The Good Demon Page 12

  Don’t stop, Clarabella, the girl said. You must keep going.

  Trees snatched at me, the darkness gnashed its teeth, the spirits howled out their agony. The hazy girl took my hand, and it was somehow like I was holding a beam of light. Don’t look, she whispered. They’re lying to you. I followed where she led, my eyes shut tight, this ghostly girl guiding me. It was as if her blindness gave me peace, like not-seeing was the best way to navigate the altered world. Soon branches weren’t clawing me anymore, and the voices had grown fainter, vanished into the mist.

  Be brave, Clare, the girl whispered. I will be watching you.

  I opened my eyes. I was alone.

  Who was that girl, and where had she gone? It wasn’t Her, I knew that. It was someone else. My hand still tingled from the light of her.

  Soon the woods grew sparser, less brambly. The moon parted the clouds and threw its glow down on a clearing. I stepped through the treeline. There it stood before me.

  The Wish House was massive. You could tell it went on for rooms and rooms. It sat grand and regal in the wallow of waist-high grass and brambles, some picture-postcard millionaire’s mansion nestled away in a thicket. The windows glowed with light, and smoke billowed from the chimney. A small walkway cut through the overgrowth and led straight to the front doors. They were gigantic and wooden, with lion-headed brass knockers on each one. Candles flickered on either side of the door-frame. The moon glowed bright in a saint’s halo above.

  It was the most beautiful house I’d ever seen.

  The journey through the screaming spirits and tangled groping branches had been a nightmare, something I never wanted to endure again. But now I was here, the Wish House, same as She said it would be. I lifted my hand to knock but the door opened on its own, exactly as I knew it would. It was just how I’d dreamed it.

  “Thank You,” I whispered to Her, and walked inside.

  I found myself in a sort of foyer, the richest room I’d ever been in. The floor was marble, and a chandelier of diamonds and rubies dangled sparkling and candy-like above me. Sconces shaped like human arms reached out from the walls, holding lit candles. The room opened into a long hallway lined by closed doors. I had a feeling that I shouldn’t open them, that it was dangerous to open strange doors in a house like this. I followed the long red carpet down the hall, leading deeper into the Wish House.

  A mantel ran the length of the hallway, cluttered with wonders. A stuffed black-eyed raccoon. A child’s plastic whistle. A one-armed blond-haired baby doll draped in Mardi Gras beads. A golden key. A cross made out of bound chicken feet. A sock monkey with a button eye hanging loose. A perfect slice of lemon icebox pie, somehow still fresh. Family pictures of all types hung on the wall, oil paintings and black-and-white photos and Polaroids even, a thousand different people. It made Uncle Mike’s look downright sane in comparison. Never had I seen something so fantastic in my life.

  “It’s all true,” I whispered. “Everything You told me was true.”

  The hallway ended in a wall with a closed door. I figured this was one I needed to open. Where else could I go? I tried the handle and it turned easily. The next room was dark, but that was no problem. I still had my flashlight. I flicked it on and stepped inside.

  The room was completely black. My flashlight didn’t even begin to cut it. I could have been pointing it down a well. The door slammed shut behind me.

  My flashlight sputtered twice and went out.

  I found myself in a blank space, a long stare of darkness, not one fleck of light anywhere. It was so dark I couldn’t even be sure of the ground I walked on. I felt around for the walls, for the paintings and the curtains, for something my hands could touch. Except there wasn’t anything, just a slight wind that blew through my fingers. I turned to backtrack, but there was no behind. I stepped forward, but there was no forward. I had never felt so lost in all my life.

  I felt hands descend upon me like a swarm of birds, touching me, groping and squeezing me, an unseen army of limbs like snakes slithering over me. I heard a great wind like a tornado. I covered my ears and cried out.

  Everything went silent. Nothing touched me. All was still as a held-in breath.

  I saw a slim knife blade of light, like it was seeping in from underneath a door. I reached down to the floor and it felt solid. I wasn’t in some void, I was in the Wish House. It was as if the earth returned to me, as if I had somehow found myself back in the real world again. My breathing grew steady. I got on my hands and knees and crawled myself toward the glow.

