Here I am again. It’s me, Emma.
So, Halloween in Halloween Town, what’s this gonna be like, eh? The best of it’s kind I should think.
But, I must admit. I myself wasn’t entirely looking forward to it. I mean, I’m not here for the celebrations or the holidays. I’m here to find my friends, that’s all. So it was no surprise when I chose not to take part. Jack was disappointed, so was the Sally, and the Mayor, and the Doctor, and Mr Hyde, and clown, the witches, the hanging tree, corpse kid and his friend Witherwing, oh, and Zero looked pretty disappointed too.
But anyway, at least Halloween Town’s Halloween had Anastasia and Benjamin. And man, was Benjamin something to laugh at through the entire day.
His accidental comedy show started when The Mayor took Ben and Anastasia to the witches costume shop. They looked for something for Benjamin first, since he was so excited, Anastasia thought it best if they got him out of the way first.
‘Chor!’ Said Benjamin as he paused from typing on his calculator and peered in through the window.
‘Funny clothes! Just like Wock, Shock and Bawwel.’
‘Don’t say that if they can here you.’ Said The Mayor
‘Why?’
‘It’s Lock. Benjamin. Not Wock.’ Benny Bear corrected.
‘W w w w Wock.’ Benjamin repeated the sound W.
‘Let’s try later, shall we?’ Anastasia suggested as she entered the shop with the Mayor.
‘Come on then, Benjamin. You have not come just to look at new clothes.’
‘Coming, Annie.’ Benjamin took Benny Bear by the paw and walked inside the shop.
As soon as he stepped through the door, he was fascinated.
‘Toys!’ Benjamin cried with glee as he saw the fascinating objects for sale all around the room.
Most of them were very delicate, and not to be handled by a four-year-old boy.
‘No, Benjamin.’ Said Benny Bear. ‘There not toys and they don’t belong to you.’
‘So if they’re not toys, I can’t pway with them?’
‘That’s right. But you’ve got something better to do, Benjamin.’ Said Anastasia. ‘You’ve got to pick out something to wear for tomorrow.’
‘But where are the cwothes?’ Asked Benjamin. ‘I saw some in the window.’
‘They’re in the back, dearie.’ Said the Tall Witch as she opened the top of the counter for Benjamin and Anastasia to follow through.
‘Thank you, witch lady.’ Said Benjamin as he raced through the counter and into the back of the shop.
‘Hold on Benjamin! Wait for me.’ Benny Bear raced after him.
Anastasia looked unsure at first.
‘Shall we then, Annie?’ The Mayor urged her to go through. ‘You won’t believe you’re eyes.’
Anastasia smiled, and then she proceeded and she walked through counter and into the back of the shop.
‘Wow!’ Said Benjamin as he gazed around at all the he could see.
‘Oh my goodness.’ Annie soon saw the same thing.
Benjamin rushed up to a green skeleton costume hung up at his level.
‘I want dis one.’ He said as he attempted to pull it of the coat-hanger.
‘Hold on, Benjamin! You shouldn’t do that. Just wait for someone and…’
Crash!
Benjamin pulled it off the hanger alright, it flew off, Benjamin fell over and the costume and the hanger fell on top of him.
‘I got it!’ He cried with a smile on his face.
Anastasia took the costume of the top of his head and pulled him back on to his feet.
‘You clumsy little thing.’ She giggled.
‘I want this one, Annie.’ Said Benjamin
‘Then let’s help you try it on.’ Said a smaller Witch.
So, Anastasia and the Tall Witch and the Short Witch assisted Benjamin while tried on the green skeleton costume. (Things might have been easier if Benjamin would keep still).
‘Owf.’ Benjamin complained as he struggled to dress himself.
‘Dare we go! I dunned it!’ Said Benjamin.
‘It’s “I’ve done it” Benjamin, not ‘dunned it’.” Benny Bear corrected.
‘How do I wook?’ Benjamin asked.
Annie started giggling.
‘I think that it might be a little too big for you, dear.’ The Tall Witch believed.
Benjamin walked over to the mirror.
He stared for a few seconds.
‘It’s all baggy.’ He said.
