Great Bones: a short story

Short story. Status: Finished and accepted for publication by a really cool journal. Details will be revealed once it is published.

“Great Bones” is a ghost story that pits the strength of the love of a young couple, Hud and Ginni, against the terrifying lies of a ghost who has dark truths to hide.

The story is set in an unconventional haunted house—a little, rehabbed, century-old, craftsman bungalow in inner-city Detroit, described by the Realtor as having “great bones.”

The only person who might know what is going on inside is Annie, an elderly woman across the street, but she might have her own dark truths to hide. As Hud and Ginni brace against the haunting, they turn to Annie for answers that might shock.

“Great Bones” is a horror short story that runs about 4,400 words.

Excerpt:

At 12:20 a.m. Hud switched off the TV. He found Ginni’s hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back. Boomer slept.

“I think—” Hud whispered.

“Shhh.”

They settled into monitoring shadowy sensations.

Hud listened to the breeze rustling trees, traffic blocks away, creaks of the old house’s studs and beams.

And then.

A woman spoke in the front room. This was no illusion, no trick of acoustics, no auditory hallucination. A woman spoke in the front room. The voice was clear enough, though not the words.

Ginni gasped and crushed Hud’s hand. Boomer rose and growled. Hud’s nerves sizzled. He turned. The bedside clock reported 12:31. He and Ginni shared a glance and a breath. They quietly got up. Hud grasped the bat and handed the flashlight to Ginni. She left it off.