Window in the Earth Trilogy

by Fish, Matthew

  He still feels the embrace of the woman, however, all the pain that existed before is now gone. Jack slowly opens his eyes. Emma looks back to him. In the brilliant sunlight she looks perfect, like an angel. The light fills the tips of her short hair, causing them to glow like tiny curled threads of gold. Her face no longer looks tired, it is full of color and, most importantly, full of life. She smiles, her eyes smiling as well—in that same way that Jack remembers so fondly. It seems like it has been a lifetime since he has seen her happy.

  “Emma…,” Jack whispers as he places a hand to her cheek. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “Jack,” Emma softly replies, sounding full of happiness as she places her hand over Jack’s. “Seeing you again makes everything better. All that shit we went through, they told me that it didn’t matter anymore here…. It did matter though, everything, until you were here again with me.”

  “Where are we?” Jack asks as he looks around at his new surroundings. Autumn leaves fill the air, falling about them. Beneath their legs sand clings to their skin, washed away by the occasional wave from far-off. The air is warm, and smells of salt and the sea.

  “In between worlds,” a voice says from just past Jack’s view. He looks behind Emma and sees a young couple standing next to the tall autumn trees.

  “This is James and Alena,” Emma says as she looks over toward the couple. “They helped rescue us from that bad place, all of us.”

  A hand clamps on Jack’s shoulder from behind. He turns and sees a familiar face. “Bill…”

  “Good to see you again, Jack,” Bill says as he stands next to Jack Olen, a hand around his shoulder.

  “Jack,” Jack Olen says, nodding.

  “Jack,” Jack Wolfe replies with a smile and nod.

  “Well, what happens now?” Emma asks, happy that they are all together, yet still a bit confused about the circumstances.

  “First off, Jack Wolfe,” James Janes says as he points toward a lone door off in the distance. There is no building behind the door, nothing to go along with it other than an old cracked wooden frame. “You have a plane to catch.”

  Jack gets to his feet, Emma following behind him. “What’s on the other side?” he asks.

  “You just have to return a favor to your brother, Daniel,” James says as he steps away, allowing Jack and Emma to pass by. “After that, you will return here.”

  “Okay,” Jack says as he walks toward the old door. Emma takes his hand and walks alongside with him. Together, they pause for a moment at the old door. In the old cracked brown wood an intricate rabbit has been carved into the center. Jack places a hand on the door, pushing it open. Emma grips Jack’s hand firmly as they are blinded by a brilliant white light.

  Act VII

  The Autumn Beach

  “So, this is what we’re left with,” Bill says as he shakes his head.

  “There is a life here for all of you,” James says to all gathered around him in a circle. “If you want it, that is.”

  “You’ve all finished the hardest part—turning your worst memories into strength,” Alena adds, her voice hopeful as she looks to each of the survivors. “You’ve all escaped Landon’s memories. He created a separate world when he intruded into the minds of animals. He died in Pine Hallow mentally, but his body remained alive in Springfield. That act allowed him to survive in both worlds until he was finally killed in the real world. Now he remains alive in a world that he has created for himself, a world that you were all drawn into when you passed on, a world that is both a mixture of his dreams and his memories.”

  “I would love to get my hands on that son of a bitch, no offense, Jack,” Bill adds as he looks to Jack, remembering the horrible things that Landon has done, not just to his love, but to Emma and Jack as well. “I would tear him apart with my bare hands.”

  “No offense taken,” Jack says, standing beside Emma, a hand in hers. “Honestly, I am just happy to be here with Emma. I do not care if my father rots forever in his little dream world. I am thankful to you, James, for giving me the opportunity to also save my brother. I find comfort in knowing that at least one member of my family lives on.”

  “I have started you all on the path, however, I have no further stake in this,” James says as he looks to Alena. “We have lived a long time in a world of our own. I will not lie and pretend that it is a constantly happy place, but just as Jack says—at least I am with the one I love. I had to sacrifice a lot to get to here. We’ve even sacrificed a lot since we’ve been here.”

