The Dark Somnium - "My Childhood Monster Is Trapped in The Basement"

Episode Date: September 24, 2023

This Creepypasta Scary Story is from the nosleep subreddit, written by Verastah, make sure to check out the original story and support the author:My Childhood Monster has Been Trapped in The Basement for The Last Twenty Years: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/andte8/my_childhood_monster_has_been_trapped_in_a/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Last week, I found through social media that my brother Rusty's girlfriend, I think her name was Alicia, had suddenly died over the weekend. I hadn't spoken with him in months, but I felt like I should say something. So I texted him with how sorry I was. I almost added a platitude about if he needed anything, but I was afraid he might take me up on it, and the idea of interacting with him further made my stomach clench nervously. The sad thing is that me and Roe's really. Rusty used to be best friends when we were young. He was four years older than me, so he automatically had that big brother thing going for him.

But beyond that, we just really enjoyed spending time with each other. We got each other's jokes, had similar interests, and had each other's backs. All that changed the last time we stayed at Aunt Karen's house. Karen had inherited the house from my grandparents years before I was born, and for as long as I could remember, we had always gone there to visit for a week or two every summer. The house itself was massive, with three full stories and a large basement, and it sat nestled in 200 acres of countryside that was so removed from what we were used to in the city that it might as well have been a fairy tale land from one of the fantasy books Rusty loves so much.

For her part, our aunt seemed to love the company, and every visit she always had fun activities planned and seemed sad to be left alone in the house when it got time for us to go. The last time we went to stay at the house, everything was different. It was early November, and our father had packed us off to stay with Karen in the aftermath of our mother abandoning us all to leave the state with some guy she had met at work. Aside from the emotional toll that took on our family, it left a massive financial hole as well. We were going to lose our house, and our father was trying to get a raise or a better-paying

job while also trying to figure out where we were going to live long-term. To take some pressure off and to buy him the time we needed, Karen agreed to get him to the time we agreed to let us come stay with her for as long as was necessary. Karen was still a sweet, loving woman who seemed happy for our company, but she had grown visibly weaker in the last year. We had found out during that year's summer trip that she had been diagnosed with cancer, and while she was hopeful that the chemotherapy would help her, her chances for recovery were slim. The house we loved that always seemed so filled with laughter and fun, now seemed coated with some kind of residue, a taint of sadness and loss and worry that put a heavy film on everything.

We would talk to Dad every night for a few minutes on the phone, and we tried to sound positive because of how sad he had been lately. But by the third day, we were spending most of our time outside, despite the cold and the wet. Exploring the woods and playing games outdoors seemed the easiest way to keep our mind off all the bad things that were going on. Then one day, We stumbled upon a monster. We had headed off into the woods with an ill-defined game in mind. Whoever spotted an animal first got a point. If they could name specifically what it was,

and the answer matched the little pocket wildlife book we had brought from the house, they got four extra points. Whoever won got full control of the TV remote that night, as Karen had taken to laying down early most evenings. Despite the fact that I was 11 to Rusty's 14, the game was actually biased towards me. as I knew I had the better memory and was more interested in animals and stuff like that. Still, he was four points ahead when we entered an unfamiliar clearing and saw the monster that lived there.

Except at first we didn't recognize it as a monster. It looked like a dust devil, or in this case, a leaf devil, as it seemed to be just a small whirlwind of leaves and grass twirling around in a relatively open space buried in the midst of a deeper part of the woods. We laughed and watched an amazement as it moved around, both of us expecting it to peter out or wander away after a few more moments, as those kind of natural phenomena tend to do. Except after several minutes, it was still going strong. And while it was moving around a good bit, it never seemed to leave a certain space in the middle of the clearing. And, as was becoming increasingly clear, it was unlike anything natural we'd ever seen.

Maybe it's a ghost. Rusty offered, not taking his eyes. eyes off of it as I stepped closer to him. I considered it before shaking my head. Nah, I don't think so. Puffus said there's no such thing. Why would a ghost be out here anyway? Maybe it's a freak nature thing like the lightning out of nowhere or those places where fish

start raining from the sky. I saw him frown slightly. Fish raining from the sky doesn't sound like a nature thing. I shrugged. There's a scientific explanation for it, though. I bet there is for this too. I wish we had a video camera. Not wanting to let it go at that, Rusty was about to say more when he realized the same

thing I just had. The leaf devil had stopped moving. It was just hovering. An ever-shifting swirl of forest detritus that was at the closest point to us that it could reach out and not travel further out than it had gone so far, almost as though it couldn't go further out, which was a troubling thought on its own, but which was temporarily eclipsed by something I was thinking, just as Rusty said it. I think that thing is looking at us.

I wanted to laugh, to make a joke or otherwise dispel the sense of wonder and fear that was steadily growing in my belly, but I couldn't find words that wouldn't sound hollow. He was right. Though it had no eyes or face that we could see, I had the distinct impression that the leaf devil had noticed us and was now studying us with great interest. Swallowing, I looked up at Rusty. What do you think we should do? When he glanced down at me, I could see he was worried,

but I could also see excitement flickering in his eyes like a living flame. He looked happier and more himself in that moment than I had seen him since Mom left. I think in that moment I would have went along with whatever he had said next. As it was, his suggestion was fairly tame. Let's move around a bit, see if it follows us. But be ready to run. If I say go, we run away fast as we can. You know the way back?

I nodded, and he gave my shoulder a squeeze. This is really cool, but no need for us to be dumb about it. Looking back up, he puffed out a breath. Okay. Let's see if this is just a pile of blowing leaves and we're both dumbasses. Moving slowly with Rusty to the right, I clamped my hands down on my brother's arm as the leaf devil followed us slowly, seemingly tracing the perimeter of some invisible circle. When we went back the other way, it followed us again, silent except for the last. the quiet rustle of leaves twirling against each other in its inner turbulence. Holy shit!

Rusty looked more excited now, but I could tell by the way he was licking his lips, but he was more nervous too. Maybe even scared, and I didn't know if I'd ever seen Rusty scared before. Looking at me again, he pried loose my hands from his forearm. Tommy, I want you to listen to me now. You go stand at the edge of the clearing. I'm going to go up a bit and get a better look. See if I can tell what it is.

and what's got it trapped in there. He licked his lips again as he glanced back up. If it's trapped. I don't know. It could be a big trick. But you see how it's been moving like it has an invisible wall or something keeping it from going any farther? I nodded.

