Skelee Boy: A Skelee Boy Book

By Sandra Rathbone

Skelee Bones, a skeleton boy that is torn between his home world, Spooky World, and the human world, must learn to fit in with the humans that live in his new neighborhood. His dedication to his past while embracing an uncertain but hopeful future comes with a  difficult choice he must make for hi

• Language: English
• Publisher: Level Elevate
• Release date: Mar 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685123307

Sandra Rathbone

Sandra's tastes in literature and music can best be described as eclectic. She writes middle-grade fiction and comics and enjoys reading rock musician biographies. She plays the violin and viola and is an avid fan of rock and classical music.  Sandra is the author of "Skelee Boy: A Skelee Boy Book." She is also an Orchestra Director in the state of North Carolina. Sandra lives in NC with her husband and their "tortie" cat, Charley. When she's not writing, you can find Sandra playing her violin and viola as a free-lance musician. "Skelee Boy and the Demon King" is the second book of the "Skelee Boy" book series.

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Sandra Rathbone

SKELEE BOY

A Skelee Boy Book

First published by Level Elevate 2023

Copyright © 2023 by Sandra Rathbone

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Sandra Rathbone asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Author Photo Credit: Sandra Rathbone

First edition

ISBN: 978-1-68512-330-7

Cover art by Level Best Designs

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

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Dedicated to my parents, Dennis and Noopian.

"Hatred paralyzes life:

Love releases it.

Hatred confuses life:

Love harmonizes it.

Hatred darkens life:

Love illuminates it."

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Chapter One

Skelee remembered so clearly how his new school looked when he first visited Innisborough. Skelee and Poppie were both enrolled in the exclusive Hemlock School. The school eagerly accepted their applications, both Poppie and Skelee exceeding the advanced requirements for the school.

The stone-walled and steel-beamed structure of Hemlock arose before them as the taxi turned into the paved driveway leading to a traffic circle in front of the school. A few cars were parked in the enormous parking lot.

Skelee pressed his face against the glass to get a better view of the school he was about to attend. The place was deserted. No one was outside.

Dad, where is everybody?

School’s not in session for three more weeks. The students are on vacation. Unlike our world, kids here get time off in the summer.

Why? Skelee asked.

Dad cleared his throat and zipped up the bag that housed his laptop and papers for work. Human students go to school for 180 days. When those days are up, they take some time off. I guess humans just need a break.

A break from what? Poppie asked.

I guess their studies. They take vacations during this time. Seems like a popular thing for humans to do.

The Hemlock School. The cab driver announced.

Skelee and his sister got out of the car, Dad asking the driver to stay.

The cabbie seemed to be over his initial shock when he picked them up at their home. He nodded in agreement.

Boxwood bushes lined the concrete walkway leading to the front entrance. No flowers were in bloom, much of the greenery brown and withering, the city of Innisborough experiencing one of its worst droughts.

Skelee followed his father through double doors with heavy glass panels. They made a quick left through a door labeled Front Office. Skelee noticed how blue the carpet was beneath his feet. In fact, everything about this school was some shade of blue.

Hi, I’m Mr. Bones. Well, uh, call me Harold.

Hi, welcome to the Hemlock School. The secretary droned without looking up. How can I— Oh, my gosh.

Skelee looked up at his Dad, who was talking to a wide-eyed, mouth gaping open woman. She was heavy set, her brown hair trimmed short, a pair of purple sequined reading glasses atop her head.

With one deft move, she slid her reading glasses onto her face, and she shivered. Can you hold on one minute, sir?

Before he could respond, she waddled her way down a hallway and disappeared. Dad looked back at his children and shrugged. Voices sounded just beyond where the woman had headed. The office was silent except for the sound of feet gently padding towards them.

The lady reappeared, her glasses remaining on her face. She arrived with a well-dressed man, his black hair neatly trimmed. He sported a pencil-thin mustache that followed the outlines of his full lips. Both stared at Harold, Skelee, and Poppie.

The man cleared his throat and extended his hand. Hello, I’m Principal Ellis.

Harold looked at the man’s dark hand and chuckled. Oh, right. You want me to shake it. Harold nabbed Principal Ellis’s hand and shook it vigorously.

Principal Ellis bounced slightly due to Harold’s enthusiastic gesture. He smiled, his clenched teeth chattering, his paunchy belly jiggling beneath his lilac dress shirt.

Harold realized that he was a bit rough in returning Principal Ellis’s gesture and quickly withdrew his hand. Sir, I’m r-really sorry. He said nervously.

No, problem. So, who is coming to Hemlock? Principal Ellis asked, shifting his gaze to Skelee and Poppie. He massaged his hand while giving the kids an acknowledging nod.

Both of them. This is Skelee, and this is Poppie. They’ll be attending in the fall.

Very good. Mrs. Thompson, can you pull up their information? Principal Ellis faced the woman who stood frozen beside him. Mrs. Thompson?

She didn’t move, her mouth still gaped.

Principal Ellis rolled his eyes, then sighed. He smiled and faced Harold. Last name?

Bones. Skelee and Poppie Bones. Skelee’s in the 7th grade, and Poppie is in the 6th grade.