  “There are doors for all of you,” Alena adds, “You can take them together, make a home for yourself. You can even choose to not take any door—walk as far as you can and you will find a cliff, the end of this world. If you jump from there, you will move on. I cannot say where. I couldn’t even guess. The choice is yours—you four, individually. Just as the choice is yours for revenge—you can use your memories to aid you and you can destroy Landon’s world, effectively sending him to whatever lies after.”

  “Is there a risk? I mean, we are dead already, right?” Bill asks, trying to gauge the correct course of action that he should take.

  “It’s just like life,” James says. “There are always risks. You could end up trapped forever in his world, becoming nothing more than a part in his grand story, or, possibly even worse, you could cease to exist entirely. This is not a choice to be taken lightly. I’ve been into his mind and it is not normal—it has become dark and twisted like the roots of a dead tree. His physical self alone was capable of such horrors against each of you. Now imagine what a twisted mind could do to you once he realizes that you are there to eject him from his world.”

  “So, we leave him, then?” Emma asks, “If we go into our own world, and he stays in his, then we’re all safe right? It doesn’t just have to be about revenge?”

  “Perhaps,” James answers, “his world among ours could act as a poison. I don’t know him, though. I don’t know his heart, or greed. Maybe he would be satisfied with what the earth has given him. There is a chance he could not.”

  “My mother…,” Jack asks, wondering if the same offer was given to her.

  “She has moved on,” Alena answers, “Not all that pass in Pine Hallow are given the opportunity to reach this place. I cannot say why or how you four were chosen, just as I cannot reason how Landon Wolfe ended up in this world of memories—perhaps there is a greater purpose at work.

  “Can we visit the other world, the real world ever again?” Emma asks. “Are there rules?”

  “In a sense, as spirits—if you are worried about being powerless, then don’t,” James answers as he takes Alena by the hand. “As far as rules go, it’s just like real-life. Rules are things made by man—they hold little providence among us who dwell in memories. If you want to do something, try it. If you can’t do it, then there is your answer. Lastly, remember that there are special places in this world and not all windows show merely the other side of the glass.”

  Together, Alena and James walk off without saying another word. Soon they disappear into the thick woods, a gust of beautiful fall leaves fill the air with reds, yellows, and dark browns. The leaves swirl about before falling into the tide beneath their feet.

  “Thank you, James!” Jack Olen shouts, his voice carrying a short distance and echoing through the trees before the sound of incoming waves erase it from existence.

  Before the small group of four, three doors appear as the new wave washes up against their ankles. The door on the left is a brilliant red door—it has the engraving of a rose upon it. The middle door is black, like charcoal. Upon its center is the crude engraving of a wolf, almost as though it has been scratched into the door by a sharp fingernail. The third door is a brown door. It has a stylized tree carved into the natural wood grain.

  Jack feels a strong urge to enter the red door, it is the same color of the hotel room that he and Emma shared their first intimate moments in. “This one must be ours.”

  �
��I feel it,” Emma adds as she runs a hand against the smooth surface. It is warm to the touch.

  “I’d reckon this one is ours,” Bill says as he points out the brown door. “In our house in Springfield, we had one just like it.”

  “Then, this last one,” Jack Olen says as he nears the black door. “I guess it goes without saying, right?”

  “What do we do, vote?” Bill asks, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I wish I knew what the right thing to do here is.”

  “As a former detective,” Jack Olen adds, finally adding his opinion on the entire situation. “I would say that he doesn’t deserve any measure of peace. Not for the crimes that he has committed. The murder of a child, a wife, others—and us included. He had a hand in all of our deaths. I, for one, refuse to let bygones be bygones, I left a lot of crimes unsolved in my time, and if I was brought here for a purpose I’d imagine that this would be it.”

