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[18+] "Good Bones” by Galen LK (part 2 of 2, read by Icefang)
[18+] In his new home, the ghosts of the past lurk in the space behind mirrors, but Eren isn’t sure that they’re willing to stay there...
Tonight’s story is the second and final part of “Good Bones” by Galen LK. This is his debut fiction in the furry fandom. Like all coyotes, he is elusive and mysterious, but you can often find him on Discord, Telegram, and Bluesky.
Read by Icefang, in the Cozy Corner of the Cafe.
thevoice.dog | Apple podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
If you have a story you think would be a good fit, you can check out the requirements, fill out the submission template and get in touch with us.
https://thevoice.dog/episode/18-good-bones-by-galen-lk-part-2-of-2
Transcript
You’re listening to The
Speaker:Ghost
Speaker:of
Speaker:Dog
Speaker:The
Speaker:Voice
Speaker:of Dog.
Speaker:This
Speaker:is
Speaker:Rob
Speaker:MacWolf,
Speaker:your
Speaker:fellow
Speaker:traveler,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Tonight’s story
Speaker:is
Speaker:the
Speaker:second
Speaker:and
Speaker:final
Speaker:part
Speaker:of “Good
Speaker:Bones”
Speaker:by
Speaker:Galen
Speaker:LK.
Speaker:This
Speaker:is
Speaker:his
Speaker:debut
Speaker:fiction
Speaker:in
Speaker:the furry fandom. Like all coyotes, he is
Speaker:elusive
Speaker:and
Speaker:mysterious, but
Speaker:you
Speaker:can
Speaker:often
Speaker:find
Speaker:him
Speaker:on
Speaker:Discord,
Speaker:Telegram,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Bluesky.
Read
by
Speaker:Icefang,
Speaker:in
Speaker:the
Speaker:Cozy
Speaker:Corner
Speaker:of
Speaker:the
Speaker:Cafe.
Much
has
Speaker:said
Speaker:of the necessity
Speaker:of
home:favorable
home:comparisons
home:to
home:pleasure
home:and to
home:palaces,
home:assertions
home:as
home:to
home:its
home:sweetness, and
home:that
home:there
home:is
home:in
home:fact
home:no
home:place
home:like
home:it.
home:Claims
home:that
home:one’s
home:home
home:is
home:one’s
home:castle, and if it be a castle then who among us, having
home:at
home:last
home:made
home:a
home:house
home:a
home:home,
home:would
home:not
home:dare
home:anything,
home:do
home:anything,
home:to
home:defend it?
Last
time,
home:Eren
home:and
home:Seth
home:found their new home haunted by a malevolent spirit using mirrors as a
home:weapon. When they asked Sage Rayo for help, he
home:bound
home:the
home:ghost
home:in
home:place,
home:but
home:instead
home:of
home:banishing
home:the
home:apparition,
home:he
home:commanded
home:the
home:homeowners
home:to
home:study
home:it
home:instead, and
home:conquer
home:their
home:own
home:fears.
Please
enjoy
“Good
Bones”
home:by
home:Galen
home:LK, Part 2
home:of 2
The
next
home:evening,
home:Eren
home:found
home:his
home:husband
home:sitting
home:at
home:the
home:kitchen
home:table,
home:staring
home:at
home:the
home:mirror
home:in
home:fascination.
home:The
home:cheetah
home:announced
home:his
home:presence
home:with
home:one
home:gentle
home:hand
home:on
home:his
home:shoulder.
“Any
luck?”
The
wolf
home:gestured
home:down
home:at
home:the
home:table,
home:where
home:the
home:plastic
home:toy
home:lay. “See
home:for
home:yourself.”
He
looked
home:down
home:to
home:the
home:red-ringed
home:surface
home:of
home:the
home:mirror
home:to
home:see–
home:light?
home:The
home:bright
home:image
home:was
home:hazy,
home:almost
home:as
home:if
home:seen
home:through
home:a
home:layer
home:of
home:frost.
home:It
home:was,
home:so
home:far
home:as
home:he
home:could
home:tell,
home:still
home:a
home:reflection
home:of
home:the
home:kitchen;
home:but
home:a
home:kitchen
home:bathed
home:in
home:the
home:harsh
home:light
home:of
home:midday
home:sunlight.
“They’re
not
home:there
home:at
home:the
home:moment,
home:but
home:wait
home:a
home:bit.”
“Wait for what?,” Eren asked.
“Wait,
I
home:said!”
home:The
home:wolf
home:beside
home:him
home:had
home:a
home:toothy
home:grin.
The
cheetah
home:stood
home:impatiently,
home:doing
home:his
home:best.
home:He’d
home:never
home:been
home:particularly
home:good
home:at
home:keeping
home:still. “Listen,
home:should
home:I
home:come-”
“There!,”
Seth
home:interrupted.
