The Henry Cole Chronicles The Tree Hollow

Written by

Shawn Michael Bertucci

Copyright (C) 2017 Shawn Bertucci. All Rights Reserved

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Chapter 4: Through the Hollow

The storm lasted through the night and carried into the following day. As the dark clouds continued to linger high above his neighborhood, saturating the rooftops below, Henry found himself sitting upstairs at his desk, mulling over the previous evening’s chain of events.

His father had volunteered to drive Emma home shortly after their conversation, citing the weather was only scheduled to get worse, and, when he returned, cornered Henry in his bedroom.

“Listen, Henry,” his father had said, leaning against the door with his arms folded and head bowed. “I… I don’t want you visiting Mr. Deter anymore.”

“What? Why?” Henry had asked. His father had hesitated, looking as though he

wanted to say more. Instead, he had rubbed his forehead and said, “Just...just trust me on this.”

Trust me. After what he had told Deter, Henry’s father

expected him to just... trust him? Henry spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to

forget what he had heard. He tried working on his story, listening to music. At one point, he even went downstairs and tried watching television with Mary in the living room. Despite his best efforts, however, Henry found his thoughts returning to the conversation his father had had with Deter. The heated exchange continued to play over and over again in his head as if on loop while the same list of questions

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continued to plague him. What was his father hiding? How did he know Deter? Why were they no longer friends? Henry tried calling Emma to bounce ideas off of

her, but no one ever picked up. As the evening wore on, Henry’s curiosity began to

grow stronger and stronger until, around nightfall, he finally reached a decision. If his own father wouldn’t tell him the truth then there was always another way.

The following morning, Henry dressed silently and headed downstairs. The kitchen was deserted, and, as he gazed out the window, he noticed the rain had finally stopped. He checked the garage, hoping his father had gone to work and was relieved to see that his car was missing.

Perfect. Henry quickly devoured a bowl of cereal and then

headed for the front door. He briefly considered calling Emma but figured she was probably still asleep. He suddenly wondered why she had never returned his calls from the previous day.

“You’re up early.” Henry froze with one hand on the front doorknob.

He slowly turned around and saw his mother coming down the staircase.

“Yeah, I was running over to Emma’s,” he quickly said.

“Oh, well, have fun,” his mother replied.

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Henry nodded and opened the door.

As Deter’s house loomed closer and closer, Henry began to second-guess his plan. He felt bad for lying to his mother. He hadn’t anticipated it, but if his father found out where he was going, he would be in a world of trouble. Henry thought of the vow his father had made to Deter, and his resolve tightened.

Henry pulled into Deter’s driveway a few minutes later and climbed off his bike. He had no idea what time it was, and as he approached the front door, he suddenly hoped that Deter would answer. Henry raised his right hand, hesitated, and then began to knock.

Henry waited for a few minutes, but no one answered.

Had his father’s threats actually worked? Was Deter avoiding him now?

Henry looked over at the driveway. The green pickup truck was still there. He knocked again. Louder. Eventually, he heard a lock release, and the door swung open. Deter stepped outside and looked at Henry. He was already dressed in an old gray suit, despite the hour.

“Henry,” Deter greeted with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What are you doing here? And so early?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” Henry replied. “And I’m sorry, but it really couldn’t wait.”

Deter paused and looked over Henry’s shoulder. He seemed conflicted.

“Alright, come in, come in.”

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Henry followed Deter inside his house and shut the door. They walked back into the dining room and took a seat at the long wooden table facing the even larger window.

“How can I help you?” Deter said. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

“You and my father,” Henry replied. Deter stared at him. He almost looked…impressed. “I heard the conversation you both had after dinner

the other night,” Henry said. “Well. It was more of an argument. And I saw the photo of you two the day I helped you unpack. I didn’t mean to pry. It was just…kind of hard to miss.”

Deter folded his hands and considered him. “Please,” Henry said, clenching his fist and

knocking on the table. “I know it’s probably none of my business, but… I just want to know why my dad is lying to me. How do you know each other? What happened between you two?”

Deter stared out into the backyard, his eyes locked onto the enormous tree. After a moment, he turned and looked at Henry.

“Your father has forbidden me from telling you anything, and in spite of our…differences, I do respect him and his decisions.”

