Molly has fully learned the song, as she takes one step forward to learning about the festival. Over the next few days leading up to Halloween, the three friends look through the book of festivals pasts. From waking up the dead in a human's graveyard, to scaring the lights of the livings. Molly certainly never had a Halloween like theirs. She learned that there is a lot more to Halloween than trick or treating and partying.
Soon, it was one day left 'till Halloween night. Molly arrived early morning at the hangout, where the boys greeted her.
"Only one nigh left! Ain't you excided?!" Asked Mum.
"I guess. Though, I am a bit nervous. I don't if I could handle it."
"Look at it this way. If you can handle living here for a year, I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Thanks, Spook! Your words seems to mostly work to clam me down" She smiled, as so did he. "Well, better take these library books back. I'll take the festival book back too since we're done with it."
"Do you want us to accompany you?"
"Oh, that's okay. You boys relax. You deserve it for helping me out. I won't be long." They wish her off.
She head inside of the library, as she walked up to the front desk. She is met with the red eye cyclops, seaweed hair octopus librarian.
"Hello, my dear, It's been a while."
"I'm here to drop off some books." She placed them into the return basket. "Do you have anything new?"
"Not recently but, be free to look around." Molly had a good look around and founded the next edition of the Scary Patty witch series. As she was about to leave, she founded another book on the ground. She placed down her book and pick the other off the ground. Looking up, she founded a single bookshelf in front of her, missing an empty slot. When she place the book back to it's place, The bookshelf vanish in front of her eyes, revealing a hidden passage! She gasp at the sight.
"What's this?!" She wondered. The librarian was passing by, pushing a tray of books, when she saw the passage as well.
"Oh, goodness! It has seems that you discovered the hidden passage to the lair of forgotten books!"
"Forgotten books?"
"Books that are lost, books that someone wrote and want no ghoul to read, even dangerous books end up here! It's a graveyard for books. Very few know of this passage."
"I founded a book on the ground and placed in on the bookshelf, which disappeared!"
"That's not usually possible for that to happen, It's very hard to even remove a book for that shelf. Unless, on a rare occasion, it'll call a ghoul to head inside, to find an important secret."
"It's calling to me?"
"You're free to find out for yourself. But, be careful and don't touch anything that could be harmful!"
"Don't worry, I'm a witch! I have spells to back me up." She took out her wand and headed inside.
It was pitch black, as no other light source was in the room. Molly whispered 'Moonlight', as her wand's core shined as bright as a lantern. The room was cover with cobwebs and dusts. Critters like spiders and rats roam all over.
This place feels as haunted as the town itself. She thought. Does this place really has a secret? She checked a bookshelf filled with evil looking books There has to be something here! Maybe this one? She picked up one and opened it half way. Suddenly, hundreds of bats flew out of the book, as she gasps, drop it and fell on her butt. When she got up, The book grew fangs and began to chop at her direction! With quick thinking, she pointed her wand and shouted 'FLOATATION!' The book was lifted in the air, as she threw it far at another bookshelf! Other books fell on it, destroying the book with fangs
"Dang it! I got too rash at my search! I got to be more careful!" She panted. She walked to the book pile and founded one separated from the rest. She picked it up, dusted it and shined her light on to it. The book's cover had a picture of spiral hill at night, with the moon in the background. A ghoul was standing on the hill, What surprised her the most was the title.
"The Nightmare Before Christmas? Why does that sounds familiar?" She ran the name over and over until, she gasps!
"Wait, could this be what Albert described the Christmas Crisis?! THIS MUST BE THE SECRET! This book got to be the answer That nerd forcing us to look for! The true cause of the Christmas Crisis! Does that mean_" She felt sad. "So, it could be true. A crime he had committed is possibly be explained in this book. But before I jump to conclusions, I shall at least check this book out and give it a good read."
Molly gave the librarian the two books.
"Oh, what an interesting title."
"Do you know anything about it? I heard it's based on a true event!"
"So, this is what you founded there. I'm sorry, blood sugar. I wasn't around when this happen. I only been in this town for just a few years. I was born as an actual octopus, only to be expose to some chemical waste that accidently fell into my aquarium. It turned me into this! The next thing I knew, I became a librarian. I don't even know how I ended up in Halloween Town. You're on your own, little one."
"That's alright, you did enough already." They exchanged smiled.
Meanwhile, the boys were waiting for their friend.
"What taking her so long! It couldn't be so hard to find a book!"
"Patience, Mum! She can have all the time she wants!" Though, he does feels a bit worried. Just like that, she rushed in.
"Molly! About time you show up!" Cheered Mum.
"Sorry, I was just looking for another book to read. I decided to go with the next volume of that witch series I began reading!" Spook came to her, with a serious look on his face.
"Molly, something else must had happen. I know you by now. It's sounds like you're hiding something." She felt guilt inside her stomach she sigh.
"You caught me. There is something more. I have also founded another book, a very rare book. Something that is very unusual for a town of Halloween, at least what I get from the title. Take a look." She sigh and took the book out of her bag.
"Christ-mas? Is that a name of a people?" Molly and Spook starred at Mum, awkwardly.
