Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
Apollo licked his fingers.Hugo rose from his crouch. He moved until he stood in front of hisgrandfather. Wallace thought he’d hesitate, if only for a moment. He didn’t.He raised his hand toward Nelson’s chest, and the moment his fingers closedaround the hook only he and Nelson could see, Nelson said, “Hugo?”Hugo looked at him.Nelson said, “I’ll be seeing you, okay?”Hugo grinned brilliantly. “Damn right you will.” And then he pulled thehook free. He turned and did the same to Apollo, the dog yipping once.Hugo stood upright, taking a deep breath as he raised his hand above hishead toward the doorknob. His fingers covered the leaf, and with a twist ofhis wrist, the door opened.White light spilled out, the song of life and death like a symphony.“Oh,” Nelson said, voice hushed in reverence. “I never … I neverthought … All this light. All these colors. I think … yes. Yes, I hear you. I seeyou, oh my god, I see you.” He laughed wildly as his feet left the floor,Apollo looking comically surprised as his did the same. “Hugo!” Nelsoncried. “Hugo, it’s real. All of it is real. It’s life. It’s life.”Blinking against the blinding light, Wallace saw the outline of Nelson andApollo as they rose through the air. Apollo looked around, tongue hangingout. It almost looked as if he were grinning.And then they both crossed through the doorway.Before the door closed, Wallace heard Nelson’s voice one last time asApollo barked happily.He said, “I’m home.”The door slammed shut.The light faded.Nelson and Apollo were gone.Silence settled like a blanket over the fourth floor of the tea shop.“What do you think he saw?” Mei finally asked as she wiped her eyes.Hugo stared up at the door. Though his face was wet, he smiled. “I don’tknow. And isn’t that the point? We don’t know until it’s our time. Can yougive me a moment? I want … I’ll be down shortly.”Wallace touched the back of his hand before following Mei down thestairs. He thought he heard Hugo speaking quietly, almost like a prayer.
That night, Wallace found Hugo on the back deck. Mei was in the kitchen, herterrible music blaring loudly, causing the bones of the house to shake. Heshook his head as he closed the back door behind him.Hugo glanced back at him. “Hello.”“Hello, Hugo,” Wallace said. “You all right?” He winced as he joinedHugo at the railing. “Stupid question.”“No,” Hugo said as he lay his head on Wallace’s shoulder. “I don’t think itis. And honestly? I don’t know if I’m all right. It’s strange. Did you hear hisvoice at the end?”“I did,” Wallace said.“He sounded…”“Free.”Wallace felt Hugo nod against him. He wrapped an arm around Hugo’swaist. “I can’t even begin to imagine the relief he must have felt. I…” Hehesitated. Then, “Are you angry with him?”“No,” Hugo said. “How could I be? He’s watched over me for longenough, and helped to teach me how to be a good person. And besides, heknew I was in good hands.”“Are you?”Hugo laughed. “I think so. You are pretty good with your—”Wallace groaned. “I’m trying to have a moment here.”Hugo turned his head so he could kiss the underside of Wallace’s jaw witha loud smack. Wallace grinned against his hair. “I am,” Hugo whispered. “Ingood hands. The best, really. And he’s right: this isn’t goodbye. We’ll seeeach other again. All of us. But before then, we still have work to do. Andwe’ll do it together.”“We will,” Wallace agreed. “I think—”The back door opened.Light spilled out.They turned.Mei stood in the doorway. “Stop being all gross and lovey and blech. Anew file appeared.”Hugo stepped away from the railing. “Tell me.”
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That night, Wallace found Hugo on the back deck. Mei was in the kitchen, her
terrible music blaring loudly, causing the bones of the house to shake. He
shook his head as he closed the back door behind him.
Hugo glanced back at him. “Hello.”
“Hello, Hugo,” Wallace said. “You all right?” He winced as he joined
Hugo at the railing. “Stupid question.”
“No,” Hugo said as he lay his head on Wallace’s shoulder. “I don’t think it
is. And honestly? I don’t know if I’m all right. It’s strange. Did you hear his
voice at the end?”
“I did,” Wallace said.
“He sounded…”
“Free.”
Wallace felt Hugo nod against him. He wrapped an arm around Hugo’s
waist. “I can’t even begin to imagine the relief he must have felt. I…” He
hesitated. Then, “Are you angry with him?”
“No,” Hugo said. “How could I be? He’s watched over me for long
enough, and helped to teach me how to be a good person. And besides, he
knew I was in good hands.”
“Are you?”
Hugo laughed. “I think so. You are pretty good with your—”
Wallace groaned. “I’m trying to have a moment here.”
Hugo turned his head so he could kiss the underside of Wallace’s jaw with
a loud smack. Wallace grinned against his hair. “I am,” Hugo whispered. “In
good hands. The best, really. And he’s right: this isn’t goodbye. We’ll see
each other again. All of us. But before then, we still have work to do. And
we’ll do it together.”
“We will,” Wallace agreed. “I think—”
The back door opened.
Light spilled out.
They turned.
Mei stood in the doorway. “Stop being all gross and lovey and blech. A
new file appeared.”
Hugo stepped away from the railing. “Tell me.”
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