The kid from Edison

Jacob was wishing he hadn’t worn the mummy costume. The wind was starting to bite through it, unlike his twin who wore a coat over her witch’s outfit. Jacob chuckled to himself, the only witch Meghan could be is a good witch.

"You have better candy than I got.” Whined Duncan.

Jacob sighed, wondering how Duncan ended up tagging along tonight.

Duncan pointed towards one of Meghan’s candy bars. "Gimme your Viking chocolate bar, I like em’ better than these carmel ones."

" I like the Viking bar too" replied Meghan.

Duncan tossed a caramel bar at Meghan, reached over, and snatched the Viking bar out of her hand, and began to chew on the bar.

"Hey, give that back to her.” Yelled Jacob.

Duncan stared at Jacob, his mouth open, chocolate staining his teeth. He reached into his bag and tossed a few candies at Meghan. "There we're even."

Meghan picked up her bag, leaving the tossed candies on the ground. "Jacob lets go home."

"let’s go home." Mimicked Duncan. "Why? There’s tons more candy out there".

"It’s cold and dark.” Said Meghan.

"Ooh, it's dark" Taunted Duncan. "You afraid of the dark?”

Jacob said firmly. "Shut up Duncan. Come on Meghan, let’s go.”

" What'd ya say to me, ya little turd."?

"I said, we are going home."

Duncan stood up and approached the twins when they heard a soft voice whisper in the dark.

“Do you want to play?”

Duncan grabbed Meghan, spun around and shoved her in front of himself.

Meghan was the first to recover, she reached into her bag pulling out a flashlight, turning it on, pointing it in the direction of the voice. In the shadow of the building was a little boy, with a dark complexion and a shock of curly hair. He appeared to be half their age, no more than seven.

"What?” Asked Jacob

"Do you want to Play?”

Duncan spoke up. “No, we don’t want to play with you, get lost.”

In a kind tone Jacob responded. “Uh, no sorry it’s to late to play.” He wasn’t even sure who this kid was.

" Oh, ok. Would you like to see a dead Body? " The little boy innocently asked.

"There’s no dead body." Stammered Duncan, looking around.

Meghan knelt in front of the little boy. She didn’t recognize him, their town wasn't that big, but they didn’t know Duncan either, he just joined them. Meghan knew most of the children in town, and he wasn’t one of them.

"What's your name?" Meghan inquired. "You're not from here, are you?”

The little boy looked up at Meghan and in a soft voice said. "I'm Daniel, I’ve been here two days."

"Hi Daniel, I'm Meghan, the mummy here is my brother Jacob, and the annoying Pirate is Duncan.”

"Where are you from?” Asked Jacob.

"Who cares." Snarled Duncan.

"I do." Said Jacob and Meghan at the same time.

The little boy took a step back, visibly frightened of Duncan. " I live in Edison."

Meghan and Jacob exchanged knowing glances. There was a big explosion at the Mine in the town of Edison just a few days ago. Their parents told them that the town had been evacuated due to gas leaks. People from there were pouring into their town and staying in the motel, also in the homes of anyone willing to put them up. Their parents told them that a family would be staying with them soon. There was even talk of not doing Halloween this year. They assumed that Duncan came from there as well.

"Oh, I am so sorry." comforted Meghan.

"What about the dead body, where is this body supposed to be anyway.” Duncan asked.

Danniel pointed behind him. "Inside that building."

Jacob stepped back and looked up, he never even realized that they took shelter behind the funeral home. Yep, if there was a dead body to see, it would be in there.

An old character home was converted into the town funeral home, nestled amongst a ring of fir trees, with a cobble path that led to the two huge front doors. The stone building was one of the first homes built in the settlement. Some said it used to be a church, others said it belonged to the rich landowner who brought in the rail line. Either way it was an impressive building.

"I can let you in and you can see it".

Duncan shuffled his feet, clearly shaken. "How do you know there is a body in there?"

Daniel replied. “Because we are staying with the Andersons."

Duncan had a blank look. "What?”

Jacob answered. "They own the funeral home."

"The Anderson’s are really nice.” Daniel said softly. "My mom is sad all the time, I try to talk to her but she just cries. Mrs. Anderson sits with her."

Duncan shoved candy in his mouth. "They sound creepy and weird.”

Jacob and Meghan were debating how to reply to that comment, before they could say anything Daniel spoke up and shaking his head said, " No, Mr. Anderson is kind, he talks to me all the time, he treats me good.”

"So, do you want to see it?" continued Daniel.

Just then a light rain began to fall. "I don’t think so, but thanks for asking." said Meghan.

"Go home then." Cried Duncan, "I'll go."

Jacob and Meghan gathered their things and started to walk home. Duncan called after them. "Fine if you're scared, we don’t have to go in, wait up chickens I'll walk with you."

Daniel cocked his head and challenged Duncan "I thought you wanted to see a dead body? Do you need Jacob and Meghan to be there with you?”

Jacob laughed. "It's all good Duncan, we’ll be fine, go have fun in the funeral home."

Duncan felt cornered. "Sure, I'll go in, come on little man, this better be worth it."

Duncan and Daniel disappeared around the back of the building.

"Come on Meghan."

Meghan didn’t move. “We can’t leave Daniel with Duncan, who knows what he'll do, he's a bully who’s scared, and that’s the worst kind." She started walking to the back of the building.

