how it takes six million years for the light to travel to Earth so that we know the star is dead. So, he wondered, which was which. A soul or a star? And what if all of the stars had burned out already and it was just taking Earth six million years to know it? What if that six million years happened tomorrow? What if they were all alone? And there were no stars except the sun? And what would happen if the sun burned out? And our shooting star could be seen millions of years from now? By a little boy with his friends building a tree house. And eating cold Oreo cookies or whatever it was that people out in the universe ate. Do all stars and all souls go to the same place in the end?
Is that what the end of the world would look like?
That thought made his head hurt a little, which was strange because he never got headaches when he was at the tree. But this thought was different. And it led to nicer ones. Like toasty fires. And his warm bed at home. And how nice his mother’s hand felt when she stroked his hair while he fell asleep. He had barely slept for over twenty days now, as he stayed up late every night bringing wood out to the tree to prepare for the build. But now he couldn’t remember ever feeling sleepier.
As his eyes closed against his will, Christopher had déjà vu about the tree. Like he’d slept here before. He thought he could feel his mother’s hand touching his hair like she did sometimes when he had a fever. But his mother wasn’t here. There were only the tree branches. And tree branches didn’t move enough to rub people’s hair.
And they certainly didn’t feel like flesh.
Chapter 25
christopher. wake up.
Christopher opened his eyes. He looked down at the white plastic bag, crinkling in the breeze.
hi.
He was so happy that the nice man was back, but he didn’t dare say anything. He didn’t want his friends to think he was crazy.
don’t worry. your friends are asleep. they can’t hear us.
Christopher looked down at the clearing. He saw his friends curled up on the ground.
“Where have you been?” Christopher whispered.
i’ve been right here watching you. you are doing such a great job.
“Thank you,” Christopher said.
are you tired or can you keep building?
Christopher looked down at his phone. He had been asleep for only ten minutes, but somehow he felt like he’d just slept in on a Sunday. His muscles were sore and strong. But for some strange reason, he wasn’t tired.
“I can keep building,” Christopher said cheerfully.
great. let’s go to the woodpile. stock up for tomorrow.
Christopher climbed down the 2x4s like baby teeth. Then, he grabbed a skinny stick and scooped up the white plastic bag.
Christopher and the nice man left the clearing together.
Christopher had made this trip to the woodpile dozens of times by now. But something was different. Something was wrong. He felt eyes on him. The whites of deer’s eyes. And little creatures. The twigs cracked under his feet like brittle bones. And he thought he could hear breathing behind him. Like the times he played hide-and-seek and tried to make himself not breathe too loud. He thought someone was near him. Shallow breath. A little kid’s breath.
He remembered a little kid’s hand.
A little kid giggling.
Was that a dream? Or was it real?
i found a shortcut. turn here.
Christopher followed the white plastic bag. He stepped over logs and tripped on a branch. He turned the flashlight deep into the woods and thought the branches were two arms coming to strangle him. He wanted to scream, but he didn’t dare. The nice man had warned him about this feeling. When the wind didn’t feel like the wind, you had to be extra careful.
especially when it feels like someone’s breath.
“Chrissssstopher?” the wind kissed behind him.
He felt it on his neck. He wanted to turn around. But he knew he couldn’t. If he did, he was afraid he could turn into a pillar of salt. Or stone. Or all the bad things Father Tom and Mrs. Radcliffe talked about in church and CCD. A snake. A little kid.
“Hisssss,” the wind kissed behind him.
Christopher broke into a sprint to the Collins Construction site. He saw the streetlight up ahead. Tall and blue. He ran with all his might and just as the kissing hissing found the back of his neck, he burst out of