Forever

One Shot

Dedication: Primrose Stranger. I know, you didn't guess my age, but who cares?

Disclaimer: I don't own Sally, Jack, or anyone or thing from Nightmare Before Christmas. I did come up with the plot though.

Tears leaked out of the corners of Sally's eyes. In the light of the sunset, the trails they left behind shimmered and glistened like rivers of ice. All of the town mourned with her as the long, thin coffin was lowered into the freshly dug grave. The smell of wet earth wafted up to her as a chill breeze blew across the graveyard. But she felt nothing. Not the wind that should have cut like daggers into her skin through the thin cloth of her dress or the wetness on her cheeks. Nothing mattered anymore. She knew the coffin's length was a sham. Sally knew the body inside was now just a blackened jumble of bone fragments, disconnected and charred beyond all recognition. Citizens threw dead and dying flowers atop the ebony box. The grave was to be left open for 24 hours as befitted the Pumpkin King's funeral.

After several hours, the Halloween Towners left to go home to their nice cozy homes. But Sally had to remain with Jack. She had nowhere else to go. Sitting there, all alone, with the remains of her one true love forced Sally to remember what had caused both of them to be where they were now. Her hands nervously twisted in the short red fuzz that was all that remained of her hair.

Sally was cooking for Dr. Finklestein in the kitchen of his giant laboratory. She was a little absentminded because she and Jack were going out later that evening. She wasn't worried; the doctor didn't mind it anymore when she went out. In her haste to finish dinner, Sally accidentally grabbed the dusty bottle of nightshade berry juice from the back of the cabinet instead of eye jelly. When she recognized what it was, Sally unintentionally threw it onto the hot stovetop. The bottle shattered and the contents went up in smoke. The fumes knocked her out and the fire spread quickly throughout the house.

Jack Skellington was on his way to the Finklestein Laboratory. He nervously fingered the small box in his hand. Suddenly he noticed flames reaching hungry fingers through some of the windows. Jack hastily showed the small velvet box into a coat pocket and raced up the hill to the oddly-shaped house.

Sally woke up with a concerned werewolf's muzzle right in her face. "She's awake!" he yelled to someone she couldn't see.

"Jack, where's Jack?" she mumbled before slipping back into unconsciousness. She awoke again several hours later. She tried to sit up, but it was too painful. Her arms and the top of her head were covered in crisp, white bandages. A vampire sitting near her was snoring on a makeshift chair. Sally glanced around her and saw only white tent walls. She clenched her teeth through the pain and stood up. The world spun for a few seconds, then settled back into place. She unsteadily walked outside.

Before her laid a smoldering mass of rubble and support beams. It took a minute, but Sally finally recognized that it was her home that lay in ruins. "Father..." she said softly. Sally stumbled forward, blinded with tears. She walked stepped through what was once the front door and slowly walked throughout rest of the house. She stopped when she saw a tatter of a pinstriped coat. "Jack! No!" Sally screamed with agony. She clawed at the rubble, in a vain attempt to rescue her love. The pain in her burnt hands was excruciating, but she still keep digging. Finally, she uncovered Jack's body. His bones were charred nearly black and his fine suit was now rags. Sally put her face close to his and his mouth parted slightly.

"Sally... I love you..." Then is sockets closed and Jack was free of his body. Sally's throat was so choked up she couldn't say anything. Tears dripped off her face and onto his, leaving white trails as they washed off the ash. She tried to hold his hand, but it disintegrated when she held it. Sally noticed a box in Jack's other hand. The velvet was singed, but not too badly. With shaking hands, she pried the box open. Inside was a diamond ring, with two orange jewels on either side. Inscribed on the lid were the words: My dearest Sally, Will you marry me? More tears joined those already on her face, soaking the leaves inside her as well as her skin. Sally started shaking uncontrollably collapsed next to Jack, the box clutched tightly in her fist.

Sally stood up; she knew what she had to do. There was nothing left in this town for her. Her father was dead. His assistant was missing. Her one true love was dead; gone forever from this world. She had no home, no place to stay. She carefully climbed down intothe grave and pried open the lid. She laid down next to Jack and pulled out her stitching, starting with her legs. As she moved higher, she allowed the wind to blow away the dried leaves from inside her. Eventually, her arms were no longer attached to her, but kept preforming their last duty. Finally, only her head was left. The leaves slowly left it and her last thoughts were: We'll be together, now and forever.

Author's Notes: I am such a hypocrite. I don't like sad Sally/Jack stories, but here I am, writing one. This started out as a songfic to Hero Worship by the B-52's but, even though the lyrics somewhat fit my original idea, the song sounds too upbeat and it didn't quite match. Anyways, tell me what you think. Feel free to curse me into oblivion because I killed off both Jack and Sally. But just review and tell me what you thought of it.