There were about ten skeletons dancing the jig- bloody flesh still hanging off their bones. They were creating such a racket that it woke the princess, who stormed down the stone steps and confronted them in the great hall. She screamed and screamed at them but the skeletons went on dancing. They sang pirate chanteys as they whirled atop the oak tables but their tongues had all half-fallen out and it sounded like hell. The princess got closer, shouting at them and shaking her fists. Her white dress was immediately splattered with blood. Then one of the skeletons grabbed her and lifted her onto the table, spinning her in their crazy dance. She punched at him and her fist went right through his bony chest. The more she clawed and hit, the more parts went flying off him and the more bloodstained her dress became.

As soon as the first skeleton was ripped apart and scattered, a second skeleton grabbed her and spun her into another grotesque dance. He hugged her tight and tried to lick her with his rotten tongue but she tore his ribs right off his spine and sent his skull crashing to the stone floor below. Another skeleton grabbed her and she went down the line, and, fighting off her undead suitors one by one.

Finally, when the hall was strewn with bloody flesh and bones the princess stepped down from the table and gathered all ten skulls into a row. With a croquet mallet she smashed them one by one, the shards and rancid brains splattering across the stone. She lifted her bloody mallet and surveyed the hall, now completely spread with gory debris. Only the maggots still moved so she went back upstairs to get into a fresh nightgown and wash all the blood off.

No sooner did she settle down to bed than she heard the chantey start up again, sounding even more terrible. She rushed down and saw the skeletons had reassembled themselves- their ramshackle bodies composed of broken pieces barely able to fit together. One of them pulled her up onto the table and this time she held her rotting partner and danced along. She even joined in their hideous singing, spinning from partner to partner, her fresh white gown getting splattered with blood and torn to shreds as they whirled on and on into the night.

Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved.