Our Nightmare

The Boogeyman

A small breeze passes through the Hinterlands forest on a December afternoon. The thin trees sway easily with the movement, their leaves long lost to the cold weather. A loud rustling sound emits from nature as three small figures move along an implanted dirt path. The sound of twigs snapping underneath their heels interrupts this calm silence. A small hand clutches at a signature witch's hat as they trudge forward. They've been walking for what feels like ages. The children shiver when they feel the chills from a nearby gust of wind blowing right through them. She hears their whimpers and turns her head to scoff at them.

"Oh shut up, you babies! It's not that bad."

Lock shoots her an irritated look as he rubs his arms, his breath showing in the air. "Why couldn't we have taken the bathtub? My feet hurt!"

"Mine too!" Barrel whines.

"We didn't think we'd need it! Remember ? We were supposed to be back hours ago." Shock throws her hands in the air and kicks a nearby pebble. "All we had to do was fill this stinkin' bag."

She holds up the trick-or-treating bag she'd been carrying. Their frowns deepen at the sight. The amount isn't anywhere near what they hoped to have. They expected to have an overflowing bucket's worth of treats...but what they ended up with was half of that. And most of it isn't favorable - there are less sugary sweets than usual, and a majority is noticeably candy corn. That thought makes them stick their tongues out in disgust, and they dramatically turn their heads away so they won't have to picture it.

The three avoid each other's gazes as they continue on. The message is clear. The boss will be upset seeing the results of this week's candy quota. They tried to collect what they could, but their luck can only go so far within the days after Halloween. Most leftover candy has been given out or already eaten. They're lucky enough to even find kids who still hold onto their stash! It would've been enough to fill their bag completely. But then that ragdoll had to come and ruin it...!

They grit their teeth at the memory.

Their luck afterwards hadn't been the greatest. Their next idea was to steal what they could from the town's local candy shop - only for that to end in a disaster! The shopkeeper found them stuffing hard candies in their pockets and promptly kicked them out. They planned to pull a trick or two if they couldn't get their goods. But the Witches made things worse - insisting on making them suffer while they were already kicked down. Their spells were painful and humiliating! The boss had a good laugh seeing them turned into toads from their last encounter. They had to leave town afterwards, losing out on any of the candy they'd been hoping to obtain that day.

The rest of the week was...unfortunate. They scraped together what they could from alleyways and trash cans. The only thing people were willing to give away was their candy corn and popcorn balls. But Oogie Boogie wasn't a fan. They share his interest in the quality stuff - the chocolates, lollipops, and gummies! But such delicacies are hard to come by. Especially post-Halloween. They hope he'll understand...

Their fingers twitch anxiously as their treehouse comes into view. They're nearly home now. They imagine how upset he'll be, and what punishments are inevitably coming their way...they gulp as they climb down the hill and approach the broken bridge leading to their small house. A small elevator awaits them, its movements creaking with the wind while it sways side-to-side. They almost don't want to go in. The three briefly glance down and find the abyss between the ground and their house.

Shock opens the small door without a word. Lock and Barrel pile in before they yank on the rope to be hoisted up. It doesn't take long before they're in the warmth of their own treehouse. As warm as it can be, with all the broken windows and holes in the walls. They shuffle nervously as they approach their shrine to Oogie Boogie. It's where they give him their offerings and bring his requests. The masks of past trick-or-treaters are hung on the wall as a morbid reminder to not to disappoint him. A large tube sits expectantly as the bag is brought to its entrance. The three hesitate before they push it inside. The sound of it sliding down into the Boogeyman's lair is deafening. The children drop to their knees and bow in its direction, muttering apologies and crossing their fingers and toes.