The Marrow Chronicle Episode 1

Mrs. Stone Arrives in Marrow Falls

The Marrow Chronicles is an intermittent episodic series that will have new episodes released on an irregular basis - some episodes might be a couple weeks apart, some may be a couple months. Please enjoy the first episode!

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Marrow Falls. 

There are few things I knew about this place before I drove the country back roads to this secluded town. I knew that the town bolstered a population of 2,100 people. I knew that the town mostly survived through agricultural exports and selling fish to the cannery just outside town. I knew about the blue-collar, aging population. I even knew about the strange yet extensive history of arson going back to the town’s founding nearly two hundred years ago.

What I didn’t know was the way the pine-shaded forest coalesced around you as you drew closer to town. I didn’t know about the feeling of eyes peering from the forest. I didn’t know about the feeling of being outside of time as I crossed the threshold of that welcome sign. I didn’t know that regardless of all of that, I could laugh at the charm of the city when the billboard of Mayor Ophelia - a lamancha goat who won best in show at the local fair three years in a row - blazed past me.

“Mayor Ophelia welcomes you to Marrow Falls township!”

“Why, thank you Miss Mayor!” I found myself saying through my fit of laughter.

Yet, when one first drives the winding roads towards Marrow Falls, you can’t help but wonder what mysteries are hidden deep in the forests that surround this strange northwestern town - though it felt like I had somehow fallen back into middle America as I crossed that threshold into town.

Even in midafternoon, I found the trip into town to be strangely dark. It was a cloudy day, so the sun didn’t shine. I imagine even on the clearest day, that forest would’ve been just as oppressive. The first thing I saw as the treeline broke was the old cannery. Droves of fishermen were dropping off the day’s catch and preparing to head down the street to Dina’s Diner and Bakery - somewhere I’m sure I’ll be spending much of my time in the weeks to come. As I passed the gas station, an attendant - amazing to think they still have attendants at gas pumps - waved at me with a small town smile on his face. 

As I made the left turn to head into the town’s circle, I saw the beautiful building across the way from me. When I rented it from the Barclave estate, I was told that this old place used to be the only doctor’s office in town. After the death of the doctor’s son, the office was closed. Now the people of Marrow Falls need to go one town over if they want healthcare.

I felt eyes watching me from the windows of every shop in the town’s circle, and with good reason. I was an outsider to you all, but in my heart I knew I wanted to make my home here and become one with the people of Marrow Falls.

I parked my car in front of the old building and immediately felt surprised that it was a doctor’s office once. It looked like it could’ve been an estate within itself. Luckily for me, I had the whole place to myself - a living space on the second floor, an office on the first floor, and soon the basement would be home to a printing press the likes of which Marrow Falls had never seen before…

“Miss Stone, I presume?”

“Oh, Mrs. Stone, please.” Henrietta said with a polite smile. The man cleared his throat.

“Mrs. Stone, of course. I apologize.” Henrietta waved the apology away. She was a young woman, and many didn’t expect her to be married. She continued unpacking what few supplies she had into her new beautiful mahogany desk. It was an ancient hunk of wood that hadn’t left the musty room in decades. For all she knew it was built there and never left. The office was surrounded by glass. Outside was an old lobby built to be a waiting room.

“So this place used to be a doctor’s office, huh?” She asked the man who had helped her carry in her supplies from her rusted Chevy Chevette. He set the office key down on the desk and nodded.

“Once upon a time. Dr. Morrigan used to have a practice here, but since his son went missing - well - he was inconsolable. Not sure what happened to him…” 

“Went missing? Mr. Barclave told me he died.”

“Died, missing, ran into the forest and never came back. Was home from college - folks say he had taken to some weird stuff out east.”

“Oh, how about that…” Henrietta pulled a notepad out of the pocket of her pants and jotted down some thoughts.

“Pretty interesting to have a newspaper set up, though. We haven’t had local news since the days of the Tribune.”

“That right?”

“Mhm. Musta been - what - 20 years ago? I was just a teenager myself those days.”

“And what happened to the Tribune?”

“Lead editor - Horace Whabash - lost his marbles. Went berserk. He’s over in Little Minnow Asylum these days.”

“You don’t say…” Henrietta finished unpacking and set a photo up on her desk next to her big boxy computer. She blew the dust off the mechanical keyboard and looked for somewhere to plug in the tower. “And Little Minnow is…?”

