-------------One Đαяж Day in the Middle of the Night--------------
-------------Chapter II-------------


    All that was happening to poor вєп was being watched in a giant room, by a pair of thin, small eyes. They were enjoying the show terribly.
    “Well, that’s some boy you have there. Yes, some boy indeed,” a shrill, high pitched voice echoed throughout the den.“Some boy..,” it repeated while a fiery red lobster claw lowered some thin black shades from his pointed nose. “I’m very happy I have him now. He’s just what I wanted. Oh don’t you worry your pretty little head about it. I’ll take good care of him. Real good care,” he continued with a tender lick of his lips by an easily recognizable forked tongue. “He’ll be happy here, with me. I’ll train him, and treat him like my own.” his pointed feet danced over to a sort of bed. It was simple stone, with one of its faces covered by three or four inch long spikes, some of which where bent like hooks. It moved like one of those giant chalkboards, rotating on hinges. Him* stroked the many grindstones with his large claw on his way over. “Nothing to worry your pretty little head over, Jack,” a hideous, ear piercing laugh ripped about as he rotated the bed, revealing its captive.
    Poor Jack was bound by his hands, his back flat against the spikes, the hooks catching and tearing at his bones whenever he moved. Other random bones of his body were missing, either chopped, snapped, sawed, or ground away. There were torture devices scattered throughout the room. Grindstones, varying greatly in size stood like commemorative statues. Several saws, a chainsaw or two, and iron needles were on their designated podiums. Every kind of object that you could possibly use to inflict damage upon bone, thus pain upon Jack, would easily be spotted somewhere on that seeming plateau.
    “You let him go you monster! You have no right to him! Release him from the bonds of this place! Remove the veil from his eyes, THIS SHALL NOT PROCEED!” Jack screamed to Him, who only smiled, thoroughly enjoying his captives cries.
    “You really, really believe that you can just tell me what to do?!? It’s like you doubt my power or something!” He questioned as he caressed the Skellington’s head. “Well, old friend, I’m hurt. You have pained me, cut me to the quick, to the bone, to my soul even!” Him whaled dramatically.
    “It’s about time you overgrown, self-absorbed, heinously creepy and disgusting, son of---”
    “Of? Of a what? Well well well my good friend,” he said wiping a pretend tear from his eye, chuckling to himself. “I thank you for the compliment.”
    Suddenly, he pulled a giant lever which started a sort of... I can't bear to tell you what the sort of torture that dear Jack was going through. I can't dare to elaborate. Him simply stood there, a evil grin curled along his thin, pointed lips as he listened to Jack moan in pain.
    “You shouldn’t call people names you weakling. I want him, I need him. This place will need a new king! If you wish to watch over your son, I suggest that YOU HOLD YOUR TONGUE.” Him forewarned Jack as he stopped the machine.
    Jack’s head hung low as he panted, trying desperately to regain himself. His limbs were clearly shaking. His raised his white skull up to look upon the “TV”, which was positioned just across from his body. It was an oval portal, black and red smoke constantly mixing around its edges, yet never combing to form a new color. Him had the power to keep this lookout up all the time. And good thing. He was smart to be cautious, but he mostly just enjoyed gazing upon his empire which he had worked so hard to collect.
    Jack was located in the middle of the ginormous room, on top of a huge hill. The walls were decorated with gold and silver tapestries. Both the tapestries, and the many paintings, had tassels hanging from the frames, the patterns laid out by rubies, and all depicted some sort of evil.
    The floor was absolutely covered with junk. Well, according to Jack it was junk, but not according to man. There were literal mountains, compiled of all the objects that can cause man to sin. These mountains were divided into seven sections, each of which resembled one of the seven deadly sins. One mountain for ..., another for lust, still another for rage. One mountain resembled... and another ….
    The largest mountain of all was greed. It sat in the center of the room, towering high above the others. It had money, crowns, guns, medals, anything that greed could be associated with was there. It was very clear that this was the worst, and most powerful sin.
