The Skeleton Tree

In the present day, Chris sits and watches the sea, the book Kaetil the Raven Hunter on his lap. The book details the life of Kaetil, a boy raised by ravens and on a mission to avenge his murdered family. The novel is cheesy, action-packed, and bordering on ridiculous, but it’s a joy to the boys because it provides a welcome escape from their situation.

In a flashback, Chris asks Frank whether his father ever read to him. Frank explains that he doesn’t remember but that his mother told him his father read nightly but later “found other things to do” (140) and stopped reading.

They’ve been at the cabin for weeks, and Chris’s dreams have turned even more haunting. He now sees Uncle Jack as a zombie, chasing him. In the morning, Frank sends him fishing alone, and he climbs up the river, finding an abandoned path. He follows the river, finds salmon struggling in the shallows, and quickly catches two. Back at the cabin, Frank has tried to repair the roof with plastic. A storm blows in, and the roof continues to leak.