Part two: Once Upon a Nightmare
Hello there! The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town here to describe to you horrors of Once Upon A Nightmare. As the master of terror, I guarantee this hair-raising horror to send chills down your spine.
However, horror is not the main purpose of this chilling tale.
This story is about my newest young friend, the dear little Anastasia Rose.
This tale still haunts me deep, far deeper than you’ll feel I guarantee, (I witness the whole thing).
Scary and sad, I must warn you that this story is not for the faint of heart. But for those of you who are curious to know Anastasia’s part in this haunting tale, persist to read further and you shall find out…
Chapter 1: The Nightmare Begins
Hello there! The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town here to describe to you horrors of Once Upon A Nightmare. As the master of terror, I guarantee this hair-raising horror to send chills down your spine.
However, horror is not the main purpose of this chilling tale.
This story is about my newest young friend, the dear little Anastasia Rose.
This tale still haunts me deep, far deeper than you’ll feel I guarantee, (I witness the whole thing).
Scary and sad, I must warn you that this story is not for the faint of heart. But for those of you who are curious to know Anastasia’s part in this haunting tale, persist to read further and you shall find out…
Night was drawing near.
The town was dark and thick fog drifted in the atmosphere from the earlier rain. The temperature was freezing. Halloween was over and autumn was soon to end as well. With rain tuning into fog and frost gathering on windows, the cold November weather was now present.
However, in the presents of a far more comforting indoor climate, business was taking place.
The autopsy of Nadallia Chime.
In the Doctor’s lab, Emma was with Doctor Finklestein waiting to find out how the autopsy had transpired.
“Well I just don’t understand it!” the Doctor scratched at his cranium.
“What? What don’t you understand? How could there possibly anything you don’t understand? Jack told me that you’re a genius.” Emma was desperate to know how Nadallia had ended up like she had, as well as what made her turn against them all.
“So you, a brilliant genius and by far the brainiest guy in the whole town, still don’t know what killed Nadallia.”
“I know perfectly well, young lady. With the amount of scratches and wounds in her body inside and out, it would suggest that she was attacked. You couldn’t get these kinds of injuries from a fall. Too much internal damage. Half her internal organs are missing; including her heart which you say isn’t like an ordinary human heart.”
“What do you mean half her insides are missing? How can they be missing when she’s not been cut open by any one or thing?”
“That’s what I can’t understand.”
“Well surely there must be some way? Maybe they came out when her heart did?”
“Impossible. Whether you human hearts are spiritual or otherwise, it doesn’t change the physical matter of internal tissue. Which for your information means you can’t make a solid object walk through a wall like a ghost!”
“But maybe it had some effect.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. I was told that living humans from a living world, like yourself, where highly intelligent. Some maybe even smarter than me. But you, you’re supposed to be leader of these human children and you didn’t even know what a biological x-ray was.”
Emma frowned. Offended by the Doctor’s comments.
“Hey, how dumb do you think I am? These children are my responsibility. I’m sure you wouldn’t want Benjamin in charge.”
“You underestimated that boy, and you still do. Young Benjamin is far cleverer than you think, Emma Donnahue. I’d like to hear you recite your nineteen times tables without a calculator in your hand.”
“I know Benjamin is good with numbers. But it’s his memory that makes him skilful, you know that. Benjamin doesn’t know what the nineteen times table is or means. He memorises things from that calculator so it’s as if he is holding a calculator.”
“All the same, he deceived you until you came here.”
“I wish you two wouldn’t quarrel like this, especially with Benjamin being right here.”
Unfortunately for them, I was listening to the whole thing. I had been standing just outside the doorway with Benjamin and his bear.
“Not again.” Emma shook her head.
“Emma,” Benjamin ran across from me to Emma.
“Sweeping’s hard. I’ve had such big day. ” He hugged Emma as she knelt down to his head height.
“I’m sorry he’s this much trouble, Jack. Really.” Emma apologized.
It didn’t really matter, Benjamin’s been like this since he came to this town.
