Page 66 of The Scrooge Effect

“I’m not supposed to be here!” I shouted.

One more buck, and my body went flying through the air like a cannonball. I landed with a hard thud, but it wasn’t dust that kicked up around me.

It was snow.

Shoving my hat out of my eyes, I looked around at the near-blizzard-like conditions swirling around me. Where the hell was I?

Thick gloves kept the worst of the bitter cold from my hands, but my nose was completely exposed to the elements, and every time I breathed, I could feel the snot in my nose freezing.

Breathing heavily, I climbed the short distance to the peak of the mountain and looked over the vast landscape.

I was at the top of the world with no escape in sight.

“I don’t get it,” I whispered. But my words caught on the wind and carried across the mountains like a howl. “What do you want from me?” I shouted. “Tell me what to do! How do I get out of here?”

The wind kicked up until the sound was almost deafening, and then suddenly, everything stopped.

The snow settled on the ground, and the piercing howl of wind died down to nothing at all.

I stood at the peak, looking out at the world with clear eyes. It was so quiet, so peaceful, and so beautiful.

“Just let it go,” a voice whispered on the wind.

“Let it go?” Let my past go? I was ready to do that. I knew what I had to do to move on. But getting out of here was another thing.

“Be free,” the voice whispered again.

“I’m trying, but that’s kind of difficult when I’m stuck on top of a mountain!” I shouted, spinning in a circle in search of the voice.

“Let it go and be free.”

I huffed out a laugh as I spun again and again. “Easier said than done! I can’t be free if I’m stuck on top of the mountain!”

“There’s only one way down.”

I looked at the perilous climb, but all I saw was fog. That didn’t look like a smart way to go. Jerking upright, I nearly sent myself flying backward over the edge of the cliff, and as I wobbled up there, I noticed how clear it was on this side.

And how very much I could make out every rock and detail. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I looked up at the sky again, pissed as hell. “You want me to jump into that?”

The answering response was nothing more than a gentle breeze, as if it was nudging me to the edge.

“That’s ridiculous,” I laughed. “Just jump off a cliff? That’s your big reveal for the end? That’s how I get out of this nightmare?”

I laughed, walking away from the edge, but was once again met with thick fog. There was no getting out of this. No falling through another doorway or appearing on a boat. I was at the top, and I had to make my choice.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” I muttered, glancing back at the edge. “You’re fucking insane!”

I stared into the abyss and knew what I had to do. The good news was, I couldn’t really die. This was a dream, which meant if I did as the voice wanted and handed myself over, I would just wake up somewhere else, at worst. If I was lucky, I would end up back in that church.

“I really fucking hope you love me, Harper.”

And then I ran to the edge and let go.

18

EDU

I jolted upright, my heart racing as sweat dripped down my face. My mouth was stuck open in a scream, but no sound came out.