The Marrow Chronicle Episode 4

Mrs. Stone Follows a Rumor

The Marrow Chronicle is an intermittent serial - some episodes are weeks apart, others are months apart. For more episodes of MC, check out the horror playlist.

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As ingrained into Marrow Fall’s history as the gold rush, our dear goats, fishing, and the Marrow family, is the difficult history of arson that plagues Marrow Falls. Whether it be from accidents, with intention, or by mysterious circumstances, Marrow Falls has lost more buildings per capita than any other town in the United States. This reporter took to the streets to ask why people think that might be. Here are some of my favorite replies from around town,

“Place like this’ll drive you crazy. When you’re crazy, you play with fire. When you play with fire, you get burned.” - Blake Takane, Marrow House caretaker.

“Some places just get all dry. Timber lights up easy. Simple.” - Jud Madge, owner and president of Bursting Marrow Gun club and shop.

“No comment” - Deacon Gray, Council member.

“Probably just some teens having a good time, and getting a little too crazy.” - Sal Nassa, Thyme and Patience Nursery owner.

The jury’s still out on the truth, but this reporter is on the case. Coincidence, or conspiracy? Or something else entirely? Stay tuned to the Marrow Chronicle to find out.

“Threatened you? Come on, Henri, Alyssa is just a little thing. And she’s so sweet.” Sal added cream to his coffee and stirred it in as he lounged in the booth. Across from him, Henri looked over her notes and sighed,

“Sweet? Sal, you and I know a very different Alyssa.” She leaned in close and checked her notes.

“Henri, you don’t even know her. Sure, she’s a little spiney, but she’s a kind soul.”

“Maybe not, but I know a threat when I hear it.”

“Come on, what was she going to do?”

Henri shrugged.

“Exactly. Just let it go. I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm. She was probably just being nosy. She’s a librarian after all. Isn’t that a librarian thing?”

“I’ve literally never heard that in my life.”

Sal shrugged, “Whatever. You get my point.” Sal took a drink of his coffee and let out a satisfied gasp. “Man, I love Dina’s.” He said with a smile. “Best coffee around.”

“Better than Harvest Moon across town?” Henri asked.

“Oh, I don’t go there, I don’t know.”

“Really? Why not?”

“Let’s just say that place… isn’t for us. Marrow locals only.”

“That can’t be enforceable.” Henri countered.

“I guess it isn’t. But do you want to go in there and make a scene? Have Officer Smith called on you? Even if its not illegal, it’ll be a big social thing, and I’m not trying to ruffle feathers with the people who pull the strings in town.”

“You’ve got a point.” Henri conceded.

“Exactly. Far as I’m concerned, Dina makes the best coffee. Forget about Harvest Moon.” Just as he said the words, Diane walked in. Her long gray hair was in a fresh braid that traveled down past her waist. It was impressive how long and well-kept her hair was. But that wasn’t what interested Henri. Diane had a look on her face that was all too familiar to Henrietta. She tapped the table and gestured to Diane.

“She has something to share.” Henri whispered to Sal.

“What do you mean? Looks like she’s just coming in for coffee.” Sal replied.

“Just trust me. She knows something.” Diane sat at the bar of the diner and ordered a breakfast platter as she struck up a conversation with Dina. Henri had heard once that Diane and Dina were sisters, but thought it more likely that Dina might be a close friend rather than her sister. The two looked nothing alike, and from what Henri knew, sisters didn’t get along that well, but lifetime friends just might. They chatted and shared a laugh, then Dina made her way to the back room, her brown curly hair bouncing as she exited the space.

“If she knows something, why don’t you go talk to her?” Sal asked.

“Don’t want to ambush her.” She replied. “Gotta wait a second. Let her settle in - get comfortable. It sounds counter intuitive, but wait until she has some food in her mouth.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea, actually.” Sal said with a laugh.

“Who's the reporter here?” She asked.

Sal shrugged and took a drink of his coffee.

