《Red Dawn》 #1 Glances Between the Bookshelves **In the village of Sheitok in Grandivia, there lived a very beautiful girl with blue hair and a fairly high IQ, which is to say, a bit of a nerd, named Victoria. Morning dawned on August 25, a Friday, just the day before Victoria''s birthday.** Excited to soon turn 17, Vic, as her mother usually called her, got out of bed like a physical education coach in "Barking at Stars (1998)" (Dragan Jovanovic) and hurried to the terrace to see the white clouds "floating" across the vast, blue lake that held a dazzling, yellow jewel at the bottom, formed from celestial dust. After inhaling the hot summer air, which strangely smelled like blood, Vic returned to her room, made her bed, and set herself a very difficult task - What to wear today? After agonizing over it for fifteen minutes, she put on a blue dress with suns and went downstairs to see what there was to eat. As she descended the stairs, she thought about going to the library in the nearby town of Kortex today. Her mother greeted her in the dining room with sandwiches already made long ago. "Hey, Mom, are you already up?" Victoria asked with a big smile on her face. "Yes, dear, I am, but you always sleep until noon in this house. And what''s with the frown since this morning? Is it a boy, perhaps?" her mother asked with a curious grin. "No way, Mom, don¡¯t be silly. Where''s dad?" Victoria replied with a slightly smaller smile than before. "He''s at work, dear. You''ll never know where your father is when you wake up so late. You should have had breakfast long ago. Come, sit down at the table and take a sandwich. "I think I''ll go to the library today to see if there''s anything interesting," Vic said somewhat excitedly. "Go ahead, dear, go. Go freely, find whatever interests you and browse through it. Oh, if only you knew how many books I¡¯ve read when I was your age. Not like you all now, glued to your phones. Well, I can''t say you excessively use your phone. You''ve surely heard how harmful that is and how much it emits harmful rays," she proudly stated. "No, Mom, it''s just that I have this crappy Sony Ericsson Vodafone where you can''t talk normally, let alone do anything more. I''ve been asking you for ages to buy me a decent Android phone so I can at least take pictures, but you always make excuses about not having money, etc. All my friends have better phones than me!" she exclaimed, feeling frustrated. "But Victoria, how many times do I have to tell you we don''t have the money for such luxuries? I''m not working right now, dear... Once I get a job, there will be, don''t worry," her mother said promisingly. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Okay, Mom, I''m going now. See you, bye!" she said excitedly. "Alright, bye, lock the door and have a good time!" "I will, bye!" the girl said, thrilled to finally leave the house. She took her keys and locked the door. As she walked towards the bus stop, she looked up at the sky and pondered on how far our planet is from the sun and other planets. She had always been interested in space and constantly wondered if there was life beyond planet Earth. When she reached the bus stop, she noticed only an elderly couple sitting on the bench, waiting for the bus. The old man was bald with white mustaches and a hat resembling Charlie Chaplin''s, wearing a white shirt with a red seagull embroidered on it and long brown velvet trousers. The old lady, seemingly a bit younger, had gray hair tied in a bun covered with a black net. She wore a purple jacket and a long black skirt. I approached and sat on the bench next to them. While waiting for the bus, I overheard them discussing an order for marble slabs, vanilla cookies, and flowers. At first, it seemed very strange to me, but when they mentioned candles, I realized they were talking about a cemetery. I still didn''t understand the mentioned marble slab. After a long conversation, I realized that grandpa, Bill, was a stonemason, and grandma, Gabriela, ran a flower shop called "Seagull" at the end of the village. After a long wait, the bus finally arrived, and I boarded and took a seat. I noticed that the bus was almost empty and that all the passengers were much older people. Even the driver was no younger than sixty. I was astonished at how such an old driver was able to drive the bus. I sat down and put my MP3 headphones in my ears. Time passed unnoticed, and soon I was at the station in the city. The bus stopped, and I got off. The sight was incredible. So many people, all rushing somewhere. I don''t remember ever seeing so many people in one place. I put my headphones in my bag and headed towards the library. The way to the library included passing through the market. At the market, I could see so many different people all in one place for the same goal - money. Everything was being sold - from apples to live chicks, fish, sweets, etc. The market was a magical place for me. People gathered there to display their goods, waiting for buyers. Buyers constantly haggled to get the lowest price. The market presented a completely unique sight that people hardly ever get to see because of the supermarkets that keep opening in various places around the city. After a short walk around the market, I reached the library. On the library door, it said the opening hours: Weekdays 8.00am - 5.00pm Weekends 7.00am - 1.00pm I opened the door and had quite a sight - so many, many books. There were various books from "How the world was created" to "How to revive artificial flowers :)". I started browsing around, looking for something about the cosmos and life on other planets. I went from shelf to shelf, looking through each one until I finally found a book "worthy of my reading" titled "Planet in the Fiban Galaxy Where Life is Possible". I thought to myself - WHAT AN EXCITING BOOK! - and accidentally said it out loud. At that moment, the old librarian in the corner spoke up, saying: "Shh! Let others read in peace." I ignored her and took the book when suddenly, from the other side of the shelf, a beautiful, black boy was smiling at me. "Hi!" he said, winking at me. "Hihi, hi!" I replied shyly, blushing. #2 Chemistry of the Cosmos **In Grandivia, there lived a young man with black hair whose name was Manuel. He was a polite young man who loved to read and spend his time in nature. Above all, he loved to read books about stars, planets, and the universe in general. Manuel had a dog named Laika who was his best friend. Every day, he would take him for a walk in the park, and while the dog would run around everywhere, he could sit on a bench, in peace and quiet, and read his favorite book, "And Earth Like Man Was Made of Dust."** My heart stopped for a moment, and then it began to beat faster than ever before. It felt like it was outlined on my chest as if it wanted to burst out. I had that strange, but very pleasant feeling of butterflies in my stomach. I could only look in one direction ¨C at her. I stared as if playing the staring game, it seemed like I had never seen a girl of her beauty before. But upon closer thought, maybe I hadn''t. At one point, I realized my mouth was half open, and I quickly smiled and waved my hand. "I''m Manuel," I said after gathering strength from so much admiration. "I''m Sandy... Uh, I''m Victoria, hi hi hi..." she said, seeming uncertain... I thought to myself what a beautiful name, fitting for such a beautiful girl. As I constantly looked at her, or rather stared at her, she seemed so sweet and wonderful to me. I didn''t know what to say. I approached her from the other side of the shelf and looked at the book she held in her hands. "Beautiful book, isn''t it?" I said somewhat uncertainly. "I wouldn''t know, I''m just seeing it for the first time now. It seemed interesting, so I thought I''d read it," she said very quickly. In his eyes, I see a shine that overwhelms me completely. He''s very likable, and I would say experienced in "my area." At first glance, he seems very sociable and cultured. I don''t know how to behave in his presence. I feel a pleasant warmth enveloping me. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "That book is fantastic, believe me," I said somehow confidently, but I was still unsure, and every word seemed risky to say because I was afraid of becoming boring to her and of her thinking I was some weirdo or a big nerd. "I''ll definitely take it to read now that you''ve said it''s great, haha," she said, and I thought how wonderful he was and how he radiates some positive energy. "Are you from here? I haven''t seen you in this library before, and I come here quite often," I said, thinking God, she''s so beautiful when she laughs. "I''m from Sheitok, it''s about twenty kilometers from here, you must have heard of it," I declared proudly. "Yes, I have, I''ve actually been there once when I was little with my uncle. He''s a famous cobbler there. His name is Rick. Do you know him by any chance?" "Yes, of course, everyone goes to him. He really knows his craft. And where are you from, I mean, are you from Grandivia or...?" "Yes, I''m just a few streets down, right next to the Kong Nursery, if you know where that is." "I think I do, is it behind that monument, oh, what''s it called..." "The Drunkinson Monument." "Yes, that''s the one, haha, I can never remember its name. Drunkanson, Drinkanson...." "Drunkinson, D-r-u-n-k-i-n-s-o-n Monument." "Haha, that''s exactly it, hihi," I blushed. "Hehhe, so how old are you, if I may ask?" I laughed and thought how beautiful she looked while trying to guess the name of the monument. "I''m turning seventeen tomorrow, and I invite you to come