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Alice went over to the laundry basket on the floor, waiting to be washed. She pulled out one of Hugo’s black T-shirts. She slipped it over the pillow. Alice then climbed into bed and clutched the pillow tightly. She laid her head on the pillow.

It smelled of his cologne—the familiar vanilla and cedar scent. The scent convinced her soul Hugo was in the bed with her. One more time. One more time she was in a loving embrace with her best friend, her lover, her fiancé. Yet, when she attempted to wrap her arms around him one last time, the emptiness delivered the disappointing news he was really gone.

She breathed in the last remaining elements of his aura. The intoxicating scent of vanilla and cedar. Her eyes closed as she drifted asleep, holding the T-shirt covered pillow and dreaming of her Hugo.

One last time.

“Hey!” Alice’s reflection yelled. “Get your morose ass out of bed and get in here.”

Alice opened her eyes. “Leave me alone.”

“Get your ass in here right now,” her reflection demanded.

“Why?”

There was a thump, as if her reflection slammed into the side of the mirror. “Get in here, or so help me I’ll scream and you’ll never sleep.”

Alice exhaled her annoyance. She got out of bed, carefully placing the pillow in her spot. She trudged into the bedroom and flipped on the switch. “What?” Alice shouted. “What could you possibly want right now?”

Her reflection glared at her, arms crossed with a look of determination. “Get him back,” Alice’s reflection said. “Bring him back. Right now.”

Alice ran her hand through her purple hair and then smacked the side of her thighs. “How am I going to do that?”

“You’re a witch; figure it out.”

Alice placed her hands on her hips. She furled her eyebrows and turned her head to the side, unable to face her reflection. “With what? There is no body.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care how you do it. Bring. Him. Back!”

“I don’t know how!” Alice shouted.

“Figure it out!”

Alice clutched her head with her hands, trying to calm the pounding sensation. She desperately searched for a thought, any thought, but the overwhelming anger muted her thinking. Her hands fell to her sides. “Shouting won’t bring him back.”

“But you can,” Alice’s reflection said. “You’re a witch. You know witchy things. Ez knows witchy things. Bring him back. Not for me, not for you, but for everyone.”

Alice sighed. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Alice’s reflection paused. She placed her hand toher chin, deep in thought. “What if you don’t bring him back? What if you went to get him?”

“What?”

“What if you went to go get him?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Ez has to know. There has to be some way.”

“Even if I could, do you know what you’re asking me to do?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m asking you to do it.”

“Out of the question.”

“What else are you going to do? Lay around crying all day? Get moving on this. Go. Go. Go.”

“He’s gone,” Alice shouted. “He’s gone. Let him go!”