Free Graven Image by Charlie Williams Page B

him. I know it doesn’t reflect well on me but I couldn’t abide his voice. I could sense things being derailed with that voice around, detailed plans getting fucked up just before they bore fruit. That’s why I was running.
    ‘Leon!’
    I don’t know what it was, but I found myself slowing. Not to a stop yet, but back to walking pace. I knew I’d get away from him at this speed but I also knew it wasn’t going to work. All it was going to take was him calling my name in that way, just one more time.
    ‘Leon!’
    I stopped. There was a bench there and I sat on it, looking down at the big V formed by my legs. There was a lot of bird-shit on the path. The old man had reached me.
    ‘You’ve caused me a great deal of trouble,’ he was saying, easing himself onto the bench next to me. Way too close for my tastes. I could smell the Fisherman’s Friend he was sucking. ‘It’s gone too far this time, Leon. You’ve caused a lot of people a lot of pain. Is that what you wanted?’
    I could still run. Couldn’t I? I could go and hide behind that big headstone there. I could run past it and keep running until I was back in the road, then...
    Then...
    ‘Leon!’
    ‘Yeah! I mean no, I never meant no one no trouble. All I’m trying to do is get things sorted.’
    ‘I see. And what do you say to me?’
    ‘Just... I dunno. Sorry, I suppose. I never meant it.’
    ‘Well, OK. But, you know, we could have talked about this. If I’d have known you wanted to try this again I could have helped you. It was always an option, but you never expressed an interest, Leon. You gave us to believe that all this was behind you. We’ve been exploring other channels, remember? Can you tell me some of those channels?’
    I shrugged. I was watching a new figure, over the far side. Thought it was one of the old dears at first but no, this one was male. Couldn’t tell much more though.
    ‘Well, what about the buried letter? Remember that? You wrote down the thing you most wanted, the one thing that kept you awake at night and that you hoped to attain one day. Do you remember that, Leon?’
    The male shape was getting closer. Seemed like he was looking right at me for a moment. It was hard to tell.
    ‘You dug it up, didn’t you? Before you escaped.’
    I shrugged.
    ‘Can I have it?’
    I got out the soil-stained letter. He opened it and read it, going: ‘Hmmm, I see.’ He folded it up again and gave it back to me.
    But I didn’t want it.
    I didn’t need it now.
    ‘While we’re at it,’ he said, ‘can I have my phone back?’
    I gave him his phone, wiping it first because I think it had some blood on it.
    ‘Thanks, erm... have you been hurt?’
    ‘Cut myself shaving.’
    ‘Right, well... Leon, can you recall any of the other channels we’ve been exploring? Do you remember we talked about destiny?’
    I flinched. Felt like someone had lobbed a stone at me. I turned, rubbing the back of my neck, but no one was there. Strange. When I looked back to the front again I could no longer see the male shape in the distance. I could feel myself panicking a bit, thinking I’d lost him. But then I saw him, over to the side. Much closer.
    ‘Do you remember what your agreed destiny was? Synthesis , Leon. Do you recall what that means?’
    It was Graven.
    ‘Well, I’ll remind you. It means reuniting disparate parts to make an organic whole. Now, we were trying to achieve that in therapy, weren’t we? But we could use the opportunity we have here. What do you think about that?’
    It was Graven, plain as day and shameless, walking around in front of me like he owned the place. Which, in a way, he did. Graven was the boss around here. Graven had influence.
    ‘Of course, it’s preferable in a controlled, safe environment, but not essential. This is your destiny, Leon. Go to Graven.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Go to him. Face him. Confront him. Accept him.’
    ‘Graven?’
    ‘Of course. Who else?’
    ‘What, you mean... You know Graven?’
    The