A Midwinter Nightmare Scream
The 2nd Tim Burton-Approved Sequel That Was Never Published
What follows is the Valentine story of Jack and Sally, told as a parody of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If you’re new to my Substack, Welcome!! You’re going to want to start the reading journey about these lost sequels here with the story of how they came to be written.
Sadly, there are no illustrations for this tale like there are for The Nightmare Before Easter. Deane Taylor (Art Director on Burton’s iconic 1993 film) helped out in the pitch stage and when nothing moved forward, there was no point in his continued work.
I often imagine what those drawings would look like. Maybe you can, too!
Enjoy!
A Midwinter Nightmare Scream
(A Valentine Story from Halloweentown)
Inspired by the characters from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Halloweentown is the center of fright
Where they practice all year for that one special night.
But on the day of our story, there wasn’t much scaring.
February 13th was a day of preparing.
For the next day each monster, hobgoblin, and ghost
Would dance and have dinner and hear a fine toast.
All the vampires and the man with the ax in his head
Would be there, for the Mayor had decided to wed.
He was taking as his bride the witch Sue Betty Lou
(Though where he was taking her nobody knew.)
The one put in charge of the nuptial plan
Was Jack Skellington, the Mayor’s good friend and Best Man.
While the organist tuned to the choir’s best moans
A gazebo was built using someone’s old bones.
Jack went to Sally who worked with such grace
Making cocktail napkins with spiderweb lace.
She told him: “You always know just what to do.”
“Nonsense,” thought Jack. “I’d be lost without you.”
But instead of saying what had come to his mind.
He just touched her chin and thanked her in kind.
That night from his room Jack looked down at the square
Which now seemed so quiet since no one was there.
Although he was happy for the Mayor and his bride
He was troubled by a question that burned deep inside
He thoughtfully stared from his window above
And asked: “What is this feeling called romantic love?”
Now Jack was a man of above-average smarts.
But he always got stuck on definitive parts.
“How is it,” he wondered, “When I ask how and why,
It seems that true meaning always passes me by?”
With a sigh Jack turned from his window-high looks
And to find some direction, he consulted his books.
With the unanswered question still fresh in his head
He took several volumes and climbed into bed.
But page after page produced nothing to show.
Nowhere could he find what he wanted to know.
‘Til he read about someone named St. Valentine
Who had his own day and a symbolic sign.
“But the heart? That’s no mystery. It pumps blood to the head.
(Except in those known to be clinically dead.)”
But where had Jack seen this heart symbol before?
Of course! In the woods! It was on a tree-door!
There was Christmas and Easter, and this was there, too!
In that moment Jack realized just what he must do.
First thing in the morning to the woods he’d depart
To visit first-hand this Town of the Heart.
Allowing himself a victorious grin,
Jack pulled the covers up under his chin.
As happened each night, the shadows did creep.
Then a few moments later, good Jack fell asleep.
Pay attention now reader, for this is the place
Where our story moves forward but changes its face.
Hold your questions and comments, and please don’t object
For you’re bound to encounter things you didn’t expect.
An unusual setting? An off-kilter theme?
Did this actually happen? Or was it a dream?
… to be continued …