    It was on top of this mountain where Him stayed. He had his most treasured possessions always close. His ornamented bed, with a bedspread that matched his attire. Both were red, with some white fluff around the edges. All four bedposts towered above everything else in the room, with a child-like canopy on top. He had his throne, and overstuffed, fluffy pink fur decorated, bean-bag chair. It sat right next to the tiny refrigerator, in which Him stored cold drinks.
    “You’re dear boy has already made it through two of my worlds. The first being lust. I planned...”
    “Lust?! You coward!” Jack hissed. “You dare to put a blemish upon mine son’s innocence! You shall rot for your heinous act, screaming in torment for what you have done, until the day of your demise has come! And I shall be there, in the arms of mine loving, tender family, laughing at your pain, when mine own brother** comes, your very soul he will then claim!!” Jack roared with anger, tugging at his chains.
    Him continued, but frustrated by Jack’s outburst. “It was my plan for my little doll, my little sweet tart, to introduce MY boy to one of the seven sins, which he will soon wish and love to live in..,” He paused, allowing Jack the amble time to react. The Skellington needed no time before he was, yet again, howling threats.
    “He is not nor son, nor will he ever be! His love he gives to only one, AND THAT ONE IS ME!”
    Now fully outraged that Jack was neither scared, nor worried, Him yelled back, “Mark my words when I say, the lad doesn’t even know your name! Oh, when I am done, heck of a son I will have won! He will be a little me! I’ll teach him the tricks, you wait and see! He will be his father’s son! Leaving you, dear Jack, missing one!”
    Jack, angered, yet not in the least worried about his son's loyalty, responded, “I will not give you my son! He will always be mine! I have loved him since the dawn of his time! He is young, and what he needs, is a GOOD father, not YOU but ME!
"It’s time YOU mark MY words demon! Take for sure what I say, he will always be mine, never yours, YOU WILL NOT HAVE YOUR WAY! My вєп loves me, even if he is lost! Release me so I can go to him, before I get even more cross!”
    “You really think your threats stand up to me? You are a foolish one. I WILL WIN, you wait and see! This is not just a game, look at what I’ve done, your kid I have renamed! Given him my own special touch. You really need to move on, stop giving such a fuss! He doesn’t know you, he never will! You took my son, now I take yours! You don’t realize with whom you deal!”
    Jack remembered all that he learned about Lock. When Him mentioned his once was son, Jack was determined to get under the monsters skin, one way or another. “You are the greater fool it seems! I never took your boy, he left you! Your Lock now lives with me! Little Lock has turned a leaf, but you have never cared, so tell me, why all the sudden grief? You slept with that girl, and when your son was born, she quickly turned tail. And better for her, I would have done it. Getting her back, wouldn’t you love it!? But she died before you found her, you never knew such a good mother. But that boy was the worst around, so my brother took him, and placed him into my town. Lock gave his human side that day, to stay away from you, there was no other way! You again sent a monster to my home, you hoped to get your son back! Instead you killed my вєп, is there anything that I lack???”
    “I’m done playing games, I’m tired of talking to you! You make me so mad I might even blow a fuse! Yes, my son left, but what’s it matter to you? You will be begging to save yourself by the time that I am through!” Him swung his claw up, snapping it, the noise echoing throughout the room.
    Jack closed his eyes, expecting the worst. But nothing happened. He peeked through one and looked around. Seeing nothing, he raised his head high. Calmly gazing from one side to the other, Jack taunted Him snobbishly. “Is something supposed to be happening?”
    Him only muttered to himself, crossing his arms, and tapping his pointy foot impatiently...“Mimi***!”
    Jack simply stared, humored at Him’s failure. Suddenly something caught the corner of the captives eye. Really, a small red claw grabbed the corner of his eye, pulling his entire head down, almost touching the floor. He painfully followed it and soon came face to face with the red face of a girl. Her thin gray eyes stared back blankly.