“Oh! Sorry, you’re no local. It’s an island out in Caster bay. Used to be a haven for people with the ole T-B. Then it was a crematorium and now… keeps societies less desirable folk, I guess.”

“Sounds interesting.”

“Don’t go making your first story about that now!” He said with a wary chuckle. The townsfolk might just run you out with pitchforks and torches if you start with something like that.” Henrietta smiled. She knew she’d need to be tactful for her first article. Small towns like these were tight-knit and wary of outsiders. She had to gain the people’s trust first. She smiled at the man.

“Thanks for the advice uh -”

“Dale. Dale Barclave. My pops - Clay, you already spoke to him - owns most of the farmland ‘round here. He asked me to make sure our new greatest enterprise settled in alright.” Dale threw his hands up for dramatic effect. Henrietta chuckled.

“Thanks Dale. I’m sure I’ll figure out something fun for my first story.” Dale waved goodbye as he walked out of the office and left the building,

“Well best of luck to you, Mrs. Stone. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you ‘round!”

Henrietta was finally alone in her new space. Home didn’t feel right. But it wasn’t entirely her office yet. This old building would be whipped into a newsroom before the town saw it coming. The printing press should be arriving any day and she’d get it set up in the basement. If things were successful enough, she considered having a secretary or maybe an intern. She didn’t have an editor, but maybe in a few years she’d be the editor for a new plucky, young reporter. For now though, she was the entire newspaper. 

It wasn’t a big newsroom like in New York or D.C., but she needed a break from all of that. She figured she could put something amazing together. Something special that left a mark on this small town. But first she needed a story.

Henrietta stepped outside into the midsummer air. It was a hot, humid day. Outdated cars coasted around the roundabout that made up the town center. Her chevy would fit right in. Across the way she saw the plaza with the pharmacist and the old antique store. To her right she saw the mechanics shop that had a river connecting to the bay to bring in damaged boats. To her left she saw the local small town bank and the general store. She took in a deep breath and smiled. “Marrow Falls, I think we’re going to get along just fine.” In the distance, Henrietta saw a woman eyeing her from the general store doors. She smiled and waved. The woman gave her one last worried glance before slinking into the store. Henrietta’s smile faded, but she didn’t lose hope. 

She walked back into her new news lobby, picked up a broom, and began sweeping the floor. She hummed a tune that she couldn’t seem to catch and let the world fade away around her. She needed to get a stereo or a record player or something. She’d need to look around town and see what the local stores had to offer. The old straw broom wasn’t doing much but kicking up dust, but it made her feel like she was at least breaking up the slick layer of much off the ancient wood flooring. 

As Henrietta went, she daydreamed about what her newspaper might become. She thought she might get a sign made somewhere in town for the new paper. Marrow Chronicles - or The Marrow Chronicle… The Marrow Chronicle just felt better. It reminded her of a paper she read growing up.

Then, something caught her eye. Henrietta saw a paper sitting on her desk. “Strange…” She mumbled to herself. She opened the door to her office and inspected the paper. It was wide ruled notebook paper folded into a small square. She unfolded it and found sloppy cursive written too big to stay inside the lines. 

Henrietta Stone,

I bid you a heartfelt welcome to Marrow Falls, the most wonderfully odd town in all of these United States. I for one am grateful to have such an inquisitive mind join us here. I’m sure you have many ideas on where to start, but allow me to offer you a suggestion:

Diane’s antique store is trying something new. The type of thing the people of this town will just love. Start gentle. Start kind.

Best of luck Mrs. Stone,

The Editor

Henrietta scoffed. “The Editor? Really?” She tossed the paper onto her desk and stepped out into the lobby. She began to sweep again, but the letter’s words were needling at her. This ‘editor’ may know the town better than her. It seems that way at least. Henrietta shrugged. “You know what? Fine. Fine.” She leaned the broom against the wall, grabbed her scratch pad from her desk, and left her office. She stalked across the street, through the small park in the town center - stopping only briefly to admire the ancient statue of a man in the center - and up to the door of the antique store. She nudged the door open gently and was immediately hit with the stale smell of old books. 

The antique store had a high ceiling that took up all three floors of this part of the plaza. Bookshelves loomed out of the dust-filled darkness. Swinging lights barely kept the dim brown shop alight. In the center was a small checkout counter. Beyond the checkout counter were stairs up and stairs down. Sitting on a chair at the counter was a woman in her sixties reading a copy of Reader’s Digest. When the little bell over top of the door let out a ding, she looked up to Henrietta and smiled. She had a wide grin and her gray hair in a long french braid. She was a stout woman with a welcoming face and thick glasses.