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to pick another one, dearie.’ Said the Short Witch.
‘Why don’t you try this one?’ The Tall Witch carried over to him an orange pumpkin costume.
‘It does look like Benjamin’s size this time.’ Said Annie.
‘It’s the smallest size we have and it’s only in this costume.’ Said the Short Witch.
‘Well, let’s help you on with it.’
The three of them helped Benjamin try on the pumpkin costume.
A few “ouches” and “oofs” and Benjamin was dressed in the pumpkin costume.
‘Now then, that looked like it fits you.’ Said the Shot Witch.
Benjamin looked in the mirror again.
But he got a little too close. Because the costume was so big and bulky, he bumped right into the glass.
‘Oof’ Benjamin bounced at his front and bumped to the floor on his bottom.
‘Oh, Benjamin, let me help you.’ Said Annie as she helped Benjamin up off the floor and onto his feet.
‘It’s big and bouncy.’ Said Benjamin, describing the pumpkin costume.
‘Well, at least it fits you.’ Said Tall Witch.
Benjamin turned round to her as she spoke.
But as he did so, he bumped into Anastasia and that knocked them both off their feet.
Benjamin glowed as he hit the floor as his invincibility stopped him from getting hurt. But Anastasia wasn’t so lucky.
‘Ouch,’ Annie bumped on the floor. ‘Perhaps because Benjamin is so clumsy, maybe we should reconsider the clothing he wears.’
‘Oh, is suppose so. Oh well, maybe this time it’ll be third time lucky.’ Said the Tall Witch.
She helped Annie and Benjamin to their feet.
‘I have an idea. What if Benjamin chooses something to wear at the smallest size, and I can later try to sew it to his size. I could tailor fit it to the size Benjamin requires.’ Anastasia suggested.
‘Hmm, that sounds possible. But are you sure you won’t struggle with a task like that? ’ Said the Short Witch.
‘Madam, I designed the very clothes I am wearing. I know quite a lot about tailor made clothes with the help of my father’s riches. He paid for the most luxurious clothes I have ever designed.’
‘Well, I suppose you could try to take up the size of Benjamin‘s costume.’
‘Alright then, I’ll do just that.’
‘So I can choose whatever I want?’ Asked Benjamin.
‘Not quite, Benjamin. I think we’ll need a better opinion. A gentleman’s opinion.’ Annie walked round the corner and back into the main shop.
‘Excuse me.’ She politely called. ‘Mr Mayor?’
‘Finished already?’ Said the Mayor.
‘Actually, I believe we need your assistance. We need an opinion from a gentleman whom is more familiar with the fashion of this town.’
‘Oh, then I’m your gentleman? What appears to be the problem?’
‘Benjamin can’t decide what suits him best. We certainly are not aware of the fashion of this town. However, you are, sir.’ Anastasia suggested.
‘Well then, I’ll see what I can do.’
So, they attempted to sort out Benjamin with some new clothes that suited, not just him, but the style of the town.
Choosing the right clothes became increasingly easy thanks to The Mayor’s help. And everyone soon though that Benjamin didn’t need a childlike costume, he needed something more mature. And the witches had just the thing.
‘Well then,’ They said as they presented the perfect set of clothes. ‘How about these?’
They had a neat little suit with a crystal white shirt, a pair of neatly ironed black trousers and a little top hat.
‘It’s like Mr Mayor’s funny hat!’ Benjamin said in glee as he too the hat from the Small Witch and put it over his head.
But after a few seconds, it slumped down and covered his eyes.
‘However, I’m afraid they’re just a little too big.’ Said the Tall Witch.
‘Well, perhaps I can take them up a bit, and reduce their size.’ Annie suggested.
‘Hey, why don’t you ask Sally to help you?’ The Mayor recommended.
‘Yes, I bet she can help you tailor the suit to fit Benjamin.’ The Short Witch added.
‘Well then, I suppose they’ll do nicely. Won’t they Benjamin.’ Said Annie.
‘Alwight den. As wong as I can get out of my pyjamas at last.’ Said Benjamin.
‘Now we have the little one sorted, it’s your turn now, Annie.’ The Mayor informed.
