Its about to be october, and this time will be our 8th one. Thought maybe we should celebrate something like that. So! lets tell some of our favorite scary or spooky stories. Campfire stories, ghost stories, anything spooky. I'll go first and share my favorite story.

This story dates back to the fifties, and is better known by the version that was published in a collection in the seventies as "Johnny I want my Liver!" This is the version of the tale I grew up with.

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Way back in the twenties there was a little boy named Johnny Mathis. He was a nice enough kid, never hurt anyone. Did good in school. Lots of friends. You know the kind. Well, one night he was sitting by the radio when his mom yelled from the kitchen:

"johnny, come in here boy!" Johnny turned off the radio and went into the kitchen, cause he was a good boy that did what he momma asked.

At least he usually did.

In the kitchen his momma reached in her apron and pulled out a nickle. "Johnny, I'm making stew for supper but we don't got no soup bone. Go down to the butchers and get bone for the pot." Johnny nodded and turned to head out the kitchen. When he was just about out the front door his momma yelled after him, "Go right there and come back, you here!"

Well, Johnny started out the door and down the street. He didn't get too far before he came up on a few of his buddies, Vick and Arthur, playing dice in the street. Vick looked up and said "Johnny, take a roll why don'tcha?" Johnny shook his head, he didn't have any money of his own. "I see a nickle in your hand right now!" said Arthur, and he picked up the dice and held them out to Johnny. "Just one roll. We'll double it if you win." he said looking across at Vick. Johnny shook his head one last time. The money wasn't his. After a while though they talked him into it and he finally rolled... snake eyes. "Oooh, bad luck Johnny" said Vick as he took the nickle.

Well, now Johnny was in a bind. He needed a bone for supper and he didn't have any money. He walked to the Butcher anyway, and tried to ask on credit. Of course, the butcher wouldn't give credit to a little boy. Nothing left for it, he turned back home. He didn't want to pass by Vick and Arthur again, so he took a short cut that no one used... through the town graveyard. As he walked through he stayed as far from the graves as he could, it was starting to get misty and he was scared. Then, all of a sudden, WUMP! He fell flat on his face. He turned back to look and saw a white skeleton bone sticking out of the dirt. It was dirty and a little red, but it looked a lot like the bones the butcher had. Johnny pulled the bone free, half an arm flopping out on the grass as he turned and ran with it.

That night they ate stew as they planned, but johnny didn't eat. As they cleaned the pot they found the bone had cooked to pieces and had to be thrown out.

That night johnny lay staring at the ceiling, terrified at what he had done. What if something wanted the bone back? What if that something was outside right now, looking for a way inside.

No. He was just being silly.

But then... he heard a noise, just outside his window. A snapping sound, rhythmic and soft. It rattled around near the window and then he heard a voice. "Johnny, i want my bone back johnny." The voice said, snapping its fingers like it was singing the words. Johnny rolled over and covered his head in the covers, he had to be imagining it!"

But he heard it again, just at the grass outside the window. "Johnny, i want my bone back johnny." This time johnny couldn't ignore it any more, because it cast a ghastly shadow across his windowshade. He yelled at the window "I can't give it back! Mom put it in soup and it cooked to pieces!"

At this the figure stuck out a hand and tapped on the glass. Then it drug
its fingers down the glass, a horrible screeching sound erupting from the window. "Then i'll just have to take yours then johnny. Johnny... i want your bone now johnny, johnny... i'll take the bone now johnny." It said, tapping that strange rhythem on the glass. "Well you can't, There's bars on the window and you'll never get in!" Johnny yelled back in terror, the tapping stopping. "We'll see johnny." Then the figure disappeared. Johnny rolled over and tried to go to sleep, but he couldn't, he was too scared. Just then he heard the old grandfather clock in the living room chime.... 1.....2.....3.....4......5....6....7.....8.....9....10....11....12.

12 chimes. Midnight. Then he heard it again... that peculiar snapping. It was on the far side of the house now, but it sounded just as loud as he was when it was right out side his window. "Johnny... i want your bone now johnny.... johnny getting the bone now johnny... johnny, i'm at the door now johnny." He heard, and with a slow creak he heard the door of the house open.

He looked at his door terrified. How had it gotten inside?! Then he heard the snapping again, louder this time. "Johnny, i'm in your house now johnny... johnny, i'm not a mouse now johnny... Johnny, i want that bone now johnny." Then he heard the soft clicking of nails on the stone, every bit as soft as the tapping and at the same time, every bit as loud and terrifying. "Johnny, i'm in the living room johnny." "Go away, you can't have my bone!" Johnny yelled, wondering why no one else would wake up!

"Oh no Johnny. I'll have that bone." It said. Then he heard a slow creaking again, louder this time. "Johnny, i'm in the hall now johnny... Johnny, not the first door johnny, johnny... not the second door johnny..." At this he jumped up and locked the door on his room, cause it was the fourth door on the hall and he knew it'd be there soon. "Johnny, won't work now johnny... johnny, at the third door johnny... johnny... i'm at your door now johnny..." And it was, he could hear the voice not foot through the door away. Johnny turned and screamed, diving under his bed and praying to god. "Johnny, got the knob now johnny." He heard. and the knob creaked and shook. "Johnny, got the lock now johnny." And he heard a click as the lock on the door opened on its own. "Johnny, got the door now johnny."

Then he heard it... the slow creak of the door as it opened. "Johnny, i'm in your room now johnny... johnny, i'm at the bed now johnny... johnny, i know your there young johnny." Thats when he felt a hand grab his foot and he screamed, grabbing hold of the bed and trying to keep himself safe. "Johnny won't work now johnny, johnny, got your leg now johnny johnny, i want your bone now johnny. Johnny..." And with that the bed flew through the air, the thing grabbing him and pulling him up by his foot. "Your mine now, Johnny."

The next day, they looked all over for Johnny. They checked in town, they checked in the woods, they checked everywhere. They ran his face on the milk cartons. They put out adds on the radio. But to this day, no one has ever found a single sign of young Johnny Mathis.