  “I agree,” Bill says and then turns to Jack Wolfe and Emma Creek. “I don’t need revenge, but I need justice. I need to know that he cannot hurt anyone else any further. You two don’t need to come. Go ahead and enter your door and live whatever life lies behind it. You’ve earned it. You’re both young.”

  “Jack, you were there for me in the hospital,” Emma says as she stands next to both Bill and Jack Olen before the black door, “I never got a chance to return the favor.”

  “Of course, I am going to go, too,” Jack Wolfe says last, “When I came into contact with my father in his world, I did not confront him. I didn’t know what was going on. Had I known, I would have taken care of it right then. I need to confront him. Besides, I don’t want to be apart from you, Emma, not ever again. I also don’t want to live in fear.”

  “So then, it’s decided,” Bill says as he places a hand to the door. The door knob is twisted and scarred—it is cold to the touch, yet it burns his bare hand.

  The False World of Landon Wolfe

  Bill is the first to disappear as the door opens slightly. Darkness lies beyond, and, like a black hole, it begins to twist the world of the autumn beach. Jack Olen is sucked in next in a single whoosh, twisted into the small opening of the black door. Jack and Emma grab on to each other’s hands as tightly as they possibly can. They are next. The air around them becomes violent, like a hurricane. They can feel themselves being thrown and pulled in various directions as they, too, are taken in.

  Jack and Emma find themselves at the edge of the wood that leads to Landon’s farmhouse. It is nighttime. The chirping of crickets fills the air and fireflies, numbering in the thousands, inhabit the field ahead. A strong wind comes in from the east, causing the trees to sway violently around them. The sky is illuminated brightly as a flash of lightning crackles through the night air. The sound of thunder follows swiftly behind, echoing through the valley. The fireflies sway in the wind, their pale green lights streaking across the high grass of the field. A soft, warm summer rain begins to fall. The air smells calm and clean, that wonderful smell of the first rain on a warm summer’s night. Another strong wind blows, sending the fireflies astray once more.

  The house lies about half a mile’s walk away. Jack can make out the sight of a single light illuminating the top of the farmhouse, his father’s office. Everything feels too calm to him, as he has expected much more.

  Emma, out of habit, reaches for her breast pocket. She then realizes that she is dressed in her regular clothes, her white-frilled low-cut shirt and blue jeans, the same outfit that she wore on her way to Pine Hallow. She searches her pants pockets and finds that they are empty.

  “Is everything all right?” Jack asks as he watches Emma’s frantic search.

  “My pills for my anxiety attacks are gone,” Emma says, and then stops herself from searching any further, “They aren’t here because I don’t need them anymore. For a second I thought I was…”

  “Remember what James said before: we can’t let ourselves become part of this world, no matter how real it feels,” Jack says as he reaches out for Emma’s hand. “You’ll be okay.”

  “Just a habit,” Emma adds as she nods, forcing a smile. “When I got older, after I found my father’s body that day—I started having these nightmares at night and these horrible anxiety attacks during the day. It got to a point that I couldn’t eat. I always felt as though I was going to throw up. The pills helped, so I’d been on them since. I never told you because I was well… embarrassed. I believed that you’d think there was something wrong with me.”

  “I smoked for a day,” Jack says as he holds Emma near. “I was actually afraid of telling you—not just because I thought you’d think less of me for it, but the reason I was failing out of school. I was worried I was never going to see you again. I was worried you’d think I was worthless for not being able to keep in school.”

  “None of that matters now,” Emma says as she embraces Jack. “Thank you for telling me. I would have not thought any less of you.”

  “I would have still fallen in love with you,” Jack says as he kisses Emma. “With or without the pills, you’re perfect.”

  “This the best time to be doing this?” Bill announces from behind the couple as he places a hand to Jack Wolfe’s shoulder.

  “Where have you been?” Emma asks.

  “Guess we got separated. I woke up in the woods on my back, staring up at the treetops,” Bill says as he holds on to a hunting rifle.