A
tall
home:human
home:walked
home:through
home:the
home:reflection,
home:caught
home:at
home:a
home:strange
home:angle
home:by
home:the
home:position
home:of
home:the
home:mirror.
home:Eren
home:was
home:fairly
home:sure
home:that
home:he
home:recognized
home:one
home:of
home:the
home:previous
home:owners
home:of
home:the
home:house,
home:though
home:of
home:course
home:he’d
home:only
home:seen
home:her
home:very
home:briefly.
home:She’d
home:been
home:one
home:of
home:the
home:two
home:adults,
home:presumably
home:the
home:mother
home:of
home:the
home:family.
He
was
home:fascinated.
home:Had
home:the
home:Sage
home:had
home:given
home:them
home:some
home:kind
home:of
home:magic
home:mirror?
home:The
home:woman
home:glanced
home:over
home:at
home:something
home:outside
home:the
home:frame
home:and
home:laughed
home:silently,
home:looking
home:cheerfully
home:exasperated.
home:She
home:raised
home:both
home:hands
home:and
home:darted
home:off
home:to
home:the
home:side,
home:towards
home:whatever
home:she’d
home:seen.
“It’s
the
home:past,
home:I
home:think.
home:Or
home:a
home:memory
home:of
home:it.”
home:Seth
home:looked
home:thoughtful. “It
home:always
home:gets
home:fuzzy
home:again
home:when
home:you
home:move
home:the
home:mirror,
home:then
home:jumps
home:to
home:some
home:other
home:thing.
home:So
home:I
home:don’t
home:think
home:it’s
home:showing
home:anything
home:in
home:real
home:time.”
Eren’s
jaw
home:was
home:hanging
home:open. “Does
home:it
home:work
home:everywhere?”
“Everywhere
I’ve
home:tested.
home:Here,
home:the
home:library,
home:and
home:in
home:the
home:old
home:nursery.”
“Can
I…?”
“Go
ahead!”
Eren
lifted
home:the
home:mirror
home:tentatively
home:in
home:one
home:paw.
home:It
home:was
home:cold
home:to
home:the
home:touch,
home:almost
home:uncomfortably
home:so,
home:as
home:if
home:it
home:had
home:been
home:in
home:a
home:block
home:of
home:ice
home:until
home:just
home:that
home:moment.
home:He
home:held
home:the
home:surface
home:vertical,
home:parallel
home:to
home:the
home:wall
home:where
home:he
home:would
home:have
home:a
home:better
home:view
home:of
home:the
home:room–
home:and
home:realized,
home:belatedly,
home:that
home:he
home:had
home:no
home:reflection
home:in
home:it
home:himself.
As
he
home:held
home:the
home:toy
home:steady,
home:the
home:view
home:cleared
home:enough
home:to
home:show
home:two
home:of
home:the
home:younger
home:humans
home:seated
home:at
home:the
home:table,
home:in
home:the
home:same
home:chairs
home:that
home:he
home:and
home:his
home:husband
home:now
home:occupied;
home:Eren
home:hadn’t
home:seen
home:either
home:one
home:for
home:months,
home:but
home:he
home:recognized
home:two
home:of
home:the
home:younger
home:members
home:of
home:the
home:old
home:family.
home:Again,
home:they
home:were
home:bathed
home:in
home:the
home:bright
home:glow
home:of
home:the
home:sun.
home:One
home:of
home:the
home:young
home:women
home:was
home:writing
home:or
home:drawing
home:something
home:on
home:a
home:paper
home:journal,
home:and
home:the
home:other
home:was
home:absentmindedly
home:poking
home:at
home:a
home:telephone
home:while
home:chewing
home:bubblegum.
home:That
home:one
home:gestured
home:in
home:annoyance
home:to
home:her
home:sister
home:and
home:began
home:speaking–
home:there
home:was
home:no
home:sound,
home:of
home:course,
home:but
home:the
home:tone
home:was
home:clear
home:enough.
home:An
home:argument
home:broke
home:out,
home:until
home:one
home:of
home:the
home:humans
home:stuck
home:her
home:tongue
home:out,
home:and
home:the
home:entire
home:conversation
home:devolved
home:into
home:laughter.
All
those
home:pallid
home:human
home:faces,
home:active
home:and
home:vital,
home:full
home:of
home:strange
home:life.
home:Eren
home:hadn’t
home:seen
home:such
home:faces
home:for
home:months,
home:not
home:way
home:out
home:here.
home:It
home:was
home:different
home:in
home:the
home:city,
home:he
home:supposed.
home:The
home:city
home:folk
home:got
home:the
home:chance
home:to
home:see
home:living
home:humans
home:all
home:the
home:time,
home:from
home:what
home:he
home:heard.