and honor me." "No, I will, but the honor is mine," I said very surprised. "Alright then, we''ll see each other tomorrow at 4 pm in front of Rick''s shop, okay?" I said, and I was very excited. "Agreed then, I can''t wait for tomorrow. See you, and don''t forget the book, so you can tell me your impressions tomorrow..." I said and headed towards the library door. "I won''t, bye!" I said and thought I would have forgotten about the book if he hadn''t reminded me. I went to the old librarian and told her I would take the book. She smiled and said: "Enjoy reading it!" I headed towards the door and looked at the clock hanging above it. It was already three o''clock. I thought how time had passed so quickly and that I didn''t even feel like I had spent so much time in the old library. #3 The Cake and the Marbled Candles ..//.. The bus stopped. I looked out the window. Indeed, it was Sheitok. I quickly made my way to the door and got off at the station. It was just as I remembered it - crowded, people everywhere. The streets were "flooded" with cars and horse-drawn carts full of sacks of wheat, corn, potatoes, or anything else that could be grown in the fields. After all, Sheitok was a vast plain surrounded by the neighboring Fiv Mountains. You could rarely come across an orchard or a solitary meadow. I headed towards my uncle''s shop, constantly thinking about her. The closer I got to that magical place where shoes were "crafted," the harder my heart pounded, and I felt very strange as if a glowing bubble was growing inside me, about to burst and let all the heat out of my body, through my skin. At that moment, all my thoughts were focused on her, and I thought if someone asked me my name - I wouldn''t know the answer. I soon snapped out of it when I realized the shop was just around the corner, a few meters away, and that she had been waiting for me there for a long time since, looking at my wristwatch, a gift from my late grandfather, I saw that I was already 20 minutes late, which was not like me. After a few steps, I was taken aback and suddenly relieved. I saw that there was still no one in front of the shop. Just to be sure, I looked around once more. When I saw that there was no one else except for an elderly man in the shop, I sat on the bench opposite. I sat there for a while and noticed that the old man in the shop was constantly talking to Jova, my uncle''s apprentice. After just a few minutes, the old man with white hair took his black, round hat and slowly walked towards the door. As he walked out, he looked at me for a moment with his big, black eyes, and in departure, threw something into the trashcan next to the shop. The old man left, and after a few minutes, I noticed something very eerie. The trashcan where the old man had thrown some "garbage" began to shake as if an earthquake were beginning. I stood in place and watched an extraordinary sight. Out of the trashcan, like lava from a volcano eruption, rats began to emerge the size of a squash. They poured out of the trashcan at great speed, so I couldn''t count them, but I think there were about thirty of them, and they all ran into the forest next to the old village cemetery. That''s when I realized that this was the most bizarre sight of my life. A few minutes later, I felt a chill running down my spine. I noticed that Jova hadn''t seen anything because he hadn''t even turned towards the door, and since "it" didn''t make any noise except for a slight creaking of the bin that couldn''t be heard from the inside, he couldn''t hear anything. I mustered up the courage for a moment and approached the bin that had suddenly fallen in front of me. In it was some blue substance resembling liquid, enclosed in a plastic capsule. I didn''t want to touch it and just returned to sit on the bench. After a few minutes, Victoria arrived, more beautiful than ever, in a short black skirt with white polka dots and a cream-colored tank top with spaghetti straps. Her white teeth shone like pearls as she approached me. ¡°Hello!¡° I said and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°This is for you,¡° I handed her a blue decorative bag with purple handles adorned with musical notes and various colors resembling those lines obtained with fine brush strokes. ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Surprised and blushing, I looked to see what was in the bag, and I had quite the sight ¨C a plastic transparent packet containing 2 pink sachets and a crystal bottle of perfume with the inscription "Odore celeste di lavanda." I was very happy when I saw him, but seeing him alone on the bench, I regretted not arriving earlier. Stupid makeup! He really surprised me with the gift. I opened the packet and took out the perfume. ¡°Mmm it smells so good of lavender...