Chapter 5

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Had someone bothered to ask, "Where is that Oogie Boogie? I haven't seen him in quite some time", no one would have been able to answer that question. I had been sealed in my workshop for days now, not bothering to eat more than a few bites between tool alterations, and only sleeping when my body can take it no more and I collapse on my workshop table out of pure exhaustion. Not the healthiest strategy, but it has worked for me up until now, so I saw no reason to change my ways.

Luckily for me, or perhaps it was unlucky now that I look back upon it, no one bothered to ask such questions about me. I doubt that anyone even noticed that I was not around, due to the fact that, even when I was there, I tried not to be seen or pointed out. That would all change once I was the Pumpkin King. Once I was that which I strived to be named, I would stride into every location with my head held high and make sure that everyone saw me. There would be no need to be a shadow when I could be a king.

I was well past the planning and blueprinting stage by then. I had finished that stage after the first day of solitude. I had thusly moved on to the tinkering and collecting phase. The only time that I left my workbench was to collect more materials or to use a tool that I dared not to keep with the clutter that was my desk. Not a single motion was wasted. I walked with purpose from one place to the next as my fingers found their rightful places on my inventions and tools. Here, I was the undeniable king. This was my kingdom, at that point, at least.

Taking a step back from my table, I peered over my progress. Amongst the scattered parts, blueprints, and various metals and tools, sat three nearly finished exoskeletons. I was pleased to see that the basic human forms were starting to reveal themselves, even though they were barely even a quarter of the way finished.

I tapped a wrench against my grinning lips as I continued to run my eyes over every inch of the three, checking for any errors that might have been made earlier in the process. Seeing no such thing, I turned away from the sight and made my way over to the supplies on the other side of the room. Opening the lowest of the containment units, I ran my hands through the supplies, looking for something in specific.

I found no such thing.

Scowling, I began taking the unwanted materials out of the box, adding them to the clutter that continued to fill up my workstation. Once I reached the bare bottom, I knew that the day was about to take an unexpected, and possibly downhill, turn. I had to leave my tree for the first time in days to get more supplies.

I ran my hands through my hair, ruffling the grey tresses as I imagined the worst ways that my shopping spree could go. Perhaps someone would see me and question some of my particular choices? Perhaps someone would ask what sort of thing that I had been up to? Perhaps someone would come by while I was out and decide to snoop around, seeing as the townspeople could never keep their sharp noses out of other's businesses.

"Not like it matters," I grumbled to myself. "Whether I like it or not, I have to go out or continue to stand here and stare at what may be forever until someone really does decide to check on me."

Brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear, I checked to make sure that my dice were still attached. You never know when a chance will come up to ask fate to make a choice. Better safe than sorry. With that thought in my head, I threw a cover over my work desk and headed out of my tree and down towards HalloweenTown.

***

Questions. Questions. Questions. People are not afraid to ask questions for the sake of gossip, even if they turn away at the scientific and/or thought-provoking ones before they even fall from my lips. The snakeman before me stared with his unblinking eyes, coiling his arms around my desired materials. His forked tongue slips between the folds of his lips every now and then as his nostrils flared.

"Odd choices you have here," he hissed slyly.

"Hardly," I scoffed at him. "I am just planning something special for dinner tonight." I gestured to the tub of critters, vat of pumpkin guts, and arrangement of different spices.

"And this?" he held up the thick bolt of cloth-like material. I tried to keep my eyes from lingering on it too long, least his miniscule brain pick up on something. "You plan to eat this too?"

"I'm making a quilt." Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"A quilt?" I was sure that, if he possessed eyebrows, one would have been raised in an inquisitive manner at me. "With this?"

"If you are going to make something, then you might as well make it right," I stated with a shrug. "I have the coinage to spend on it, so why not indulge in myself a bit?"

I could tell by the way his slit eyes narrowed that he did not fully believe me, not that I blamed him that much with the horrendous excuse I was giving. "You do realize that I will have to report this to Jack, right?"

I couldn't keep the scowl from my face. "Is it really any of his business what I purchase? And I highly doubt that is a good business strategy for you."

He hissed at me, baring his face but a few inches from my face, but I did not back down. This did not sit well with him, if his heavy breath and burning eyes were anything to go by. "Do not think me a fool, Buggie. I know how you are; everyone does. Leave. I will do no business with you."

"You are refusing to sell me simple food items and cloth?" I asked. "This is outrageous."

The snakeman pushed the items to the edge of his counter, keeping them from my reach; as if I would try to take them from him like that. "Go, Buggie. Before I call for Jack to come and make you leave."

"Fine," I growled, turning from his small stand. I felt the eyes of those nearby upon me, but I refused to make eye contact back. I was too busy inwardly congratulating myself on a successfully executed plan and hiding my new materials up my sleeves to bother with the likes of them.



Hey, everyone. Now that I am done with the ROTG time trilogy, this is going to be my main focus, as well as my original work "Faewns". I will be trying to update this fanfiction every week.

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