His
reverie
home:was
home:interrupted
home:by
home:a
home:loud
home:gurgle
home:in
home:his
home:stomach.
home:He
home:was
home:ravenous. “Oh,
home:right.
home:Did
home:we
home:have
home:breakfast
home:ready?”
“Just
some
home:cold
home:cuts,
home:if
home:that’s
home:okay.
home:I
home:got
home:a
home:little
home:distracted
home:with…”
home:The
home:black
home:wolf
home:gestured
home:toward
home:the
home:mirror.
“Sounds
divine,
home:thanks.”
He
ate
home:absentmindedly,
home:wolfing
home:down
home:breakfast
home:with
home:one
home:hand
home:while
home:he
home:tried
home:different
home:angles
home:with
home:the
home:mirror.
home:Always
home:happy
home:little
home:domestic
home:scenes,
home:one
home:or
home:more
home:of
home:the
home:humans
home:going
home:about
home:their
home:day.
home:Was
home:this
home:what
home:the
home:Sage had meant?
home:Was
home:he
home:supposed
home:to
home:learn
home:about
home:the
home:humans
home:who
home:had
home:built
home:this
home:huge
home:house,
home:and
home:tried
home:to
home:fill
home:it
home:up
home:with
home:their
home:own
home:little
home:lives?
home:Half-unseen,
home:the
home:last
home:remnants
home:of
home:the
home:sun
home:vanished
home:over
home:the
home:horizon,
home:and
home:night
home:fell
home:across
home:the
home:forest.
“It’s
cool,
home:but
home:I
home:don’t
home:get
home:it,”
home:Seth
home:said
home:beside
home:him,
home:echoing
home:his
home:thoughts. “Wasn’t
home:it
home:kind
home:of
home:obvious
home:that
home:the
home:ghost
home:was
home:one
home:of
home:the
home:Old
home:Folks
home:that
home:lived
home:here?
home:What
home:are
home:we
home:supposed
home:to
home:be
home:getting
home:out
home:of
home:this?”
Eren
leaned
home:against
home:his
home:husband
home:with
home:a
home:gentle
home:purr,
home:glad
home:that
home:he
home:hadn’t
home:been
home:alone
home:in
home:his
home:thoughts.
home:Their
home:bodies
home:felt
home:warm
home:and
home:strong
home:together. “He
home:gave
home:us
home:at
home:least
home:a
home:few
home:days
home:to
home:solve
home:the
home:riddle.
home:Give
home:it
home:some
home:time.”
— — —
The
cheetah
home:wandered
home:from
home:room
home:to
home:room
home:for
home:most
home:of
home:the
home:night,
home:and
home:most
home:of
home:the
home:next
home:one
home:too.
home:Always,
home:those
home:strange
home:phantasms
home:followed
home:him.
The
house,
home:once
home:hollow
home:and
home:empty,
home:suddenly
home:seemed
home:full
home:of
home:the
home:Old
home:Folks’
home:memories,
home:every
home:room
home:a
home:history
home:playing
home:out
home:on
home:the
home:small
home:plastic
home:surface
home:in
home:his
home:paws.
home:He
home:found
home:himself
home:picturing
home:the
home:rooms
home:as
home:they
home:would
home:seem
home:in
home:daylight,
home:the
home:harsh
home:yellow
home:sun
home:streaming
home:in
home:through
home:all
home:the
home:windows
home:and
home:reflecting
home:from
home:glass
home:cabinets
home:and
home:polished
home:wooden
home:surfaces.
home:It
home:was easy,
home:now,
home:to
home:imagine
home:the
home:cavernous
home:rooms
home:full
home:of
home:bustle
home:and
home:noise.
Seth,
after
home:his
home:initial
home:enthusiasm,
home:soon
home:lost
home:interest.
home:By
home:the
home:second
home:night,
home:he
home:was
home:starting
home:to
home:meet
home:his
home:husband’s
home:new
home:obsession
home:with
home:worried
home:glances.
home:But Eren
home:couldn’t
home:understand
home:Seth’s
home:concern.
home:This
home:was
home:what
home:the
home:Sage
home:had
home:asked
home:for,
home:wasn’t
home:it?
home:Whatever
home:this
home:was,
home:it
home:wasn’t
home:fear
home:any more.
home:But
home:he
home:could
home:still
home:feel
home:the
home:wolf’s
home:violet
home:eyes
home:following
home:each
home:step
home:he
home:took.
