Chapter 10

**The Boy and the Bones**

## Detailed Summary

* Truck driver
* Taki Watanabe
* Oscar
* Sylvia
* Clifford
* Sharon (?)
* Eliza
* Watermelon seller
* Woman at service station
* Kevin

* Oscar and Sylvia dancing
* I FLIRT U
* (He came in through) the bathroom window
* Clifford grounded/curfew
* Not telling Nora
* Sylvia's polaroids
* Sylvia's strength
* Dealing with Raven
* Clifford's mark
* Clifford's father
* Call Eliza
* Manifestation
* Types of ghosts
* Sylvia's grave
* Letting go
* Podunk's location: west of Grand Lake
* The soul-consuming beast
* The White Faced Bear
* Physical contact with ghosts
* Cliff vs Carl
* Cliff protecting Kevin
* Jewish tradition
* Oscar's halo

## Locations

* Highway (truck driver)
* Sylvia & Oscar's home
* Highway
* Woods
* Dave's Place
* Cemetery
* Highway
* Service station
* Wheat field
* Suburban street

## Pop culture

Guns N' Roses: Paradise City

Casper the Friendly Ghost

Ghostbusters

## Post Chapter

Sketch: snapshot of George, Yumi, Taki, and Bonnie, on their fishing trip.

Intermission: Oscar and Sylvia dancing.

## Quotes

"Step, step, step. Lot of stepping going on here, Sylvia. I thought you said you wanted to teach me to *dance*."
"Well, maybe I could if I weren't for that smart mouth!"

"Smart mouth? Someone's getting a little feisty."

"You haven't even seen me feisty!"

"Well, bring it on, Casper! I ain't afraid of no ghost."

—(p635-p636)

"Hello-o-o...! Oscar? Sylvia? I'm here. Entertain me."

(p636)

"Why is this happening?"

"We're having dance class."

"Oh. Okay. No thank you."

—(p637)

"I guess that means you *didn't* tell your mom."

"*No*. And I'm not gonna. So stop--"

—(p638)

"Hey, what's all this? Did you take all these?"

"Yes! I've been feeling so much stronger lately."

—(p638)

"Oz, are you asleep in this one?"

"Yeah, that was how I woke up this morning."

—Was Sylvia blushing like that then, too? (p639)

"I know we've seen all kinds of stuff, but everything about Raven seems... far away-- like it happened to somebody else, but, I can't forget about it at all. I don't know how to explain it."

—(p640)

"She showed me this weird *thing* on my hand. Right here. It's like a word or something in another language. She made it light up. I didn't even know it was there!"

"What does it say?"

"She can't read it. She called it a mark? But, she said it means somebody is trying to find me."

"Who? Like... your dad?"

—(p641-p642)

"What if he always meant to come find me again after he left? What if he *is* looking for me now, but I'm stuck out here in Podunk."

—(p642)

"Cliff... if this is about him and he really is out there looking for you, that's not... I'm not sure it would be a good thing if he found you."

"What? *No!* Why?"

"Well... the White Faced Bear is hiding you from something. Maybe this mark thing and that are totally unrelated, but..."

—(p642)

"Call Eliza."

—(p649)

"Other than the whole dog thing -- he seems like a normal kid. But, we can't get him to say anything."
"Maybe we should just take him to the police station."

"No, you did the right thing. He's a ghost."

—No, *you're* a ghost (p649-p650)

"Eliza. No, he's not. See? I'm touching him."

"He's manifested."

"Does that mean... is he *alive* again?"

"No. I know it seems that way, though. This can happen if a ghost has a strong connection to a living thing and is able to draw and store a considerable amount of living energy."

"Like, from those dogs?"

"Those dogs, and probably hundreds-- maybe thousands more. It would take *years.* He must have died a long time ago."

—(p650-p651)

"Manifestation is temporary. If he stays away from those dogs for long enough, he'll go incorporeal again."

—(p652)

"Maybe he had one? Or always wanted one? Or maybe they just felt safe to a lost kid too afraid to talk to anyone."

—(p652)

"There's a few different kinds of ghosts. Those that are tied to a place, those that are tied to a person, and those that are tied to something they can't find."

—(p652)

"Look at that. Hello, little guy. What? You want me to keep it? Thank you. But... I shouldn't keep it. It doesn't belong with me. Let's find a really good spot to let it go."

—Oscar's talking about grasshoppers and nothing else, okay? (p659-p660)

"Why didn't I get a grasshopper?"