  The light fluttered. I realized it wasn’t a door in front of me, it was a curtain. I heard a voice whispering in the next room. I eased the curtain aside an inch and peeked through.

  It was a large, cozy room with a fire roaring in a great brick hearth. The walls were covered by long black curtains that swayed slightly from some imaginary breeze. The room was completely bare except for one rocking chair, facing away from me.

  And in that chair sat a man. He rocked slowly back and forth, his face toward the fire. I could only see the top of his head, age-spotted with thin, wispy hair.

  “Come, little one,” he said. His voice was strong and rich, high-pitched, not the feeble grandfather croak I expected.

  The crackle of the flames, the slow creak of the chair. I didn’t dare move.

  “Come, come.” He gestured, his long fingers twirling a circle in the air. “And do not dally. The little girl desires something, does she not? Then speak it to old Gaspar, for he has not had a visitor in so very long.”

  I crept around the rocking chair and came to face the One Wish Man.

  He was very thin, with sallow cheeks and a long pointed nose. His teeth were a bit yellow, and his hair scraggled all the way down to his chin. He wore an old black suit that was crinkled and dusty, as if he hadn’t stood in years, as if he’d been waiting in this chair the whole time. I would have thought him hideous if it wasn’t for his eyes. They were a pale, bright blue, the color of summer lightning. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. And when he smiled his face lit up with warmth and light.

  “Not what you expected?” he said.

  “No . . . no, sir. Not exactly.”

  “The years have quite leeched me, have they not? I was pretty once, yes, I was a beautiful man. And all the lovely little girls loved for me to give them roses.”

  He held his palm out to me, and in it was a red and glistering rose.

  I reached for it, I couldn’t help myself.

  “Not too quickly!” he said, snatching his hand back. “It is dangerous to grasp at what we do not comprehend, is it not?”

  He opened his palm again and it was a cardinal, just like the one nailed to the tree. I guess I flinched a little at the thought. The bird flew away behind the billowy black curtains and vanished.

  “Does the girl grieve over the lost bird? Let her know that it gave its blood for Gaspar’s door to be opened, and it gave willingly. For magic always comes at a price, does it not, little girl? Yes, it does, and I believe you already knew that.”

  I nodded at him, still a little afraid.

  “You’re some kind of magician, right?” I said. “A wizard.”

  Gaspar nodded at me, his eyes gleaming.

  “Like John Dee?” I said.

  “The marvelous John Dee, the intercessor of the angels!” he said. “Yes, the girl is very smart, isn’t she? Of course she would know Dr. Dee, the wise and benevolent.”

  I felt a little better then. At least I understood what kind of man sat before me, someone like John Dee. I had a feeling that there were all kinds of these magic people out there, hidden and secret, living mysterious lives so far removed from all the rest of us. She was like that for me, a gateway out of the pain and misery of normal life. How good it was to be back in the strange world again.

  “You come here,” said Gaspar, “because you are missing someone, are you not?”

  “Yes,” I said. “I lost someone I loved.”

  “Not a
someone. A spirit.”

  My heart began to beat a little faster. He already knew.

  “Yes, yes, child, Gaspar knows your desires, does he not? For how else could he have granted you passage into his house?”

  “Gaspar,” I said. “That’s your name?”

  “Indeed,” he said. “And what would you have me called?”

  “Well,” I said, “She always called you ‘the One Wish Man.’”

  Gaspar clapped his hands and laughed. It was a high sort of giggle, a child’s laugh, and it made me smile, too. I liked it when Gaspar laughed. Suddenly I wanted him to laugh more than I wanted anything in the world.

  “Splendid!” he said. “Oh, how marvelous! One Wish Man indeed. We are going to have a time, aren’t we? Now come and whisper the spirit’s name in my ear. It’s fine, fine if you do not know the exact name. Tell me what you call the spirit and that shall be enough. For a common name holds a familiarity, an affinity, and spirits have names they carry about them like a scent. Come close to me and whisper and I shall know.”