‘Oh, yes. I am nearly forgetting about myself.’
Anastasia looked around the room at all the girls clothing hung up on coat hangers.
She gazed at frilly purple dresses, long orange skirts with green lace, black and white glittery tops, black lace corsets and…
‘Oh.’ Anastasia noticed something among the neatly arranged, creative clothes.
She saw a tidy black dress with a short, ragged, skirt like bottom. And at the top and waist were layers of material, one folded over the other, (Well, it’s hard to explain verbally. Look at the picture it you want.)
‘This here.’ Anastasia removed it from the coat hanger.
The Mayor was paying for Benjamin’s clothes at the counter. Then the witch serving them noticed Annie in the back room holding the dress up to herself and looking in the mirror.
‘Mayor, do you mind taking Benjamin back to the Doctor’s house?’ Asked the Tall Witch.
‘Certainly.’ He replied. ‘Come on, little one.’
‘Now I’ve got a funny hat like you and Mr Hyde.’ Said Benjamin.
‘Hang on a minute! Wait for me!’ Benny bear cried as he followed both Benjamin and the Mayor out of the shop.
Meanwhile, Anastasia was trying on the little black dress in the changing room.
‘How are we getting on in there dearie?’ Asked the Short Witch.
‘Well, I fear that it reveals too much above my ankles.’ Annie replied.
Upon hearing this, the Short Witch began rummaging through a draw. She then pulled out a pair of black and white striped tights.
‘Try these, dearie.’ She said, passing them to Annie through the gap at the edge of the curtain.
After a few moments, Anastasia opened the curtain and revealed herself in the new dress and tights.
‘I know I’m no longer in the seventeen-hundreds, however, I still feel that a dress above the ankles is a slight bit revealing, even with tights.’ Annie looked in the mirror whilst trying to pull down the shallow bottom of the dress.
‘Oh, sweet heart, it looks lovely on you. I know it maybe shorter than your old dress, but it’s nothing to worry about. At least this one isn’t tattered and torn like your old one.’
Anastasia continued to fiddle with her dress.
‘Here,’ Said the Tall Witch. ‘Why don’t you try this one?’
The Tall Witch offered her a different dress, one of the orange ones with the green lace.
After trying on the new dress, Anastasia looked quite unsure about this one all the same. She still didn’t think it was proper enough.
So, she tried on another, hoping that this one might fit her needs a little better. Still, Anastasia wasn’t convinced that it was any better.
Meanwhile, while Annie was trying on outfits in the witches shop, back in Sally’s old room, Benjamin was jumping for joy over his new clothes.
‘Look, Sally!’ Said Benjamin as he took the new hat from Benny Bear and placed it on top of his head.
‘Aw, I think it suits you.’ Sally smiled.
Benjamin then looked up and smiled back, but after a few seconds, the hat had slipped down and covered his eyes, (it was little too big).
Sally sighed and then giggled as she lifted up the hat so that Benjamin could see again.
‘Perhaps It’s just a little too big for you.’
‘But that’s the smallest the witches had. My clothes are too big too.’
‘Then why buy them when they’re too big?’
‘Annie says she’s going to try to sew them up to Benjamin’s size.’ Benny Bear.
‘That’s doesn’t sound easy.’ Sally though.
‘Annie says that she designed the clothes she wears and that she should be able to resize Benjamin’s clothes. But I don’t think she’ll get it done by tomorrow. Besides, she’s also got to finish her drawing in the town hall by tomorrow.” Benny Bear explained.
“The Mayor and the witches thought dat you could help Annie, ‘cause I can’t do stitching.’ Said Benjamin.
‘No one expects YOU to do anything! You couldn’t even tie your own shoes.’ Said Benny Bear.
‘But I don’t got shoes. They’re swippers.’
‘You’ll need some new shoes with you’re new out fit. You can’t were a suit with slippers you know, Benjamin.’ Benny Bear reminded Benjamin.
The chattered in the back ground as Sally looked out of the window and gazed out at the town towards the witches shop as she pondered.
But then, she felt a tug at her dress.
‘Sally,’ Benjamin tugged. ‘There’s no more numbers to make on the cwackulator you gave me.’ Benjamin passed the calculator to Sally.