    “Mimi, I presume,” Jack said to her, cordially. She released his head, turning to face Him. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Jack lied. Though he had no idea what Him was going to do with her, he wanted to plant a thought of himself being the victim, just in case.
    Mimi solemnly continued staring forward.
    “Mimi, come here sweetie, I want to look at you,” Him coaxed her, quite disgustingly.
    She simply gazed back.
    “I SAID COME HERE!” Him demanded, raising a claw, and shooting it straight down beside him, telling her where she should stand.
    Minnie simply swung her hips to one side, folded her claws behind the small of her back, settling her eyes elsewhere.
    Jack squinted in great curiosity, but mostly because he worried for the small girl. Doesn’t she know what he can do to her? Well, of course what he hasn’t done already. Poor, poor girl. If there was any way that I could help you, believe me, I would. His broken heart went out to the pretty thing. She was short, came up to his waist, if he was standing. Long, black, thick hair fell easily around her tiny waist. Like Him, she had some sort of lobster claws. Her eyes were her most profound quality. They were thin, and gray. Any sharp look could catch the story of agony and pain that they told.
    Jack was snapped out of his observations and back to his horrible reality when poor Mimi was instantly pounded in the back of her head by a cold soda. She stumbled forward, shocked yet not a sound muttered from her small black lips. Quickly, and easily, she had regained her footing, and was twirled around, glaring at Him. Her claws were raised threateningly in her defense.
    Jack whipped his head about to look upon Him as well. He looked like he was ready to explode. Hunched forward, arms hanging in front of him, one eyebrow twitching furiously, holding the door the his mini refrigerator, which was decorated with all the magnets that you would expect a college girl to proudly boast in. “HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME! I AM YOUR MASTER, YOUR LORD! YOU ARE TO DO WHATEVER I SAY!!!” Him roared with rage. Mimi quickly repositioned herself, striking a pose, ready for his attack. Her fuming gray eyes met Him’s fuming red ones. Battle was inevitable, with poor Jack, the helpless watcher. But before they could begin combat, there happy moment was joyfully interrupted by a quiet chuckle.
    “Now now, Him, don’t get your thong in a knot,” Jack quipped, smiling evilly to himself.
    Taken back by what Jack said, Him blushed severely. “BU-BUT, I DON’T WEAR..,” in a quick moment of understanding he realized that the simply skeleton had delivered a striking blow. “I don’t like you,” was all Him could mutter, the words barely audible as they crawled through clenched teeth and out the corner of his mouth.
    “Really. You know the funny thing is that I’ve been told I give that exact same impression. Isn’t that weird? But really, this is child’s play. All of it. You think I’m mean now, well you should see me when I am actually having a bad day,” Jack replied with an innocent shrug and random emphasis of his well-put phrases. Letting an insult simply slide off was something that he learned from вєп, the few years that his poor son was alive anyway.
    “...a lot,” Him hissed annoyingly, adding to his previous statement.
    “I know,” Jack reassured him, almost sounding kind about it.
    Mimi, meanwhile, was taken back worse than Him was by Jack’s insult. That very insult had stopped the fight that she knew she would have lost. It prevented her from being put through a lot of pain, and it intervened on purpose. Never before had anyone ever done anything like that. She thought about the torture that Him would have laid upon her, if she had indeed gone through with the mini battle. Her simple mind thought of all the pain that Him had done to her.
    Images of her child-hood rushed through her mind. Pictures of the evil she had seen flooded her. Quickly, she snapped herself out of it. Not because they were to horrible, which indeed they were, but because she always had to be ready. She had to be ready to fight, ready to injure, ready to kill. That’s the only way she could get through the single day. That’s the only way she could stay on top.
    Once she regrouped herself she heard Jack and Him arguing comically with each other. Well, Him was quite obviously outraged, nor was he enjoying himself. But as it would appear, Jack was having the time of his life.
