half-conscious dream world, like I’m watching myself from through a window.
At the end of the garden is a gate, almost hidden by overgrown plants. I follow Elyse out of it and beyond, onto a narrow towpath that runs the length of the river. It’s darker still out here until my eyes adjust again and the only light to be seen comes from Gareth Next Door’s, one lone lamp blazing at the top of the house.
‘I know – creepy, isn’t it? That’s Gareth’s room. Whenever I’m out here late at night, his light’s still on. I’d think he was just afraid of the dark, but a few times I’ve caught him at the window – staring into mine and Mel’s bedrooms.’
We’ve had the curtains open all night – she could have told us.
‘So, do you come out here at night a lot?’
‘Yeah, sometimes. I like being outside when I can’t sleep, which is pretty much all the time. There’s never anyone out here, so I can just walk or sit by the river and smoke or whatever.’
‘Don’t you get scared?’
‘Nah. Sometimes there are foxes, and once a deer, but I never really see another person – except Gareth through the window. Anyway,
I’m
the scary one, don’t forget – I’d scare the shit out of anyone who caught me out here.’
‘Aren’t you worried about sneaking out at night? Your dad would kill you if he caught you – well, I mean, I know my mum would.’
‘He’s never even noticed. And if he did, I don’t know if he’d care.’
‘Oh, I—’
‘It’s OK.’ I can sense Elyse shrugging next to me in the dark. ‘You must be thinking it. I bet your mum wouldn’t just go out and leave you alone if you had friends staying the night. She’d, I dunno, make cupcakes or something.’
‘What? No way! My mum has never in her life—’
‘Well, you know what I mean. I saw her; I saw your house. You can see mine isn’t like that. It used to be…when we lived with my mum.’
‘So, did they split up? Do you live here full time now?’
‘Um, actually, my mum died. They were divorced, and we used to live with her. That’s part of the reason why we moved here and had to start at a new school when term had already started.’
‘Oh, shit – Elyse, I am so, so sorry.’
‘Things are a bit rough at the moment, that’s all. It’s not my dad’s fault – it’s not like he
wanted
us to come and live with him all of a sudden, you know? So, it’s a combination of him not being here or, the rest of the time, just letting us do what we want because he feels guilty about my mum.’
We walk slowly along the river, the edge of the bank a silver wire in the moonlight, for a moment.
‘Elyse, can I ask a question?’
‘Yeah?’
‘The books you’re always reading, at school – what are they?’
‘Oh, those… Well, don’t get all… judgy.’
‘I won’t!’
I am too fascinated to be all…anything.
‘I saw how you got with the Ouija board. This is sort of similar. It’s astrology, mostly.’
‘Astrology? Like, what sort of stuff do you mean?’
‘Well, you know I’m kind of into star signs. I’ve been drawing up astrological charts and then using them, like to make predictions. It’s a sort of fortune telling. But then you can use that to influence things, to make other things happen. It really works – I’m getting stronger and stronger. I’m starting to make things happen.’
‘Like what?’
‘Nothing major, just silly things. Using the positions of the planets and the phases of the moon, stuff like that. Making sure that certain things happen when they should. I could probably make it rain next time you want to skip hockey, you know.’
‘Yeah, right…’
She ignores me. ‘I could lend you some books if you like — we could try some stuff together? You’re into reading all sorts of books as well, aren’t you? I promise you, you’ll like it if you give it a try. It’s honestly nothing scary; it’s really interesting. It’s just about harnessing your own power and the
At the end of the garden is a gate, almost hidden by overgrown plants. I follow Elyse out of it and beyond, onto a narrow towpath that runs the length of the river. It’s darker still out here until my eyes adjust again and the only light to be seen comes from Gareth Next Door’s, one lone lamp blazing at the top of the house.
‘I know – creepy, isn’t it? That’s Gareth’s room. Whenever I’m out here late at night, his light’s still on. I’d think he was just afraid of the dark, but a few times I’ve caught him at the window – staring into mine and Mel’s bedrooms.’
We’ve had the curtains open all night – she could have told us.
‘So, do you come out here at night a lot?’
‘Yeah, sometimes. I like being outside when I can’t sleep, which is pretty much all the time. There’s never anyone out here, so I can just walk or sit by the river and smoke or whatever.’
‘Don’t you get scared?’
‘Nah. Sometimes there are foxes, and once a deer, but I never really see another person – except Gareth through the window. Anyway,
I’m
the scary one, don’t forget – I’d scare the shit out of anyone who caught me out here.’
‘Aren’t you worried about sneaking out at night? Your dad would kill you if he caught you – well, I mean, I know my mum would.’
‘He’s never even noticed. And if he did, I don’t know if he’d care.’
‘Oh, I—’
‘It’s OK.’ I can sense Elyse shrugging next to me in the dark. ‘You must be thinking it. I bet your mum wouldn’t just go out and leave you alone if you had friends staying the night. She’d, I dunno, make cupcakes or something.’
‘What? No way! My mum has never in her life—’
‘Well, you know what I mean. I saw her; I saw your house. You can see mine isn’t like that. It used to be…when we lived with my mum.’
‘So, did they split up? Do you live here full time now?’
‘Um, actually, my mum died. They were divorced, and we used to live with her. That’s part of the reason why we moved here and had to start at a new school when term had already started.’
‘Oh, shit – Elyse, I am so, so sorry.’
‘Things are a bit rough at the moment, that’s all. It’s not my dad’s fault – it’s not like he
wanted
us to come and live with him all of a sudden, you know? So, it’s a combination of him not being here or, the rest of the time, just letting us do what we want because he feels guilty about my mum.’
We walk slowly along the river, the edge of the bank a silver wire in the moonlight, for a moment.
‘Elyse, can I ask a question?’
‘Yeah?’
‘The books you’re always reading, at school – what are they?’
‘Oh, those… Well, don’t get all… judgy.’
‘I won’t!’
I am too fascinated to be all…anything.
‘I saw how you got with the Ouija board. This is sort of similar. It’s astrology, mostly.’
‘Astrology? Like, what sort of stuff do you mean?’
‘Well, you know I’m kind of into star signs. I’ve been drawing up astrological charts and then using them, like to make predictions. It’s a sort of fortune telling. But then you can use that to influence things, to make other things happen. It really works – I’m getting stronger and stronger. I’m starting to make things happen.’
‘Like what?’
‘Nothing major, just silly things. Using the positions of the planets and the phases of the moon, stuff like that. Making sure that certain things happen when they should. I could probably make it rain next time you want to skip hockey, you know.’
‘Yeah, right…’
She ignores me. ‘I could lend you some books if you like — we could try some stuff together? You’re into reading all sorts of books as well, aren’t you? I promise you, you’ll like it if you give it a try. It’s honestly nothing scary; it’s really interesting. It’s just about harnessing your own power and the
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