Max had just caught his breath. To say he was settled down at all would be like waiting for a drone bee to take a nap. He couldn’t stop moving sure that if he did he would tumble down deeper into hell. This must be hell. But on his tree he could only climb and swing so far. In this wide open space of creepy fog and smelly swamp he felt caught up a tree. So he tucked the treasure in his pocket and began to climb and swing and move from branch to branch like a monkey in a zoo.

During one nicely straddled swing around a branch Max saw something flash to one side. Light? Like a crack in the mist a stream of something almost white shot through. Max got excited and stood up. He stretched to look. Something floated down, bright and white. Shit, that had to be something good right? All sparkly god like white. 

He hung on and leaned forward. It was...a flower? A fucking flower! 

Just as he was about to curse and sink back down to the monkey swings the entire tree began to shake. As if it was pulling out of its non existing roots the whole trunk rocked back and forth so hard Max sat down and wrapped his arms and legs around a branch. 

“Get out the ankh!” Thad shouted from somewhere.

“The what?” Max knew the voice and hearing it made him realize something was really going on.”Where the hell have you been? Now you show up! Leave me here you dick head.”

“Shut up and think.” Now that sounded like Thad alright and Max had to smile realizing how much he missed that part of him. He reached into his pocket and the tree gave one big vibration. As if being carried away by a slow moving stream or caught in a breeze the whole tree began to move. Max stood up like a figurehead on the bow and thrusted the treasure he had fought for all around in the air. It was his flashlight with no light, key with no door. 

He was beginning to enjoy the trip when from below the sounds of erie shrill cries began to snarl and howl as if they had caught a scent. They smelled the flower. Max didn’t have to turn around and look at all to know whatever the fuck was down there was coming.

“Faster! Faster!” Max waved the silly new age thing all around and above him. He tugged at the branch as if trying to pull it along. He kicked at the trunk. He swung up onto a higher branch. “Giddyup, Ya stiff assed piece of hard wood.” 

Everything below was catching the same stream the same build up of flowering light and swarming to find that damn door and explode out. Max was coming first, damn straight with that. He climbed to the very top, the thinnest stick, the least support, holding the damn key crap thing over his head.

“Veti!” He screamed as the pace got quicker and flower spread open. “Come with me Babe!” 

As if her name brought her to him through the pedals of the white flower he saw her, or thought he did, and didn't care if it was real or not. Since when didn’t he just jump at any chance of Veti. So he did. He sprang off the tree, ankh thingy in front of him, and flew from his safe spot out through the tree. Like a cannon, like a shot, there came Max.

He sprang onto Veti like a magnet to metal. His whole body drawn to her. He managed to hang on to the hell treasure as he let his arms wrap around her, falling into her and on top of her.

Max only thought of Veti. It was Thad the little guy with not near the power or the push who trickled behind him, looked to the others in a panic, and pointed to the tree. “Better quick close the door or all of hell will be here soon enough.” That was all he could say in his brief time before he melted into Max.