"Well, it's depends on how you see it. It's hard to explain."
"Spook, can you tell me what that word means?"
"As for you know, I was alive at some point. So Mum, I'll tell you the more basic for you to understand.
"During the month of December, the humans decorate their town with festive things, waiting for the day to come. Then on the night before, a big fat kindly old man riding on a magical sleigh, travels around the world to bring presents to all boys and girls, whose has been good all year round! If, he is even real." Spook cross his arms and lead his back on the wall.
"But, if he is, can he give me eyeballs and mummy's wrappings?!" Molly bit her lips.
"No, Mum! It's for humans only!"
"That's sucks!" Spook faced Molly.
"Now, why is a book like that doing in Halloween town?" She took a big breath and explained.
"I think I know. It's indeed my one year anniversary of living here. It's also been a year since we did that ghost hunt. What if I tell you there was more to it?"
"What do you mean?"
"We was not only hunting for the for Halloween kidnappings, There is another crime as well. A crime we humans call; The Christmas Crisis."
"A crisis?"
Yes. I didn't know about it, until Albert told us. It took place a long time ago. Someone had taken the jolly man's place, only to be turned into something real twisted. Instead of nice presents, he gave out scary and harmful ones!"
"So, what's so wrong about_ OW!" Spook bop Mum's head.
"She also said 'harmful' too! You can't go around giving innocent people horrible gifts! Halloween, yes. Christmas, no!"
"How should I know?! I never been a human before!"
"As what I was saying, he was indeed punish for his act, as he was shot down from the sky. Christmas was almost cancel, when the real jolly man came and fixed everything!"
"This certainly sounds crazy! But, who would do such a thing to mock up some human's Holiday? She sighed again.
I have a gut feeling that I know. Not only he survived but, he comes from this very town."
"I say, it was Oogie Boogie! He's fat and evil!"
"Now you think this was a bad thing?!"
"I'm learning to be human." Spook rolled his eyes.
"I wish that was the case, Though he was responsible for the kidnappings, but for the crime of the Christmas Crisis, The one who took me under his dark wing at my lowest hour, I'm talking about my own guardian, Jack Skellington!"
"You mean, The King?! Look, Molly. He may be the Pumpkin King, he'll never go after innocent lives! A master of nightmares but, never truly evil!"
"Yes, he tells me all the time! Ever since I was under his care, he was nothing but kind and cheerful to me! I know but, I can't just ignore the fact that he almost ruin Christmas He's even on the front of the book!" She show them again.
"Spook, she be right!"
"I guess but, is there another proof?!" She sigh and took out the red cloth, the same one that reminded her of her dream when she was eight. A dream that changed her life forever. She always carried it with her as a memento. She spaced out.
"MOLLY!" Spook's cry snapped her out of it.
"Sorry. This cloth was part of his suit he worn. We founded it at his crash sight. It has his D.N.A on it, at least what Albert told me."
"But, Molly! That guy is a nutcase! Do you actually believe what he said?!"
"II don't like him either but, I felt something when I held this cloth for the first time! It was the first moment I knew of Jack's present! Here me out! I want to know why he did it! Not to blame him but, to prove he is innocent! So, lets read this book to find the answer ourselves!
"It might take the whole day to read it all!"
"We'll just have to manage."
Molly and Spook took turn reading a chapter at a time, as Mum tries to listen. Soon, it was dark. Molly close the book and sigh.
"So, I guess you were right. Sorry for not trusting you."
"Hard to believe it myself. He was crazy enough to do such a thing."
"But for one thing, I can't believe there are other Holiday worlds besides ours! And, we can just freely access them by going yo the forest near the hill?!" Spook was surprised.
"Now I can see why that place is off limits. But, it makes sense. There are many Holidays and they work hard to bring them to the humans. I would probably not believe such worlds exist! Living in a Holiday world myself, I am convent. I had a theory that Jack didn't mean to be harmful. He was just misguided. Think about it, he have to keep his reputation on being the scariest one around! Only for him to be overwhelm. Perhaps Christmas brought him something new to his afterlife. But, being raised in a Halloween world, he wanted crash the two together. At least he fixed his mistake and moved on.
"That's a great way to put it!"
"Does that mean you're happy to know the truth?" Mum asked.
"I'm just relief that he was never evil to begin with. All this time, humans like Albert had misunderstood him. At least Jack had learned his lesson."
"I'll agree to that."
"But, I like the scary presents!" Molly and Spook groan.
Heading home, Molly saw her cat waiting for her. She meow.
"Me and my friends made a shocking discovery today! We founded about the truth about the Christmas Crisis! Jack had indeed made a mess back there. Though, I believe he grown because." She looked up at the sky. "He has me. He never wanted revenged on humans, who humiliated him. He wants someone to understands how he feels. Maybe he wants to forget what happened. I remember when I asked the zombie band to play 'The Waltz of the Flower' for me. They sort of had recognized it, they don't truly remember. That book was meant to be forgotten. As long as it doesn't happen again, as long as he has me, The Crisis is nothing but a lost memory. Come, Mittens two, lets go home."
