Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
He had. Wallace now wore … soccer cleats? He’d never played soccer inhis life, and therefore had never worn cleats before. Granted, he’d neverworn stiletto heels or a bikini, but still. It was an odd choice, though Wallacewasn’t sure choice was the right word.“This is ridiculous,” Wallace muttered as Apollo sniffed the cleats beforesneezing obnoxiously.“It is,” Nelson agreed. “Who knew you were so eclectic. Perhaps theseare simply manifestations of what your heart truly desires.”“I doubt that immensely.” Wallace took a tentative step, the cleatsunfamiliar. He waited for them to disappear, to change into somethingdifferent. They didn’t. He breathed a sigh of relief as he closed his eyes. “Ithink it’s over.”“Um,” Nelson said. “About that.”That didn’t sound good. Wallace opened his eyes again.The sweats were gone.The Rolling Stones shirt was gone.Oh, the cleats were still there, so he could be thankful for small favors,but he now wore a spandex jumpsuit that left absolutely nothing to theimagination. To make matters worse, it wasn’t an ordinary spandex jumpsuit;no, because Wallace’s afterlife was apparently an utter farce, the jumpsuitwas imprinted with the outline of a skeleton on it, like a Halloween costume,though it was the end of March.It was then that Wallace realized everything was terrible. He said as muchto Nelson, sounding forlorn as he pulled at the spandex, watching it stretch.He shooed Apollo away when the dog tried to grab onto the material and ripit off.“It could be worse,” Nelson said, eyeing him up and down in a way thatWallace was sure was illegal in at least fifteen states. “Though, I will saycongratulations on your business downstairs. Size doesn’t matter of course,but it doesn’t seem like you have to worry about that.”“Thank you,” Wallace said distractedly as Apollo tried to squeeze throughhis legs, tongue lolling, a goofy expression of joy on his face. Then, “Wait,what?”By the time Hugo and Mei came down, Wallace was in a state of panic,seeing as how he was now wearing only brightly colored briefs and pleatherthigh-high boots. Nelson was slowly losing his composure as Wallace
stumbled around, making promises to whoever would listen that he’d nevercomplain about sweats and flip-flops again. He stopped when he saw thenew arrivals staring blearily at him.“I can explain,” Wallace said, covering himself as best he could. Apolloapparently decided that wouldn’t do, biting Wallace’s hand gently andtugging.“It’s too early for this,” Mei muttered, but that didn’t seem to stop herfrom getting an eyeful as she made her way to the kitchen.“You’ve had a busy night,” Hugo said mildly.Wallace glared at him. “This isn’t what it looks like.”Hugo shrugged as Apollo circled his legs. “That’s fair, seeing as how Idon’t know what it’s supposed to look like in the first place.”“Puts my Easter suit to shame,” Nelson said, wiping his eyes.Wallace blanched when Hugo stepped closer to him, fingers twitching athis sides. He waited for Hugo to mock him, but it never came.“You’ll get the hang of it,” he said. “It’s not easy, or so I’m told, but I thinkyou’ll figure it out.” He frowned as he cocked his head. He started to reachfor Wallace but stopped himself. “Depending on how much longer you’rehere, that is.” He smiled tightly.There it was. This thing that Wallace had been studiously avoiding. Asidefrom the first few days he’d been here, there’d been no further discussion ofcrossings or doors or what lay beyond the half-life Wallace was living in thetea shop. He’d been grateful, though wary, sure that Hugo was going to push.He hadn’t, and Wallace had almost convinced himself that he’d forgotten. Ofcourse Hugo hadn’t. It was his job. This wasn’t permanent. It never was, andWallace was foolish to think otherwise.He didn’t know what to say. He was scared of what Hugo would do next.Hugo said, “Better get to work,” his voice strangely gruff. He turnedtoward the kitchen, Apollo prancing around his feet as he followed Hugothrough the doors.“Oh dear,” Nelson said.“What?” Wallace asked, staring after Hugo, the hook in his chest feelingheavier than it’d ever been before.Nelson hesitated before shaking his head. “I … it’s nothing. Don’t worryabout it.”
- Page 91 and 92: Wallace hadn’t even heard him app
- Page 93 and 94: “Do what?” Mei asked as she rea
- Page 95 and 96: The hook—always there, and he was
- Page 97 and 98: And strangely, he thought he could
- Page 99 and 100: moved around from table to table, t
- Page 101 and 102: him.” And then, under her breath,
- Page 103 and 104: woke up. He went to work. He stayed
- Page 105 and 106: CHAPTER9Charon’s Crossing stayed
- Page 107 and 108: Mei gasped. “They do? Oh my god,
- Page 109 and 110: “Obviously,” he said faintly.
