Double Cross
Chapter 13
Hi there. It’s me again. Jack.
It was hard for anyone to narrate the last chapter since no-one of us was really there. Though Anastasia did later tell Sally exactly what happened, so she was best to tell you the last chapter.
But this chapter is for me to tell.
I guess it all started when Benjamin came to me, Sally and Emma with a note. And also to say that he couldn’t find Benny Bear.
“When I woke up Benny Bear wasn’t there.” Benjamin began. “Instead I found this where I last saw him.”
Benjamin passed the note to Sally.
She opened it up and unfolded it.
“Well, Sally,” I said. “What does it say?”
“Oh no.” Sally gasped.
“What? What’s up?” Emma took the note from Sally and then read it out loud.
“‘If you clowns ever wanna see your Bear friend again then tell your bone head friend Jack to come to the lair at dusk and to come alone. If not, someone could get hurt. Someone like the little shorty in blue pyjamas.’ Oh no. Jack, Benny Bear’s been kidnapped!” Emma cried.
“Kidnapped!” I gasped in shock. I took the note from Emma and began to read it myself.
“Yes, and it says that you have to go to Oogie’s lair at dusk or they’ll do something to Benny Bear and hurt Benjamin.”
“But how can they hurt Benjamin? He’s right here.” I said.
“That’s one of Benjamin’s abilities. His invincibility isn’t pure. There is a way to harm Benjamin. You see, if his bear gets hurt, then Benjamin will feel it too. It’s a little bit like voodoo, see.” Emma explained.
“Well then, we’ve got to do something!” I passed the note back to Emma.
“It Benny Bear going to be alwight, Jack?” Asked Benjamin.
“Of course, Benjamin. I promise.” I replied.
“But, Jack, you can’t go!” Said Emma.
“But, Emma, Benjamin needs me.”
“Jack, Benjamin’s my responsibility. It should be me who’s going.”
“But they asked for me. If I don’t go then we might not get Benny Beat back safely. Besides, Oogie Boogie is the most useless villain I’ve ever seen. He’s not so tough.”
“But if he’s so useless then why would he invite you to this little party. There gonna be an ambush or something. He’ll have something dangerous waiting for you.”
After that, I didn’t know what to say.
In the back of my mind I knew she could very well be right. But I couldn’t let it stop me. There was one little fella who needed my help.
But little did I know at the time, something was waiting for me.
Back in the tree house mansion, Lock, Shock and Barrel had Benny Bear in the evil playroom.
“What should be do with him?” Said Barrel.
“Let’s cut his limbs off, one by one. Then use his insides and see if they’re flammable!” Said Lock.
“You guys are so stupid!” Shock butted in.
“What’s so stupid about tearing this ugly ball of fluff limb by limb?”
“This little thing is our leverage, and Oogie’s leverage. He’s gotta stay harm free until Jack’s history. Then, we can do what ever we want to him!”
The three of them fell about chuckling.
But then, their laughing was disrupted by a disturbing sound.
There was banging, screaming, and wailing coming from the pipe in the wall that led to Oogie’s lair.
Lock, Shock and Barrel slowly wandered up to the hold in the wall, still listening at the horrifying cries. But these cries weren’t from Anastasia, they were from Oogie Boogie.
“Mr Oogie’s in trouble!” Cried Barrel.
“Come on!” Lock raced for the pipe and leaped down in. Shock and Barrel followed.
They slid all the way to the bottom and were sent flying out of the end, one by one.
They all landed perfectly fine, (apart from Barrel).
But then, they turned round and looked behind them.
What they then saw horrified the three of them.
They saw a sight of rag-carnage, bug-shed and the murdering of a thousand insects. These were the remains of Oogie Boogie.
Lock, Shock and Barrel all shrieked and gasped.
“Mr Oogie!” Cried Barrel as he ran to the shredded remains of their master.
But then, something leaped out of the shadows. #wham!# And landed in front of Barrel.
It was Anastasia.
She snarled angrily. The rest of Oogie’s insects crawling all over her skin.
She then screamed.
Barrel stumbled back towards Lock and Shock.
Anastasia fell to her knees. Crying with anger.
Lock, Shock and Barrel were terrified. They didn’t know what was happening.
Anastasia then began to lift up her head. She looked like she was in pain.
Shock gazed through the hair that drooped down over Anastasia’s face.
She then suddenly felt something. Something in her chest where her heart should be. Something very strange.
“Annie?” She whispered.
Anastasia then stared at the three of them and muttered out of her trembling…
“Run…” She spoke through her teeth.
Lock, Shock and Barrel shivered and looked at each other.
“RUUUUNNNN!!!” Annie screamed.
The three of them obeyed in fear and ran of the exit!
They ran and ran, leaving behind the screaming murderer of their master. They could still hear the screams all the way to the evil playroom.
Lock and Shock ran through the door and Barrel closed the door behind them.
#Slam!#
They all gasped for breath.
“What are we gonna do? What are we gonna DO!?!” Barrel panicked. “Oogie Boogie’s DEAD! What are we gonna DO!?!”
“I’ll tell ya what were gonna do.” Lock began. “After that kid finishes Jack off to, we’ll sew Oogie back together! Just like last time.”
“Oh yeah? Well, you’re just forgetting on little thing.” Said Shock. “How can we bring Oogie back when that kid’s rampaging in Halloween Town? We can’t bring Oogie back when that kid’s still out of her mind. Not even Jack can stop her. And if Jack can’t stop her, then no-one can.”
“So what? That just proves that we’ve done the badest thing yet!” Said Lock.
“Gosh! You really are STUPID!” Shrieked Shock. “Don’t you get it!?! If no-one can stop Annie then there won’t be a Halloween Town for Oogie to rule. Annie’ll destroy it!”
“Who the heck’s ‘Annie’?” Said Lock.
“Annie’s that kid! The one who lost her dad, then she was hanged, then she ended up here, now she’s….she’s…” Shock suddenly felt strange.
“Hey, how did you know all that?” Asked Barrel.
“I don’t know.”
Shock placed her hand over her chest where her heart should be.
“Stupid heart! I never should have put it back! Weird things have been happening to me since I put it back!”
“What things?” Lock puzzled.
Shock just snapped.
“Shut up! Just shut up! You won’t understand!”
Shock ran out of the room and into the next. She needed to let off some steam.
Lock and Barrel were highly puzzled.
Shock had been acting unusual since she’s been made to put Annie’s heart back. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was the one who put the heart back where it belonged. Just like when Sally put Benjamin’s heart back she started learning things about him.
Whatever was happening to Shock she didn’t like it one bit. It was changing her mood. She’d got more frustrated with what it was doing to her that she wanted to prove that she was just as bad as she always was, or worse.
That’s why she wanted Annie on their side.
But perhaps she got a little more than she asked for.