His
view
home:of
home:the
home:Old
home:Folks
home:skipped
home:through
home:time
home:unpredictably–
home:sometimes
home:three
home:children
home:would
home:tromp
home:through
home:the
home:front hall in
home:a
home:big
home:gallumphing
home:herd
home:on
home:their
home:way
home:back
home:from
home:some
home:outing,
home:sometimes
home:two
home:young
home:toddlers
home:would
home:be
home:playing
home:at
home:some
home:sort
home:of
home:tea
home:party
home:in
home:the
home:space
home:under
home:the
home:dining
home:room
home:table.
home:Sometimes
home:teenagers
home:would
home:walk
home:confidently
home:through
home:the
home:hallways,
home:talking
home:loudly
home:and
home:gesturing
home:with
home:long
home:delicate
home:hands.
home:He
home:learned to
home:order
home:the
home:visions
home:by
home:subtler
home:cues
home:as
well:well:
the
well:slow
well:recession
well:of
well:the
well:husband’s
well:hairline
well:as
well:he
well:lost
well:what
well:little
well:fur he had,
well:the
well:gradual
well:expansions
well:of
well:laugh
well:lines
well:and
well:wrinkles
well:across
well:the
well:woman’s
well:face.
well:Those
well:pallid
well:faces
well:still
well:seemed
well:strange
well:to
well:him,
well:of
well:course,
well:but
well:he
well:was
well:learning
well:to
well:read
well:the
well:complex
well:expressions.
Close
to
well:midnight
well:on
well:the
well:third
well:night,
well:Seth
well:stepped
well:in
well:front
well:of
well:him,
well:blocking
well:his
well:aimless
well:wandering.
“Do
you
well:think
well:you’re
well:giving
well:the
well:ghost
well:less
well:power
well:over
well:us,
well:with
well:all
well:of
well:this?”
Eren
lowered
well:the
well:mirror. “I
well:don’t
well:know,”
well:he
well:said
well:honestly.
“Then
stop!,”
well:the
well:black
well:wolf
well:declared. “Take
well:a
well:day,
well:find
well:another
well:angle.”
“We
don’t
well:have
well:an
well:extra
well:day.
well:Rayo
well:will
well:be
well:back
well:any
well:time
well:now.”
“Then
let
well:him
well:come
well:back.
well:The
well:second-best
well:solution
well:is
well:still
well:good
well:enough
well:for
well:me.”
Eren
looked
well:his
well:husband
well:up
well:and
well:down
well:in
well:annoyance. “What’s
well:bringing
well:this
well:on?
well:Really.”
Seth
hesitated. “It’s…
well:look,
well:you
well:wouldn’t
well:be
well:the
well:first
well:one
well:to
well:get
well:obsessed
well:with
well:the
well:Old
well:Folks
well:in
well:a
well:bad
well:way.
well:It’s
well:known
well:to
well:happen
well:sometimes.
well:People
well:get
well:hooked
well:on
well:it,
well:trying
well:to
well:figure
well:the
well:humans
well:out,
well:and
well:then
well:they
well:get…
well:soft,
well:you
well:know?”
“What
do
well:you
well:mean
well:soft?”
“Soft
as in
well:soft!
well:Old-fashioned,
well:backwards-looking!” The
well:wolf
well:was
well:almost
well:growling
well:now. “Soft
well:as in,
well:caring
well:more
well:about
well:the
well:way
well:things
well:used
well:to
well:be
well:than
well:about
well:the
well:folks
well:right
well:in
well:front
well:of
well:them!”
Eren
blinked
well:slowly,
well:willing
well:himself
well:not
well:to
well:join
well:his
well:husband
well:in
well:anger.
well:To
well:see
well:it
well:from
well:his
well:point
well:of
well:view. “Soft
well:as in
well:haunted,
well:you
well:mean.”
Still
breathing
well:heavily,
well:Seth
well:nodded,
well:and
well:paused
well:to
well:calm
well:down. “Yeah.
well:I
well:guess
well:that’s
well:what
well:I
well:mean.”
The cheetah
nodded,
well:and
well:took
well:the
well:wolf’s
well:paw
well:in
well:his
well:own. “I’m
well:here,
well:love.
well:I’m
well:with
well:you,
well:right
well:here,
well:right
well:now.
well:After
well:what
well:we
well:lived
well:through
well:together,
well:I
well:wouldn’t
well:have
well:it
well:any
well:other
well:way.”
well:He
well:nuzzled
well:against
well:his
well:husband’s
well:chest. “I
well:promise.”
Seth’s arms
were
well:suddenly
well:around
well:him
well:then,
well:solid
well:and
well:warm. “No
well:more
well:of their
well:cages,
well:Eren. Not even the
well:self-inflicted
well:ones.”
“No more
cages,”
well:the
well:cheetah
well:promised,
well:still
well:muffled
well:in
well:the
well:thick
well:fur
well:of
well:Seth’s
well:embrace.
well:With
well:a
well:sudden
well:thought,
well:he
well:pulled
well:away. “Actually,
well:I
well:think
well:I
well:can
well:do
well:even
well:better
well:than
well:just
well:a
well:promise.
well:Take
well:this
well:thing
well:and
well:follow
well:me.”
