Like Father,Like Daughter - Hugs.And.Kisses (best novel books to read TXT) 📗

frame, and scraggly black hair fell past her waist. A white, hospital-like robe covered her frame, but it was pretty much in rags. Her fingers to her wrists were darker than the rest of her skin, probably covered with blood, and there was a stain of it on her chest. The trail we had been following led right to her.

"Sandy? Sandy, come on, wake up!" Aubrey was shaking the girl.

Lock put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take her back to Dr. Finklestein. He'll be able to do something."

o0o

Lock forced me to let him carry Sandy as we headed back to Halloween Torn. Not that I minded much; she was heavier than I remembered and my strength seemed to be sapped away. Every so often she'd mumble something unintelligible or her eyelids would flutter, but she didn't show any other side of waking.

I felt something upon my waist and looked down to see Lock's tail curled around me. "She'll be fine. She's just asleep."

I smiled at him weakly, laying my head on his shoulder before going back to worrying about Sandy.

About ten minutes later, Barrel's shout of, "Hey, there's the fence!" pulled me from my thoughts again. We followed it to the always unlocked gate, where we shoved it open (luckily, it didn't squeak) and slipped out of the alley.

Hardly anyone was in the square, so it wasn't hard to slip over to Dr. Finklestein's door, Shock, Barrel, and I walking around Lock to hide the unconscious figure in her arms. Lock knocked on the door and Jewel opened it a second later.

"There you four are!" She scolded. "Jack and Sally have been worried sick-" She stopped with a gasp. "Aubrey, Barrel! You're both covered in blood!" We looked down at our fronts. In the darkness of the graveyard, it had been nearly impossible to tell, but because of the light from the hall, the dark stains were obvious on our white shirts

"It's not ours." Barrel responded quickly.

Jewel crossed her arms disbelievingly. "Then whose is it?"

As Shock stepped out of the way to reveal Lock holding Sandy, Jack and Sally walked out of the lab. Sally took one look at our fronts and ran down the staircase. Almost immediately, she ran over to me, trying to locate the source of the blood. "Aubrey, what happened!"

I shook my head, grabbing her wrists gently. "It's not mine mom." I looked over to Lock, whose shirt was also now stained red, and Sally's gaze followed mine. Her hands flew to her mouth in horror.

As Dr. Finklestein and Jewel examined Sandy, Jack questioned Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Aubrey.

"I'm guessing that the reason you're late has something to with finding Sandy?" He asked, his bony arms crossed.

"Well, sort of…" Barrel murmured. Shock elbowed him sharply.

Jack saw this and raised an 'eyebrow'. "One of you had better start talking."

Lock and Shock both sent glares toward the younger boy, neither made a move to say anything further. The Pumpkin King cast his gaze over all of them, stopping on Aubrey.

The girl had her head resting on Lock's shoulder tiredly, and her expression of exhaustion was only disguised by the worry and fear clear on her face. Her eyes pulled away from the lab doorway on the second story to Jack's face for a moment, and then past him to the wall.

For a moment, Jack thought she too would stay silent but then she took a breath. "The graveyard." She muttered. "That's where we found Sandy. We were in the graveyard."

"What?" Sally asked. "What were you doing at the graveyard?"

Lock sighed. "We cut through the graveyard after school to avoid Vida and her friends."

'Now we're getting somewhere.' Jack thought. "That still should've had you home hours ago." He reprimanded.

"Well, we were going to check out what's left of the tree house, just cause we haven't been able to go back there in a while, but…"

"We thought hopping the back fence would take us straight into the Hinterlands." Shock continued hesitantly.

"But it led us to another part of the graveyard!" Barrel took up the explanation excitedly. "It was really dark and it looked like no one had set foot in there for… ages…" He trailed off into silence. As Barrel had spoken, Jack's expression had changed from somewhat annoyed curiosity to dark fury.

Said skeleton's empty eye sockets blazed. "You four are to stay away from the graveyard! If any of you so much as go near the gate, you will be severely punished! Now go back to the manor and stay there!"

The four of them practically ran out of the Laboratory, the door slamming shut violently behind them in their hurry.

Sally looked at her husband, somewhat horrified. "Jack! What in the world did they do to force you yell at them like that? They were late, it's not like anything could happen to them!"

Jack's expression softened and he took Sally's hands in his. "Sally… I wish I could tell you. But you have to believe me when I say this: it's safer for the four of them if they don't go into the graveyard for a while." Sally still didn't look sure. "But you're right, I shouldn't have snapped at them like that. I promise, I'll apologize to them when we get home."

Sally hugged him lovingly. "Thank you Jack." She walked upstairs to the lab where Dr. Finklestein and Jewel were.

