Two Dearest Friends

A Brain and Its Memories

At 6 A.M., when the pumpkin sun begins to rise over the horizon of Halloween Town, Jack Skellington is already awake. But he has yet to overcome the first challenge of the morning: getting out of bed. His thin figure is still wrapped underneath the blankets, staring at the ceiling wordlessly. He must've been doing this for about an hour or so, though he lost track of the time long ago. It was rare for him to be sluggish in the morning. But after what happened last night, there isn't any reason for him to jump out of bed. All he can think about is snapping at his old friend. His old, old friend, who knew him ever since he was a child...the same man who watched him become King. A man he shared many fond memories with, and once considered him as some sort of father figure.

The same man he threatened just last night.

He was in a fit of frustration. It pained him to hear Sally cry again, but it was difficult realizing who to put the blame on. He was hoping Finklestein would gradually learn to treat her better after he realized she kept leaving, but it was the exact opposite. He defaulted to restricting her with him; enough to the point where she snapped. He feels bad for her - he really does. And he wants nothing more than to make sure she is safe. But why is he feeling so awful?

The screeching of his doorknob interrupts his thoughts, as well as the loud scream that accompanies it.

"JACK!"

He - quite literally - jumps out of bed and rushes over to his closet, struggling to peel off his night gown and put on his undershirt. He slips on his pants, then digs through his drawer to find his bat bat bow tie. He puts on his suit last and hurries down the stairs, still buttoning it up, before swinging the door open. He finds the Mayor on his front porch, his hand clutching the doorbell. His arms are full of papers and his face is visibly sluggish, the bags under his eyes unusually low and his mouth completely dry. He sees him and sighs in relief, but then groans and clutches at his forehead.

"Mayor, you look absolutely pleasant! What's the matter?"

"Can you believe I forgot today's date until an hour ago?" He rubs his free hand along the side of his face slowly. "That, and I've got a wonderful hangover...I shouldn't have let myself go last night..."

"Come in." The skeleton ushers him inside right away. "I'll make those Worm's Guts you like."

"--But we have to get going! We're already behind; Halloween is now officially 30 days away, and I-"

Jack sits him down on his couch before he can protest any further. He disappears into the kitchen to fetch him a glass of water, which he hands to him. The Mayor makes himself comfortable in the den while the skeleton shuffles back into the kitchen to prepare their breakfast. While the faucet runs, he thinks some more about last night and a troubled frown finds its way onto his skull. He distracts himself by cooking, and when the time comes to let it heat, he enters his den and finds the Mayor petting Zero with a gloomy feature expressed on his face.

"I'm surprised you even got out of bed, Mayor." He comments, sitting in the chair across from him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, really." He rests the side of his conical head on one of Jack's decorative pillows. "Halloween is more important than anything. And so is the town! What would they do without me?"

"With all due respect, my friend, your health matters more." He grabs the empty glass to refill it in the kitchen. "-And I'm sure everyone will understand if you take a day for yourself. I can handle everything in your absence."

He comes back and sets the water on his coffee table. It takes a few minutes for the words to register in the Mayor's head, but when they strike him, he sits up attentively on the couch. "--But, Jack, that's a lot of work! We have several things to approve, and among that, I have a lot on my plate today for the town!"