Our Nightmare

Father and Daughter

On a Tuesday morning, Sally sits herself by a window to practice her knitting while letting in fresh air. It is a beautiful time to look outside, as the pumpkin sun lightly warms her skin as she listens to the sounds of children playing from below. Every time she glances up from her work, she can see the town and its people in clear daylight. Not such a horrendous day by Halloween Town's standards, but relaxing, nonetheless.

Halfway into her work, the front doors of the manor open. She turns her head and finds Jack coming inside. He promptly sets the papers he's holding aside when he finds her in the room. He smiles and gets closer to see what she is doing. She lets him see the scarf she's working on. It's yellow in color - the only yarn she can find at the moment.

"Prepping for winter already?" He asks. She shrugs.

"Just practicing, for now."

He leans down to kiss the top of her head, moving to sit down in his chair. He starts to work, scribbling on the papers using the end of a feather dipped in ink. She pays no mind as she tends to her scarf, humming as the movements become easier. The two of them relax in this peaceful moment - working together in close proximity, with nothing interrupting them.

Sally sighs in delight. Everything about this feels right.

Her gaze comes down to the streets of Halloween Town. She finds a batch of blonde hair within the crowds. Her body stiffens when she recognizes the figure. They're making their way to the market, with a basket held in the crook of their arm. Sally's eyes follow the woman as she disappears into one of the shops. She loses focus with her knitting, and sets down her work on the window sill.

Jewel.

It's been over a week since the deadly nightshade incident happened. Things have gone so peacefully since then. She doesn't have any reason to remember it. She is getting more comfortable here - even if that means taking certain precautions, like moving the deadly nightshade jar out of the kitchen and ensuring all the cleaning supplies are left in their rightful closets. This gives her more room to focus on other things, like practicing sewing and knitting again, even taking up a new book in her free time.

But, now, seeing the Doctor's new creation makes Sally remember it all. What exactly happened a week ago, and everything that led to it. No matter how happy she seems now, this will always linger in her memory. Any small thing that reminds her of the Doctor - it will haunt her for hours, and possibly her whole death. She curls her fingers in thought. This part of the manor isn't facing Finklestein's tower, but she doesn't need to see it to think of it. She takes a deep breath as she finds herself strangely calm - making a bold decision in these few seconds.

She turns to the skeleton man behind her, who glances up from his work. "I think I'm ready."

---

The walk to Dr. Finklestein's tower feels longer than she remembers.

Jack is confused when Sally brings this up, but he is supportive regardless. He asks if she's sure she is ready to make this decision, and after much consideration, she insists she is. The Pumpkin King takes them on the longer route to ensure they won't be appearing too soon. He can tell she needs some time to work up he encouragement.

They find the sight of his tower coming into view. When the gates are a few feet away, his girlfriend stops in her tracks. She looks at him and plays with her fingers, eyes fleeting to the ground nervously.

"Jack?" She asks quietly. "Can you give me one of those pep talks? The ones you're good at?"

He places a hand on her shoulder and grips it. "You don't have to be afraid of him. You don't even have to listen to him anymore. This is about what you want, not him."