¡± I said in delight at the pleasant freshness and scent brought by this small bottle. ¡°What does this "Odore celeste¡­" mean...?¡± ¡°It means ¡®Divine scent of lavender.¡¯ I thought you would like it, so I bought it for you because it''s your happiest day, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly, you didn''t go wrong with the perfume, I really like it, thank you hihihi.¡± ¡°You''re welcome! Where to now,¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Follow me,¡± I said with dignity. As we walked, I thought about how she invited me to her birthday even though we just met yesterday. Oh, how beautiful he is in that red checkered shirt! As we approached my house, I became sadder because I enjoyed our walk together. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°By the way, I forgot to ask how old you are, hah,¡± I said these words with a laugh, trying to bite my tongue. ¡°Nineteen.¡± After 15 minutes, I announced: ¡°We''ve arrived!¡± ¡°Aah, a beautiful little house indeed,¡± I said seeing the white cottage with a huge yard. ¡°Haha yes,¡± pride was all over my face. This white "little house" was a 300-square-meter castle with a garden of the same size, adorned with ivy that completely covered one side of the house, with large leaves and occasional white flowers. In the yard, there was a large oak tree under which stood a wooden swing and a white willow that cast shade in the afternoon on a red metal table standing next to it, along with 6 chairs that accompanied the lonely table. In one corner of the yard, there was an apricot tree next to which stood a wooden bench with cracked brown paint, and behind it was a large bush of dried red roses. In front of the aluminum entrance door stood a large wooden table where Vic and her family dined together, which could accommodate 14 people. We were approaching the door, and at one point, I stopped for a moment. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, just... who will be in the house?¡± - I asked suspiciously. ¡°Oh, no one special: Mom, me, and maybe Dad if he''s not at work.¡± ¡°Isn''t today Saturday, though? He works Saturdays too, or what?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, silly me. Then mom, dad, and me, and... of course, you hahah.¡± ¡°Hahaha okay then, let''s go.¡± She opened the gray aluminum door with bright blue glass, which gave the door some width, and we entered a short hallway with a white Spanish wall adorned with pictures hanging on it, staring at us as we took off our shoes. ¡°I see you have a whole collection of sneakers ¨C from red, green, blue to white with pink flowers, from low to high...¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I love sneakers. On the one hand, they are so unique and different from other shoes, and on the other hand, they are simple, and I can wear them with anything.¡± Ahh... the same old hallway I see every day whether I enter or leave the house. There on the shelf is an old metal plaque that welcomes me every time, wishing me welcome, health, happiness, and blessing me upon entering through the door guarding me from any evil, and wishing me a safe return when leaving. On the white wall hang pictures of my family, a picture of me from my younger days next to a rose in the yard, my father, who is overjoyed taking the veil off my mother''s wedding dress, there is also a picture of my late grandmother and grandfather sitting on stumps in front of the old clay house in the village that I heard so much about from my father, and I didn''t have the opportunity to meet them because they both passed away shortly before I was born. Next to them is a picture of two little boys playing in the sand on the beach, my father and uncle, who are my greatest support in life, besides my mother, of course. They raised me and made me the person I am today. I am very proud to be a member of this family and to bear the surname Weinstein. ¡°Feel free to go ahead,¡± as I said this, I felt like a real hostess of this house. ¡°Which door now?¡± I encountered a labyrinth of doors, one straight ahead, two doors on the right, and one on the left. ¡°Go left.¡± I grabbed the round brass knob and opened the door. ¡°I guess this is the living room, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you guessed it.¡± It''s really big and has nice lighting thanks to the large windows. ¡°Cool curtains,¡± I said seeing the sheer silky curtains with dragon symbols in a shield. ¡°Oh, thank you, I chose them together with my mom. Please sit, make yourself comfortable, and feel at home!¡± I''ve always wanted to say this, but so far, I haven''t had the opportunity because I don''t even remember the last time I brought a friend home. Hmm, maybe it''s because I don''t have real friends. ¡°Thank you, thank you, I will.