they were gone. Leaving the hissing lady safely on the ground, the light already beginning to heal her.
Christopher looked at the nice man.
“I love you.”
Then, he turned and walked back into the light.
*
The nicE maN ran at him. Murderous.
“yoU’rE noT goinG anywheRe…”
hE ran blindly into the light and reached in to pull Christopher back. hiS skin burned when hE hit the invisible fence. hE pushed through with all of hiS rage.
“wherE iS thE dooR?!”
It burned hiM, but hE wouldn’t stop. Christopher left an opening. Somewhere. hE could feel it. Where was iT?! hE could get out! hE ripped the key from hiS throat. hE kept testing the fence, burning hiS body. Looking for the door. Where is it?! Where is it?!
“geT mE ouT oF herE!”
hE saw Christopher walking back to earth. Christopher was in his tree house on the real side. hE could smell the fresh winter air. The pine trees. Christopher left the tree house. hE saw it.
The tree house door was open!
“leT mE ouT!”
hE could feel the surge of energy outside. The wet grass and winter. hE could get out! hE squeezed hiS body through an opening in the fence, burning hiS skin to scars. hE was inside the tree house on the real side. Christopher slammed the door. hE looked out to the real world through the windows. Wild-eyed and insane. Freedom was on the other side of the door. hE ran at the tree house door. hE was going to escape!
“i aM freE noW!” hE screamed.
Christopher threw his body against the door. The nicE maN pushed against the other side. Ripping the wood. Clawing. Trapped like a caged animal.
“leT mE ouT! leT mE ouT!”
The sheriff joined Christopher. The whole town pushed back. The nicE maN moaned and scratched the glass windows.
“yoU arE all goinG tO burNNN!”
Suddenly hE saw water pouring down the windows in thick streams. hE thought it was rain, but hE hadn’t brought the clouds. hE didn’t know what it was until he took a deep breath through his nose. The mossy pines and the winter air were replaced with another smell.
Gasoline.
hE saw Christopher’s mother climb down from the roof to the ladder with the gas can. Three words stenciled on its side. COLLINS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. She held a match in her hand. The nicE maN frantically scratched the window to put out the flame. Christopher put his palm against the glass, the whisper scratch touching the nicE man’S hand.
“You are free now,” he said.
Christopher’s mother threw the match onto the tree house.
The dEvil screamed.
Christopher looked at the nicE maN with no malice. No hatred. Nothing but compassion and forgiveness. Christopher took hiS hands and gave the dEvil back everything hE had ever given the world. hE was Mrs. Henderson alone and unwanted in the kitchen. hE was Mike sewing hiS own brother’s eyes shut. hE was Scott and Jenny drowning in floods. hE couldn’t drink enough for Ms. Lasko. hE couldn’t get warm in the freezing backyard with Brady Collins or his mother. hE was the first parent who ever abused hiS child and every child since.
“makE iT stoP!”
The fire ate through the window frames. The door. hE ran everywhere to get away from the feeling. hE screamed through the tree house windows. Every word in another voice.
“puT ouT thE firE! gooD guyS wiN warS. listeN tO grandmA!”
And a quiet voice from centuries ago.
“To kill in the name of God is to serve the devil.”
Light poured into hiS eyes. Blinding hiM. The nicE maN felt the light surround hiM. The tree house was a wooden straitjacket. The burning was too great. The hissing lady pulled hiM back through the light. Back to the giant tree in the blood-soaked clearing.
The devil was back in Hell.
hE looked at the hissing lady, who reached down and took the key from hiS charred hand. She locked the door behind her with a click. Then, she put the key back around her neck. There were no more doors. No more escapes. There were no more deer. No more damned. No more shadows.
There was only him and her.
“You’re off the street,” she smiled.
hE looked at her. Defeated. Broken. hiS eyes blurry from rage baptized in tears. hE ran at her with all the hatred in hiS heart. The hissing lady stood quiet and still. She was at peace.
“diE!” hE screamed.
hE swung and hit her with all the force of Hell.
*
She felt no pain. She only heard a voice. A sweet, gentle voice.