River of Bones Read Online Free PDF Page A

and tied it securely under his scraggly chin. “Good thing you don’t have any lights on.” The old man leaned forward, his breath stinking of booze. “It attracts the spirits of the dead.” He narrowed his mangy eyes and cackled before turning to leave.
    I rushed inside the dark house and held the door open only long enough to see the light from his lantern disappear into the night. Shivering, I hugged Benny and thought about the creature I’d seen. What was it?
    The screen door banged open, I jumped as Wolf hurried inside, then caught myself smiling. Thank goodness he was alive!
    â€œThere’s some creeper unloading stuff on the porch—do you know him?” Wolf asked.
    â€œYeah, I mean no. He’s just dropping off some supplies. Did you find Scooter?”
    Wolf nodded. “What got into him? He was all freaked out.”
    â€œI’m not sure. I thought I saw something crawl out of the swamp, then Scooter wigged out, clawing at the door. Not sure if he wanted out to protect you or if he didn’t like being inside.” I held Benny tighter and looked around. “Not that I'd blame him for wanting out of here.”
    â€œNo doubt. This place reminds me of some old horror movie.” He reached over and flipped on the kitchen lights. They flickered, then held a steady, dim glow. “Maybe you saw a raccoon or wild boar that got stuck in the mud.”
    I shook my head. “I don’t know what it was. You didn’t see anything strange outside?”
    â€œOther than the Lantern Dude, no. Are you feeling okay?”
    â€œI nodded.” Great, he must've thought I was a total psycho by now. “Did you get the water turned on?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.
    â€œYep, give the electric a half hour or so and the water in the tank ought to be hot enough for a bath.” Wolf walked to the kitchen sink and turned on the tap. A hiss sounded, pipes rattled and banged. Finally, a stream of brown liquid burst from the nozzle. “You’ll have to let it run awhile.”
    A door I hadn’t noticed before stood to the left of the sink. A pantry? Or better yet, a bathroom? I couldn’t wait to wash the stink off me.
    Wolf glanced at his watch. “I better run. My mom is having a piano recital for her students and I promised to help. Sure hate to leave you alone out here, but duty calls.” He handed me the flashlight. “Take this in case the lights go out, and I’ll pack the boxes of supplies in.”
    â€œCool. Thanks.”
    Wolf jogged outside as I entered the living room and flipped on the lights. A dirty glow spilled over the room. Shrill whispers echoed in every dark corner. Standing stiff, feet frozen to the floor, I cocked my head and tried to make out the unnatural sounds. Was it the wind? Or something else? I shuddered, remembering what the old man had said about the ghost lights. He was obviously mental. A total drunk. Even so, his words burned into my brain.

    Sassy Smit drew back the lace curtains with knobby fingers the color of charred wood. For a long time she stood motionless, mouth dry, eyeing the swamp. Waiting. Listening. But there was nothing there. Nothing but the darkness. Maybe the unease gnawing at her gut was just the product of a feeble mind.
    A skitter of movement creased the bog. Her fears awakened. A teakettle whistled behind her, spitting water across the worn cook stove like a venomous snake. She ignored it, staring trance-like out the window.
    She parted her cracked lips, her tongue darting between them in a vain attempt to add moisture. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She could feel it in her achy bones. Lights suddenly glowed from the windows of the old plantation house. Her heart ticked like a racing stopwatch. Perspiration draped her brow. She released the curtains and wiped the wetness from her face. New people had come. Lord help them.
    Sassy shuffled to the stove. Her plain brown skirt