¡± I browsed the interior a bit. In the middle of the room was a polished oak table carved on the edges in the shape of a rose, on the right side was a large black leather sofa whose cover began to peel off, and behind the table towards the wall were two armchairs with white covers, and on the left side was a larger black sofa with smaller white cushions on its ends. I was particularly drawn to the large brown ceiling fan with lights hanging from it in the shape of inverted tulips. From the living room, on the right, there was an entrance to the dining room where there was a larger wooden table with 6 chairs, and next to the dividing wall that separated the living room from the dining room was a smaller black wood-burning stove with a chimney from which a smoke pipe came out, its final part being in the wall. I headed towards the sofa and at that moment heard rustling. ¡°SURPRISE!¡± people exclaimed as they jumped out from all sides. Some burst out of the dining room hidden in the corner behind the wall, others were behind the sofa, and some were behind the armchairs. ¡°Ohhh!¡± I was scared in an instant, trying to calm my racing heart, but I was thrilled because my family had prepared a surprise for me. ¡°Happy birthday!!!¡± they shouted. People at the table barely joked, the birthday girl constantly smiled and blushed with embarrassment (I assume because of my presence), and my attention was constantly drawn to the little old lady in the corner of the room slowly rocking in a wooden chair. Her rocking was almost imperceptible, soothing, and in regular rhythms, so it had a hypnotic effect on the small, black, clearly defined dots in my eyes. The chair was made of wood, chestnut-colored with shades of dark, outdated brown, with prominent curls and carved roses. The grandma wore oval-shaped silver earrings with a green lumpy ball in the middle. That ball had mixed colors in it resembling waves with purple and green characters. At first glance, it seemed that her earrings represented small planets filled with gas and dust from a distant cosmos. My entire attention focused on the grandma prevented me from listening to the conversation of the others at the table rationally and actively participating in it. Awareness returned when they brought the cake. Can it be that the evening is already coming to an end? A chocolate cake covered with a sugar layer of pink color, with three winding black lines on the side intertwining into a bun and seventeen glowing yellow candles with red bows, was the only thing that captivated everyone''s attention for a few minutes. She blew out the candles, extinguished their lives, and made a wish. I hope it comes true. <3 #4 The First Sorrow and Memory A dark, raging fog. It rushed madly towards me. Stiffened, I knelt on the floor. It approached swiftly, eyes widening as it drew near. My heart wanted to burst out. In a split second, I reflexively raised my right hand in a primitive attempt at defense, but in vain. It''s gone. A fierce blow struck. I felt it gnawing at me from within. Eyelids closed in agony. Suddenly, a flash. I heard the echo of my scream. The sound returned, as did time. The action reversed, and nearing the end of the beginning, I heard Victoria''s voice, calling out to me: ¡°Manueeeel!¡± I jerked awake and opened my eyes. I saw her wishing me good morning. Morning? Already? ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°11:04. Wake up sleepyhead, I''m taking you to James''s castle,¡± Vic announced with a smile. ¡°What castle? Hold on a sec. What happened last night at the birthday party, I don''t remember everything very well.¡± ¡°Oh, you silly, the guests left soon, Mom and Dad went to sleep, and you and I were in my room, watching a movie.¡± ¡°And then what happened?¡± ¡°Well, we both really liked the movie, especially the observatory where Alex and Lussiana were stargazing. We even said ¡°Ahh how romantic¡± at the same time when their hands touched while observing through separate telescopes, when they stopped observing, stood at the center of the platform, and kissed. At that moment, above their heads was an open glass, arched roof. Sparks flew above them, and a comet wrapped in a luminous membrane streaked by, with a long, glowing tail trailing behind. How can you not remember any of this? ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m not sure. Very strange. It all sounds interesting to me, however, I have no idea about it. How did the evening continue?¡± ¡°Well, you asked me if there''s an observatory nearby, and I told you I''m not sure. We remained silent for a while, lost in thought. We were very tired, as evidenced by our constant yawning, so I took you downstairs to the living room. You fell asleep there, and I went back upstairs.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± ¡°I did some research and found out that the nearest observatory is in James''s castle, which is located on the eastern slope of the Fiv Mountains.