The Hallow in the Eve
Only own 206 bones, but no Bones.
Going try a little something different here…. Hope you enjoy, just let me know….
1.
"That is completely illogical." Dr. Temperance Brennan argued as she sat in the passenger seat. "Why would a penguin be cold?"
"Because that is just how Chilly Willy is, he's always cold." Agent Seeley Booth explained for the third time.
"I just don't think that we should be confusing our daughter with these kinds of arch types at a young age. Penguins also do not wear stocking caps." Brennan continued to argue the facts.
"Yeah well I loved watching Chilly Willy as kid." Booth explained. "I'm Chilly Willy the penguin, I'm frozen thru and thru!" Booth began to sing the theme song as Brennan raised an eyebrow. "Oh shit!" Booth said swerving to the side to avoid a collision.
The car next to them was not nearly as lucky. The Honda Accord slammed into the rear panel of the Toyota Camry causing it to spin sideways as the Accord continued to plow into the driver's side and came to a stop. Booth pulled up behind it as Brennan raced to check on the drivers of both vehicles.
Booth understood what happened immediately when he saw the driver of the Accord was still holding the cell phone in hand with a text on the display. Booth took it from her hand and stuffed it in his pocket for evidence.
"They're okay, but they should stay put until an ambulance arrives." Brennan offered and the driver's did as instructed.
Booth walked to the shoulder of the road and called for emergency services. Brennan continued to speak with the drivers to gather more information and test their cogency. Booth hung up from the emergency responders and was heading back to the road when something caught his eye.
He stepped forward and to a heavily overgrown fence line. Woven tightly between the cast iron fence posts were thick vines that suggested no admittance even stronger than the heavy metal that the gate was made of. It was what was on the gate's heavily guarded by vined entrance that had caught Booth's attention.
"Bones?" He called who quickly came over.
"What is it Booth?" She asked nearing him.
"Bones." He said nodding.
"Yes, Booth I'm right here." She said irritated.
"No, Bones, bones." He said pointing to the two bones crossed like an x and a skull over them. "I'm not an anthologist but I've been around one long enough to know those are probably real."
Brennan stepped forward to inspect them closer while Booth stepped off to the right to investigate where the path led. He looked over his shoulder to see the police and ambulance arrive, that scene was under control while a new one seemed to be developing.
Past the vined entrance Booth could see thru the growth a path leading up to a large estate, a turn of the century Victorian made of limestone and rock. It easily held over 5000 square feet in its lush design. The center had a tower that looked down at him with two openings Booth would have sworn looked like menacing eyes. He told himself he was being silly and looked at the grounds surrounding it. The house had obviously been abandoned for some time though the grounds were littered with various construction materials as though someone had quickly left and the earth had begun to absorb it.
A "For Sale" sign had collapsed on its side and Booth tried to capture a picture of the real estate agent's name and number when a large and thick snake slithered thru the gate causing him to jump back.
"What is it Booth?" Brennan asked upon seeing him jump.
"Snake!" He said.
"Where?" Brennan asked and when Booth looked back he didn't see it.
"It was big." He said figuring some trace of it must be near.
"Sure it was." Brennan said nearing sarcasm and put gloves to inspect the bones further.
"Do you always keep plastic gloves in your pocket?" Booth asked. "I don't see a box of them at home, where do you keep this supply?"
"In the kitchen in a drawer by the keys." She answered automatically as though it were obvious.
"Oh." Booth said. Squints he thought and looked back thru the gate, cautiously, and snapped a photo of the real estate sign this time. He looked over the grand and deteriorating house again until he was drawn away from Brennan.
"I would confirm these bones are human and I would date them roughly forty years old, Caucasian male." She explained.
"Only forty years old?" Booth asked.
"Are you suggesting they are older?" Brennan asked in defense of her anthropological knowledge.
"No, no Bones, it's just, nothing, I was thinking the house was old, and that they would be old."
"That does not make sense, much like your Chilled Willy friend." Brennan said going back to the bones.
"No Bones…" Booth said shaking his head at the sexual implication. "No, you know what, never mind. But maybe we should check into the whole place." Booth said pulling on the gates which were too intertwined to give way to opening.
"Well I believe we will need cause." Brennan said and looked closer to the back of the skull. "Which we have, this would definitely lead to cause of death." She said looking at the large fracture. "This would not be accidental."
"Good, we have a murder case then." Booth said. He wasn't going to explain to Brennan that he hoped it was, he desperately wanted to see inside this house, it was like it was calling to him.
