Skeleton Creek

The Dredge has two symbolic meanings in Skeleton Creek. A dredge is a large machine used to scoop out muck, weeds, and other debris from a riverbed. In this case, the Dredge’s use is reversed, as the company’s search for precious metals leaves behind large pools of muck and debris. The verb “to dredge” is also notable within the context of the mystery novel. To dredge something up is to call attention to something unpleasant that has been forgotten. Ryan and Sarah’s late-night adventure at the Dredge transitions into an investigation that attempts to dredge up the forgotten history surrounding the death of Old Joe Bush.

The language Ryan employs develops the Dredge’s symbolism as something that destroys the environment rather than cleans it. In a personification of the machine’s consumption of the environment, he refers to its “relentless appetite” (20). Ryan also uses language that suggests the Dredge is a soldier fighting against the natural world. For example, he describes the environmental destruction the Dredge creates as a “trench that was left behind as the Dredge marched forward” (20), and he describes the earth as “gutted [...] and torn” in the manner of a battlefield (21). This symbolism demonstrates the impact of corporate greed upon the environment. The company’s corruption is a literal corruption of the earth and the symbolic corruption of the town, which becomes complicit in the process of environmental destruction by empowering New York Gold and Silver to continue to mine the surrounding area for profit. 

The Crossbones is a secret alchemistic society, exclusive to people who can prove they or their relatives were born in Skeleton Creek. The name “the Crossbones” has sinister connotations (i.e., piracy) that hint at the group’s role in the town’s conspiracy.. The group includes adults such as the librarian, Gladys Morgan, and Ryan’s dad. This situates the motif of secrets and conspiracy within the larger theme of The Relationship Between Young Adults and Authority, contributing to the teens’ lack of trust in adults and the social institutions that they represent. The teens find little information about the Crossbones, reinforcing its mysterious and potentially criminal nature. There are vague references to a shadowy individual that may mastermind the group; however, this is not confirmed. The discovery that Joe Bush is asking about “the alchemist” in Morse code hints at this possibility, linking the group with the death of Joe Bush, the Dredge, and the Alchemist, all elements of a conspiracy. Ryan and Sarah suspect that Joe Bush haunts the Dredge because he was murdered for gold, and the members of the Crossbones become the leading suspects, since their group is linked to alchemical symbols. These leads turn out to be false, but the series’ third novel, Skeleton Creek: The Crossbones, reinforces the importance of the Crossbones’ ongoing conspiracy in Skeleton Creek.

While some symbols and motifs extend across the Skeleton Creek series, the motif of captivity and isolation is specific to the first vook. Ryan establishes the motif early in the novel, explaining that he is “a captive, really, […] imprisoned in [his] own room” (7). While Ryan consistently uses hyperbole in his journal, this claim immediately follows a paranoid note that he must “be careful to keep [his journal] hidden” and that “they’re watching” (7). Ryan feels that he is policed to an extreme degree; in addition to his physical confinement, the feeling of being watched restricts his freedom on a psychological level.

Ryan’s cast is an important symbol and plot device that enhances his captivity and isolation. Referred to as Big Bertha, the cast surrounds his leg and restricts his movement enough to confine him to bed (43). Ryan’s injury mirrors that of Joe Bush, symbolically linking the two as victims of the Dredge.

Several literary allusions add to the motif of captivity. The passwords “amontillado” and “pitandpendulum” reference stories that emphasize the psychological effects of captivity while foreshadowing the trap that Ryan and Sarah fall victim to in the final video of the vook.

Finally, the communication between Ryan and Sarah highlights their isolation from one another. Ultimately, they use digital technology to overcome this isolation, and eventually, Ryan can physically leave his room. However, the novel ends with Sarah and Ryan being trapped in the Dredge, leaving the question of their freedom unresolved.