As the skeleton approached the strange, crumbling castle, a simple thought began to take root in his mind. "What is my name?" He turned the question over and over, but no answer came. His past was as much a mystery as the castle looming ahead. "Maybe someone in the castle will know my name... or should I choose one for myself?" he mused silently. "Once I get there, I'll know."
Getting closer to the castle, however, was no easy task. The land was rough and barren, littered with jagged rocks that blocked his path. Sometimes he chuckled bitterly as insects and small creatures passed straight through him, crawling between his ribs as if he weren't even there. He couldn't remember what he was before, but he was sure of one thing—he hadn't always been just a pile of bones.
As he climbed over the uneven terrain, a strange noise reached his ears, coming from deep within a nearby grove of trees. Fear stirred in his chest, but curiosity tugged harder. Perhaps foolishness, more than courage, he thought, as he crept toward the sound. Step by step, he moved cautiously, hiding behind trees, edging closer to the source.
Just as he was near enough to see, a low, menacing growl echoed through the grove. He froze, unable to identify the creature that made it, but knowing instinctively that he didn't want to find out. Instead of taking another step, he darted back toward the castle, panic pushing him forward.
As he ran, he heard the terrified scream of a horse followed by angry shouts and cries of anguish. Whatever was happening behind him, it was nothing he wanted to face. Dangerous howls echoed in the distance, growing closer, but he didn't look back. His bones rattled with each step as he fled, his fear driving him faster.
Still worried that something might leap out ahead of him, he ducked into a bush, holding his breath until the howls and screams faded into the distance only then did he continue forward. Though he wasn't about to stop and investigate. His mind still pondered "What was all that?".
He was so lost in thought that he barely noticed when he reached the castle's moss-covered gates. The walls towered above him, so high they seemed like mountains. Or perhaps he was simply too small now to measure their true height. One of the towers stood in ruins, bats flitting in and out of its gaping holes. Another tower still stood, though its glory days were long gone. Shadows clung to every corner of the place, a reminder of what it once had been. The stairs that once led to the entrance were crumbled, leaving only debris in their place.
With his small, frail frame, climbing the debris proved to be no easy task. But the strange pull inside him, only grew stronger as he approached. Refusing to give up, he scrambled over the rubble until, at last, he reached the top—and found himself face-to-face with a child.
The child didn't flinch at the sight of him. In fact, there was no fear in the boy's wide blue eyes, just curiosity.
"Hello there," the child said with a grin. "My name is..." He paused, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Hmm... strange. I know I have a name, but I can't remember it. Well, no matter! What's your name?" he asked, cheerful as ever.
The skeleton felt a surge of joy. Finally, someone in this strange, terrifying place who didn't seem dangerous. He tried to respond, but no sound came out, only the hollow clatter of his teeth.
"Why aren't you answering?" the child asked, his tone more curious than concerned.
Desperate to explain, the skeleton pointed at his throat, miming his inability to speak. The child's blue eyes narrowed as he watched the skeleton's silent gestures, then lit up with understanding.
"Can you not speak?" the boy asked.
The skeleton nodded furiously, his head almost slipping from his neck with the motion.
"Oh, that's a bummer," the child said somewhat depressed. "I've been here for days, and apart from the scary lady, no one else talks to me. I thought maybe you could, but I guess not." He smiled kindly at the skeleton, but the sadness in his voice was unmistakable.