BRIDAL BONES
(a juvenile ghost story by Linda Joy Singleton )
THE SCAVENGER BRIDE
"Scavenger hunt! Split into teams of two or three!" Kristen's chirpy,
annoying voice rang out. She smoothed her spiky black hair, then began
handing out papers.
One look at the list I'd been given and I groaned."A spider web, an
old bone, a tooth … You can't be serious!"
"I'm dead serious, Shanna." Kristen grinned wickedly."It's almost
Halloween and we're in a house that's over eighty years old. Once my Uncle
Elmer saw a ghostly bride through the attic, so this house might be
haunted. Hunting for spooky stuff will be so cool."
"So immature, you mean. Count me out." I pushed back a wild strand of
my long blond hair and folded my arms across my chest."I'm not scavenging
anything, except maybe some more barbecued potato chips and a TV with cable."
"But you HAVE to play," Kristen whined.
"No way." I shook my head defiantly, knowing my best friend Laura and
the others were watching to see if I would back down. Kristen was real good
at bossing everyone around.
But not me. At fourten, I was too mature for baby stuff like
sleepovers. I didn't want to wake up and find my bra frozen in the fridge.
I hated goofing off with makeup and plastering gobs of lipstick, black
eyeliner, and blush on my face. And I definitely didn't want to play dumb
kiddie games.
I hadn't even wanted to come to Kristen's party. I'd only come because
of Craig--Kristen's tall, athletic, fifteen-year-old brother. If only he
would notice me…
"Hey, did someone mention a scavenger hunt?" a boy's voice cut in.
"Where do I sign up?"
I turned and stared at the high school hunk of my dreams. Craig Andrew
McLaughlan. For a year I'd been his adoring shadow. I'd watched him fall
in and out of love, always with someone else, never with me. But I wouldn't
give up.
"Craig!" I exclaimed in delight.
Kristen scowled at her brother."What are you doing here? This is my
party. I thought you'd be at a movie with Daniella."
"Daniella's cramming for an algebra test." He shrugged."So I thought
I'd see what a scavenger hunt is like."
Before Kristen could tell Craig to get lost, I clasped his arm."You
can be my partner. I just LOVE scavenger hunts!"
Laura, who knew me too well and thought I acted like a jerk around
Craig, gave me a dirty look. She sighed deeply, then turned away and paired
up with Ashley.
The game was on. I didn't care if my team won or lost. Being Craig's
teammate was better than any first place ribbon.
"Here's our list," I told Craig. The party-goers were already filing
out of the living room, some going to neighboring houses and others flipping
through magazines for pictures of bats, ghosts, or vampire teeth. If a team
couldn't find the actual item, a picture would count.
A weird look settled over Craig's dark eyes, and he stroked his chin
thoughtfully."An old bone, a tooth, a letter, a spider web, a gold ring, a
squashed bug, and a jewel box. Freaky stuff. But I have an idea."
"Yes?" I asked a bit breathlessly.
"We're going to win this contest, and I know exactly how." He led me
to a side staircase."We're going to the attic."
"The at-attic?" I stopped in place, my heart racing."Wait a minute.
NO ONE ever goes there. Kristen says it's locked since the … you know …
the murder."
"It's locked, but I know where the key is." Craig chuckled."Besides
you don't really believe that lame ghost story, do you?"
I bit my lip. I didn't exactly believe a ghostly bride haunted the
McLaughlan's attic. It was just a rumor. I'd never seen the ghost or heard
the haunting wedding music. Of course, before the McLaughlan's moved in a
year ago, the gothic-styled house had been stood eerie empty for decades.
I forced a smile."Only babies believe in ghosts."
I waited while Craig went to find a flashlight and the key. Then I
followed him up three flights of stairs, down a narrow hall, until we
reached the forbidding attic door.
"At last!" Craig pulled the key from his pocket, an odd misshapen key
that looked like a crooked finger, beckoning us to come inside."I've been
waiting for a chance to check out the attic. Finally I'll find out what's
up here."
An electric shiver zapped through me and I had a strong urge to turn
around and run back to the safety of the living room."Maybe we should go
downstairs-"
"And lose the contest?" His voice was low and tense. He aimed the key
at the lock and slowly turned it.
Click.
The soft sound seemed as dangerous as an explosive stick of dynamite.
