Stone Cold Revenge, Hugs.And.Kisses [bill gates books recommendations TXT] 📗

candy then? The candy vault isn't really all that empty."

"Are you kidding me? I can barely make the next two minutes without candy! Come on either we take a little of it now so they can grow it back by Easter or wait until we're out and in my candy-less state I will go berserk and take the whole field. Come on everyone's gone."

The two brothers stepped out of their hiding place and headed into a nearby field. Next to the carrot patch, corn fields, and other disgusting healthy food there was a grove of trees that grew candy. These trees were the envy of the other worlds, and the source of half of Barrel's yearly candy intake. Taffy, caramel, and peanut butter cups went into the empty candy bags along with a variety of other candy. Once they had stuffed the bags full they ran for the portal tree. Just in time to escape the sight of a frightened bunny that discovered the pillaged trees.

Barrel and Kevin lounged around the emerald trees and the shade of the Halloween door, stuffing themselves with their sugar-coated treasure. Barrel was dozing but Kevin was afraid to fall asleep. He had been having the weirdest dreams lately. No, not dreams, nightmares. He turned to Barrel.

"Hey bro, can I tell you something?"

"Hmmm?" Barrel murmured.

"I've been having the strangest dreams lately," Kevin started to explain, "They-"

Barrel shot straight up and put his hand over Kevin's mouth. Before Kevin could ask why the heck he did that, the ground started shaking. It wasn't like any earthquake Kevin had ever felt. Barrel was scared as the rumbling got more violent. A strange sound was coming their way from Easter Valley. Both brothers turned to see an entire army of little white bunnies thundering in a stampede towards them. None of them looked happy.

"What was that you were saying about innocent little bunnies?" Barrel said scornfully.

"Just shut up and run!" Kevin yelled over the noise.

They picked up their bags and fled screaming into the portal door.

Author's Note:


I Promise

Chapter 4 I Promise

Shock's heart soared as she rode the wind through the trees of the forest. Dodging through the trees at the speed she was going was downright insane. Maybe that's why she liked it so much. Like other witches she had a natural thrill of flying, though they weren't as extreme as she was. Shock felt all her stress fly away with her as she avoided trees with seconds to spare. Here more than anywhere, she felt absolutely free.

So when an ominous chill ran down her spine she almost crashed into an oncoming tree. Stopping immediately, Shock picked up an ominous feeling in the air. The clearing was not far away. The wind died away as she descended to the ground, leaving a dead silence in the woods. Something was seriously wrong. Running over the gnarled roots of the most ancient trees of the forest toward the small clearing, Shock prepared herself for the worst. But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw in that clearing. What she saw that day would change her forever.


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Jack and Sally were spending their morning together in the kitchen. They were talking about what to name their coming child. Being a rag doll, Sally's pregnancy had lasted for almost a year now. Despite Dr. Finkelstein's insistence, and enthusiasm, on a C-section, Sally wanted a natural delivery. She hadn't even asked for a gender. The baby could be born any day now; it was only a matter of time. Although they had all this time they could never find the right name if it was a boy or a girl. A scream pierced their debate over the name 'Claudia',

"I'll get it," Jack said, getting up to answer the door, "It's probably the mayor, today is the first day of decorating."

Jack pulled open the slim front door to see a tall thin being in a black robe. His very prsens screamed of death, for it was the grim reaper himself looking back at him. The grim reaper had been a resident of Halloween Town since it was founded. When it was founded no one could remember and Reaper wouldn't tell. If anyone were to look for him on Halloween night they wouldn't find him. It was the one of the only nights he worked. Reaper usually kept to himself during the rest of the year due to the fact that everyone felt nervous around him. Being alone didn't really bother him, he just wished that people wouldn't scream every other time they see him. So when he saw the look on Jack's face he had to hold back a groan.

"Relax Jack," Reaper said calmly, "I'm off duty."

Jack sighed slightly of relief, "Would you like to come in?"