Seth
winced
well:as
well:he
well:took
well:the
well:mirror,
well:icy
well:cold
well:in
well:his
well:paw.
well:But
well:he
well:followed
well:after
well:Eren as
well:the
well:cheetah
well:raced
well:through
well:the
well:wood-paneled
well:hallway
well:towards
well:the
well:basement
well:stairs. “Where…?”
“It’s
a
well:surprise!,”
well:Eren
well:said
well:cheerfully. “But
well:I
well:think
well:I
well:might
well:have
well:figured
well:out
well:the
well:answer
well:to
well:Rayo’s
well:riddle.”
well:Without
well:waiting,
well:he
well:bounced
well:cheerfully
well:down
well:the
well:steps,
well:taking
well:them
well:two
well:at
well:a
well:time.
The
room
well:below
well:was
well:chilly,
well:even
well:through
well:Eren’s
well:modest
well:layer
well:of
well:golden
well:fur.
well:As
well:always;
well:they
well:mostly
well:used
well:the
well:downstairs
well:kitchen
well:for
well:storage,
well:and
well:the
well:low
well:temperatures
well:helped
well:preserve
well:the
well:meat
well:that
well:wasn’t
well:smoked
well:or
well:pre-cooked
well:when
well:they
well:got
well:their
well:grocery
well:deliveries.
He
passed
well:a
well:squat
well:pot-bellied
well:stove
well:and
well:a
well:small
well:butcher’s
well:table
well:on
well:the
well:right
well:wall,
well:and
well:wove
well:through
well:a
well:few
well:dangling
well:meat-hooks
well:on
well:the
well:end
well:of
well:chains
well:bolted
well:to
well:the
well:ceiling.
well:Most
well:were
well:empty,
well:of
well:course.
well:They
well:really
well:only
well:used
well:two
well:or
well:three
well:at
well:a
well:time,
well:loaded
well:up
well:with
well:a
well:modest
well:flank
well:or
well:haunch
well:until
well:the
well:two
well:of
well:them
well:worked
well:through
well:the
well:full
well:store
well:and
well:called
well:out
well:for
well:a
well:resupply—
well:as
well:with
well:so
well:much
well:of
well:the
well:house,
well:it
well:felt
well:like
well:the
well:downstairs
well:kitchen
well:was
well:just
well:a
well:little
well:bit
well:too
well:much
well:for
well:them.
well:Not
well:for
well:the
well:first
well:time,
well:Eren
well:wondered
well:if
well:they
well:should
well:stick
well:a
well:pool
well:table
well:or
well:something
well:down
well:here
well:to
well:help
well:fill
well:up
well:the
well:space.
Eren’s
target
well:was
well:the
well:wide,
well:white
well:icebox
well:in
well:the
well:back
well:of
well:the
well:room.
well:That
well:was
well:long-term
well:storage,
well:where
well:they
well:kept
well:the
well:perishables
well:that
well:they
well:wanted
well:to
well:hold
well:on to
well:for
well:a
well:year
well:or
well:more.
well:His
well:padded
well:footfalls
well:took
well:him
well:quickly
well:towards
well:it,
well:the
well:concrete
well:floor
well:hard
well:and
well:cold
well:below
well:him.
Behind,
Seth
well:followed
well:at
well:a
well:distance,
well:still
well:looking
well:bemused.
well:But
well:before
well:either
well:of
well:them
well:could
well:make
well:it
well:to
well:the
well:icebox,
well:Eren
well:heard
well:his
well:husband
well:cry
well:out
well:in
well:pain.
He
turned
well:in
well:time
well:to
well:see
well:the
well:plastic
well:mirror
well:clatter
well:to
well:the
well:floor,
well:clutching
well:one
well:paw
well:in
well:agony. “C- cold,” the
well:wolf
well:growled out. “Freezing
well:cold.”
Eren
grabbed
well:a
well:stained
well:cheesecloth
well:from
well:the
well:butcher’s
well:table
well:nearby,
well:and
well:ran
well:quickly
well:to
well:the
well:fallen
well:toy.
well:Even
well:through
well:the
well:protective
well:fabric,
well:the
well:plastic
well:handle
well:was
well:bitterly
well:chill,
well:sending
well:spikes
well:of
well:pain
well:to
well:the
well:roots
well:of
well:his
well:claws.
well:And
well:the
well:image
well:in
well:the
well:mirror
well:was…
well:different.
