by Chase Connor
I gazed down at my body only to find that I was not staring at my body but that of a child—or a very young teen. Maybe a tween? This revelation should have sent a shock of terror up my spine, but I was getting used to the odd things in my life. Instead of screaming out in shock or panicking in any way, I sat up cautiously and swiveled my hips to let my legs dangle off of the side of the bed. Giving a quick glance around the room, looking for any sign of danger, I lowered myself to the floor.
Icy cold floorboards slapped against my feet, and I winced, though I made no noise. It was dark, I had no idea where I was, and there was no way for me to know if there was anyone else in the house. Would someone come to investigate if they heard me? And if someone did come to investigate, would they be dangerous? Harm me in some way? I let my feet adjust to the cold of the floorboards as I scanned the room slowly with my eyes.
Just a typical tween’s room.
Nothing unusual.
Other than the darkness.
Nothing looks normal in the dark.
As I stood there, my feet adjusting to the cold and my eyes adjusting to the darkness, my ears began to pick up the voices.
Beyond the door positioned at the opposite side of the room, someone was talking. Low and rumbly, the voices sounded muffled and hollow. My feet began to move without me willing it, and I found myself being drawn towards the bedroom door. The cold was pervasive, making my feet—well, the feet I now had—feel like blocks of ice. It pushed through the cotton of the pajamas I was wearing. It slid over and around my body, doing its best to compel me back into bed. To forget the voices and the door.
Suddenly, I found myself in front of the door, my hands reaching out to brace myself against it as my ear moved towards the cold, smooth wood. My ear connected with the icy surface, trying to hear the voices better. To try and figure out what it was they were saying.
The voices became louder with my ear pressed against the door, but I still couldn’t make out what it was they were saying. After a few moments, listening to what sounded like two voices quarreling or, maybe, debating, I crouched down next to the doorknob. I leveled my eye to the keyhole and looked through into the room beyond.
What I saw…was I really seeing this?
In the room beyond, seemingly lit by fire or candlelight, was a pile of raw bones, gleaming white and splattered with blood. Sat upon what could only be described as the “throne” of bones was a hooded figure.
I knew that figure.
As if he knew I was watching, the hooded figure’s head turned towards the door.
Red eyes peered out of the hood and into the keyhole.
Then I was falling backward.
“Why do you always read this book?” I asked, pointing at the book open in Oma’s lap at my bedside.
I was snuggled down in the covers as snow fell outside of my bedroom window, blanketing the ground outside in knee-high fluff.
“I want you to remember this story, Robbie.” She replied and shifted in her chair, trying not to lose her place in the book.
“Why do you keep it under the bookcase?” I asked.
“Well—”
“And why don’t I ever get to read it myself?”
“Because—”
“Was that mom’s and dad’s book?”
“Why do you have so many questions?” Oma barked, though her eyes twinkled. “It’s just a damn book. It only opens a certain way and only lets certain people tell its story. Yes. It belonged to your mom and dad. And I want to read it to you as often as possible, so you remember the story. Okay?”
I shrugged, smiling.
“Good.” Oma nodded once. “Now, where were we?”
“You were telling me about the witch that The Oracle and The Guardian found who was going to defeat the bad guy,” I replied.
“Right,” Oma said. “Okay, so…”
“Are you Robbie, sugar?” I looked up from my plate of nachos at the Red Rooster Tavern.
It was only a little after three o’clock, and I was supposed to be meeting Lucas for a snack after school. As usual, football practice was causing him to run late, so I had started without him, happy to eat nachos, and wait until he was done. Mr. Kelly—the Kelly’s son who had taken over the tavern when his parents left, and word had was about to sell the tavern to someone else at his father’s behest—let the kids from the school come in for lunches and mid-afternoon snacks, but once six o’clock came, he shooed them all away. The cocktail hours had approached for the adults. When I looked up at the person who had asked me if I was Robbie, I saw a man I’d never seen before standing there. Catching sight of him immediately brought a smile to my face, though his appearance made me nervous.
Dark skinny jeans, fashionable, yet cheap, heels, a chunky burnt orange sweater that hung off one shoulder, a scarf in contrasting pink, and large Audrey Hepburn like glasses adorned his lithe frame. A purse big enough to hold A through F in the encyclopedia was slung over one forearm. He looked down at me, a broad smile that showed his immaculately bright, white teeth shined down at me.
‘My people.’ I had thought.
“That’s me.”
I had almost said it like it was a question.
“Oh, good.” He threw his head back as if completely exhausted and slid into the booth across from me.
Immediately, I looked around, wondering what people would think if they saw my teenage self with a man…like this. He was definitely waving the Pride Flag with every ounce of his being. My eyes grew wide as I realized that everyone else in the Red Rooster Tavern seemed frozen in place. Immediately, I glanced over at the man sitting across from me.
“Wha—”
“Just a little magic.” The man fluttered his fingers through the air with a cackle, then removed his sunglasses. “It won’t hurt them none, baby.”
I couldn’t help but smile, though I was alarmed to hear someone besides Oma talk about magic in front of me.
