The Girls and the Pumpkin King: Ch 8

Switching Brains

Third Person POV

The elevator reached the top floor of the lab. The doctor seemed to be waiting for Jack and our heroines. He was waiting at the other side of the room with his back turned to them. Jack stepped out of the elevator first and cried desperately, "Dr. Finkelstein! Why are you doing this?!" The girls followed behind Jack, then the doctor said, "Ah, Jack, I see you managed to make it here." He wheeled his chair around to face the group of seven, then he sneered, "You've been busy, Jack. I think it's time for you to rest." He flipped the top part of his head open to poke his brain. The weirdest thing that nobody and not even Jack anticipated was inside the doctor's head...

Alison shrieked, "MON DIEU!"

Alex cringed, "Holy crap!"

Rose shuddered, "Ugh, that is so gross! It's got eyeballs, too!"

Kayla whimpered, "I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Hannah asked, "Jack, what the heck is that thing?!"

Jack gasped, "Oogie switched his brain!"

Victoria said, "There's the evidence the doctor's been acting weird, even weirder than usual."

Dr. Finkelstein wheeled his chair to the center of the room and growled, "Shall we begin? I think you'll like this device. I made it especially for YOU!" Suddenly, the machine the Doctor seemed to be controlling came alive. The lasers on it took aim, then four giant metal claws lowered. Victoria pointed, "Jack, look! The real brain's over there on the tray."

Jack said, "Good eye, Victoria. We have to switch the doctor's real brain back to save him. Let's see... If we open his head from behind... Then get in front of him... And throw his real brain in... Yes! That should work!" Hannah said, "There's no way I'm gonna touch that brain, normal or not!" Alex said, "Okay, Hannah, you, Kayla, and Ali try to smash the machine bits to give us time."

Victoria said, "That can work, but I was maybe thinking of a quicker alternative with some frog's breath and Deadly Nightshade potion. Before you and the girls get to work on the machine, maybe break some beakers to make a distraction." With that, the girls began to break some beakers and Dr. Finkelstein growled, "Stop it, you brats! Those vials are expensive and the ingredients are very rare!"

Victoria snuck up behind the doctor and when she was about to get the potion ready, Dr. Finkelstein spun around in his chair and grabbed a tight hold of Victoria's wrist. Victoria shrieked in shock and her vial of the potion flew out of her hands, then it hit the ground and shattered. Victoria groaned as she saw the pale green liquid on the floor, "Crap, so much for my plan and all that hard work!"

Dr. Finkelstein sneered, "Well, well, trying to poison me like that wretched Sally? No one is going to save you or stop me!" Victoria tried to tug away, but the doctor kept a good grip on her and started the machine up again. Alex shouted, "Let our friend go, you creep!"

Dr. Finkelstein said as he pulled Victoria into a headlock, "You want her? You young ladies and Jack will have to go through me first!" The girls and Jack readied their Soul Robbers as the doctor began his relentless attack, then he began to sing and Victoria's team began to sing along as well. Victoria took notice and also started to sing, trying to take her mind off her fears of having her neck snapped by the doctor.

Dr. Finkelstein: This town has changed, my boy since you've been away! Without a Pumpkin King, it's Oogie Boogie's way!

Jack: Doctor, please! Oh, can't you see you're wrong?

Dr. Finkelstein: You were the king, but now you're nothing but prey! Oogie Boogie is back and he's planning to stay!

Victoria: It's a crazy web you're weaving! Oogie Boogie will soon be leaving! Doctor, please! It's not too late!

Dr. Finkelstein: All my machines will seal your fate! My lasers will slice you! My knives will cut deep! And when it's all over, Sally, she will weep! The days of your good-natured mayhem are through! I'll tear up this town and I'm starting with you!

"We'll rescue you, Doctor!" said Jack.

"Never, Jack!" said the doctor.

Kayla cried, "Hang in there, Vivi!"

Victoria said, "After all this, I could really use a massage right about now!"

Dr. Finkelstein: Well, now, my boy! It seems you've lost your crown! In a few mere moments, you'll be six feet in the ground!

Jack: Stop at once! Can't you see this is absurd?

Dr. Finkelstein: No more tricks! Your friends are now your foes! And now this dance is nearing its close!

Victoria: All these people that you're hurting... Oh, good doctor, it's disconcerting! Doctor, please! Your thinking is all wrong!

Dr. Finkelstein: In a moment, finally you'll be gone!

Alison: Your intentions are evil!

Hannah: Your thoughts are all bad!

Rose: The "thing" that you work for is no more than a cad!

Kayla: When finally we get that foul brain out of you!

Alex: You'll see no more foes, but friends that are true!

Victoria noticed the real brain being in half and saw Alex use her Soul Robber to fling the good half towards the doctor's opened head, then the bad half of the Oogie brain fell out.

"Well, Jack," said Dr. Finkelstein. "Like my inventions?"

"Doctor, you've got to control yourself!" said Jack.

Dr. Finkelstein: This town has changed, my boy since you've been away! Without a Pumpkin King, it's Oogie Boogie's way!