“Please,” Henry said. Deter turned away, and Henry looked down at the table. “But...” Henry looked up. “I don’t condone lying.”

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Deter stared out at the tree again. He appeared lost in thought. “I suppose…Yes, I suppose you could say all of this started with a place called…Genatonti.” “Genatonti?” Henry asked. The name sounded like something out of a fantasy book. “Where’s Genatonti?” Deter smirked. “Very, very far away.” Henry frowned. “Tell me, Henry Cole,” Deter said, leaning forward in his seat. “Do you believe in other worlds?” Henry stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed. “Like, other planets? Sure. I mean, I guess so.” Deter shook his head. “No, I’m not talking about other planets. I’m talking about other worlds, worlds that are completely separate from our own reality.”

Henry continued to stare at him. “Uhm, yeah? Why not? What does this have to do with you and my father?” Deter leaned back in his seat. “Everything.” He glanced out his window, thinking. “Follow me,” Deter suddenly ordered. Confused, Henry stood up and trailed after him. They walked out into Deter’s backyard and came to a halt in front of the enormous tree.

Deter took a deep breath and turned around to face Henry. “There really isn’t a preamble for something like this. So, I’m just going to show you.” “Ok…” Henry said. “But before I do, I must have your word that you will not tell a single soul about what you see.” Henry immediately thought of Emma. “Wait. Why?”

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“Your word, Henry.” Henry hesitated, looking at Deter and then over at the tree. “I… I promise.” Deter clapped his hands together. “Ok.” He approached the tree and examined it. “Now, I told you before that I used to travel a lot when I was younger. Well, your father accompanied me on some of these trips.” “He traveled to…Genatonti with you?” Henry asked. “My father…? Who’s never even been outside of the state?” “Yes.” “How is that possible?” Deter grinned and turned around. He placed his hand directly above the trees hollow and closed his eyes. He moved it across the bark as if he were searching for something. After a moment, Deter opened his eyes. “There we go.” He looked over at Henry. “Are you watching closely?”

Henry simply stared at him. Deter pushed into the tree’s bark and then took a

step back. At first, nothing happened. And then, slowly but surely, the tree’s hollow began to grow, larger and larger. Until, finally, it was big enough for Henry and Deter to walk through.

Henry wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking at. It was as if his mind was incapable of grasping what his eyes were telling him. “How… is that possible?”

Deter laughed as he leaned forward onto his cane. “I think you’ll soon realize there aren’t many things that aren’t impossible.”

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Henry stood, frozen. He stared at the tree and then back at Deter.

Deter motioned towards its entrance. “After you…” Henry slowly approached the tree hollow. It was

emitting a soft glow. He paused, looked at Deter again, and then numbly walked inside.

Henry entered what appeared to be a long tunnel. He could hear Deter hobbling in behind him and turned around just in time to see the entrance close. Henry hesitated for a moment and then forced himself to move forward.

Henry and Deter trekked through the tunnel for several minutes. The glow seemed to grow brighter and brighter with each step they took. After a while, Henry began to feel a warm, tingling sensation spread through his body. All of his fears and worries seemed to melt away, and he suddenly felt…stronger. Powerful. As if he was capable of taking on anything that came his way. Henry had never felt anything like it before in his entire life. It was almost intoxicating. He wondered if Deter was experiencing the same thing.

Up ahead, it looked as though they were reaching the end of the passage. Henry began to move faster, and he could hear Deter following suit.

And then, they were suddenly out. Henry blinked and looked around. They were in a

forest of some sort, except the trees were enormous, towering above them like skyscrapers.

“Whoa,” Henry muttered.

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Deter walked up beside him. “Come on. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Henry watched Deter walk off and suddenly realized that he was no longer using his cane. He glanced back at the large tree they had just exited out of, looked at Deter, and then trailed after him.

Henry and Deter slowly made their way through the

thick patch of woods, occasionally having to walk around one of its massive trees. Their trunks were as wide as Deter’s house, and as Henry looked up at the dark canopy of leaves above them, he could see streaks of light attempting to break through it. They passed through the descending pillars of light and eventually reached a break in the woods. Henry and Deter stepped through it and walked out onto a large grass covered hill.

Henry’s breath caught in his throat. “This… can’t be real,” he muttered.

