Ronnie and the River

"Ronnie and the River" is a short story by American author Christian Riley.
==Synopsis==
Ronnie is a quiet, unassuming young man with Down's syndrome and a love of painting. He works a janitorial job at the local university and lives a peaceful life in his small apartment; the only upset in his quiet life is the local bully, a thug named Rick who delights in tormenting Ronnie.
One evening, while working at the university, Ronnie uncovers a secret trapdoor which he proceeds to investigate. When he emerges a little while later, something about him has changed, although he doesn’t realise it. 
Over the next few days, Ronnie begins to see strange symbols in the shapes of everyday objects. After a while, he paints one of these symbols onto his canvas: a great tentacle whips down from the sky and drags off Rick, while Ronnie quietly wanders off to who-knows-where.
==Characters==
*Ronnie, a man who lives a quiet, solitary existence.
*Rick, a malicious bully.
==Publication History==
"Ronnie and the River" was published in the Weirdbook Annual 2 by Wildside Press in February 2019.
Category:Christian Riley works
Category:Mythos-Inspired Works