I’m Gonna Dig Myself a Hole
I shrieked and dropped my lantern, and it rolled over that brume all the way to the Old Man’s feet. I knew it was him. Something about the insides of his eye sockets looked familiar, or maybe it was his gumless grin. Same two decayed teeth in there, a little worse for wear.
“I suppose you wonder how it is I got down here.” He said it like it was completely logical for a skeleton to talk. Like I wouldn’t shit my pants or have a come-to-Jesus moment with my moonshine.
Instead, I slid on the cave floor when I turned to run, and I fell and hit my head. Light pinwheeled through my eyes, and I couldn’t see anything when it abated.
I could hear the Old Man, though. Breathing. His breath whipped through his ribs and whistled through the triangle in his skull where his nose should’ve been.
Clearly, I have made an abominable batch of moonshine, because I am hallucinating.
While my hands and feet scrabbled to gain purchase on the floor, the Old Man who really wasn’t there cackled and kicked my lantern along the floor.
“Might want to take that with you, if you’re gonna find your way out of here. Since I never did.”
I stared into the holes where his eyes should’ve been and tried to imagine the yellowed orbs that had been there when I knew him above. “How did you find this place, anyway?”
“Now, that is a secret, young man. Best not shared. But, there are other things I can show you. If you’re interested.”
He drummed his bony fingers along the wall, and my light flamed higher. Brighter. “I promise you, Son. The light will last as long as your need to see.”
A fiction series to explore a place. Who knows where I will go, but it will NOT be Wonderland. Read the first installment here.
Shudder…..
I’m still not sure this one is going to be a shudder in the end. We’ll see.
I’m with Karen, *shudder* Nice and goose pimply.
If a skeleton started talking to me, I’d do more than shudder.
You know why the old man was asleep down there? He was bone tired!! Ha!
If someone starts singing “dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones”, I am outa here. If I can find my way. With my faint light.
I already put that one on my blog. I love that song. It’s fun to sing.
Well…. I was just rerunning. Don’t pick on me!
Oh go ahead, pick on me. But I will get you back. Somehow. Someday.
I’m afraid of ghosts. Can I read this and not have a bad dream? Perhaps this is all a bad dream?
It might be the best dream. Who’s to say?
The Pit and the Pendulum springs to mind….
This is not to be compared with Poe, Lou.
Nice turn in the story, Andra! The dead DO have stories to tell…and no one better to listen than someone with no way out! I like!
We’ll see what he renders, Debra.
Jeez – I’m sleeping with the light on tonight Andra.
If you’re asleep by now, Jim…….BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Stop doing that Andra!
Just trying to catch up (once again!), Andra, so I’ve read this part first and then the first part (I never seem to do anything in the right order these days!). That Moonshine must be good stuff! I look forward to find out what happens next… and where this rabbit hole leads!
MTM is making his next batch of moonshine as I type.
Oooh, excellent yarn. Funnily enough Felix and I were down n Golumn’s cave with him and Bilbo this evening: and here I am with your hero and his spectre. Wonderful writing.
Glad to see that you are feeling better, Kate. I hope your adventure with Felix was grand.
We’re really enjoying the Hobbit as a bedtime story!
Oh! Love the combination of horror and humor here; terrifying but not without relief.
Laughter is the best release.