"Mr. Bentley's Bones" ©
By Maria Lisa Hartgrove

"Oh boy", shouted Elliott. "One of my favorite holidays is coming up real soon! Halloween! That's right Halloween!" "Son...I think I heard you the first time," Elliott's Mom said. "Sorry Mom, but I get so excited." "Well I guess so," she replied. "Any idea on what you'd like to be this year?" "Not yet Mom. The kids are coming over this afternoon and we're going to have a meeting in the backyard." "Okay honey, that's great. Let me know what you decide." Elliott ran upstairs so he could be ready for his friends. He also decided to make some decorations for Halloween. Meanwhile, the kids were already on their way. A few minutes later, Elliott went downstairs to hang a pumpkin on the door and there they were.

"Hey, great pumpkin Elliott!" "Thanks. As soon as I finish hanging it, we can start our meeting." It didn't take long for Elliott to hang the Pumpkin on the door and off they went to the backyard. They all sat down and started to talk about their Halloween ideas. Suddenly they heard branches move in a nearby tree. It startled all of them. But no one saw anything! There wasn't even a breeze! "Oh great," said Kyle. "We're talking about Halloween and now we're all spooked!" Just then, Elliott's friend Dave noticed a hole in the ground. "Elliott," he said. "Why is there a hole in the ground?" "What hole," Elliott said with surprise in his voice. "There, by the tree." They all decided to take a look. Everyone seemed so frightened. Then to their amazement, Kim Lee moved the dirt a little and pulled out something.

"What's this," she said. Everyone started to scream. They all ran in different directions. "Drop that Kim Lee...Its a bone!" "Oh my...a bone," she shouted. Everyone was so frightened. They ran into the house. Loretta left a note for Elliott, telling him that she was over Emma's house. Shaking and scared, they all wondered if those were the bones of old Mr Bentley that lived in the house many years ago. The tale was, old Mr Bentley loved the house so much, that he asked to be buried in the backyard. Elliott couldn't believe he had his own ghost story right in the backyard. Just then the door slammed. Everyone screamed. Elliott's Dad was just coming home from work. "Hey guys, what's all the yelling about?" "Dad, guess what...we found old Mr Bentley's bones in the backyard!" "You did," said Elliott's Dad.

Elliott's Dad was a detective for the police department in Boston, Massachusetts. So the kids asked him if he would take a look at Mr Bentley's bones. "Of course I will," said Leo. So one by one they walked out the door towards the hole in the ground. "There...Dad there," Elliott said, in a frightened voice. Leo bent down and moved the earth a little bit. He started to pull more and more bones out from the hole. "Oh boy," Leo said. "You sure did find bones and lots of them." Leo had quite a pile. The children were amazed. "This calls for some real police work," Elliott's Dad said, as he tried to hide the smile on his face.

"So...Mr Bentley's bones. Well...I don't think so. However they are bones." "Oh Dad if they are not Mr Bentley's, then whose are they?" "Well Elliott, if I follow this trail of very small foot prints, they are telling me that your suspect is up that tree." Everyone looked up and to their surprise sat Midas the kitten.
Everyone shouted, "Midas". "That's right," Leo said. "...And my guess is that Midas has been visiting the fish pier, filling her belly and then burying the bones." "So you mean those are all fish bones Dad?" "Yes they are." Everyone started to laugh. "Happy Halloween," Leo said. "Now I guess you can get back to your meeting." "Thanks Dad," said Elliott. And with that, they all returned to their meeting...only this time they went upstairs to Elliott's room.

THE END

Love,
"Elliott" and
Maria Lisa Hartgrove

Return Home