    “Do to!” Him was whining.
    “Oh please, you don’t, and you know it!” Jack easily countered.
    “Do To and I Know It!”
    “Absurd, what are the chances? Be realistic.”
    “But I Do!”
    “Do what? Do REAListic? Good now that we are on the same page, you should REALize that your views are unREAListic, and that the only REAL option you have is to admit that you do not.”
    “BUT I DO TO!!!” Him stopped a foot on the ground, causing the entire mountain to tremble.
    Jack calmly looked over at Mimi as she took a step beside him. “I guess he does,” he said smiling. Mimi stared at his grin, then slowly reached a claw to it. Jack watched her curiously. Just as she was about to touch him, she froze, slamming her arm to her side and began walking toward Him. No, no, please don’t walk away! I can help you, please believe me! Jack quietly pleaded with the girl as he watched her walk over to Him, who reached his claw out to touch her.
    She stood there giving no reaction to what he did. His lips curled into a smile, “that’s a good girl,” he snickered.
    “You disgusting bag of filth,” Jack angrily muttered, his teeth clenched furiously.
    Him smiled to himself upon hearing the Skeleton’s remarks. Straightening his back he towered over little Mimi. “Now my dear, how do you feel like doing Daddy a favor?” he asked of her. “Good good. That’s Daddy’s little girl. Now I want you to go on a little trip. Can you do that? Go check up on our family, you can do that for me right? While you’re out, I want you to find someone special.” He pointed to the portal, her pretty gray eyes following his claw like hypnosis. “You see that little brat? Daddy wants you to go round him up. He’s going to be your new friend.” Him threw his head back and let loose a most terrifying laugh as Mimi walked off.
    “NO!” Jack whaled, again tugging on his chains. “Don’t do it!” he begged, but Mimi was beyond him.
    “Don’t waist your breath you ingrate. If you really want to know, then I’ll tell you a little story.” With a swooping leap Him landed, with a soft thud, on his bean-bag. He was suddenly wearing a longer, red robe, holding a claw-fitted mug which had “World’s Best Devil” plastered on it. He also held a pipe with eerie green smoke dancing out of it. He was thrown this way and that as he shifted up and down, struggling to over come the beans. Eventually, and with a bunch of cursing, he managed to regain a comfortable position. Delicately taking a sip from his mug, after which he carelessly flung it over his shoulder, he began; “Oh where do I begin?” he asked in a high pitched, scratchy voice.
    “How about you don’t,” Jack stubbornly insisted.
    “HOW ABOUT WITH YOU?!” the demon roared grabbing a button that had appeared. He tugged on the cord on it before giving the button a mighty slam. His face lit up from the light show that followed. Giant electric cords dropped from the ceiling, zapping the table with electricity every time they touched each other. Jack’s groans filled the air as Him began to elaborate his plan.
    “You see, it all started with that wretch Lock. When I lost him, well, I never was the same. I yearn for a boy, a child, someone that I can, shall I say, have some fun with. You know, do what any Daddy wants to do with his kid. SHOW THEM THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF MANKIND, TEACH THEM TO LOVE THE EVILS OF THE WORLD, KILL SOME PEOPLE, CONSPIRE WITH THEM INTO TAKING OVER YOUR THRONE AND INEVITABLY DESTROYING THE WORLD, and play some catch if we have time before lunch.
    "You see, the whole you and your brother being trapped here for a while was just a diversion from my real plan. While you were away, I sent a little pet of mine to your happy little town.
    "Oh, a most wonderful and glorious battle ensued. Oh don’t worry, your residents all fought bravely. Well, the kids did anyway. What kind of people allow a group of juvenile delinquents to conquer their problems for them!?!!?.
