Hello

Hi, this is a division of Skeletongal's account.  This will be dedicated to my stories.  I will start off my posting Halloween Friends, the much needed re-write.

Halloween Friends (the much needed re-write)

Friends can be made in the most bizare places.  Some examples are on a site where you meet someone from, let's say, San Antonio, and you become so close that you become sisters.  Or, my favorite, at an anime convention where you are dressed up as Sailor Moon and you make friends with someone dressed up as Shippo.  Yes, friends can be made just anywhere and it seems like the more unusual the place you met was, the more unusual the friendship will be.  This story is no different.  For these friends met in a graveyard on the eve of December 24, 1993.  Sound familiar?  It should.

Chapter 1: A Familiar Place

Ash was everywhere, clogging vision, drying out windpipes, and generally making a mess that cannot be easily removed with cleaner.  A tall skeletal man appeared from the cloud, he wore a Santa Claus suit and cap.  After a series of coughs he took out a piece of parchment and un-rolled it.

"Now, who lives here?  Ah!  Gracie and Ellie, boy will they be surprised to see what I got them!" he cheered.

He then looked into his bag, grabbed 2 presents, and placed one under the artificial tree.  He was just about to place a black and white present under the tree when he heard a small moan from behind him.

The man turned around to see who made the noise.  It had apparently came from a girl no older than 4.  She was sleeping on the couch.  The moan had came from the fact that her blanket had slipped off her small body and left her very cold.

"Cute kid." the skeletal man then turned around again to place his gift under the tree.  But the artificial tree was decorated by the little sleeping girl and her sister, they had the 'bright' idea of putting the heavy ornaments on the top of the tree, making it unstable.  No one can make any sudden movements around the tree or it will fall; when the man turned around to place his gift under the tree he had almost knocked the tree over!

He stretched out his very long arms and caught the tree before it could fall and wake the sleeping girl.  After setting the tree upright he whipped the sweat off his brow.  He soon noticed that an ornament was hooked onto his sleeve.  The man took the ornament off and looked at it.

The ornament was bright red and had a picture of the little sleeping girl painted on it.  On the back it said in green letters, 'Merry 4th Christmas Gracie!'

He turned around, slowly this time so that he would not knock over the tree again, and looked at the sleeping lad.

She was shivering quietly because of her lost blanket.  The man walked slowly to her and sat on the opposite side of the couch.  Bending over he grasped the red blanket in his bony fingers and placed it over little Gracie's body.  He then slowly picked up her arm and put the black and white box under it.  He then let go of her arm and whispered in her ear, "Merry Christmas."

Seeing that his job was done the skeletal man got up and jumped into the chimney.  Disappearing in another cloud of ash.

Several moments later, little Gracie's eyes fluttered open.  She sat up and looked around the room.  The cookies and milk were still there but the tree had new presents under it.  Gracie leaped from the couch and read all the pretty nametags on the presents.  She saw the usual ones from her family but no present to her from Santa.

Heartbroken she turned back to the couch.  Her eyes started to glisten when she saw the black and white box.  She dove onto the couch and grabbed the box.

Without thinking she destroyed the wrapping paper and looked inside.  It was an orange jack in the box.  Gracie gripped the handel and an unfamiliar haunted tune sounded.  After a few seconds of turning the handel the box opened to reveal a cat's head.

"KITTY!" Gracie smiled.  But when Gracie reached out her hand to pet the black cat, it opened it's mouth and bit her hand!

Instead of yelling bloody hell, like most kids do, Gracie giggled and hugged the cat.

Gracie then decided to turn on the TV. Since it was 3:00 in the morning, usually there was a corny 1940s sci-fi/horror movie that was so old fashioned that you could see the strings that they flew the monster on.  But instead of a stupid movie there was a news report.

"Good evening everyone.  This is Ineda Storie reporting for CHANNEL 9 FOX NEWS!  Sorry to interrupt your usual programming but we have an important announcement!  We just received word that the impostor St. Nick has been shot down!  And with me right now is the general that shot him down; General Warheade."  Ineda then shoved her microphone into the general's hand.