Jack: Doctor, please! Oh, can't you see you're wrong?

Dr. Finkelstein: You were the king, but now you're nothing but prey! Oogie Boogie is back and he's planning to stay!

Victoria: It's a crazy web you're weaving! Oogie Boogie will soon be leaving! Doctor, please! It's not too late!

Dr. Finkelstein: All my machines will seal your fate! My lasers will slice you! My knives will cut deep! And when it's all over, Sally, she will weep! The days of your good-natured mayhem are through! I'll tear up this town and I'm starting with you!

"Just about done, Doctor," said Jack.

"Curse you, boy!" said Dr. Finkelstein.

Alison said, "Hang in there, Vivi!"

Victoria gave a nervous chuckle with a hint of sarcasm, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere! I've got this insane Mojo Jojo wannabe holding me captive and having a pretty fun time! NOT!"

Dr. Finkelstein: Well, now, my boy! It seems you've lost your crown! In a few mere moments, you'll be six feet in the ground!

Jack: Stop at once! Can't you see this is absurd?

Dr. Finkelstein: No more tricks! Your friends are now your foes! And now this dance is nearing its close!

Victoria: All these people that you're hurting... Oh, good doctor, it's disconcerting! Doctor, please! Your thinking is all wrong!

Dr. Finkelstein: In a moment, finally you'll be gone!

Jack: You shoot and attack us!

Hannah: It rolls off our backs!

Rose: He's not your enemy!

Kayla: He's the Pumpkin King, Jack!

Jack and the girls: When this is all over, good friends we will be! You'll praise Oogie no more! You can take that from me!

"Oogie's had control over you long enough!" said Jack.

"I'm not defeated yet!" said Dr. Finkelstein.

Rose found the other half of the good brain and said, "You are now, doc! SOUL ROBBER!" She used her Soul Robber to pick up the half and flung it towards the doctor's head, knocking the other bad half out and away. Victoria felt herself drop to the floor and took the opportunity to slam Dr. Finkelstein's head shut, then she ran off when the doctor began to clutch his head. He groaned in pain as he slumped over in his wheelchair.

The girls ran towards Victoria to see if she was alright, then Victoria said, "I'm okay, just a little sore." Alison picked up the green brain halves and discarded them into a trashcan. Alison said, "Good riddance." In an instant, a bright light shone from the ceiling and something big gently floated down. The object was a door shaped like a four-leaf clover. Dr. Finkelstein sat up and wheeled himself over to Jack as well as the girls. He said, "I'm sorry, Jack. I never imagined my brain would be replaced and the town deceived... Wh-Who are these young ladies, Jack?"

Jack said, "Dr. Finkelstein, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine who have been helping me out since my return and just saved your life. These are Alex, Alison, Hannah, Rose, Kayla, and Victoria."

Dr. Finkelstein nodded, "Please to meet you. I hope I haven't hurt you, Victoria."

Victoria rubbed her neck and said, "No, you haven't. Well, it hurts a little bit, but not so much now."

"Doctor!" Jack exclaimed. "The St. Patrick's Day Door!"

"Indeed," said Dr. Finkelstein. "That is a Holiday Door. Hmm..." Suddenly, he gasped and asked urgently "Jack! What's today's date?"

Rose said, "Um, December 24..."

Alex, Alison, Hannah, and Kayla gasped in alarm, "December 24?!"

Victoria said, "That means..."

Jack said worriedly, "Oh no, it's almost Christmas!"

"I wonder what's happening with the Christmas Door?" said the doctor.

Victoria said, "I have a feeling it must've been hidden away like the other Holiday Doors we've found. We better find it A.S.A.P. before Oogie or his baddies get a hold of it." Dr. Finkelstein said, "Let's hope you and your friends find it with Jack soon, Victoria." Alison said, "We need to go back to the Pumpkin Patch, but it won't be easy and we just heard from Jack that Oogie's ghosts have possessed the pumpkins at the entrance, blocking anyone from entering."

Dr. Finkelstein's face lit up as he said, "I know! We'll scare those monsters out of the pumpkins! G-Give me just a moment..." As the girls waited for the doctor, they looked to see Sally entering the lab with a green present and red ribbons decorating it. Sally asked, "Is the doctor himself again?"

Victoria said, "Yeah, he's back to normal and okay."

Jack adds, "He's making a device that will help us defeat Oogie's army."

Sally holds out the present and says, "Jack... Do you think this will be helpful, too?"

"What's this?" Jack asked, taking the present.

With a twirl of snowflakes, Jack was dressed in a different costume. The girls smiled in amazement, seeing Jack dressed up in a Santa Claus suit and long white beard. Jack exclaimed happily, "It's Sandy's costume!"

"Ha-ha!" The doctor laughed as he wheeled himself back over to the group. "That outfit really suits you! I completed the Scare Device." He hands Jack another box that looks like another present and says, "If I told you what's in it though that would ruin the surprise! Hide this in your Sandy Bag and use it to stun Oogie's monsters!"