The fight for the sledgehammer ended after the trio grew tired of chasing
each other. Lock and Barrel just decided to give Shock the tool back, but she didn't seem interested in it anymore. So they
ran to the gate, playing their version of "Last one in is a rotten egg". Unfortunately for Shock, Lock decided to grab her
around the stomach to prevent her from entering. The second his arms encircled her waist, she crumpled immediately in pain,
crying out in pain. Lock let go of her instantly, fear etched on his face. He then remembered Jack telling him that Shock
had gotten injured.
Shock stood up and started backing away from Lock and Barrel.
"Not again! C'mon, Shock! It was an accident! And it's not like you've
never been hurt before," Lock sighed. She just continued walking away from him and Barrel. They understood that she was loosing
her marbles, but, seriously, this was a little ridiculous. And Lock made no point in hiding the fact that he felt that way.
After a long fight between the three of them (Barrel had to get himself
involved.), they decided to head inside the treehouse. Besides, it was getting light, and they had very little sleep, not
that Shock minded not sleeping. Anything to keep her away from...
Stomach still aching, Shock stopped at a couch-like piece of furniture,
unable to continue walking, and refusing Lock and Barrel's help. So, shrugging, the two boys decided to join her on the couch-like
thing (which was big enough to hold eight Sandy...er...SANTA Claus') before heading of to Lala Land. Yeah, it was definitely
a strange night. Yes. Even more strange than normal for Halloween Town.
***********************************************
Jack and Sally spent the rest of the night searching for their missing
houseguest. They went everywhere they thought the girl could be, except the one place that was so excruciatingly obvious,
that they just didn't check there.
"Where could she have gone so fast with MY sledgehammer? And why on earth
would she even NEED a sledgehammer?! It makes NO SENSE!" Jack yelled. Quite frankly, he didn't like the fact his sledgehammer
was taken. "An even better question to ask would be: why would she leave in the middle of the night? Surely, if she would
have asked, I would have let her go."
Sally smirked. "Would you have, really?"
Jack stood silent for a moment. Sally's smirk grew as he contemplated her
question.
"Well?"
"No," he answered finally. "But, that's not the point that I am trying to make. What I'm trying to say..." He stopped suddenly. "Oh, God."
"What is it, Jack?" Sally began to worry. Whenever Jack stopped speaking
suddenly, it meant bad news. And bad news never bode well with Sally. Especially when it involved Jack.
"Lock and Barrel. They're going to go on a rampage when they find out.
It's bad enough they think that I'm incapable to take care of anyone. When they find out that Shock's disappeared... I have
to go tell them."
"Jack, come now. Look at the time. What makes you think that they're even
going to be awake at this time?" she asked. Jack gave her this look that was unreadable.
"Because they are Lock and Barrel."
"Oh."
***********************************************
Jack walked to the tree
house, dreading telling the news he had. Why was it that he was always the one with all these weird problems? He lived in
HALLOWEEN TOWN, why was it that nobody ELSE dealt with these weird as all hell problems? Well, him and Shock. But she didn't
count.
Shock. The reason he was here, and dreading going inside the abode of the
towns most feared denizens.
Damn him and his luck.
Taking a deep breath he made his way up, with some difficulty as the gate
was not lowered. He made it to the top and opened the door. Walking and looking around, he was alarmed to see the trio (NOT
duo as it had been for quite some time now) asleep on the couch-like furniture. What's more, they looked like they had just
finished fighting, or being themselves, Jack wasn't quite sure.
Barrel, who was leaning on the edge, let out a grunt and, unknowingly,
kicked Jack in the leg. Lock, who was in the middle, turned slightly. And finally, Shock, who was bleeding again from the
middle, completely slouched over and fell on top of Lock, who woke up from the sudden weight on him. He looked up at Jack,
and then down to Shock.
"What the hell...?"
"My thoughts exactly," Jack said. "When did this happen?" Lock looked confused.
"When did what happen?"
"When did she get here? And more importantly, how did she begin bleeding?"
"She got here a little while ago," Lock said looking at the clock. It was
almost six in the morning. "Ok, so she got here a lot while ago. As for the bleeding, it just sorta happened by accident.
I grabbed her..." A look made by Jack. "Not like THAT, sick perv. I held her by the stomach and she screamed out in pain,
and thusly, this," pointing to the girl who just finished making herself comfortable in his lap, "is the end result."
Jack smiled. "I don't necessarily see you complaining."
Lock started playing with Shock's hair. "Meh... what's there really to
complain about?"
***********************************************
Jack was speaking with
the Mayor later on during the day, after informing his wife of Shock's whereabouts and catching a few winks. Things were finally
going along smoothly, when a voice interrupted his meeting with the Mayor.
"Jack I need to speak with you."
He looked and saw Shock standing there. He nodded as the Mayor excused
himself. They started walking when he stopped her.
"Where are we heading, Shock?"
"Oh, to the tree house."
And he left it at that. A couple of minutes in silence and the two were
standing in front of the pipes Shock was trying to take apart. There Jack spotted his sledgehammer.
"Well, that solves that mystery."
"I'm not done with it, you know," Shock stated smartly. Jack was taken
aback.
"And why do you need it in the first place?" Shock picked it up and pounded
against the pipes.
"Because I need to get rid of the pipes."
"Uh...huh. And you need to do this... because...?"
Shock sighed. "Jack, I have to tell you something."
