Benedict Cumberbatch-The Halloween Prince

Hi, my name is Emily I was named after the corpse bride, however, my story begins in Halloween Town. You know the place where Jack Skellington and Sally reside. By the way Sally and Jack are married now with three adorable children. It chills my heart with happiness to walk by their house and see Jack and the kids taking off their heads and playing catch. I am happy for them and yet I am sad for myself. I don’t have anyone. Where is my Jack Skellington? I have not been sewn together like Sally. I am a skeleton, like Jack. I have blue hair and my eye sockets are deep and black. However, I have been told that my sockets though black, are very expressive. I wear a skirt and drum major’s jacket, like the one on The Black Parade CD by My Chemical Romance. Well, anyway I was babysitting Jack’s kids one night; we were playing catch with a dead rat, when a feeling of such sadness overcame me I became dizzy and sat on the ground.  I was so engrossed that I hardly noticed when the dead rat hit my skull and bounced off.

Sally and Jack had just got home and Sally, curse her soul, came to my side. “Oh, Emily you look so sad. What can I do to make it go away?”

In Halloween Town we don’t conceal our feelings, after all what would be the point we are all manufactured monsters or dead skeletons and well what is there to be embarrassed about. Okay, so back to Sally.

“Emily, talk to me,” Sally coaxed.

“Sally, I’m lonely. I am wondering where my dead prince skeleton is. I want to have a dead family, just like you and Jack.” My head is drooping as I tell Sally my troubles.

Sally looks fondly over at Jack as he takes off his head and plays catch with his kids. “Emily, have you seen a prospective candidate in Halloween Town?”

I shake my miserably. “No, I don’t think there is a skeleton for me. I am just going to be a dead old maid forever.”

Sally wraps her cloth arms around me. “Emily, don’t say such things. Maybe your prince is in another land and can’t make his way to you.”

I sniff, although it’s pointless since I no longer have nasal passages. “So, what are you suggesting, Sally?”

Sally puts her misshapen fingers on each side of her head. “We can get the love witch to conjure your message out to all worlds and if your prince is out there, he will not be able to resist the call.”

I jump up and down, making my bones rattle together. “Oh Sally, let’s do it, please.”

Sally seems as excited as I and yet her face is somewhat more troubled than usual. “Emily, you must keep in mind that in Halloween Town there is no guarantee that you will get a happily ever after. Do you still want to risk it?”

I am so excited that I take off my own head and dance around with it. “Yes, Sally let’s do it and maybe by this time tomorrow, I will have my prince.”

I put my head back on and Sally takes my hand. We are both so happy that we skip and sing funeral dirges together.

The love witch’s home is a beautiful black dismal place. The style of the house is Victorian and the spider webs and falling shutters really make the place seem friendly. The love witch must have known we were coming for as we approached the house she waited on the porch and beckoned us towards her. We climb the steps and before we enter the house the love witch picks up her purring skeleton cat and we all go inside. The parlor is dark and dreary, just the kind of room one wants to curl up in and read a romantic horror story.

“Emily, so you want me to bring your true love to Halloween Town? The love witch says. Her voice is beautiful, it sounds like a scream.

I nod my head yes so fast that my teeth rattle.

The love witch looks at me and asks. “Emily, you do know that I cannot guarantee a happily ever after, aren’t you?”

I look over at Sally, “Oh, yes Sally already told me.”

The witch takes my hands in her own hands and then speaks. “Emily, your true love is the same in life as in death. The power of true love can overcome many things, but it cannot overcome whether one lives or dies.” The witch then raises her hands and chants. “Okay, come back on Halloween and we will see what we shall see.”

“Halloween, but that is two months away.” I cried.

The witch does not say another word; she just picks up her dead cat and leaves the room.

The days drag by and then little by little I notice that activity around Halloween Town begins to increase. Lights get dimmer, the music gets scarier, the skeletons bones begin to shine brighter, and more ghosts scream through town than usual. It is Halloween Eve and so I make my way through the howling wind and bat filled skies to the love witch’s house. She is waiting for me on the steps of her house.

“Come in, Emily. Wait inside with me until midnight and we shall see what transpires.”

At 12:01am on Halloween a green light filled the love witch’s house and everything began to swirl as moaning sounds filled the room. Then poof, a green puff of smoke and there in the middle of the room sat my prince charming. Once everything settled down I ran forward to see my true love. I took one look at him and gasped. Oh my God, he’s alive.”

My prince charming sat in the middle of the room looking dazed. His face was pale and his blue eyes were huge. Well, there was no turning back, so I timidly approached my prince.

“Hello, my name is Emily. What is yours?” I am smiling; however, it must be a pretty frightening sight because my prince takes one look at my skeleton grin and be backs away. “It’s okay,” I screech, “Everything is going to be okay. There must be some mistake. I will get the love witch to send you back.”

The love witch throws her head back and cackles. “Sorry, all sales are final. He’s all yours.”

I kneel down beside my prince and put my skeleton hands against his face. “Don’t worry we’ll figure out a way to send you back. In the meantime what is your name?”

The prince shook his head and muttered. “I must be dreaming. So, maybe the sooner I play along, the sooner I will wake up. My name is Benedict Cumberbatch.”

“What a lovely name,” I shriek. The sound makes Benedict crawl backwards into a corner.

“What did I eat before went to bed? Whatever, I had I will never eat it again. Okay Benedict, wake up. WAKE UP.” Benedict closed his eyes. When he opened them I was still standing there.

“Benedict, it’s alright. I will take care of you. I am sure Sally will know what to do.” I held out my boney hand. “Come on, don’t be afraid and welcome to Halloween Town.” Benedict looked at me with shock glazed eyes and then took my bony cold hand in his warm fleshy one.