‘Hold on to it for now, Benjamin. I’ll show you and everyone else something else you can do with the calculator later.’ Sally then looked over to Benny Bear. ‘Benny Bear, is Anastasia still at the witches shop?’
‘I presume so. She would have come straight here if she had finished choosing the right clothes. Unless she went back to the town hall. But…’
‘Are you going to see Annie?’ Benjamin asked.
‘Yes, and you two are going to come with me.’ Sally replied.
‘Why me?’ Said Benjamin.
‘Because you’re the one who needs their new clothes resizing. I’ll talk to Anastasia and see what I can do.’
So, Sally headed off to the witches shop whilst escorting Benjamin and his toy companion.
Back at the witches shop, Annie still wasn’t sure about what to wear.
‘I do not mean to be particular, however I simply feel that I am not showing a sense of propriety by wearing these clothes.’ She shyly spoke.
‘Oh, but dearie, they all look splendid on you.’ Said the Tall Witch.
‘Yes. You really need to act like you’re in the modern century.’ Said the Short Witch.
‘Perhaps I should just take the dress with longest length and try to lengthen it myself when I get back.’ Anastasia suggested.
‘Oh, but if you do that then you’ll never get both yours and Benjamin’s done before tomorrow.’ Believed the Tall Witch.
Anastasia sat down on the stool as she pondered about what to do. “I though I would be easier than Benjamin at choosing clothes” Annie secretly thought.
But then, speaking of that daft little toddler, the door at the front of the shop swung open and guess who came bursting through.
‘Annie! Annie!’ Benjamin cried as he ran into the back of the shop.
‘Benjamin?’ Annie replied back.
‘Annie! Sally’s here! She’s going to help you!’ Benjamin jumped up and down excitedly.
‘Hold on there, Benjamin. Calm down.’ Benny Bear tried to stop Benjamin from jumping all over the place.
And then, Sally herself followed Benjamin into the room.
‘Annie?’
‘Sally! It’s so nice to see you.’
‘Annie, I hear you need some help preparing Benjamin’s costume.’
‘Yes, do you think you can help me?’
‘Of course, I’ll help all I can.”
Sally then looked over Annie’s head and saw all the dresses she’d tried on scattered across the floor.
‘Have you chosen what you would like to wear yet?’
‘Unfortunately, no. I have not.’ Annie looked down.
‘Why? What’s wrong?’ Sally asked.
‘Well, the dearie is a little old fashioned.’ Began the Tall Witch. ‘She can’t seem to feel that the dresses cover enough.’
‘I see.’ Sally pondered for a few moments. ‘Why don’t you pick the one with the longest length and we’ll try to improve it? How does that sound?’
‘Improve it? How?’ Anastasia asked.
‘Well, we could just find a colour that matched and extend the dress. Make it longer by adding another set of fabric?’
‘Really? You’d do that? If so, I’ll help you any way that I can, Sally.’
‘As long as it get’s you and Benjamin ready for Halloween, it would be my pleasure.’
Anastasia threw her arms round Sally and thanked her.
‘But when will Emma be coming in for a costume?’ Asked the Short Witch.
‘I’m afraid Emma doesn’t want much to do with Halloween.’ Sally explained.
‘Oh? Why not? She’s the only one of our new guests who knows what Halloween truly is! How can she not want to take part?’ The Tall Witch asked urgently.
‘Well, Emma’s really only interested in getting us all home. Halloween is not a priority of her mission.’ Anastasia tried to explain.
Well, they were both right. To me, Halloween was a waste of time. Time I could spend looking for the others instead. Even though there seems to be no more children appearing in Halloween Town. But what lays beyond that forest? I’ll bet there’s more to this world that these people know.
Later on, back in the Doctor’s house, Annie had chosen the dress she had decided to change and took it into Sally’s old room where Sally was setting up the sewing machine.
Benjamin was also with them with Benny Bear. Sally needed Annie to measure him so she knew how much needed taking off the lengths. But, typical of Benjamin, he just wouldn’t keep still.
‘Stop fidgeting, Benjamin.’ Annie tried to keep him still while she ran the tape measure along his arm.
