Dear Reverend Phillips,

Hi my name is Billy and I'm 9 and my best friend is my imaginary twin brother named Duke.  Duke and me have been best friends since I was a baby.  When mom and dad got divorced and my dog was run over Duke was my only friend left. 

When dad gets me on Saturday he doesn't like Duke and says he can't come with us because he isn't real.  I said he is too real and that we're brothers and we tell each other secrets.  Dad says that when I sleep he'll take Duke into the woods and shoot him.  Dad's funny.

My mom says that when grandma died her soul went to heaven and she says everyone else has got a soul, too.  So I asked her if me and Duke would go to heaven and she said Duke couldn't go because he's imaginary.  That's stupid. 

I mean, you can't see Duke, but you can't see God either, so what's the problem?

What if he does something really, really nice?  Duke's real good and he helps people and he always eats my corn for me so I don't have to.  Duke says his prayers with me every night and he even says that God talks back to him.  Duke says God is really nice but that he's watching me all the time like Santa Claus so I better not be bad. 

Since only I can see Duke, does that mean that God can't see him, either?  Mom says only I can see him, so I guess that means God can't see him, right?  And since Duke doesn't get Christmas presents, he's not on either of Santa's lists either, right?  If Duke kills someone, will he go to hell?  He shouldn't, if he can't go to heaven.  So can Duke do whatever he wants? 

Sometimes Duke tries to kill the cat.  That's a secret.  I don't know why Duke doesn't like the cat.  I think he's angry cause he doesn't get to go to heaven with me.  So what if Duke goes to heaven instead of me and I can stay here and take care of the cat?

Signed,

Billy Cashman