Henri eyed Diane like a hawk eyeing its prey from above, waiting for the moment to strike. She tapped her pen into the same spot on her notepad over and over again creating a blackened indent in the paper. It wasn’t much longer before Dina came out with Diane’s food. It was a platter of biscuits and gravy, a couple of sausage links, and some scrambled eggs. Dina leaned against the bar and continued talking to Diane as she ate.

“Perfect. Now.”

“You’re going to insert yourself into the convo? Seems rude.” Sal observed.

“All depends on how you do it, Sal. Be right back.” Henri said as she squeezed her way out of the booth. She took the seat next to Diane. She put on a bright smile and interjected as quickly as she could, “Gosh, that is some good looking country cooking, Dina.”

“Oh, thank you so much, hun!” Dina said. “Recipe’s been the same since my mom moved out here from back east way back when. Way she tells it, her momma used to make it the same way. Tradition’s tradition. You know we love tradition ‘round here.”

“That I do.” Henri said with a kind smile. “And gosh, it just smells so good, would you mind if I got a plate too? I hope it's no trouble -”

“No trouble at all! All the fishers are out for today, so we’re slow right now anyway. I’ll get you taken care of, hun.” Dina turned to Diane and said in a low voice, “We’ll chat later, girl.” Diane nodded and continued digging into her food.

“Hey, Diane, how have you been?” Henrietta asked. “We haven’t talked since the town hall a couple weeks back.”

“Goodness me, has it been that long? Well, now is as good a time as any, how have you been doing?”

“Oh, you know, busy! So busy. For such a small town, there’s so much news. You ever notice how there’s always something going on?”

“Gosh, there is so much going on, isn’t there?” Diane replied with a slightly louder than normal laugh. Henri felt the secret beginning to spill forth. It was right there. “And you know, it's always been this way. Long as I can remember! Isn’t that something?”

“It really is! Speaking of things that have always been this way, I’m working on an investigative piece about the fires in Marrow Falls, would you be willing to give me a statement for that?”

“Oh, you’re going after the big one, huh? You best be careful jumping into the deep end so soon after getting here.”

“Don’t you worry, it’s going to take a long time to get it done. I’ll be doing all kinds of fun things in the meantime!”

“I saw your piece on summer reading the other day! It’s wonderful what Miss Spat does for those kids, isn’t it? She’s an oddball, but she’s so lovely.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Henri said with a wide smile. “Anyway, about the fires? Do you have a statement?”

“Oh, gosh. If you asked me, I’d say that I subscribe to the belief that there’s got to be some place with the most fires in the country, right? Could be here. Could be somewhere else. I think it's a fluke. That’s the realist in me speaking. Now, if I were betting on whimsy and all that nonsense…”

“Go on…” Henri encouraged.

“Well, it sounds silly, but given current events… I’d talk to the Man in White if you want answers.”

Henri’s brow furrowed, “I’m sorry, who?”

Diane gave a devilish grin, “The Man in White, dear.” At some point during the discussion, Sal had snuck up behind them,

“Oh, I’ve heard about this guy!” He interjected as he took the stool on the other side of Diane.

“Would you like to tell the story, Mr. Nassa?” Diane asked.

“No no, you’d tell it better than me I bet.”

“Well, I will then.” Diane said, snatching her rumor back from Sal. “The Man in White started appearing a couple of years back. He wears a big white shawl, or poncho, or something like that made of some fur or another. Whatever it is, it has a big hood that covers his features. No one knows who he is, but they say he wanders the backroads. They say teens sometimes run screaming from old abandoned buildings when he shows up and scares them off. No one had seen him in a few months, but then Mary Benoit at the general store said her son, Danny, was out for a wander and saw a figure on old Mullen street that looked just like the Man in White. We all know that means Danny was in one abandoned ruin or another, though Mary would never admit her son would do such a thing, but… well, truth’s truth, dear.”

Henri looked across Diane to Sal and smiled. Sal shrugged. Even he had to admit that Henri had perfectly sniffed out a lead.