Then the door breezed open; a silent invitation to enter, to explore, to
learn the attic's secrets.
I peered through the doorway and saw another flight of stairs. I tried
to see past them, only everything was black. Like night. Like pure evil.
"What a great place to find spiders and bones!" Craig exclaimed."Hey,
you look kinda pale, Shanna you better not chicken out."
I wanted to be with Craig, so I wasn't turning back. To show him how
brave I was, I boldly walked through the doorway, into the darkness.
BANG! The door slammed shut behind me.
I screamed and whirled around. Pitch black musty air wrapped around me
in a strangle hold and I pounded on the hard wood."Let me out! Please!
Craig, open up!"
The door opened. And there stood Craig, laughing so hard his face
reddened."Not chicken, huh?"
"You didn't have to shut me in!"
"I didn't do anything. Must be a draft." Craig snapped on the
flashlight with his free hand."Geez! If you're gonna freak over a closed
door, let's forget this whole scavenger game."
"No." I gritted my teeth, my nerves raw, yet my heart hungry for
Craig. I wanted him to admire me, to grow to love me instead of Daniella.
"Aim the flashlight and I'll go ahead."
I didn't want him to see my fear, so I hurried up the narrow, rickety
staircase. After two steps, a cottony, creepy veil fell on my face.
Panicked, I clawed at my skin and screamed,"Something is on me!"
"What? I don't see nothing."
"Just get it off!" I shrieked, slapping at my cheeks and pulling
sticky, clinging stuff off my hair.
"Chill out, Shanna." Craig blinded me with the flashlight."It's just
a cobweb."
"A … A cobweb?" I repeated, pulling back my hand and seeing silvery
webs dangling like tinsel from my fingertips.
Craig used the flashlight to break up the rest of the large spider web
that stretched across the staircase. Then he reached out and tenderly
pulled cobweb strands off my hand.
"Do you know what this means?" he asked.
That you care about me, I thought hopefully."What?"
"We have a cobweb. Our first scavenger hunt item!"
"Oh. Lucky us." I shuddered."You can hold it."
"No prob. But from now on, I better lead the way. My ears are still
ringing from your scream."
Disappointment hit me. He still didn't care. Oh well, at least we
were together. It was a start.
At the top of the staircase was another door. It was already open a
crack. A harsh creak came from rusty hinges as Craig pushed the door, the
sound echoing like a warning: DO NOT ENTER. DANGER. BEWARE.
I followed Craig inside the surprisingly large attic. Moonlight
streamed through a high round, giving cobwebs, dust, and old
furniture a silvery glow. The room was empty of life, and yet I felt
uneasy, as if Craig and I weren't alone.
"Let's spread out and hunt for items," Craig suggested."You can start
with that old chest and I'll check the dresser."
I stared uncertainly at the ornate dusty chest, wondering what I'd find
inside: clothing, jewels, or human bones.
Craig, who had already checked two drawers, glanced over at me.
"What's taking so long? Are you afraid of an old chest?"
"Of course not!" I snapped.
"Then stop trembling and just open the dumb chest."
"Fine!" I reached out and lifted the lid. No bones or jewels. Just
yellowed, tattered linens. This must have once been a bride's hope chest.
Towels, sheets, and pillowcases that had never been used, because the bride
had been murdered.
Unfortunately, linens weren't on our scavenger list. And the only
thing Craig found in the dresser was a dead beetle. Gross! Add one more
creepy item to our scavenger hunt. Still, we needed a gold ring, a bone, a
letter and a jewel box. So I suggested we go downstairs to search.
"Not yet," Craig protested."There has to be more up here. Wait!
Look at the wall by the. Do you see it?"
Craig crossed the room, and I followed. As I drew closer, I could see
a faint outline of a square door in the wall. Only there wasn't a knob.
"Weird," Craig murmured as he pushed and tapped on the wall door.
"There's no way to open it. I wonder what's inside."
"More dust and dead bugs. Yuck! Let's leave."
"Yeah." Craig looked disappointed, but he turned to go.
Relieved, I started to leave when a flash from the floor caught my eye.
I bent down and picked up a tiny treasure: an ornate gold and diamond ring.
"Craig! I can't believe it! It's so beautiful!" I rubbed dust off
the ring, then held the glittery gem out to Craig.
"Cool! Another scavenger item. And afterwards, I'll give it to
Daniella. It's her birthday next week, this will be a great gift." He
reached out to snatch it from me, but hearing Daniella's name made me angry.
Why did Craig have to love her? Why couldn't he love me?
"This isn't for Daniella. I found it, so it's mine." I pulled my
hand back and held tightly to my precious ring."It's like it was made for
me. See, it fits perfectly."
As I slipped the ring on, I felt strange. Tingly shivers raced up and
down my skin and the attic room suddenly exploded with swirling shadows and
bright bursts of light.
"Shanna! What's happening?" I dimly heard Craig ask.
I couldn't think, my brain was foggy. The floor beneath me quaked and
shifted. I reached out to lean against the wall so I wouldn't fall … and
the wall door opened.
The shadows, lights, and quaking stopped in an instant.
Craig's eyes were wide with fear as he pointed at the opening in the
wall."How … How did that happen?"
My ring glittered like golden fire and made me feel strong. Craig was
now the frightened one, but I was brave. And I knew there was something in
the secret doorway, something special waiting for me.
"Give me the flashlight," I told Craig.
"Why? Let's just leave. This place is too weird."
"Don't chicken out. You wanted to win the scavenger hunt, so you can't
quit now. Just give me the flashlight."
Wordlessly, Craig obeyed. Then I shined light inside the wall which
was the size and shape of a coffin. Inside there was dank musty air, more
cobwebs, and a lavender velvet box.
"A jewel box!" I rejoiced."Another scavenger item!"
When Craig didn't say anything, I glanced behind and saw him smiling at
me with a new intensity in his gaze.
I brought the jewel box out."Now this is cool. Maybe there'll be
another ring in here. One you can give to Daniella."
"Daniella?" Craig repeated in a flat tone."Who's she?"
"Yeah, right!" I snorted."Daniella is your girlfriend. You're
always talking about her. This isn't the time for jokes."
"I do not jest with matters of the heart." Craig reached out and
gently touched my hair."Such golden tresses. It is no wonder you have
captured my soul. Shanna, you are my only love."
Now I really stared at Craig. What was going on?
"Marry me, Shanna. Promise to be mine for eternity," he went on."I
have waited so long. I love you more than life."
Craig loves me! I felt dizzy and ecstatic. But this couldn't actually
be happening. Why would a sixteen year old guy propose marriage to a
thirteen year old girl? Unbelievable!
But there was Craig, bending down on one knee, and reaching out for me,
as if to propose marriage.
And suddenly I felt afraid. I wasn't ready for marriage. Craig was a
hunk, but that wasn't grounds for holy matrimony.
I stepped back and realized I was still holding the jewel box."Don't
open it!" Craig ordered. But I ignored him and lifted the velvety lid. No
jewels inside, only an old letter.
"Be my bride, Shanna," Craig said in a coarse whisper; a voice that
didn't sound like Craig at all.
Desire and fear swept through me. I had longed to hear loving words
from Craig, and now he was speaking them.
Read the letter, a soft woman's voice echoed in my head. Read the
letter before it's too late…
"What? Who?" I looked around and only saw Craig.
"Marry me, Shanna. Be my bride," Craig repeated eerily.
Confused, I unfolded the letter.
"Don't read that!" Craig growled. He lunged for the paper, but I
jumped back."Do not believe lies from the unfaithful."
Craig came closer, menacingly. He was bigger and stronger and I knew
he meant to destroy the letter. I looked for a place to hide and only saw
one: the opening in the wall.
Without thinking, I climbed up and backed inside the dark hole, holding
desperately onto the flashlight and letter.
BANG! Craig slammed the door shut.
I was trapped inside the wall!
"Agree to marry me and I'll let you out," he threatened. Only now I
knew the voice didn't belong to Craig. Someone else was speaking through
him. A ghost. A dangerous ghost.
Thank goodness for the comforting golden glow from the flashlight.
Huddled in a ball, I read the letter:
I must marry Jonathon this day, it is the wish of my parents, but alas,
I cannot go through with my marriage. I have tried to love Jonathon, only
his smile is evil, his voice low and hoarse, and his eyes are cruel. I fear
him greatly.
Soon I will tell Jonathon I cannot marry him. His temper will be
fierce. I am afraid. God help me, Roshanna
Roshanna. She must be the murdered bride. Jonathon's temper had been
very fierce. Poor, poor Roshanna.
