Something in the Wind (Jack Skellington X Reader)

Chapter 7: A Halloween Town Hello

With wide eyes, (Y/n) stared at the man standing in front of her as she tried to make sense of the information she had just received. Jack kindly smiled down at her as her thoughts raced through her mind.

"What is Halloween Town?! " (Y/n) questioned Jack as she placed her hands against the tombstone behind her.

"Oh, well, it's our home!  It's a place where every ghoul and goblin lives as we all prepare tricks and treats for Halloween every year!"

"So it's an entire town dedicated to one single holiday? Why would anyone do that?"

"Because we love to celebrate it! If you'd like, Zero and I could show you around and introduce you to some of the townspeople."

"Uh, no, I don't think I want to meet any monsters today, thank you." 

"Please, Miss? It's the least we can do for scaring you so badly." Jack said as he tilted his head.

Zero yapped cheerfully in agreement as his nose briefly grew bright before going dim again. 

"H-how do I know you aren't just going to hurt me the moment I let my guard down?"

"I give you my word as the Pumpkin King. As long as you're in Halloween Town, no harm will come to you. You will have nothing to be afraid of."

Shifting uneasily on the dirt, (Y/n) looked down in uncertainty as she began to reason with herself.

"Can I truly trust you two?"

"Yes, Miss, I promise. Please?" Jack asked as he carefully brought his hand closer to (Y/n). 

With a huff of air escaping her lips, (Y/n) cautiously placed her palm into Jack's ash she began to stand back up.

"Okay... I believe you for now... But if I feel I'm in even the slightest bit of danger, I'm running away again." (Y/n) conceded as she was pulled up by the man clad in black.

Jack chuckled lightly as (Y/n) brushed the dirt off of herself and began to walk along side him.

"I'll hold you to that, Miss."

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As the trio calmly walked back towards the spooky village, (Y/n) kept shyly glancing up at the tall man. Whenever he would look back down at her, she would hastily look down at Zero, who was floating along in between the two of them. 

After a short while, the hushed awkwardness in the air was broken by Jack clearing his throat. With a tiny, frightened jump, (Y/n)'s attention was brought back to Jack and his gaze

"So, Miss, If you don't mind me asking...how did you end up in the Wicked Woods?"

"I'm not exactly sure... All I know is that on moment, I had fallen down in the cemetery of my hometown and the next moment, I had woken up in your house... It's very strange..." (Y/n) responded, clasping her hands together before placing them in front of her.

"It is pretty peculiar. I've never heard of anything like that that happening before.

"How do you think I got here then? Am I... dead?"

"No, I don't think so. Some of the others are, but they died peacefully and of natural causes. From the color and shade of your skin, I think it's safe to say you're alive." Jack replied

"Well, that's reassuring, I suppose..." (Y/n) muttered as the path ahead of the small group started to turn from a dirt path into a roadway of stone bricks. As more and more crooked and gnarled houses popped up around the three, a shorter, rounder man wearing a top hat ran up, waving his arms in the air wildly.

"Jack! There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere! Where have you been off too?!" The man said with an anxious expression on his face.

"Hello, Mayor Janus. I was just showing my guest the old graveyard. She's new in town and I wanted her to feel welcome." Jack said as he motioned to (Y/n) with an elegant sweep of his hand.

"A new visitor?! How splendid! Who of Jack's wonderful friends do I have the honor of meeting?!" Mayor Janus said as his head turned all the way around to reveal another face, this one smiling gleefully.

"Oh, this is Miss... Uh, M-Miss..."  Jack stuttered as he realized he couldn't think of her name. Quickly realizing what was happening, (Y/n) stepped forward and did a small curtsey.

"(Y/n). My name is (Y/n) Van Dort. It's nice to meet you, Mayor." (Y/n) replied for Jack as she offered the Mayor her hand. 

Jack looked over with a surprised look upon his features before his appearance softened.

"Yes, Miss (Y/n)." the Pumpkin King nodded in thanks as he looked at the girl. Mayor Janus exclaimed merrily as he took (Y/n)'s hand and firmly but warmly shook it

"It's wonderful to meet you, my dear! How long will you be staying us?"

"I'm not quite sure, sir, but I hope to spend at least a few days here." (Y/n) said as she rocked gently on her heels. 

"Well, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me! Except if you need help making a decision, I'm only an elected official, after all! Now, Jack, If you wouldn't mind, would you come help me decide which pumpkins to use for certain jack-o-lantern designs?"

"Actually, Mayor, I was going to show (Y/n) the rest of the town. It's looking like it will be a beautiful night to do so." 

"Oh, of course! How very rude of me! You two go and have some fun, I'll just ask one of the Vampire triplets to help me choose. Farewell, Miss (Y/n), It was delightful to meet you." The Mayor said before waving goodbye and walking back into Halloween Town. The trio waved back before Jack sighed and ran a slender hand through his hair.

"Thank you for saving me there. I can't believe I forgot to ask you your name."

"It's okay, I didn't exactly give you a chance to ask me before I started to run away. I feel kind of foolish now that I look back on it."  (Y/n) stated with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"It's understandable that you would react like that. You were in a new place and terrified about it. We didn't exactly make things better by popping up like we did, right, Zero?" Jack inquired his ghostly hound with a hint of reprehension. Zero whined in apology as his nose quit glowing in shame.

(Y/n) lightly smiled at Zero with a slight melancholy in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Zero, I forgive you. Now, why don't we go on that tour of the town that I've heard so much about?" The girl said as she looked up at the pale man. Jack grinned contentedly before leaning down slightly and offering (Y/n) his arm.

"After you, M'lady."