No
longer
well:a
well:light,
well:cheerful
well:domestic
well:scene,
well:the
well:image
well:on
well:the
well:plastic
well:surface
well:was
well:dark
well:and
well:foreboding.
well:Eren
well:saw
well:the
well:basement
well:as
well:they’d
well:found
well:it
well:on
well:the
well:day
well:they
well:moved
well:in,
well:piled
well:high
well:with
well:boxes
well:and
well:papers,
well:illuminated
well:only
well:by
well:a
well:single
well:spare
well:bulb.
Of
course.
well:The
well:basement
well:was
well:where
well:the
well:surviving
well:Old
well:Folks
well:had
well:made
well:their
well:final
well:stand.
He
saw
well:two
well:of
well:them
well:hiding
well:behind
well:boxes,
well:crouched
well:low
well:in
well:the
well:shadows.
well:To
well:their
well:limited
well:senses,
well:it
well:must
well:have
well:seemed
well:pitch
well:black.
well:But
well:then,
well:they’d
well:always
well:been
well:a
well:bit
well:hapless.
Eren
frowned,
well:and
well:tried
well:changing
well:the
well:angle
well:of
well:the
well:mirror,
well:resetting
well:the
well:scene
well:to
well:something
well:more
well:pleasant.
well:But
well:the
well:icy
well:shock
well:coming
well:through
well:the
well:handle
well:didn’t
well:abate,
well:and
well:the
well:scene
well:didn’t
well:change.
well:The
well:frightened
well:girls
well:were
well:still
well:hiding
well:behind
well:their
well:boxes,
well:denying
well:the
well:inevitable.
well:The
well:mirror
well:wouldn’t
well:be
well:denied
well:this
well:moment,
well:it
well:seemed.
Shrugging,
the
well:cheetah
well:put
well:the
well:cheap
well:plastic
well:toy
well:down
well:on
well:the
well:table. “You
well:were
well:right,
well:hon.
well:I
well:don’t
well:think
well:we
well:need
well:this
well:any more.”
Seth
looked
well:on
well:curiously. “What
well:do
well:you
well:mean?”
“Fear,
right?
well:That’s
well:what
well:Rayo
well:said.
well:It’s
well:about
well:letting
well:go,
well:moving
well:on.
well:I’ve
well:been
well:letting
well:this
well:house
well:loom
well:over
well:us
well:for
well:far
well:too
well:long.
well:We
well:moved
well:in
well:months
well:ago,
well:but
well:we
well:haven’t
well:made
well:it
well:ours
well:yet.”
well:Eren
well:smiled,
well:ignoring
well:the
well:mist
well:rising
well:from
well:the
well:mirror
well:beside
well:him
well:and
well:going
well:back
well:towards
well:the
well:icebox. “Of
well:course
well:we’re
well:collecting
well:ghosts.
well:We
well:might
well:as
well:well
well:be
well:living
well:in
well:a
well:ruin.”
Seth
scratched
well:his
well:ear
well:pensively,
well:keeping
well:one
well:cautious
well:eye
well:on
well:the
well:table. “I
well:have
well:no
well:idea
well:what
well:you’re
well:talking
well:about,
well:babe.
well:But
well:you’re
well:sounding
well:like
well:the
well:Sage,
well:so
well:I
well:guess
well:you’re
well:on to
well:something?”
Eren
smiled. “It
well:was
well:never
well:a
well:problem
well:for
well:you
well:to
well:begin
well:with,
well:hon.
well:You
well:put
well:the
well:war
well:behind
well:you
well:where
well:it
well:belongs.
well:I’ve
well:been
well:the
well:one
well:that
well:couldn’t
well:let
well:go
well:of
well:the
well:past.”
“Eren,
I…”
“Hush,
you.
well:Like
well:I
well:said,
well:I’ve
well:got
well:this
well:figured
well:out.
well:I
well:told
well:myself
well:I
well:was
well:saving
well:this
well:for
well:our
well:anniversary,
well:but...
well:Well,
well:if
well:I’m
well:being
well:honest,
well:it
well:was
well:really
well:more
well:of
well:a
well:memento,
well:or
well:a
well:trophy.
well:No
well:more
well:of that. Screw our anniversary. Let’s enjoy this
well:now,
well:and
well:finish
well:moving
well:into
well:our
well:new
well:home.
well:It’s
well:not
well:theirs
well:any more.”
Shuffling
around
well:towards
well:the
well:back
well:of
well:the
well:icebox,
well:Eren
well:pulled
well:a
well:small
well:package,
well:carefully
well:wrapped
well:in
well:twine
well:and
well:butcher’s
well:paper.
well:Smiling
well:at
well:Seth’s
well:raised
well:eye,
well:Eren
well:carefully
well:untied
well:the
well:string,
well:gently
well:unwrapping
well:the
well:present
well:he’d
well:been
well:saving
well:for
well:his
well:husband.
“Oh!
