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November 4
Helga was not happy about the human staying at her house, but it was clear that Gretchen wouldn't have it. The human had spent the rest of the day with Rosie and Angus, who were more than happy to tell her anything about Halloween town.
Jack thought it was all very interesting, but it was a bit of a puzzle as well. He was on his way back to Finkelstein's, curious about the creation that the human- Ivy- had mentioned.
He really wasn't sure what to do about her. Twice now he had been accused of getting her into this mess, when she had been the one to come in the first place!
But Jack felt pity for her, too. She was to go without her own kind for a year, and stay in a place she was obviously terrified of.
Well, apparently it was worse before, when she was with Doctor Finkelstein, a treacherous voice inside his head whispered. At least now she had no danger of being electrocuted...
But it's better now, so why should I dwell on it? Jack was snapped out of his thoughts when he reached the Doctor's door. Raising one skeletal hand, he hesitated, then rapped firmly, the sound echoing around the metal tower.
Jack started lacing his fingers together nervously. He was in no mood to question a man who he respected and considered a friend!
The door swung open and Jack quickly started talking. "Doctor, I apologize for the intrusion, but-"
Jack cut himself off abruptly. Finkelstein hadn't opened the door-it was some girl. A rag doll.
Jack felt his breath hitch as he looked at her.
She was wearing a simple white dress that was too large on her shoulders and too tight around the middle. Her curtain of red hair was swept behind one shoulder, and eyes that eerily reminded him of Ivy's stared up at him.
"Are you Sally?" Jack asked, remembering Ivy's name for her.
The rag doll's mouth twitched in confusion, then she said "Yes?" Sally cleared her throat and Jack watched her blue cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "Sorry, but who are you?" Sally's voice was slow and uncertain, as though she was choosing her words carefully.
Jack hovered awkwardly on the doorway, one arm holding the other behind his back. "I'm Jack, the King of Halloween town. Welcome, by the way! It's horrid to have yo-"
"SALLY? Where've you got to now? Who are you talking to?
Sally gripped the door handle and stood aside. "I'm talking to King Jack, Doctor."
The doctor came rolling down the metal ramp and brightened upon seeing Jack.
"Jack! What can I do for you, my boy?"
Jack came slowly through the door, which Sally shut behind him. Jack could feel her gaze burning into his back, and tried to ignore the shaky feeling it gave him.
"I've...I've come to ask you something, Doctor," Jack said, desperately trying to keep his thoughts on track.
"Anything, anything!" The Doctor laughed, wheeling over where Jack stood. "Don't let me keep you, my boy. I know you have other things." He stared up at Jack, waiting.
"I've recently been to the witch's place, Doctor...and it appears..."
The Doctor sighed, his good humor gone. "Don't tell me. The human."
Unknown to either of them, Sally straightened up at that. Slowly, she made tea, determined to hear more.
"So I would appear," Jack said, mirroring Finkelstein's sigh. "Doctor, would it really be too much trouble for her to remain with Helga and Gretchen? I don't think-"
The doctor gripped the arms of his wheelchair and growled at Jack. "Remain with the witches? You must be bring her back! Are you out of your skull, Jack?"
"Easy, Doctor," Jack said, a little shaken. He's never seen the doctor in a rage before.
Almost instantly, Finkelstein went quiet. Jack breathed easily, thinking the madness was over.
"I don't think you realize the power in that human's skull, Jack," Finkelstein murmured silently. "We could learn how to frighten them like never before, to truly be the most frightening things in the night! We can't let this opportunity pass!"
"At what cost, Doctor?" Jack asked hesitantly. "I am going to use her for new scares, but I don't want her electrocuted again!"
The Doctor fell completely silent. Then he barked out a crude order, "Sally. Leave us."
Jack glanced over again to the rag doll. She stared back, and Jack was shocked to see anger in her eyes. In that moment, her expression matched Ivy's angry gaze exactly.
"I want the human," Sally said, and she again seemed to be choosing her words. "But we can't...keep her."
"SALLY! It is not your place!" Finkelstein roared. Sally stared a moment longer, then turned on her wobbly heels and left.
"It was necessary." Finkelstein started to talk the moment Sally was out of earshot. "I would never kill her, her mind is of too much value, but it was simply an experiment...a successful one at that!"
"But we are never to do harm. That's not who we are!" Jack cried, feeling sick.
Finkelstein eyed Jack but remained silent.
Jack thought back to the image of Ivy at Gretchen's. He had done harm. Was this how Halloween town was supposed to be? Surely he couldn't let this happen!
"I will think it over again, Doctor," Jack said stiffly. He hated not being able to make up his mind. "But do not think I will allow harm to come to the girl, no matter where she is placed."
The Doctor's form went rigid but he said nothing, leaving Jack to let himself out.
....
