Page 3 of Peacemaker

He tore into the food like the starving man he was, and I watched his absolute joy, smiling. He grabbed the bottle of cold Coke, twisted the lid off, then drank half the bottle in one gulp. I said nothing more until the food was gone.

I slid my hand across the table and finally, unable to resist a kind touch, he wrapped his fingers around mine.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“She is the Gatekeeper,” Jin answered, before I could. “The Caretaker. She beckons the lost and wards off those who would do harm to the way station.”

The stranger nodded. “It was the first relief I’d had in…eternity. I heard you. Felt you. And the tormentors quieted and shrank away.” He blinked quickly against the tears that threatened.

“I’ll show you the way,” I told him. “You were lost. The way back won’t be terrible. You’re not meant to be here and Jin is right. You have your paradise to find.” I turned my hand in his and squeezed his fingers. “Are you ready?”

“No,” he whispered, then wiped away the tears on his face, shocked at his ability to cry. “I miss being this.”

“There will be something better waiting,” I promised. “Better than this.” I didn’t really know what was waiting for him, but I couldn’t bear to send him off in despair.

Without another word, I closed my eyes, held tightly to his hand, and found his path. It was like a spark of golden sunlight in the darkness, and when I found it, I latched onto it and gave it to Carson. “There’s your path. Do you see it?”

“I see it.” And finally, there was something in his voice besides reluctance and tears. “I’m going home,” he realized, and I could feel his relief.

He was ready.

“Follow that spark, Carson. Find your way."

I released his hand and the house—the way station—tossed him back into the darkness. But he would find his way, now that he had his bearings.

The body, already beginning to rot, listed sideways and slid from the chair.

Jin was there to catch it.

I hurried from the room, hoping the Jikininki would drag the body from the house before he hunkered down to devour the flesh of the newly dead corpse.