to the drawings in Annie’s book. ‘And not only that, you can bring them to life.’
Annie flicked through her book and pulled out one of the drawings and demonstrated.
A bird flew out of the page and landed upon Annie’s hand.
‘Incredible.’ Jack gasped.
The bird then flew off into the sky.
‘He won’t last forever.’ Said Annie. ‘He’ll be gone in only a few hours.’
‘How long can your drawings last?’
‘However long it took me to draw them, sire.’ Annie replied.
Jack then had an idea.
‘Annie, can you draw absolutely anything?’ He asked.
‘Yes, I believe I could. Why, sire?’
‘This year’s Halloween needs something new. The Mayor’s ideas are too old and aren’t good enough. I have had a few ideas, however, they seemed impossible to make real. But with your help, perhaps I can make all my greatest ideas become reality.’
Annie looked a little curious.
‘Sire, what exactly is “Halloween”?’ She asked.
‘Halloween is a holiday about all things scary. Sometimes people dress-up, and everyone tries to look their gruesomest. The children go trick-or-treating and scare the life out of the neighbours for candy. Believe me, scaring people out of their skin is such fun. I’ve had a life of scaring people, myself.’
‘Intriguing. And you believe I can help you with my drawings?’ Annie wondered.
Jack knelt down to her head height.
‘Annie, I need you to draw a monster.’
‘A monster?’ And gasped with a smile.
‘The most terrifying, spine chilling, fear enticing monster you can imagine.’
‘But sire, with paper like this, it shall be very small. I cannot exceed the drawing’s size any bigger than I drew it.’
Jack had to ponder about that problem.
‘Hmm, I think I have an idea. We need to find the Mayor.’ Said Jack, getting to his feet.
‘Annie, come with me to the town hall. But when we find the Mayor, don’t tell him about our plan. I want this to be a secret to everyone until Halloween.’
Jack held out his hand towards Anastasia.
Annie took hold of his hand and walked off with Jack to the town square.
‘Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.’ Annie began quietly singing again. ‘We pillage, we plunder we rifle and loot, drink up me hearties. Yo ho.’
‘We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot.’ Jack joined in with her.
‘Drink up he hearties. Yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.’
Jack then swooped his arms and picked Annie up off her feet.
Annie giggled and laughed with joy as Jack picked her up and carried Annie on his shoulders.
‘We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up me hearties. Yo ho.’ They both continued singing.
‘Maraud and embezzle, even hijack. Drink up me hearties. Yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho a pirate’s life for me.’