Ivy rolled down the lane, reaching a small hill she'd seen from the witches' place. Here she sat on her board, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the sun set. The pumpkin's eyes couldn't be seen, and if she focused on just the right part of the colored sky, she could pretend she was watching it from back-
"It looks like the human world's sun from here, doesn't' it?"
Ivy whirled around to see Jack slowly making his way up the hill, his hands crossed behind his back. Unnerved by his accurate connection to her thoughts, Ivy gave a tight nod, but her curiosity got the better of her.
"How do you know what that looks like?" She asked, turning her gaze back to the sunset.
She felt Jack slowly sit down a few feet from her. Ivy felt her muscles tense instinctively and forced herself to relax.
"I like to go the human world a few hours earlier than the others. I tell them that I'm making sure everything is ready, but honestly-" here he wrapped his arms around his legs and leaned closer to Ivy- "it is nice to see something other than scares and horror, even if it's just for a while."
Ivy was surprised. "But you're the king! Shouldn't you be, I dunno, the most excited out of everybody? Nobody else ever seems to think about anything else!"
"I do love it." Jack rushed to assure her. "But before, I was so busy getting ready and trying to be the best that I didn't exactly...have time to realize the routine of it all. When I became king, there was much more planning and much less...doing." He turned to her again, confusion clear on his face.
"Does that make sense?"
Ivy nodded. She suddenly realized how little Dodgers ever skated anymore. If being in charge meant giving up skating, was that really what she wanted?
Power problems aside, Ivy felt less comfortable than ever sitting next to Jack. Apparently, (according to a ghost snooping outside the Doctor's window,) Jack and the Doctor had had a fight over-no surprise, the human girl. While Ivy had no love for the Doctor, she'd picked up that the two were close and hated the guilt she felt.
"Did you see Sally?" She asked carefully, wanting to breech the subject carefully.
Jack's face got a brief wistful look before he snapped back to attention. "Ah, yes. She seemed very nice, if a little...odd."
"Well, she's only just been created," Ivy challenged, feeling defensive. "And already talking-beats Frankenstein's monster, anyway."
Jack snorted. "Best not mention that to him," He said, reminding Ivy suddenly that all monsters were down here. "And her speaking is what's odd to begin with."
"Really?" Ivy asked, curious now. "How so?"
Jack rubbed the knuckles on his left hand. "Her way with words is...unusual. She seems to be almost choosing them, but different from the way you and I do."
Ivy frowned, a glimmer of an idea in the back of her mind. She shoved it aside. No way am I going back there for anything.
"She mentioned you." Jack said casually, watching the human's face closely. He hadn't missed her interest in Sally.
Ivy started. "Really?" She asked weakly, the mild guilt coming back in a tidal wave.
"I think she just wants to see you," Jack said, turning his gaze away from the human's. "She doesn't want you to stay there, of course, but it's clear she's formed an attachment to you. She bit the Doctor when he took you from her, you know."
"I didn't." Ivy murmured softly. The sudden thought of what would happen to Sally when she left had her groan and bury her face in her hands. It's better that she just forgets about me. That way I don't hurt her too bad when I leave for good.
That train of thought led her to all her family and friends above, who probably thought she'd left for good. The visions came back to her fiercely: Her family franticly trying to aid the police, Lara alone in the bakery, Ben behind the counter.
A fierce pain went through her again. A year! A whole year! She'd miss Anton's sixth birthday, the Weihnachtsmarkt, the skate competition she'd been training for...all of it.
Jack noticed the human's sudden silence and glanced over to see her clenching her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut. Panic shot through him when he saw her open tear filled eyes and gaze again at the sunset-the sunset that had reminded her of home.
For the first time since she'd landed in Halloween Town, Ivy let herself cry.
Tears weren't common in Halloween town, but Jack had seen it on enough of his victims to know that it meant something was wrong, and strangely enough, he really didn't want there to be anything wrong with the girl.
Not to mention that the Wind would most likely send him to his second grave.
Frantically he scooted closer to Ivy, who had her head buried in her arms, which were laid across her knees. It was just a few sniffles, but he'd seen small tears turn into terrible things before.
Slowly, Jack slid an arm around Ivy's back and gently pulled her closer. He felt her tense up in spite of herself, but she relaxed almost as quickly. He didn't say anything to the girl for a few minutes, he just kept gently rubbing her shoulder and let her curl into him. The silence stretched on, and all Jack could hear was the soft sobs and feel the frantic beating of her heart.
"I'm sorry."
The voice was so quiet and broken that for a brief moment, Jack thought he'd hallucinated it. He glanced down to the girl, feeling grateful she hadn't broken away from him. All he could see was the tangled mess of black and blue hair, and he kept silent.
"I'm sorry for messing everything up down here. For Sally, the things between you and the Doctor, and just...everything."
