One all Hallows’ eve night when the moon is full the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. Stacy clicks the bone of her fingers together; her rotting flesh falls back from her hand. Damn she would have to do better at hiding things while here. This side always wreaked havoc on her form.

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Craning her neck to the side her bones creak in answer as she hears the lilting sound once again. The song and promise of bones calling to her. Her black dress hides most of the bones that are showing through. Flesh still covers most of her see able bits. The dress flows down past her knees, the ends raggedy and drooping down in frills. 

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Taking stock of her whereabouts she is in a small dusty crypt. She could feel the sway of bones all around her. Breathing in deeply she gives a happy stomp of her feet dancing over to the stone wall feeling the hum of energy in the bones behind it. She had died and gone to bone heaven.

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Shrieks and screams echo beyond this building right outside startling Stacy. She clicks her fingers together again rattling the bones she has free, in warning. Tugging on the sealed tomb to the wall she pries it off. The stone does little to keep her out, her hunger pushing her forward. 

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The bones are in disarray and look to be riffled through. Giving out a banshee of a cry pain fills her lungs. Only a few bones were left. She picks the biggest one up and sniffs it inspecting what she has found.  Her tongue sneaks out a small lick, it sticks instantly. Nibbling on the bone she gives a happy spin letting her dress twirl around with her. She pulls the other smaller bones out and dumps them into the bag she wears slung across her body. Cinching it closed she keeps out the femur she is still gnawing on. 

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“I will be back for all you lovely beauties before the end of the night. These are just snacks for the road.” As she sucks at the essence that is still hidden within the bone. Fresher skin pulls over her bony digits of her fingers. Giving a sigh of relief.

“Much better.”

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Opening the crypt door, she peers out into the darkness. The moon is high in the sky there wouldn’t be much time to get the bone that is calling to her. Slipping through, she leaves the door open so she would not have to mess with the door on her way back. 

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Walking behind tall grave markers she sees others running twisting through the graves screaming of fright. A thrill goes through her as she moves closer to them. Peeking out from behind a tombstone a girl gives a high-pitched scream backing away slowly. Bringing down the bone, Stacy bonks her on the head. 

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“Stop that,” she says.

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“Hey watch it.” A guy runs up and tries to take away the bone.

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“My bone,” she grunts as she snatches it away.

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“Oh, I got a bone for you.” He grabs the front of his pants making a vulgar motion.

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Giving a giggle she twirls back she bounces in place happy as can be. The boy had a bone just for her in his pants. The people here were nice. They left these wonderful places full of bones just for her to snack on. Not to mention they themselves were filled with delicious treats wrapped in ooey gooey meat pie. 

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The guy helps the girl up and they run away. Following quick on their heels she sticks close wanting what was promised to her.

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There are screaming and cackling people everywhere she turns. Going through a dark tunnel cloth suppresses her movements. She is cornered on all sides but her way forward. She follows the terrified people forward. Another comes up behind her their steps dance behind her rushing her but not pushing. Her intake of breath and blood curdling scream echoes around her as someone jumps out at them. 

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Keeping her bone to her she huddles around it continuing, she gets dumped out at the edge of the graveyard many others standing around talking excitedly. The girl behind her trots off to some parents waiting for her. 

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“Can you believe I went through the whole spooky graveyard on my own!”

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“Now let’s get you some blood of the innocent!”

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“Shirley temples rock!”

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Circling around the family Stacy studies them her previous couple has gone missing. She trails behind this new family curious about their fun dark nature. These were not like other humans she had seen. People were dressed up much like her world. Were they adopting her world’s lifestyle?

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“Come in child,” A deep womanly voice calls beyond some tent flaps.

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Stacy’s head snaps to the side the family continuing on as if they hadn’t heard anything. 

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“Come, come. We don’t stand in the in between for long. It’s not healthy.”

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Walking in the tent on the inside is a lot bigger than it looked on the outside. The area warm and inviting a small table sits in the middle with a ball and some runes scattered across a dark cloth. The white stones look pretty there. 

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“I have been waiting for you bone collector.” Her eyes watch as she pulls out a small, beaded drawstring purse from below the table in the middle. Something ancient and full of life sat in there calling to her. That is what she heard across the spans of worlds. “I usually work with another.”

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“Yes, I answered the call this time. She is away at the moment. It is my first time to this realm.”

