He spent the next thirteen years-the story of which he insisted could fill countless books-building a life, struggling to survive in the new, impossible landscape, regretting every minute of his decision. The worst part-the Woman in Black was nowhere to be found. Either she was hiding, or she existed in another world entirely-one that Nathaniel knew he would never be able to reach.
Only earlier that evening did things change for him. He awoke from a nap and found himself lying at the edge of a circular clearing in familiar woods. He thought he might have been dreaming-so much of his life had seemed like a dream-but then he heard footsteps tramping through the brush nearby. He got to his feet and followed the sound through the woods and over a small hill. That was moments before Eddie had found Nathaniel in the orchard, blinding him with the flashlight.
“But how did you come back all of a sudden?” said Harris.
Nathaniel thought about that. “I’m not really sure,” he said. “All I can think of is that when Eddie destroyed the gate, those who had traveled through it, like me, were pulled back to the world from which they’d originally come.”
Eddie leaned forward. “If that’s true,” he said, the excitement in his voice filling the small room, “that means all the monsters that had come through the stone child’s gate must have been sent home too.”
“I hope so!” said Maggie.
“That’s why we didn’t see any monsters in the woods after the statue crumbled,” said Harris. “No one in Gatesweed has to worry about them anymore. We’re all safe now.”
“I don’t know how to thank you,” said Nathaniel. “I think you kids are brilliant for figuring this out. And very kind for saving someone who, after thirteen years in his own private purgatory, wasn’t sure he deserved to be saved anymore.”
Eddie blushed. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it if we hadn’t loved your books so much. Reading them has always been sort of like… a lesson… in fighting monsters!” He laughed as he heard the words come out of his mouth. They sounded so silly, but ultimately, they were true. Nathaniel’s books had been the best preparation for this crazy ordeal.
Nathaniel smiled. “Then I should have known better how to take care of them myself.”
After a moment of quiet, Maggie said, “What are you going to do now that you’re back?”
“Is that a subtle way of asking me if there will be another book?” said Nathaniel, raising his eyebrow.
Maggie looked flustered for a second. “Of course not,” she said. “I only meant…” She didn’t finish her sentence. As she slumped into her chair, Eddie realized that her question had been a subtle way of asking Nathaniel if there would be another book. For someone who had never considered herself to be a fan of scary stories, Maggie certainly looked embarrassed.
“I’m kidding,” said Nathaniel, smiling at her. “To answer your question, though, all I really want to do right now is take a shower… As for the writing… I no longer have my precious silver pendant.” He sounded sarcastic. “Who knows if I’ll ever be able to write anything again? To be completely honest… I don’t really care.”
Eddie didn’t believe him. He bent over and lifted his bag off the floor. Placing it on the table, he undid the zipper. Very carefully, he reached inside and pulled out the necklace. With the chain wrapped around his fingers, Eddie allowed the pendant to swing slowly as he held his hand above the table.
Nathaniel shook his head. He slowly reached out and took it from him. “I don’t want it, but if I don’t keep it safe, who knows where it will end up next.”
Suddenly, Eddie thought of his mom. She was probably frantic, wondering where he was. He was certain she had discovered that he’d taken her “pen.” He hoped she wouldn’t flip out when he told her he’d “lost” it.
“But it doesn’t matter if anyone uses the pendant to write another book. Does it?” said Harris. “The gate is destroyed.”
Nathaniel smiled a sad smile. He shook his head. “According to the legend, there were two stone children. Weren’t there? As long as the other statue exists, someone might use the pendant to try to open the gate again. I think it’s our job now to make sure that never happens.”
When Eddie heard Nathaniel say that, he felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. “But where is the other statue?” he said.
Nathaniel clenched the silver pendant in his fist and lightly tapped it on the table. “I hope,” he said, “we never find out.”
EPILOGUE
Weeks later, on the evening of Halloween, the town green bustled with activity. The first autumn festival in many years had brought people out of the woodwork. Tents open for business lined the perimeter of the lawn. People were selling everything from cotton candy and caramel apples to balloon animals shaped like vampires and werewolves. There were games where contestants had to topple heavy bottles with baseballs to win giant stuffed frogs for their girlfriends. A small Ferris wheel whirred on one of the long stretches of grass near the church. A portable carousel spun at the opposite end of the park, next to the big mill. Its music hummed cheerfully, oblivious, as several people stumbled away from it, green and dizzy. On a banner spanning the front of the white gazebo, someone had painted in bright red the words WELCOME TO DARK TIMES IN GATESWEED. Eddie strolled through the park and thought it all looked beautiful. He wished he could take his time, but he knew there were other matters he needed to attend to.
Standing next to the gazebo were a tall skinny witch and a floating white sheet with legs, which, Eddie assumed, was supposed to be a ghost-Maggie and Harris in costume. They waved as he approached.
Harris shouted, “You’re late!” and grabbed Eddie’s red sweatshirt sleeve.
“Sorry,” said Eddie, laughing as he tripped over his own red shoelaces. He was dressed like a devil. He’d painted his face maroon and glued two latex horns to his forehead. Even though the coming night was brisk, he’d already begun to sweat. He could feel the makeup running down his neck. He pointed over his shoulder to the vendor tents where his parents lolled, looking at some of the crafts the local artisans were selling. “My dad couldn’t find a parking spot.”
“Excuses, excuses,” said Maggie from behind her own bright green face paint. “We’re going to be late.”
“The reading doesn’t start for a half hour!” said Eddie.
“But we need to get good seats,” said Harris, stepping into Center Street and making his way toward The Enigmatic Manuscript, which was lit up like a jack-o’-lantern. There was already a crowd at the door, spilling off of the recently painted front porch. People were dressed in costume, scattered across the sidewalk. Eddie could see several news vans parked along the curb; reporters and cameramen leaned against them, as if waiting for something exciting to happen. If Eddie didn’t know better, he might have thought that, inside the store, Frances was offering the best treats in Gatesweed.
As Harris pushed his way through the crowd, Eddie heard whispers from behind the crowd’s many masks. In the front window, Eddie read the sign that Frances had posted early last week-WELCOME THE RETURN OF NATHANIEL OLMSTEAD. JOIN US ON HALLOWEEN FOR HIS READING OF A NEW STORY, HIS FIRST IN OVER THIRTEEN YEARS!
The crowd continued to push back, until finally, when the three of them made it to the top of the stairs, a blond woman wearing a tutu and pink tights turned around and glared at them. “There’s a line, you know,” she said through her teeth.
Harris blinked at her through the eyeholes cut in the sheet. “This is my store,” he answered simply. Harris took out his key and held it up for everyone to see. The woman in the tutu shot them all a dirty look but stepped aside.