Oogie had just been sitting in his house since Jack had shown up with the news that the Beldam was real, wondering how he was ever going to replace those three. Though he’d never admit it to anyone they were quite possibly the best henchmen he’d ever had [we won’t discuss his prior ones here]. And best of all he didn’t have to pay them, though working with children often tried his patience.
‘What am I doing?’ thought Oogie. He, who had laughed as his victims had writhed under torture, was now crying (not literally) over the loss of a few henchmen. What kind of Boogie man was he anyway? But Oogie’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. At first he was going to ignore it but the knocking continued getting harder and louder until he was forced to answer.
Oogie: What!? Oh, it’s you.
Sally looked up at Oogie, a bit taken aback by his tone. However she let it go and got right down to business.
Sally: Oogie, do you want us to help you save your kids or what?
Oogie: They’re not my kids, and, what?
Sally rolled her eyes and sighed.
Sally: Look, we may be able to help Lock, Shock, and Barrel, or at least be able to see what they’re doing.
Oogie: (suspicious) Why do you want to help them?
Sally: I have my reasons, but that’s not important. Now do you want to help us or what?
Oogie: What makes you think I need you? Maybe I can get them myself!
Sally: (skeptical) Really? You have a plan?
Oogie’s shoulder sagged and he looked at the ground (I would say at his feet, but you know).
Oogie: No…
Sally: That’s what I figured.
Oogie: Hmph, just tell me what you want me to do.
Sally: First, let us in.
Oogie: ‘Us’?
Sally: You can bring it in now, Jack!
Jack: Thank God!
Oogie jumped and turned to see Jack standing behind him.
Oogie: Dang it! How do you do that!?
If Jack had eyes he would have rolled them. He was carrying a large, obviously heavy cauldron fill with bottles of varying shapes and sizes. Jack ignored Oogie and proceeded to carry everything inside, setting it down on the first place he saw. Jack narrowed his eye sockets at Oogie.
Jack: Let’s get something strait Oogie, we’re only helping you because it’s the only way to help them.
Oogie: Don’t have to tell me Bone Man, so what’s this brilliant plan of yours?
Sally, who had begun to remove the bottles from the cauldron, answered.
Sally: We’re going to try to find them with the seer’s potion*.
Oogie: The…seer’s potion?
Sally: Uhuh. Of course, we’ll have to modify it a bit, and I’ll need something of theirs, a toy, a hair brush, something they use a lot.
Oogie: Why do you need that?
Sally: Because we’re looking for them, and not just some random image.
Oogie: Oookaay, uhh…I guess you could check the tree house.
Sally: You mean you are going to check the tree house; I have to work on the potion.
Oogie: I can’t fit in there.
Sally rolled her eyes and was about to say something rude when Jack answered.
Jack: Fine, I’ll do it. But you’ll still have to come with me to tell me if it’s something they use.
Oogie: Whatever.
Jack was annoyed by Oogie’s attitude but reminded himself why they were doing this and let it go. Though he did think Oogie could at least act like he cared, after all, it was his henchmen they were trying to help.
Oogie did not like being forced to work with Jack for obvious reasons. Unfortunately he didn’t have much of a choice in this matter. So Oogie stood on the bridge as Jack climbed up the rope on the elevator into the tree house.
Barrel wasn’t sure what to make of his discovery. How could a mirror be a door? This just kept getting more and more confusing, to Barrel at least.
Lock was equally confused, though for a slightly different reason. He still had no idea what was going on. Why did everyone keep coming and going? Why had Barrel been wearing his mask? And why did he now give him that funny look?
Were they ever going to get him out? He knew that it his freedom wouldn’t come easy but this place was making him crazy. It was even worse when he had been alone. If Shock hadn’t shown up when she had he would have been begging the Beldam to sew the buttons and let him out by now.
Barrel was completely unaware of Lock’s feelings, too distracted by the door he had discovered. It was a very ornate looking door, made of silver with all sorts of symbols engraved into it. And on the right hand side about halfway down, made into the door was a lock. For some reason Barrel had a feeling that if he could unlock the door he could get Lock out. The lock appeared to be made for a very small key, much too small to be the key around his neck. Still, he tried it without success. ‘The Beldam probably has the key…’ thought Barrel, then ‘What is it with this place and keys?’
To Lock this looked very strange, but he figured this was Barrel after all. The cat, who had long since lost interest in events, had curled up once again for a nap. Barrel wondered if it were possible to pick the lock open. Shock had taught how to pick a lock with a hair pin, but he didn’t have one or know where to find one. He knew there were other things you could pick a lock with, but he didn’t have those things either.
As he continued to wonder about what he could do he realized he had been nervously playing with the zipper tab on his jacket. He looked down at the small metal tab and occurred to him that he could use that. After a bit of tugging he managed to pull the tab off. He put Lock’s mask back on so he could see the door and had been about to try out his idea when a voice stopped him.
Cat: I wouldn’t try that if I were you.
Barrel: Why not? I figure it won’t work anyway but it’s worth a shot.
Cat: Are you sure? For all you know that lock could be cursed.
Barrel: Cursed?
Cat: But what do I know? I’m just a cat.
Barrel reasoned the cat had given good advice before and abandoned the idea. Not to mention he was now afraid of curses. But now he didn’t know what to do. Barrel slumped to the floor hugging his knees to his chest.
Barrel: I give up.
Cat: Just like that?
Barrel: …
Cat: I thought you had wanted to help.
Barrel: I’m no help. I’m just useless. Knowing the mirror is a door doesn’t help at all.
Cat: I don’t know. I’m sure there’s someone who’d find it interesting.
Barrel: Who?
But the cat merely shrugged and curled up once again, closing his eyes. Barrel pondered what the cat had said. ‘He...he couldn’t be talking about Shock could he?’ thought Barrel. ‘Couldn’t be, she’s got the whole game-thing. Then again…’
Barrel: Were you talking about Shock?
Cat: hmm? What’s that?
Barrel: Before, about someone finding it interesting, were you talking about Shock?
Cat: Would she find it interesting?
Barrel: (slightly annoyed) Why do you answer questions with questions? Couldn’t you just give me a straight answer?
Cat: Probably…though it’s more amusing this way.
Barrel had so far respected the cat and had tried to be polite but Barrel now found himself annoyed by its attitude towards the situation. He made a show of rolling his eyes and turning away. The cat found this even more amusing.
Cat: Oh come now, you can think for yourself.
Barrel: Fine. I’ll go tell Shock.
Barrel got up and started for the door. He paused just a moment, having second thoughts, but finally opened the door and walked out into the hallway followed by the cat. This time Lock noticed their depart and tried to get their attention, however they didn’t notice. Angry and annoyed at being left alone he swore revenge if he ever got out. In the hallway Barrel wandered vaguely in the direction of the dining room on a hunch they might be there. He hoped Shock wouldn’t be too mad that he left the room and wondered what game she had challenged the Beldam to. He was starting to think this was a bad idea when he came to the entrance of the dining room.
..................................................................................
I know, still no news of Shock, but it's coming. This chapter was so annoying, but it's relavent to the plot so it had to be written. I can't say I'm happy with it though I do find the dialouge between Barrel and the cat rather amusing. Only about three chapters left, so hang in there with me.
*seer's potion: what I call the potion the witches make in the movie so they can watch Jack pretend to be Sandy Claws
<I figured you could figure it out, but just in case...I didn't want there to be confusion>
Wow, these little thingies at the end are turning into commentaries.
