CHAPTER 1
Not-So-Funnybones
The Alden family loved nothing better than long family car trips. They enjoyed playing games, telling stories and jokes, and having roadside picnics. Even in the car, they kept themselves busy with jobs.
Grandfather Alden’s main job was driving, of course, plus laughing at his grandchildren’s jokes and listening to their plans.
Since twelve-year-old Jessie was the best map reader, her job was to give Grandfather directions.
Benny liked to help Grandfather with directions, too. Now that he was six, Benny could read. His job was to call out the road signs.
“Shady Lake, six miles!” he announced when they passed a sign on their way to visit Grandfather’s cousin Charlotte. “How far is that?”
“Way too far,” fourteen-year-old Henry joked. He had squeezed himself between Benny and their ten-year-old sister, Violet so the two younger children could have the window seats. Henry’s job was to not get twisted into a pretzel while Benny read road signs and Violet wrote in her diary.
“Don’t forget to write a page about the scary house,” Benny reminded his sister.
Now that the family was almost there, Jessie folded up the map and put it away. She unfolded a news clipping and a letter Grandfather’s cousin had sent the week before. “Cousin Charlotte says to watch for a fork in the road right after the general store. There’s a dirt road that goes to Skeleton Point if we want to stop. The other road goes to town.”
“Read the spooky part again,” Benny begged Jessie. “About the skeleton and the statues with no hands near the house at Skeleton Point.”
“I can’t, Benny. I have to watch the road,” Jessie said. “Besides, the article she sent is mainly about her buying Skeleton Point, and some silly things people said about the skeletons that are in the house.”
Grandfather drove slowly, looking for the turnoff. “Back when Charlotte and I were young, a real family lived there, not just skeletons for the medical school,” Grandfather said. “The two of us often rowed across the lake to Skeleton Point. We never did get a good look at the property itself, but now that Charlotte owns it, we will!”
“Why is it called Skeleton Point?” Benny asked.
Grandfather smiled in the rearview mirror. “Some local people used to say there was a burial vault on the property. But it turns out the whole family is buried in the town cemetery. I don’t think there’s any such thing.”
“What about the Walking Skeleton?” Benny asked. “Did you ever see that?”
Grandfather chuckled again. “Oh, that tale is something new — probably just someone pulling a prank. Charlotte said the story has to do with Dr. Tibbs’s skeleton collection. He was the last owner before Charlotte bought the place. He collected skeletons for the medical school. I gather he sometimes put them in the windows to scare off trespassers.”
A few minutes later, Benny forgot all about skeletons when he spotted his favorite kind of road sign: ICE CREAM AHEAD. “Can we stop? Lunch was a long time ago.”
Everyone in the car laughed. For Benny, lunch always seemed like a long time ago.
Grandfather pulled up in front of the Shady Lake General Store. The Aldens got out to stretch their legs.
Violet sniffed the fresh air. “I like that woodsy pine smell. Now I know we’re really on vacation.”
“I like stopping for ice cream,” Benny said. “That’s how I know we’re really on vacation.”
The children entered the old store. They made their way past fishing poles, garden rakes, and camping goods. When they came to a freezer fall of homemade ice cream, they lined up behind the other customers who were also waiting for cones.
Nearby, several older men and women sat in a booth. They were playing cards and eating ice cream with long spoons.
While he waited, Benny tried not to stare.
“Well, young fellow, I hope you’re not trying to see what cards I’m holding,” one of the cardplayers
Not-So-Funnybones
The Alden family loved nothing better than long family car trips. They enjoyed playing games, telling stories and jokes, and having roadside picnics. Even in the car, they kept themselves busy with jobs.
Grandfather Alden’s main job was driving, of course, plus laughing at his grandchildren’s jokes and listening to their plans.
Since twelve-year-old Jessie was the best map reader, her job was to give Grandfather directions.
Benny liked to help Grandfather with directions, too. Now that he was six, Benny could read. His job was to call out the road signs.
“Shady Lake, six miles!” he announced when they passed a sign on their way to visit Grandfather’s cousin Charlotte. “How far is that?”
“Way too far,” fourteen-year-old Henry joked. He had squeezed himself between Benny and their ten-year-old sister, Violet so the two younger children could have the window seats. Henry’s job was to not get twisted into a pretzel while Benny read road signs and Violet wrote in her diary.
“Don’t forget to write a page about the scary house,” Benny reminded his sister.
Now that the family was almost there, Jessie folded up the map and put it away. She unfolded a news clipping and a letter Grandfather’s cousin had sent the week before. “Cousin Charlotte says to watch for a fork in the road right after the general store. There’s a dirt road that goes to Skeleton Point if we want to stop. The other road goes to town.”
“Read the spooky part again,” Benny begged Jessie. “About the skeleton and the statues with no hands near the house at Skeleton Point.”
“I can’t, Benny. I have to watch the road,” Jessie said. “Besides, the article she sent is mainly about her buying Skeleton Point, and some silly things people said about the skeletons that are in the house.”
Grandfather drove slowly, looking for the turnoff. “Back when Charlotte and I were young, a real family lived there, not just skeletons for the medical school,” Grandfather said. “The two of us often rowed across the lake to Skeleton Point. We never did get a good look at the property itself, but now that Charlotte owns it, we will!”
“Why is it called Skeleton Point?” Benny asked.
Grandfather smiled in the rearview mirror. “Some local people used to say there was a burial vault on the property. But it turns out the whole family is buried in the town cemetery. I don’t think there’s any such thing.”
“What about the Walking Skeleton?” Benny asked. “Did you ever see that?”
Grandfather chuckled again. “Oh, that tale is something new — probably just someone pulling a prank. Charlotte said the story has to do with Dr. Tibbs’s skeleton collection. He was the last owner before Charlotte bought the place. He collected skeletons for the medical school. I gather he sometimes put them in the windows to scare off trespassers.”
A few minutes later, Benny forgot all about skeletons when he spotted his favorite kind of road sign: ICE CREAM AHEAD. “Can we stop? Lunch was a long time ago.”
Everyone in the car laughed. For Benny, lunch always seemed like a long time ago.
Grandfather pulled up in front of the Shady Lake General Store. The Aldens got out to stretch their legs.
Violet sniffed the fresh air. “I like that woodsy pine smell. Now I know we’re really on vacation.”
“I like stopping for ice cream,” Benny said. “That’s how I know we’re really on vacation.”
The children entered the old store. They made their way past fishing poles, garden rakes, and camping goods. When they came to a freezer fall of homemade ice cream, they lined up behind the other customers who were also waiting for cones.
Nearby, several older men and women sat in a booth. They were playing cards and eating ice cream with long spoons.
While he waited, Benny tried not to stare.
“Well, young fellow, I hope you’re not trying to see what cards I’m holding,” one of the cardplayers
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