“I went for a wander awound.” Benjamin mispronounced his words.
“This is the second time tonight someone’s found you roaming around the town when you’re supposed to be in bed.” I had to bring him back again earlier that night.
“I told you. I can’t sweep.”
“Well you’re gonna have to try. You can’t go wandering around outside in your pyjamas.” Emma lectured.
“But I don’t get cold.”
“Benny Bear, why didn’t you stop him?” Emma asked the bear sat on Benjamin’s shoulder.
“Hey, I tried. But I’m just a toy. A cloth stuffed with fluff. If Benjamin won’t listen to me then there’s nothing I can do. Sometimes it’s like talking to a wall dressed in blue pyjamas.”
“Why didn’t Annie stop you? Surely she must have seen you getting out of bed.” I considered. I knew Annie would still be awake and drawing away at this time.
“Annie’s too busy dwawing. She never noticed me. I’m cwever.” Benjamin looked to the Doctor upon speaking the word ‘clever’.
“It’s cle-ver, Benjamin. Cle-ver.” Benny Bear corrected.
“Cw...cw...cl...clever.”
“Very good.”
“I guess Annie’s great talent and interest can have its weakness.” I suppose when Annie’s drawing she’s distracted.
“I know.” Emma agreed. “She’s too busy with her art to notice anything around her. I bet one of these days, she’s going to be in danger and she won’t notice until it’s too late.”
“Aaaaarghhhh!”
A child like scream thundered from Anastasia’s room.
“No!!! NO!!! Help!!! Emma!!!”
As if to have just predicted the future, Emma looked at me and the Doctor, shocked and astonished.
“Speak of the devil!”
As I was closest to the door, I ran first. Emma followed closely behind.
The screaming and pleading for help continued.
We both rushed to Anastasia’s room.
And then, there was a smash that silenced the screams just as we burst into the room.
The room was empty.
“Annie?” I pondered as I gazed round the dark room.
But then, I looked towards the open window.
I came closer.
And then I realized that wasn’t open, it was smashed.
“Annie!” Emma then noticed the same thing.
I ran passed Emma and out the bedroom door.
I ran passed Benjamin and the Doctor who were also coming to the scene.
The Doctor wasn’t sure what had happened.
“Jack? Where are you going?”
“Emma, what’s going on?” Benjamin asked Emma as she passed him.
“Annie’s gone!”
“What?”
“She’s must have gone through the window. There’s glass everywhere!”
Emma then ran on to keep up with me.
I was already outside.
The rain had started again and it was far darker than earlier now that night was here and the fog had grown denser.
I skidded to a halt as I looked around to where he should go.
“Annie!” I yelled out.
Emma caught up.
“Annie!” Emma cried.
Emma and I then saw two figures emerging from the fog and rain. A voice of a young boy came from one of the shadowy shapes.
“Jack, Emma,” Corps Kid rushed to the scene with Witherwing.
“We saw her!” Corps Kid began.
“We hear her scream, and then we saw someone jump through the window.” Witherwing continued.
“It must have been Annie. She ran towards the main gate, but I couldn’t see where she went after that. The fog was too thick.” Corps Kid informed.
I knelt down to their head height.
“Inform the rest of the town. Tell everyone to be on the look out!”
The two kids rushed off through the fog.
My attention was then brought to the rain sparking as it hit Emma’s aluminium skin.
“Emma, you need to go back inside!” I tried to warn her.
“No! I’m going to look for Annie.”
“Emma, listen to me! I don’t want two of my new friends to get hurt. Imagine if you got hit by lightening again!”
This time Emma didn’t reply.
“I promise I’ll find Annie. With or without your help. But without will ensure your safety.”
Emma looked like she was about to cry. (If she could she would be).
“Promise!?!”
“I promise!”
Emma then ran back inside out of the shocking impact of the rain.
I then ran off through the town and crashed my way through the cemetery gates.
Emma watched from the shelter of the door way.
And then within seconds, I vanished into the mist.
