XD I actually wrote another chapter!
Jack: People actually reviewed!
Michael: The world has gone to pot!
Sk: >_> Shaddap, you two.
I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas.
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Bayley looked up as he jangled with the Spiral Hill gate lock. He swore loudly and backed away dejectedly. "The damn thing's locked."
"That's why you have me." Maree purred, flicking her claws out. She picked inside the lock, and it soon clicked open crustily. She smirked and kicked it open skilfully. Anne smiled and thanked her as Bayley frowned and walked straight through. As we said before, he was egotistic. He ran up Spiral Hill, as it unfurled to let him cross over to the Hinterland Trail. Anne hesitated.
"I dunno, guys... We were told to never go into the Hinterlands without our parents... And we've never been there in any case..."
"Turn back if you wish, you wimp." Bayley called back. "But that Oogie character wanted us to find the Holiday Leaders and bring them to him. And that's what Maree and I are planning to do." Anne felt challenged by her younger cousin.
"Wait up! You and Maree aren't doing it alone if I have any say!"
---
"They're gone?" the Mayor exclaimed with his pale, self-pitying face. Michael nodded ruefully. Jack sighed and folded his arms. A stout little girl climbed down the stairs, blinking her red, spiralled left and blank, orange left eye. Her golden hair reached her elbows in a ponytail, and she was in a blue lace dress.
"Who's gone, Uncle?"
"The Skellington children. All of them." the Mayor explained softly, turning to her. Her skin suddenly turned pale, her eyes and lips different shades of blue.
"All of them? Even Bayley and Chelsea?"
"Yes."
"That's terrible!" she cried, jumping down the final six steps. "Ow..." She then looked up, a thoughtful look on her face. She turned to her uncle and his friends. "D'ya think, if me and, Serena and Fiona went out to try and find them, we'd get them all back?"
"I don't know..." Jack uttered. "It's pretty damn dangerous..."
"Please, please, pleeeeeeeaaaaaasssssee?" Caroline pleaded, looking to her uncle. Michael looked to the Mayor also.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?"
The Mayor thought hard about this. He wasn't good at making decisions. Hmn... His niece did take care of herself, and Fiona and Serena were very reliable.... But it was very dangerous.... Then again, his niece was so intent on doing it, and he knew she wanted her friends back....
"Okay, Caroline, you, Serena and Fiona may go and find them, but under no circumstances what-so-ever may you enter the tree house just out of town, and you must only enter the Hinterlands in daylight, and only if they are absolutely nowhere to be found, all right?"
"Yep. Thanks, uncle, we won't let any of you guys down, alright?" she called over her shoulder to the three in the house. She was already halfway out the door.
---
"Wait up!" the little witch called. Her wiry brunette hair was pulled into a ponytail, and was becoming frizzy, thanks to the wind. She was in a little black dress, holding her witch hat on her head with one hand and dragging her broom in the other. She was the daughter of Willomina, the tall witch. Caroline turned back.
"Sorry, Serena. Fiona, Wait up. I mean, Serena's only ten."
"Okay." the last girl replied. Her hair looked like it were in dreadlocks, thick grey with natural red bands through it. Her black eyes gleamed in the early morning sunlight as did her red jersey and black jeans. She was the daughter of the Harlequin Demon.
"Thanks." Caroline smiled, lifting Serena into her arms and walked up to Fiona. Fiona chuckled and stared ahead.
"Wanna check out the old tree house, where those old trick-or-treaters live?"
"No." Caroline shook her head firmly. "My uncle doesn't want us to go there. I promised him, Fi. I promised him."
Fiona rolled her eyes. "Fine... fine... Let's go check out the Old Graveyard, then."
---
Chelsea looked around as she heard Shelly snoring. She giggled and rolled her eyes. Everyone should be getting up soon.
"Stupid sun.... Stupid blanket... OW! Stupid door..."
Chelsea giggled again. That was the angered muttering voice of Lock, whom had been awoken by the sun, had a wrestling competition and nearly lost with his blanket, and had just walked into the door. He opened it and smiled at Chelsea.
"Good morning."
"To you too." she smiled. "Horrible morning, isn't it?"
"Not as horrible as it could be." Lock uttered, sitting down. He was in a red tee shirt and black jeans. He looked up as Evan walked in, rubbing his eye sockets tiredly.
"Chelsea..." he mumbled, looked up. The ragdoll lifted him up into her arms, smiling.
"Yeah, Evan?"