"Thank you Ineda.  Yes, it is true.  We were successful in our mission of destroying the impostor, but there is still no sign of the genuine St. Nick."

"So Santa is still missing?" Ineda questioned, trying to look shocked.

"Yes, but we believe that this 'skeleton' knows something about St. Nick's disappearance.  We're planning to go to where he landed and question him about what happened to-----"

Gracie turned off the TV.  She then walked to the coat closet and grabbed her Big Bird coat.  She was about to slip it on when she heard something outside.

"Attention everyone!  Terrible news.  There is still no sign of Santa Clause.  Although the impostor has been shot down...it seems like Christmas will have to be canceled this year."

Gracie ran to the window and looked outside.  There was a police car outside announcing to everyone about the destruction of the skeleton.  'Hasn't this guy ever read The Grinch that Stole Christmas?  You don't exactally need presents to celebrate this holiday.  Presents are nice though.' she thought as she continued to put her coat on.

Gracie then ran to the door and reached for the handel.  She froze when she felt the cat in the box nuzzle against her leg.  "Sorry kitty.  But I can't take you with me.  I need to thank the skeleton man for his gift before the police gets him." Gracie then bent down and petted the cat's head.

Outside was very cold.  Gracie was starting to regret wearing her Big Bird coat because it was more of a raincoat than a winter coat.  But it was too late to turn back now.  Gracie continued to walk through the knee deep snow, looking up every few seconds to see the sky.

The sky had a big yellow cloud in it that hovered over the graveyard.  Gracie assumed that it was from General Warheade's bomb that shot the skeleton down.  She believed that following it would lead her to where the skeleton was.

After a half hour of walking, Gracie felt something hit her head.  Combing her fingers though her long, curly, brown hair she found a piece of rubble.  Looking up again she saw the graveyard that had the cloud over it.

She carefully walked inside, hoping not to scare anyone that was in there at the moment.  This was her first time in the graveyard and so far she was liking it.  It really was a beautiful graveyard, even though there were monstrous Christmas presents scattered everywhere.

Gracie's eyes then led her to the big angel mausoleum in the middle of the graveyard.  In the angel's arms was a very thin man that was as pale as the snow around him.  'This must be the skeleton.' Gracie pondered in her head.

She walked closer to the angel and looked at the skeleton.  She couldn't help but feel so sorry for him, no one deserves to be shot down like he was.

Suddenly she heard a fierce growl.  Thinking quickly, she ran away from the skeleton and hid behind a random gravestone.

She heard a series of barks close by and before she knew it a weird ghost dog was sniffing around her leg.  Gracie didn't know if she should either be scared or smiling, for the dog was so cute.  It was a dog alright, but it wasn't a familiar breed to Gracie.  It was transparent, so Gracie knew it was a ghost, it had a long nose and on that nose was a little light up pumpkin, and the dog had long floppy ears and had a body that resembled a floating white napkin.

The dog would not stop barking, "What do you want?" Gracie questioned softly.  The dog then used its nose to push up Gracie's leg off the ground.  "HEY!" she yelled, using her hands to scoot away from the dog.  Unknowingly, she grabbed a piece of bone.  She picked up the bone, it looked like part of a jaw.  "Does this belong to that skeleton over there?" Gracie pointed to the angel grave.  The dog nodded its head as if it understood her question.  "HERE!  TAKE IT!  MAKE HIM BETTER!" she yelled as she thrusted the bone in the dog's mouth.

Gracie sighed as the dog flew away, she hoped that the skeleton would be ok.

The dog put the jaw bone loosely on the skeleton's head.  The skeleton sat up and fixed the bone.  He then started to sing.

"What have I done?

What have I done?"

"How could I be so blind?

All is lost...

Where was I?"

The song's sad tune was starting to make Gracie cry.

"Spoiled all...

Spoiled all.

Everything's...

Gone all wrong.

What have I done?

What have I done?

Find a dark cave to hide in...

In a million years they'll find me...

Only dust...

And a plaque...

That reads here lies Poor Old Jack!"

