One moment, everything was fine.
The next, Zach was gone.
The destruction that followed was catastrophic. Everything they’d built was razed to its foundations, leaving Cameron screaming in the rubble. He howled and raged at the unfairness of it all, and nothing, nothing could pull him out of it. He faded, he faded until he was a shadow moving through the world by pure force of habit.
Wallace said, “Oh no, please no,” but it was too late, it was already too late because this was in the past, this had already happened, it was already done.
Another star in the distance, but it wasn’t Cameron’s.
It belonged to Wallace.
What’s the longest someone has been here?
Why? Thinking about setting down roots?
No. I’m just asking.
Ah. Right. Well, I know Hugo had someone who stayed for two weeks. That was … a hard case. Deaths by suicide usually are.
He said, “Cameron, I’m so sorry.”
And Cameron said, “I’m still here. I’m still here.”
The stars exploded, and he was pulled away, away, away.
Wallace jerked his head. He was in the tea garden, Mei’s hand wrapped around his arm, and she was saying, “Wallace? Wallace. Look at me. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
He struggled against her. “No, don’t, you don’t understand—” He looked over his shoulder to see Hugo standing in front of Cameron amongst the tea plants, near the one he’d been so proud of, the one that was ten years old. The Cameron he’d seen in the stars was gone, replaced by the horrible shell. His black teeth were bared, his eyes flat and animalistic.
“Cameron,” Hugo said in a hushed whisper.
Cameron’s fingers twitched at his sides. No sound came from his open mouth.
As Mei pulled Wallace up onto the deck, Apollo barking furiously, Nelson’s eyes wide, Cameron turned and walked slowly toward the trees.
The last Wallace saw of him was his back as he disappeared into the woods.
Hugo turned toward the house. He looked devastated.
Wallace never wanted to see him like that again.
As the clouds slid away from the moon, they watched each other in this little corner of the world.
CHAPTER
15
Alan tried to leave.
He didn’t make it very far before his skin began to flake.
He returned, expression stormy.
“What’s happening to me?” he demanded. “What have you done?” He clawed at his chest. “I don’t want this, whatever it is. It’s a chain. Can’t you see it’s a chain?”
Hugo sighed. “I’ll explain as best I can.”
Wallace didn’t think it would be good enough.
* * *
Charon’s Crossing Tea and Treats opened as normal the next day, bright and early.
The people came as they always did. They smiled and laughed and drank their tea and ate their scones and muffins. They sat in their chairs, waking up slowly, ready to begin another day in this town in the mountains.
They couldn’t see the angry man pacing through the tea shop, stopping to scream at each of them. A woman wiped her mouth daintily, unaware that Alan was shouting in her ear. A child had whipped cream on the tip of his nose, not knowing that Alan stood behind him, face twisted in fury.
“Maybe you should close the shop,” Wallace muttered, staring out the porthole windows.
Mei had dark circles under her eyes. She and Hugo hadn’t slept, kept awake by Alan causing a ruckus through the night. “He can’t hurt anyone,” she said quietly. “What would be the point?”
“I can move chairs. I can break light bulbs. And I wasn’t half as angry as he is. You really want to take that chance?”
She sighed. “Hugo knows what he’s doing. He won’t let that happen.”
Hugo stood behind the counter, a forced smile on his face. He greeted each customer as if they were a long-lost friend, but there was something off about it, though most didn’t seem to notice. At best, the gaggle of elderly women told him that he needed to take better care of himself. “Get some rest,” they scolded him. “You look exhausted.”
“I will,” Hugo said, glancing at Alan who tried to overturn a table with no success.
It wasn’t until Alan started toward Nelson that Wallace went out into the tea shop for the first time that morning.
“Hey,” he said. “Hey, Alan.”
Alan whirled around, eyes blazing. “What? What the hell do you want?”
He didn’t know. He’d only wanted to keep Alan away from Nelson. He didn’t think Alan could hurt him, not really, but he didn’t want to take that chance. Hugo started toward them, but Wallace shook his head, begging silently for Hugo to stay back. He couldn’t stand the thought of Hugo putting himself in harm’s way, not again.
Wallace turned back to Alan. “Knock it off.”
That startled Alan, some of his rage fading slightly. “What?”
“Knock it off,” Wallace repeated firmly. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but is it really helping your situation?”
“What the hell do you know?” Alan started to turn away.
“I’m like you,” he said quickly, though it felt like a lie. “I’m dead, so I know what I’m talking about.” He didn’t believe that for a moment, but if Alan believed, then so be it.
Alan stopped and narrowed his eyes as he glanced back. “Then help me do something about it. I don’t know what that was last night, but we can’t be trapped here. I want to go home. I have a life. I have to—”
“You have two options. You can either stay right here, in this house. Or you can let Hugo take you upstairs and go through the door.”
“Seems to me there’s a third option. Figure out how to get out of here. Keep moving until I’m free of all of this.”
Wallace hesitated. Then, “No one here wants to hurt you. They never have. That’s not what this is about. It’s a way station. A stop along the path we’re all traveling on.”
Alan shook his head. “You want to stay here? Fine. I don’t give a shit what you do. If that old bastard over there wants to do the same? Good for him. I don’t want this. I didn’t ask for—”
“None of us did,” Wallace snapped. “You think this is easy for any of us? You died. I can’t even begin to imagine how it must have felt for you. But that doesn’t mean you get to act like an asshole about it.” Oh, the hypocrisy. Wallace cringed inwardly, remembering all he’d said and done to Hugo, to Mei, to Nelson, three people who were only trying to help him. He owed them everything, and he’d flung it back in their faces, all because he was afraid. Where did he get off scolding Alan when he’d acted the same way? He hated the comparison, but it was the truth, wasn’t it? “You want to go? Then go. See how far you get. Maybe you’ll get farther than I did, but it won’t matter. You’ll turn into nothing. You’ll be nothing. Is that what you really want?” Alan started to speak, but Wallace overrode him. “I don’t think it is. And deep down, I think you know that. For once in your life, use your damn head.”
And with that, he spun on his heel and stalked away, leaving Alan behind.