Skelee Boy and the Demon King: A Skelee Boy Book

By Sandra Rathbone

Living in the human world as a skeleton is no easy feat for Rodolpho Edward Skelius Bones.  Attending a human school his second year, Skelee and his family share time between the humans and his own Spooky World, a haven created from a contentious past caused by human discrimination and unfounded s

• Language: English
• Publisher: Level Elevate
• Release date: Feb 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9781685125844

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 AND THE DEMON KING

A Skelee Boy Book

First published by Level Elevate 2024

Copyright © 2024 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: Tayler Honeycutt

First edition

ISBN: 978-1-68512-584-4

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 loving and wonderful grandparents: Home and Seeta Kaewboonruang

Three months ago

A cluster of Death Angels hovered near the door that led to Archimedes’ bedroom. Panicky murmurs swept through the crowd as they all awaited news about Archimedes, their leader. The stone door was pulled shut. No one could hear what was going on inside. Dread and chaos ensued around them as they awaited the bad news. However, a distinct click of a lock unlatching sounded as the stone door groaned from opening slowly.

The Death Angels fluttered backwards, their bony hands clutched as Diamedre, Archimedes’ henchman, and head Death Angel, showed up. One of the death angels caught a glimpse of the room beyond. He buried his face into his cape and drifted away, sounds of weeping leaving him as the others watched him glide down the stairs. Torches flickered in the cold, dank hallway. Any human visiting this dark chamber would’ve shivered due to the icy cold.

As soon as Edward Bones’ sword pierced Archimedes’ flesh, the grand demon, once the most powerful creature during the reign of Julius Caesar, made him deathly ill. Archimedes was barely breathing, and hope was slowly fading like the light from his dark, beady eyes. A boy was sniffling over him.

Please live, Papa. Please. Don’t leave me, the demon boy repeated. Archimedes was too exhausted and sick to respond. He wanted to touch the top of his child’s head. Neither his strength nor will would allow him to touch the boy.

Take him away, Archimedes gurgled.

No, Papa. I need to stay with you.

Diamedre glanced over his shoulder. Where shall I take him, my Lord?

Just away.

Archimedes opened his eyes. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he stared up at his son, Theophilus, Theo for short.

Come, child. Do as your papa says, Diamedre said.

Theo wept harder into Archimedes’ chest. Diamedre eyed them both. Yet, Theo lifted himself off the bed and ruefully followed Diamedre out of the room. Once the door shut behind them, Archimedes had a coughing fit. He managed to pull himself up as blood dribbled from his mouth and onto the floor. Archimedes knew his days were numbered. As soon as that skeleton boy stabbed him with a sword poisoned by the darkest magic imaginable, Archimedes’ strength was sapped. He heaved himself back onto the bed and stared up at the velvet canopy that stretched across his ornate, four-poster stone bed. The deep red of the luxurious material he had nabbed after killing a Spanish King reminded him of one person. Archimedes coughed and burst into tears.

My son. He wept bitterly. Why? Oh, why?

He buried his face into the velvet comforter that was tattered over the years he had been banished to this wasteland by his own son, Governor Diablo. Governor Diablo, the leader of Spooky World, was solely responsible for Archimedes’ residence in what was called the Land of Death, or the Forbidden Zone.

When the Roman Empire fell, the Spooky World inhabitants had to escape from persecution by the humans, humans that once worked alongside them to run a civilization that reached the ends of the earth. The humans, due to unfounded superstitions and fear, blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on the Spooky World creatures. Vampires and witches were burned at the stake; skeletons were buried and stacked in the thousands on plots of land unfit for even the mice and vermin that suddenly ruled the earth. Demons like Archimedes and Governor Diablo had to escape to abandoned and isolated areas where humans either had never cultivated or discovered. Yet, Spooky World kept its course forward. Over the years, certain members of Spooky World, thanks to their shape-shifting abilities and clever disguises, were able to infiltrate parts of the human world. New technologies and advancements and a higher standard of living were now options again for the Spooky World inhabitants. However, a scientist by the name of Harold Bones and his family moved to the human world.

Archimedes groaned at the thought of that foolish man and what he had done to Spooky World. How he had gotten Governor Diablo and especially Count von Esterhazy, the head vampire, to agree on bringing those awful humans to Spooky World was beyond him. Now, his power was gone, thanks to Harold’s boy, Skelee. Somehow, Skelee had managed to learn a spell that turned him into one of the fiercest skeleton warriors: Edward Bones. Edward had attempted Archimedes’ life once before. Diamedre had eliminated him, or so he thought.

Archimedes coughed, and he rolled onto his side. Theo was the same age as Skelee. Thanks to his true demon breed, he was more dangerous. Archimedes smiled at the thought. Skelee had to be eliminated.

Chapter One

Skelee stood in the outfield as he waited for Nate to pitch the ball to his next unfortunate victim. Kickball was on the agenda today for PE or Physical Education class. Coach Russell clapped his hands as he spoke encouraging words to a kid named Fripp. Nate took the mulberry bouncy ball in his hand and deftly rolled it to him. The ball whirred over the ground like a bolt of lightning. Fripp barely tapped the ball as the infielders clustered inwards. Nate jumped off the mound and grabbed the ball. He threw it to Marcus Wolver, the boy-band-ish handsome first baseman. After catching the ball and tagging Fripp, Marcus whipped back his lustrous blonde bangs. A couple of girls swooned at his victory move.

Skelee sighed and turned around to face the woods that surrounded the Hemlock School backyard. He glanced up at the cloudless blue sky. A hawk flew above, but that was about it. He was about to face the game when a bright light flashed in the woods.