    "Anyway, of course, the plan was for that little show-off, human, son of mine to die, thus reuniting me with him. But that little imp of yours gets getting in the way. Again and again I looked at the battle, only to find that either something else is missing from my monster, or they’re throwing rocks down his throat, or blowing him up from the inside, IT WAS ALWAYS SOMETHING with that trouble-maker of yours!! Oh, but he is a smart one, I give him that.
    "When I saw that the little scamp Lock wasn’t in any danger, I filled my animal with my own special brew, something that I’m sure you’re familiar with. And your little offspring took the bait! My Þݤ¥ had seeped into little вєп’s ribs, but the fool didn’t realize it till it was to late, but I get ahead of myself.
    "Of course, my poor beast was defeated before you showed up. You being there, with your boy infected, oh! It was just to good to let pass! OH, how I wanted to see the both of you suffer, so I made my trade offer.
    "You are well aware of the rest. The town for your boy, being the perfect father that you were, you denied it. For my own glory, I expect as much, so I started little вєп’s metamorphosis. Eventually he would become like me, sitting beside me, as soon as he is ready. Which he still is far from.
    "But you! Adding yourself into the mix! Well I never saw that coming. I wanted that squirt, but you! I get a new ruler for my kingdom, and my own model skeleton! It’s Christmas all year bubby!
    "But I digress, like I said, “вєп” is far from ready to accept my throne. So I have designed a sort of training camp for him. The first of my realms he had to go through was lust. Really, I should say, I was shocked when I learned that he hadn’t, how shall I say, “goofed around” with a girl yet??? Well, that simply had to go, so I sent my Sandra on it. She is the best little seductress that I have. She is also number one of the seven sins.
    "Of course, he will need to be revealed the true pleasure of all seven, but two is certainly a good start. Oh my, did I say two? Well, I guess after вєп’s little run-in with Stinky in the rage world, that would be two.
    "Yes, not only do I have someone covering six out of the seven sins for me, but I have seven worlds to represent each. When I claim someone, I put them into their assigned world, and my monsters are there to make sure everyone behaves.
    "Oh deary me, I said that I have six out of seven representatives didn’t I? Well, at last count that’s how many I have. I need one more before becoming all supreme and powerful. Of course you guessed it. That’s why I need your kin. I sense something inside of him that I can use. And don’t even ask, all will be revealed in due time,” Him finally finished. He paused, turning the machine off, giving Jack a moment to collect himself before responding.
    “What, what’s with Mimi? Why is she like that?” He weakly coughed.
    “Well, I should say I am taken back. Some father you are. Even after I explain my elaborate plan to expose your only male kin to the worst in the worlds, you dare to ask about my little Mimi? I truly am shocked by you. Apparently your love and devotion really are weakening. Well, you sad, sad excuse, I am tired of talking to you, so I will say one thing about Mimi. She had great potential before I found her. She was smart. I have to keep her in her “dumb” state or else she will destroy me. Now, before I retire for the evening, I want to hear you scream one last time,” Him said, again tenderly licked his lips.
    “You know, that’s the funny thing about wants,” Jack said, trying with his all might to not sound alarmed.
    “FINE THEN! I’ll show you what Mimi is going to do to your pathetic, little, weakling of a terror when she finds him!” he, again, exploded, summoning forth another portal. Jack was forced to watch the show that was played before him.
    “Are you scared for your little boy now!? Will You Scream For Me Now!?!?” Him taunted the poor father.“Well you should be! You have both annoyed me for long enough! I can’t wait for him to get through the sins, I’ll just put him through them all once he gets here! WILL WATCHING THAT MAKE YOU SCREAM!?!?” Him roared with evil laughter. The only thing that was louder than the devil’s laugh, was a father’s sick cry for his child.
    Jack simply couldn’t take it anymore. He had been holding strong for several days, but he couldn’t go on. Throwing his back, he began to whale for his son. His cries echoed throughout all of the realms, they sang in every ear. The monsters and things all turned to look. A determined Mimi cast her eyes to the ground as she continued. And one small, blond child stirred innocently in his sleep.