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay, but how far is it approximately, and how do you think we''ll get there?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°About 40 km. Well, I thought we''d take the train, it¡¯s cheap and efficient.¡± ¡°When are we leaving,¡± I said with a big smile on my face, although at the moment, I wasn''t sure what I had agreed to exactly. ..//.. We were sitting facing each other. Besides the rattling of the wheels on the tracks, an unusual silence filled the cabin as if she and I were the only passengers. But that wasn''t the case. Around us were a few people ¨C two old ladies on the left holding onto their bags, a little girl in a blue checkered dress licking a lollipop, and her sister, I assumed, sitting with her and reading a book. Still, the train car wasn''t very big, although, given its current occupancy, it seemed enormous. Almost throughout the entire journey, I stared out the window, observing the Sheitok plains. They were filled with furrows ready for sowing. For a moment, I glanced at the girl with the book and saw that the book was now replaced by purple headphones in her ears. I slowly redirected my gaze back to the window. I felt a bit puzzled. Could it be that I imagined the previous book? Were my eyes showing me the wrong picture, or was my mind not allowing me to see the truth? Now my gaze met mature cornstalks that covered the surface of the rich fields. All the ears were ripe, yellow, with golden-brown silk-like hair. What? I didn''t feel tired. How was this possible? My eyebrows furrowed, creating a grim expression on my face as I rubbed my eyes with my left hand. ¡°Hey, what''s wrong, are you okay?¡± ¡°Hah, yeah, I''m fine.¡± ¡°Aren''t you tired from last night?¡± ¡°Nah, I feel fantastic,¡± I smiled somewhat artificially. Hmm, why would I be tired? What happened last night? ¡°Well, that''s good then, haha. We''ll be arriving soon.¡± ¡°I forgot to ask you, have you ever been there?¡± ¡°Nope, this will be my first time too.¡± ¡°Great, haha.¡± ..//.. The train''s whistle was heard, announcing the approaching station. We stopped soon. ¡°I-37 F station, I-37 F station, thank you for being my passengers, I wish you a safe journey,¡± the train driver announced. The doors opened. ¡°Let''s go,¡± Victoria said, flushed with excitement. ¡°Let''s go, let''s go,¡± I hastily said as the excitement grew. I stepped out of the train, took a few steps, and stopped in awe ¨C before me was a beautiful mountain ascent with countless steps in the central part. On the side were rocks that added to the beautiful mountain scenery. ¡°Well, let''s go!¡± I said excitedly when I came to my senses from the impression. As we ascended the stairs, the rocks that tightly pressed against the staircase from the side resembled a railing that continued in a sloping line upwards. After a million steps, we approached the top. The desired goal was getting closer, and the image I had imagined was slowly being replaced by an even more beautiful picture of the mountain elevation and its stony gem. A beautiful castle of dark gray stone, naturally adorned with vines and lichens, bore three clay caps on tall necks. There was no end to admiration, and the pleasure grew the longer my eyes lingered on the fairy-tale view. Victoria stood behind me. I turned around and asked her what she thought of the view before us. ¡°It''s truly incredible.¡± ¡°What are you holding behind your back?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing¡­¡± she said and lunged at me with unbelievable speed. In a fraction of a second, I saw she was holding a large, curved, bone knife in her hand. It was serrated along its entire length, with its handle wrapped in thin willow vine. I felt its tip in my chest; in a moment, it pressed against the top of my heart and pierced it. #5 Truth Behind the Door ¡°Tick, tock, tick,¡± the clock on the wall ticked steadily. I stretched and opened my eyes. She''s there, looking at me with her beautiful black eyes. Uncontrollably, I started to smile. It''s a bit strange, but fine. She returned the greeting with a smile. Ugh, why does my chest hurt? Could it be that everything was just a dream? Am I still dreaming? ¡°Good morning,¡± she said, smiling. ¡°Good morning... How did I end up here, haha?¡± ¡°Hah, well, you weren''t feeling well last night. You said your head hurt, so I brought you here to sleep it off. You agreed and I just brought you, haha.¡± ¡°Hmmm, interesting. Did we happen to watch a movie or something, haha?¡± ¡°Noo, why, hehe,¡± Victoria asked in surprise. ¡°Oh, just asking randomly. I had a really weird dream, haha... I''m slowly recalling last night''s events... My head got foggy at one point in the evening... But never mind, anyway. Hah, thinking about it just makes me laugh.