The Terrible Revenance of Grandfather Bones

The Terrible Revenance of Grandfather Bones
By: William Tooker
Grandfather Bones woke with a groan and rolled his stone away. How could I ever forget (no, not on a bet) how he came back from death to play? I have to admit from the end of my wits I saw him rattling home that day. He went right in while sporting no skin and frightened the grandkids away. Grandmother Bones, she wasn't home she had gone to church to pray. Seems while cleaning her home; she found an old tome her late husband had hidden away. Dark were the birds who carried the words that she read aloud that May. Awakened were things with leathery wings that lived where sinners go to pay. When he looked in my eyes I couldn't devise a word in the world to say. It would have killed me with kindness to strike me with blindness to just let me look away. At what do you look? He asked because he took offense at my fearful gaze. What would you do if he were looking at you, this creature from the grave? Give me no grief, just your belief that I began to tremble and to shake. My eyes cast around and saw on the ground a tarnished yellow rake. Lord forgives my offenses, but I left my senses and without thought I bespake. I'm looking at you and your rotting sinews, you horrible ghoulish mistake. But I'm here for three rounds because it sounds like trouble you're looking to make. Like a river of souls, his laughter it flowed as my sanity began to break. I like your stones said Grandfather Bones, and his hand he was content to stay. It's my wife I was called to, and I can see that I appall you but I have no plans to stay. I saw her just then as she'd come 'round the bend to home she was making her way. But your wife seems so old, why be so bold as to come now to take her away? Eliza took an oath, and now it's time for us both to bed down in the devils hoary flame. Once she read aloud the book her faith forsook so her end will come today. It was then I heard the yell, Grampa Hiram's back from hell, we must help Gramma make her escape! And of course he heard it, his attention it diverted long enough for me to grab the rake. Grandfather Bones took to his heels drawn by his wife's frightened squeals giving me but one shot to take. Pop went his head, making him no more or less dead and I feared I made a mistake. His noggin how it rolled while his neck spewed a cold that iced up Granby's Lake. You'll steal no more souls to bed down in hellish coals and slowly through eternity bake. The grandkids were rejoicing and did not hear the head voicing the last sounds it would ever make. You have won today, but this curse won't go away and my thirst I mean to slake. Every shadow will remind you how I will come up from behind you and your soul eternally take. And the cold light in his eyes, it finally died and that was all I could take. So I ran for the hills, still shivering with chills and holding that splintered rake. Now please learn this lesson, my tortured confession, which I promise, hasn't been faked. The dead have been known to walk, and sometimes they even talk believe it for goodness sake. When others don't believe you, and say you've been deceived too tell them you heard it from Jake.

By: William Tooker

Grandfather Bones woke with a groan
and
rolled his stone
away.
How could I ever forget
(no, not on a bet)
how he came back from death to play?
I have to admit
from the end of my wits
I saw him rattling home that day.
He went right in
while sporting no skin
and frightened the grandkids away.

Grandmother Bones,
she wasn't home
she had gone to church to pray.
Seems while cleaning her home;
she found an old tome
her late husband had hidden away.
Dark were the birds
who carried the words
that she read aloud that May.
Awakened were things
with leathery wings
that lived where sinners go to pay.

When he looked in my eyes
I couldn't devise
a word in the world to say.
It would have killed me with kindness
to strike me with blindness
to just let me look away.
At what do you look?
He asked because he took
offense at my fearful gaze.
What would you do if he were looking at you,
this creature from the grave?

Give me no grief,
just your belief
that I began to tremble and to shake.
My eyes cast around
and saw on the ground
a tarnished yellow rake.
Lord forgives my offenses,
but I left my senses
and without thought I bespake.
I'm looking at you
and your rotting sinews,
you horrible ghoulish mistake.
But I'm here for three rounds
because
it sounds
like trouble you're looking to make.
Like a river of souls,
his laughter it flowed
as my sanity began to break.
I like your stones said Grandfather Bones,
and his hand he was content to stay.
It's my wife I was called to, and I can see that I appall you but I have no plans to stay.
I saw her just then as she'd come 'round the bend
to home she was making her way.
But your wife seems so old,
why be so bold
as to come now to take her away?
Eliza took an oath,
and now it's time for us both
to bed down in the devils hoary flame.
Once she read aloud the book
her faith forsook
so her end will come today.

It was then I heard the yell,
Grampa Hiram's back from hell,
we must help Gramma make her escape!
And of course he heard it,
his attention it diverted
long enough for me to grab the rake.
Grandfather Bones took to his heels
drawn by his wife's frightened squeals
giving me but one shot to take.
Pop went his head,
making him no more or less dead
and I feared I made a mistake.

His noggin how it rolled
while his neck spewed a cold
that iced up Granby's Lake.
You'll steal no more souls
to bed down in hellish coals
and slowly through eternity bake.
The grandkids were rejoicing
and did not hear the head voicing
the last sounds it would ever make.
You have won today,
but this curse won't go away
and my thirst I mean to slake.
Every shadow will remind you
how I will come up from behind you and your soul eternally
take.
And the cold light in his eyes,
it finally died
and that was all I could take.
So I ran for the hills,
still shivering with chills
and holding that splintered rake.

Now please learn this lesson,
my tortured confession,
which I promise, hasn't been faked.
The dead have been known to walk,
and sometimes they even talk
believe it for goodness sake.
When others don't believe you,
and say you've been deceived too
tell them you heard it from Jake.

William Tooker is from Ohio. He's lived in San Francisco, Oakland CA, Clearwater Florida and now resides in Denver, CO. He is finishing up a short story collection that includes the Monster's Next Door story Bad Angels called "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" and is collaborating with Artist/Animator Kevin Gentilcore on The "Never Send a Monster" animation and "Zombie Like Me" guide to life for the Differently Animated. He does three voices in the animated feature "Teenage Love Zombies."

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