“Welcome to Genatonti,” Deter said. Laid out below them were wide, sloping plains that

seemed to stretch out for miles and miles. He could see a small gray town not too far from where they were standing and above it…a dragon. At least, it looked like a dragon. It was enormous, green, and reptilian, except its wings, were made of fire. The creature released a bellowing roar as it soared over the town.

The sound of rushing water made Henry look over to his right, and he suddenly realized they were standing next to a massive mountain. A waterfall was pouring from out of a large fissure and draining into a gulley below them.

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A few turtles were floating lazily around in it, and each one had large spikes protruding from their shells. Every now and then, a spark of electricity flew off of one.

“What…are those?” Henry asked, taking a step back.

Deter peered over the edge. “Oh, those?” he said with a laugh. “They’re called Hydrixes. Think electric eels. Completely harmless, though.”

“Right,” Henry said, looking back over the edge. He noticed the water had suddenly changed colors from blue to purple.

“Come,” Deter said. Henry gave the gulley one last look and followed

after him. They hiked a worn trail that led up into the

mountain. They climbed for what felt like an hour. Henry was surprised at how…rejuvenated Deter appeared. He was no longer relying on his cane, and he had a certain kind of energy about him. They passed by a row of flowers that seemed to be…sleeping. They were all hunched over, and their stems were slowly moving in and out as if they were breathing.

“Try not to wake them,” Deter whispered. “They’re not exactly what you would call ‘morning people.’”

Henry nodded and carefully crept passed them. Eventually, Henry and Deter reached a large cliff

face and took a seat at its edge. It offered an incredible view. Henry could see the gray town from before except it was much, much smaller. Especially in comparison to the forest that was sitting next to it. The wood was populated

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with the same skyscraper-trees Henry had seen upon originally stepping out of the tree hollow. Beyond the town, he could see a large blue ocean and what appeared to be a tentacle of some sort sinking into its depths.

“I know all of this is a lot to take in,” Deter said. “I figured you could use some fresh air.”

Henry simply nodded as he looked out across the wide plains lying below them.

“This is…incredible,” Henry muttered. Deter smirked. “Like I said, you haven’t seen

anything yet.” They sat there for a moment. “You know, my grandfather took me here during

my first visit, and I took your father here during his.” Henry looked at Deter. “So, this is what he was

trying to hide from me. Why?” “It’s complicated.” “Try me.”

“I’m not sure if I’m the right person to tell you.” “You’re the only person. My dad won’t talk to me.

Why is that?” Deter rubbed his hands together uncertainly. “You’ve just shown me another world. What can be

bigger than that?” Deter considered him. “Before…before I say

anything, you must understand that your father isn’t perfect. He’s human, like you and me.”

“Right,” Henry said slowly. Deter looked off into the distance. “When my

grandfather first brought me here, we made a promise to…

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make Genatonti a better place. To help in any way we could. Now, it may seem perfect and pristine on the surface, and it truly is an incredible place. But, like anything else, it has its own faults. We tried to fix them, and after my grandfather died, I carried on his legacy. When I met your father, he reminded me a lot of myself, not unlike you, actually. He was a bit of a loner, observant, and quick as a whip. I introduced him to Genatonti in the hopes that he would help me in my crusade, but he had...other ideas.”

“What were they?” Henry asked. “When we travel to this world, we are affected in

ways even I still don’t fully understand.” “I felt it,” Henry said. “When we were walking

through the tree hollow; I felt...different. Stronger.” “Exactly,” Deter replied. “The only real comparison

I can make is- think of it as landing on the moon. But instead of being able to float and bounce around, we are given extraordinary abilities.”

“Abilities?” Henry asked, “You mean, like...super powers.”

“Kind of,” Deter replied with a small smirk. “And do you have one? An ability?” Henry asked. “I do,” Deter replied with a nod. Henry stared at him. “Prove it.” Deter grinned and held out his hand. It began to

glow orange and red. Smoke started to pour from it. And then, it caught on fire.

Henry immediately leaped back. “Holy shit! I mean, cow.”

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Deter clenched his fist, and the fire vanished. “No one knows what kind of ability they have. You have to discover it on your own, and it takes a lot of practice and experience to master it.”

Henry glanced at his own hand, expecting fire to erupt from it as well. Then, he looked at Deter.

