Draw Down the Moon by E M Graham

Author:E M Graham [E M Graham]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: One Ear Press
Published: 2023-05-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

When I burst in through my back door, I was surprised to see the clock only showing seven thirty. How could it still be so early? All the lights were on, the dishes piled up in the sink, Archie himself was helping to clean off the tomato sauce and cheese. It was the picture of normality.

I didn’t bother shooing the cat away from the dishes or checking to see who was home on this Thursday evening. I headed straight for the basement door.

‘Ralph, come out. I need to talk with you.’ Still breathing hard, I pulled the chain on the lightbulb. The light grew rather than flashed, the ancient bulb reluctantly coming to life.

Bel’s sensible explanation for everything that had happened to me had fled my mind already. I knew what I knew, and Ralph was real. His existence was inherent proof that it was all real.

The door to the steamer trunk opened and he came out with a yawn, rubbing his eyes.

‘Wot y’want, then?’ he mumbled as he stretched. He opened his eyes a fraction. ‘Where’s m’cake?’

‘No time for cake. I need you to look at this.’ I thrust the open drawing pad in front of him. He blinked slowly and took it in his hand, then sat on his cushion.

‘You’ve gone and done it now, then, haven’t you?’

He had articulated my worst fear. If Mum was right, then I had the ability to create the future from my drawings, which meant I had killed, or was in the process of killing, Selena. I lowered myself with some difficulty to the cushion opposite him and hung my head in my hands. I may have moaned out loud.

‘Now, don’t be getting on like that.’ He squirmed and slapped the paper pad on to the table. ‘I was joking. It’s not… I’m sure you haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘Really?’ I lifted my head and searched his face. ‘Can you one hundred percent assure me that I didn’t cause… that?’

He scratched under his hat and shrugged. ‘I dunno,’ he said. His voice had taken on a whiny tone. ‘Don’t be putting it all on me. You’re the only one who knows what you did or didn’t do. You’ve got to take responsibility for yourself.’

‘But I didn’t do it!’ I cried. ‘I only drew it. I didn’t even try to draw it, it all just happened.’

‘There you go then,’ he said, leaning back in relief. ‘You didn’t need to ask me, did you?’

‘But what am I going to do?’

‘With what?’

‘With this!’ I hit the drawing pad with both hands. ‘What do you think I’m talking about?’

He slid the paper toward him and studied it for a moment. ‘It’s not bad. Not to my taste, but some might like it. S’pose you could frame it.’

I scowled at him across the low table.

‘You know I don’t mean that,’ I said. I shifted my left foot a little as a cramp was twinged in my calf.

‘Well, say what you mean then.’

I took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly as I gathered my thoughts.

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