"No need, what I have to tell you is urgent. There has been a major upset in this realm," Reaper turned and looked down the road. Two figures were running towards the house, "There come my informants now. They'll tell you the situation. I will meet you there."

Reaper disappeared in an instant, leaving Jack in the doorway watching the two figures get closer. On a second look he saw that they were Shock and Lock. Shock was running with fierce determination and, Jack was reluctant to think, fear. Lock was just being pulled along, looking very confused and still holding what looked like a roll of duck tape in his hand.

"Jack!" Shock shouted out, a little breathless, "Jack!"

Jack ran down the porch steps and out his front gate, "What's wrong?"

"There's a..a.. body in the woods," Shock stammered, "It was… was… Just follow me!"

Shock took off to the woods, dragging Lock behind her. Jack quickly went back inside and quickly explained what happened to Sally and said goodbye. He ran back outside and trailed after Shock and Lock. Jack knew where they were running in the direction of the woods where everyone woke up dead for the first time. Were they going to meet a new arrival? Then both Jack and Lock picked up the ominous feeling as the three slowed down. They climbed over the mass of tangled roots and into the little bowl-shaped clearing.

The jack-o-lantern sun sent rays smiling through the trees and illuminated the dead body of a little girl. Jack walked over to the small figure thinking why Shock would panic over a new arrival, even though the girl was a week early. But as he looked closer he discovered the horrifying truth. The girl was completely made of stone. Every strand of hair, her eyes, her skin, her clothes, even a tear running down her face had been turned to stone. Her face was distorted with pain and fear; her hands clutched her neck, as though something burned her throat. What made it even more horrifying was that the girl only looked six or seven years old. Jack thought for a small moment that he was being pranked, but then he heard it.

It was a heart beat.

The terrifying sound of a heartbeat, hesitantly beating at a steady pace. Like a heart that wonders why it's still beating. Jack thought of his own heart, the only piece of flesh he had to his name. His heart, like all other hearts in this realm, bound him to this world because it chose to beat every now and again. But that shaky continuous heartbeat coming from the little girl meant-

Reaper made his presence known then, stepping out of the shadows. He walked to the other side of the girl, "Yes Jack it is true. The girl is still alive. What's worse is that Death does not have a claim to her. She is a deathless, she is immortal."

Jack looked away from the horrifying sight, "But how?"

Reaper was silent for a moment, "That is the mystery. I have never encountered such a phenomenon before. Many have turned to stone yes, but I know none that have survived like this. Her heart still beats like it had a reason to, eyes still try to see, lungs still wish to breathe, yet not a single cell of her being dies." Reaper trailed off, "This is extremely unnatural. Who has the power to do such a cruel and heartless thing? And if there is such a power, why choose to inflict it upon this poor little soul? I'm afraid the answer to this problem does not lie in this realm, but in the one after."

"You mean in the Realm of the Dead itself?" Jack said getting up, "There are thousands of people down there, it could take weeks! My wife could have a baby any day now; I can't just leave her now."

"I'll go."

Jack and Reaper both turned to Shock. Her eyes had never left the little girl lying still on the ground. Shock's face was stony, but her eyes where filled with rage. Lock tried to place a hand on her shoulder but she pushed him away. Stepping closer to the body Jack thought he saw a tear run down her face, or had he just imagined it?

"I'll go," Shock said again, "I'll go to the Realm of the Dead, alone if I have to. I will hunt down the monster who did this to her." She crouched next to the little girl's side, "I swear on my slow beating heart that I will find out who did this to you. Violet, your big sister is going to save you. I promise."

A Sweet Little Memory

Chapter 5 A Sweet Little Memory


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Shock held on to her silver locket tightly as she walked through the grassy graveyard. She hated being human already. The makeup she was wearing mad her skin feel weird, she missed wearing her witches hat, and the sun was murder. Thankfully it was starting to set, that meant that Halloween was about to start. Stone plaques spaced in the grass began to turn to tombstones as she passed over the hill. If the graveyard records were right, she should reach her tombstone soon. She had