Linda M. Crate - The Bone Collector / An Autumn Murder

the bone collector 

he didn't much

care for the

blood or the flesh

only the bones

they sang to him tales

of new and old

bit him with epiphanies

he wouldn't ever

consider of his own

volition,

but as he considered these

ones they seemed

different

there was scorn in this newly

acquired bones;

they seemed to only speak to him

of his deepest yearning and longing

informing him that he'd 

never be happy—

it was like a mouth that never closed

no matter how hard he tried

to shatter her bones,

perfection remained in them

the ivory gleamed

innocent and radiant as pure as the wings

of an angel;

he fell on his knees to find

a ghost standing above him and an ax swung:

"give me your bones," she whispered. 

an autumn murder 

the leaves 

danced as he ran

she felt

the electricity of his blood

before she even

tasted it,

and she knew it was moments

like these that she 

still remained:

to feel alive;

but even her body knew it was

dead, 

it reminded her all the time

she ignored it

as she did everything she didn't like—

now she had to focus

on her quarry

she found him on his knees

and snorted to herself

whatever or whomever he had prayed to

it was too late

she would deliver him into the arms

of death and give in to her

never-ending thirst

she didn't hear his screams

only tasted the blood on her tongue

as he cursed her with

eternal damnation

something she had been born with

for vampyres were cursed the moment they

were delivered into the world. 

Linda M. Crate is a Pennsylvanian native born in Pittsburgh yet raised in the rural town of Conneautville. Her poetry, short stories, articles, and reviews have been published in a myriad of magazines both online and in print. Recently her two chapbooks A Mermaid Crashing Into Dawn (Fowlpox Press - June 2013) and Less Than A Man (The Camel Saloon - January 2014) were published. Her fantasy novel Blood & Magic was published in March 2015. Her novel Dragons & Magic was published in October 2015.