‘Look!’ Benjamin pointed at the window with the arm Annie was trying the measure.
There were bats swarming around outside. ‘Butta-fwies!’
‘They’re not butterflies, Benjamin.’ Benny Bear corrected. ‘They’re bats.’
‘Rats!’
‘No, no, no. Bats.’
‘Bats.’
‘That’s right.’
Annie was then able to try again at measuring Benjamin’s arm length.
‘Why so they make that noise?’ Benjamin pointed again.
‘Benjamin! Keep still.’
‘Sowy.’ He apologized.
Third time lucky, Annie was able to measure Benjamin’s arm length.
‘Right, that’s everything now. You can go and play with Benny Bear now, Benjamin.’
Benjamin practically leaped up in the air and rushed to his faithful living toy.
‘Hold on there, Benjamin. Ow! Be careful with me. I’m expensive, you know.’
‘Now, let’s get to work.’ Said Sally as she looked at the measurement Annie had written down.
‘One foot, twenty inches. Right.’ Sally then set about cutting the edge of the sleeves and then folding the end and sewing the fold down. Sally sew one sleeve, Annie sew the other.
‘I have an idea. What if we or I sew on a design? I bet I can come up with something quite cleaver and, in informal sense, creepy.’ Anastasia suggested.
‘Perhaps. But if you’re going to try something as challenging as that, I suggest you save it for another time.’ Sally thought it best.
As soon as the sleeve Annie was sewing was sewn, Annie ran straight to her book and began drawing a design. Believe me, she had a great idea.
Sally sewed up the trouser lengths herself and checked the measurements for what should be done next.
But as soon as she was onto the next thing, Annie had finished her design.
‘Here Sally, what do you think?’ Annie showed Sally the piece of paper with the design.
Annie had drawn a spider design for the back of Benjamin’s suit and the legs of the spider went round the front to form stripes.
‘Hmm. It does look impressive, but it looks difficult…’ Sally pondered.
‘I can do it, Sally. All I need is white nylon fabric and white cotton. I’ve done designs like this in China before, I know a really good way of doing it. Just like they did in Singapore.’
‘Well, alright. But let’s get your dress done first. I hope you’ll keep still, unlike Benjamin. You seemed to really struggle with him.’
‘Well, you can easily forgive the little lad.’ Said Annie.
Sally measured Annie up and wrote down the measurements as she went.
Annie told me that making her dress was easier than Benjamin’s suit, especially since she’d never designed a boy’s clothes before. She’s only designed dresses.
Anyway, the work on Annie’s dress was soon finished after an hour or two.
When Annie tried it on it seemed to suit her well. I think anything would suit her.
Later on, Sally had one more thing to deal with. But this she could show us all right away. It was about Benjamin and his calculator.
‘Right, now you all know that Benjamin has been typing on this calculator for a few day’s now.’ Sally began.
‘Yeah. And I’m wondering what you’d planning to do. Benjamin can even count properly.’ I said.
‘All he needs to do is count to ten, really. Anyway, let me show you something. Benjamin?’ Sally got Benjamin’s attention.
‘Yes, Sally?’
‘If you typed in three, three, four and nine, then pressed the cross, and typed in three, four and five, what would come up on the calculator.’ Sally asked as she typed the equation on the calculator.
‘One, one, five, five, four, zero, five.’ Benjamin replied.
Sally showed me and the Doctor the calculator.
Benjamin was right.
‘That can’t be right.’ I said.
‘But it is, Emma.’ Said the Doctor.
‘Benjamin, what’s two-hundred and five divided by fifty-two?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know.’ Benjamin replied.
‘Emma, Benjamin doesn’t know what the symbols mean. Try this.’ Sally began.
‘Benjamin, what comes up if you typed in two, Zero and five and pressed the line and two dots button, and then pressed five and two?’
‘Three, then a dot, then nine, four, two, three, zero, seven six and nine.’
We looked on the calculator, Benjamin was right.
‘How is he doing that?’ I asked.
‘I’ll show you.’ Sally picked up a packet of playing cards from the lab counter. ‘I want you to watch this Benjamin.’