- Page 111 and 112: that’s taboo.” She looked away.
- Page 113 and 114: “It’s like you, in a way,” sh
- Page 115 and 116: “Nope.”Wallace groaned. “Then
- Page 117 and 118: things. He had expensive clothes, a
- Page 119 and 120: Nelson grinned. “Fair.” He rubb
- Page 121 and 122: “It’s like that here,” Hugo s
- Page 123 and 124: “It was fast,” Hugo said, stari
- Page 125 and 126: Hugo seemed to let it go. “The Ma
- Page 127 and 128: “You can’t ever go to them,”
- Page 129 and 130: finding the truth within himself. W
- Page 131 and 132: And now here they were in the fifth
- Page 133 and 134: Her fault, he told himself as he sa
- Page 135 and 136: They all fell into a schedule of so
- Page 137 and 138: One of the other women said, “My
- Page 139 and 140: “Because he doesn’t want to,”
- Page 141: Wallace bit back a sharp retort whe
- Page 145 and 146: Nelson laughed. “Refreshing. Frus
- Page 147 and 148: Hugo, for his part, didn’t look a
- Page 149 and 150: “I mean, there’s always a plea
- Page 151 and 152: came here looking more alive than s
- Page 153 and 154: Nothing.“All the time you—would
- Page 155 and 156: Desdemona gasped, pulling her hands
- Page 157 and 158: “A,” Desdemona said as the plan
- Page 159 and 160: followers, and I command you to—
- Page 161 and 162: CHAPTER12That night, Wallace follow
- Page 163 and 164: “Then why didn’t you put a stop
- Page 165 and 166: “It’s not always like this,”
- Page 167 and 168: Wallace closed his eyes. Nancy was
- Page 169 and 170: “A guardian of the doors,” Hugo
- Page 171 and 172: “What does that mean?”“I can
- Page 173 and 174: green door at the end. He walked th
- Page 175 and 176: window looked out into a familiar k
- Page 177 and 178: CHAPTER13At the beginning of his tw
- Page 179 and 180: Hugo shrugged. It was infuriating.
- Page 181 and 182: everything I’m saying right now?
- Page 183 and 184: The tea shop was busy all day. Sinc
- Page 185 and 186: “What will it take?” Wallace as
- Page 187 and 188: Watch.”Wallace stood next to him
- Page 189 and 190: some … some let it become all the
- Page 191 and 192: “Obviously,” Nelson said. He re
stumbled around, making promises to whoever would listen that he’d never
complain about sweats and flip-flops again. He stopped when he saw the
new arrivals staring blearily at him.
“I can explain,” Wallace said, covering himself as best he could. Apollo
apparently decided that wouldn’t do, biting Wallace’s hand gently and
tugging.
“It’s too early for this,” Mei muttered, but that didn’t seem to stop her
from getting an eyeful as she made her way to the kitchen.
“You’ve had a busy night,” Hugo said mildly.
Wallace glared at him. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Hugo shrugged as Apollo circled his legs. “That’s fair, seeing as how I
don’t know what it’s supposed to look like in the first place.”
“Puts my Easter suit to shame,” Nelson said, wiping his eyes.
Wallace blanched when Hugo stepped closer to him, fingers twitching at
his sides. He waited for Hugo to mock him, but it never came.
“You’ll get the hang of it,” he said. “It’s not easy, or so I’m told, but I think
you’ll figure it out.” He frowned as he cocked his head. He started to reach
for Wallace but stopped himself. “Depending on how much longer you’re
here, that is.” He smiled tightly.
There it was. This thing that Wallace had been studiously avoiding. Aside
from the first few days he’d been here, there’d been no further discussion of
crossings or doors or what lay beyond the half-life Wallace was living in the
tea shop. He’d been grateful, though wary, sure that Hugo was going to push.
He hadn’t, and Wallace had almost convinced himself that he’d forgotten. Of
course Hugo hadn’t. It was his job. This wasn’t permanent. It never was, and
Wallace was foolish to think otherwise.
He didn’t know what to say. He was scared of what Hugo would do next.
Hugo said, “Better get to work,” his voice strangely gruff. He turned
toward the kitchen, Apollo prancing around his feet as he followed Hugo
through the doors.
“Oh dear,” Nelson said.
“What?” Wallace asked, staring after Hugo, the hook in his chest feeling
heavier than it’d ever been before.
Nelson hesitated before shaking his head. “I … it’s nothing. Don’t worry
about it.”
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