Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

And strangely, he thought he could feel the heat from Hugo’s hand, though
that should have been impossible. Wallace could touch the dog, he could
touch Nelson and Mei (and she all of them), but he couldn’t touch Hugo.
There seemed to be rules in place, rules that he was beginning to learn even
if they were nonsensical. That tingling sensation returned, running along his
skin. “It comes from the earth,” Hugo said quietly. “Energy. Life. Death. All
of it. We rise and we fall and then we rise once more. We’re all on different
paths, but death doesn’t discriminate. It comes for everyone. It’s what you do
with it that sets you apart. Focus, Wallace. I’ll show you where to look.
You’ll get it. All it takes is a little—there. See?”
Wallace opened his eyes and looked down.
Flip-flops. Sweats. Old shirt. Just like it’d been before.
“How did you do that?” he asked, pulling at his shirt.
“I didn’t do anything,” Hugo said. “You did. I merely helped you find
direction. Better?”
Much. He never thought he’d be so relieved to see his flip-flops again. “I
guess.”
Hugo nodded. “You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you.” He took a step
back. “If you stay for long, that is.” A funny look crossed his face, but it was
gone before Wallace could make sense of it. “I’m sure that whatever comes
next, you won’t have to worry about such things.”
That sounded ominous. “Do—do people not wear clothes in the …
Heaven? Afterlife? What do I even call it?”
Nelson laughed. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll find out one way or another. For all
we know, it’s a gigantic nudist colony.”
“So, Hell, then,” Wallace muttered.
“What do you think of the scones?” Hugo asked, nodding toward the tray
sitting on the stove.
Wallace sighed. “I can’t eat them, can I?”
“No.”
“Then why on earth would I care what they look like?” He didn’t say that
he could smell them, the scent thick and warm, because it made him feel
alone. Strange that scones could do such a thing, almost making him reach out
and fail at touching something he could never have.
Hugo looked down at them then back at Wallace. “Because they look nice.
It’s not always about what we can or can’t have, but the work we put into it.”