Sink: Old Man's Tale Read Online Free PDF

shouted, and flew back, striking what Graham assumed was the fourth wall. The sudden sound, unexpected, drove Graham back too. He yelled and pressed himself against it, and then into the corner, as far from whatever was in there with him as possible.
    Graham was not alone.

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Something touched Graham’s foot. He flinched back, shouting. The other guy shouted. They both shouted. And finally, when neither of them had any oxygen left, they both stopped.
    “Jeremiah?” Graham said.
    “Yeah,” Jeremiah said. “Who’re you?”
    “I’m Graham.”
    “Who?” Jeremiah said.
    “The one who was in your house before the floor fell through,” Graham said.
    “You fell too?” the old man said.
    “Evidently,” Graham said.
    “What are we doing here?” Jeremiah said.
    “It was an accident,” Graham said. “We aren’t meant to be here. Someone will come looking for us. Someone must come by your place sometimes, right? A cleaner or a helper or a nurse or something? They’ll see the hole, think it suspicious, and call the fire brigade or the police or whoever handles these things.”
    “A stripper comes by once every so often,” Jeremiah said.
    “Really?” Graham said.
    “Of course not you fool!” Jeremiah said. “No one comes. And when they do, I’m quick to get them to leave.”
    “I’m the fool?” Graham said. “You’re the one whose floor just fell out from under him. Why don’t you take proper care of your property?”
    “Everything was fine before you came snooping around,” Jeremiah said. “It was probably you that caused it.”
    “Yeah, right,” Graham said. “Because I’ve got nothing better to do with my time than to get myself stuck down here with an old fart.”
    “That’s the problem with your generation,” Jeremiah said. “Always quick to blame your misfortune on someone else.”
    “I don’t think now is the right time to be discussing generation gaps,” Graham said. “Hang on. I think I feel something. I think it’s a door knob.”
    “A what?” Jeremiah said.
    “A door knob,” Graham said. “Clean your ears out. It’s strange. It’s really low, like it’s a child’s door or something.”
    “Turn it then,” Jeremiah said.
    “We don’t know what’s on the other side,” Graham said.
    “We know what’s on this side,” Jeremiah said. “Open it.”

Chapter Ten
     
     
    The door creaked open. The room it opened onto was large and appeared empty. Graham ducked his head down to fit through, shuffling forward.
    “Watch your head,” Graham said. “The doorway’s a bit low.”
    “I can see it,” Jeremiah said.
    He got through and then cast around.
    “Looks like a church,” he said.
    “Built for children,” Graham said.
    All the pews were low. Even the pulpit was half its usual height. They walked down the aisle and came to the door at the end. They looked back at the room they had emerged from. It was a non-descript cupboard. On the floor were a bunch of religious artefacts, including a cross encrusted with jewels. It’d snapped under their feet.
    “What do you want to do?” Graham said.
    “Get the hell out of this place, for a start,” Jeremiah said. “I haven’t been in church for years and I’m not about to start now.”
    They moved to the front of the church and pushed the front door open. They peered out at a quiet dark dirt road, hard-packed by use. Buildings ran along either side of it, like a regular street, if a little worn around the edges. The streetlamps glowed with soft golden light, candles burned down to nubs. The town was silent as the grave. Jeremiah instantly regretted using the word ‘grave’.
    “Am I dreaming?” Jeremiah said.
    “If you are, I am too,” Graham said. “And my dreams don’t usually feature old geezers.”
    Neither of them stepped outside. Instead, they just peered out at this new world. Jeremiah wasn’t scared to admit he was afraid. By the expression on Graham’s face he could tell he felt