“My dad had an ability too. Didn't he?” “He did.” “What was it?” “That I can’t say,” Deter replied. “It may influence

the development of your own, and it is important that it happens naturally.”

Henry looked down. “I can tell you, however, that he was very gifted. I

had never met anyone like him.” “What happened between you two, then?” Henry

asked. Deter frowned. “We had differing opinions on how

to use our abilities. I wanted to help people, but your father...”

“What?” Henry asked. “He wanted to use it for his own personal gain. He

wanted more. He sought to conquer and control.” A silence fell between them. “My dad…?” Henry asked. “I’m sorry,” Deter immediately said. “If you don’t

believe me, I understand. He is your father after all.” Henry looked down at his hands. None of this made

any sense. Henry knew his own father. He was one of the most selfless people he had ever met. He worked in an

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ordinary office. He was a loving husband who lived a quiet, suburban life. He could never have been the person Deter was describing…some kind of evil, power-hungry, would-be-tyrant. He just couldn’t have been. And yet… Henry’s mind kept pulling him back to the night Deter had come over for dinner. The way his father had been acting. Henry had never seen him behave like that before. He had even told Emma so. Henry could still hear the fear and anger in his father’s voice when he had confronted Deter. He could still hear the sound of him hitting Deter. Henry looked over at Deter who had been watching him with solemn eyes. “I’m very sorry, Henry,” Deter said again. “I didn’t want to say anything and ruin the image you have of your father.” Henry shook his head. “I just don’t get it. Why would he invite you over to dinner in the first place?” he asked, echoing Emma’s question. “Was it only just to threaten you?”

“Oh, no, no,” Deter said, shaking his head. “Nothing so simple.”

“Well, what was it then?” Deter drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “The

last time we were here, your father and I, we got into a fight. Which wasn’t unusual. We frequently argued and fought near the end of our run. But this time was different. We were both very upset with each other, very angry. We fought like we had never fought before. It happened right over there, actually.”

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He pointed at the small gray town sitting next to the forest. “Right in front of Petralliver…lovely place by the way, with lovely people. Very quaint. A friend of mine lives there. Anyways...”

Deter stared at the town. “Your father and I were so evenly matched, and our

powers had reached such an intensity that we ended up destroying each other.”

“What do you mean?” Henry asked. Deter laughed in disbelief and said, “I honestly

couldn’t tell you. I still can’t wrap my head around it myself. All I remember is waking up in my own bed, back in our world, with no recollection that Genatonti even existed.”

He gritted his teeth. “I had forgotten everything. I spent the next twenty years searching for this place, trying to find a way back, without knowing what it was I was even searching for.”

There was a pain in Deter’s expression, and Henry didn’t know what to say. After a moment, he asked, “How did you find it again?”

Deter sighed and rubbed his eyes. “My grandfather’s house…” He looked over at Henry. “For some reason, it kept calling out to me, but I could never understand why. I would often come back and visit, hoping it would stir something inside of me. But it never did. I recently decided to buy the house back in the vain hope that I would be able to solve its mystery once and for all. And I did. A few days before I met you, actually… I had searched the entire house from bottom to top, trying to find

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something, anything that would lead me in the right direction. And then, I entered my grandfather’s old bedroom. I searched around and then came to a window. I looked out into the backyard, and there it was. That beautiful, ancient tree. And I remembered. I remembered everything.”

Deter turned away. For a moment, they sat in silence. And then, Henry asked, “So, my father lost his memory too. That’s why he couldn’t remember who you were.”

“I believe so, yes.” Henry bit his lip, thinking. “Is that why you agreed

to come over for dinner the other night? To see if his memory had been affected?”

“Partially,” Deter replied. “Well, then, what was the real reason?” “The real reason?” Deter considered the question.

“Well. If I were to be completely honest, I would say the real reason I came over that night was because of you.”

“Me?” “Yes.” “Why me?” Deter smirked. “Henry Cole, I knew exactly who

you were from the moment I first saw you. You’re the spitting image of your father, especially when he was your age. And yet, at the same time...you’re both so very different. You see, when I first introduced your father to this world, he wanted to help make Genatonti a better place. He truly did. But, in the end, he let his own power corrupt him. And it cost both of us...so much.”

