The Return of Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac

Author:Joseph Bruchac
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2010-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

10

Walking the Field

One thing that scary movies never really focus on is all the times when nothing happens. They make it seem as if one frightening thing always happens right after another without any letup. But life isn’t like that. Sometimes, for long stretches of time, nothing at all happens. You just find yourself waiting, and waiting, and not really knowing what is going to happen or when.

And that is how it has been for the rest of the day, after Mom and Dad and I had our conversation about Skeleton Man. We talked it over and came to what we thought were good decisions.

“Should we call the police?” I asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” Mom said.

Dad nodded. “All we have are suspicions, Molly girl. You think you saw something. And Mom and I both have that kind of sixth-sense tingle at the back of our neck. The kind of feeling which my gramma said meant something was looking your way that you didn’t want to meet. And you’ve got your dreams. But it doesn’t mean as much as a hill of beans to the authorities. We’d have to have some solid evidence. Something you could sink your teeth into.”

“More than a candy skull?” I said.

It wasn’t that funny, but I giggled as I said it and then both Dad and Mom were laughing. It released the tension we were all sensing and made us feel so much better. We could still laugh and be together. Everything could still turn out all right.

We came up with sort of a plan. A big part of it was to all be on our guard. I would stay close to either Mom or Dad the rest of the time we were here. We wouldn’t leave Mohonk until the conference was over, because we couldn’t be sure that we really were in danger. No foolish risks, though. No shopping trip down to New Paltz. No more of my solo hikes along the trails or down darkened corridors.

But we wouldn’t act like timid little mice who suspect they are being stalked by a cat. If we just cut and ran every time we got worried, our lives wouldn’t belong to us anymore. We’d never be at peace if all we did was try to escape. And besides, we would be here only two more days. Not only that, this was such a special, beautiful place. If we let our fear of something that might or might not happen prevent us from enjoying it, then Skeleton Man really would have won.

One thing that is different now is that I have a cell phone. After all that happened, when it was over, Dad gave me one to keep with me wherever I go.

“Indian telepathy is okay,” he said, “but this way I can hear your voice when you need to talk to me.”

We both chuckled about that reference to my sixth sense. In the old, old days, some of our elders say, people could really communicate with each other mind-to-mind.

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