The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge

Chapter Three: The Hanging Tree

We left the witch's shop and the witches said that if we find four crystal skulls, then we can bring them over to the shop to trade in for some goodies.

I followed Jack and then we saw Corpse Kid and he told us that Clown had the key to the main gate, but he didn't know where he went.

"Maybe we should look in that manhole over there".

I pointed my finger to a manhole and with that, Jack and I slipped through.

Once we were inside, Clown was there but then a hoard of enemy skeletons popped up from underneath the ground and the terrified denizen of Halloweentown who rode on a unicycle shrieked and then he disappeared.

"Here's Jack"!

I proclaimed, cackling like a maniac as I hit the skeletons with my soul robber.

Jack took out a blue soul and his soul robber turned blue, but only for a temporary moment.

It made it easier to beat up all the skeletons and once they were all gone for now, Clown reappeared again.

"Jack"!

He yelled in fear.

"Oh, is it really you? Something really terrible has happened"!

Clown spoke and I felt bad for him.

"No need to panic. You can calm down".

Jack reassured him.

"Its been so dangerous and I locked the gate and hid here. Now don't get me wrong, I like a good scare, but those things bite"!

Clown nervously chuckled and I handed him a bottle of water.

"It always helps when you're in full on panic mode. And not the good kind".

Clown graciously accepted it and drank the whole bottle in one big gulp.

After a few minutes, the three of us went back to the Town Square.

But then more skeletons appeared, and Clown disappeared in fright.

"STUPID SKELETONS! Wait till I get my hands on your bony necks"!

Jack was confused at what I was doing, and then he watched as I bravely grabbed one or two of the enemy skeletons by their necks and twisted them to the side.

Their bodies became stiff once a popping sound was heard.

And then, they turned into dust.

When all if of the skeletons were defeated, Clown and the Corpse Kid reappeared.

The main gate was soon unlocked.

"I got the gate open for you Jack"!

Clown proudly told the Pumpkin King.

He then turned his attention towards me

"And boy, this water is so good. I wonder what's made out of"?

I laughed and then Jack smiled.

"It's purified drinking water, and it's very healthy".

I explained.

Then, Corpse Kid told us some news.

"But not before one of Oogie's baddies grabbed Sally and carried her off into the cemetery. I heard that the graveyard is pretty dangerous these days. I hope she's okay".

Jack immediately turned around with an angry glare.

"What? Took Sally? That's it! No more Mr. Nice Bones"!

I waved goodbye to Clown and Corpse Kid before running off to catch up with Jack.

We both made it to a place in the graveyard called the Tomb Of Tears.

But then, more skeletons appeared.

I saw one or two that were red colored and they looked like fire skeletons.

These were a little harder to defeat, as they brought more damage if you got hit by one.

Jack whipped the fire skeletons and then a four blue souls were dropped.

We both smiled and split the blue souls so that we'd both have two each.

I spotted a walking tree that usually had four or five little skeletons hanging on the branches.

But this time, he didn't.

Jack led me over to his friend.

"Jack! You've come back. And who might this horrible looking girl be"?

I was shocked.

He just called me horrible!

Then, I remembered from the movie that in Halloweentown, horrible or disgusting means "good" or "beautiful".

"Hello Hanging Tree. This is F/n, she is a new friend of mine that I met in the cemetery a little while ago before I returned to Halloweentown".

Jack smiled, leading up to stand in front of him.

"It's a horror to meet you F/n".

The Hanging Tree smiled, and I gently shook his tree branch hand.

"Hmm...what happened to your hanging men"?

Jack asked, and I noticed that the Hanging Tree had no little skeletons on his branches.

"Ever since Oogie's monsters came to Town, my hanging men have been hiding all around the cemetery. I'm afraid that hanging men aren't very brave".

I could already feel how scared those poor little hanging men were.

"We'd better find them. I could really use Zero's nose at a time like this".

Jack replied.

"I bet you'll Zero in his grave".

So, me and the Pumpkin King set off for Zero's gravestone.

I found a little dog house with the word ZERO on the front.

Jack walked up to the grave and taped his knee with his hand.

Immediately, I was met with a ghostly canine with a small glowing nose that looked like a jack o-lantern.

"There you are Zero! Come on, I need your help to find some hanged men".

"Arf arf arf"!

Zero floated around me and I giggled and the faithful pup licked my face.

Soon, the ghost dog picked up the scent of the hanging men.

We followed Zero across the land and then he pointed his nose to the hanged men, who were all huddled together behind a large gravestone.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't got time to play hide and go shriek. Please go on back to the Hanging Tree".

Jack sincerely smiled and watched the hanged men scatter on back to where they belonged.