Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

were a ghost and could no longer sleep. It caused a strange twist in Wallace’s
stomach, and he didn’t know how Hugo could stand it.
He stayed away. Nelson did too.
Nelson watched as the woman stood, the chair scraping against the floor.
Nancy stopped when Hugo said, “I’ll be here. Always. Whenever you’re
ready, I’ll be here.” It was the same thing he said every time she left. And
every time, she stopped as if she was actually hearing him.
But she never spoke.
Most days, Hugo would sigh and collect the tea tray before carrying it
back to the kitchen. He’d stay back there for a little while, Mei watching the
doors with a worried look on her face. Eventually, he’d come back out, and it
was as if it’d never happened at all.
But today was different.
Today, the door slammed shut, rattling in the frame.
Hugo stared out the window after her, watching as she walked down the
road, shoulders hunched, pulling her coat tighter against the cool air.
He stood when she was out of sight, but he didn’t pick up the tray. He
went behind the counter, digging around in a drawer until he pulled out a set
of keys. “I’ll be back,” he said to Mei.
She nodded. “Take your time. We’ll hold down the fort. I’ll let you know
if something happens.”
“Thanks, Mei.”
Wallace was strangely alarmed when Hugo left the shop without so much
as another word. He stood at the window and watched as Hugo went to the
scooter. He lifted one leg up and over before settling down on the seat. The
engine rumbled, and he pulled away, dust kicking up behind the tires.
Wallace wondered what it’d be like to ride with him, Hugo’s back
protecting him from the wind, hands gripping Hugo’s waist. It was
melancholic, this thought, though it was lost to a strange rising panic.
“He’s leaving?” Wallace asked, voice high and scratchy. The cable
stretched and stretched as Hugo disappeared around the corner. “I didn’t
think he could…” He swallowed thickly, barely resisting the urge to chase
after Hugo. He expected the cable to snap. It didn’t.
“He doesn’t go far,” Nelson said from his chair. “Never does. Just to
clear his head. He’ll be back, Wallace. He wouldn’t leave.”
“Because he can’t,” Wallace said dully.