Skeleton Dance

by C. Jai Ferry

"My grandmother wanted to kill me..." So begins a dark and disturbing look into a world that is all too real for thousands of children every day. “Skeleton Dance” is the story of one young girl’s perseverance in surviving the eccentricities of her grandmother. Despite being harassed in a multitude of ways, this young girl is able to stand up to her grandmother in both small and grandiose ways. Sometimes victorious, but more often not, she ultimately grows into a woman faced with the biggest challenge Follow the well-worn path of the matriarchs in her family or strike out into virgin territory. 2014 winner of the Vermillion Literary Project Short Story Contest.

Genres: Horror

37 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2015

About the author

C. Jai Ferry grew up in a small rural town in one of those middle states between New York and Los Angeles. She focuses on short stories with brutally honest narrators who likely need some form of professional help.

To read free short stories and get information about new releases, check out her website.

Reviews

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skeleton Dance is a short realistic story written by C. Jai Ferry. Her grandmother was trying to kill her, she knew it for a fact. There was never a question in her mind about it. Since that first afternoon after her mother's death things had changed, she had a new guardian now, one whose sole purpose was to find a way to make her life miserable. She remembered that fateful day well, her mother had dropped her off at school, but this tyrant had picked her up, the toothless, crooked hag who relished in causing her misery. She wasn't even allowed to cry for the death of her mother, but she certainly suffered for it, from small digs and spiteful actions, to things more horrific in nature. She had wanted to be a ballerina for Halloween, but her grandmother had other ideas.

A short and harrowing story about a young girl forced to endure the horrors of a psychologically abusive guardian. This story had me grimacing, hating the old women whose sole pleasure in life seemed to be the torture of her grandchild. It sets all too gruesome of a scene, written in first person as a tale of suffering. You can feel the girl's hatred for her guardian roiling from each page, and you will be hard pushed not to reflect the feelings. C. Jai Ferry spares no lack of detail, you can see yourself as the girl, suffering along side her. Dark and horrific, Skeleton Dance will tug at your heart strings right until the final conclusion.

[Stuart Kenyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, without doubt, one of the best short stories I've ever read. SKELETON DANCE features two living, breathing characters, full of idiosyncrasies and depth. One is decidedly ugly, the bitter product of a dissatisfactory life whose only objective in life is to demean and torment the granddaughter in her care. The innocent child in question, who was orphaned in suspicious circumstances, is convinced her guardian is trying to kill her, and she spends her days trying to avoid her grandmother's ire. Their world is vividly depressing, and I could almost smell the fried eggs forced upon the youngster every day. Surreal and disturbing events are depicted with black humour, with the final twist delicious in its delivery. The tone is dark, the pacing perfect; the pages turned themselves. It takes a writer of rare skill to achieve such a complete tale in a chapter's worth of writing.

Almost as intriguing is the author's account of how the tale was created. The fact that she managed to devise such a rounded, fleshed-out narrative in just three hours is testament to her skill, and it's no surprise that her entry won the contest. Highly recommended.

[Eeva Lancaster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro grabbed me right away... it's a dark, twisted story that's entertaining at the same time, if you like to delve into the convoluted nature of humans sometimes. We all have the image of the nurturing and loving grandmother - but as you well know, everything has 2 sides. What if as a young girl you were forced to live with THIS type? It's not your typical story and that's what makes it fascinating. A story that gives you a glimpse of other possibilities.

This is a quick and entertaining read. Love the mind of this author.

[Suzie Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My intent was to just skim the first few pages to get a feel for this short story, however, I was grabbed by the first few lines and couldn't put it down. Sad to think some kids actually go through stuff like this. There were some parts that were really relatable and I love how she described the smells and sounds the girl encounted. Those are the main things I remember about my grandmother too.

[Shaheen Darr · Rating 4 out of 5]

One woman’s death could be another woman’s liberation. To find out more read Skeleton Dance, a story about a young girl left in the care of her grandmother. Her thoughts and feelings about a dark and dismal situation are portrayed well by the author. A short but interesting read.

[Ken Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grandmothers are supposed to be lovable comforting figures. C Jai Ferry transforms hers into a visit from Dante’s Inferno … a vile subhuman and nasty character with nothing but evil in her mind.

‘I should have known she was trying to kill me when she handed me my Halloween costume…..’

Wow! That’s atypical of the mood throughout this diamond of a short story…I read it in bed when I woke up and HAD to finish it. Finish it I did and found it mesmerising, C Jai Ferry is most definitely a writer I shall be looking out for in the future….More please! 5*’s without a doubt.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! The writer has a great ability to paint a vivid picture of details and emotion. I read it a bit too fast (sad it was over so quickly), and therefore, I look forward to reading it again.

[Traci Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, we enjoy reading in order to get a glimpse into a world that’s unfamiliar to us. It’s the easiest way to travel. Aside from that, the comfort zone can begin to seem, well, a little too comfortable. It can be an energizing eye-opener to come across characters that make you go, “Huh? Why would somebody even think or act that way? Where did that come from?”

Welcome to the bizarre world of Skeleton Dance! The most “normal” character is the protagonist, an unnamed young teen. But, wait! She’s constantly verbally harassed and harangued with inappropriate language by her own custodial grandmother (also unnamed). In fact, from the beginning, she states her belief that her grandmother wants to kill her.

Her grandmother feeds her mainly fried eggs, and she won’t let her choose her own Halloween costume. Those are the two main conflicts of the story. Yet, they are only symbolic of the general disconnect between the two characters. This is a dysfunctional relationship on steroids.

What are the other struggles? What happens in the end? Who will win the ongoing fight of wills? Does anyone return to normality? You have to read the story to find out! Meanwhile, please keep in mind that this is an emotionally dark selection.