Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune

CHAPTER
13
At the beginning of his twenty-second day at Charon’s Crossing, a file
appeared on the counter next to the cash register. The tea shop hadn’t yet
opened, and Mei and Hugo were in the kitchen, getting ready for the day to
begin.
Nelson was sitting in his chair in front of the fireplace, Apollo at his feet.
Wallace moved around the shop, pulling the chairs down from the tables
and tucking them underneath. It was getting easier for him, and it was the
least he could do to help. He never thought he’d find joy in such menial
work, but these were strange days.
He was lost in thought, pulling down the chairs, when the room seemed to
shift slightly. The air grew thick and stagnant. The clock on the wall, ticking
the seconds away, stuttered. He looked up to see the second hand move
forward once, twice, three times before it moved backward. It twitched back
and forth as the hairs on Wallace’s arms stood on end.
“What the hell?” he muttered. “Nelson, did you see—”
He was cut off when the file folder burst into existence next to the cash
register with a comical pop! Wisps of smoke drifted up around it as it settled
onto the counter. It was thin, as if it only held a few pieces of paper inside.
“Oh boy,” Nelson said. “Here we go again.”
Before Wallace could figure out what that meant, Hugo and Mei came
through the doors, Apollo trailing after them. Hugo frowned as he glanced up
at the clock, the hands frozen.
“Dammit,” Mei said. “Of course it comes when I’m making muffins.” She
grumbled as she headed for the stairs, untying her apron before pulling it up
and over her head. “Don’t let them burn,” she called down. “I’ll be very
upset.”