The Storyteller

By David Vorhees “Awake!” I heard a voice tell me. “Wake up fraud.” It said as I rose from deepened state of sleep. I rubbed my eyes to try and knock the sleep out of the. When I opened them, the room was dark. “Why did you do it?” A voice asked from the corner of the room. It was too dark to see make out anything and my eyes had yet to adjust. “Answer Me!” It screamed at me. “I don’t know what you, who you are, or what you’re talking about! I said back to whoever was in my room. “How did you get in here?” I asked. “I’m calling the police.” I said before he had a chance to answer my questions. I reached for my phone but it was gone. Then a light came on. It was firelight from the electric fireplace I had in my room across from my bed. I slowly turned to look at my intruder. My heart froze when I saw him there. It was just as I imagined him. A skeleton creature with ram horns and skeleton hooves. It had no skin, no fur, just thick bones, that was more of an exoskeleton. He had amber red eyes that bore through me to my very soul. It was The Boneman. “I was born here.” He said. “Born to your inferiority. You conjured me up and when I was ready, I came to you; I gave you my story to tell the world and you ruined it. You ruined me.” He said this with a mixture of anger and sadness. “I told the story as I saw it.” I said “If it wasn’t the story, you wanted told them you should have told me the correct...” “I TOLD YOU MY STORY and, and you mixed with one of your other things.” The Boneman said. “What do you want of me?” I asked. “I told the story I was given, if you want a new story told then tell me a new story.” “I don’t want a new story, storyteller. I want my story.” He said venomously. “Well then tell me your story and I will write it as you want.” I said. I am the Boneman. I do not want or need the souls of humans.” He said. “Then what do you want?” I asked. I felt like he was being deliberately difficult. “I want the bones of the living.” He said. “What?” I asked. “I don’t… I don’t understand.” “Let me show you.” He said and started to head towards my bed. He didn’t come towards me though, but towards my wife who was sleeping. “Now wait a...” I started to say but he looked at me with those amber, red eyes and I froze. I couldn’t move or speak; I could only watch him as he raised a finger to his mouth as to hush me. Then he grabbed my wife buy the bad of the neck; his finger went into her neck I watched the blood began to run down her neck. Then he ripped a part of her spine out, I could hear her scream as she woke from the pain. The Boneman then put his mouth on the tip of the broken, exposed spine. He began to eat and suck all the bones from her body. After a moment she quit screaming but I could see the tears roll out of her eyes. I saw the light leave them; I saw the moment she died. I couldn’t scream out loud, but in my head, I was screaming. Tears spilled out of my own eyes. then he was done and when he looked at me, he seemed to smile. His eyes had grown a deeper shade of red, less like amber and more like blood. “That is what I want you to tell the world storyteller.” He said and with that I could speak again, I could move. “NO!” I screamed. “I WONT DO IT… and you cant make me. “I said as I reached for my dead love. “Oh, you will.” He said. “You will or I will come back.” In my haste I said “I don’t care. Kill me if you want. I don’t care.” “I wont kill you storyteller. Not yet, not as long as I need you.” he said walking to my side of the bed and grabbing me by my throat.” When I come back, I won’t come to this room but to the one down the hall. How old is he? 10. The young taste so sweet.” He let go of me and walked back to the corner from where I first heard his voice. I froze for the second time that night. In my anger and grief, I had forgotten about my son. I couldn’t speak. I just lowered my head in defeat. “Say it. I want to hear you say it.” he said. I nodded and said “Ok. I will write it. I will write it the way you want me to.” “Good.” He said while laughing and then the light went out and it was dark. His voice was gone, he was gone. Almost like he was never there, but I knew he had been because I had the proof lying next me. So, I told his story just as he wanted me too. He has yet to return, but I know one day he will return and when he does, I will kill him or he will kill me.