Hello! nn It's me, Sk! And my alt, Rsk! I'm now in love with The Nightmare Before Christmas, so... here you go!

I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas. I do own Chastén, Megan and her mother.

"I sense there's something in the wind… That feels like tragedy at hand…"

Megan opened her eyes. That strange voice had crept into her sleep again. It was somewhat sad, and longing. As if the singer was desperately wanting to warn someone close and loved of something. The young teen sat up in bed, staring around her room. The moonlight fell on the ragdolls she had in her room.

This first was truly a ragdoll. Megan referred to her as the 'ragamuffin', although the name her mother had given her was Sally. Sally had deep, blood red hair that fell to her waist. She was tall and slender, much taller than Megan herself when the girl's mother held her upright. Sally had long eyelashes that framed the top of her chocolate brown eyes. She smelt like chestnuts and autumn leaves, which was delightful to everyone but the teen whose mother owned her. Her skin was tinged blue, and she had many, many gruesome stitches across her body, holding her together. But they appeared gruesome to only Megan. Thanks to particular stitches, she was always smiling. But on dark, cloudy nights, she always seemed to look sad, although the smile still caressed her lips. She was in a messily stitched dress, made up of several different scraps of material. Her sleeves were jagged, as was the hem that reached her knees. She also wore a pair of oversized, red and white striped socks, with a pair of black low heels. How Megan disliked Sally. The ragdoll was always staring at her, leaning against the wall of her room. The moonlight spilling onto her made her even more beautiful, but to Megan, it made her look sinister.

The second ragdoll was nothing of the like. Megan liked to call her the name her mother had given her. Chastén. She was more of a soft doll that looked like she was made of porcelain or fine white china, and always smelt of jasmine, or lavender. She had straight, mousy-brown hair that reached her shoulders. She was also tall and slender, but only reached Sally's chin when Megan's mother held her up. She had long lashes that framed her soft, tawny brown eyes. Her skin was flawless and milky white, and painted on her each cheek was a perfect, little rosy pink circle. Her lips were shiny ebony, in contrast with Sally's ruby red. She was always smiling as well, reminding people of a friendly mime. She was clothed in a black maid's dress, with a little more flair in the skirt, a white apron, long white sleeves and grey stockings. She also had the little black cap with white frill, and shiny black shoes with a silver buckle each. But Megan always took her bonnet and shoes off at night. The silver moonlight poured onto Chastén as well, making her skin shine, and her true beauty emerge.

Megan glared over at Sally, lying innocently against the wall. Megan thought she saw a glint of maliciousness in the doll's unforgiving eyes. She wanted to get rid of the doll, but Sally was her mother's favourite, and would jump at the slightest notion to get rid of the beautiful ragdoll. Megan wrapped her arms around Chastén, giving her a final hug before snuggling down to sleep.

---

The next morning, Megan looked up at her mother.

"Mum, do you ever hear singing at night? Does it ever wake you up? It sounds sad, like a woman whose love has gone off on something dangerous, and she wants to warn him… but he won't listen."

Her mother blinked, and shook her head. "No dear, I haven't. But doesn't that explanation that you just gave me sound like the story of Jack and Sally?"

"Oh yeah." Megan grumbled, remembering the ragdoll she loathed. "How could I forget?"

---

"What will become of my dear friend? Where will his actions lead us then?"

Megan opened her eyes to the darkness, a cold sweat running down her face. She glanced around her room. Sally lay motionless against the wall, smiling over at her, innocently. Megan narrowed her eyes and snuggled against Chastén, pulling the duvet over her shoulders, and over Chastén's shoulders. She soon forgot about it and dozed off again.

About an hour later, Megan awoke, screaming. She had heard someone humming the song that she had heard being sung. But it sounded rather sinister. She stared at Sally, whose head was now tilted slightly to the left. The teen's mother ran in, staring at her daughter.

"Megan, Megan! Are you all right, love?"

"Yes, mum. I had a nightmare." Megan replied, hugging Chastén tightly. "But I don't want to have that ragamuffin in here, mum. She scares me."

"But Sally's a perfectly beautiful doll, sweetheart." her mother replied. She noticed the look in Megan's eyes and nodded. She lifted Sally up in a bridal hold and smiled at her daughter. Sally's head swung to the side, staring straight at Chastén, a look of worry and sadness on her face, with her smile. "I'll keep her in my room then."

"Thanks mum." Megan smiled. As she tightened her grip on Chastén, the ragdoll's head lolled on her limp shoulders, to stare at Sally. She had an almost reassuring look on her face as Megan's mother carried the other ragdoll out of the room.

Later that night, Megan's mother sat up in bed, hearing a soft noise. Someone humming a sad tune. She blinked. "Megan, shut up. It's late."

And without another thought, the tired woman sank into sleep once again.

---

"Megan, breakfast!"

Megan's mother had hollered those words for the fifth time. She folded her arms irritably, and marched up the stairs. She marched into Megan's room, and shook her by the shoulder. "Megan, wake up!"

Megan didn't stir. Didn't move. But she did roll over with her mother's shakes. And the woman gasped and screamed. Her daughter had been strangled, or smothered in some way. But no one had forced their way into the room. The window was locked on the inside, and Megan's door creaked horribly.

The smile on Chastén's face looked sinister in the morning sunlight.

And there you go! nn I'd really like to know your thoughts on this, and Chastén and Megan, and whether I portrayed Sally in character or not. nn;;;

Rock on, and ttfn!