Yeah, it's like a force field or something. He returned my nod with a shaky smile. Yeah. Well, if it can reach us, then it may be safe to come back here. Visit it again. But if it's just playing possum or if it can shoot something out at us or something, Well, I want you to be farther away and go run for help if anything happens, okay? But why don't we go and...

Rusty was already shaking his head. I have to see more. This thing is like a miracle or something. We might never run across something like this again in our entire lives. He paused, and his expression grew sadder as he went on. There's a lot more of life like what Dad and Aunt Karen are going through than cool shit like this. If you want to head on back, I'm cool with that, and I won't ever make fun. But I have to see this while I can, okay?

I said I understood, and I even think back then it was the truth. But either way, I wasn't going to leave him alone. So I told him to be careful and stepped to the edge of the clearing. The leaf devil didn't move as Rusty approached, and my brother's every step was slow and deliberate as he crept closer. Suddenly, he stopped. There are rocks in the ground, like big ones buried in the ground, it looks like. They go all the way around.

He started moving left in a big circle, and as he moved, the leaf devil went with him. I couldn't see the rocks between the distance, the angle, and the grown-up grass, but it was clear that it was moving along some invisible perimeter as it followed Rusty. It was alive, and it seemed to be trapped somehow. Over the next week, we spent most of our free time in the clearing. Our first day back, I had felt sure it would be gone, but there it was, floating near our side of its prison. as though it had been waiting for us or knew we were coming back. Rusty had brought a tennis ball with us this time, and after we went over the safety rules, in case it suddenly did something different, we started experimenting with what it could do.

We rolled the tennis ball into its circle, and without fail, it would pick up the ball in its relentless winds and push it back toward us. We'd toss it underhand, or even throw it overhand, and so long as the ball passed through the circle of stones, it would snag the ball and send it back to us like a game. game of catch. Every day we would try new things, and while we were having trouble communicating beyond simple games, it wasn't for lack of trying. It either couldn't talk or chose not to, but we had still spent several hours peppering it with questions and telling it more about ourselves. We named it Harvey after the old movie about the Invisible Rabbit, or Puka, as Rusty

would correct me. And every day we spent with it, the more it felt as though we truly had a new best friend. And while it didn't speak, it did seem to understand at least some of what we were saying. It knew the difference between the two of us, as demonstrated by where it went when we asked it to go to Rusty or go to Tommy. It seemed capable of remembering things and understanding the more complex rules of the games we made up to test the limits of what it could do. To an outsider, this would probably look like stupid kids playing with something dangerous, or at best, a juvenile and amateurish science experiment. And in many ways, those descriptions would be right.

But it was more than that, too. The strangeness of it all, the amazing rush of excitement at interacting with something so unknown and magical elevated it beyond just a game or a childish attempt to solve a mystery. I think it felt like we were touching the divine, and in turn it was touching us. By the end of the week, we didn't just feel special. we had accepted that we were special, because who else has such a special friend? That pride and misunderstanding is what ruined us from the start. We had made a friend that had transformed a few hours out of every day into something magical,

and naturally we wanted more. So we slipped into Aunt Karen's shed and found two sturdy shovels before sneaking back out to the woods. The shovels sunk in around the stones almost eagerly, and when I lifted the first dirt away, the dark, loamy earth that was revealed reminded me of an open wound. I shuddered slightly at the thought, but pushed it aside as I went back to digging. It didn't take us long to realize that the two stones we were digging at weren't just two stones, but rather the top layer of what looked like a rectangular box made out of rock about two feet tall. This wasn't a natural formation, but rather the sides were all fused together somehow from flat,

pieces of dark stone that actually reminded me of volcanic rock I had seen at the Smithsonian two years earlier. At first, we focused on just gently digging out the rocks, periodically reassuring Harvey that we were there to help get him out as he rustled close by with what I imagined was a combination of curiosity and impatience. Weeks later, I went back and broke open one of the rocks to see what was in there. The inside of the stone rectangles that formed the bars of Harvey's prison were layered like a cake, dark igneous rock followed by brown crystalline rock, followed by more igneous, etc. There was a total of nine layers, counting the top and bottom thicker outer layers, and the stony containers had been sealed well enough that the crystal layers, what I figured

out was rock salt when I checked Aunt Karen's old encyclopedia set, had not dissolved away over how many years it had been buried in the ground. Those details became important later on, but when we were setting Harvey free, we were so high on a mixture of excitement and fear that we could barely think at all, much less focus on anything not directly related to the task at hand. We hadn't discussed what came next much. Although, I think there was an unspoken understanding between myself and Rusty that we wanted to take Harvey with us when we left Aunt Karen's to live with that again.

It was as though we imagined ourselves characters in some charmingly dim-witted children's movie, where the kids find a friendly monster, a fendary. Send off the villain that wants to kill, capture, etc., the beast, and ultimately either find a way to keep the monster permanently or say a tearful and heartfelt goodbye after their adventures had run on for 90 minutes or so. The problem with stories is how unrealistic they are. Not because they involve monsters, as should be obvious by now. I can't dispute that there are strange creatures in the world that I don't think can be

explained, at least not within the framework of what is commonly known and excessive. No, the problem lies with how the monster is treated. It is viewed, to a large degree, as an object, something to want, something to keep, something to value because of its uniqueness. At best, it is elevated to the status of a pet, a living creature, but one whose will and desire are, if not irrelevant, at least considered far less important than our own. At first, they are just a face and a name to try and trap our fear of the unknown. containing it with a ring of words that will make the undefinable more defined, and by definition

more easy to control or destroy. Even now, knowing all of this, I often think of Harvey as the monster, less because of what it did than what it is, something that we didn't understand and that we should have been terrified of. It took digging up three stones before Harvey could move through the space, and I remember the thrill of fear when it did so. I felt like we had snuck into a circus and opened up a lion's cage, except as it passed the threshold of its prison, it wasn't a lion or even a leaf demon anymore.