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Henry shifted in his seat. “When I look at you, I see everything your father

could have been, what he had wanted to be. You’re smart, determined, and more importantly, you have heart. There’s a fire in your eyes and a drive to do great things. I can see it. All you need is...an opportunity.”

“And…what? Did you have something in mind?” Deter grinned. “As a matter of fact, I did.” “Which is…?” “How would you like to join me in my crusade?” Henry didn’t know what to say. “You...you want me

to help you?” “Yes,” Deter replied simply. “But…but.” Henry tried to digest this. “What about

my father? What about the history between you two?” “Henry,” Deter said. “Your father had his chance.

And I mean that with the utmost respect. I’m simply offering you the same opportunity.”

Henry looked down, his eyebrows furrowed. “Now, don’t feel as if you have to give me an

answer straight away. Like I said before, I know all of this is a lot to take in. It was only a suggestion. Take your time, think about it.”

Henry nodded, his mind suddenly buzzing. He looked out at the forest sitting next to Petralliver. Petralliver…where Deter and his father had last fought. And now, Deter wanted his help.

“It’s called The Belt, by the way.” “Excuse me?” Henry turned to look at Deter. “The forest,” Deter replied, pointing at where Henry

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had been staring. “Oh, right.” “I’m not entirely sure where it gets its name from. I

suppose it’s because it loops around everything,” Deter said. “But you’ll be surprised at what you can find in there.”

“Really?” “Oh, yes,” Deter replied. “I’ll have to show you the

next time you’re here.” “Next time,” Henry asked. “You mean…I can come

back?” “Of course,” Deter said with a laugh. “If you would

like, even if you aren’t interested in my offer, you’re always welcome here.”

“Well…wow. Thank you. Thanks a lot.” Henry was at a loss for words.

“You’re very welcome,” Deter said with a nod. The same question from before suddenly crossed

Henry’s mind. “But what about my father? I mean, he didn’t want me coming over here in the first place.”

“We’ll work something out. There’s always a way,” Deter reassured. He checked his watch, which Henry noticed he wore upside down. “Speaking of which, I think it’s about time I get you back. I have a lot to be going on, and I don’t want your parents worrying.”

“And what is it you do exactly?” Henry asked. “Oh. You’ll see,” Deter replied with a smirk. Henry shook his head, smiling in spite of himself.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about my parents,” he said as they both stood up. “My dad’s at work and I told my

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mom that I was over at Emma’s.” Henry suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He wouldn’t be

able to tell Emma about any of this. He glanced over at The Belt and saw a tribe of what

looked like half-human, half-spider hybrids emerge from the forest. All of them were brandishing spears and appeared to be shouting.

How could he possibly keep all of this from her? “Henry?” Henry turned around. Deter was staring at him

curiously. “Are you ready?” “Yeah…Yeah, I am.”

Henry followed Deter back down the mountain,

using the same trail from before. The trek down didn’t seem to take nearly as long as the hike had going up. They passed by the same row of sleeping flowers from before except, now, they were all wide-awake and bickering with each other.

“I’m telling you, you’re sitting in my spot,” a flower with a red stem was arguing.

Another flower with a blue stem sighed next to it. “How am I sitting in your spot? We’ve literally been rooted here our entire lives.”

The flower with the red stem noticed Henry. “And what are you staring at, tiny?”

“Keep moving,” Deter said. “Just ignore them.” “Yeah, that’s right, you better run!” But they’re not even running,” the blue-stemmed

flowed said. “They’re literally walking. How do you not

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notice these things?” Henry and Deter eventually made their way out of

the mountain and headed back into the forest towards the tree hollow. The light seemed to diminish as they re-entered the wood. Henry suddenly had no idea how Deter was going to find their way home. All of the trees looked the same. Deter, however, appeared to know exactly where they were going.

They hiked through the forest for close to fifteen minutes. Then, Deter suddenly stopped in front of a seemingly random tree. He placed his hand directly above its hollow and ran it across the tree’s bark.

“There we go,” Deter muttered. He pressed his hand into the tree, waited, and then, took a step back.

“How did you know which one was ours?” Henry asked as the tree hollow began to grow.