"I had a bad dream." he muttered, snuggling against her. She rocked him back and fourth, comfortingly petting his back and holding him close.
"What about, baby?"
Evan paused, and looked up. He began wringing his hands nervously. "Well, I was in bed in the dream. And then, I got up to get a drink. I walked into the hallway, and there was Lock, Shock and Barrel, walking outside. I followed them out onto the balcony, and then there was a loud, boomy voice talking to them, about Bayley and Anne and Maree. It was scary! But I woke up in bed, and it was all a dream."
"Oh gods, you poor, poor skeleton!" Chelsea cried, hugging him close and rocked him back and forth. She smiled as Shock walked into the room, rubbing her eyes.
"Who is that snoring? Hell, if it's Barrel, so help me god I will..."
"It's Shelly." Chelsea confirmed. Shock nodded and rolled her eyes. Lock stood up, asking Evan to tell Shock about his dream, then giving Shock a warning look that told her to tell him that it was just a dream and she would find out why. She nodded understandingly, and Lock turned back to Chelsea.
"Chels, can I talk to you outside for a second?"
"Of course." the bloody-haired ragdoll smiled. He helped her up and lead her out to the bridge. "What's troubling you, Lock?"
"It's just... I..." His voice dropped to a mere whisper. "I'm not supposed to be telling you this. My master thinks I made a promise not to. But I crossed my fingers."
"Then why are you telling me?" Chelsea asked quietly, hands on hips. Lock looked around to see if anyone was listening. He held her by the elbows softly, staring into her deep hazel brown eyes.
"It's about your brother."
"It is?" Chelsea exclaimed, before covering her mouth. There was a discontent grumble from Barrel's window. Lock shushed her harshly.
"Keep it down, would ya?" he asked, without waiting for her to answer. "You bro, Bayley or sommat, and his little posse Annalise and Maree? They've gone to the Hinterlands. To capture the other Holiday Leaders. Like of Thanksgiving and Independence Day and Valentines and all that crap. Now, if you want to save the Leaders, and..." He paused and gulped. "Your parents, you'll have to beat them to at least one Leader. Go through the Hinterlands, along the trail, and you'll find seven trees, with doors on them. Go to the one that has a Christmas Tree door on it. That's where they'll head last, with some luck." he smiled, his eyes not straying from hers. She nodded and looked away, out toward the Pumpkin Patch.
"But how do I know you're not lying? You lied to your master, why wouldn't you lie to me? And who is your master, anyway?"
The boy ignored her last question, as he looked around nervously and caught her eyes again. "Please, just believe me. No fingers crossed, see?" he asked, holding his hands up to prove it. She watched his flicking tail to see if there was a clue as to if he was lying. He wasn't.
"Okay, I'll believe you." she smiled, looking up at him. "For if you're lying to me, I'll order you to be killed. This is a very serious matter. We can't risk anything. But I have to gamble with your claim, only thing once, okay?"
"I understand." he replied. 'You don't know the meaning of gambling until you meet Oogie Boogie.' he thought, somewhat spitefully, yet, somewhat gratefully. Grateful that she didn't know the burlap bugger. She clasped her hands together and looked away, her eyes veering into the chasm that the bridge swung above. The chasm that, although she didn't know, lead to the lair of the obnoxious Oogie Boogie.
"Right. Well, we'll have to leave soon if we're going to cut them off that the pass, so to speak." she smiled, her cheery disposition returned. He chuckled and nodded, turning on his heels and leading her back into the house.
"Morning, love birds." Barrel sang mockingly, eyeing Lock and Chelsea. Chelsea gave an amused laugh as Lock complied to chase Barrel around the room, shouting angrily. Shelly yawned and walked into the room, rubbing her nose.
"Damn door..."
Evan giggled and hugged her knees, not even coming up to her waist. "You okay, Shelly?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Evan."
"Well, Shelly, as soon as you wake yourself up properly, we'll be off to look for said fugitives on the run again." Chelsea smiled, looking at her cousins. She had a cheerful glint in her eyes that both cousins knew meant that she knew something that they didn't. Perplexed, they nodded and prepared for today's search.
---
Sk: Laa, la, la, la, la, la! La, la, la, la, laa!
Michael: Stop the dreadful noise! ARGH!
Jack: .... (twitch twitchy twitch)
Lock: Calm down, dude... I wasn't doin' nothing... I swear! Uh... Gotta go! (Runs off)
Sk: Check back later, dudes! We'll have more for you in chappie four! WHOO!!!