Babe,
well:I
well:thought
well:these
well:were
well:all
well:gone!
well:They
well:were
well:for
well:you,
well:I
well:thought
well:you
well:ate
well:them
well:already!”
well:The
well:black
well:wolf
well:grinned,
well:his
well:fangs
well:white
well:and
well:sharp
well:in
well:the
well:dim
well:light
well:of
well:the
well:basement.
well:Before
well:him,
well:two
well:severed
well:human
well:hands
well:lay
well:at
well:the
well:center
well:of
well:the
well:old
well:paper,
well:still
well:clutching
well:one
well:another
well:under
well:the
well:thin
well:layer
well:of
well:frost.
“I
know,
well:I
well:know,”
well:Eren
well:smiled. “It
well:was
well:really
well:nice
well:of
well:you
well:to
well:save
well:these
well:two
well:for
well:me,
well:hon!”
well:He
well:licked
well:his
well:lips.
well:He
well:could
well:still
well:remember
well:that
well:night
well:like
well:it
well:was
well:yesterday.
well:The
well:meat
well:had
well:been
well:so
well:tender
well:and
well:soft,
well:the
well:most
well:delectable
well:he’d
well:ever
well:had.
well:Down
well:to
well:the
well:last
well:morsel.
well:He’d
well:spent
well:hours
well:sucking
well:the
well:delicious
well:marrow
well:from
well:those
well:thin,
well:soft
well:bones. “But
well:just
well:this
well:little
well:bit,
well:I
well:wanted
well:to
well:share
well:with
well:you.
well:And
well:the
well:palms
well:are
well:the
well:best
well:part,
well:so
well:it
well:seemed
well:like
well:a
well:fun
well:little
well:treat
well:to
well:save
well:for
well:later.”
The
two
well:of
well:them
well:hardly
well:ever
well:got
well:the
well:choice
well:cuts
well:any more,
well:not
well:unless
well:they
well:took
well:a
well:special
well:trip
well:into
well:the
well:city.
well:Both
well:creature’s
well:mouths
well:were
well:watering
well:just
well:thinking
well:about
well:it.
well:Seth
well:chuckled. “You
well:really
well:are
well:very
well:sweet.
well:Let’s
well:get
well:this
well:cooked
well:up
well:and
well:we’ll
well:share
well:it
well:properly.”
“And
hopefully,
well:no
well:more
well:ghost
well:problems!
well:This
well:is
well:the
well:last
well:of
well:the
well:old
well:residents.
well:After
well:this,
well:we’re
well:officially
well:moved
well:in
well:and
well:the
well:house is
well:ours.”
The
wolf
well:leaned
well:in
well:with
well:a
well:smile
well:and
well:kissed
well:him
well:on
well:the
well:snoot. “I’ll
well:think
well:of
well:a
well:special
well:recipe.
well:It’s
well:still
well:an
well:anniversary
well:celebration,
well:just
well:a
well:little
well:off-season.”
“With
lots
well:of cumin?” The cheetah sighed in
well:mock exasperation.
“Tons
and
well:tons!”
well:Seth
well:laughed
well:and
well:made
well:his
well:way
well:upstairs.
well:Eren
well:looked
well:around
well:himself at
well:the
well:downstairs
well:kitchen,
well:still
well:painfully
well:empty.
well:He’d
well:find
well:ways
well:to
well:use
well:all
well:this
well:space,
well:eventually.
well:If
well:nothing
well:else,
well:they
well:should
well:invite
well:some
well:friends
well:over
well:from
well:town,
well:and
well:host
well:a
well:nice
well:dinner
well:party.
As
the
well:sizzle
well:of
well:cooking
well:drifted
well:down
well:from
well:the
well:upstairs
well:kitchen,
well:Eren
well:smiled
well:in
well:satisfaction.
well:Stepping
well:carefully
well:through
well:the
well:basement,
well:he
well:wove
well:his
well:way
well:back
well:through
well:the
well:hanging
well:chunks
well:of
well:pale
well:meat,
well:suddenly
well:eager
well:to
well:join
well:his
well:husband.
well:Behind
well:him,
well:the
well:mirror
well:twisted
well:and
well:shrank,
well:releasing
well:gouts
well:of
well:black
well:smoke
well:as
well:the
well:plastic
well:melted
well:away
well:in
well:the
well:heat
well:of
well:some
well:unseen
well:flame.
He
didn’t
well:look
well:back.
— — —
It
was
well:almost
well:morning
well:when
well:they
well:finally
well:heard
well:Sage
well:Rayo’s
well:knock
well:on
well:their
well:door,
well:the
well:two
well:of
well:them
well:lounging
well:peacefully
well:in
well:the
well:plush
well:red
well:couches
well:of
well:the
well:living
well:room.
well:Reluctantly,
well:Eren
well:pried
well:himself
well:up
well:from
well:under
well:the
well:weight
well:of
well:his
well:husband
well:to
well:go
well:attend
well:the
well:front
well:door.