“Who…”
“Carlos, baby.” He held out his hand, palm down over the table towards me. “But I prefer ‘Carlita’ if you don’t mind. I ain’t got the wig on today, and the dress is at the dry cleaners, but that’s just how these things happen.”
I took her hand, giving it a gentle shake.
“Okay. Carlita.” I slowly nodded. “I am Robbie.”
“Good, good.” She wriggled her fingers through the air again as though trying to remember something. “Now, listen, I don’t want to be here any longer than I have to—I got my own matters to tend to, obviously.”
“Okay?”
“Tell Esther Jean Wagner—”
I froze at the sound of my grandmother’s name. This woman knew Oma? Why had she never mentioned her before?
“—that the man in the black hooded cloak is coming.”
My eyes grew wide as I gasped.
“She told me that she had done talked to you about him.”
“You mean Bloo—”
“No, child.” Carlita hushed me. “Don’t say his name this close to his return. Why speed things up, ya’ know?”
A hand to my chest, I just nodded, my breathing increasing in speed as my heart thumped against my chest.
“He’s comin’, baby. It’s time.” Carlita reached out and patted my other hand that was atop the table. “I always hate this part, delivering the news to the next witch, but, well, that’s what an oracle is for, isn’t it?”
“Oracle?” I gasped again, then leaned forward, forgetting my rapid breathing and thumping heart. “The Oracle? From the story?”
“It’s obviously not just a story.” She leveled me with her eyes. “And everything Esther Jean Wagner’s been preparing you for…well, it’s time, baby. You tell Esther Jean that. Now. I gotta go. Things to see and people to do.”
Carlita slid out of the booth and draped her purse handles over her forearm once again. Her sunglasses got pushed onto her face where they had been when she entered. Then she was stomping fashionably towards the door of the tavern
as the people around me slowly started to come back to life.
“Wait!” I spun in the booth to look at her.
Carlita stopped just inside the tavern and turned her head to look at me, a smile coming to her face.
“If you’re The Oracle…where’s The Guardian?” I asked quickly.
Carlita just smiled.
“I have so many questions.” I pleaded.
As if trying to think of something important, or trying to remember something, Carlita’s head tilted back gently as she looked up at the ceiling, searching for words.
“You’ll get a chance to ask them.” She finally turned her head to answer me. “But it won’t be for a while. This won’t be the last time we meet, Robbie Wagner.”
“Rob.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“I’ll try to remember that.” She tapped her temple.
Then she was gone, the door swinging behind her and the people in the tavern coming to life like a snap.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Lucas asked.
We were already naked, and he was on top of me, so I wanted to laugh at the timing of the question.
“Obviously.” I nodded, my teeth biting into my lower lip.
The woods behind Oma’s house were dark and creepy all around us. We had made our bed on a pile of leaves. It was so cold, especially naked.
“We don’t have to.” He whispered.
“I want to,” I said eagerly. “I don’t want to leave without doing this. Just in case—and as long as you want to, too.”
“Just in case?” Lucas looked terrified. “You’re coming back, Rob.”
“I know.” I nodded. “But this will make leaving easier.”
Lucas kept himself propped over me with a hand on either side of my body digging into the cold ground. I could feel, against my thigh, that he wanted the same thing that I wanted.
“Say you’ll come back.”
“I’ll come back.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“We’ll be together forever?”
“Even in death.”
Lucas’ body sank into mine. Under a nearly moonless sky, the stars already blotted out, we made love. And I wondered if I hadn’t just lied to Lucas. What if I never came back?
“Fuck!” Lucas screamed as we slammed the door to the house behind us and threw both of our bodies against it. “They’re right behind us, Rob!”
Lucas and I held ourselves against the door, digging our heels into the hardwood floor as the sound of wolves throwing themselves against the door sounded. We had passed Oma and Carlita as we ran through the woods towards the house. They had merely been standing there, watching us. Lucas had wanted to stop and scream for them to come help…but I had known that it would be pointless. They were meant to watch. Besides preparing me, those were their roles in this never-ending story. I had urged Lucas to continue running, to put as much distance between ourselves, Bloody Bones, and his wolves.
“I have to get to the cellar,” I said, twisting the deadbolt, flipping the lock on the knob and sliding the chain in place. “Come on!”
“Rob.” Lucas turned to look at me, his back still to the door.
“What?” I turned to look at him, my heart thundering, and my mind racing with the wish I had in my head. “What is it?”
“I don’t want to watch you go.” He said, his face a steel mask, though a single tear slid from his eye and over his cheek.
Simultaneously I hated and loved Lucas. I loved how much he didn’t want me to go, but I hated how I would have to do what I had to do all on my own. When I saw a tear slide from his other cheek, I couldn’t be mad any longer. I just wanted everything to be over.
“Okay.” I nodded, trying to not shed any of my own tears.
Lucas stared at me, tears rolling down his cheeks, trying to figure out what to say. Suddenly, his eyes flicked away from mine, landing on something to my side.
“Ernst!” Lucas bellowed as the sound of more wolves throwing themselves against the door met our ears. “Ernst, we need your help!”
I turned to find my best friend at my side, looking up at me with wide, terrified eyes.
