The Nightmare Before Christmas Page #14

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Kidnap the Sandy Claws

Tie him in a bag

Throw him in the ocean

And then see if he is sad.

There is a bone-chilling stirring in the next room. All three of

the little Trick or Treaters react. As one, they shoot over to

the corner furthest away from the sounds and lower their voices:

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Because Mr. Oogie Boogie

Is the meanest guy around,

If I were on his Boogie list,

I'd get out of town.

BARREL:

He'll be so pleased by our success

That he'll reward us too I bet.

Perhaps he'll make his special brew

Of snake and spider stew...

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

MMMMMMM...!

SHOCK:

We're his little henchman

And we take our job with pride.

SHOCK AND BARREL

We do our best to please him,

And stay on his good side.

LOCK:

I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb.

BARREL:

I'm not the dumb one...

SHOCK:

... You're no fun.

LOCK:

Shut up and listen...!

The other two stop...

LOCK:

I've got something, listen now,

This one is real good, you'll see.

We'll send a present to his door

Upon there'll be a note to read.

BARREL:

Now in the box, we'll wait and hide

Until his curiosity

Entices him to look inside...

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

And then we'll have him, one, two, three!

Fully exuberant again, they gleefully collect their last few

necessities.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Kidnap the Sandy Claws,

Beat him with a stick.

Lock him up for ninety years

And see what makes him tick.

They head back up their cellar steps.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN. DAY/LATER.

The three Trick or Treaters race through a deserted lot.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Kidnap the Sandy Claws,

Tie him in a knot

Put him in a coffin,

How we'd like to see him rot.

CUT TO:

EXT. HALLOWEENLAND CEMETERY. DAY/LATER.

Lock, Shock & Barrel skip among the tombstones.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Kidnap the Sandy Claws.

Chop him into bits

Mr. Oogie Boogie is

Sure to get his kicks.

CUT TO:

EXT. EDGE OF FOREST. DAY/LATER.

Lock, Shock & Barrel head for the forest that Jack wandered

through.

LOCK, SHOCK & BARREL

Kidnap the Sandy Claws.

See what we will see,

Lock him in a cage

And then throwaway the key.

They reach the very edge forest -- they are still in the light;

one step ahead, it is dark and gloomy.

Lock, the natural-born leader of the three, stops in his tracks

in the last possible light. The other two bump into him, in

succession. Then all three crouch down at once. Beat.

Simultaneously giggling, they suddenly streak forward into the

woods and, in a moment, are swallowed up into the

PITCH-BLACK.

The only evidence of them left is the sound of their giggles.

The giggles recede, then fade...

CUT TO:

EXT. TOWN HALL. DUSK.

No part of the line stands outside now. The few citizens left

still waiting for assignments stand...

CUT TO:

INT. TOWN HALL. DUSK/CONTINUOUS TIME.

A very anxious Sally stands at the head of the line, in a panic,

going over and over what she intends to say:

SALLY:

(almost inaudibly)

Jack, you must let go of this

insanity... This is a

mistake...

Behind her the Furry Behemoth waits patiently.

JACK:

works with the Street Band. Demonstrating, he shakes a harness

piece studded with sleigh bells. The bells jingle cheerfully.

JACK:

Okay. Now you.

The members of the Band rattle their bones in response -- shaking

legs and arms, echoing the jingle of the bells, but with their

own distinctive hollow CLANK.

Jack laughs, enormously pleased.

JACK:

Perfect!... Now let's try

this...

Using various jingling bells, Jack shakes out the tune to "Jingle

Bells."

The Band clanks the tune right back -- phrase for phrase.

SALLY:

watches with an increasing sense of doom as her turn with Jack

nears.

Jack heartily shakes hands and back-slaps the three members of

the street band. They head off practicing...

JACK:

(calls after)

Thanks! You're the absolute

best!

He turns to Sally -- who stands frozen, wide-eyed, her heart a

wild bird trapped in the cage of her chest. He smiles

encouragingly at her.

JACK:

Hi. I've saved a really

special job for you.

He gestures for her to step closer.

Stiffly, she does.

JACK:

(confidentially)

I want you to be the one who

makes my Sandy Claws outfit.

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