Story Title: “The Depiction”
Book Title: Cthulhu Deep Down Under Vol 3
Author: Julie Ditrich
Editors: Christopher Sequeira, Steve Proposch and Bryce Stevens
Genre: Horror
Book Description: Some of the greatest scribes of the weird and startling from the land down under bring brand new stories in the Lovecraftian genre, taking readers from the realms of contemporary Australian cities, to the blood-soaked, post-colonial past (touching the powerful original cultures of the land), and even hinting at the disturbing future of Terra Australis.
Story Synopsis: When her father becomes inexplicably obsessed with a grotesque painting hanging in his nursing home room, Celeste dismisses it as another symptom of his advancing dementia. But after the mysterious artwork vanishes, a series of disturbing events forces her to question everything she believes about memory, obsession, and the strange hold the painting exerts over those who possess it. As family secrets unravel and an ancient horror stirs beneath the surface, Celeste discovers that some works of art are far more than mere depictions—they are invitations. And some invitations cannot be refused.

The Story Behind the Story: Every writer eventually encounters a story that asks them to venture beyond familiar ground. And this was one for me…

When editor Christopher Sequeira invited me to contribute to Cthulhu Deep Down Under Volume 3, I readily accepted, despite one small problem… I hadn’t grown up reading H P Lovecraft. I didn’t even know how to pronounce “Cthulhu”.
In fact, Christopher’s then-12 year old daughter kindly taught me how to say it before I immersed myself in Lovecraft’s extraordinary world.

What began as an unfamiliar assignment soon became a fascinating creative adventure. I purchased an annotated collection of Lovecraft’s stories and began reading deeply, not simply to understand his mythology but to discover what resonated with me as a storyteller.

Unlike some stories that arrive in a single moment, “The Depiction” emerged through a quiet convergence of ideas. A conversation with my father, the experience of a close friend whose mother had entered a dementia ward, and the memory of a childhood horror story gradually found one another until they formed something entirely new. While I understood the underlying structure intuitively, the story continued to reveal itself as I wrote, with the protagonist quietly leading me towards discoveries I hadn’t anticipated.

Looking back, “The Depiction” reminded me that stepping beyond our creative comfort zone can be one of the most rewarding experiences of all. It challenged me to embrace an unfamiliar literary tradition while trusting my own voice within it. Having the story later recognised in Ellen Datlow’s Recommendations for Best Horror #14 was an unexpected honour and a deeply encouraging affirmation of that journey.