The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin Princess - Fanfic Story 1

JACK'S LAMENT

"We did it!"

"Wasn't it terrifying?"

"What a night!"

"Great Halloween, everyone!" the Mayor exclaimed as Dad stepped down from the fountain.

"I believe it was our most horrible yet!" Dad added. "Thank you everyone."

I smiled when he caught my eye and winked at me. I waved at him.

"No, thank you, Jack," the Mayor said. "Without your brilliant leadership--."

"Not at all, Mayor," Dad said quickly. This was the moment where everyone crowded him. He never admitted it to me, but I knew it made him nervous and overwhelmed. The question was...why?

"You're such a scream, Jack," Iron said.

"You're a witch's fondest dream!" Arwen added.

"You made walls fall, Jack!" Sirena chimed in.

They started crowding around him, and I looked at him, worried.

"Walls fall?" Arwen demanded. "You made the very mountains crack, Jack!"

My eyes were drawn to Sally. Instantly I saw Dr. Finklestein grabbing her wrist. I stared and heard their conversation over everyone congratulating my father.

"The Deadly Nightshade you slipped into my tea wore off, Sally," Dr. Finklestein was saying.

Sally struggled, trying to pull away from him. "Let go!" she cried.

Dr. Finklestein turned his wheelchair around and began dragging Sally with him. "You're not ready for so much excitement!" he said.

"Yes, I am!" Sally protested.

"You're coming with me!"

"No, I'm not!" With that, Sally pulled out one of the stitches in her arm and ran off.

"Hey!" Dr. Finklestein yelled. "Come back, you foolish oaf!"

I gasped and followed Sally into the graveyard. She collapsed by a gravestone.

"Sally?" I asked.

"What?" she murmured.

I crouched in front of her and looked at her missing arm. She had been created by Dr. Finklestein, and she was the only rag doll in town.

"Do you need help with your arm?" I asked.

"No," Sally said as she reached for some dead leaves. "I can handle it." She began stuffing the dead leaves into the hole that her arm had come off of.

I grabbed a handful of the leaves and handed them too her. She looked at me and smiled. "Thanks, Skelly," she said.

She began stuffing those leaves in, and then someone came through the entrance to the graveyard. Sally gasped and ducked behind the gravestone, and I dived behind another one.

I peeked out and saw my father's tall bony figure walking down the hill, his hand to his chin as if he was thinking. Looks like he got away from the crowd... I thought.

He went over to Zero's grave dog house and patted his leg. Zero's white, smoky, ghostly form emerged from it as Dad stopped beside a statue. Before I knew it, he was singing.

There are few who deny at what I do, I am the best
For my talents are renowned far and wide.
When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night,
I excel without ever even trying.
With the slightest little effort of my ghost-like charms,
I have seen grown men give out a shriek.
With the wave of my hand, in a well-placed moan,
I have swept the very bravest off their feet!

Where was he going with this? I made eye contact with Sally, who was watching Dad, too. She shrugged and continued to look at what Dad was doing.

Yet year after year, it's the same routine,
And I grow so weary of the sound of screams
And I, Jack! The Pumpkin King!
Have grown so weary of the same old thing...

Was this what had been bugging him for over three years now? Was I finally getting answers?

Dad began climbing up Spiral Hill, and Sally and I followed but stayed hidden behind gravestones. Zero was right behind Dad, seeming worried.

Oh, somewhere deep inside of this bones,
An emptiness began to grow.
There's something out there far from my home.
A longing that I've never known.

I'm the Master of Fright
And a demon of light
And I'll scare you right out of your pants.
To a guy in Kentucky,
I'm Mr. Unlucky,
And I'm known throughout England and France.
And since I am dead, I can take off my head
To recite Shakespearean quotations!
No animal nor man
Can scream like I can
With the fury of my recitations!

But who here would ever understand
That the Pumpkin King, with his skeleton grin,
Would tire of his crown?
If they only understood,
He'd give it all up if he only could...

Zero spun around, obviously sensing our presence. I had tears in my eyes at this point. I didn't know Dad was so upset. I had no idea. I watched as he began walking down Spiral Hill, the curled edge of it uncurling so he could walk down.

Oh, there's an empty place in my bones
That calls out for something unknown
The fame and praise come year after year
Does nothing for these empty tears.

Dad and Zero disappeared behind a thick area of trees. A tear rolled down my cheek.

"I understand, Jack," Sally said.

She looked at me.

"You should probably head back home," she said. "I need to go back and have him sew the rest of my arm back on, okay?"

I nodded and quickly walked out of the graveyard and through town. The people were still bustling around, and I couldn't let them see that I was crying. I ran into my house, up to my room, and I fell on my bed and cried myself to sleep.