خونه‌ی ترسناک اوگی بوگی

Chapter eleven

Oogie Boogie’s Scary House

“It’s not the end of Christmas I hope”, Jack said. “The end of Christmas, never”, shouted Santa.

When the Mayor heard about Jack’s fall from the sky, he sadly told everybody in his town. They all looked down at the ground. They didn’t scream or shout. They stood and remembered their great friend.

“We will never see our dear friend Jack Skellington again,” the Mayor said. “This is a very sad day for us all.”

Everybody felt very bad, but nobody was sadder than the Mayor.

Sally could hear the Mayor from inside Oogie Boogie’s house. He spoke loudly and she tried hard to listen to his words. They sounded very important and very sad. When Sally understood, she cried quietly. Oogie Boogie laughed at her.

“Now I’m the scariest person in Halloween town,” he shouted happily. “No more Jack Skellington! Yes!”

Sally was in Oogie Boogie’s house because she tried to help Santa Claus. Oogie Boogie caught her. He put her on another chair, next to Santa, so she couldn’t get away. Oogie Boogie laughed at her, but Sally wasn’t afraid.

“You can laugh now,” she said to him angrily. “But you’ll be sorry!” Oogie laughed again. “Very funny, Sally,” he said.

But Jack’s life didn’t end when his sleigh hit the ground. He ran as fast as he could through the woods, with Zero behind him. Then he heard Oogie Boogie’s laugh under the ground and stopped suddenly. He looked down the hole to Oogie Boogie’s house and he could see Santa and Sally in the chairs and the hungry Oogie Boogie by the fire.

“Look, Zero,” said Jack. “He wants to cook them for his dinner! He’s the worst bag of maggots in the world! He’ll be sorry!”

Oogie Boogie took Santa and Sally out of their chairs and he pushed them near the big fire in the middle of his dirty kitchen. It was very hot and Sally and Santa screamed.

Jack jumped down the hole into Oogie Boogie’s house. That really scared the ugly bag of maggots and he jumped. Santa and Sally quickly got away from him.

“Jack,” shouted Oogie Boogie. “You’re not really dead!” Oogie Boogie turned on a machine in his kitchen and a lot of knives started shooting at Jack. He jumped out of their way, but more knives came at him.

“Come this way, you old skeleton,” shouted Oogie Boogie. He laughed wildly. The knives flew at Jack from the left and from the right. Jack jumped this way and that way.

“Look behind you, Jack,” shouted Sally when more knives came from the dining-room.

Jack jumped out of the way again.

“Goodbye, Jack,” shouted Oogie Boogie.

He jumped up onto a shelf and was up high above Jack’s head.

Jack looked up.

“You’re not being very nice to my friends,” he said. Oogie Boogie laughed loudly.

Jack’s eyes turned to Oogie Boogie’s foot. He could see a small hole in it. Jack had an idea. Before Oogie Boogie could stop him, Jack put his finger into the hole. Then he pulled it hard.

The hole got bigger and bigger. Maggots started falling out of Oogie Boogie’s foot. More and more fell onto the floor. They were free from Oogie Boogie - and they moved away fast! Oogie Boogie got smaller– and smaller.

“Look at me! My maggots,” cried Oogie Boogie. “I’m dying! This is the end for me!”

The maggots quickly climbed up the walls and out of Oogie Boogie’s house. Santa watched them and he felt sick. When the last one ran near him, Santa killed it with his big black shoe. That really was the end of Oogie Boogie.

“Santa Claus, I’m very sorry,” said Jack quietly. “I wanted to help - but I didn’t.”

“Christmas is more than a bag of toys and a red hat,” Santa said.

He pulled the hat from Jack’s head and turned away.

“It’s not the end of Christmas, I hope,” Jack said.

“The end of Christmas? Never,” shouted Santa.

He quickly flew up and out of Oogie Boogie’s house.

“Everything will be OK, Jack,” said Sally. “Santa Claus will give everybody their presents. He can do it before morning.”

Jack turned to Sally. He looked carefully at his good friend.

“She has a beautiful face,” he thought. “Why didn’t I see that before?”

“Why did you come down here,” he asked.

“I– I wanted to–” she said slowly.

“Help me,” Jack asked.

Sally smiled. Jack wanted to take her in his arms, but something stopped him.

“Jack! Jack!”

The Mayor arrived with Lock, Shock, and Barrel. They looked down into the hole.

“There he is,” shouted Shock. “He’s fine,” said Lock. “We told you,” said Barrel.

“Everybody is waiting for you, Jack,” the Mayor said happily. “Let’s go to the center of town!” He put out his hand. “Take my hand,” he cried. “Help me, boys,” he said to Lock, Shock, and Barrel.

Everybody pulled. First Jack came out of Oogie Boogies dark and scary home, then Sally.

They walked as fast as they could away from that dark hole to the Mayor’s car.