Cult of Shadows

This is Halloween

"Boys and Girls of every age..."

Their song began. The occupants of Halloween Town rushed to their places, eager to join in on their favorite tradition. The dead children all lined up along the lanes of the street, each of them holding onto a stick of fire. All their hearts pleaded for the same thing: to be the one chosen by Jack to light his lantern on fire.

It was the epitome of the night: The Pumpkin King Spectacle.

Jack would be paraded into the Town Square, all the people singing introductions of themselves. They would talk about how much they love their home, how surprises were worth waiting for. Once it was near the end, Jack would reach down and grab onto a random fire stick, swallowing it whole.

The Scarecrow body with a lantern head would then dance upon the Trojan like horse, being pulled by the brain-dead man with an axe sticking out of his head.

To put out the fire, the Pumpkin King would take a dive into the fountain that housed the Lagoon monster; she was more than happy to allow the King to use her home for part of the act.

"In this town, we call Home, everyone hail to the Pumpkin song."

The crowd would then cheer on the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, as he rose up from the fountain.

With this event, their favorite holiday began:

Halloween.

All Hallows Eve.

The Devil's Holiday.

Call it what you will. The fact remains the same, it's the one day of the year that the souls and spirits of the Underworld, or Undead, can roam freely through the streets of the living. If they so choose for it.

One by one, or groups if preferred, would get into a single file line in front of the Town Hall, waiting patiently for their turn from their King. Sally would be the one at the door, letting them in to make their request. That one time of the year, Jack is granted a power to transport his friends to wherever they so choose.

He was also able to alter their appearances if asked.

This was a common request; many of the Halloween Town residents still had families that were alive and well. On this night, they request for Jack to make them look human, just so that they can attend festivals that their living families attend.

There was only four in the town that choose to remain the same: since their goals were to wreak havoc and cause mischief.

And speak of the devils...

"That was a wonderful display, Jack." Sally immediately ran back for the front of the door; she was never happy to be around the burlap sack of bugs and his little minions.

Oogie Boogie has arrived with Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

Jack instantly felt himself getting a migraine; he was still unaware of how this occurred. Since he technically didn't have an actual brain or nerves inside him.

"Hello again, Boogie."

This was the one thing that Jack hated about this time of year. By Law of Halloween Town, all residents were granted full access to the Living World if requested. What their actions and purpose for these requests, it didn't matter.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel took this rare opportunity to run around Town Hall, breaking any item they would get their grubby little hands on. The Mayor tried his hardest to control him, but all he got was balloons full of ink thrown at him.