Chapter 9
The Danger Zone
(Part 1)
Hello there!
It’s me, the Pumpkin king.
Well, I was still thinking about Emma’s story when I fell asleep that night
I never knew she’d had such a tough time back in her home world.
Anyway, morning in Independence city when you being treated as guests of the President is the best morning you’ll ever have.
Everyone woke up happy and awake. Especially Benjamin.
After Dasharath helped dress Benjamin out of his pyjamas and into his Halloween suit, Benjamin sat straight at the table and was claming that he was starving.
“I want my bweakfast.” Benjamin moaned. “I’m ‘ungwy.”
“How can you be hungry if Benny Bear’s not hungry?” Asked Sarmoo.
“I’m hungry too.” Benny Bear stated. “But Benjamin’s the only one who can eat. My mouth’s only sewn on.”
“Ohw.” Benjamin moaned yet again. “I’m ‘uuuungwyyyy.”
“Don’t worry, Benjamin.” Sarmoo reassured the complaining Benjamin. “Devashree told me that Miss Lavender will be here any moment. She’s a maid, the Lady who visits her and Dasharath every morning. I’ll bet she’s bring you anything you want, Benjamin.”
“I want powwidge!” Benjamin cried with Joy. “With tweacle!”
“Treacle?” I puzzled. “What’s treacle?”
“Treacle is the British name for syrup.” Sarmoo explained. “You put it on pancakes and things like that.”
“At least all of you can eat.” Emma spoke from the other end of the room. “I’m a metal kid. I don’t have a stomach.”
“But you can eat when you and the rest of us go home.” Sarmoo believed.
Emma slightly smiled. I wasn’t sure she was very hopeful. Perhaps the story she told the previous night was making her feel a little depressed.
“Hey, Emma.” I began with my attempt to cheer her up. “Don’t forget, we’re meeting Mr Maxi in the subway danger zone today. To see what we can do about the train.”
Devashree whispered something to Sarmoo.
“Oh,” He began to translate. “And Devashree would like to remind you all that her brother and herself are going to try to detect where the strange mist is coming from.”
#Knock, knock, knock#
“Compliments of the management.” Said A lady at the door.
“Miss Lavender?” Dasharath called and questioned.
The door opened, and a young lady dressed in a white and crimson apron peered round the corner.
“Yes, my dearies, It’s me.” She pushed the door open and wheeled a tea-cart into the room.
“Oh,” She gasped. “What do we have here? I thought my manager said that we would be having more young guests.”
Devashree and Dasharath came to greet their friend.
“Nice…to see you.” Devashree smiled and giggled as she tried her best to speak English.
“Come. Come.” Dasharath insisted as he began to take Miss Lavender by the hand.
“Alright then,” Miss Lavender took hold of a tray. “Let me just put this down on the table and…AH!”
She shrieked as the noticed me. She nearly dropped the tray.
Oh dear, yet again my looks deceive me in a world that is not my town.
“Miss Lavender.” Devashree calmed Miss Lavender.
“It’s alright,” Sarmoo came to the rescue. “This is Jack. He’s our friend.”
“Yes, he helped us get this far. We couldn’t have done it without him.” Emma was certain of what she’d said.
I decided to greet her myself.
Miss Lavender was still shaking and the tray was rattling in her grasp.
“No need to fear me, I’m off duty from scaring people.” I then introduced myself. “My name is Jack Skellington.”
“M…Miss Jennifer Lavender.” She stuttered and then spoke rather quickly.
She then suddenly jumped when she unexpectedly felt someone tugging at her apron.
“Excuse me, Miss Lavender.” Benjamin tugged to get attention. “Do you have any powwidge and tweacle?”
“Oh,” Miss Lavender quickly calmed herself after seeing Benjamin’s innocent face. “Porridge, my dearie?” She puzzled.
“He means Oatmeal and syrup.” Emma translated. “He’s English.”