“Welcome to the antique store, dear. You must be the new reporter in town! What brings you here?” Henrietta gave a coy smile,

“Good afternoon ma’am. Diane of Diane’s Antiques I presume?”

“Yep, that’s me!”

“So nice to meet you, Diane.” Henrietta said. Her nerves  were getting to her more than normal. Come on, Henri. You’re a reporter, get it together. She plastered her face in a more aggressive smile and pushed on. “I’m looking for something for my first story. Something I can introduce myself with while talking about something important to the community. Do you have anything like that?” Diane put her magazine down and tapped her chin.

“Hm… let me think…” Diane jumped up with sudden excitement. “Of course! I know just the thing! Come with me to the second floor!” Diane hobbled up the steps with Henrietta close behind her. She turned left and shimmied between two bookshelves tightly packed together. “This could be good for both of us, dear. A little free advertising for me and a little bit of a story for you.” She continued walking along the tight walkway, pushing past cluttered goods and supplies. She opened up an old steamer trunk at the end of the path. It let out a deep guttural groan as its hinges strained from the force. “Ta-da!” Diane announced, gesturing into the trunk. Henrietta peered into the trunk,

“What… are those?” She asked as she began jotting down notes on her scratch pad. “Plants?” Inside were strange muted-colored flower-like plants with no soil, no roots, and thin twisting petals. 

“Air plants!” Diane corrected. “Easy to care for, easy to maintain, beautiful little plants that need very little to survive. They’re all the rage in the big cities on the east coast I hear.” Henrietta had never heard of them. She always was behind on trends though. 

“Huh. How about that? You’re telling me they’re plants that just survive on air?”

“That’s right.”

“No water?”

“Nope. No water. Zero. None.”

“Wow. Well, I’ve never heard of these before back east, but… well, this just might be my story -” A sudden slam made both of them jump.

“Oh, never mind that.” Diane said, regaining her composure. “It’s probably just Dougie.” 

“Dougie?” Henrietta asked. She looked over the railing, scanning the mountains of antiques that littered the first floor. In the darkness looming from behind a bookshelf, she saw a shadow move. 

“Dougie Newt. He used to run the shop before I took over last year. Every time I hear a crash or a bang or a groan, I just say it’s ole Dougie reminding me he still owns the place.”

“And Old Dougie was… a young boy?”

“Goodness no. He was almost 85 when he passed, rest his soul.” 

“Uh-huh…” In the darkness of the shadows, Henrietta saw a little boy with brown skin and a bald head staring back at her. His face was covered in soot and his eyes pierced through her. He looked afraid. “Excuse me Diane, I just want to go check out ‘Dougie’s’ hijinks.” 

“Oh certainly, dear. Just don’t forget my air plants! They’ll make for a better story than Dougie - don’t tell him I said that though.” Henrietta smiled in acknowledgement and made her way back down the stairs. 

She struggled through the clutter of the store to find that dark space where she had seen the little boy. As she came closer, her spine ran cold and she felt her finger tips going numb. Her heart pounded, slamming against her chest over and over. She began fidgeting with her pen as she continued onward. Finally, she made it to the spot where she saw the boy’s face.

Nothing.

“Hmph.” Henrietta said. She crossed her arms and shook her head. “I could’ve sworn I -” She turned around and her mouth ran dry. The little boy was staring back at her from deeper in the cluttered store. He had an unnatural gaze, one she couldn’t place. His eyes followed her as she leaned away from him. “Hey, bud.” Her voice increased in pitch and she forced a big beaming grin onto her face, “Is your mom or dad around?” she asked. 

He shook his head, slow and methodically. His eyes never left hers. 

“Well, how about you come with me? Ms Diane and I can help you find them.” 

He shook his head again. Impossibly slower than before. 

“Hm… are you sure? Maybe she’ll give you a free air plant. They’re pretty neat.” 

He backed away from Henrietta. She raised her hands to show she was harmless, but he continued backing away. The darkness began to encapsulate the boy. Whispers beyond words coalesced around him, making Henrietta’s mind reel. She felt the world spin and her eyes narrow. When she focused again, the boy was gone. 

“Whoa…”

When she returned to the stairs, Diane was struggling to drag the trunk down. Henrietta rushed up the steps to meet her and grabbed the trunk handles. “Oh, thank you dear.” Diane said. “So, do you think you have enough for your first story?”