Jack's hold on the girl tightened momentarily. "It's not your fault," He said. "Half the problem these days is that we're all looking for somebody to blame. The last monster that should be accused is you." Feeling Ivy (if possible) grow stiller, he continued, "You know nothing about our ways and customs, why, less than a week ago you didn't even think we existed."
A dull laugh from Ivy. "Still tryin' to wrap my head around that. They're gonna call me crazy back home."
Jack frowned. "I'm sure your friends won't. What are they like?" He prompted, hoping to steer the human back to a happier plane.
Ivy stirred gently and her head emerged. To Jack's surprise, she still allowed him to keep one arm around her. "Well...there's Ben. He's a couple years older than me, but he's taught me a lot about..." She waved one arm towards the skateboard. Jack crushed his natural curiosity. Another day.
"And Lara," She laughed again, but Jack was pleased to hear that it sounded more like a normal laugh, "I've known her my whole life. We went to Grundschule together. We had a third friend, Anna, but she moved...so it became just the two of us." The tears were gone from Ivy's eyes and starting to dry on her cheeks.
"She works at this bakery- Sehne- and she really wants to open her own. Her baked goods are something to behold," Ivy murmured.
"And Bezata?" Jack asked.
Ivy's eyes snapped open and she shot upright. "Where did you hear that name?" She hissed.
Caught off guard by Ivy's sudden change in attitude, Jack stammered, "H-Helga mentioned her. Something about how you mistook Gretchen for her?"
An embarrassed flush overtook Ivy's face. "No idea how. Bezata is the foulest, nastiest, brattiest little...worm you will ever come across." Ivy slowly clenched and unclenched her fists. "If falling down here has done me any good, it's that I don't have to face her for a whole year."
If Jack had eyebrows, he'd have lifted one in astonishment. "That bad?"
Ivy scowled in the general direction of the human world. "That bad." She turned to Jack. "So bad, in fact, that I'd rather try out my idea with Sally and the Doctor than face her again."
"What idea?" Jack asked in confusion.
Ivy crossed her legs and gave Jack her full attention. "Listen. When Sally was talking, did she ever say a word that hadn't been mentioned?"
Jack thought hard.
"No..I don't think so." He decided, meeting Ivy's intense gaze. "Why?"
Ivy spoke rapidly, her hands flapping around with every word, "Here's my theory. She's got this whole repertoire of words, right? But she hasn't heard them used in their context. When she hears a word spoken aloud, she knows immediately it's meaning, but no others."
Glancing at Jack's confused face, her hands fell to her lap, "Basically, talk around her a lot."
Jack nodded, lost in thought. "An interesting idea." He allowed. "But what does this have to do with the Doctor?"
Jack thought he saw Ivy's face go white for a moment, but she pressed on, "We both know Sally won't discover, if my theory is correct, the full extend of her vocabulary. With the Doctor, anyway. All she'll know are orders and lots of ramblings that any rational being wouldn't be able to follow."
Jack had to smile at that. "You've picked up the Doctor pretty quick, eh?"
Ivy snorted. "He doesn't exactly make it difficult. But that's beside the point." Ivy shook her head. "The point is, I'll volunteer to go over there and talk to Sally every day. In exchange, I can live with the witches." Ivy raised her hands, her energy back. "It's perfect! Sally gets to see me, the Doctor gets an intelligent creation, I get my sanity and sense of security back, you and the Doctor won't be in a fight, and it all just falls together!"
Not to mention it helps with the guilt of abandoning Sally, a dark voice whispered. Ivy shook it off and waited for Jack's response.
Jack's jaw actually fell open. "Do you really think it will work?" He asked, staring at the human he'd dared to think of as 'unintelligent'.
Ivy squared her shoulders. "Only one way to find out."
She rose to her feet. "Can you tell Finkelstein? I'll let Helga and Gretchen know."
Jack nodded, getting to his feet as well. "Of course."
Ivy gave him a grin, which startled him. It was the first time he'd seen the human-Ivy- smile. Or any human, for that matter.
She started to walk away, then slowly turned to look at Jack once more.
"Thank you, Jack." She said, and he could tell she meant it.
He tilted his head at her. "No problem," He said softly. Then, in a teasing tone, "Does this mean we're at a truce?"
Just as he'd hoped, Ivy gave a little laugh. "Don't push your luck, Pumpkin King."
And with that, she pushed off, rolling away, the last rays of the sun lighting her way.
...
It's after school, I barely got my books for my college classes(which I almost didn't get from the long ass line and slow ass book keeper), I have to wait for my ride to back 2 pick me up, my Snapchat is being blown up by everyone in a damn group chat with 25+ people, and I got hw!
I finally got this chapter done. Hallelujah!
Anywho, what are your guys thoughts on what has happened so far?