¡± ¡°What did you dream about, dude? Tell me quickly so I can laugh too, haha.¡± ¡°Hahah, nothing special, I''m telling you. Some Jackson''s castle was mentioned, fields, corn, a train, some nonsense, ahaha,¡± I said, hoping she wouldn''t think I was crazy. ¡°What nonsense, it seems like interesting stuff to relax your brain.¡± ¡°Well, more or less,¡± I replied, with a smile on my face again. ¡°Although, nearby there''s James''s castle, not Jackson''s. I don''t know about Jackson''s castle. It''s close, about thirty kilometers away.¡± ¡°Seriously? My mistake, I meant that castle or rather dreamt about it. Strange... I''ve never heard of it before, and it''s found its place between the backlights of my brain, at the threshold between darkness and light. Goodness, how weird this is. Am I still dreaming? Let''s change the subject a bit and see where this coincidence will take us..." ¡°What a picturesque presentation, a feast for the ears, haha.¡± And indeed, for the eyes too, hehehe. ¡°Of course, haha. So, who was that old lady rocking in the wooden chair in the corner of the room, your grandma?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Which woman is he talking about? It can''t be... ¡°Which old lady? There wasn''t any old lady last night. I never met my grandma on Dad''s side, and Grandma Gulla died when I was little, so I don''t remember her. My mom told me a bit about her. She told me how Grandma Gulla used to rock in her chair all the time and tell me stories. She used to take care of me when I was home alone. My parents would be working, and I would spend hours with Grandma Gulla, who would rock me in the crib and tell me stories. That''s what Mom says,¡± Victoria reminisced for a moment. ¡°I don''t know what I saw anymore... How is this possible? My eyes are slowly failing me... Maybe my mind after all? Let''s go downstairs, and I''ll show you that chair in the corner of the room.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± ..//.. ¡°Are you kidding me? Someone moved it.¡± It must be! What the hell is going on? ¡°I''m telling you, there weren''t any chairs last night. Come on, let me show you.¡± Through the narrow hallway, they were passing. On the floor, a dark blue rug with lace at both ends covered the light bamboo parquet. On the right side hung a chandelier suspended by a chain on the edge of an icon, while on the left side, on the wall, stood bulbs connected in a swaying row. Each bulb was covered by a white skull with black eyes and a creepy smile. The creepiness was diminished by a silicate prosthesis on golden teeth. Through these teeth, a yellowish light emanated. Eyes gleamed with darkness, while the back of the head and temples shone with a dirty white. Manuel''s gaze lingered a bit on these glowing little devils. They passed the hallway. Soon they found themselves in front of white doors covered with black mesh. While a whirlwind of eerie feelings swept through Manuel, Victoria, with a breeze in her heart, reached out, intending to open the doors. The doors swung wide open. A medium-sized room. Faded orange walls. A small wooden bed lay stretched against the opposite wall. A large dresser adorned the left side of the room, and next to it stood a nightstand. A lamp of Chinese porcelain stood silently on the motionless small table. It was pear-shaped, with two large black roses painted on its body, with large thorns and a tiny green stem. An oval mirror in a wooden frame was built into the oak dresser. Below it were two drawers, and below them were two small doors. ¡°Grandma used to keep her makeup on that dresser. I have a similar one in my room now, just made of particleboard. They make those things all flimsy now. Come, let me show you.¡± Why on earth did I mention makeup? As if he cares... Ah, stupid me... Before I left this wasteland, I noticed some of its peculiarities that gave it a charm of creepiness. Above the mirror hung a picture of an older woman. It had a black frame around it, covered with a silk scarf. ¡°Who''s that?¡± ¡°My great-grandmother Heredith. Mom says she was respected by many, especially Grandma Gulla.¡± ¡°Okay, interesting...¡± ¡°Let''s go up to my room.¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± ..//.. Victoria once again opened the door with authority. After all, she was in her element. Performing the usual and everyday action of pressing the handle of one¡¯s door was just as easy as speaking one¡¯s native language. The inner side of the giant wooden cuboid gradually changed its positional angle, sharpening it. After two seconds, the angle was large enough to reveal the wooden rim with roses, after which the whole rocking chair was clearly visible, balanced on its two arched legs, like sleds trampling on the purple tufted carpet scattered on the floor.