Jack's Daughter

Nightmares

I awoke and looked around. I was in a forest, in a circle of trees with dark underbrush.

"Hello?" I called, walking around. I was tackled by a dark, black shape. I went to scream but nothing came out. "Shh.. He'll find you if you don't be quiet. It's okay." I heard a familiar female voice say.

I tried to struggle against the shape but it held me down. I realized it was a figure wearing a long, black cloak with a hood. "Get up, quietly. And come with me." It instructed.

I carefully got up, my stitches pulling slightly. It gripped my hand and I saw a blue hand with red nailpolish.

I figured it was a girl. She dragged me with her quickly. "There's still one place that's not blocked. It's closer than you think." She stopped and turned to me.

"He's coming for you. Don't let him get to close. On what the humans call Hall..." She stopped. I sensed myself waking up and yelled. "No!"

"Spark! Spark!" Someone was yelling. I awoke with a start. "It's okay. You're okay." I realized it was Alyson. "What...?" I started. "It was only a dream." She said soothingly.

"Okay." I said. I still wanted to know the rest of her sentence! "Oogie is coming." I said with a shutter.

"WHAT!?" She yelled, making me jump. "Yes. I was warned. I don't know the date because you woke me up!" I griped. She said nothing.

The next few days passed without anything going on. No visions, nothing.

"Hey! You ready for school?" Alyson asked me. She had been living with us for the last few days. It was now Thursday. A week and a day before the end of October.

"Yeah." I said, putting one last touch on my makeup. I was about to say something else when I looked in the mirror and gasped.

There was an older looking version of myself in the mirror! She had a black hood that covered everything but her face. "Spark. You need to leave! The doors to the human realm will open in Halloween Town! Oogie will come find you!" She said to me.

"But there's not one anywhere near me!" I protested. "One is closer than you think. You must fight him! Protect your heart." She disappeared and I was left looking at a spooked version of myself.

"Spark! We're gonna be....late..." Alyson trailed off. "You had another vision, didn't you?" She asked. I nodded. "One of a woman who looked exactly like me. In a black hood. Oogie is coming to the human world. The portals will open then and he will take over the human realm and try to find me." I said quickly.

"We need to get you out of here!" Alyson said quickly. We ran down the stairs and I ran to Samantha and Dave's room, hoping they hadn't left yet. I ripped open the door and saw them sitting in chairs, facing each other.

"We have to leave. Now!" I yelled urgently. "We can't. Everywhere is blocked." Samantha said worriedly. "Wait..." I said. "Thread." I heard the same woman's voice say.

I crept over to the wardrobe and looked at Samantha. "Give me your key." I said. Samantha shook her head. "It won't work. I've tried. Oogie locked it."

"Let me try. Give it to me." She finally surrendered it into my hand. I gasped at first, it burned like fire!

I held onto it until it stopped burning. I turned the key and the dresser unlocked. "Use. Key." I heard the woman say. I poked it into the center of the back of the dresser. It opened backwards to reveal a black hole with swirling blues.

"You opened it!" Alyson cheered. "Someone has to stay here." I warned. "I'll stay. Be careful!" Dave said. Samantha handed him something and kissed him.

We jumped inside and everything faded from view.