“Out on Mullen street you say?” Henri asked as she jotted down notes.

“That’s what Mrs. Benoit says, yep.”

“Sal, you want my breakfast when it comes out?”

“I - I’m a vegetarian.”

Henri took out a twenty dollar bill and set it at her spot at the bar, “It’s a free meal, Sal. Just eat around the sausage and gravy.”

“‘I’ll take whatever you don’t eat.” Diane offered up with a hungry grin.

“You know what? You’ve got yourself a deal, Diane.”

There’s something truly magical about the backroads of Marrow Falls. Ancient roads with potholes full of tar and loose gravel make driving nearly impossible without the danger of losing a tire or worse. Yet the trees that bend around the roads, only letting a little light in as you traverse that midday night makes it feel like a peaceful experience nonetheless. The back roads of Marrow Falls are dotted with the Barclave and Madge family’s vast farms, but still the trees overtake the farms here in the darkest corners of the forest. Here on Mullen Street, rumors have begun to swirl about a mysterious stranger who hides in the Marrow Fall’s countryside. A strange man known only as ‘The Man in White.’ The stories tell of a man who visits old hollowed out buildings and scares off local youth from misbehaving. Maybe some parents would like it if I found this mysterious stranger and threw a thank you or two his way for keeping the youth out of trouble, but today I only want to answer one question: Is the Man in White real? Or is he another myth of Marrow Falls.

Henri’s Chevette fought against the old roads the entire time. As the poorly maintained roads of tar and gravel turned to literal dirt, she knew she couldn’t push it any further. So she pulled off at an old water well, and parked her car among the bramble. Lucky for her, she was wearing pants and boots to avoid any potential ticks that may try to latch on.

From there, she walked along the dirt road. The trees broke away to reveal a vast cow farm on one side and a crop field of vegetables she didn’t recognize on the other. Whatever it was, she imagined it wasn’t ready for harvest if she couldn’t make it out. At the beginning of her walk, the sun was beaming down on her, making it uncomfortably hot in her floral blouse, blue jeans, and gray windbreaker. Soon, she found herself under tree coverage another half a mile down the road. The dirt road went dark and a dense fog came down. A few tractors passed her on the road and the drivers gave her a polite wave. She waved back. The last tractor to pass her came to a stop. Aboard was a young man in overalls with dirt smudging his face and thick leather gloves on his hands.

“Mrs. Stone, right?” He called over the sound of the engine.

“That’s me!” She replied.

“Whatchu doing out here?”

“Man in White! Seen him?” The man let out a cackle,

“Seen him? In my nightmares maybe! Good luck, Mrs. Stone! Be safe out there! Love the paper by the way!” The tractor kicked back into gear and the man was gone. Henri continued down the road, the fog growing ever denser as she continued. She supposed she had to look for a burned down building. That was where you were likely to find this Man in White after all. She assumed there was one down here. They were damn near everywhere in Marrow Falls after all.

And she was right. As she squinted through the fog caking the treeline, she saw a hollowed out building staring back. Somewhere in the distance she heard the howl of a wolf. Or a coyote. Or maybe a dog. She wasn’t entirely sure, but it was unsettling regardless. Henri found the gravel driveway covered in overgrown weeds and thorny bramble. She carefully stepped through, making her way to the house. The fog hung around the house, not daring to enter through the smashed windows or decayed doors, but lingering just outside. A small algae-infested pond had taken control of the backyard, and the house itself was overrun with vines.

Peering in the front doorway, Henri could see the remains of a long forgotten fire that destabilized the foundation of the building and shredded through several now charcoaled home goods scattered around the room.. The blackened walls were covered in graffiti. One signed by an Ash caught her attention,

Marrow eats.

We stay.

Trapped in Marrow Falls.