“Ernst.” I sighed, no longer able to control my tears. “Hey.”
“’Ello, Rob.” He reached up to grab my hand.
“Ernst.” Lucas continued. “Go with Rob. Don’t let him be alone.”
“Wha’s ‘appnin’?” Ernst looked up at me, the terror replaced by wonder.
“I’m going to make this all stop,” I said, simply.
“I can’t do it, Ernst,” Lucas said, still bracing himself against the door as the chain rattled as the door was pounded on by wolves’ bodies. “But I don’t want him to be alone. Will you go with him?”
Ernst squeezed my hand, and a look of pride replaced all of the others.
“I’d be honored, Rob.” He said.
I smiled down at him, trying to stop my tears but finding myself unable. I didn’t want to leave Lucas, Ernst…I didn’t want any of this.
“Go!” Lucas screamed as a green light started shining through the front windows of the house.
Gasping at the sight of the light and Lucas’ form bathed in it, I pulled away from Ernst and ran over to my boyfriend. Quickly, I shoved my mouth over his. His lips accepted mine, and I felt the trail of tears on my cheek meld with the river of tears on his cheek. When I pulled back, Lucas looked more determined. I felt more determined.
“Even in death.” He nodded.
“Even then.” I nodded back.
“Go.” He stated simply.
Pushing away from Lucas so that I couldn’t second guess myself, I turned and ran towards the cellar door, grabbing Ernst’s arm on the way. Together, we ran hand and hand through the living room into the kitchen, and I threw open the cellar door. The two of us dashed down the steps as more pounding sounded from above, and everything around us seemed to be glowing in a green light. Running directly to the edge of the well, I let go of Ernst’s hand and climbed up on the wall of the well.
“Rob!” Ernst gasped. “Wha’ are you doin’?”
I looked down at my friend.
“Stopping all of this,” I said, simply.
“Don’!” He bellowed to be heard over the sounds upstairs. “Please, Rob!”
“I have to, Ernst.” I felt tears flowing freely over my cheeks. “It’s why I’m here. You know that.”
Tears were flowing from Ernst’s cheeks, too. I could see in his face that he wanted to say something, that he was trying to force himself to say something…but then his face turned into a steely mask like Lucas’ had. He simply nodded at me.
“Thank you for making sure I wasn’t alone,” I said. “I love you, Ernst.”
“I love you, too, Rob.” He responded, his back straightening, bringing him to his full height—which wasn’t that great. “An’ I am proud to ‘ave been yer friend.’”
“No prouder than I am to have been yours.” I smiled as warmly as I could.
Then, before we could say anything else that would delay or stop me, I turned and gazed down at the well. The green light wasn’t just coming from the windows upstairs…it was emanating out from the bottom of the well, too. I gazed down into its blinding depths and braced myself.
I wish…
I wish I could forget everything. I wish Bloody Bones was gone. I wish that Lucas, Ernst, and everyone I love could be safe again.
And then I was falling.
The world’s largest lucky penny.
It was dark when my eyes opened once again. I was in my room, lying on my bed. I wasn’t in my pajamas or under the covers. I was merely laying on top of the bed, fully clothed. The room was dark, and the moon and stars were twinkling in the sky outside of my window. A quick glance over to my bedside table let me know that it was well after midnight.
A flash of a memory—Oma’s hand on my forehead.
Whispered words.
I shook my head t
o clear my thoughts.
Why was I in bed like this? How did I get in bed? I didn’t remember ever walking up to my room and going to sleep. I had gone to have nachos at The Red Rooster Tavern and…then…I didn’t know.
Sitting up in my bed, I could sense that the house was deadly quiet. Oma must have already gone to bed. A shadow in the corner of my room moved. My head jerked to the side.
Was that…
I thought I saw a…little person?
A smile formed on my face at the thought. That was the most ridiculous thing ever. I was too old to be creeping myself out.
It’s time to go.
The thought entered my head like a bullet.
So…I slid off of the bed.
Next to where my feet landed was a suitcase on wheels, the handle extended, ready to be wheeled away.
And that’s what I did. I crept down the stairs, carrying the suitcase carefully the whole way, even stopping at Oma’s closed bedroom door to make sure she truly was asleep. Then I went out the front door, locking it behind myself, walked across the porch, and down into the yard. Turning to give the house one last look, I gave a sigh. Point Worth just wasn’t for me. I was meant for bigger things.
Hollywood.
California.
Not Podunk, Ohio.
I turned, let the suitcase fall to the ground, and wheeled it behind me as I walked towards the main road.
Did you see that?
Chapter 12
Oma, Lucas, and I stood inside the fence that surrounded the garden, staring down at the ground as Oma jabbed at it with a stick. Lucas was holding my hand, his body slumped against mine, leaning against me for strength. The rush of our memories being returned to us—in no particular order—had done a number on him. In all honesty, my knees still felt like they were jelly, and there was a pretty intense throbbing at the lower base of my skull above my spine. Getting memories back—real memories—and so many at one time, well, the human body just isn’t meant to handle such a thing. The walk up the stairs from the cellar and out to the garden had been challenging.