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Something began to grow there, like a plant, though not quite that organic. Our mouths fell open in
amazement.
Edgar, look! Elle pointed from behind me and over my shoulder, also seeing what I had.
We both watched in amazement as the thing continued to grow and something that resembled brass
popped from the wall, finishing the transformation as it all stopped. We stood in awe, Sam staring at
me as he remained out of the loop. There s a door, I thought, keeping him informed. There was a
door, a big red one, now filling the wall were the bookcase had previously been.
Elle s fingers dug into my skin. What is it? she whispered.
Smoke began to billow from the jamb in thick ringlets, filling the air with the scent of tobacco. The
violin and flute that we had heard before began to play for a second time, still muffled by the intri-
cately carved red door.
Edgar, what is it? Elle shook me gently, asking for a second time as though I had the answers.
I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what it was as the scent and sound was something I could never
forget. I don t know, I replied falsely, not wanting to face the facts. I was hoping that if I disre-
garded it, it would go away, and Elle and I could go back to what we were doing.
Feeling the need to take control, I took one step forward. Sam followed my lead and began to climb
the stairs, meeting Margriete as she remained in her feline form.
Stop, I hissed. I put my hand up and they halted. Let Elle and I handle this.
I saw Sam smirk as he reached down, scooping Margriete into his hands. He was glad to see me
snap out of my vegetative trance, so he didn t interject. Margriete gave him a curious but angered
look of disapproval, her tail twisting back and forth and her claws extending into Sam s arms. Mar-
griete did not like being told what to do about as much as Elle did, so I understood her anxiety.
I was so caught up in what Sam and Margriete were thinking that I hardly noticed as Elle pushed
past me, taking the lead. Her face was fixed on the door, her arm behind her placed firmly against
my chest, preventing me from getting ahead of her.
Without hesitation, she walked straight up to the door and grabbed the handle, inspecting its bril-
liance for a moment. Her other hand was resting against the wood, as though testing the temper-
ature. She leaned in and placed her ear against it, her breathing shallow as she listened.
With a frustrated face, she pulled back, her hand still on the handle of the door. Steamy marks began
to outline her grasp, her heart beat drumming in my head. She took one last deep breath before
twisting the handle and pushing in, no longer faltering and ready to face whatever was on the other
side.
I thought of her journey into Heaven then, wishing I was there to watch as she grew from a scared
little eighteen-year-old girl into the strong woman I had always known, the strong woman I now
saw.
My jaw clenched as smoke billowed from the door, washing over her in a wave of white and filling
the hall with a noxious gas. Margriete sneezed in Sam s arms. Elle fanned her face. Her eyes were
narrow as the smoke surely stung them, as it did mine. I looked to Sam one last time, seeing he was
poised and anxious, on guard if we needed him. He nodded to me, allowing me to take control of
the situation and be Elle s guardian for now.
Elle did not bother to look at me as she took a step forward and in, disappearing as the smoke en-
gulfed her. I exhaled and followed her as I too stepped over the threshold, the smoke seeming to
suck me in with open arms. I felt the thick smell of cigar fill my lungs, burning any taste bud I had
left and making the air thick to breathe. Coughing the air out, I stopped breathing all together. I
brought my hand to my mouth to cover it, batting away the smoke with my other. There was no
need for me to breathe anyway, but it was a hard habit to break. The violin and flute continued to
play, and as Elle halted before me, the smoke cleared and my eyes finally met those of our visitor.
Hello! His voice echoed off the walls of the small addition to our home, the smoke continuing to
dissipate as though it were being sucked from the room.
I assessed the situation, seeing the grey stone walls spanned about fifteen feet all around. There was
a pedestal on top which sat a red velvet throne chair, gilded in gold around the edges. I laughed to
myself, recognizing and knowing how this particular visitor enjoyed a bit of drama. In my experi-
ence, he had always been the thespian, and as such, life in Heaven had reflected that. I was relived
in knowing, no longer wondering what other possible threat it could be this one could be con-
tained.
I walked up beside Elle, turning to look at her. Her face was solemn and hard, my previous joy now
fading.
Elle stood tall, her feet planted firmly on the ground. The god she had so despised was now sitting
before us, invading our home. He leaned casually on the arm of the red velvet chair, three feet
above us. He seemed cheerier than normal, but I suppose to intrude on us like this, he had to act like
a pleasant guest. I watched him with a face that mimicked Elle s, trying my best to be supportive
and gain back her trust. Smoked seeped from his mouth as he chuckled, blending with his long
white beard, a smell that I was certain was impossible to wash out.
I thought you promised to leave us alone? Elle s voice was unlike anything I had heard before a
murderous rage coating every word in vengeance.
Chills racked my dead body as I looked at her with shock. She did not look back.
The god laughed louder now. I did say that, didn t I? But, I did not say for how long. He looked
amused by his reply as he narrowed his eyes. He chewed on the end of the cigar, leaving a film of
glistening spit on the roughened tobacco leaves.
I could feel the anger emanate from Elle s body, filling my own heart with a hate I only felt in the
darkest of times. She shifted her weight, like a lion does before a kill. I swallowed hard, memories
of death rushing back to me as I took in the god s face.
When I had woken in Heaven, before I was sent home, this god was the first I had seen. He made
me promise that I would condition Elle for his arrival and I feared now what he would do to me,
knowing that I hadn t fulfilled his wishes. The old man looked at me then, as though he knew what I
was thinking.
He raised one eyebrow as a half smile wrinkled his face. Hmmm. His voice was deep as it echoed
off the stone walls of the small space. I was afraid, something foreign to me.
I shifted my weight, feeling a cold tremble begin to form under my shirt. I did not fear much in this
world, but after what they had done to me, I did fear them. As far as I knew, this old man was the
leader. The god of god s, so to speak. Elle took a threatening step toward him then. Without think-
ing, I reached out and grabbed her arm. I tried to pull her back but she only looked at me with dis-
dain, ripping her arm from my grasp as she slid with ease through my fingers.
Oh, ha ha! The god laughed, enjoying the tension between Elle and I.
She spun back to face the old man, in no apparent mood to entertain him. I may not know you very
well She marched up to the pedestal, her gaze even with his chest as she stood tall. As the thes-
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