  “Where’d you find that?” Jack asked, realizing that he was disarmed.

  “In my truck,” Jack Olen says as he steps out from the woods. “Landon must have some sense of humor, adding my wreck into this world.”

  “Good, we’re all together then,” Bill says as he nervously eyes the house up ahead. “So anyone have a plan, or are we just winging this?”

  “Let’s get out of this rain, first of all,” Jack Olen says as he points out a tree in the distance. “Should provide us some cover.”

  The group runs for the tall, wide ash tree. As the rain begins to fall even harder, the wind picks up even more fiercely. The fireflies disappear from the field, their comforting glow gone, replaced instead with intermittent flashes of the incoming storm. The sound of the crickets and frogs grows even louder, as though they know that something big is coming.

  “I should go first,” Jack says as he nods his head in agreement with his own statement, “He might not realize yet that he is in his own world. Who is the best shot—is it you or Bill?”

  “Definitely Bill,” Jack Olen says. “I see what you’re getting at.”

  “I think I do as well,” Bill adds as he readies his rifle in his hand, carefully lining up the sights. He checks the chamber for rounds—he has two shots. “I’ll follow you, and stick to the side of the house.”

  “I’ll lure him out,” Jack says as he looks off toward the house, “You take the shot.”

  “What should I do?” Emma asks, “I don’t want to wait here.”

  “Same,” Jack Olen adds.

  “I’ll go on ahead, you two follow behind Bill. We’ll meet up outside the door. If Bill misses, or something goes wrong, I’ll need your help to overpower him,” Jack says, a newfound confidence in his voice. He has never been a leader. He has never even been very brave. Something has changed inside of him. He does not know if it is revenge that drives his courage, or his want to protect Emma. Regardless, he holds on to it like a torch lighting the way in the darkness ahead.

  Jack Wolfe rushes toward the house, getting pummeled by the heavy rain as the other three make their way around the back. He reaches the house first, pausing for a moment to let the others catch up. Bill is now at the side of the farmhouse, just out of view of the front door. Jack looks over to Bill and nods. Bill gives a thumbs-up; their plan is ready, for better or worse.

  Jack knocks on the door. Moments pass, and a thunderbolt crashes overhead—thunder so fierce that it shakes the ground. Jack knocks again. The door opens. Standing at the doorway is Landon Wolfe. He is wearing a bathrobe and he pull
s his silver-rimmed glasses from a breast pocket and places them on his nose. He looks at Jack, genuinely confused, and then a look of relief washes over his face.

  “Jack!” Landon exclaims, “I waited outside the building for hours, you never came down from the elevator. I was so worried I went to the police, but they said I had to wait twenty-four hours to file a missing person’s report. I even had them check the elevator and they found nothing…”

  “Father,” Jack interrupts, “do you know what you’ve done?”

  “Come inside,” Landon insists, “You’ll catch your death out there.”

  “I’ve already caught it dad,” Jack replies, a deep anger welling up inside of him that he did not expect. “You killed me.”

  “What are you talking about, son?” Landon asks, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. “Is this about the book? Look, I didn’t mean to kill you off in the story, it’s just how it went. I thought you were cool with this. Come on inside, we’ll talk about it.”

  “Where’s mom?” Jack asks, attempting to catch Landon in a trap.

  “I don’t know, son,” Landon replies, for a moment looking confused but then quickly recomposing himself. “She must have gone out.”

  “She’s dead, too,” Jack says. “Jack Olen, William Walker, Emma Creek, the paramedics, the police officer… the child… all dead by your hands.”

  “I don’t understand,” Landon replies, shaking his head. “That… that was just a story. I didn’t really turn into that creature, or kill anyone. It was just a book.”

  “You don’t have to understand,” Jack says as he takes a few steps back, “I just wanted you to know why.”

  “Why what?” Landon asks, confused, “Just come into the house… I’m sure we can talk this out; I would never do anything to hurt anyone….”