Skelee blinked and looked again. In the distance, he could see a pair of small red eyes staring at him. Skelee turned to face the infield. Another kid had forfeited his turn, so Coach Russell had to send another kid to kick against the unbeaten offense. Skelee watched Nate roll the ball again. The kid miscued his kick and accidentally kicked himself in the shin. The poor boy fell over as the infielders ran to check on him. Skelee was about to do the same when he heard a voice call his name. Or so he thought. Skelee paused and faced the woods again.

This time, he saw not only the red eyes but the dark outline of a creature staring at him. Skelee glanced back at his classmates. All of them were checking on the boy who had accidentally kicked his own shin. Skelee trudged through the grassy outfield towards the outline of what was called the Northern Copse. These woods surrounded not just the Hemlock School but were comprised of a bunch of trails, including a bike trail that circled a lake in the middle of the woods. Skelee had walked those routes many times with Nate, his friend, and Taylor, Nate’s sister. This was the way for many neighborhood kids to go home. A subdivision of homes was just beyond the lake. Skelee’s backyard, like Nate’s, tipped up to the water.

Ske-lee.

Skelee walked further into the woods. His feet got faster, and he thought he was pulled by a strange force. Yet, he wasn’t afraid. He passed a few tall pine trees and stopped in his shoes. Before him stood a red stag. Skelee recognized that animal. There was a huge scar beneath his neck where Archimedes, the much-feared demon, ruled a place called the Forbidden Zone. This buck had saved Skelee’s life when he had to fight Archimedes.

Hey. What are you doing here? Skelee asked.

The stag stood over him. An amulet of gold hung from his neck.

Skelee gulped. The stag bent its head and gently nudged the top of his skull as Skelee closed his eyes. The stag was communicating with him. A dense, misty fog enveloped them both.

Skelee!

Skelee quickly snapped out of his dream when he heard his friends’ voices call for him.

Oh, crap. Skelee glanced around him. The stag was gone. Shaking his head, he jetted out of the woods and returned to the school baseball field. The kids had left the injured shin boy (He was fine after a bag of ice and a cold apple juice box.) They all crowded at the edge of the woods, where Skelee showed his face again.

Skelee Bones! Coach Russell’s voice boomed beyond the kids.

Now, you’re in for it, Nate said, a smirk on his face as he held the ball between his hands.

Coach Russell cut through the crowd of children and stared at Skelee.

Where on earth did you go? he asked.

I’m sorry, Coach Russell. I got distracted. I won’t do it again.

Coach Russell folded his muscular arms over his chest. You scared us half to death. We had to deal with an injury, and then you were gone.

I know, and I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.

Okay. Please be careful. We can’t have children missing at our school. Come on. He glanced at his watch. Time to change clothes.

Coach Russell placed a hand on Skelee’s shoulder as the rest of the kids ran indoors to their respective locker rooms. Before Skelee entered the school building, Coach Russell stood before him.

Why did you go to the woods? he asked.

Skelee gulped. He didn’t want to say. He had to, though.

I saw a deer, sir. It was beautiful.

Coach Russell smiled. Skelee noticed that his skin crinkled around the outer corners of his blue eyes.

I’ve seen deer out here. I’ve fed a few, usually before I leave school. There are families of them here. It’s a beautiful place for them.

Skelee smiled. He was thankful that the Coach understood.

Go get changed, Buddy. Maybe you can help me feed them tomorrow, he said.

I would like that, Skelee said.

Coach nodded as Skelee was the last kid to enter the boy’s locker room.

Being a skeleton boy with a bunch of humans was an interesting experience. Yet, Skelee loved his human friends. Most of all, he enjoyed the human world. Even Nate teasing him about being lost in the woods brought him great joy.

On the bus ride home, Skelee had to fend for himself from his classmates’ inquisitions.

Why were you in the woods? one of the kids asked.

Were you distracted again? another asked.

Was there a sexy lady in the woods? (That would’ve been Marcus Wolver’s words.)

Skelee shook his head at all their questions.

You might need to get that ADHD checked, Nate said. There’s some medication for that.

Skelee shook his head amid the laughter around him.

I don’t have ADHD.

How do you know? Nate asked.

I just don’t. I’ve already told you. I saw a deer and lost track of time.

Deer? Nate asked. Please, those things come to our neighborhood all the time. My father almost hit one the other day.

Cynthia gasped. That’s awful, Nate. Did he hurt him?

I dunno. All I heard was some black deer jumped across the street, and he almost hit him ‘cause it was at night.

Black deer? Skelee asked. His heart skipped a beat.

Yup. That’s what he said, Nate said.

There aren’t black deer, a boy named Iggie interjected. Iggie was Nate and Taylor’s neighbor. Skelee lived across the street from him.

Yes, there is. Just ask my dad, Nate said.

Iggie groaned and pulled at one of the tips of his dreads that hung abundantly off his head.

I’ve read about black deer, well, stags, Cynthia said. Her shiny black pigtails bounced as she spoke.

Really? Iggie asked.

Mmhm. They are rare. Some of them have red eyes, Cynthia said.

Sounds creepy, Nate said.

Skelee was silent as the kids eagerly listened to Cynthia. Cynthia was the class bookworm and the Hemlock Lower School’s current valedictorian. Skelee came close to her GPA.

Strange that your dad saw one. They’re not native to here. They’re from a country called Romania, a place in Eastern Europe, said Cynthia as she scrolled through the contents on her phone.

See? Iggie said as he teased Nate. Your father saw no black deer. It was dark outside; he assumed it was black.

Shut up. That is not true, Nate said. He was sulking. Skelee shook his head but smiled. The bus stopped in front of Nate and Taylor’s house.