Sally then started throwing the cards on the table, one by one.
Benjamin watched each one as it glided across the table.
Sally kept going until there was only three cards left in her hand.
‘What card do I have left, Benjamin?’
‘A diamond J. A diamond four and a heart Q.’
Benjamin was right!
‘How did he…?’ I was stunned.
‘He remembered.’ Said the Doctor. ‘He must have remembered every single calculation he ever typed. And he counted the cards and then knew what was left. He remembered everything.’
‘But how can he remember all that?’ I asked.
The Doctor wheeled over to his book in human beings.
‘I know that some human beings are born very uniquely. Mentally unique.’ The Doctor flicked through his book. ‘Now, I know Benjamin is slightly immature for his age and has no sense of danger. And now I know he has an extraordinary memory. I’ve got it!’ The Doctor cried.
‘What? How come Benjamin can remember so much?’ I asked.
‘I believe that Benjamin O’Brien is autistic.’
‘Autistic?’ I puzzled.
‘That’s right, Doctor. He is.’ Said Sally.
‘How would you know?’ I said.
‘As soon as I put Benjamin’s heart back I learnt everything about him.’
‘How that happen?’ Asked the Doctor.
‘That must be the gift when you put his heart back. You learned stuff about him. But what does autistic mean anyway?’
‘It can mean lots of things. But over all, it is a learning and mental disability. It say’s here that some people with autism can have communication problems. Some don’t have a sense of danger and some have behaviour problems and find it extremely difficult to socialize. But some can have very unique advantages. Like for instance, an extreme long term memory, or acute senses or amazing ability to understand things like science and physics. And it says here that some of the smartest people on Earth have autism. It truly is a unique disability, that can have some special abilities too.’
I took in and thought about what the Doctor had explained.
‘So, like, maybe Benjamin, when he’s older, he could be a scientist or a mathematician because of his memory?’ I asked.
‘Perhaps. He’s only four now. If his memory expands, imagine what he could do when he grows up.’ Said Sally.
I though about everything I had just learned.
I always thought that Benjamin was silly and a little dumb. But now I’ve learned that he has a massive memory. He can count cards and predict equations on the calculator!
I guess I never knew how smart he really was. I’ve got to hand it to him, he really is cleaver for a four-year-old.
I couldn’t wait to tell Annie.
But Annie was at Jack’s house at the time.
Jack had asked to see her about the event of bringing her drawing to life on Halloween.
But Annie had one other thing to discuss actually.
Later on that night, Annie saw Jack just before nightfall.
She’d already thanked Sally for her help with the clothes for Benjamin and herself and knew how good and kind she was. But Annie noticed that something was missing. She thought that Sally deserved more that she already had, especially with her love for Jack.
‘If you really want to make Halloween special for yourself as well as the rest of the town, you need to make it special for Sally.’ Annie suggested to Jack.
‘Oh, all these years of planning for Halloween I’m fresh our of new ideas, Annie. I don’t know how to make Halloween more special than it’s going to be.’
‘But it’s not about Halloween this time. It’s about Sally. She’s done so much for you. You’ve told me about how she tried to save you from yourself when you discovered Christmas. I can only imagine what else she’s done for you. You have to thank her for it all. Show her how much you love her, and what better time to do it than on Halloween?’
Jack pondered for a few minutes.
‘There must be something you can do, Jack.’ Said Annie.
‘I can think of many things, but they’re not good enough.’
It seemed to be taking Jack a long time to think so hard.
‘Well, whatever you think of, Jack, I’m sure Sally will love it. As long as it’s a gift from you, I know he shall be so very grateful.’
Annie stood up from where she sat.
‘You’ll think of something, Jack. I know you will.’
Annie then left Jack pondering in his tower.
After about an hour, Jack was still thinking about what Annie said. Trying to think of the greatest gift he could possibly give. Well, he knew that Sally always said that to be with Jack himself was the greatest gift she could ever have.
And then, he thought of something…
He raced off to the Witches shop, but it really wasn’t a materialized gift he intended to give. He intended to do for Sally something very special indeed. Exactly what was that special gift?
Well…
You’re going to have to find out…