And now poor, poor Shanna.
The dark walls seemed to close in on me, as if I were being buried
alive. And I knew how Roshanna must have felt before she died. Trapped and
terrified.
I could hear Craig outside, tapping on the door, offering me love,
romance, and marriage. Only I knew Craig wasn't Craig. He was Jonathon,
come back from the dead to marry and murder again. And like Roshanna, I was
afraid.
But I couldn't stay in the wall. I could barely breath in the cramped
space, and the flashlight's batteries were already dimming. Unfortunately,
there was only one way out.
"All right, Jon … Craig." Breathing in my dark prison became more
diffcult and my words came out in low gasps."I'll … I'll mar-marry … you."
Like a miracle, the door opened. I was free! I gulped air hungrily,
then hurriedly scrambled out of the narrow hole, leaving the jewel box behind.
"My lovely bride!" Craig clutched my hand."I love you, dearest
Shanna. Let's proceed with the marital ceremony."
"Here?" I looked around the dusty attic."Impossible!"
His grip on my hand was tight, causing the gold and diamond ring to
burn into my skin. I tried to pull away, but couldn't.
"A love as strong as ours makes everything possible. I have waited
long for you, Roshanna."
Terrified, I stared into glittering evil eyes and a cruel smile. There
was no escape, except death.
"NO! Craig-Jonathon, whoever, I'm too young for marriage!" I dropped
the flashlight and pulled away from him. I looked at my hand, suddenly
hating the golden ring. I tugged hard at my finger."I don't want this
stupid ring."
"The ring binds you to me! You are my bride!" he raged.
"I don't belong to anyone except myself! So just stay away you gross
ghost!" I jerked the ring off and looked around for some place to throw
it--somewhere Craig couldn't get it. I spied the hole in the wall. The
perfect place!
Craig seemed to realize what I had in mind and lunged for me."NOOO!"
he hollered. But I was quicker. I flung the ring as hard as I could into
the hole. Bingo! I heard it ping at the far end of the back wall. Then I
reached out and slammed the door shut.
Immediately, dark swirls of color and smoke filled the room. The floor
and walls shook like an earthquake. I lost my balance and stumbled against
the hope chest. Everything went dark…
When I opened my eyes, Craig was bending over me, looking worried.
"Shanna, you okay? How come you fell down?"
His dark eyes no longer shone with evil, still I didn't trust him. I
would never be able to trust him again.
"I think I'm okay."
"I'm not sure what happened, but I feel major weird. This attic gives
me the creeps. Let's get out of here. I'll help you up."
"NO!" I shouted."Stay away from me."
"What's the matter with you? I thought you liked me. I mean, you're
always following me around. And you are kind of cute. I was even
considering asking you out sometime."
"Daniella can have you." I hurried to the staircase."And you can
forget the scavenger hunt. I don't care who wins."
Then I ran down the stairs and raced to the door. The sooner I got out
of the attic, the better. It was a creepy, haunted place. I was just glad
to be alive and unmarried.
I reached for the door, my hand encircling the knob.
But suddenly I stopped and stared in horror at my hand. On my third
finger, where I'd worn the gold and diamond ring, there was a circular
glowing black mark. I tried to rub it off, but the ghostly tattoo
remained; branded into my skin.
"You're always be my bride, Shanna," I heard an unearthly coarse
whisper in my ear."TILL DEATH TO US PART!"
The End. *Story taken from Linda's site with her permission. To access original story location, USE GOOGLE.
Magician's Muse by Linda Joy Singleton Publisher: Flux (October 1st, 2010) Reading Level: Young Adult Series: The Seer, book #6 The Final Book in Linda Joy Singleton's Popular Paranormal Series, The Seer
A whisper, too soft to swirl wispy candle smoke, carried across time, beyond life and death—and was heard."Our bargain is sealed. My secrets will be yours-when the girl dies."
In the thrilling climax to The Seer series, Sabine's psychic abilities, sleuthing skills, and courage are pushed to a dangerous edge as she deals with the mysterious disappearance of her ex-boyfriend Josh, a new threat against her boyfriend Dominic, evil magicians (both living and dead)—and a coldblooded murder.
- Thank you so much Linda for allowing me to share your short story on my blog.
To find out more about Linda Joy Singleton Linda Joy Singleton / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter
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