The Nightmare Before Christmas Page #4

Jack rattles his bones once more for the kids. They shriek a

gleeful shriek and scamper off.

AT THE CORNER OF THE TOWN SQUARE,

Jack passes a STREET BAND -- fellow skeletons down on their luck:

an ACCORDION PLAYER, A SAX PLAYER, AND A VIOLINIST. He tosses a

coin into their hat. Playing, they nod their thanks.

CUT TO:

EXT. CEMETERY. NIGHT/LATER.

Utterly dejected, Sally crouches behind a tombstone. She hugs

herself with her remaining arm.

THE SUDDEN SOUND OF SOMEONE APPROACHING (O.S.)

makes her freeze. She dares to peek over the top of the

tombstone to see who it is --

IT'S JACK.

The sight of him immediately comforts her.

SALLY:

Oh... it's Jack... Look at him

-- he's so alive... So happy...

He's so filled with confidence

he could teach the wolves to

howl!

Sally lets out a little whimper of self-pity and collapses out of

sight behind the tombstone to feel sorry for herself...

SALLY:

He'll never notice me. Why

would he? Why should he?

Sally hugs herself again -- as best she can with her one arm.

JACK:

makes his way past the markers and mausoleums. He looks around

and, since Sally is hidden behind the tombstone, he doesn't see

anyone. He starts the long climb up Cemetery Ridge as he sings:

>>>>> JACK'S LAMENT

JACK:

There are few who'd deny, at what I do I am the best

For my talents are renowned far and wide

When it comes to surprises in the moon-lit night,

I excel without ever even trying.

With the slightest little effort of my ghost-like charms

I have seen grown men give out a shriek

With the wave of my hand, and a well-placed moan,

I have swept the very bravest off their feet.

Jack pauses a moment, as if letting these facts settle in, then

heaves a huge sigh and sags miserably.

Jack's ghost dog, ZERO, rises out of his grave, floats over to

Jack and circles around him. Trying to comfort his beloved

master, he drapes himself over Jack's shoulder and lays a

sympathetic head on him.

Hunched over with sorrow, Jack drags his bones on up the desolate

hill.

JACK:

Yet year after year, it's the same routine

And I grow so weary of the sound of screams

And I, Jack, the PUMPKIN KING!

Have grown so tired of the same old thing....

Zero drifts sadly to the ground, and flattens faithfully beside

his master -- only his shiny little jack o'lantern nose on the

end of his pointy snout sticks up.

Jack tragically reaches the crest of the long hill. Zero

follows, dragging along the ground after him.

JACK:

Oh somewhere deep inside of these bones

An emptiness began to grow

There's something out there far from my home

A longing that I've never known

... I've never known.

Jack gazes hopelessly out over Halloweenland.

BEHIND HER TOMBSTONE,

Sally can't believe what she's hearing. She peeks, but hides

again. She listens breathlessly as

Jack continues his soul-searching.

JACK:

I'm a master of fright, and a demon of light

And I'll scare you right out of your pants, boy

To a guy in Kentucky, I'm Mister Unlucky

And I'm known throughout England and France, boy

And since I am dead, I can take off my head

To recite Shakespearian quotations

No animal or man can scream like I can

With the fury of my recitations.

But who here would ever understand

That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin

Would tire of his crown -- if they only understood

He would give it all up if he only could

... if he only could

SALLY'S

heart goes out to Jack. She had no idea he felt this way, no

idea of his tragic side. She wants to show him that he's not as

alone as he thinks, that she understands him. But she's timid --

should she come out from behind the tombstone? Dare she dare?

Should she? Shouldn't she?

JACK:

Oh, there's an empty place in my bones

That calls out for something unknown

The fame and praise, come year after year,

Does nothing for these empty tears

... these empty tears....

JACK:

heads off with Zero, staggering away blind in his misery,

while...

SALLY,

still crouched behind the tombstone, continues to debate with

herself...

Jack has left the cemetery and disappeared from sight when she

finally screws up her courage and pops up full of determination

and shouts:

SALLY:

JACK! I KNOW YOU HARDLY KNOW

ME, BUT --

He isn't there to hear her... Shocked and disappointed, Sally's

rag doll body goes floppy again.

Her voice gets high and tiny... then trails off, almost

tearfully...

SALLY (CONT'D)

-- I feel the same way you

do...

Sally stares sadly into the empty spot Jack so recently occupied,

then turns and hobbles limply away. She stops at a

WEED-CHOKED AND DESICCATED LITTLE HERB GARDEN

set beside a cluster of tombstones at the edge of the graveyard.

The herbs growing there are labelled: "Henbane," "Witch Hazel,"

"Deadly Night Shade."

As best she can with her single arm, Sally gathers fresh sprigs

of Deadly Night Shade.

CUT TO:

EXT. WILDERNESS. NIGHT/LATER.

Lost in his private tragedy, Jack lurches heedlessly forward.

Looking around confused -- they've never been here before -- Zero

floats quickly after, hurrying to catch up. Whimpering, he bites

Jack's coattails and pulls -- trying his best to get Jack to

stop, to turn around...

JACK:

No, Zero.

Jack pulls free.

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