Symphony of Bones by L.T. Ryan (little bear else holmelund minarik .txt) 📕

pointed to the figurine of the nurse. “Do you still care about them?”

“Grandma started my collection for me. It’d break Mom’s heart if I gave them up.”

“She didn’t seem to care when I threw them away.” Cassie’s head snapped up, and Laura cackled. “I’m kidding. Yeah, she’d kill you. When we’re both old spinsters living together, we can combine our sets and live in an entire house of them.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Cassie unwrapped the second figurine. This one was of a little girl on roller skates with a golden ribbon tied to a loop at the top of her head. One of several Christmas ornaments she’d received over the years.

“Nope, nope, nope.” Laura scooted away from the box in front of her. “I am not touching those.”

Cassie leaned over the box and gasped. “My porcelain dolls! I haven’t thought about these in years.”

“Me neither. I think I had purposely forgotten you used to collect them. You were such a weirdo.”

“What are you talking about? They’re beautiful.” Cassie pulled one out of its box. It had shiny red hair and wore an emerald and gold dress. Every detail was pristine. She held it out to Laura. “You don’t like her?”

Laura scooted back even further. “No. The spirit of a dead little girl probably lives inside of it. It’s going to come alive tonight and kill us all.”

Cassie looked into the doll’s green eyes and let her mind defocus. She had never thought there was anything strange about her dolls, but who knew what could’ve happened over the years. Were the dolls capable of taking on spirits? Were the movies true?

“Cassie?” Laura had stopped laughing. “Cassie, don’t joke around.”

Cassie let Laura’s voice fade away. She searched every inch of the doll with her mind, probing every corner of its hollow interior to see if something sinister lived inside. Could it be possible? Was there something—

“Boo!”

Cassie leaned over and yelled in her sister’s face. Laura shrieked and fell back, hitting her head on the floor with a dull thunk. Cassie laughed so hard she fell over. Even Laura couldn’t stop herself from joining in.

“You’re such a bitch. Oh my God, I thought you were serious.”

“The dolls are perfectly normal, I promise. No dead kids trapped inside.”

Laura groaned and held her chest. “I could’ve died. You could’ve killed me.”

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Cassie was still laughing as she put the doll back in its box and set it to the side. She grabbed another knickknack and started to unwrap it when every muscle in her body seized. “Holy shit.”

“Okay, you had your laugh. You got me. Let’s not make a habit of it.”

“No, I’m not joking.” Goosebumps erupted over Cassie’s entire body. She let the figurine fall from her hand and roll across the carpet as she looked closer at the newspaper it had been wrapped in. “I can’t freaking believe it.”

Laura leaned over her shoulder. “What is it?”

Cassie couldn’t tear her eyes away from the image in front of her. It was a picture of the same little boy who had been haunting her for months. The same one who couldn’t stop staring at Laura. The same one who had given her a macabre warning during last night’s dream.

When she said as much, Laura sat back on her haunches with wide eyes. “What’s it say about him?”

Cassie knew her voice would tremble if she tried to read it aloud, so she laid the paper down between them. She and her sister leaned in close to skim it together.

Boy Kidnapped From Playground In Broad Daylight

SAVANNAH, Georgia — Officials are looking for Sebastian Thomas, aged nine, who went missing from Forsyth Park on Thursday afternoon. His babysitter reportedly took him to the playground at his mother’s request and states she was reading a book on a nearby bench when she noticed the child was missing. After unsuccessfully searching for Thomas, she called the boy’s mother, who then contacted authorities.

The investigation is ongoing. Officials have not disclosed any possible leads or named any suspects. Witnesses have stated they do not remember a disturbance, indicating Thomas may have been taken by someone he knows.

If you have any information or think you have seen a missing person, please contact the proper authorities.

Cassie and Laura sat back and stared at each other, processing what they just discovered. It was front page news, but the paper offered little information. Not that it mattered. Cassie already knew it had ended poorly for the little boy.

Sebastian, she corrected. She knew his name now, and she was going to use it.

“Do you recognize him?” Cassie asked, having found her voice. “Is there any reason you might’ve known each other? Why he could be so interested in you?”

“Not at all.” Laura pointed to the date on the newspaper. “June 7, 1994. Even if I’d met him, I wouldn’t have remembered him. If he was in my pre-school class or Mom took me to playdates with him, she’d remember better than I would.”

They heard the creaking of the staircase. Cassie tried to hide the newspaper, but Laura grabbed her wrist.

“You could always ask her. You know, stop trying to hide this stuff from her?”

“I will,” Cassie said, but Laura didn’t look convinced. “Just not now.”

Laura let go of her wrist, and Cassie slipped the paper behind her just as their mom opened the door to the sewing room and popped her head inside.

“You’re supposed to be making this place cleaner, not dirtier. Didn’t think I’d have to tell you to pick up your toys once you made it to your thirties.”

“Sorry,” Laura and Cassie said in harmony.

“How did your phone call go?” Cassie asked.

“Mary picked up. She’s distraught, of course. I don’t think anything I said helped.”

“I’m sure it did,” Laura offered. “It might just take a minute to sink in.”

Judy nodded, but she didn’t look convinced. “Anyway, I have a doctor’s appointment. Your father can’t go with me today, so I was wondering if either of you girls would like to?”

“Is everything okay?” Cassie