“Oh,” Miss Lavender crouched down to his head height. “I don’t have any on my tea-cart. But if you wait here I should be able to make you some.”
“Yeeeeeeeeey!!!”
Benjamin jumped about upon hearing that.
And he got a little excited.
And we had to calm him down.
So, Miss Lavender left the breakfast tray with the children while she went to make Benjamin some sweet treacle flavoured porridge.
She came back in no time at all and Benjamin was dripping sloppy porridge all over the breakfast table.
But no-one really minded. As long as it kept him quiet.
As soon as all the eaters were all finished, they joined me and Emma and we headed down to the subway danger zone to meat Mr Maxi.
And apparently Katie Anderson was going with us too. She was going to accompany us on our journey to the abandoned station.
…
“Hey, guys!” Katie approached us all as we arrived at the station. “It’s great to see ya’ll.”
“Hey, dude.” Emma replied in her cool style.
“Hello, there.” I greeted her back.
“Hey up, Miss Lady.” Benjamin smiled.
“Hi, Mrs Anderson.” Benny Bear waved.
“Hello, Katie.” Sarmoo greeted politely.
“Mr Maxi!” Devashree and Dasharath ran to greet their best friend. They almost pushed him over as they threw their arms around him.
“Ooh, steady on there. I is not as young as you anymore.” Though Mr Maxi was an elderly man and the force of Devashree and Dasharath’s hugs almost throwing him over everytime, he still looked upon them as if they were his grandchildren.
“Hey, dude. How ya hanging?” Katie came to greet Emma.
“I won’t be hanging around here for long, I’ll say that.”
“Then let’s get to work.” I stepped forward. “Come on fellas, let’s get to the bottom of this broken train. The sooner it’s fixed, the sooner we get home.”
“Hey!” Benjamin cried. “Halloween Town here we come!” Benjamin jumped for joy and started marching off down the corridor.
“Hold on, Benjamin.” Benny Bear chased after Benjamin. “Listen to me now.”
I quickly snatched hold of Benjamin’s hand.
“Benny Bear’s right, little fella.” I said. “You need to listen to your friends.”
“But won’t get hurt.” Benjamin objected.
“Never mind that. You still have to learn to listen.” I decided to pick him up to stop him from running off and so that I could talk to him face to face. “We have to stick together. Were a team. If there’s any danger beyond that hall we have to face it together.”
“Of course there is being danger beyond the hall. It is not being called the Danger Zone for no reasons, you know.” Mr Maxi explained. “It is were the President was found after he disappeared.”
“The President disappeared?” I questioned curiously.
“Oh yes. He disappeared for days and when he was found he was grumpier than ever.”
I also began to be intrigued.
“Anyway, enough chitter-batter. If you is wanting to get you is going to be brave. You gots to.”
“Well, there’s certainly no-one braver that Emma and Jack, right?” Sarmoo believed.
“Right.” I agreed.
“I guess.” Emma sounded doubtful.
“Come on, Emma. This is no time to be modest.” I tried to make her feel a little bit better.
“Right then.” Said Mr Maxi. “You two is going first. I’m afraid I is a coward.”
“Oh, Mr Maxi.” Said Dasharath. “You’re brave enough to come with us.”
“That’s right. And you live here, right next to the Danger Zone. That’s brave.”
“Oh, gosh. You little dearies is the sweetest things.” He hugged Devie and Dash. “Alright, my children, we is better be going. Lead the way, tall one.” Mr Maxi referred to me.
So, to the Danger Zone Mr Maxi led us all.
He led us through a maze of hallways and ancient doors. We must have gone down at least three flights of stairs and travelled at least thirty or forty feet underground.
I carried Benjamin on my shoulders and minded his head everytime we came to a low ceiling. Benny Bear marched along side us, watching his step everytime we came to an obstacle. Sometimes Devashree would pick him up if he was struggling and carry him. Emma mentioned that she might as well carry him the whole way.