—Clifford's feelings (p660)

"It would be easier for us if you could help us figure out who you are."

—(p663)

"*Podunk family killed in drunk driving accident. The Watanabe family, husband George, wife Yumi and son Taki, were killed in a collision with a drunk driver. The family was returning home after a camping trip to Grand Lake. Their westbound vehicle was struck by an eastbound driver who crossed the median and veered into oncoming traffic.*"

—(p665)

"Sorry about how you're dead."

—(p667)

"It seems like he normally wanders along the highway. Maybe he's trying to find the place where he died?"

"That's a good idea. He could be afraid to wander too far from his grave on his own."

—(p668)

"But, what's the hurry? It's almost like he's getting a second chance. What's the harm in letting him have a good day?"

"While he's solid, you can take him wherever he needs to go. Once he turns incorporeal again, he will likely return to wandering and it might become impossible to help him."

"It just seems like he's been really lonely. Can't he enjoy this for a little while?"

"You can't keep ghosts, Oscar. They aren't pets."

"That's not what I meant..."

—(p669)

"Listen, there are... creatures out there that consume human souls. A child's soul is easy prey. I don't know how he hasn't been found yet. If the beast finds him, he will *never* know peace. It's a true fate worse than death. Maybe the White Faced Bear's presence in this area has offered him some protection, but that can't last forever. It's only a matter of time."

—(p670)

"It was an accident. Cliff won't be mad at you. All of this must be scary and confusing. I'm sorry. Do you want me to take you back to where your accident happened? If I can find it..."

—(p673)

"Man, I don't think I can go... I'm still on real thin ice at home, so I can't miss curfew. If I went with you guys, that'd probably get in the way..."

"That's very mature of you, Cliff."

"Don't make it worse, Eliza!"

"You're growing up! I'm so proud of you!"

"Gross!"

—Friends! (p675)

"Hey... you're doing the right thing."

"It doesn't feel like it. I know he's already dead, but... this feels like I'm leading him to his death."

"You are. But he's been trying to find it himself for a long time."

"I just..."

"I know you don't like it, and you don't have to. But I hope you can find a way to accept it. This is the way things are."

—(p678)

"*Bonnie!*"

—Taki speaks (p685)

"You knew the whole time."

"I had an idea."

"You pointed me in all the right directions. You didn't need me to do any of this."

"I wanted you to do it."

"Yeah? You think I need the practice?"

—Oscar's forgotten p678 already (p694-p695)

"You can be really cold sometimes. Do you know that?"

"I can't let my feelings get in the way of doing what has to be done. It hurts me just the same."

"I've been wondering, since you killed that raven. The way you grabbed Cliff... would you really have..."

"Yes."

"*ELIZA!*"

"I wasn't going to let him suffer, Oscar! How I *felt* about it didn't matter. Sometimes mercy takes the form of a sharp knife. To save him from that, I would have done it. And I would have carried it with me for the rest of my life."

"I... I'm sorry..."

—(p696-p697)

"Race me for real, you chicken!"

"That's me. I'm a chicken."

"Maybe you wouldn't be afraid to lose to me if you didn't *smoke* all the time!"

"I-- what?"

"I haven't smoked... recently."

"No duh, 'cause you've been grounded."

"Does Mom know?"

"Everybody knows! Dad always tells me not to be like you. He thinks you're a screw-up. But I don't think that..."

—(p699)

"Yeah. Carl doesn't really like me anymore."

"That's not true! If you'd just follow the rules again! You guys used to play together, back when I was little. I can remember it!"

"Listen, Kev. Stuff happens. Things aren't like they were back then. Don't worry about it."

—Kevin, you still are little (p700)

"We have to bury it!"

"What? No! Don't touch it!"

"Hey!"

"We don't know why it died. It could have a disease."

"But... I'd want someone to bury me."

"Fine! I'll do it. Hold this and stay back. Mom would be pissed if I let the good son get bird flu or whatever."

—(p701)

"Cliff... you're a good son, too."

"What? I buried this bird for you and you go and insult me?"

"You *are* good, but you do bad stuff because you think it's *cool*."

"I do bad stuff 'cause I think it's *fun*."

—(p703)

"Am I heavy at all?"

"Nope."

"Aw! Even Dad says I'm too big to jump on him anymore. How come you're so strong?"

"Just am."

"I bet you could beat up anybody you wanted."

"Probably. But only if I *really* wanted to."

—(p704)

"Oh, you poor thing. I know you hurt. I'm here."

—The sharp knife of mercy (p706)