Something about that struck Henri and she took it down in her notes. Henri prowled through the house, checking the damaged wooden floors to make sure they weren’t unsafe, then walked to the stairs. She tested the first step and found it secure enough to step on. She tested the next step, then paused. That feeling she was growing sick was back again. Eyes. Eyes on her. Henri looked up and struggled to catch her breath. At the top of the badly damaged stairs was a little boy.

The little boy. She recognized him immediately. The boy she had seen on her first day in town hiding in Diane’s shop. His skin looked grayer than last time. He was doubled over on the ground, his arms gripping his knees as he stared at her with hungry eyes.

“Hey…” Henri said quietly with her hands raised in innocence. “What are you doing out here?” The little boy looked up at the ceiling, then his eyes darted back to Henri. She took another ginger step up the stairs. The boy shifted back away from her, further down a hallway that Henrietta couldn’t see the end of. “It’s okay. I’m not here to hurt you, I promise. I’m… I’m looking for someone. The Man in White. Have you heard of him?”

The little boy looked away for a moment, his eyes glued to a nearby wall, then his eyes shifted back, piercing through Henri’s own. Then he opened his mouth. Before, he seemed to be speaking a language that Henrietta couldn’t fathom. This time there were no words, only a piercing scream that continued on at the same pitch and tone, even as he moved his mouth for words to spill forth. Henrietta covered her ears, but felt her balance going. Her foot slipped on some moss built up on the step and she stumbled down, landing on her bottom at the bottom of the steps. When she looked up, the boy was gone.

“That boy again…” She mumbled to herself. Before moving, she did a quick inventory to make sure she was okay. Other than an aching tailbone and a bruised ego, Henrietta would get out of this mostly unscathed. She scrambled to get up, but as she did, she heard the creaking of wood to her left - creaking like a footstep. Her eyes darted over and she saw a figure standing in the doorway. It was a man, adorned entirely in white. She met his eyes and they stared each other down. His eyes had a fiery intensity to them that didn’t look natural - maybe he was wearing contacts? - and his face was taut and hungry.

“You shouldn’t be here.” He growled out.

As quickly as Henri saw the man standing before her, her heart skipped a beat, her head grew light, and she hit the ground, the world going dark around her.

The Man in White. Is there such a man prowling the outskirts of Marrow Falls? After my own investigation, I am inclined to believe so. This man - or perhaps it is many men - dresses in this purest of white garb for one purpose and one only: To scare children away from dangerous buildings. He goes from location to location ensuring our most precious of little ones aren’t playing around in unsafe abandoned spaces that have yet to be addressed by our town council. Or at least that’s what the people of Marrow Falls believe. Councilwoman Brena was able to be reached for comment. “Of course, we are aware of the danger these buildings put on our local community, but we are just as worried about the danger of removing them as we are of keeping them there. Until we fully assess what’s best for the community, we implore all parents and guardians to keep Marrow Fall’s most vulnerable away from these hazardous places.”

All other members of the council deferred to Mrs. Brena’s statement, except Clay Barclave who added, “We don’t need any vigilantes ‘round here. This town has enough to worry about as is.”

Henri awoke with a startle in a room she didn’t recognize. It was a clean, organized space with Americana decorations and a large buck head displayed on the wall. She felt like its big round eyes were staring right at her, but before she could fully process it, she realized her head was pounding. She reached her for the source of the pain and felt gauze wrapped around her head, her hair a matted mess around the gauze. Henri let out an audible groan.

Within moments, the door swung open. An older thin man in a red plaid shirt and jeans came into the room with a bag. There was a stool set up next to the bed she was in. He slumped into it with an exhausted sigh.

“Tell ya what, least you gave me something to do. Been a long old while.” The man grumbled as he scratched his white beard. If not for her how red with exasperation his face was, Henri imagined he might be very pale. Still, when they made eye contact, his eyes smiled though it didn’t meet the concern spread across his lips. “At first I thought you had a minor concussion,” He began as he opened his bag, and pulled out some gloves and other medical supplies, “but I think something just gave you an awful fright and a bump on the head.”

“How did I -”

“Your guess is as good as mine, miss.”

