Mary's Bones

THIRTEEN

"Trick or treat!"

Costumes and three open bags greeted us at our doorstep. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the cheery smiles that fit their faces. John grinned at me and passed over the candy bowl. His eyes then lingered over the children waiting patiently.

"Ah, what do we have here? A pumpkin, a Rockstar, and a"—John gasped—"a cop!? Well, you've come to the right place. Just wait until you get a real badge, eh?"

I rolled my eyes, picking candy from the bowl. "Oh great, another reason for you to get amped up about tonight"—turning away from him, I placed candy into their bags—"here you go, you guys look so cute!" I cooed.

"Thank you!" They grinned and ran for the next house.

"Hey!" John feigned hurt. I giggled and leaned forward, planting a kiss on his lips. He reluctantly kissed back, the pout on his face fading.

The night had just begun. Clusters of parents', children, and teens scouted the neighborhood, jumping from house to house. The streets were so full that it looked like the entire town had gathered for an event. I'd seen at least one in every ten people wearing the same costume, too.

"Hey, babe. We're almost out of candy. Where's the extra bags we bought?"

"Oh, I think I stored them in one of the cabinets. One second, I'll go check," I said before heading towards the kitchen.

Children's laughter echoed in the distance from the crack of the living room window. I could hear John poking fun at every kid who walked by. They giggled in response to every word. Some of them even laughed out a snarky remark back, offending him. Sheesh, he could be so silly at times. But it made me smile anyway.

There was no doubt he was going to be a great father. His handle with kids had always been marvelous, even when he doubted himself. It could have come from years of experience babysitting his younger cousins. Due to the constant overnight shifts his aunt worked, the little rascals were almost always over. Two girls and three boys were a fine number to drive you crazy. But he managed through the chaos somehow.

"Just a few more months, baby." I sighed in relief, stopping in the middle of the kitchen floor. Now, where had I put those candy bags? I reached for the top cabinets and began sifting through the groceries.

"Well, you're not in there, that's for sure," I mumbled.

Hmm, could I have accidentally stored the bags away with the grain products? I didn't remember stuffing them down there. Maybe I was too tired. Our food shopping trip last week went on for hours, from morning to afternoon. Then we spent almost an hour storing the food away. Sometimes, I wish I could say to hell with food shopping. It would have been more stress than it was worth if we hadn't needed to survive.

With a small huff, I bent down the best I could, sticking my hand into the bottom cabinet. Can rims, thick bags, and sharp-edged boxes met my skin as my fingertips brushed over the products. I recognized the cereal box and the large bags of rice under my fingers. Guiding my fingers further into the back of the cabinet, I continued to feel around. There was nothing but wide, empty space. I stuck my hand further until I felt a slit open on my skin.

"Son of a bit—" I yelped and leaped back.

When I pulled my shaky hand from the inside of the cabinet, a thin coat of red slid down the line of my palm. What the hell? Something pricked me! I winced but quickly stood up and ran to the kitchen sink. Cool water massaged my palm, rinsing the warm blood off. A slight sting merged into the wound as the water pressure came down on it. I clenched my teeth, muttering a curse under my breath.