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“Ah, perfect she taught you everything she knows then.”

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Stacy nods, distracted by the runes. “These are bones but not of this world?”

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The woman stutters but catches herself. “Yes, in this world not all magic comes easily. Even most small things require a lot of energy and patience.”

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Stacy sits at the table, her eyeing the purse. “What is it you require?”

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“For this I need another to disappear. I am told that you can make that happen for a price.” She takes a key out of the purse, turning to a trunk not to far from the table. Opening it there is a plump man stuffed into the trunk. He is passed out and unconscious.

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Many of the other children who were poor with their hunting were hungry; he would do well to feed us for many months to come. This poor sack of meat would not enjoy our toying though. 

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If I take him, I won’t need to stop by the crypt before leaving for the extra bones.

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Old bones, she taught her never to go with the first offer.

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“You can tell my future?” Her eyes scan the runes, she clicks her teeth together. 

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“Instead of the bone?” The seer cocks a brow.

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“Including it.” Her fingers long to play with the weird little bone runes in front of her. The magic in the other was more intoxicating but even smaller than these runes. 

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“Bone collectors only ever have one future. Eat bones or waste away what could you want to know?” 

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“Tis the question, isn’t it?”

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Bone collectors are chosen from a young age, we all start out as Necromancers but the magic twists into something darker making us what we are today. There is a test we all are given to see how our magic will be shaped over the next few decades. That tells them what kind of necromancer they will be. The lowest necromancers are called scavengers. Their magic isn’t much at all, they need outside resources to help add the power needed to stay alive. A bone collector is part of the scavenger family. 

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“Fine bone devour but don’t be upset with me when they are blank with no future other than the one you are given.” 

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Stacy’s fingers curl around the pebbles of bone and shakes them causing a satisfying tinkling sound. She pours over them with intensity as she tries to push something into them to show her more than what this life has given her so far. Releasing the stones they fall to the circular table clattering around as they roll and land. Most of them land blank side up each new one that rolls to the blank side is another disheartening sight. The last rune lands with the correct side up.

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Her eyes stare at it memorizing its symbol before peering up at the seer. A big x appears across the stone. She felt like it was life telling her that she should not go further. But she waited to hear what the symbol meant. She raises her eyes to the seer eagerly awaiting her words.

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“Gebo or gift, this rune means giving, balance, and crossroads.”

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“And what does it mean?”

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“With no other runes to go off it is strange. It could mean the giving of the body you will be taking to feast off for some time. It could be talking about the balance between life and death that you are forever caught in.”

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“Give me the rest of the payment and I will be on my way then.”

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She bounces the bag with the small bone in it, tossing it over to Stacy. She snatches it from the air quickly opening it up and inhaling the potent magic that drips from the ancient bone. 

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Getting to her feet she shambles over to the giant chest that holds the plump human. She easily lifts one side and drags it closer to her. Her spirits renewed she calls a portal forward not needing the one back in the graveyard. She didn’t have to worry about her next few meals with this. She dangles the purse in front of her then thinks better of it and stuffs it down deep into her bag. 

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What the seer didn’t know was that she was at a crossroads of sorts. She felt it was time to make  a way for herself without the help of a bone mother. She had passed her last tests and no longer needed the lessons that she helped the other little ones through. She had been with the other one for 200 years and it was time she made it on her own. This man would keep them well off for months to come. I would take this bone and set out my own way. Collecting and dealing with how I see fit. This place looked to be a good fit, she just needed to set up a shop of her own, a place to call her own. She would see what the bone mother would say and go from there. 

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As she marches through the portal the magic of the other world washes over her draining her of strength over here magic was denser and more drained those who had weaker magic more so than the others. Her hair and skin lack shine and pallor it diminishes as time passes. Her skin is already papery thin as the bones peek through. 

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The others would be here soon, and I wanted to welcome them home with a good stew. While this man is still out, she gets to work on removing a part of him. He would stay alive without a hand and a foot. She bandaged him and numbed it as best as she could to preserve the other bones and body parts. She got to work on cooking the stew, the house warming and smelling of deliciousness waiting for her crossroads to come home for her to start a new journey in a world that might have something other than this one did. 

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She knew living in the human realm would be difficult with what she is, but she had plans and ideas that she could make it. This night was the beginning of something great she could feel it in her bones. She gives a quirky smile grinding her teeth against one another.