Nightmare Before Christmas is the fifty-first chapter of the Black Lagoon spinoff series Dismemberment Galore! The Gore Gore Girl. It was originally released on November 17, 2023.
Plot[]
An old bearded man, panting from exhaustion, carries a large bag and complains about the heat. Next to him, he sees the Roanapur Public Cemetery and begrudgingly decides to cross the cemetery since going around it would be a nuisance. As he climbs over the cemetery fence, he is startled to see Jacqueline, Bunny the Undertaker and The Undertaker No. 2 staring at him, causing him to fall on his side. Because of the man's beard, his red nose and his large bag, they wonder if he is Santa Claus. Coming by, Jessica assures them that the unconscious man is likely Santa because it is December 24th. When the man wakes up, the four of them welcome "Santa" joyfully. Seeing the cemetery adorned with Christmas decorations, Santa asks if he is in hell. He realizes that his hands are tied behind his back and panics, asking the people what they will do with him. Jessica reminds him that it is Christmas Eve and informs him that they are holding a party, admitting that she did not think Santa would be their guest.
The man is completely confused, causing Jessica to point out that he has a large beard and large sack of presents. Frantically denying he is Santa, the old man pleads with them to release him since he is in a hurry. Bunny and Jacqueline sulk at his response, but Jessica consoles Jacqueline by claiming that Santa's work is a secret. The man once again denies being Santa, instead confessing that he is a drifter and his bag does not contain presents. At that point, Choptop and Sawyer the Cleaner arrive, with the former telling his boss that someone stole twenty kilograms of cocaine in a large bag. Seeing the old man, Choptop becomes ecstatic and asks Jessica where they caught Santa. She answers that he is a wild Santa Claus, remarking that she thought it was the end of the world when she heard Christmas was to be hosted in a cemetery. Bringing some food, No. 2 tells everyone she has made eggnog but is still working on baking the cake. As she hands out the drinks to the attendees, the old man wonders how he ended up in his situation, thinking to himself that he should have shaved his beard.
Soon, the six party attendees continue setting up the party and celebrating the night. Walking up to the old man, Jessica asks if he would like a drink, promising to untie his hands so that he can hold the glass. Gulping down the eggnog, Santa mentions that he would probably have been better off not stealing the cocaine. Nearby, Bunny learns that it is the first time Jacqueline is celebrating Christmas. She recalls that although her father was a priest, Christmas was rather hard for her. Laughing, Choptop admits that it is also his first Christmas celebration. The old man observes the others and notices that all of them are firm believers in Santa. Nonetheless, both Bunny and Jacqueline discuss how people like themselves cannot get presents. Wanting to escape, the old man speaks up and loudly retorts that Santa does not discriminate and serves all children, including the bad ones. Embracing the Santa persona, he clarifies that he is the Santa who specializes in giving gifts to bad children.
He grabs his bag and asks if he can leave, reasoning that he has more work to do. Bunny agrees to it while Jessica is saddened to see him go. When Bunny realizes that they did not get their presents, Santa assures her that he will give them out later in the form of a miracle. After the bearded man departs, Choptop informs Sawyer that there is a remote-controlled timer bomb inside of the cocaine that was stolen but is not sure when it will detonate. The clock soon strikes midnight, and everyone cheers while the bomb goes off in the distance. Hearing the explosion, Choptop wonders if it was a cannon. Suddenly, Sawyer and the others notice white flakes falling from the sky, making everyone think that it is snow. Delighted that they get to see a White Christmas, Jessica proclaims that she is glad to witness a White Christmas because she had only seen some snow in Texas due to abnormal weather. Whereas Bunny and Jacqueline enjoy themselves in the snow, the worried No. 2 advises Bunny not to eat the snow knowing that it is cocaine. Far away, the Santa lookalike sees the explosion remnants and is shocked that he is still alive, attributing it to the fact that he tripped and accidentally dropped his luggage below the highway.
Notes[]
- The chapter title is a reference to the 1993 American stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas.