Disclaimer: I don't own NMBC. The only people I own are Seritta, Joseph, Suzie, and Jake. The rest of the people belong to Tim Burton.

(Note: In this story, I use my fan characters Seritta, Joseph, Suzie, and Jake, who are supposed to by Sally's children in other stories. For this story, just pretend that they're not related to Sally or each other in any which way. Also, this is just a mix of all the versions of the fairy tale I've heard, so please cut my some slack if I get a part or two wrong, or if something's not quite right.)

~*Chapter 1*~

It was a warm spring morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the little princess, Sally, was going to do her chores. Sally was a gorgeous young girl with long red hair and lovely pale skin. She had big, gorgeous eyes and long, think lashes. Many boys admired her, although she did not return their feelings. Many boys just wanted her because she was a princess, and for the fact that she had tons of money. She lived alone with her father, a professor. His name was Dr. Finkelstein. He didn't have the same feelings for his daughter that all the other boys had. Quite the contrary, in fact! He was extremely jealous of his daughter's popularity, something he had always longed for.

Sally walked to the little well outside her home and lowered the bucket down. She began to fill it with water when she heard a playful 'yip' from behind her.

"Zero!" she called. "Come here, boy!" A small white dog with huge black eyes ran up to her. He sat down in front of her and wagged his tail. "Good, boy." Sally said, and she pat the little dog's head. "Do you want to help me with some of my chores?" Zero nodded his head like he understood her and jumped up onto the well. Sally giggled as the dog licked her face and yipped happily.

From inside, Dr. Finkelstein was watching his daughter play with the little dog, and many other animals that came by her side. He gave her a death-stare and wheeled himself in his wheelchair over to an experiment he was working on.

"That daughter of mine." he grumbled. "She's so popular, so perfect! How? How could she be like that, and not me?" He scratched his head and looked towards a magic 8 ball in the corner of his desk. He grabbed it and said, "Magic 8 ball in my room, will that daughter of mine one day find a groom?" The ball bubbled, and said, "Yes, definitely." "No!" Dr. Finkelstein screeched. "Never! I won't allow it! There has to be a way from stopping that future. Hey, wait a minute, if I get rid of my daughter, I can stop that future, AND become the most popular guy in town!"

Sally was still playing outside with the little animals when she heard a call.

"Sally, dear," Dr. Finkelstein called. "Go collect some berries from the forest. Don't come back until nightfall."

"Okay, Papa." Sally agreed. She grabbed her berry basket and skipped into the forest, Zero following her.

While Sally was gone, Dr. Finkelstein was scheming. He called the Mayor of the town. The Mayor nervously walked up to the front door of the little home and reluctantly knocked on the door. Dr. Finkelstein answered.

"Come in." he said darkly. The Mayor followed the professor into the little home.

"So, uh, you needed to talk to me about something?" the Mayor asked, still nervous. Dr. Finkelstein jolted his head to the Mayor.

"Tonight, when everyone is asleep, kill my daughter." Dr. Finkelstein ordered. The Mayor almost fell over in shock.

"That darling daughter of yours? You want her DEAD???" he asked.

"Don't ask questions." Dr. Finkelstein said. "Just do it."

Meanwhile, it was getting dark in the forest. Sally's basket was full, and she was heading home. Zero was slowly following her. She eventually came upon her house. She smiled and skipped inside. She set down the basket of berries and quietly tip-toed into her father's room. Dr. Finkelstein was asleep.

"Awww," Sally cooed. "He's sleeping like a baby." She leaned over and gently kissed her father on the head. "Goodnight, Papa." She walked out of the room and went into her own.

Back in the forest, the Mayor had been following Sally. He walked through the forest and into Sally's house. He gently walked into Sally's room, knife in hand. He slowly walked over to Sally, who was in bed, sleeping. He gripped the knife in hand, and brought it up above his head. He went to plunge it down, but stopped short. He couldn't do it. Sally was such a sweet little girl that the entire little town admired. She was so beautiful, and the nervous Mayor couldn't find it in his heart to destroy such a lovely girl. Instead, he woke her up.

"Sally, Sally," he said. Sally woke up to see an upset Mayor looking in her face.

"Mayor," she began. "What's wrong? You look like someone important to you just died."

"Go!" the Mayor commanded. Sally was shocked.

"What?" she asked, scared.

"Go! Leave!" the Mayor ordered. "Your father wants you dead! You have to get out of here! Leave this town! Run far away!" Sally hopped out of bed, confused and terrified.

"Mayor, I don't understand." She said.

"I don't have the time to explain!" the Mayor said. "You just have to get out of here before your father wakes up!" Sally hesitated for a moment; then burst out of her room and out of her house. She ran through the forest, and everything that seemed so nice and in the day suddenly looked so evil. Sally ran faster, as fast as her slender legs would carry her. She heard noises, and they seemed to come after her. She was so scared, she was trembling and sweat poured down her pale skin. Suddenly, she bumped into a giant tree. She then felt something behind her. She quickly turned around.

"Oh, Zero, it's only you." She observed. Zero whimpered and jumped into her arms. "The Mayor told me that Papa wanted me dead! Oh, what should I do?" Sally turned towards the tree she bumped into to see a marking and knob on it. "The Mayor told me to get as far away from this town as possible." She continued. "Maybe this will take us somewhere." She opened up the door in the tree. Fog and dust wrapped around her and pulled her and Zero in.

~*End of Chapter One*~