Dust and Bones

Three bandits rode down the outskirts of an old, bombed out ghost town. The rumble of their combustion engines a symbol of their status and wealth. Petrol was a rare and precious resource and viewed as a rich mans commodity. Captain Richards wasn’t by any means a wealthy man, but he was inventive, adaptive and conditioned to life in the hard world.

Alongside him rode his two grunts, Sammy and Tori. Two low ranking thugs assigned partly for protection but also to ensure absolute loyalty to the Crusade. Yes the Crusade could be a most profitable ally if you played your cards right, but any mistakes could lead to a most unfortunate and untimely fate.

The three bandits pulled up at the edge of town, and looked west to the pale blue and orange horizon. The sun would soon set. “I think that’d be our cue to scoot, Cap’n. I don’t wanna know what stalks these streets in the night.” Cautioned Sammy.

“Look at these houses Sammy,” Returned Richards as he gestured down the street of apartments and terrace houses “most of them are fully intact! There’s bound to be some valuable pieces here, and well preserved.”

“Well why don’t we come back?” Sammy hastily replied, his fat sausage fingers fidgeted nervously. “I dunno what’s in these buildings but I don’t see why we gotta find out now, and I sure as hell don’t wanna end up some gangly thing’s late night snack!”

“As much as I hate to say this, I agree with Sammy.” Tori chimed in. “It’s getting late Richards.”

“We got forty minutes until it’s dark and-”

“It’s dark now!” Interrupted Sammy. “We gonna run outta time.”

The Captain looked again down the Derelict street, the cold Grey houses looked almost vibrant as the sunset cast a bright orange light over them. “Okay look, the way I see it we have two options. We either sample search one of these buildings, or you two go back and I’ll meet you at the station. There’s a good chance these houses have some profitable items that’ll more than meet our quota”

Sammy and Tori shared a look of begrudging agreement. “Alroight,” said Sammy, “We’ll do it, but lets not faff abouts. In, and out. Now, which one you thinkin’?”

“How bout this one?” The Captain indicated to the two story terrace house they were stopped in front of. They all looked up at the building, now that they had agreed to look inside it looked dark and foreboding.

“Yeaaa okayyy,” Sammy forced out with great effort, “You go ahead and I’ll be right behind ya, how’s that sound?”

Richards said nothing. He flicked on the flashlight on his rifle, kicked the front door in and was swallowed by the darkness. Tori followed a second later, her pistol drawn. Sammy cursed under his breath, pulled out his shotgun and with a deep breath lunged into the unlit door.

Rats squeaked and scuttled into their hiding holes. Once his eyes had adjusted, Richards saw he was in a narrow corridor. To his left was a dimly lit lounge room. Orange rays of sunlight shone through the slits in the boarded window, highlighting the dust that filled the room. Tori darted in and began pulling up rugs, emptying shelves and ripping up the cushions of the couches. She pulled out a small bag from a couch containing a fine white powder and examined it closely. Further up onthe left he saw what looked to be a laundry and toilet. Directly ahead he could see an old kitchen and to his right a staircase to the upper level.

Sammy fumbled through the kitchen cupboards and drawers, “Spoons, do ya reckon they’d like spoons Cap’n? What about these tiny forks?”

“that’s silver Sammy, put it all in the bag” commanded Richards, as he grabbed a bottle of bourbon off the top shelf. Next to it sat a cookie jar, he took it off the shelf and opened the lid. Looking inside he saw a bundle of hundred dollar notes. After a discreet look over his shoulder he saw Sammy still more than distracted bagging up the cutlery and slipped the notes into his back pocket.

Tori walked into the kitchen and leant against the small table, glancing briefly towards the half-eaten sandwich that was probably older than her, “Lounge and laundry cleared, nothin’ amazing but itll turn a nice profit.”

“And you checked the toilet?” Questioned Richards.

“Just like you taught me, Captain.” Tori smiled and tossed him a large bag of powder. “Top deck had a big ol’ bag of fun powder, seems the residents had some real shenanigans going. Mind you I am not fan of the menu, how does tuna still pong after thirty years?”

“Good, good.” Replied the captain, “Lets take a look upstairs, then get outta here.”

Sammy and Tori looked uneasy, “Captain, the sun’s nearly set.” Said Tori.

“The bedrooms are upstairs,” replied Richards, “There’s bound to be good stuff up there.”

“Okay,” said Tori, “Lets do it.”

Richards lead the way up the stairs, the light on his rifle cut the dark with a bright beam that found its mark on the closed wooden door at the top of the stairs. Sammy and Tori pointed their guns to the two open doors on the right. A very faint light came through an open window in one of those rooms, ever so slightly illuminating the corridor outside. They reached the closed door. The Captain kept his gun raised, the light fixed on the door. Dark places like this were extremely dangerous, especially at the end of the day when dark things began to stir and shadows moved. Much of the time light proved a more effective protection than bullets.