Now it was a large hedgehog. It was far larger than any regular hedgehog, being roughly the hide of a medium-sized beagle, and its appearance was vastly different as well, but that didn't change the fact that it had gone from being a largely invisible force to a fantastic version of a cute woodland creature. Its face and paws seemed to be hewn from some kind of light, living wood, and its spiny back was a tightly woven thicket of leaves and sticks. When it moved, you could hear a light rustle not that different than the sounds the Leaf Devil version of Harvey had made. The fact that it looked like a very cute and non-threatening animal, while a relief, did give me a bit of a pause

even then. Either that was its natural form, or it was an appearance that was deliberately chosen. If Harvey had chosen to look that way, was it because it wanted to be appealing and ease our fears, or because it wanted us to let our God down? Whatever the answer, or our reservations, we were both delighted by Harvey's new form as well. We were both greeting and talking to him like an old friend we were picking up at the airport, or possibly like an online friend we were seeing for the first time. Because in some ways, that was true. Harvey looked more like something familiar now, and he had a face.

a cute face with large amber eyes that sparkled with intelligence and understanding. He wasn't talking to us, but he did have expressions and body language as we spent the afternoon with him. And in a hundred different small ways, I could feel us growing closer to Harvey now that we could interact with him in a way we could more easily wrap our head around. In some ways, I think that day was the best day of my life. I never wanted to leave, and I could tell Rusty felt the same. It was well after dark when we finally forced ourselves back to Aunt Karen's house, and I felt a stab of guilt when I saw her frail form standing on the porch looking at us with worry and relief. She hugged us tearfully as we drew near, kissing our cheeks and making us promise to never do that again,

to always be home well before dark. We promised, and it was a promise we kept during the short time we had together in her home. Still, if my regret over worrying Karen had cooled my excitement, a little, it had done nothing to stave off my fears. Harvey had seemed very content to hang out with us in the clearing that afternoon. We had played games, petted his strange pelt, and told him stories of where we were from, and what life was like there. But how likely was it that he would still be there the next day? We still didn't know what he even was, but if he was like most people, or animals, he probably would want to be far away from the place he had been trapped

for so long. The next morning, we were out of the house at sunrise, and as soon as we were out of sight, we broke into a desperate run back toward the clearing. I felt my stomach drop when we arrived and saw no sign of Harvey. We started walking the area, calling out to him, but there was nothing. If the day before was one of my best, that one was one of my worst. We spent hours combing the woods, but there was no sign of Harvey anywhere. By late afternoon, we were bone tired and heading back to the house when Harvey found us. He waddled up to us like, well, like a gigantic magic hedgehog, I guess, and it was clear that he was happy to see us. We knelt down and hugged him gently, after which Rusty started explaining to Harvey how he shouldn't worry us like that, how we had

been looking for him all day, and we ought to be mad at him, but he forgave him. Something stirred in the back of my head at that, though at the time I didn't recognize it for what it was. It was growing dark again, so we reluctantly said goodbye, though this time Rusty told Harvey to follow us close to the house, so he would know where we lived and could meet up with us more easily next time, that we would be back at the edge of the trees near the house the next morning. Again, a slight tickle in the back of my head that made my stomach uneasy, but I tried to ignore it as I waved by to Harvey and followed Rusty back to the house. The next few days were fun and exciting, and in many ways it was like we were like we were

were living in some kind of fairy tale. We would get up early, spend the day with Harvey, and then come back home in the evening, tired, and full of anticipation for when we would get to see him again. But as happy as I was, I had come to recognize the little twinge I would get in the back of my head from time to time. It was worry. Not worried that Harvey was going to hurt us. That was always a possibility, but he'd had plenty of chances if he wanted to do so, but worried that Rusty was... Well, he just seemed different somehow. He had never had pets growing up, because my mother was so allergic, and while I loved cats

and dogs, my only real exposure to them had been in public, or when I was over at a friend's house. I had even less exposure to how Rusty was around them. But the few times I'd seen them with him when he met a dog or cat, he had been the way he always was, gentle and kind. But some people are different with their own animals, and some people are different. people view pets less as a friend or a companion and more as an object to be used, or, well, even abused.

I never saw him actually be mean to Harvey. He never hit him or anything like that, but I found myself growing more concerned with how he was treating him just the same. He would tell Harvey what to do, try to make him do stupid tricks, yell at him if he did something different than what Rusty wanted. A couple of times, I told him to chill out, and it seemed to help for a time. But before the end of the day, he would do that. back to treating Harvey like he was a misbehaving dog that he planned on bringing to heal.

Maybe that doesn't sound like much. He's a teenage boy treating a magic animal like a non-magic animal. Except him, it was more than that. First, Rusty would get this odd look on his face at times. The best way I can describe it is that it reminded me of how our mother could look sometimes when she was still around, like she was just waiting for you to step wrong so she could jump at you. Not because she wanted to correct you, but because she wanted it in a little.

excuse to talk bad to you, maybe slap you a little. It was a terrible kind of happy anger that was brimming and ready to be poured on you at the first sign of provocation. This memory was part of how I knew that. Despite the odd way that Rusty was treating Harvey at times, it was still Rusty. It wasn't like he was being possessed, more controlled by Harvey or something. He always seemed like Rusty when he was doing it. Just a version of Rusty I wasn't familiar with.

The second reason it worried me so much was because of what it said about how Rusty viewed Harvey. Every day he was treating him more and more like a pet, a wild animal maybe, but one that Rusty was working hard to tame. Except we knew literally nothing about Harvey, except for how we had found him and how he acted so far. He could be totally sweet and harmless, or he could be able to kill us without a second thought. He could have the understanding of, well, a hedgehog, or he could be far smarter than we were aware. After two weeks had passed since freeing Harvey, I was getting ready to talk to Rusty about

it all, about how he needed to respect Harvey more, and quit treating him like he was a stupid toy. Then I got sick. I woke up in the middle of the night with chills, and when Rusty got the thermometer, I had a fever of over 104. I had come down with the flu, and with Karen's compromised immune system, Rusty was the main one to take care of me for the next several days as I got over the worst of it. He did a good job, but he would still disappear for a couple of hours every morning and afternoon to go visit Harvey. I was miserable from being sick, but more so because I hated feeling left out. I missed seeing Harvey, and Rusty said he could tell that Harvey missed me too. I was also worried a little bit about how Rusty and Harvey would get along without me being there.

On the third day of me being sick, I found out. I heard a commotion as Rusty came running up on the front porch and flying through the door before locking it behind him. Karen was up in her room, so he managed to avoid any questions as he made his way to our bedroom downstairs. Despite that, I almost yelled when I saw him come in. He was sweaty and dirty, but I barely noticed for looking at his right leg. It was bleeding badly from two long cuts that looked like large claw marks. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked at me.

What happened? He shook his head. I don't know. Harvey got mad or went crazy or something. He changed sheep again, got bigger, and he tried to kill me. His face began to crumple in as tears began springing up and running down his dusty cheeks. He hobbled over to the window. He followed me, but I think he stopped at the edge of the trees.

