Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  - Do you think I'm wrong, too? Jane?

  - You and Mom are both wrong," I corrected that automatically. - No. It's none of my business.

  I managed to surprise my grandfather. He raised his eyebrows and stared at my eyes. I tried to explain.

  - Grandpa, I love you and I love my mother. I don't know why Slava did this. Probably because of my father. He loved him very much. And he remembers him very often. - (You bet your brother was nine years older than me.) So he remembered his grandmother, too. And he could have gone mad. I couldn't, but I was me. People aren't judged by themselves.) - Neither do I, but as for me, I'm willing to accept everything as it is. The grass is green, the sky is blue, you live together and don't worry. If you're happy, you're happy and you don't do anything illegal - what's wrong with that?! Live as you like.

  Grandpa looked at me carefully, then sat down next to me and gave me a hug. I didn't move away. And once again, I tried to clarify my position.

  - I think you deserve your piece of happiness.

  - And you grow up to be a wise girl, Jane.

  I didn't grow up to be wise, I just grew up indifferent, but I didn't tell Grandpa that. He's alive, Mom's alive, he's happy, she's happy, so what else is needed?! In my opinion, everything else is nothing and nothing in life! And to worry about the little things? Ew!

  - I know.

  That's the same point of view I've maintained to this day. What can we do if two single people decide to live together completely voluntarily? Oh, nothing! They're not bound by blood ties, they don't owe anyone anything, their relationship doesn't hurt anyone. Love each other and be happy! That's it! But I didn't know anything about my brother and I never said anything. I can't say I loved him that much. Fame was much older than me, and I, like a little girl and a snot, often got it from him on nuts. But still, he was my brother. And I was like this...

  Sad thinking was interrupted by a friend. She fell asleep right in the chair. Wake her up? Or did she leave it like that? Damn it! I can't drag her to another chair. She wakes up, and it's all back in a circle. Silence. The look. Question. The answer... Do I need it? No, let her sleep! It makes me feel better.

  - We're at Julie's dacha," suddenly a friend said softly.

  I jumped up and looked in her face. It was like she was asleep, but her eyes were moving under the thin skin of her eyelids. Right, left, left, right... What the hell is going on here?!

  - Take the third trolleybus to the final stop, get out, go north. Pass the bookstore, past three yellow houses, along the river, cross Cast iron bridge and turn left...

  I cracked myself on the forehead. How did I forget?! That was the scene in the movie. It was the only other way to beat it. But that's how the book described it. I shaked a friend, then patted on the cheeks, and then started shaking like a pear, but Katya did not wake up. I felt the pulse. Smooth and even a little slow. I touched two holes in her neck - and shuddered. They were hot and pulsating. Maybe it was an illusion because they were in the carotid artery, but I definitely felt they were warmer than the rest of the skin and pulsating harder and not in tact with the blood. Katya was silent - and I tried to wake her up. I sprayed water, yelled in her ear, clapped on her cheeks, burned feathers in front of her nose, waved ammonia - all in vain. Then I was convinced that the idea was useless, but I remembered something about vampires and rushed to the second floor. There's gotta be something there I need. First, there's a band-aid in the medicine cabinet. Second of all, it's a solid rope. And thirdly, my only weapon at the moment, apart from cans of pickled garlic, is a saber given to my grandfather. If you can call that filth a weapon. A long fool in a defiantly luxurious sheath. Of those that are nasty to keep at home, and to throw away - to hurt a friend. But she was sharp on conscience. Grandfather, though he left his saber at his country house in the hope of thieves, sometimes pulled it out and sharpened the blade. The weapon had to be in working order. I took it out of the sheath and was satisfied. It's hard, but you can hold it. How about chopping? I was hoping we wouldn't have to check it in practice. I knew my abilities. If I try to crack someone with this fool, let alone rub it in, it'll end in two deaths. I'd stab myself, and my enemy would die laughing. I tied Katya's hands, covered my friend with a blanket, and attached a rope to her chair over the blanket. I put a band-aid and a pair of scissors next to her. There was something I remembered. Vampires can't enter the house unless they're called or invited. But only Katya can call or invite us. How can we avoid that? Simple! Stick her mouth on! In the meantime - to watch her carefully. Or should we glue her mouth right away? Hey, am I actually out of my mind? What am I, seriously preparing for a vampire invasion? But I'd rather be prepared for the worst. Vampires are vampires. If they're not, I'll untie my friend and apologize. I tried to wake Katusha up again, smacked her cheeks, splashed water on her cheeks, and even clutched her nose for a while, but it didn't help again. Absolutely zero. So what do I do now? You don't have to believe in vampires. Okay. I don't believe in them. But if it's them, I'm gonna end up in a big ass so I don't say worse. If they're not vampires, you better keep yourself safe. I'm not gonna sit around all night, and what comes into Katya's head is impossible to predict. Speaking of coming into Katya's head... I rushed to the door. My home is my fortress. That's why we have a door that doesn't land without a battering ram. Three locks, two chains. I locked them all up and threw the keys in the dresser drawer. And immediately I regretted it. We put stuff in there for the winter! Bulbs, carnations, chains, toys... All the garbage that spontaneously piles up in the house. It's a pity to throw it away, but to take it apart, you can't get your hands on it. Oh, okay! I'll dig them up in the morning! I'm not gonna take a step over the threshold till morning anyway. Katya gave me a serious scare, and I was waiting for the worst. Maybe not vampires, but some maniacs! Are there not many schizophrenics on the planet?! That's enough for me! And let them think I'm an idiot and a reinsurer! I'm not a pretender! I'd hate to wake up with my grandparents. I don't know what awaits us after death, and I don't want to know so soon. I like to live and I like my life. I don't agree to break up with her so early. I'm not even 20 yet! It'll be in May!