“Not miss.” Henri said with a groan as she leaned up on her elbows, “Mrs. Stone.”

“I’ll be.” The man said with a grin, “Henrietta Stone, the reporter, huh?”

“Yeah that -” She let out a cough and cleared her throat, “That’s me.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Henrietta. I hope my old practice is doing you well.” He gently put his hands on the back of her head and began unraveling the gauze.

“You’re Dr. Morrigan?” Henri asked.

“That’s me. Well, I’m half of Dr. Morrigan at least. It was a family practice after all. My wife and I ran the old practice together. She died - bout a decade ago now. Then three years back - almost to the date - my son just never came home from school. No one ever found him. He was at some university back east, but… he just disappeared. Never found his body, but… pretty sure he’s gone.”

“Wow, I’m… so sorry.” Henri said. She flinched as she felt the cold of the glove touch around her open wound.

“Sorry. Shoulda warned you. Allow me to apologize. This old man doesn’t see many people these days. Guess I forgot how to socialize normal-like, and now here I am oversharing.”

“Oh, it's no trouble at all.” Henri said as politely as she could.

There was a long pause before he continued, “Yep, you got your head banged up real good, that’s for sure. This old thing needs cleaned up, re-bandaged, and then - if you’re feeling up to it - you can be on your merry way.”

“Thank you so much, Dr. Morrigan. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but…”

The doctor pulled away from Henri and looked at her with a raised bushy eyebrow, “But?”

“How did I get here?”

“Hm. That’s a question, ain’t it? Now, I’m not too sure. There was a mighty bang at my front door, and when I got there, you were sitting in the rocker outside. Not too sure how you got there, but your car is out there too. I assumed you drove yourself in a haze, but… in the state you were in? I’m not too sure.”

“The last thing I remember… was a man. The Man in white! Do you know anything about him?”

“Man in White? That one of those legends like batsquatch or the loch ness monster or something?”

“I’m not too sure. I saw him myself…”

“People say the same thing about batsquatch and nessie, Mrs. Stone. Be careful. The mind ain’t always friendly to the truth.”

“I suppose you’re right, Dr. Morrigan.” Henri sighed. “I suppose you’re right.”

Although I didn’t meet the Man in White that night, I did meet the friendliest doctor on the west coast. Dr. Morrigan - a pillar of the community - was kind enough to help me when I had an injury during my search for the infamous Man in White. Still, I imagine I’ll find that strange man one day, and I’ll ask him plainly: Tell the truth, are you really here to protect the children? This reporter intends on finding out. Until then, keep your children safe, so the Man in White doesn’t have to. Those old buildings are certainly a hazard

It wasn’t Henri’s best article. The story felt unsatisfactory. Not quite what she wanted, but she knew it wasn’t over yet. When she woke up the next day and the trucks had taken off with the newspaper, she went back to her desk and sat down with a sigh. To her surprise, there was a note on her desk. The handwriting was familiar, and the way it was folded was unmistakable. She knew it well.

“Great,” She said with a sarcastic shake of her head, “what’s the editor got to say today?” She unfolded the paper and exhaled with discomfort. “Oh.”

The paper was covered in eyeballs drawn with a shaky hand in red pen. In the center of all the eyes, the words were scratched with a black pen low on ink:

Stay away from the Man in White.

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Thank you for reading! I’ve been wanting to get this episode out for a while but I’ve been having so much fun with TAS that the time has just never felt right! Still, I hope you enjoyed this episode of The Marrow Chronicle and a special shoutout to

Jason Herndon

who I know has been waiting on this for a while - Jason, I dedicate this episode to you!

Thanks for sticking with me, I and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next week, we are back to The Apocalypse Saga with one of the more intense chapters, The Legend of the Fire Tamer. We’re not quite in the home stretch for that story, but we are so close, it hurts. Part of me is fighting the urge to release multiple chapters in a week! I won’t, I wont, but I’m just so excited!

Anyway, thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you next week!