It had been gray outside all day. And as twilight was coming in, it was hard to make out much in the growing murk of the woods. And then I saw him, a massive shadow deeper than the rest, defined only by its own darkness and the flickering glow of large amber eyes. He was in the woods, looking at us. Not just the house, but I felt sure Harvey was staring right at us. By later that evening, we couldn't see any signs of Harvey lurking at the edge of the woods, though we knew that meant very little.

Rusty bandaged up his leg and went back through what had happened with him. But it still made little sense. He claimed that they had just been playing fetch when Harvey had suddenly started making a terrible noise as his shape and size changed. Rusty immediately knew something was wrong, but thought at first he could talk to Harvey and calm him down. He took a couple of steps toward the creature, and that's when he got clawed on the leg. Rusty was clearly still upset as he talked about it, seeming to vacillate between fear, anger, and sadness at what he seemed to view as some kind of betrayal. For my part, I didn't know what to think. I wanted to believe Rusty, but I also hated the idea that Harvey would intentionally hurt

one of us, both because I saw him as our friend and because of the implications that might have. If we had angered some kind of magical monster, who knew what it might be capable of. That's what led me to convince Rusty we needed to go back out to the clearing. The rocks there were the only thing we knew of that could stop Harvey, and we needed to either forget the rocks or figure out how they worked. I didn't want to hurt Harvey, but if we could block him or ward him off for a time, maybe at least things wouldn't get any worse and I'd have more time to figure out a way of fixing

things. So the next day, we went back to the clearing, this time carrying shovels more as makeshift weapons than digging tools. We didn't run like before, instead picking our way carefully through the forest and jumping at every noise. I kept expecting to see a leaf devil or some kind of hulking forest monster come charging at us from out of nowhere, but nothing like that ever came. And after breaking one of the rocks and seeing how it was constructed inside, I was already

starting to have the beginnings of an idea of how we could protect ourselves from Harvey. Rusty had always read more fantastical stories than me, so he was the best expert we had on myths and legends and various superstitions. When I put down Cairns' encyclopedia from reading about Rock Salt and asked him about it, he pondered it a few moments before nodding. According to him, there were several legends about different creatures being affected by various mundane things, silver, of course, but also iron, running water, or in some cases, salt. I was still weak and running a fever at this point,

and my exertion during our secret trip to the clearing and back had taken its toll. I was in a cold sweat, and as it got later in the day, I could tell my temperature was shooting up as my joints began to ache, and my head started swimming. I needed to sleep some, and think of the best way we could use our new information. Maybe a weapon we could carry to fend him off if there was another attack, or a salt barrier around the house until he calmed down, or something. I still had hopes we could fix this, and, if I'm honest, I still had doubts about what exactly it happened. Rusty had given me some more flu medicine, and it didn't take long until I

could feel my consciousness slipping away. I told him just to stay inside for now, that we would figure it out. He smiled at me and nodded, told me not to worry that it would work out, that he already had a good idea that might work. I wanted to say more, but I was gone. I remember being plagued by dark dreams while I slept, terrible things that I told myself were born from the fever and medication. Either way, I slept my troubled sleep until noon the next day. And when I did finally wake up, I found myself in sweat-soaked sheets, but feeling much better. My fever had finally broken.

I was getting out of bed when Rusty came in. His face lit up in a way I hadn't seen in days. When I asked him what was going on, he had told me he had figured it out, that it was all better now. Then, to my growing whore, he began to examine. explain. He said he had gone back out to see if there was anything we might have missed at the clearing, and to see if he could bring back at least a few pieces of rock and salt, so we knew he had something that worked. As a precaution, and having no idea if it would have any effect

at all, he also carried a small sandwich bag of table salt with him from Karen's pantry. He was halfway to the clearing when he saw the leaf devil approaching him from the right. He didn't want to have another fight with Harvey, so he just hid behind a tree and stayed there, hoping he hadn't been noticed, but he had, and as Harvey grew closer and closer, the whirring wind seemed less like a stirring breeze and more like a buzzsaw. He heard the force of it tearing into the far side of the tree, and he imagined what it would do to his skin when Harvey finally reached him. So he took a fistful of salt and threw it around the tree.

The effect was instantaneous. There was a loud and rapid crackling sound like a distant firework, and then Harvey was quickly moving away again. He didn't know if he had hurt the monster, but he was pretty sure it didn't like salt of any kind. Already shaken and scared and satisfied that regular table salt would work too. He came back to the house and began trying to formulate a plan. He was sitting in the basement, staring up at the ceiling when the idea came to him. Aunt Karen sometimes had bone rattling chills throughout the day and night because of her chemo,

and while she would turn up the heat and pile on blankets, the thing that seemed to help the most were these long. rubber, hot water bottles that she bought at the pharmacy in town. Scranging around the house, Rusty said he'd found four that she wasn't actively using. So he made up an excuse to go into town and got another ten. It was late afternoon when he got back home, and he waited until he knew I was asleep and she was in bed for the evening before he went to work in the basement. The ceiling of the basement was, naturally enough, also the bottom of the first floor of the house, running along the ceiling were paths of pipes and wires that aside from serving their normal

purposes of carrying water and electricity also served as good spots to hide rubber bags full of salt. He only filled the bags about a third full, so they wouldn't be too heavy, and he still had to quietly attach a few bits of wood to the floor joists here and there to provide spots for the remaining bags, because his goal was to make a large circle of bags, much like the stones in the clearing, and then trap Harvey in it temporarily until we can make him under the understand that we were still his friends. I stared at him in mute horror at this part, dread crawling up my back at what I was afraid was coming. He continued, seemingly oblivious to how I was looking at him, and he went on to describe how clever and brave he had been. Rusty said

he knew he would have to bait Harvey into coming into the basement, and the circle couldn't be closed until Harvey was inside of it. If it worked at all, he gave me a brief, apologetic smiled at this part, saying he knew he'd put me and Karen at risk with this plan too. But he had been sure it would work, and he was right. He told me that it didn't take long walking into the woods this morning before Harvey found him and started approaching again quickly. Rusty didn't waste any time, running back towards the house at a decent pace, but slowly enough that Harvey would hopefully be encouraged to follow.

He heard bushes rustling and tree limbs snapping and saw that Harvey was back to the larger form that had clawed him. He sped up then, more out of fear than anything. But by the time he reached the exterior door to the basement, Harvey was at his heels. Rusty ran through the space he had prepared and then juked to the right, where he had three more of the rubber bottles, ready and waiting. In the handful of seconds it took Harvey to realize he was being blocked from going forward in most directions.

