The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Prince and the Orphan - Fanfic Story 3

Chapter 11

--Jack's POV--

--Two weeks later--

I trudged into the graveyard, tears stinging my eyes.

This was my special place.

Believe it or not, my mom and I had visited the graveyard every night every time I was ill, and it always made me feel better.

But it wasn't the statues of horses, knights, and ghosts, the crosses, or the gravestones that made me feel better.

It was the view from Spiral Hill.

I trudged up to the top and sat down, staring up at the cloudless, starry, full moonlit sky.

I closed my eyes and the wind softly blew through the air.

I smiled as tears began spilling down my face.

Memories were blessings and curses.

I lay down on the ground and inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

My mind drifted to a time when my mom and I were here...when she said another important thing that stuck with me all the time...

I coughed and shuddered as another wave of chills passed over me.

Mom wrapped my blanket around me tighter.

"Are you okay, baby?" she asked.

"No..." I groaned, sneezing.

I came down with the flu a couple days earlier.

Mom pulled me close and stroked my hair.

I shivered again.

"I'm cold, Mom," I whimpered.

"I know, honey," Mom said. "Don't focus on your sickness. Just focus on the sky."

I looked up. The sky was cloudless. The moon was full. Stars dotted the whole black curtain hanging over Halloween Town.

"Now close your eyes," Mom instructed. "Breathe in. Slowly."

I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly.

"Now slowly breathe out."

I obeyed.

"You feel better now?" Mom asked.

I nodded. "Sort of," I said.

"Just focus on nature, Jack," she said.

"And you," I replied, smiling at her. "I can focus on you, too. You're as sick as me."

Mom said nothing. She just kissed my hair.

I leaned against her shoulder and sneezed again.

"Hey, Mom?" I asked.

"Yeah?" Mom asked.

"Why is Father so mean to you?" I asked.

Mom hesitated. "I'm...I'm not sure, Jack," she sighed.

"Did you do something?" I asked.

"No," Mom said. "Not that I know of."

"Then why did he beat you last night?" I asked.