Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

rise and rise and rise until he took his place amongst the stars. It was a
terribly wonderful thought.
Instead, Hugo pulled him into the house, careful so that Wallace didn’t
bump his head on the doorframe.
The clock ticked the seconds by.
Mei and Cameron sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, Apollo on his
back, legs in the air. Nelson was in his chair. They didn’t speak as Hugo
climbed the stairs, Wallace trailing after him, feet never touching the floor.
He thought Hugo would take him to the door and speak more of what it
could mean, what might lay on the other side. He was surprised when Hugo
went to one of the closed doors on the second floor.
The door that led to his room, the only one Wallace hadn’t been into.
Hugo paused, his hand on the doorknob. He looked back at Wallace. “You
ready?”
“For what?”
“Me.”
Wallace laughed. “Absolutely.”
Hugo opened the door and stepped to the side. He motioned for Wallace
to go through.
Gripping the frame, he pulled himself into the room, ducking his head.
It was smaller than he thought it’d be. He knew the master bedroom was
on the third floor, and that it’d belonged to Nelson and his wife before they’d
passed.
This room was neat and tidy. Harvey, the health inspector, would
undoubtedly be pleased. There wasn’t a single speck of dust, not a bit of
clutter or a thing out of place.
Much like the first floor, the walls were covered with posters and pictures
of faraway places. A never-ending forest of ancient trees. An ancient statue
on the banks of a green river. Bright ribbons hanging over a colorful
marketplace filled with people in flowing robes. Homes with thatched roofs.
The sun rising over a field of wheat. An island in the middle of a sea, a
strange home set on its cliffs.
But they weren’t all out-of-reach dreams.
A man and a woman who looked like Hugo smiled from a framed picture
hanging in the center. Below it was another photograph, this one of a mangy
dog looking grumpy as Hugo gave it a bath. Next to this one was Hugo and