Rusty had already thrown down the remaining containers of salt and closed the circle. Harvey was trapped, and they were safe. I had held my tongue until he was finished. I wanted to hear everything, and I was afraid he might stop telling me or leave something out if I started yelling at him mid-story. But when he finally fell silent, that's when I started to scream. Tears of rage running down my face as I gave voice to everything I'd been trying to ignore for weeks now.

I told him he shouldn't have messed with Harvey again. He should have just left him alone, and Harvey was probably mad at him because of the way Rusty treated him. Like he was stupid, like he was our pet. Now Harvey was always going to hate us, and it was all his fault. I'd half expected Rusty to get mad, or given how he'd been lately, even try to hurt me. But he looked like the one who had been hurt. His bottom lip began to tremble as I spoke, and as I saw him start to cry, I lost my will to go on.

We sat together on the bed, silent and miserable for several minutes before he spoke in a shaky voice. I don't want us to lose him. That's why I'm doing all this. I need to make sure he listens to us, does what we tell him to do, so we don't lose him, so he'll come with us when we go home. I shook my head in disbelief. I think he meant what he was saying, but he didn't seem to understand how backwards and stupid it all was. I was still struggling for words, for an answer for this mess, for something, anything that might help.

But when Aunt Karen came to the door, she looked concerned when she saw our expressions and tears. Are you boys all right? Rusty nodded. Yeah, we were just talking about stuff that makes us sad. But I think Tommy is doing better, aren't you? He glanced at me meaningfully, and I nodded, trying to give Karen a smile. She returned it. Her eyes still troubled.

Well, there's been a lot going on. And there's no shame in having a little cry from time to time. Anytime you boys need to talk about things, I'm always happy to listen. Her expression darkened slightly for a moment. before she continued on. But I have some good news for you. Your father is coming to get you this afternoon. He's found you a new place,

and he thought it'd be a good idea to get you settled before Christmas comes in a few days. He says you'll be able to start back to school in January, too, either at your old school or a new one closer to the new apartment. I saw Rusty's fists go white as his fingers clenched on the bed sheets. But, Karen, we'd like to stay with you longer. We can help out more, too. She shook her head with sad eyes.

There's nothing I'd like more than for you to stay. But your father misses you terribly, and he needs your help too. Just promise you'll come back and visit me every chance you get. The next three hours were a flurry of whispered conversations, hurried packing, and my own internal debate about going down into the basement to see what Rusty had done. Our father arrived at four, and by five, he was ready to hit the road. I made the excuse that I had an upset stomach and needed to go to the bathroom before we left, and he gave me a sympathetic hug and told me to take my time.

I cringed inwardly at another reminder of one of the big unspoken reasons he had chosen now to come get us was because I had been so sick. As with all of it, some of this was my fault, and I needed to try to fix it if I could. I made a show of heading off in the direction of the bathroom before veering towards the basement door. My heart was thudding as I crept down. the wooden steps, and as I looked out into the basement, I was surprised by how very normal everything looked. I could only see a few spots where the hot water bottles were able to be

glimpsed in the shadow recesses of the ceiling, and the area below seemed empty at first. Then I saw Harvey slowly fading into sight. He was back to looking like a hedgehog, but he looked dingier and less magical now. More like a statue or carving that had been given some form of crude life than the enchanted miracle we had come to know and love. He lifted his head and regarded me somberly as I approached. And then he spoke. Let me out, Tommy. Please let me out.

His voice was scratchily musical. Looking at him, hearing his voice, I felt my hammering heartbreak a little. Taking another step forward, I crouched down to his level. I can't. Rusty said you tried to hurt him, that you tried to kill him. kill him even. Harvey's face contorted into what I took for a weary frown as he shook his head from side to side. He tried to hurt me. That is why I clawed him. I was never going to kill him, but he needed to know that was not allowed. I felt my stomach clench. I felt myself believing

Harvey's words. But how could I be sure? Then I remembered something else. Why did you Chase him in here, then. How did you get stuck in here if you weren't after him again? Harvey closed his eyes for a moment as he lowered his head in what might have been an expression of disappointment or shame. He tricked me. He had been telling me for days that you were badly ill. After I clawed him, he found me again and told me you were worse, that you were dying and needed my help. Opening his eyes, he looked around drearily at the basement walls. He led me into this place and trapped me here.

His amber eyes met mine again. I need you to set me free, Tommy. This place is far worse than being trapped in the stones. There I had the wind and the sun at least. Here everything is cold and dark and dead and I hate it. I was crying now. I looked up blurily at the bags I could see tucked away to make. a rough circle. Rusty had already replaced the ones he threw on the ground with sealing

counterparts as well. So if I was going to remove them, I'd have to... But what if I was wrong? What if Harvey was the one tricking me? Rusty was acting different, but he was still my brother. I still knew and loved and trusted him. And what if I let Harvey out and he hurt me or my family? Was that really worth the risk? Harvey let out a dejected sigh. If you let me, if you touch me, I can show you what happened, make you see it in your head, help you understand that I'm telling the truth." I frowned at that, but I'd have to let you out or come in the circle for that. Harvey's gaze remained steady.

Yes, you would, but you are my friend, Tommy, and I will not harm you. Tommy, where'd you go? Are you okay? It was dad. Apparently, having figured out I wasn't in the bathroom, I stood up, torn between reaching out my hand and running away. Harvey stepped closer to the edge of the boundary. Please.

Biding my lip, I was reaching forward as I heard footfalls coming down the stairs. I looked back to see my father looking at me. What are you doing down here, sport? You don't need to be down in this cold air, and we need to get moving. Long drive ahead of us. When I turned back to the center of the room, I couldn't see Harvey anymore. Something about that hurt worse, and my trickle of tears became watery sobs. My father came the rest of the way down the steps and put his arm around me.

Hey man, it's okay. I know you still feel bad. Is that all it is, or is something else wrong? Trying to regain control, I shook my head. I just thought I felt something down here, but I think I lost it. Dad gave me another squeeze and led me back upstairs. As we climbed the stairs, I looked back down. and saw Harvey watching me go.

Mouthing the words silently, I said the last thing I would say to him until I was a 32-year-old man. I'm sorry, Harvey. I'm so sorry. I never went back to Aunt Karen's after that. Not because she was gone. She actually went into remission and lived another 15 years before the cancer came back and got her like an absent-minded traveler who had temporarily forgotten his hat.

And not because Rusty didn't go. He actually went back every few months to visit for a few days and took care of Karen during the last year of her life. It made sense that she left the house to him, and while he didn't live there as far as I knew, I had no doubt he visited it often. I lost a lot that year. My mother, most of my time with Aunt Karen, and worst of all, my two real friends in the world.