  I took a deep breath and bent down and whispered “Her” into his ear.

  “The spirit has done well to send you here, to old Gaspar,” he said, nodding. “Such a wise spirit, yes, to send you on a day when the gates would be open, when I always leave them open.”

  “Because of the solstice?”

  “Yes,” he said. “One never knows who will heed a Midsummer’s call. Yes, the spirit was good to send you here this evening. Ah, it has been so long since I’ve had company. Gaspar has been waiting so, so very long for someone to come and see him.”

  Just then I thought of Kevin Henrikson. But I would have to wait on that. I had more important things to ask Gaspar about.

  “So, will you get Her back for me?” I said.

  “Of course, little one.”

  It was like my heart lit up with fireflies, like butterflies blossomed and fluttered in my chest.

  “But old Gaspar may then ask of you a boon?”

  “Name it,” I said. “Anything.”

  Gaspar giggled.

  “Soon enough, soon enough. We mustn’t be too eager now. Magic is always a frightful business, to be engaged most solemnly. My boon will be named in a manner as necessary. For magic requires a sacrifice. Have we not said so already this evening?”

  “How will I know what to bring?”

  “The spirit will choose.”

  “She’ll choose?” I said. “Have you spoken with Her? Is She here?”

  “No,” he said, grinning. “Not that spirit.”

  The One Wish Man looked me dead in the eyes.

  “This one, shall we say, is a watchful spirit, yes? He will test your mettle, see if your heart is pure, if your desire is true. Yes, the spirit will tell you in three days what it wants, and then you shall bring a boon to me.”

  Gaspar held that stare for a minute. I felt a creeping feeling, some long shadow stretching itself over me. I couldn’t help it, even standing so close to a fire, I shivered.

  “What kind of boon?” I asked.

  Gaspar laughed.

  “Oh, just a trifle. Like a party favor. I ask each according to their measure. Something to tie you to this place. You must have passed dozens on your way in.”

  I thought of the long hallway and all the weird knickknacks. So that’s what they were for. I wondered what he would ask of me. Hopefully not my Lady Snowblood poster.

  “And when you bring me my boon, you shall get your wish!” he said, clapping his hands. “We shall all be so happy, shall we not? Perhaps even we shall throw a party. Oh, it has been so long since there were parties at old Gaspar’s house. How lonely it has been for poor Gaspar!”

  I thought again about Kevin Henrikson. I was scared to ask, but somehow I felt like I had to.

  “Mr. Gaspar,” I said. “Did you ever happen to know a kid named Kevin Henrikson?”

  A thoughtful look came over Gaspar, and he was quiet a moment. The firelight danced across his face.

  “I remember Kevin, yes, oh I do. Miraculous boy, was he not? He used to come and visit me, out here in the Wish House, back in the happiest days, when my garden was full of roses. I loved him so, oh I did. Yes, a true artist, a genuine soul. Alas, he fell in with such loathsome company. I was devastated when he passed, wasn’t I? Gaspar’s heart was broken, yes, snapped in two.”

  His grief was visible, immense. Gaspar’s face drooped, and the light seemed to shiver in his eyes. It made me terribly sad, I felt it deep in my heart. A tear slipped down my cheek.

  “Don’t cry, little one,” said Gaspar. “Gaspar’s house is no place for tears, now is it? There, there. Enough of that. For certainly Kevin is happy now, in the space where all souls go, is he not? Of course he is!”

  Gaspar clapped his hands again.

  “You shall bring me my boon, and you shall have your friend back, and all will be well again, won’t it? Oh it is such a delight to have a young pretty thing in the Wish House again. My, my, it has been years.”

  Gaspar held his arms out and I gave him my hands. He clasped them in his and kissed them.

  “Thank you, dear girl. Oh how lonely I have been. How happy you have made me.”

  “No,” I said, smiling. “You’re the one who’s made me happy. You’re the one who is giving me all I ever wanted.”

  Gaspar sank back into his chair. I watched the fire cast shadows across his face.