The Captain gently placed a hand on the doorknob and twisted, locked. He took a step back, his flashlight still focused on the door. He lunged in and planted the heel of his heavy boot hard next to the doorknob. With a loud crack the door swung open, a chunk of wood and the doorknob went skittering across the floor and came to rest at a pair of feet. The three bandits immediately raised their weapons, Sammy jumped back in a flustered fright and Tori gave out a small squeak before going red with embarrassment.

Richards pressed his rifle firmly into his shoulder and charged into the room. He stopped about two paces short of the figure, a deceased skeletal man sat slumped against the wall next to an open window. The chill evening breeze blew the old tattered curtain like a white flag. Dry leaves crunched under his feet as he turned. To his left an old queen bed, the sheets half blown off. On either side of the bed sat a small cupboard, on the left a night lamp and to the right an old clock. Above the bed was a shelf with a sad mouldy teddy. The paint on the walls was cracked peeling not unlike dead skin. He turned and moved quickly to the other side of the room where he saw a closet, the slated door partially open. He approached cautiously and opened it with the barrel of his rifle, then in another motion he swiped all the clothing to one side. He sighed, “All clear.”

A sense of momentary calm came over the room as the threebegan to breathe again. “Cute, I think I'll name him Bones.” Mocked Tori.

Sammy looked out the window, “We best get a move on, suns half set!” Richards looked down to the street below, it was already getting dark.

Sammy went straight for the closet a began sifting through clothes and drawers, while tori half disappeared under the bed. The Captain’s gaze fell upon the skeleton man. He wondered who he was, what he did, how he came to end up next to that window in his last moments, carrying nothing but an old holophone and... a necklace?

The Captain knelt down and under closer inspection saw that the man was clutching a locket, it was heart shaped and made of gold. It was small and delicate, but yet so fine and beautiful. Such things simply didn’t exist anymore. Richards held the little thing gently in his hands, and as his palms warmed its cold shell and his thumb gently caressed its smooth edges, it popped open. Inside was a lock of hair and a little light projected a holographic picture of a girl.

He looked at the image for a few moments and it changed to a montage. A series of images played out in front of his eyes, images of the girl and a man he assumed was the skeleton. Nights out, hiding under the sheets, getting married, smiling, laughing, two happy faces. A lifetime of happy memories. In mere moments the Captain witnessed more joy and happiness than he had experienced in his entire life and he started to envy the skeleton man. His face twinged as he began to piece together the situation, and his attention shifted to the holophone.

Richards opened up the phone and to his astonishment it lit up, revealing a display of messages, the latest dated back thirty three years. He picked a random entry and tapped it. A lens activated and projected a girl, the same girl as the locket. She expressed how happy and proud she was that he got that job, how much he meant to her and how she couldn’t wait for dinner. “Dinner thirty five years ago.” He thought to himself, it was a strangely tragic thought.

Pressed for time he decided to review the last three entries, he tapped the third entry. It was the girl again. It began with “hi Honey,” she went on ask if there were anything he needed whileshe was out getting things for dinner. The next entry was of a man Richards assumed was a co-worker, talking about a shipment that needed to loaded “ASAP”.

The last entry was from the girl again, but she seemed distressed. People could be seen rushing around her in a frantic panic. “Where are you Honey?” she cried “I’m at the station, please you have to get here now the trains about to leave! I have two tickets and ill be waiting for you-” Richards heard screams and a loud bang. The girl turns away and the holomessage abruptly cuts out, leaving the captain with a static light for a moment before returning to the main display. After a brief pause he closed it up and put it in his pocket. A single tear landed on the skeleton man’s cold dead hand as the Captain closed the heart shaped locket and returned it.

“What you think ya doin’?” Sammy asked in disbelief, “That thing’d be worth a fortune!”

“It stays.” Replied the captain.

“Well, If you ain’t gonna take it I will-” Sammy’s eyes went wide as the Captain raised his gun and pressed it under Sammy’s Chin. Tori froze.

“It stays.” He repeated.

“Alroight! Alroight! It stays! Whatever you want!” Pleaded Sammy. “Just git that thing outta my face!”

The Captain lowered his gun, “Out. Now.” The two thugs said nothing and scurried out the door. He took a deep breath and started to follow. As he went to open the door he saw a message written in blood. “You are but dust, yet you are all that will ever be.” He turned to look at the skeleton and the two locked gazes, and the captain felt something he never had before.

As the sounds of the motorbike engines filled the night, the skeleton remained. The locket safely kept in his hand, popped open. And as the three bandits vanished into the dark, the little gold heart played the skeleton a lullaby as it showed him the love of a life so long ago.

Riley Byrne