Rusty, he was never the same after our time with Harvey. He was never mean to me, and we would sometimes still talk or do things together, but it was always hollow and forced. There was something between us now. That something was Harvey. I grew to hate myself for not being braver and more trusting when I had the chance. I learned to hate myself even more as months and years went by, and I did nothing to correct my mistake. I think people don't really know themselves until they have to do a really hard thing that is also the right thing. Their choice holds up a mirror that cuts through excuses in self-deceit, if only for a time. Well, I had seen myself in that mirror.

I saw myself every time I turned down a chance to go to Aunt Karen's and set Harvey free. Every time I made an excuse or rationalization for my inaction, every time I pushed myself further and further away from Rusty rather than ask him the hard questions. How was Harvey doing? Was he still trapped in the basement and the hardest question of all? Just what are you doing to him when you go visit? By the time I left for college, I barely saw Rusty at all. It made it easier, you see.

Easier to not remind myself of the strange and disquieting young man my brother had become and the weak coward I had always been. Easier to half-deceive myself that my memories of Harvey were all just fanciful fever dreams of a young boy who was losing his friendship with his older brother. That is why I felt a wave of panic nausea when my phone started buzzing and I saw that it was rusty responding to my condolences about his girlfriend. That's why after three days of messages that moved from, thanks for reaching out to,

we need to talk soon, to answer your phone, Tommy, I just turned it off. That's why I didn't open up the envelope I got in the mail until a few days ago. It was a burnable DVD with a sticky note on the side that said, Watch this, and then call me, Rusty. I felt all the air was leaving the room as I put the disc in my computer and hit play. At first, I didn't understand what I was. I was watching. It was a home movie of some kind, and it was in Aunt Karen's house, or I guess

it was Rusty's house now. That's actually what was being talked about on the video. It sounded like Rusty was recording the video with his phone, and his girlfriend, Alice, not Alicia, was being given a tour of sorts. He was talking about the remodeling he was doing and how excited he was about it. At first, it seemed normal enough, and I found myself missing my brother as he talked to Alice and joked with her. He sounded more like his old self with her. But then he said he wanted to show her the basement. She seemed willing enough, but it was clear that she was expecting more than the bare room that the camera was showing. There was no sign of Harvey, but there was an area of the concrete floor that seemed rougher and more worn than the rest.

It was in the rough shape of a circle. The view of the camera was suddenly jerked away from the room and back to Alice. Rusty was clearly excited now, and as he talked, The camera shifted again as he squatted or knelt down on the basement floor. That's when I realized he was proposing to her. She seemed to realize it at the same time, and her expression turned from pleasant curiosity to concern dismay. She took a step back as she interrupted him. Russ, no.

You need to stop this. Look, you're a great guy, but I'm not interested in marrying you. I'm probably never going to get married at all. I thought I made that clear. Rusty's voice was softer when he responded, but the hard, waiting anger coiled underneath his words made my stomach clench. So you're saying this is the wrong time or that you just don't want to marry me? Visibly upset, Alice ran her hands through her hair and stared at the ground for a minute before looking back up. Her expression sad.

I didn't want to do this, like this. Look, we need to stop seeing each other. This isn't working out for me, and I'm just keeping you from. Rusty had stood back up as she spoke, and I gasped as his leg flashed into the bottom of the frame as he kicked her in the stomach and cut off her words in an audible wush of air. The force of the kick didn't knock her down, but it did cause her to stumble back into the circle. The next moment she was silently thrashing and trying to scream as she tried in vain to get more air. Then she was still, and Rusty was sitting the phone down as he moved to pick up a wide push broom from where it was proper. against the wall. I couldn't see what was going on, but I could hear the scratch of the broom

bristle as he used the wide head of the broom to pull her body back outside of the boundaries of Harvey's prison. I could also hear the last words he said before the video ended. That's good, Harvey. That's a real good boy. So I watched the video you sent. I'm ready to meet and talk. Good. We have a lot to talk about. I've been doing a lot of work out at Aunt Karen's house lately. You want to just meet me out there? I'm not ready to go back there. Not yet.

Let's meet somewhere neutral and just talk for now. Want to meet me at the mall in Glencove? Don't trust me, huh? Well, I get why the video might freak you out a little. But you're safe with me, little brother. Glencove, tomorrow at about noon in the food court. Fine. See you then, Tommy.

I've missed you. Of course I wasn't going to the mall in Glencove, or Glencove at all. I was going to Karen's house to finally finish this for good. I left home early in the morning, But with the drive time, I still didn't reach it until a quarter till twelve. Parking up the road and out of sight, I walked in far enough to see that there were no cars or other signs of rusty hanging around. I still found myself wanting to hesitate, wanting to wait longer to make sure he'd really

gone. But I forced myself to stop. The time for excuses and waiting was over. It was time for me to stop being a coward. The exterior of the house looked the same, aside from a fresh coat of paint and some flowers planted along the front porch. Climbing those steps was hard, but it wasn't just sadness that I felt. There was anger there, too.

Anger at myself for the mistakes I had made and all the things I left undone, but also anger at Rusty. He had betrayed Harvey and me, but what's more, he had betrayed himself, the version of Rusty that could have been. A good brother and a good man. For what? Aunt Karen's house and becoming more of a monster than Harvey had ever been? It took three kicks for me to get the front door open.

Stepping inside slowly, I looked around to make sure I wasn't walking into a trap. I didn't know Rusty at all anymore, and I couldn't assume he wouldn't kill me just as quickly as he had that poor girl on the video. But as I walked through the house to the basement door, there was no sign of him or anyone else. Well, that's not strictly true, because even at a distance, I felt like I could somehow sense Harvey stirring down in the dark below me. Blood thrummed in my ears as I opened the door and started down the stairs. The basement was well lit with fluorescent lights, but at first I didn't see anything different than what was on the video, a sparse room of cinder block walls and a concrete floor that seemed particularly worn in the middle.

I stood at the bottom of the steps for several seconds before pushing myself closer. I thought I saw a slight disturbance in the air, but I couldn't be sure. I heard a rumble that came and went quickly as a summer thunder clap. It was Harvey growling at me. Stepping closer to the edge of the unseen circle, I knelt down. Harvey, do you know me? Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Do you know me at all? There was a thickening of air just a few inches from my face, and I could barely make out the flicker of large amber eyes regarding me across the boundary that separated us. I was surprised when I realized I didn't feel afraid anymore, just happy to finally see Harvey again.