At this the skeleton layed back onto the book that the angel was holding.  He looked dead(er?).  Even the dog bowed his head in sorrow.  He then started singing again.

"But I never intended all this madness...

Never

And no one really understood...

And how could they?!"

He then sat up again, he looked mad.  His angry face scared Gracie a little.  She moved more into her hiding place, enough so that she could still see him, but he could not see her.

"And all I ever wanted was to bring them something great!

But why does nothing ever turn out like it should?"

The skeleton then stood up and looked triumphant.  The song's tune changed from sad to hopeful.

"Well, what the heck?

I went and did my best!

And by god!

I really tasted something swell!

And for a moment; why...

I even touched the sky!

The skeleton then leaped into the air and landed safely on the snow below.

"And at least I left some stories they could tell I did!

But the first time ever since...

I don't remember when

I feel just like my old bony self again!

And I JACK THE PUMPKIN KING!"

The skeleton stopped singing and actually spoke, "That's right..."  He then tore off the red scraps of cloth left on his body to reveal a black and white pinstriped suit and a black bat bowtie, "I AM THE PUMPKIN KING!" he then gave a frightening laugh.  After this he began singing again, but this time he was running around the graveyard.  Gracie was no longer crying, in fact she was giggling at the skeleton's graveyard dance.

"And I just can't wait until next Halloween!

Cause I got some new ideas that would really make them scream!

And BY GOD!

I'M REALLY GOING TO GIVE IT ALL MY MIGHT!"

He suddenly froze, "Uh oh!"  The little ghost dog came floating towards him, he had a little red cap in his mouth.  The skeleton then grabbed the hat, "I hope there's still time to set things right!"  He then tucked the cap into his shirt and ran towards the doors under the angel grave.  In an instant he threw open the doors and ran inside, "Sandy Claws!"  The dog then flew after him, barking along the way.

Gracie emerged from her hiding place and slowly walked to the open grave.

"Umm..Ja..I mean, Mr. Pumpkin King sir.  I just want to say that I really enjoyed your present."

Three other girls emerged from behind different graves.  Two of the girls had blond hair, the only difference was that one of the girls had her hair in a pony-tail.  The other girl had dark brown skin and had her hair in many braids.  They looked the same age as Gracie.  They came close to the grave and spoke to it like Gracie did.

"I also liked your gift, even though it tried to give me a broken leg." the pony-tailed blonde thanked.

"Me too." the dark skinned girl smiled.

"Yea, the gift you gave me was the best gift I ever recieved." the other blonde thanked.

The grave's doors then started to close.  Gracie turned to the other girls, "Who are you?  My name is Gracie."

"My name is Melissa, it's nice to meet you Gracie." the pony-tailed blonde answered her question.

"I'm Deseree." the dark skinned girl introduced.

"And I'm Kelsey." the remaining girl introduced herself.

A half hour later fresh snow started to fall.  With every object it came in contact with, it seemed to flash and disappear.

The girls looked up and saw what looked like a shooting star, but it was really the genuine Santa Clause.

Gracie and the other girls ran to the red scraps of cloth that the skeleton left behind.  Even though the snow had touched the red scraps of cloth, they did not disappear like the burning toys in the graveyard.  The scraps were glowing a reddish/purplish ora.

"Ok, who wants to touch the weird purple red cloth things first?" Melissa questioned.

"Not me!" the girls spoke in unison.

"How about we all touch them at the same time?" Kelsey suggested.

"Alright." Deseree moaned.

"On my count." Gracie said as she placed her hand over the cloth, the other girls followed her motion.  "One...two...three!"  At this the girls threw their hands into the pile of cloth.

Seconds later the girls removed their hands and found little red bracelets on their right wrists.  Looking down they found the rest of the cloth missing.  But in place of the cloth were words written in black.

These bracelets carry a secret. A secret only true friends can discover. Will you girls be the ones to discover it? Or will you, like many others, fail? Never remove these bracelets, and never tell a soul about tonight.

After the girls read the words, they disappeared with the oncoming wind.  The sun soon started to rise, seeing that it was really late, the girls decided to depart and find out the secret another day.

~~~End Chapter 1~~~