  I thought about it, and I taped Kata's mouth. I put my guns and my cell phone down, just in case. And I stared at my friend. And, of course, I fell asleep. She couldn't take it. And you try to look at one thing for yourself. You're gonna fall asleep. But I woke up almost immediately. From Katin's mooing. She, still with her eyes closed, was spinning in the chair and trying to say something, but it didn't work. The band-aid wouldn't give. I think she wanted to get up, but the ropes wouldn't let go. Good ones like this, strong, you'll break a chair before you break the ropes! And I was happy about that. Especially since Katya was doing all this with her eyes closed. Well, like a lunatic! Okay, we'll talk to her this afternoon! I made myself comfortable - and then there was a loud knock on the door.

  I jumped in the chair. But even if you choke on it, you have to go open it. If it's the police or someone from the neighborhood who noticed the light and smoke, it's better to clear it up now, not wait for the cops to dress up.

  - Who's there? - I asked loudly.

  - Andre!

  The voice was definitely a stranger to me.

  - And who are you, Andre? - I tried to find out from behind the door.

  - Open up! There was power and rage in your voice. The rage of a man who is used to obedience. I didn't care deeply for what he was used to, but why not follow his orders... halfway?

  All you have to do is to raise the latch and open a small window, which grandfather carved into the doors, and then tightened with a wire netting, so that no one would put his paws into it. Not like an uncomfortable peephole at all. Through the window, you can see the whole neighborhood - just don't put your face on it. But I wasn't going to do that. I've never met a man standing in the snow. And I even regretted it a little. He was very handsome. His beauty was just pounding in his eyes. If I had painted the sun god, I would have painted him like this.
Tall, slender, muscular, with a mane of shiny golden hair flowing down on wide shoulders, covered with black leather jacket, with bright blue eyes, pale face and bright scarlet lips. Bloody scarlet lips, under which the snow-white tips of fangs could hardly be seen. I thought that he might hide them completely - but he doesn't want to? Is he showing off on purpose to make it clear who he is? Hey, do I believe in vampires?! Have I ever tasted news like this? Anyway, what made me think that was the tip of my fangs? Since when is that an argument for me? If there are silicone breasts and contact lenses, who says there are no pseudo fangs? Wasn't Dracula taken once? I wonder if this guy bought teeth from a funny horror shop or if Katya guessed about dracula? It's easier for me to learn the theory of probability with all the formulas than to believe in vampires. My eyes were slipping down his body. It's beautiful. And he understands that very well. The bright blue shirt highlights the color of his eyes, his pants tighten his legs and everything else, leaving no room for imagination. Short boots do not save from snow, but the blond seems to have noticed the cold. I translated the look on his face again. He smiled charmingly.

  - Jane? That's your name, isn't it?

  - What do you care?

  He didn't stand a chance from the start. Just because I liked him. I really liked him. I really liked him. And it made me feel like a porcupine. If he had at least a gram less complacency in him, I'd be softer. Now Catherine's Syndrome is working. That's what my grandfather called my treatment of more beautiful people. All my childhood next to me was Katya, charming in any weather like the nose of Miss Frida Bock. I was always in her shadow. At first I suffered, then I tried to ignore it, and after I started to bully everyone who was as beautiful as her. I couldn't be jealous, but I could snap! Naturally, André, or whatever his name was, caused me to have an exacerbation of complexes - and so I began to rude him right from the doorstep.