My hands went to my mouth and my vision started to swim. Yes, yes, Harvey, I came back. I'm so sorry that it took so long, but I'm going to get you out of here now. I swear it. I stood up as my eyes went to the ceiling. I didn't see any hot water bottles up there or anything out of the ordinary at all. I was taking out a flashlight when Harvey spoke again. They're not up there anymore.

He dug a trench in the floor years ago, filled it with salt and covered it up. Heart sinking. I looked closer at the floor and saw he was right. There was a barely perceptible ridge of newer concrete all the way around. He had decided to make Harvey's prison permanent. Looking up at Harvey's eyes, I tried to smile. Don't worry. I'll find something and break it up.

I'll be right back. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was rusty. I see you at the house, Tommy. Got camera's all over now. Stay away from Harvey until I get there. I meet it. I gripped the phone tighter before jamming it back in my pocket.

Rusty knows I'm here and he's coming back, so I have to hurry. It should take him an hour to get here, so we should be okay. Looking around the room, I asked. Do you know where he keeps his tools? Harvey's voice had been faint and distant at first, but this time it sounded a bit clear, a bit stronger. I don't know, but he always brought them from outside. The shed. I ran out the exterior door and around the side of the house to where the old shed still sat,

lopsided and moldering. The only thing knew about it was the padlock on the door. I didn't have time for this shit. It only take a few hits to break one of the rotting boards lining the side of the shed. And after that, it was short work to pry open a hole big enough for me to climb through. The interior was dark, with only small beams of sunlight poking through between the uneven slats of the roof. When I shine my flashlight around, I saw that the shed was both smaller and more filled with

tools and junk than I remembered. It took several minutes of searching to find a hammer and a heavy screwdriver to use as a makeshift chisel. And while they weren't the ideal tools for the job, I worried that wasting more time searching would be worse than going with what I had. My first attempt at chipping away the concrete did very much. little. First, I used big, hard swings that sent the metal tip of the screwdriver this way and that, then I tried smaller taps that were too light. But after a few tries, I got

into a rhythm of fast, hard strikes in the same spot, and I started making progress. In just a few minutes I was sweating, though I wasn't sure if it was from the exertion and concentration or just my growing fear that Rusty was going to get there before I had cleared enough of the salt away. I let out a little yell as the screwdriver a bit deeper. I had broken through to the bottom of the salt trench. That's when Harvey spoke again. Tommy, he's almost here. I can sense him.

You need to be very careful. He will kill you if you anger him enough. I shook my head. I can handle him. I'm getting you out. You need to understand this. There is no way to handle him. You don't know what the man has become.

If you continue trying to save me, you will try to kill you. I stopped for a moment and looked up into Harvey's eyes. Why are you telling me this? Harvey was silent for a moment, as though considering before he spoke again. Where I come from, there is a saying. Everything is paid for. Yeah, I've heard versions of that here too. Good.

Maybe that will help you understand then. Rusty has to pay a price for all that he has done. So must you, so must I, whether now or later, everything is paid for eventually. I went back to digging at the trench. We can talk more about all that later. For now, I need to get you out. It's too late. He is already here.

Get away from him. Get up here. The screaming had started as soon as the front door opened, and he was at the top of the stairs in seconds. I mean it, Tom. I was prying wildly at the crack I had opened up. up and a chunk of concrete flew up as Rusty started thundering down the steps. I looked at him as he reached the bottom, and I felt my heart sink at what I saw. He was still rusty, but there was a wrongness to him now. My brother was always clever, and I'm sure he had learned to hide it

well enough when he was in control of himself, but he wasn't in control of himself now. His expression was wild and crazed, and as he dashed around the perimeter of Harvey's prison to reach me, I saw the terrible truth of him in his eyes. He wasn't just willing to hurt and kill me. He wanted to. I dodged to the side at the last moment, but he compensated and hit me in the ribs, falling on top of me as I felt my shoulder crack painfully into the concrete floor. I tried to get away from him, but his hands were clawing at my shoulders and head as he tried to leverage himself into a better position atop me. In a second, he'd be on my back, and then it all be over. So I did the only thing I had left to do.

I took the hammer and swung it hard at his head. The effect was immediate. His limbs went limp as he started to slide off me. I thought for a moment he was dead, but then his eyes started to flutter open as blood dripped down onto his eyelashes. By the time I was on my feet, his gaze was steady and hot as he started reaching for me again. Enough of this. It was time to be done. It was time to pay.

I stepped behind Rusty and wrapped my arm around his neck. He struggled weakly at first, but then he saw I didn't mean to choke him out. Instead, I was dragging both of us inside of Harvey's circle. He began screaming and wailing then, a newfound strength borne out of terror, making it hard to hold onto him as I crossed into the hidden salt threshold. Gritting my teeth, I clung on tightly and fell backwards, using my weight to yank him the rest of the way inside. Harvey was over us now, the air darkening as he took shape.

He didn't look like a particular animal now. Or perhaps he looked like several. He had the broad, emaciated head of a starving bear perched on shoulders that were almost ape-like, except they terminated in arms that were closer to entwined branches than flesh and bone. His hands, thin and well-articulated bits of clay and stone, reached out to Rusty's face even as the man let out a pig-like squeal of terror. I smelled something foul and realized he had shit himself. And I couldn't help but feel some dark satisfaction at the depth of his well-deserved fear.

I looked up at Harvey and grimaced. Do it. End him. End both of us if you need to. Just let me get you out first. I accept the price that has to be paid. Harvey's gaunt countenance seemed to frown slightly at that. No, Tommy. You misunderstand. Death is not the price. Death is no punishment at all. and Rusty's price is for him alone. Rusty had sank into petrified silence, but his mind wasn't gone, at least not yet.

He was listening carefully to what we were saying. I looked at Harvey in confusion as I checked my grip on Rusty's neck and wrapped my arms around his own. What then? What are you going to do to him? Harvey looked almost sad. My kind call it being made dim. It is the worst punishment we have. Rusty will be bound to this place forever. Here, but not here.

Seeing but unseen. Knowing but unknown. A shadow that can never leave, never die, never rest. I swallowed. That's his price for all he has done? Harvey nodded. It is. Can you accept that?

It will only take a moment, but I need him held. still, I'm still too weak to do it myself. I didn't know what to say. I know he deserved it, but the enormity of condemning someone to that kind of hell. That's when Rusty spoke up. You can talk? All this time, you could talk? I dedicated my life to you, taught you so much, and you never said a word to me.