Principal Ellis took a seat before a computer and typed in their names. A tiny smile crossed his face, but he quickly composed himself. He glanced back at Mrs. Thompson, who still hadn’t moved. Shaking his head, he pulled up the children’s information.

Oh, here we go. Looks good. Oh, wait. We need a copy of their TDAP forms.

TDAP? Harold asked.

Have they gotten their shots?

I-I don’t understand. Shots? Like gunshots?

Mrs. Thompson giggled, the men staring at her.

Oh, hi, Mrs. Thompson. Glad you could join us. Principal Ellis said, an annoyed look on his face. Harold, we need you to fill out a form that says the students have gotten their immunizations. I can give you the name of a doctor who can get that done for you.

That’d be great, Harold said, watching Mrs. Thompson completely lose it.

Her giggles became guffaws. Okay, I’m sorry. I have to ask you. What is going on physically with you all?

Mrs. Thompson, that is not appropriate, said Principal Ellis.

I told you, said Ms. Thompson. His last name is Bones. He’s got to be a.

A skeleton, said Harold. You are correct. My son, daughter, their mother, and me. We’re all skeletons.

She stopped laughing, and the stunned look was back on her face.

Principal Ellis pinched the bridge of his nose. Without missing a beat, he handed Harold a piece of paper.

Here’s the form your doctor will need to fill out. He grabbed a pen and wrote some information on the form. This is Dr. Anderson’s number. Bring this back before school starts, and you’ll be good to go. He smiled at the two kids, then at Harold. Welcome to Hemlock.

Chapter Two

We are moving to the human world.

Skelee was silent during his father’s announcement. He knew something was up when his father asked the whole family to meet in the dining area, where they never ate. He didn’t know whether to jump for joy or run away. The human world was always an intriguing place for him. At school, he pored over travel books containing pictures of the Empire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in France, and the ancient temples of Thailand, among other architectural wonders of the human world. The pictures were only a taste of the real thing, something he was about to experience for himself.

Skelee had wanted to visit the human world since he was six years old when he remembered seeing a picture of New York City for the first time. His father had just returned from an Astrophysicists’ Symposium hosted in the The Big Apple. Skelee never understood the reference. New York City looked nothing like a big apple; the towering steel images of concrete and glass structures stretching up to the Manhattan skyline looked more like stationary robots than fruit.

Are we moving to New York City? Skelee asked. Dad grinned but shook his head.

No, Son. But we’ll get to visit. We’re living in Innisborough for at least a couple of years.

Innisborough?

Skelee almost forgot that his younger sister, Poppie, was seated beside him. Her question made him turn his head. Skelee glanced back at his father.

Dad shifted uncomfortably in his creaky, wooden chair. Yeah, Innisborough. Home to, well, let’s see…the Innisborough Katydids’ baseball team, a famous war was fought there. Hmm. Let me think. What else happened here?

Sounds more like Innis-boring, said Poppie, giggling at her own joke.

Mother t-sked the children, Skelee thought better of Poppie’s joke and kept his mouth closed.

I’ve accepted a position at Innisborough College. I’ll be working alongside some of the most brilliant scientists ever. Some of these people come from all over the world: Countries like India, China, and Germany. I’m the only one from Spooky World.

So, in other words, we’ll be the only skeleton family in Innisborough, Skelee said.

Dad paused for a moment, his toothy grin twisted in thought. Yup. You’re probably right.

What if humans don’t like us?

Skelee winced at Poppie’s whiny voice. Yet, she had a point.

Father chuckled and patted the top of her head, his bony fingers touching a purple, satin bow affixed to her skull.

Now, now, Poppie. We won’t know until we get there. I’ve already met the physics department head at Innisborough College, and she’s great. Innisborough’s a pretty town. There are lots of parks and beautiful places to see and visit. I think we’ll fit in quite well.

After the conversation he had with his parents about the move, Skelee went online and looked up the state of North Carolina. He had barely typed in North Carolina when under the search engine window, the words North Carolina is cheap, followed by North Carolina is dumb made his research uncertain about his future home. He finally found a visitor’s website, and he clicked on it. The website came up as Skelee clicked on Innisborough.

Skelee scrolled through the information. Innisborough was named after a Revolutionary War hero named David Nathaniel Innis. Dad was right about the city having a baseball team called the Katydids. The town even had a symphony. The downtown area boasted a few skyscrapers; the gray concrete and glass structure of the Morrison Municipal Building caught his eye.

Skelee abandoned his search a few minutes later when his friends Gilbert Ghost and Peter Pumpkin came over to play with him. The boys met in Skelee’s bedroom, their usual meeting place. Skelee always had the latest electronic gadgets thanks to his father’s frequent visits to the human world. When Skelee told his best friends that he was leaving Spooky World for a couple of years, Gilbert burst into tears while Peter protested.

You can’t leave us! Peter said, his jack-o-lantern cavern eyes also filled with pumpkin juice tears. His orange, viney arms wrapped about Skelee’s bony body. You’ll forget all about us.

Skelee winced at his friend’s bear hug. Yet, he