To The Bone

Writing darkness in a different frame of mind is something else. It’s like walking in the winter versus walking in the summer... and not minding either. One of my favorites of the darker series’ was the Bones so I thought I’d focus on writing on a few. Here’s a new Bones with the flavor of the old darkness.

Do you like to take walks?

Enjoy!

Kisses, m.

To The Bone
 
“Chilled to the Bone!” Tommy yells from up the hill.
 
It’s an early dusk and an unprecedented snow has descended upon our sleepy parts. It’s quite rare that a snowstorm will land in these parts but it’s not unheard of. The fair Adelaide Lafont has graced us with her company on a stroll back through the woods home. She was letting out from her Mama’s knitting circle as we were exiting from the local watering hole, so Tommy offered up our services as escorts. Much to my dismay, sweet Addie has taken a shine to me and wants to hold my hand while we cross through the dead parts of the woods. It doesn’t bother me much because the dead don’t mind the cold and I’m fair certain they’re out playing in this ice storm.
 
With his typical tomfoolery, Tommy is falling behind whooping and carrying on about his distaste for the cold weather. Addie hollers at him, teasing his antics, “Don’t you love being outside? I thought that’s why you’re always playing with the bones, Tommy Lee.” 
 

“This wind chills me to the bone! Whose idea was it to walk home in the snow? Them bones are liable to jump out and try to confis-sss-cate my skin in this state,” Tommy backtalks with a hint of chattering teeth that give him a stutter. Addie giggles at his nonsense, but deep in the back of my head, I know he isn’t wrong. Quickening my pace, I pull Addie a little closer to me. 

 
Walking through the snow blanketed woods as night creeps in might sound like a romantic moment, but round these parts, the dead rarely rest and the bones take every opportunity to pull one over on the living. You see the dead tend to crawl out when the temperature drops. Something about life being frozen still all around makes most folks stay indoors. The living don’t much care for the icy weather and this shift to freezing temperatures almost guarantees you’ll come face to face with a pair of bones walking around midday. Being close to nightfall in this wintery playground doubles our likelihood of meeting a pair of bones. Now the dead normally abide by the rules of the living but when the dead come out in the cold, they come looking for the bones of those that have wronged them. They don’t much care what they take but they’ll take yours if you ever crossed them. 
 
It wouldn’t have been Addie’s fault, why I’m nervous. God rest her Daddy’s soul, he was a gambling man that never did know when to quit. And as we make our way down the trail to her house, all I can think of is how her Daddy used to cheat them bones at cards. Now some men are good at talking or persuading others to do what they want, but Addie’s old man, Remy Lafont, was a damn good cheat. I’d never seen a skeleton come unglued over losing to anyone before I played cards with Remy. He’s probably the only man I’d seen walk away with an entire set of bones minus the skull and an arm and not give it back. It’s a shame Addie couldn’t see him play, but its good fortune she doesn’t know this evening or she might worry too.
 
“THE BONES!” hollers Tommy and I can hear him coming up quick. “I CAN HEAR SOMETHING COMING!”
 
Addie’s laughter grows louder this time, but I give her a yank closer as Tommy runs past us. Tommy has much to be afraid of. He’s crossed the bones on more than one occasion and despite losing his skull once he hasn’t much changed trying to get the best of the dead. Much to my dismay, I know the dead aren’t after Tommy in the twilight hour. In the back of my mind, it’s quite clear that there’s a dead man coming to call on Addie to answer for her Daddy’s sins.
 
Just as I think it, a boney hand latches on to Addie’s free arm. No quicker than I reach over and rip it away, a skull bites down on her leg. She winces and lets out a loud belly laugh before kicking it off with the heel of the boot on her free leg. 
 
“You ok?” I half laugh at her reaction wondering why she isn’t scared.
 
“You know that sneaky fella always tries to hitch a ride home with me every time it gets real cold out. My Daddy, God rest his soul, told me to never let him near the rest of his bones. You ok?”
 
“I’m chilled to the bone.” With a giggle and wide smile, she pulls me closer.