But you talk to him. Like I'm not even here. Harvey's gaze flared as he registered Rusty, and I felt, him began to tremble under the creature's glare. While I wasn't afraid exactly, I couldn't help but hold my breath. Even in his diminished state, Harvey looked somehow regal. You were never worth speaking to. Never, my friend. You were nothing. And you'll soon be less than that. His eyes went back to me. Are you able to help in this? Rusty was trying to twist to see me as he stammered out words,

fast and hard. Tommy, don't do it, man. I'm messed up. I know it. But I'm your brother. I love you. This thing,

I think you'd mess with me. Maybe do bad things. It's some kind of messed up monster. I don't blame you for abandoning me, for leaving me with it. But I need you now. We can beat it together. Just don't let it...

Shut up. I felt rusty tense slightly. What? I said shut up. I should have stopped you. when we were kids, but I can't change that. But I can sure as shit stop you from hurting him or anyone else again. Rusty gritted his teeth.

You picking that thing, that monster over your own brother? I dug my forearm into his neck so hard I felt his tendons creak. The only monster down here is you. Looking up at Harvey, I nodded. Do it. It really did happen quickly. Harvey trailed his fingers over Rusty's face before pressing hard against his forehead. In a deeper, rumbling voice, he spoke a phrase as Rusty began to wail again for the final time.

And then Rusty was just gone. It was strange because it wasn't like he vanished. Not exactly. It was more like he was sitting in the corner and I just kept forgetting he was there. I looked around and thought I saw a faint shadow nearby, but when I tried to focus on it, it went away. Turning back to Harvey as I sat up, I asked if that was it. He nodded with a sigh. Rusty's part is finished.

Standing up, I bent down and reached for the hammer. Then let me finish getting you out. It took another twenty minutes to break enough of the barrier to free Harvey, and when I was finished, I set the tools down and asked him if it was time for me to pay my price too. He made a sound that might have been a chuckle as he slowly moved out of the circle. Help me outside, if you will. We can talk about it there. I took his large, slender hands and felt myself wince at how fragile they felt in my grip.

Trying to be gentle, I walked him through the door and into the afternoon sunshine. The moment the light hit him, Harvey began to change. His head filled out and his body thickened from a slight figure to a massive frame that dwarfed my own. All across his body, I could see new leaves and branches growing and feeling. filling in ragged gaps that had been there moments before. And across his broad, barrel chest, I could see flowering moss spreading like deep green fur. I couldn't help but smile at him.

Are you feeling better now? He returned a toothy smile that was somehow warm instead of terrifying. Much better, yes. Good. I almost stopped there, but I felt compelled to go on. Look, I know I've said I'm sorry. Sorry for what we did to you. Sorry for everything you went through.

But I want you to know that I mean it. More than anything in my life, I wish I could take it all back. Harvey nodded. I believe you. I'm sorry for your regret and pain. But that pain isn't the price. Part of the price was what you did there, helping me balance things with Rusty. The other part, well, it's up to you if you want to pay it.

I frowned. I told you I'll pay whatever price you think is fair. I know I deserve it. The rumble that might have been a chuckle rose from his throat again. Hear what it is first, then decide. When I nodded, he went on. Your sadness and regret are based on what you know, but there is much that you do not know. I can show you everything that Rusty did.

I remember. I can show you what my time in that you do. that circle was like, you will know and feel it as profoundly as if it were your own memories. And unlike some memories, these will not fade with age. Or you can choose not to see those things and go your own way. I raised an eyebrow. What do you mean, go my own way? Tommy, you are my friend, but the love of a friendship is a precious thing.

It must be paid for just like everything else. If you are willing to see the rest, the whole truth, we will remain friends forever. I will be going back to my land soon, but it may be that our paths would still cross from time to time, and in between you will always be in my heart. And if I don't see the whole truth, if I don't pay the full price? Our paths will never cross again, and while I'll still love you, our pact of friendship will be broken. My legs trembling. I met his eyes as I stepped forward. I think I understand. Show me, Harvey. I won't try to describe all the terrible things he revealed to me, the torture and the cruelty he

endured, the slow rot of rusty soul as he continued to feed his darker appetites. I saw many, many things, and when it was all over, I lay in a broken heap on the ground, weeping. After some time, I felt Harvey's large hand gently stroking my back. You have done well, Tommy. I know it wasn't easy. I looked up at him and smiled. It wasn't, but it's nothing compared to what you went through. Harvey sat down next to me and shrugged his large shoulders. It wasn't always as bad as that. Where I'm from, there's no such thing as sleep or dreams. At least not as you know them. But while I can't truly sleep, I can submerge myself, live inside myself.

It makes it easier to survive, to stay sane. I rubbed my face. So you did that a lot? Stayed inside yourself? Not at first, no. I hoped Rusty would change his mind or you might come back. But as time passed, I saw a little hope of anything getting better. So I sunk deep inside myself for longer and longer periods.

It was a selfish thing for me to do. I frowned. Why is that selfish? You were being tortured. Harvey's eyes flickered as he looked at me. You didn't see any memories of Rusty killing anyone, did you? Of him using me to kill anyone. I shook my head.

That's because I was buried down during those times. I still did it, and I know I did it, but at the time, well, I can't dream, but that's what I imagined having a dream must be like, a nightmare. He stood up with a soft wrestling sound. I still have my price to pay for that, too. He looked troubled for a moment before offering me a smile. But that's for later. For now, I'm glad I had some time with you again.

I stood up too, a knot growing in my stomach. It sounds like you're about to go. He nodded. It's time, but it may be that we see each other again someday. I really hope that we do. Before I could say anything else, he reached forward and pulled me into a tight embrace. My feet barely brushed the ground as my face was buried in a soft bed of fragrant, furry moss. I found myself crying again a little as I hugged him back.

But I realized I wasn't really sad anymore, just grateful, because I realized that the final price Harvey had asked me to pay hadn't been a punishment. It had been a gift. It freed me from any guilt about Rusty's fate, and sharing the burden of Harvey's pain rather than making me feel weighted down. It made me feel lighter and happier, made me hate myself less, because I had finally stood by my friend after all this time. I had done the right thing for once in my life.

and I had helped stop a monster from ever hurting anyone, including me again. I gave Harvey another hug as I began to sink back to the ground. He was starting to fade away, and in a matter of moments I was watching as a large leaf devil world and danced out of sight. I waved a final time and began walking toward my car with a smile on my face. I knew I would miss him in time. I knew I'd miss Rusty as well, but for now, all of that seemed very deep. distant and unimportant compared to the wonderful truth burning in my heart.

We were both finally free.