Quintessence by Hugs.And.Kisses (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

the door and didn't move even slightly at Sally's arrival. She frowned sadly and walked over, setting the tray on the table next to his bed. "I made you some lunch. Try and eat it, Lock." No reply. Sally sat down on the edge of the bed and touched his shoulder. "I know you're worried, Lock. But we'll find Aubrey." She leant over and kissed his cheek in a very motherly show of affection before standing up and walking out, shutting the door behind her.

Lock glanced over his shoulder as the door clicked shut, then sat up slightly and looked at the tray of food sitting on his table. Now, as per one of the perks of being dead, Lock didn't really have to eat, but out of habit and the annoying pangs from his stomach- and the fact that Sally was an amazing cook- he did. He sighed and sat up, turning around and grabbing the sandwich with one hand. The other was in a fist around a familiar-looking silver ring. After taking a couple bites of his sandwich, he set it back down and flopped back on his bed. He just wasn't in the mood for anything.

"Hello?" Mercy called. "Grandma? Igor?" She smiled as her voice echoed. "Perfect." She muttered, setting her bag down on the table and unbuckling it. Reaching inside, she pulled out one of the items, a jar full of a green, soupy liquid. She turned around and started searching the cupboards. "Bowls, bowls... where does grandma keep the- aha!" She reached up into the now opened cabinet and pulled out a rather large bowl and set it down next to the jar. Unscrewing the lid, she poured the soup into the bowl, careful not to spill. Once the soup had been transferred, she slung the bag back over her shoulder, picked up the bowl and started up the stairs, walking slowly and carefully as not to slosh the soup out of the bowl. Nudging the elevator door open with her foot, she stepped inside, jerking slightly as the elevator started up. When the doors opened again, she stepped out into Dr. Finklestein's lab.

"Grandpa?" She asked. Dr. Finklestein turned around and smiled at her.

"Ah, Mercy. What are you doing here?"

She offered up the bowl. "I brought you lunch. Mom said you hadn't left your lab in a while, so I figured you could use it."

He smiled as he took the bowl and patted her head. "Thank you sweetheart." Mercy turned around, grinning slyly as she walked back toward the elevator. She stopped as the bowl clattered to the floor and Dr. Finklestein started snoring. Walking over to a cart nearby, she lifted the bag off her shoulder and set it down on the top, then wheeled it over to the unconscious mad scientist. Opening up the bag again, she let the cloth fall away, revealing a bright green brain with a glowing red eye on each cerebellum. Its yellow pupils focused on Mercy and she glared at it.

"Don't give me that look, I'm working on it." She snapped, walking over to Dr. Finklestein. With a quick tug, she popped his skull open, and his gray-pink brain fell out of his tilted head onto the floor. "Oops." She muttered. She scooped the brain off the floor and set in on the cart next to the green one. The green brain hissed and wiggled as if it was going to try and knock it off the table. "Stop that or I'll drop you." Mercy warned as she picked it up. It fell still, its eyes wandering over the room instead. Quickly, Mercy popped it into Dr. Finklestein's head and closed the hinged skull. Smiling contentedly to herself, she grabbed her bag and headed back toward the elevator.

"Grandpa really oughta- oof- oil this door or somethin'." Johnny muttered, heaving against the large metal door. It inched open, and the two boys squeezed through. Ed forced it shut once they were inside. Johnny was looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"Grandma's probably shopping with Igor, and grandpa hasn't left his lab in a while..." He looked over at the table and the jar sitting on it. "Johnny, lookit this."

The older Skellington boy walked over and looked at the jar and the little bit of green liquid barely covering the bottom. He sniffed it experimentally, then frowned. "This is mom's soup. I can smell the frog's breath and worm's wart. But there's something else in there too." He offered the jar over to Ed, who sniffed it.

"It's familiar, but..." The boys looked at each other. "Deadly nightshade soup!"

"Mercy must've brought it." Ed said, setting the jar back down.

"But why?" Both of them looked up as the elevator clanged down from the lab. "Hide!" Johnny hissed, grabbing Ed's arm and tugging him underneath the staircase. Moments later, Mercy walked downstairs with a contented smile on her face. She grabbed the jar off the table and stuffed it back into her bag before shoving open the door, slipping out, and shutting it again.

Once it was shut, the two boys came out from their hiding place. "She was up in the lab." Ed muttered.
"Well, then let's go!" Johnny said, grabbing his arm. Their footsteps echoed through the empty house as they ran up the stairs and clambered into the elevator. The pushed open the door rather noisily as it reached the lab and they stepped out. Ed clutched Johnny's arm.

"Johnny," He whispered, "Look." He pointed over at the cart.

Johnny's non-existent eyes widened. "That's grandpa's brain! But... if it's there..." He said pointing to it. "Then what's...?" His finger swiveled over to Dr. Finklestein, who, at that moment, popped open his head. The twins clapped a hand over their brother's mouth at the same time as they say the green, red-eyed brain.

"Get the brain." Johnny ordered. Ed nodded, grabbing it off of the cart. They both scooted back into the elevator, and Johnny slammed the door shut. "Go down, go down." Johnny growled, slamming on the button repeatedly. Finally, the elevator jerked downward. As it reached its lowest destination, the two boys scrambled out, Ed still cradling the real brain against his chest. Johnny bolted down the stairs ahead of Ed, shoving the door open. "Hurry up!"

"I am hurrying!" Ed snapped back, running after him. They were hardly out the door when they heard a loud roar and something black rose from the ground in front of them.

"You little brats!" It yelled, glowing green eyes glaring at them.

And so, Johnny and Ed did what any eight-year-olds would do in this situation: screamed at the top of their lungs.

And then a fireball flew through the creepy shadow thing. "Lock!" The two Skellington boys shouted happily.

"Johnny, Ed, get behind me." He ordered. The two boys obeyed instantly, running around either side of the shadow. "I want you two to get back to the manor as fast as you can. There's magic there that won't let anything in to hurt you two or Sally."

"Wh-what about Mercy?"

Lock looked back at Ed. "Mercy's disappeared. We think she's the one who- never mind that now. Just get back to the manor. Now!" They both nodded somewhat fearfully and bolted for the Acid Works. Lock watched them until they were out of the gate, then turned back to the chuckling figure before him. "Oogie."

"Glad to see that you remember me." The Oogie-shadow chuckled.

Lock pulled his sword from the sheath at his waist, pointing it at the Boogeyman. "Where's Aubrey?"

He smirked. "Who?"

Growling, Lock charged at Oogie, only to go right through him and trip onto the steps. Oogie threw his head back and laughed. "You never were the brightest."

Lock wiped the blood off his cheek from the newly formed cut there. "Fuck you." He spat.

Oogie just chuckled again and shook his head, waving his hand in a scolding manner. "Ah-ah-ah, Lock. Did you forget our contract?"

Lock's yellow eyes widened. "No- you can't. Not anymore. It ended once you died!" He yelled, swiping at the air in front of him violently.

"Wanna bet, ya little brat?" Oogie sneered, his eyes narrowing. Lock froze, then let out a cry of pain and grabbed his shoulder. Smoke rose from beneath his fingers, burning through the red cloth of his long-sleeved shirt.

"Lock?" He looked up in terror.

"No! Shock, Barrel, get ba-aarrgh!" He fell onto the stairs, still clutching his arm. The two rounded the corner and froze.

"It- it can't be." Shock whispered.

Oogie turned, smirking at them. "Oh, it is."

"G-get out of here!" Lock ordered, wincing as his grip on his arm tightened. "Now!"

The two of them had barely stepped back when Oogie laughed. Shock fell to her knees, grabbing her side as Barrel grabbed his head, both of them yelling in pain. Lock groaned, letting his head fall back against the stairs. His vision was starting to cloud over and his body was going numb, except for the smoking part of his arm. The burning pain that sliced through there was the only thing that kept clearing his head. But, eventually, even that began to fade, and finally, he blacked out.


Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jack's Return

December 24

Home. He was finally home. With a toothy grin, Skeleton Jack made his way through the Hinterlands toward Halloween Town. It was surprisingly… quiet as he made his way toward home- normally by now he would've heard the regular shrieks and clamor of the town. He paused at the gates, which were wide open, and looked in at the eerily still town. Jack frowned; there was no one in sight- not a single denizen of Halloween Town could be seen.

He put a bony hand on the gates, but pulled it back just as quickly and examined the black metal. It was dented, scratched, and twisted- Clown kept the gates in perfect condition.

Something was very, very wrong here. Pushing open the gates, Jack hurried inside. "The whole town's deserted." He murmured, looking around. A sudden movement caught his eye, and he turned to see an unfamiliar skeleton standing in front of him. Jack smiled. "Hello. You must be new here, I'm Jack. Jack Skelling-" He didn't get a chance to finish as the skeleton swiped at him. He leapt back, avoiding the attack, as two more appeared. With a flick of his wrist, the Soul Robber uncurled into its more damaging form. "You… you aren't from Halloween Town, are you?"

His answer came as the skeletons lunged at him. Jack sidestepped and threw his wrist forward, sending the green, oozing whip flying toward one. It hit it squarely in the back of the skull, its sharp point going through it. The creature fell in pieces to the ground, crumbling to dust.

The other skeletons were not happy about