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Back Whisper in the Dark
Chapters (36)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. About the Author
  33. Books by Joseph Bruchac
  34. Credits
  35. Copyright
  36. About the Publisher

Following Grama Delia’s lead, the Narragansett Tribal Council got the town to close down the excavations of that cave and to put back everything where they had found it, even though rumor had it that they’d already uncovered some very interesting items. Did those things include the skeleton of a huge man and a rusty five-bladed knife? I really can’t say. But I can tell you that Grama Delia and several other elders who remember our medicine supervised the blocking of that cave mouth, not just with stones, but with reinforced concrete and a layer of earth over that. Then they did a certain ceremony. Grama Delia made sure I was there to see it, but I can’t say anything more than that, aside from the fact that Mr. Patel and Roger and Aunt Lyssa were the only non-Narragansetts present.

My life is back to normal now. As normal as my life can ever be. Like Bootsie, who is back to running around like crazy in our backyard after imaginary squirrels, any scars I may have aren’t visible. I’m still reading horror stories and going to monster movies and talking about it all with Roger. I’ve even begun thinking seriously about writing stories like that myself. Roger has been encouraging me. That’s the main reason I wrote down my recent experiences. His mother encouraged me to do it too.

“Turning a traumatic experience into fiction,” she said, “is a wonderful technique for giving you power over it.”

Last night, when I read the last chapter to Roger, he said it was great. Then he put both arms around me and hugged me. I hugged him right back. I used both arms, because even though my left hand is still not as sensitive as my right hand, I’ve been able to move it a little and I can feel hot and cold with it now. It’s been that way ever since the explosion in the cave.

Roger smiled down at me and then he kissed me. That was a first. And, as far as I am concerned, a fine way to end my own scary story.

About the Author

JOSEPH BRUCHAC is the author of Skeleton Man, The Return of Skeleton Man, Bearwalker, The Dark Pond, and Whisper in the Dark, as well as numerous other critically acclaimed novels, poems, and stories, many drawing on his Abenaki heritage. Mr. Bruchac lives in upstate New York in the same house where he was raised by his grandparents.

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Books by Joseph Bruchac

Skeleton Man

The Return of Skeleton Man

Whisper in the Dark

The Dark Pond

Bearwalker

Night Wings

Credits

Cover art © 2005 by Sally Wern Comport

Copyright