Page 52 of Earth-Bound

I nodded. I could do that. And all I had to do was hope that Joe wasn’t going to freak out.

Chapter 22: Joe

Part of me had hoped that yesterday was just a blip, that they’d all been having a laugh and would be over it by today. Apparently, that wasn’t to be. Apparently, I was going to be the butt of a long-running joke.

I carried the watering can into the large parlour slowly, trying not to show that I was feeling hurt and confused and a bit desperate. It just went to show what a fool I’d been, to think I’d finally found somewhere I fit in. If there was one thing I’d learned from moving around so much, it was that I didn’t belong anywhere.

The plants were crowded onto a window seat and I’d long since cleared up the smashed glass that littered the place. I hadn’t wanted any of it getting into the soil somehow.

I went over and checked them out. They looked good. I raised the watering can with both hands to steady it and gave each of them the water they needed. I wanted to talk to them like usual but I didn’t dare while those people were just outside the door. I didn’t need to give them any more reason to think there was something wrong with me.

Instead, I just watered them, checked their leaves for any signs of problems, found none, and turned to leave. It was stupid of me to feel as though the plants were leaning towards me, trying to get my attention. I’d always felt that and it had always been nonsense. Plants were just plants. They weren’t going to be upset that I wasn’t giving them any attention today. That was mad. And I wasn’t mad. I was perfectly sane.

I crossed back to the door but it was blocked.

Terrund came in and there were three of the others behind him, Dee, Dum and Arram. Dee and Dum creeped me out nearly as much as those dead creatures hanging down in the basement, but it was rude to do anything about it. Besides, it was probably just residual feelings left over from when I’d been a kid and people like them had laughed at me. The laughing wasn’t pleasant, but I could take that. It was just that some got physical as well and they outnumbered me. I’d learned – eventually – never to be cornered alone.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten that rule and allowed myself to be cornered in the parlour. Alone.

I stood with my back to the window and looked at the four of them. Suddenly, my brain switched from feeling a bit hurt and confused – I didn’t know what I’d done that gave me away, and I’d been more upset by Terrund being part of this prank than I’d realised – to being alert and calculated.

It was a familiar feeling, like pulling on an old coat. I knew it well, and it enveloped me. I was safer inside that feeling.

All my emotions shut down. Exactly the same way they had before.

Emotions weren’t necessary.

Terrund moved forward and I watched him warily. He was solid, I knew, but I was just bigger than him and I worked outside all day, which meant I was solid enough myself. We were probably evenly matched. That wasn’t great, since I was also outnumbered.

He said, “Joe, I’ve got something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to know… magic is real.”

“Uh huh.”

He waited. Clearly he was looking for a reaction. No fun spinning tales for someone if you don’t get a reaction out of them.

I waited, too. Waited for him to get bored or for one of them to kick off this fight. Dee and Dum moved into the room, splitting up and moving to either side of me, barely three feet away. Not good. My skin prickled. I always felt that way when I was in danger.

Terrund tried again. “I know it might sound far-fetched, but it’s true. Magic is real. When we were talking about spells, we meantactualspells, created by an actual witch.”

I said nothing. Dee and Dum hadn’t moved any nearer but they hadn’t backed off, either. The chances of me winning a fight against four of them were so slim that I didn’t want to think about it. My best chance was to get out. I was right by the broken window; I could vault over the window seat and run. I just hoped they wouldn’t damage any of the plants when they followed me over them.

Just as I prepared to move, Terrund stepped forward and reached out a hand. His voice shook as he spoke and that, more than anything else, is what made me hesitate.

“Joe, I promise I’m telling the truth. I can explain all the lore of our world, if you give me a chance. Magic isn’t evil.”

Dum said, “Some of it is.”

“Like the stuff downstairs,” said Dee.

They moved closer. Two feet away. I’d just lost my chance to escape.

Terrund began to talk quickly. “It’s a lot to take in, I know it is, especially for a human. There is magic in this world and there are magical beings, too.”

“Like us,” hissed Dee. She was far, far too close now.

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