As soon as all of the cops, ambulances and firetrucks figured out where the survivors were on Skaggs Island, my friends and I left on the wizard’s boat.

He wasn’t able to remove anyone’s memory, but he did mask our departure, making us invisible with Chaos. With the stories the survivors would live to tell, we would be just one more detail in a highly improbable story.

As I rowed back to the boat launch I told Nehemiah, “We did it man. We crossed over to their turf and saved lives. We even stopped the lord of the dead.”

”Psssh. Stopped? More like pissed off. We’re on his blacklist now.”

”But at least we closed the Threshold.”

Nehemiah jutted a thumb into his own chest. “I closed the Threshold. Almost cost me my life. They’ll just open another one. All we did was apply a band aid to a deep wound that needs stitches. We didn’t fix anything.”

”But—” I started.

Nehemiah cut me off. “I’m not finished talking. You almost got all of us and yourself killed Sean. I know you were trying to spare everyone else but we could have tackled Donn together.”

I hung my head. “I guess you were right. I was a little gung-ho.”

”But,” he sighed, “ultimately we saved some lives. That wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t convince me to help.”

I smiled. “So are you going to ditch me again until next week?”

“Me ditch you?” said Nehemiah. “No, the next time I have an emergency you’re helping me for sure. Plus you owe me a new staff.”

---

After we got back to my car, Charice asked me if I was alright. My burst of Luck empowerment had seemingly healed most of my surface wounds.

She had blood stains on her clothes and her purple blouse had tears on the shoulders. “Where are your cuts?” I asked as I inspected her.

She hugged herself reflecting on what happened. “When Donn was blasting me, I felt—”

“Pain?” I asked.

“And power.”

“Are you alright?” I asked her. “That was dark magic he hit you with.”

“Besides all these emotions and needing a shower, I’m okay,” she said. “My wounds are healed, but my back is killing me.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I know a good chiropractor.”