  “Forgive me, dear girl, but I’ve grown tired. Old Gaspar is not used to such company, is he? Oh, it has been far too long.”

  “I’ll be back in a few days, then,” I said.

  “Yes,” Gaspar said, his eyes closing, head nodding. “A few days, yes, and the spirit will choose. Yes, he will.”

  And Gaspar fell asleep.

  I snuck my way around him and back toward the curtain. The hardwood creaked under me, and I was scared I was going to wake him. But if I did, he didn’t make any notice. As I passed through the curtain to leave, I heard him snoring softly in his chair.

  When I left the room, I expected the long blank confusion of my journey through the house to start all over. But I found myself back in the hallway, the red carpet before me leading the way out. It might have been my imagination, but I felt like something passed through that door with me, like I wasn’t by myself anymore.

  The path back from the Wish House was quiet, no howling spirits, no eyeless girls. I guess they were some kind of test, to thwart anyone whose desire wasn’t pure. My heart was definitely pure. There wasn’t anything I wanted more than Her. I was so happy I couldn’t believe it. Everything She said was true. The One Wish Man was real and he could get Her back for me. My days of loneliness were coming to an end.

  I stopped at the Bird Tree. The crucified bird had faded back into a simple carving, and there wasn’t a drop of blood to be found. I drove the car back to the real world, to Mom and Larry’s house, to the hope that Gaspar could bring Her back to me, that soon we could be safe and together again.

  I was so happy I couldn’t believe it. I felt light and glorious and free for the first time since Roy and his dad came. To be honest, I was also pretty proud of myself. She had set the rules for our game, and I was following them down to a T. I don’t know how I could have played my part better. And now, in just three days, I would have Her back with me.

  I got up early the next morning (what, like I could have slept after that?) and made Mom and Larry breakfast. I figured I’d cook a feast for them, do everything that Mom and Larry wanted. I’d tell them how grateful I was for all they had done for me, show them that I was trying again, that I was getting better. At the very least I would stay on their good side.

  I could feel the spirit from the Wish House with me, hovering around. I tried to talk to it like I would Her.

  “Hello,” I said. “How are you this morning?”

  The spirit didn’t respond. It just lingered on the fringes of things, watching. That was okay. It was probably acting in an official capa
city, like one of those British soldiers who just guard the palace and can’t say anything. I did my best to ignore it while I cooked.

  And let me tell you, I cooked the hell out of some breakfast.

  I made bacon, I made pancakes, I made those little awful sausages slathered in grease, three eggs a piece. I put on the coffee and had it ready for Larry just how he likes it, with double cream and sugar. He came downstairs and I set a plate for him. He opened the newspaper warily.

  “You feeling okay?” he said.

  “Never better,” I said.

  “Right. Okay.”

  “How do you want your eggs? Just kidding. Scrambled, with cheddar cheese. That’s the only way you like them.”

  He cocked an eye at me.

  “Glad to know you remembered.”

  Of course I remembered, I wanted to say. How many times have I heard you bitch Mom out because she got your fucking eggs wrong? But I held my tongue.

  Mom liked her eggs over easy, so I did that. She liked to smother them in Louisiana Hot Sauce, and she liked a side of toast. I did that, too.

  Mom came downstairs so surprised she kissed me right on the cheek.

  We all sat down together for breakfast. I even made myself a plate and managed to choke it all down.

  “Isn’t this nice?” said Mom. “Don’t we feel just like a family?”

  That made me a little sad, because Mom didn’t even say we were a family. She just said we felt like one. It was like Mom knew we would never all belong together, that any opportunity for that was long gone. Like the best we could ever do was pretend it was okay and try to look the way families look on TV.

  “Sure, Mom,” I said, and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Don’t leave the dishes in the sink,” said Larry. I told him I wouldn’t. Even when you were being nice to Larry, he could still be kind of a jerk.

  But not even Larry could get me down today. I finished the dishes and went back upstairs and lay down on my bed feeling happier than I had in months. Gaspar was real and he was good, just like John Dee. Soon he would bring Her back to me, and it would be the best day of my life.