“Dealt
with
well:your
well:ghost
well:problem,
well:then?,”
well:the
well:black-robed
well:Sage
well:asked,
well:looking
well:over
well:the
well:house
well:with
well:an
well:expert
well:eye.
well:Behind
well:him,
well:a
well:wooden
well:cart
well:was
well:visible,
well:piled
well:high
well:with
well:strange
well:dead
well:shapes.
“We
think
well:so.”
“Good.
Spirits
well:were
well:active
well:all
well:over
well:the
well:district,
well:but
well:we
well:haven’t
well:lost
well:very
well:many
well:to
well:them.
well:Fewer
well:than
well:one
well:in
well:twenty,
well:by
well:my
well:estimate.”
Eren
whistled. “You
well:said
well:it
well:was
well:a
well:busy
well:time
well:for
well:hauntings,
well:but
well:I
well:didn’t
well:realize there
well:were
well:quite
well:that
well:many.”
Rayo
shrugged. “The
well:gates
well:of
well:hell
well:are
well:wide,
well:but
well:our war was wider.
well:Some
well:trouble
well:with
well:ghosts
well:was
well:to
well:be
well:expected.”
Seth
came
well:up
well:behind
well:him,
well:holding
well:the
well:twisted
well:chunk
well:of
well:plastic
well:with
well:a
well:distasteful
well:look. “You
well:want
well:this,
well:I’m
well:guessing?”
“If
you
well:don’t
well:mind.”
well:The
well:bear
well:looked
well:it
well:over
well:briefly,
well:then
well:tossed
well:it
well:nonchalantly
well:in to
well:the
well:wooden
well:cart
well:behind
well:him.
Eren
was
well:struck
well:by
well:a
well:sudden
well:thought. “The
well:city—
well:was it
well:much
well:worse
well:for
well:them?
well:It’s
well:so
well:crowded
well:out
well:there.”
“No,”
Rayo
well:shook
well:his
well:head “The
well:city
well:folk
well:live
well:near
well:the
well:feeding
well:pens,
well:they
well:see
well:the
well:humans
well:corralled
well:and
well:weak
well:every
well:day.”
well:The
well:bear
well:glanced
well:towards
well:the
well:distant
well:light
well:on
well:the
well:horizon,
well:looking
well:thoughtful. “The
well:reality
well:is
well:right
well:in
well:front
well:of
well:them.
well:Out
well:here
well:in
well:the
well:country,
well:you
well:never
well:see
well:humans
well:alive
well:any more,
well:so
well:the
well:myth
well:and
well:the
well:memory
well:has
well:a
well:way
well:of
well:gaining
well:power.”
Eren
nodded. “And
well:it’s
well:the
well:memories
well:that the
well:ghosts
well:need.”
“As
you
well:so
well:ably
well:learned.
well:Congratulations
well:on
well:passing
well:the
well:test,
well:Eren.”
The
cheetah
well:took
well:his
well:husband’s
well:paw
well:in
well:his
well:own. “We
well:did
well:it
well:together.”
The
Sage
well:smiled
well:indulgently. “This
well:was
well:the
well:worst
well:of
well:it.
well:Once
well:we
well:clear
well:the
well:last
well:few
well:holdouts
well:from
well:the
well:mountains,
well:the
well:Old
well:Folks
well:will
well:be
well:fully
well:domesticated.
well:By
well:next
well:year’s
well:Halloween,
well:most
well:of
well:their
well:ghosts
well:will
well:already
well:be
well:fading
well:away—
well:not
well:even
well:the
well:dead
well:can
well:hold
well:a
well:grudge
well:forever.”
Taking
his
well:position
well:in
well:front
well:of
well:the
well:corpse-cart,
well:the
well:bear
well:lifted
well:his
well:burden
well:with
well:ease.
well:He
well:took
well:off
well:down
well:the
well:cracked
well:asphalt
well:road
well:with
well:a
well:jaunty
well:whistle,
well:fading
well:away
well:into
well:the
well:early
well:pre-dawn
well:light.
This
was
well:the
well:second
well:and
well:final
well:part
well:of “Good
well:Bones”
well:by
well:Galen
well:LK,
well:read
well:for
well:you
well:by
well:Icefang,
well:in
well:the
well:Cozy
well:Corner
well:of
well:the
well:Cafe.
As
always,
well:you
well:can
well:find
well:more
well:stories
well:on
well:the
well:web
well:at
well:thevoice.dog,
well:or
well:find
well:the
well:show
well:wherever
well:you
well:get
well:your
well:podcasts.
well:Thank
well:you
well:for
well:listening
well:to
well:The
well:Ghost
well:of
well:Dog.