Page 106 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

He’s not seen his own red since he was three.

Sometimes, when Riley is playing on the bottom step, Troy watches him.

‘Anything?’ he’ll ask whichever faceless man is nearby.

‘Nope,’ the man will answer.

Troy makes a frustrated sound and walks away.

Is Riley anything?

Seems not.

✴

Troy tells Riley he has to speak.

He’s six years old.

He doesn’t want to speak.

It’s only for him and… someone else, but they’re not here. When Riley dreams, he dreams of other places like in his two books. He dreams of a boy like him but smaller. They’re playing together in the trees beneath the moon. He always dreams of the moon.

How he loves the moon.

Riley doesn’t want to talk, it feels so wrong, but Troy is smart and he bargains for it. He brings four brand new books, a thick wedge of untouched paper and a box of brightly coloured crayons. He shows Riley what it is to draw, to make scribbles on the paper.

‘You start talking and it’s all yours.’

Riley bites the inside of his cheek.

Troy narrows his eyes.

‘You want more? I ain’t sweetening the pot, kid. It’s this or nothing.’ Riley opens his mouth. Troy’s brow lifts. ‘Yeah? Come on. You can do it,’ he says, tone softer than Riley’s ever heard.

‘W-want…’ Riley says, swallowing down the wrong feeling in favour of perhaps getting something he is desperate for.

‘Keep going. What do you want? Tell me.’

‘Want…’ Riley says slowly. ‘Outdoors.’

Troy sags, disappointed. ‘No.’

‘Just… sky.’

‘You can’t go outside. You run, Riley. You always run.’

Riley shakes his head. ‘Won’t.’

Troy actually manages a little smile as he stands. ‘Keep talking and we’ll see. Here.’ He leaves the gifts on his bed, deal done. ‘Enjoy.’

✴

Riley is seven years old and every inch of every page of every sheet of paper Troy gave him is covered in tiny scribbles and drawings. The crayons ran out a while ago, worn down to nubs and then nothingness. Riley uses an old pen from behind a chest of drawers until it runs dry.

He talks now, albeit haltingly.

Just as he suspected, that’s not good enough for Troy.