“Yes, I think I do, Ms Diane. Thank you.”

“Oh wonderful! And you must come back - I can show you Dougie’s office in the basement.”

“In the basement, you say? Well, that does sound fascinating. I’d love to, Diane, thank you.”

Do you love plants, but hate the mess? See the new trend from the east coast! The beautiful air plants! Diane of our wonderful Marrow Falls antique shop has these wondrous plants in stock. No soil? No water? No problem! Air plants are easy to care for, beautiful to have, and a fantastic plant decoration. This reporter can say first hand that they make a fantastic ornament for your desk. Try an air plant. Visit our community gem, Diane, and see what she has to offer. She has air plants in all shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties! Bring a little life to your home with an air plant. Along the way, might I suggest stopping for a chat with Diane where she can tell you all about her exploits with the recently passed Douglas ‘Dougie’ Newt - both in life and death.

 Also, to the young boy I met in Diane’s antique store, I have an extra one just for you. Stop by the Marrow Chronicles building to claim your special air plant anytime. 

And to The Editor, I thank you for instructing the crew in setting up Marrow Falls’ new printing press while I was across the way meeting Diane. I hope to meet you, my new colleague, once you’re ready. 

Lastly, thank you to this wonderful community of people who have welcomed me with open arms. I hope to meet you as I discover your town, and learn more about the Mysteries of Marrow Falls. 

Please join me next time for our newest edition of the Marrow Chronicles where I hope to get into some more hard hitting updates on this beautiful community.

It was strange enough that the printing press was somehow delivered while she was away, but it was also set up and ready to run. The basement was dark and filled with cobwebs. A single light bulb with a swaying string pull lit the space that was almost entirely taken up by the printing press. That wasn’t to say the press was large - in fact, for a town this size, she only needed a fairly small press - but the basement was rather small. Still, Henrietta stared at it in disbelief. 

“How about that?” She whispered to herself. Then she went upstairs, locked the door to the first floor, and began carrying her personal belongings up the stairs and to the second floor. The second floor was a cozy open plan floor. One corner had an oven and some cupboards, another corner had a bed and a dresser. The bathroom was on the first floor behind the examination room - she wasn’t sure what that room would be quite yet, but maybe it could be an interview space… or maybe storage. She’d figure it out. Henrietta wanted to start over after all, and all the planning that came with that had to be done right. It was all part of the process.

 She thought about the strange boy in the antique store and wondered where he could’ve gone. She was certain she just went a little lightheaded and lost sight of him. Or the strange whispers took him away into the darkness, but - no. No, that’s absurd. She shook the thought away and finished putting away her belongings. When she was finished, she went downstairs, dug through a box, and found a granola bar she had bought at a gas station a couple days ago. As she ate it, she looked out the front window at the now dark town center. The wood creaked all around her and the house shifted with the wind.

As she stared into the dark town center, she saw what appeared to be a woman in all black, gliding across the ground, through the town, and towards the other side of the center. It looked like she was heading down the street to the left. Henri didn’t know what was down that way. If she wasn’t so tired, she’d consider going after her and seeing if this was worth a news article. She lost sight of the woman and Henri sighed before closing the blinds. She went back up stairs and settled into the slightly uncomfortable bed. 

This was home now, and she was ready to accept it, but… it may take a couple weeks. No matter how nice of a town, it would still take time. Henrietta fell asleep, thinking about that strange boy. She just couldn’t get him off her mind. Even in her deep sleep, she could see his face staring at her with those unblinking, glassy, terrified eyes. 

If she wasn’t careful, they just might consume her.

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Hi everyone, thanks so much for reading! This is a little side project for in between Astra stories or just whenever I feel like working on it. I already have drafts of the first three episodes done, but I’ll be posting them slowly!

Next week, we’re starting a new serial in the world of Astra and I am so excited for that! So, stayed tuned next week for A Peacekeeper’s Oath! If you’re behind on the world of Astra, here’s all the Astra stories in chronological order.

If you want some more horror, I’m also working on compiling that here! I do intend on editing these compilation posts regularly to get them to a better place, but for now I’ll let them sit.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first episode - this is mostly a tone setting story I think. If it feels like a fun vibe, then I hope you stick around!

Feel free to subscribe, and or drop a tip and I’ll catch you next week for a new serial in the world of Astra!