“I could hear it,” Deter replied. “You could hear it?” Henry asked. “How?” “By listening… After you?” Deter motioned

towards the entrance. Henry stepped into the hollow. “This particular tree is a bridge that connects our

world and Genatonti,” Deter explained as he followed in after him. “Therefore, it’s connected to us as well. If you listen carefully, you can hear its heartbeat. The closer you are, the louder it is. The farther away, the softer it is.”

“How wasn’t I able to hear it before?” Henry asked as the hollow closed behind them.

“You weren’t paying attention. It takes practice.

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You have to give your ears time to adjust.” “Right,” Henry said. Henry and Deter made their way through the dark

tunnel. As they drew closer and closer to its exit, Henry noticed the sense of invincibility, the sense of power he had felt upon entering Genatonti start to fade.

Soon, they arrived back in Deter’s backyard. Henry squinted as his eye’s tried to readjust to the afternoon sun. Afternoon.

“How long were we in Genatonti for?” Henry suddenly asked.

“A few hours,” Deter replied as he stepped out of the tree hollow. “Why?”

“I was just wondering,” Henry said, looking around. It felt surreal being back like they had just returned from a long vacation. “I mean does time work the same way in Genatonti as it does here?”

“It does,” Deter replied as the tree hollow shrank behind him.

“Good. That’s…good,” Henry said without fully registering what he was saying.

“It feels strange, doesn’t it?” Deter asked. “Being back?”

“It does,” Henry said. “I mean…” The reality of everything suddenly hit him, and he

had trouble breathing. “We just visited another world,” Henry said.

“Another world…” “We did,” Deter said, stepping in front him. He

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gripped Henry’s shoulders. “And now, we’re back. So, just breathe.”

Henry nodded. His head was spinning, and it was taking everything he had to focus.

“Breathe,” Deter said with a laugh. “The same thing happened to your father after his first visit.”

Henry nodded again. After a moment, the nausea began to subside.

“Better?” Deter asked. “A little,” Henry replied. “Good,” Deter said as he leaned onto his cane. He

suddenly looked exhausted. “Now, follow me, and I’ll get us both something to drink.”

Henry took a seat at the long wooden table facing

the even larger kitchen window. He gazed absent-mindedly at the tree as Deter poured both of them a glass of water. Deter hobbled over to the table and sat down next to him.

“Thanks,” Henry said as Deter pushed a glass over to him.

“You’re very welcome,” Deter said. “I mean, for everything,” Henry said. “Thank you

for telling me the truth. Thank you for showing me Genatonti and explaining… what my father wouldn’t.”

“It was my pleasure,” Deter said. Henry glanced over at him and noticed that Deter was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. “Deter?” Henry asked. “Are you…ok?” “Fine, fine,” Deter replied, opening his eyes. “It just takes a toll on my body, going back and forth. Not as strong

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as I once was.” “Right,” Henry said. He drank some of his water. “And… does it help? Being in Genatonti? I noticed you didn’t have to use your cane.” “More than you can possibly imagine,” Deter replied. He glanced at his watch. “Well, I suppose you had better be off.” Henry finished the rest of his water and stood up from the table. “Thanks again, Deter.” Deter nodded. “And I expect I’ll be seeing you again?” “Definitely,” Henry replied. Henry stepped out of Deter’s house and closed the door behind him with a gentle click. He stood there for a moment, glanced over his shoulder, and then headed towards his bike. He picked it up out of the driveway, gave Deter’s house one last look, and left. Henry pulled into his driveway a few minutes later. He noticed the garage door was open and his father’s car was parked inside of it. What was he doing home so early? Henry steered his bike into the garage and then headed inside. Both of his parents were sitting at the kitchen table when he walked in. “Hey,” Henry greeted. “Hey, yourself,” his mother replied. “You’re back early. I figured you would have still been over at Emma’s.” “Yeah, her family had some stuff going on,” Henry said.

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“Did you have fun?” his father asked, looking over at him. “Loads,” Henry replied, stepping into the kitchen. “You’re home early.”

“Yeah, I stopped by for lunch,” his father said, indicating the turkey sandwich that was sitting in front of him. “Right,” Henry replied.

His father was staring intently at him, as if he were trying to read his mind. Henry tried not to look guilty. The phone suddenly rang. “I’ll get it,” Henry said. He walked around the table and picked the phone up from off the wall. “Hello?” “Henry?” “Emma?” “Henry…Henry, please help me.”