“I mean, he’s not exactly heavy.” She said.
“You right.” Devashree agreed. “Come on, Benny Bear.” Devashree gathered him up in her arms.
“Hey, wook!” Benjamin cried out as he pointed.
“What is it, Benjamin?” I asked as I looked up at him.
I noticed he was pointing and so I looked too.
In front of us was one more flight of steps, but just beyond that was a station platform. And it was emitting grey mist that was drifting up the stairs.
“This must be it.” I said as I brought Benjamin down from where he was sat upon my shoulders.
“The smokey-smoke.” Mr Maxi confirmed. “That be where the train in.”
“Right.” I leaped into action. “Come on, fellas, let’s go!”
I ran down the steps with the rest of the gang following me.
“Hold on, dudes.” Katie called out. “I can’t run in these heals!”
“I’ll wait for ya, ma’am.” Emma slowly took her time with Katie.
“Thanks, Em. At least you have some consideration for a politician like me.”
I meanwhile had reached the bottom with Benjamin, and everyone else.
“I can’t see very good.” Said Benjamin.
“Neither can I.” Said Benny Bear. “It smells like some one left the turkey in the oven and it’s been roasting there since Christmas. I know that’s only a few days ago, but still. You get what I mean.”
I heard the clip clop of high heals behind me and I turned round to see Emma helping Katie down the concrete steps.
“Thanks, Emma.”
“No problamo, dude…Whoa!”
Emma then saw the extent of the mist.
“Hey, Jack, look.” Emma pointed down the platform.
I tried to focus my eyes as I stared down the dark station platform. I just managed to see something…orange…
“Pumpkin!” Benjamin cried out.
“My gosh, you’re right!” I ran to the orange that was just visible through the smoke. Emma and the others followed.
“It’s a symbol on that metal board.”
“That’s not a board.” Said Sarmoo. “It’s back of a train!”
“A train!” I cried with glee.
The entire train soon became visible and it was stunning.
The train was black steel, with barred windows and jagged arrows all long the top on the sides of the roof. The arrows ran all the way around it. The metal sides had been branded with symbols of bats and bones and broomsticks. And there was a symbol of a bright orange pumpkin on each side of the train as well as the back
It looked like an old fashioned train. A steam engine.
“Chor! It’s big, ain’t it!” Benjamin cried.
“Not as big as the last one.” Said Sarmoo.
“But this one’s gonna take us home.” I said. “Back to Halloween Town.”
“Well, while Emma tries to get it working. Me and Devashree can try to see where the smoke is coming from.” Dasharath explained.
“Of course! I completely forgot!” Emma realized now that the twins had reminded her.
“Right, friends. Let’s get to work.” I began to take the lead. “Emma, try to find a way into that train. Devie and Dash, start smoking out the smoke. Sarmoo, you’re with Emma.”
“What about me, man?” Asked Katie.
“I would like you, Katie, to keep an eye on this little bag of tricks.” I explained.
“Thanks.” Said Benny Bear. “That gives me some time off my baby-sitting job.”
“I’m not a baby.” Benjamin insisted.
“Oh, come here, you little tyke.” Katie giggled and baby-talked as she picked Benjamin up. “Do you keep getting into trouble?”
“You’re talking to me like Sally does.” Benjamin smiled happily. “And Sally treats me like my mummy does.”
I smiled at that.
I know Sally’s always thought of Benjamin as the cutest little thing. And she looked after him as if she was his mother.
Oh, I miss my dear Sally. Her kindness and generosity. Oh, I miss her terribly.
“Excuse me, Mr Skellington.” Mr Maxi tapped on my shoulder. “What is I going to do?”
“I’d like you to stick with Devashree and Dasharath. They seem to work better with you by their side.”
“Wonderdull. Alright, my children, I is with you.”
As for myself, I was going to help Emma to inspect the train.