As she walked up the stairs, Jack turned and strode over to the window, looking out at Skellington Manor. Four figures were rushing through the gates and up the narrow stairs. One, probably Barrel, tripped on the third stair, scrambling to catch up with the others. As the door opened and shut, his vision drifted to the lab doorway. 'I may have to keep a closer eye than I thought on this one…'

o0o

As we sat in the living room, we were all silent. Shock was helping Barrel clean the blood off his face from the cut he'd gotten when he'd cracked his head on the stairs, and I was sitting on the opposite couch with Aubrey, who was still using me as a pillow. But finally, I had to voice what everyone was thinking. "What the hell did we do wrong?"

Aubrey's grip on my hand tightened. "I'm not sure. I've never seen Jack that mad… not at anyone!"

Barrel nodded his agreement, being careful not to make Shock poke him in the eye. "Yeah. I don't think even Oogie got THAT look."

"He scared the shit outta me." Shock muttered. We all murmured something along the same lines.

"Maybe we should just go to bed." I suggested. "I'd rather not be awake when Jack comes home."

Barrel nodded. "Yeah, that, and Aubrey looks ready to pass out."

Aubrey blushed as we stood up, walking upstairs. After we all said goodnight to each other, and I gave Aubrey a quick kiss, we headed into our rooms.

I pulled my shirt off and looked down at it. It wasn't as bad as Aubrey or Barrel's, but I definitely wasn't wearing it to school tomorrow. I sighed and flopped down on my bed after switching off the lights.

The same thought kept racing through my head as I closed my eyes: What got Jack so riled up?


Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Unanswered Questions

The next morning, the breakfast table was silent. The height of conversation was when Barrel asked Lock to pass the salt.

After the four of them left, I turned to Jack. "I don't think I've even seen them that quiet."

"Me neither."

"You really should apologize you know."

"I know," Jack sighed, "But I had a feeling that waking them up to apologize last night would have been a bad idea." He kissed my cheek. "Once they get home from school. I promise." He stood up. "I have some business to take care of, but I'll try to be back by dinner." Jack started to walk out, Zero following him. At the door, he stopped. "No, Zero. You stay here boy."

Zero floated back over to me, whimpering. I frowned as I laid my hand on his head. My suspicions had just jumped from 'somewhat paranoid' up to 'undoubtedly confirmed.'

One: Jack left Zero behind, something that I have never seen him do.

Two: Jack never went to meet with the Mayor or do anything related to being Pumpkin King willingly. Usually, he had to be dragged kicking and screaming (not literally, but you get my point).

As I scratched Zero behind the ears, my frowned deepened. It wasn't like Jack to keep secrets.

.o0o.

Concentrating was never Lock's strong suit. And the fact that his mind was occupied with Jack's outburst the night before was definitely not helping.

A quick, and really loud, 'smack' on his desk snapped him out of his trance. Looking up, he saw that Mr. Black, the Haunting teacher (a swamp monster), had just slammed a slimy fist down on his desk. "Welcome back Lock. Now, maybe you can answer my question. Who was the Pumpkin King before Jack Skellington?"

Lock's mind raced. Of course, the one thing he doesn't copy out of Shock and Aubrey's notes… wait… he knew this! "Luna T'mare."

Mr. Black blinked, surprised. "Er… yes, that's correct." Lock couldn't help letting a triumphant smirk creep onto his face. Aubrey and Shock hid smiles behind their hands as their teacher flustered.

Alexis Blunt, a werewolf, raised her hand. "Isn't Luna a girl's name?"

The teacher nodded. "Luna T'mare WAS female, but the title of Pumpkin King is given to the leader of Halloween Town whether they are male or female." He finished by looking at Aubrey pointedly. Aubrey put a hand in front of her face, embarrassed. "Now, if you'll all turn to page three ninety-seven in your books…"

.o0o.

"Does every teacher have to single me out whenever the subject of Pumpkin King is brought up?" Aubrey groaned, stabbing the spork she stole from Shock into her sandwich.

Barrel pulled the sucker out of his mouth. "Well, maybe it's 'cause you're the Pumpkin Prin-"

Aubrey brandished the spork at the younger boy like a weapon. "Barrel, if you finish that sentence, the spork is getting stabbed into you next." She threatened. He stuck the sucker back in his mouth

Shock sighed. "Well, at least it's something good to get acknowledged for."

Aubrey scoffed. "Feh. What d'you sound unhappy for? It's more fun getting noticed for the crap we pull. Right Lock?" Lock didn't answer. Aubrey turned toward her boyfriend. "Lock?"

The devil was staring down at the table, tapping his claws against the gray plastic.

Shock punched him in the forehead.