Jacob knew better than to try to talk his sister out of joining the other two. She would never leave someone as vulnerable as Daniel with a dork like Duncan.

As the twins came around the corner, they only saw Duncan. “Where is Daniel?”

Duncan spun around, “Wha… Oh it’s you two. I don’t know, I think he went in.”

"Are we sure we should be doing this?” Meghan stated.

Duncan strode over to the door and under his breath snorted, "Baby." Then opened the door and went in.

Meghan and Jacob followed, they walked into a cold and dark room, there was a strange smell that they couldn’t identify, but it burned their lungs when they breathed.

Looking around, they didn’t see Daniel. Calling out quietly. "Daniel, are you here, where are you?”

The three kids looked around. A steel table with hoses was tucked off to their left, Stainless-steel cabinets lined the back. In the far-right side corner there was no doubt about what was there, stacked against the wall were coffins.

Meghan walked to a pair of swinging doors that were directly ahead of them, Jacob followed with Duncan right on his heels.

Jacob stepped in front of the other two, slowly pushing open the doors while calling out quietly. "Daniel, are you there?”

In the shadows they heard Daniels voice. "I'm here, up front by the coffin."

Their eyes adjusted to the subdued lighting in a small Chapel, with rows of benches on either side. At the front was a pulpit and beside that a closed coffin on a stand. Standing alone was Daniel who smiled and waved.

Duncan nudged Jacob and whispered in his ear. "I dare you to touch the body."

Jacob shook Duncan away. "Shut up.”

The building gave a slight shudder and groan as the wind picked up.

"Come on I dare you." Duncan proceeded to make a clucking noise like a chicken. The lights flickered and Duncan shut up.

Suddenly the lights went out, it was pitch black, they couldn't see anything, not even each other. All they heard was Duncans heavy breathing.

In a cracking high pitch voice Duncan cried. "Where'd the lights go."

Jacob called out, "Don't move, Meghan, turn your flashlight back on."

Meghan fumbled for the flashlight. The light was dim.

"Come over here." Daniel whispered. "There are some candles we can light."

"Candles"? Questioned Duncan.

"Prayer Candles, people light them and say a prayer for someone they love." Answered Meghan

Once they were in front of the candles, Meghan shone the light on the offering table, which had glass containers with colorful paintings of saints and inside the glass container were candles.

Jacob saw a box of long wooden matches. The match flared to life, casting shadows against the wall. Carefully he lit a few candles. Which was perfect timing because just as he lit the first one, Meghan’s flashlight went out.

"Batteries must be dead."

They each took a candle and held it in front of them, straining their eyes towards the pulpit, they saw Daniel standing by the coffin looking up at them. "Duncan come here."

"Why me"

"Because you’re the strongest, open the lid, I can’t. "

" I don’t think we should open the casket.” Replied Jacob.

Duncan walked over to the coffin, placed one hand on the lid. "Jacob might be right, maybe we should just go.”

"Please open it." Pleaded Daniel

Meghan looked at the child, who had the saddest look on his face. Then it dawned on her, people died in the accident at the mine in Edison. The body inside the coffin was someone he knew, but he was too small to open the Lid."

Meghan picked up a candle and joined the boys. "Open the Lid, let him see."

Duncan mumbled. "Yeah, but why me?" Setting his candle down, he placed both hands on the coffin lid and began to lift. It was heavier than he thought yet strangely easy to open.

They crowded around the opening and peered inside. It was dim, and they had to lean in, close. They saw the outline of the body, with hands crossed over each other resting on the chest. In the fingers lay a rosary. It was still too dark, Meghan held her candle closer to the body, smelling the same scent, they had in the back room, only fainter. Leaning in closer their eyes moved upward toward the shoulder, the neck, the face.

The face.

All three felt a strangling sensation in their throat, a force of air escaping from their lips, they couldn’t breathe. Meghan’s head was spinning.

Jacob tried to back away, but his costume caught on something in the casket. "Help me.”

Ignoring Jacobs cry for help, Duncan pushed himself away so hard that he tripped on his own feet and fell heavily to the ground, cracking his head on to the floor.

Meghan gulped in some air. How hadn't she noticed it before, how could she miss what was so clear. They shouldn't have come. Meghan looked around, taking in the surroundings, holding the candle higher. The coffin was too small for a grown man, it was a child’s casket. She glanced inside once more, there was no mistaking the face, the shock of curly dark hair, the soft cheeks. No, there was no mistake.

Meghan stuttered. "This looks like ... "

"Like me." A tiny voice replied. " I told you Mr. Anderson was good to me. He took away most of the burns.”

She couldn't breathe as she looked at the coffin then she saw another tiny coffin, and another, and yet another, there were five more tiny caskets.

Daniel approached her, there was a sad look in his eyes as he glanced at the other coffins. "It was, bring your child to work day".

Meghan began to shiver uncontrollably, staring at the little boy, she couldn’t find any words to say except one. "Why"

A cold gust of wind came from no-where and every-where, extinguishing the Candles and with it the light, the place fell into darkness.

Several tiny shades appeared beside Daniel, in the blackness a choir of voices whispered.

" Do you want to Play."

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I originally wrote this years ago and wanted to adapt it for the Kenny Penn challenge but the first draft was 3500 words, I cut it down to this and it is still to long. My style has changed alot since I wrote this story. Kenny I'll write another one for you.

Jason