Nightmare Before Christmas Fan Fiction ❯ Black and Red ❯ Help Us ( Chapter 2 )

The days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, yet still no Jack. The Mayor panicked from the very beginning, like usual. The others stayed calmer, but after a month, nobody was calm anymore. They searched everywhere for him. Finally there were only a few places in their magical worlds to look, and none of them had ever been there. Sally finally went, keeping the information from the doctor. She went to the only place where she knew the Holiday leader.

"Sally, dear! Good to see you," Sandy said happily.

"Hello, Mr. Claws," she said quietly.

He offered her food and drink, unsure if she could consume them. She could, but she refused. She sat down in a chair and kept her eyes on the floor.

Sandy sat down across from her and broached the topic. "How's Jack?"

"We don't know. He's missing."

"Again? Well he's not taking over anybody's Holiday. They would have come to me."

Sally looked up at him and began to cry. He was alarmed.

"You were our last hope!" she sobbed as Sandy hurried over to comfort her.

"How long has he been gone?"

"Almost five months!"

Panic exploded across Sandy's face. "I'll be right back."

An hour later, the rest of the Holiday leaders stood there in the main room. They were staring at Sally, never having seen her before.

"Do you belong in Halloween Town, dear?" Eros asked curiously.

Sally looked at them with a frightened expression, staying silent.

"She's courting Jack, but they're not engaged yet," Sandy said.

"Oh! So you're Sally!" Sam exclaimed. "You're very pretty."

"Don't be offended, dearie, but what are ya?" Patrick asked.

When Sandy nodded at her in reassurance, she spoke. "I'm a ragdoll. Dr. Finkelstein made me."

"I'll never understand Halloween Town," Bunny said with a shake of his head. "Nothing seems to make sense. It seems to be one continuous horror movie."

"Well, Halloween is a scary Holiday," Squanto said with a nod. "Can't be helped, really."

Sally listened, frowning. "Why do you never talk about it with Jack?"

They all looked at her. Her fear was gone, replaced by irritation.

"What do you mean?" Patrick asked, his Irish accent thick.

"He asks you all about your Holidays. He probably knows more about them than you do, but none of you ever ask about Halloween. He's expressed to me several times that he thinks it's rather rude and inconsiderate of you. He also seemed somewhat hurt at your lack of interest."

They looked uncomfortable.

"He's just so scary looking," Eros finally said. "I think we're all afraid he'll bite our heads off. Possibly literally."

"Jack would never do something like that!" Sally exclaimed, surging to her feet. "He's been nothing but polite to you! What makes you think that will change if you ask about something as important to him as his Holiday?!"

"Calm down dear. We need to discuss Jack. We can help you find him," Sandy said.

"Is Jack missing or something?" Patrick asked.

"Yes. Sally says he's been missing for nearly five months. I should have known something was wrong when he didn't come to help with Christmas."

"He didn't come for Thanksgiving either," Squanto said thoughtfully.

"Or Valentines Day," Eros put in.

"Aye, no Jack for St. Patrick's day, either," Patrick said worriedly. "Where could he be?"

"I don't know," Sally said. "Sometimes he disappears for a week or two, but he always comes back. Dr. Finkelstein has been awfully quiet on the matter. It's like he knows something, but he hasn't told anybody, not even me."

"Well, Halloween is approaching in seven months! He must get back!" Sam gasped. "What will Halloween do without him?"

"We're managing," Sally said. "But it's not the same. Everybody's scrambling to get things done. We're already behind the Mayor's schedule. It's terrible. Nobody really knew he did so much in one year."

"All of us are busy," Squanto said with a nod. "But it's a lot easier when we…"

"We what?" Sally asked, her voice as icy as the pond out in front of Sandy's workshop.

"Help each other out," Bunny said reluctantly.

"Oh, you mean like you never do with Jack?"

They stayed silent, ashamed of themselves. Sally finally harrumphed and stomped her foot.

"You deserve everything you're feeling. It's wrong how you treat Jack."

"You don't think…" Patrick began then trailed off, frowning.

"What?" Sandy asked.

"Call it luck, but I think the reason he's missin' is 'cause o' us."

There was silence. "We have to help find him," Sandy said quietly. "Let's think. Where would he go?"