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Alice entered with a joyous Max following behind. The Raskin’s home was well decorated for the season. An artificial Christmas tree decorated with all sorts of ornaments from Christmases’ past, and brightly colored strings of lights stood in front of their window. Garland draped down over the curtain rod to decorate the beige window curtains in a lively green pine.
Their TV stand held all sorts of Christmas knickknacks. A shelf stand nestled in the corner, once filled with personal photos, was now filled with Santa statues, snowmen, and a nativity scene. A menorah rested on the top shelf, gold and worn with scratches. A family heirloom of Oliver’s.
Alice fixated her eyes on a decoration of Santa in his sleigh. A small reindeer connected to the front bobbed up and down in a mechanical motion. As the reindeer lowered, Santa’s arm raisedto wave Merry Christmas to everyone. The motion mesmerized Alice. Her eyes were unable to break away.
“I’m really glad you stopped by,” Oliver said. “And it’s good seeing you again, old buddy.”
Oliver’s voice broke the hold the Santa decoration had on Alice. Oliver shut the door, and in the same motion, scratched Max under her chin. She sat down at his feet, her tail wagging back and forth on the carpet, and closed her eyes. Max always enjoyed the attention and scratches. Alice bent down to release Max from the leash.
“Thank you, Oliver. It means a lot,” Alice said.
“Can I get you something to eat or drink?”
“No, thank you. I need to be going, actually.”
“Going? You just got here.”
Alice hung the leash over the silver bells drooping down from the door knob. The leash swayed the bells back and forth, providing a festive jingle throughout the room. She pulled her hat back slightly and raised her head to Oliver.
“I need to leave Max with you for a little while. I’m leaving,” Alice said. She fiddled with her hands, her fingers interwoven as if they were trying to dispel her nervousness.
“Of course,” Oliver said. “I hope you’re not leaving forever.”
“Oh, no,” Alice said, as she was taken aback by the statement. “I’m not leaving forever. I?—”
She paused. Every possible rephrasing of the words ‘I made contact with Hugo’ coursed through her mind. If she said it in the wrong order or wrong phrasing, it could give them false hope she could return Hugo to the material realm. If she failed in her duty, then her failure would crush the Raskins. She didn’t want to give them hope only to replace it with despair.
“What is it?” Oliver asked.
Alice gulped. She worked through various excuses as to why she needed to leave. She had to continue her research at Ez’splace. She needed to consult with witches and wizards in other towns. She needed to do anything. Anything other than to give them false hope.
“I—”
Oliver’s usual optimistic expression faded to a sense of worry. He gulped in anticipation.
“Oliver, there isn’t an easy way to say this, but?—”
Alice couldn’t. She couldn’t lie. The Raskins were her extended family. Family not from blood, but from shared experiences. A found family whose bonds ran deep. She couldn’t lie to either of them. They had every right to know about Hugo and her intentions.
“What is it? Is everything okay?” Oliver asked.
“I made contact with Hugo,” Alice said, fighting back tears.
Oliver stumbled backward. Without peeking, he reached for the love seat placed across the wall from the TV. He found the beige cushion and sat down. The normally talkative Oliver was rendered speechless.
“Hugo is trapped in a twisted place. It’s been called many names. Some refer to it as a purgatory,” Alice said, her voice nearly cracking as she held back the tears.
Oliver covered his mouth.
Alice continued, “I tried to bring him back. I tried to pull him through from the other side, but there’s something on the other side keeping him there. It stopped me. The only way I can save Hugo now is to go there myself and retrieve him.”
Oliver leaned back on the couch. He placed his hand on the armrest and exhaled. He fixated off into the distance, still silent.
“Are you . . . are you okay?” Alice asked.
Oliver shook his head as if he were clearing his mind. “Are you sure? Are you sure you can’t do anything else to rescue him?”
“It’s a long shot, but it’s the only thing I have left to try. I’m going to need a Christmas miracle,” Alice said.
