Flash Fiction: Dry Bones

Dry Bones

Genre: Mystery/Horror

Words (not including the title, genre, and word count): 248

The two teenage boys weren’t supposed to be there, of course. Not that it stopped them from sneaking into the oldest building in their neighbourhood. Life without risks was boring, right?

“Hey, Jason!” Kyle “Brick” Thompson said as he spotted an opening in the floor. “Come check this out! Think this place has a hidden basement?”

Jason fiddled with his silver jaguar necklace. “Maybe. Let’s check it out, bro.”

Brick moved the debris that was covering the opening aside. He was a strong boy, on the school wrestling team. It was easy for him. Jason was the exact opposite. Built for speed and agility rather than brute strength, he was the fastest runner on the track team.

“Got a flashlight?” Brick said.

“My phone has one.” Jason took out his smartphone and activated the flashlight before heading down. It wasn’t anything impressive, in his opinion. Just walls and concrete.

“Kinda boring,” Brick said. “Oh, hey, look there!”

Jason moved the flashlight over to a wall, stopping cold when he saw the old skeleton hanging out of the hole. “What the hell…”

“Man,” Brick said, “this is sick. Think we can take pictures and show it off at school tomorrow?”

Jason wasn’t listening. He was gripping his necklace. “Hey, Brick? How old do you think that skeleton is?”

“What? No clue, man. Probably as old as the building, so…a hundred years or so? Why?”

“…it’s…wearing my necklace…”