Hal smiled and promised to himself he would watch the next episodes of Penny Dreadful as soon as possible. He looked at her going back in the sewer, and sat on the sidewalk, exhausted.

In general, he had appreciated the adventure. He had only two regrets: not be able to tell Jane about it, and not be able to interview Death for his thesis.

His thesis... His normal life... He felt ready to take them up again where he had left them. He had no doubt that Halloween’s world, symbolized by the weight of the watch in his pocket, would come in his life again. He had nothing against it, but meanwhile, he would sincerely enjoy 2017’s commodities and rationality.

Before taking the metro to go back to Jane, his thesis, his job and his life, he had one last thing to do. He took his phone out of his pocket and called his dad.

- Hello Dad? It’s me... Sorry for calling so early... No, I’m OK... Sorry, it’s a very weird question, but did Mum die long ago before I was born?

There was a long silence, then his father said with a broken voice:

- So you know... I’m sorry, I’ve never told you anything, I was so afraid, I thought I was mad...

- It’s OK, Dad. And I have evidence we’re not mad. I’ll tell you at Christmas when I’ll be back home, OK?

They had a small talk for a while, then Hal got the metro and came back home. He opened the door cautiously, in case Jane would have been still asleep, but he had the surprise to see her in the kitchen. She wore lace pants with a too large tee-shirt and was sit in front of a gargantuan breakfast.

- There is sugar-free porridge for models, she teased him.

He smiled, sat and took the Nutella’s pot.

- How was Hair-in-the-shower?

- Really good, I was surprised. What about your evening?

- Probably much less interesting than yours, he answered, dunking a muffin’s bit into Nutella with one hand and mechanically skimming his watch’s lid with the other.