Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

“Traitor,” Wallace mumbled. Then, “I didn’t throw it. I just … tossed it
across the room with the power of positive thinking?” He frowned. “Maybe.”
Mei went over to the chair, hunkering down beside it, poking the broken
leg with her finger. “Huh,” she said.
Hugo wasn’t looking at the chair.
He was still staring at Wallace.
“What?” Wallace asked, trying to make himself smaller.
Hugo shook his head slowly. “Multitudes.” As if that explained anything at
all. He glanced at Nelson. “Maybe don’t teach people to destroy my chairs.”
“Bah,” Nelson said, waving his hand. “A chair is a chair is a chair. He
barely even touched it, Hugo. It took me weeks to even be able to feel it.” He
sounded oddly proud, and it was all Wallace could do to keep from puffing
out his chest. “He’s taking to this whole ghost thing pretty well, if you ask
me.”
“By murdering my furniture,” Hugo said wryly. “Whatever you’re
planning, you get it out of your head right now.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nelson said. “I’m not planning
anything at all.”
Even Wallace didn’t believe him. He didn’t want to know what was going
through Nelson’s head to cause the expression of utter deviousness he wore.
Mei picked up the chair. The leg fell off onto the floor. “He’s kind of got a
point, Hugo. Have you ever seen someone do this only after a few days?”
Hugo shook his head, still looking at Wallace. “No. I don’t suppose I
have. Curious, isn’t it?” Then, “How did you do it?”
“I … remembered something. From when I was younger. A memory.”
He waited for Hugo to ask what memory it was. Instead, he said, “Was it a
good one?”
It was. For all that came later, for all the mistakes he made, pulling out
Naomi’s chair was something he hadn’t thought about in years, but apparently
hadn’t forgotten. “I think so.”
Hugo smiled. “Try to keep my chairs in one piece, if you can.”
“No promises,” Nelson said. “I can’t wait to see what else he can do. If
we have to sacrifice a few chairs in the process, then so be it. Don’t you dare
think about stifling us, Hugo. I won’t have it.”
Hugo sighed. “Of course not.”