Too bad Booth had no idea what a terrible idea that was…
Booth bounced down the halls with an enthusiasm he himself hadn't felt in some time. The weather was cooling off, one could just smell the cold in the air as it was laced with the aroma of dead leaves, pumpkins, hazelnut, cinnamons and the numbing cold the nights and early mornings brought. He felt like a kid, excited for the juvenile delight of the upcoming holiday, Halloween was only two days away. Brennan may have had little interest in the holiday but Booth and Christine decked the house with spider webs, jack o lanterns, and had two Halloween costumes, lest something dramatic happen to the first one. Brennan shrugged her shoulders at each decoration that came home but had to grin at the delight the holiday brought her husband and daughter.
So it was with little thought that Booth gave as he headed to their resident psychologists door to inform him of their latest case. What Sweets was going to profile Booth wasn't sure just yet but he felt like a kid, rounding up the other neighborhood kids to set out for some mischief. Booth bounced thru the open doors making Sweets jump which only gave Booth an unspoken chuckle and repressed the desire to shout "boo."
Dr. Lance Sweets eyed the fellow agent with disdain. "Knocking is completely optional. Thank you for finally asking." Sweets said sarcastically.
Ah, finally the kid get it Booth said to himself missing the sarcasm and steaming forward.
"Good, we've got a case." Booth said waiting for Sweets to follow him out like a puppy eager to play catch. Sweets remained in his seat.
"Case, come on Sweets!" Booth said again unconsciously regarding Sweets as a puppy in conversation now.
"Booth." Sweets said sternly so that he had his attention. "I have work to do. You know, patients, profiles, other agents."
Booth looked at him as though those words were foreign.
"Yes." Booth acknowledged but spoke slowly so Sweets could understand. "But I have a case."
Sweets' head cocked to one side as he was amazed at how Booth regarded himself above other agents. Of course he was, Sweets knew, both professionally in the FBI and because of their lengthy relationship of working together. Still it miffed Sweets in a way. The realization dawned on Booth finally.
"Okay, well if you're busy I understand. I thought this case might interest you." Booth said luring the psychologist in as he turned slowly to the door. Booth knew he was throwing the hook and the line.
"What kind of case?" Sweets asked and Booth smiled with his back to Sweets. Sinker! He said to himself as he turned around with a straight face.
"Oh I don't know if it would interest you." Booth played and Sweets rolled his eyes.
"You mean the kind of case that if I don't help with you -you will only call or barge in later while I'm with patients?" Sweets asked getting up from his desk.
"Me?" Booth asked incredulously as he slapped the young man on the shoulder as he grabbed his overcoat and they left for the elevator. "Never." Booth added sarcastically as they left.
Having photographed, documented and removed the remains they now sat on the examination table on the platform at the Jeffersonian. Booth awaited the necessary documents from Caroline Julian in order to grant them access to the house.
"Anything yet?" Brennan asked upon Booth's arrival. She could sense Booth's innate desire to investigate this as much as a child wishes to ride an amusement park attraction.
"No, nothing yet." Booth said. "I brought Sweets with me!"
Brennan eyed him with a quizzical glance as though asking why he was 'rounding up the usual suspects' as he would often say. She couldn't deny that Casablanca was an excellent film she thought to herself as she looked at the mandible under a magnifying glass.
"Any more on John Doe?" Booth asked. Sweets began to wonder how this was an actual case if three bones was all they were going on. He was beginning to feel swindled into something.
"Not yet." She replied.
"What a poor use for human bones." Fisher lamented as he approached the growing group. "Remains used as a talisman in warning." He shook his head.
Booth and Sweets both cocked their head to the left as they looked at Fisher with one singular thought emerging - What a weirdo.
"I do have a bit of information." Angela said joining them now. Booth & Sweets welcome the presence of Angela Montenegro and hoped Fisher had work elsewhere.
"On John Doe?" Booth asked.
"No, on 1313 Hallow Tree Lane." Angela answered.
"Hmm, I half expected you to say 666 Devil's Lane or something." Booth's tone was almost that of disappointment.
"Actually the reference of 666 has been widely misinterpreted." Fisher began reminding them all that he was still present, much to their disdain. Booth wondered if Fisher's mother didn't buy him a comb or if he just choose not to use it.
"In modern popular culture 666 has become a widely recognized symbol of anarchy or the devil." Fisher continued. "Though in the Book of Revelation it asserts that 666 to be the number of a man associated with the beast."
"The devil." Booth demised. "I went to Sunday school."
"Booth?" Sweets asked, his signature expression of lacked amusement cemented on his face. "Is there a case here? You know short of three bones and an address?"
"Of course." Booth said with confidence and looked at Brennan. "Right Bones?" He asked eagerly.
"This man was murdered." Brennan confirmed.
Booth smiled to Sweets that he was right but Sweets still seemed unconvinced.
"And?" He asked.
"And I think there may be many, many more." Angela interrupted as all the eyes turned towards her.