  - Are we gonna talk about this when we kneel down in the snow?

  - Personally, I'm in the house, and I'm quite comfortable with that," I rightly remarked.

  - And you don't want to invite me?

  His voice became incredibly soft, velvety, tender and calling. Such a voice is only to ask out on dates. I could barely resist. So I decided to say disgusting things.

  - We didn't call for a striptease at home!

  First, there was surprise on his face. Even his jaw was a little saggy. Not too aesthetically pleasing. But I made sure the fangs were real. Or aren't they? I've heard that you can build up spoiled teeth now. Is it possible to grow fangs? Can I ask you something?

  - How dare you, girl!

  My skin gave me the creeps. A sizzling voice whipped through my nerves. Nice contrast from the sugar syrup. Perhaps in his scenario I should have fallen to my knees and begged for forgiveness, but in my leaf there was nothing like that. The director got the wrong director. I'll make a comedy out of any drama! Instead of being scared, I got even angrier.

  - Imagine - I dare you. Especially since I'm in the house. Behind a solid door... Are they real or is it metal-ceramic?

  I think I managed to dazzle him again. Well, god loves trinity.

  - They?

  - Fangs," I explained naively. I even patted my eyes. Did it work?

  The man smiled charmingly again. You decided to change your way of communicating? His fangs were all over the place. Two and a half centimeters. Wow! That smile added a couple hundred degrees to the environment. How could the snow not melt under it?

  - You want to touch it?

  - Yeah. Lomikom. Or a brick. What do you like better? I don't feel sorry for you!

  Stanislavsky himself could have envied my sincerity.

  The smile disappeared instantly. The blue eyes sparkled with anger.

  - Don't you dare me, girl!

  - Whatever I want, I'll turn it on! This is actually my house and my property. What the hell do you want here?!

  I stared at him angrily. Face to face, eye to eye. Our eyes met. And the next moment, something happened. Something strange. And very scary. I'll try to describe it the way I felt it. It's like a huge waterfall swept through my mind. The waterfall of the night. The blue eyes, the darkness came out. It enveloped me, calmed me down, embraced me with soft warm hands. Everything was so good! Life was beautiful, everyone was happy and everyone loved me. And everything will be even more beautiful as soon as I open the door. All you have to do is open it and invite the master to come inside. Just a little bit. How hard can it be? And I'll be as happy as ever in my life. The darkness shone with blue flashes - and it was so beautiful! Someone else's will bent and broke me like a straw - and it was an unspeakably pleasant feeling. My hands themselves threw one chain from the door, then the other. Now the key. Where is it? From the inside, the lock is locked too! And it has to be found! As soon as possible! Now!

  Hands were feverishly walking on the dresser, knocking things down. Right! I put the keys in the drawer! I pulled it out with the contents on my foot, and I feverishly threw both hands inside! Ow! The palm was sharply applied to the needle pad. It had been pierced for a long time, and now the needles were sticking out of it like a hedgehog. The acuity got into my palm, and I shrieked. The pain sobered me up. Somewhere, a passionate desire to serve and obey had disappeared! Was it even there? There was. What am I doing?! Looking for the key? And I'm going to invite this... this... creature into the house? Am I out of my mind?! That's crazy! No compromises! No invitations! NO WHAT! I slowly settled on the floor. My legs didn't listen well. They must have been scared!

  - Jane," he called for a voice outside the door.

  But now he was no longer kind or affectionate. Only overbearing. And disgustingly smug. The master received yet another proof of his strength and enjoyed it. He enjoyed it by trampling other people's souls! The darkness in my mind dissipated. I grabbed the little scissors from the set, and I poked myself in the leg. Somewhere in my thigh. It hurt terribly, but it made me feel better. Better the pain than those blue flakes. I saw a bunch of keys in my eyes. It was just underneath the needle pillow. I grabbed the keys and I threw them somewhere in the hall. They made a small noise and disappeared into the dark. That's it! Now I'm gonna find the ligament without bumping into anything. And in the daytime, I can smell it, I'm gonna have to fuck it up. And at night, with only one candle instead of a lamp? I've been out for three hours.

  - Hurry up," said the voice at the door.

  Just don't look him in the face! In his eyes! It's hypnosis! I read about it! I read about it... But I didn't think I'd get caught myself! I was ready to kiss the needle, even at the risk of scratching. But I have to take this. And to answer with dignity! Just so you know, enemy!