to go far to find a tale about a man or a woman. A horrifying vision in a nightmare. An eater of the soul. A taker of children. A myth. A legend.
While it was their beauty and their power that had initially attracted Bones to them, it was also their beauty and their power that held him in fear. Whatever they told him to do, he would do it, because he was terrified of them. And as more time passed, as he saw more and more of Ilya and Ernst, the more his fear grew. The more his fear grew, the more his respect grew. The more his respect grew, the more he wanted to be like them.
The stairway ended at a heavy wooden door. This was the door Bones was never allowed to enter without knocking. There were many times he had wanted to brazenly swing the door open, trying to catch them at something they didn’t want him to see. To get just a taste of the deeper mystery.
Bones took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Enter,” he heard Ernst say from the other side.
Bones put his hand on the old iron handle and pushed the door open.
Ernst and Ilya sat at the large stone table that looked like it had somehow grown from the stone of the floor. It never mattered where they were, what state or town they were in, this scene was always the same. There wasn’t any explanation for it, Bones knew.
“Hi,” Bones said, feeling dumb. He never knew how to greet them.
Neither of them said anything. They simply stared at him.
“You lost her,” Ilya said.
Bones nearly corrected her and said, “ Them . I lost them.” But he thought better of that. He didn’t want a bad situation to seem even worse.
“Yes,” Bones said. He guessed they could tell by his injuries.
“This is unacceptable,” Ilya said.
“I know.”
“If you know,” Ilya said, “then why did you bother coming at all. Why didn’t you run off when you had the chance?”
“Because I wanted to let you know I could make it up to you.”
Ilya smiled. It was a sick smile. It didn’t make Bones feel good at all. It was the kind of smile somebody wore when they were making fun of you.
“I’m sorry to say there isn’t going to be another chance.”
“Whaddya mean?”
“This is the end of the line.”
“But I want to continue on with you.”
“There is no continuing on. This is where we stop. This is where we belong.”
“Give me one more night. I promise I’ll bring you someone tomorrow. Hell, I could even bring you someone by morning, if you give me another chance.”
“No. It had to be her. You’re finished now.”
Bones felt anger flicker up through his body. “It can’t be over. Not just like that. Not after all I’ve done.”
“It can if we say that is how it is going to be. What do you expect to get from us anyway?”
“I want to be like you.”
“What does that mean?” Ilya asked. “Everyone seems to be saying that, ‘I want to be like you.’ But you don’t have any idea as to who or what we are.”
“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.”
Ernst stood up, unfurling his height, and looked at Bones.
“I have something I want to show you,” he said.
“I’d like to see anything you have to show me,” Bones said.
“Follow me, then.”
Ernst turned to his right and walked across the large stone room. Bones followed him. There was a door on that side of the room, to Bones’ left, that he had never noticed before. He wondered what was going to be in the room. He wondered if Ernst was about to show him the big secret, the thing that would help him to understand all of this.
Ernst pulled on the heavy door and it swung out from the frame.
The room was dark, not lighted up in the deathly blue that lighted the other rooms of the house. Ernst walked slowly over to a wall and held his hand up to a candle. He touched his finger to the wick and the candle came alive, bathing the room in a shimmering soft orange
While it was their beauty and their power that had initially attracted Bones to them, it was also their beauty and their power that held him in fear. Whatever they told him to do, he would do it, because he was terrified of them. And as more time passed, as he saw more and more of Ilya and Ernst, the more his fear grew. The more his fear grew, the more his respect grew. The more his respect grew, the more he wanted to be like them.
The stairway ended at a heavy wooden door. This was the door Bones was never allowed to enter without knocking. There were many times he had wanted to brazenly swing the door open, trying to catch them at something they didn’t want him to see. To get just a taste of the deeper mystery.
Bones took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Enter,” he heard Ernst say from the other side.
Bones put his hand on the old iron handle and pushed the door open.
Ernst and Ilya sat at the large stone table that looked like it had somehow grown from the stone of the floor. It never mattered where they were, what state or town they were in, this scene was always the same. There wasn’t any explanation for it, Bones knew.
“Hi,” Bones said, feeling dumb. He never knew how to greet them.
Neither of them said anything. They simply stared at him.
“You lost her,” Ilya said.
Bones nearly corrected her and said, “ Them . I lost them.” But he thought better of that. He didn’t want a bad situation to seem even worse.
“Yes,” Bones said. He guessed they could tell by his injuries.
“This is unacceptable,” Ilya said.
“I know.”
“If you know,” Ilya said, “then why did you bother coming at all. Why didn’t you run off when you had the chance?”
“Because I wanted to let you know I could make it up to you.”
Ilya smiled. It was a sick smile. It didn’t make Bones feel good at all. It was the kind of smile somebody wore when they were making fun of you.
“I’m sorry to say there isn’t going to be another chance.”
“Whaddya mean?”
“This is the end of the line.”
“But I want to continue on with you.”
“There is no continuing on. This is where we stop. This is where we belong.”
“Give me one more night. I promise I’ll bring you someone tomorrow. Hell, I could even bring you someone by morning, if you give me another chance.”
“No. It had to be her. You’re finished now.”
Bones felt anger flicker up through his body. “It can’t be over. Not just like that. Not after all I’ve done.”
“It can if we say that is how it is going to be. What do you expect to get from us anyway?”
“I want to be like you.”
“What does that mean?” Ilya asked. “Everyone seems to be saying that, ‘I want to be like you.’ But you don’t have any idea as to who or what we are.”
“Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.”
Ernst stood up, unfurling his height, and looked at Bones.
“I have something I want to show you,” he said.
“I’d like to see anything you have to show me,” Bones said.
“Follow me, then.”
Ernst turned to his right and walked across the large stone room. Bones followed him. There was a door on that side of the room, to Bones’ left, that he had never noticed before. He wondered what was going to be in the room. He wondered if Ernst was about to show him the big secret, the thing that would help him to understand all of this.
Ernst pulled on the heavy door and it swung out from the frame.
The room was dark, not lighted up in the deathly blue that lighted the other rooms of the house. Ernst walked slowly over to a wall and held his hand up to a candle. He touched his finger to the wick and the candle came alive, bathing the room in a shimmering soft orange
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