The Bones Beneath My Skin

by T.J. Klune

“You don’t have to—” “Nate, just take it for what it is. Kindness. Sometimes people need it, even if they don’t know how to ask for it.”

“You told me that you have to be nice when you can because you don’t know when it could mean everything to someone.”

Children are the most precious thing in this world. They need someone to fight for them when they can’t fight for themselves. You get me?”

You had a buddy. A system. You carried Mace. You wanted to live your life the way those that had come before had fought for, but you had to be careful. There were people out there who wanted to hurt what they didn’t understand.

“The sun is shining, and maybe they just needed some encouragement. The earth is like that, you know. It needs to hear that someone is waiting for it. People are like that too, I think.”

It was a test, of course. It was always a test, but I knew that. And when you know, you have power over it. You can change the outcome. Make it how you want it.

Why do they think we won’t find out the truth? Why does the United States government really believe we won’t see what they see? I’ll tell you why, friends. They think we’re sheep. They give you the fluoride in your water, telling you it’s to keep you healthy when it actually makes you docile. The men in Washington smile their politician smiles and say Trust us. We’ve got your best interests in mind. And then they drop their pesticides and say it’s for the crops. You expect us to believe that? Man has been farming for thousands of years without the aid of poison. It’s only within the last century that they’ve started talking about insects that are damaging our way of life. You really think that’s the case? No. No. No. We’re being experimented on. We’re being tested. We are in the world’s biggest laboratory, and no one even knows it!

“No one showed humans how to do anything. You all figured that out all on your own. Which, by the way, good job. Well. Mostly. You guys seem to care more about blowing stuff up than curing diseases. That’s kind of backward, but then who am I to judge.

“You’re all capable of such great and terrible things. And in such a short amount of time. You are surrounded by millions of those like you, yet you can still feel alone. You’re so angry and powerful and wonderful. And so fragile. You can break into pieces and feel so lost. I didn’t get that. Not … before. I don’t think any of us did. You’re complex and yet so simple at the same time. It’s a dichotomy that shouldn’t be possible. When you smile, it’s like the sun is out. When you cry, it’s like you’re trapped in shadows and you can’t find your way back to the light. You can hold a gun to your enemy’s head and pull the trigger in the name of what you call God. You drop bombs and scorch the ground beneath your feet. You hurt each other. You love each other. You scream words that fall on deaf ears. You hate that others aren’t like you. They scare you, even though they want nothing more than to be you. You make yourselves a home out of nothing. You carry each other until your knees give out and you stumble. It’s almost impossible to understand.

“Why do humans say his name in vain while others use the idea of him to make themselves think they’re better than everyone else?”

Come. See what I have made in the wake of the earthquake you brought out in me.”

There were floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with books completely covering a far wall. Artemis let out a squeal of joy at the sight of them and was ready to rush over, but Alex stopped her. She glared up at him, and Nate almost choked at how much she looked like Alex in that exact moment. He tried not to think about the future.

Billie began singing about the wishing well, and that she’ll be seeing you, that she’ll always think of you that way, like a summer’s day.

“It’s an urge for … destruction. Have you ever been driving down the road and thought to yourself, what would happen if I swerved into oncoming traffic? Or have you ever been on the edge of a cliff staring down into nothing and thought, what would happen if I just took one more step? It’s not suicidal. It’s an impulse. A need somehow embedded into our genetic code. Most don’t act upon it because we are capable of rational thought. But there, buried in our lizard brain, is always the what-if. Your hands on the steering wheel and there’s an oncoming semi. The

Alex reached down and picked up his rifle, snapping it free from the harness. Nate grabbed a dropped metal baton. “You know how to use that?” Alex asked. “It’s a stick,” Nate said. “You hit people with it.”

“I know now,” she said. “What it means to be human.” He wiped away her tears. “What?” “It means having your heart broken. There is nothing more human than a broken heart.

“No matter where you go. No matter how far away you’ll be, I’m always going to be with you. I love you. I love you. I love you.”