Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  - And what's it gonna take?

  Long thin fingers lay on my whiskey. Mieczysław's face came so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my lips.

  - Don't fight me, girl. Relax and try to fall into my mind. Look into my eyes and don't think about anything. Just have fun. Swim like the sea...

  - I don't trust you," I answered. And I'm the one who's still not talking about that dream. Who tried to rape me?! Trust in different things... and then the cowards disappear!

  - I promise I won't do anything to hurt you, baby. I will not influence your mind with my power, nor will I subordinate it, nor will I change your thoughts and feelings.

  - Why is that kindness? - I sarcastically asked. - Is the last dragon in the woods worn out?

  - Oh, this is far from sentimental. If my assumptions about you are true, Curly, you'll find out sooner or later, and you'll take revenge. I'm not afraid, but I don't want a war with you. I want you to come to me one day - as a friend, an ally, an associate... a loving and loving woman... Do you believe?

  What he said about his girlfriend, I believed. As for love, what words do we know, huh?! It's a pity the vampire only has naked sex underneath them. Mechislav slipped his fingers on my face, gently smoothing my skin, touching, remembering with his hands all my features.

  - Then relax and don't fight me. Trust me, baby. I won't hurt you...

  Saying it was easier than doing it. I looked into beautiful sparkling green eyes - and I wasn't thinking about what happened. My thoughts were very, very far from magic. Suddenly, I relaxed and looked into the vampire's eyes. They were dragging me somewhere deep down - and I didn't resist. I would fall into the green twilight, permeated by the blue flashes, float away into the unknown and dissolve in it. And then I realized that I was looking through the vampire's eyes at the hall from which I had been carried away in my arms. It's the second time. Tradition, however!

  Yeah. I saw myself through the eyes of a vampire, and I was getting ridiculous. Pinched chicken for a ruble twenty. No shape, no grace. Only bad courage. Well, at least there's something, and it's bread.

  And I saw myself entering the circle. Next thing you know, it wasn't clear to the vampire. First, Vlad tried to subdue me. And Mecislav thought that the enemy had succeeded. And for a moment despair pierced me - a pity to lose such a source of strength. Hmm, a source of power? And I'm sensing the feelings of a vampire now. I wonder if he knows about it. If he doesn't, let's not inform him.

  The second shock for Mieczysław was my throw on Vlad's neck. And what, it looked good from the outside. Like Ricky-Ticky-Tavi wearing a Naga cobra neck. Maybe that's what you should call yourself from now on, a mongoose. Vampires have a certain resemblance to snakes.

  For a moment there was hope in him, and then there was despair again. Vlad throws me to the edge of the circle and approaches. Now he's going to kill me.

  No?

  Two in a circle frozen with statues. Andre rages in his chair, but neither Vlad nor Jane react.

  Then a vampire unclenches his fingers and the woman has a cross in her hands. Two aspen sticks and a strip of matter flashes with force. Where's it from? The vampire doesn't understand anything...

  And then it all comes in a gentle golden light. And the vampires turn away, unable to withstand it. The veil closes the circle.

  And when she falls down and Mechislav can look there again, only one person remains in the circle. Jane.

  She, that is, me, looks terribly shabby and tired. But she's holding on to her feet. And she even goes to the edge of the circle. Will she fall? Will she come out on her own?

  Anyway, the fight's over.

  Mecislav quietly enters the circle. Not quite calm, though. Still, he's nervous about this light. What if he shows up again? What was that?

  But it's not a big deal. The girl is calm, her pupils are dilated, her dislocated arm is whipped. All that's left is to set her back.

  I fainted. And my consciousness noted that I don't look very lousy. It's like I've been clawed. By the way, maybe that's what happened. Can vampires grow claws? Okay, I'll ask you later! Mecislav lifted my body in his arms, carefully handed it over to Vadim, and he wrapped me across the waist with remnants of my trousers so that the cross wouldn't fall out. Mieczyslaw himself turned to Andre.

  - I guess, Andre, you can't run this town. Even a human, a woman, a brainless girl is stronger than your vampire.

  - Is this a challenge?! - murmured to Andre.

  His face was formidable, his voice loud and strong enough, but in the depths of his soul Mecislav felt uncertain. And I felt everything, just like him in that moment.

  - And how did you know that? - He was amazed. - I suppose the first fight is with me?

  Andre's face suddenly became... pasty. He definitely wanted to tell us or make us a beak. But which one? That's what I found out the next minute.

  - So Jane was fighting for your title? Or for her friend? We have laws, Mecislav! And these laws say that one fight must be won in one demand.

  - It's true," confirmed Mieczysław.

  - Which means you have to choose one thing. It's either a call or a girl.

  - I think... Danielle started.

  - I choose the challenge," Mieczysław calmly broke it off. - I have no doubt that Jane, when he wakes up, will support me.

  Out of anger, I flew out of a trance and stared at the vampire outrageously.

  - What do you think you're doing, you fanger bastard?! I didn't give up your fight for nothing, and you know it yourself! Get away from me now!

  Mecislav moved aside and smiled at me.

  - No, Curly, I'm sure you understand me. You're nothing like Danielle. You're very pragmatic. I've learned that since we met. And you know very well that if we win this fight, you get your friend safe and sound.

  - A vampire?! - I'm sorry.

  I really wanted to light a vampire in the face, but first of all, I didn't have any physical abilities, my whole body was aching and breaking, and secondly, I already fought with a vampire today, and I wasn't happy about it. That's enough and one more time. There are better ways to shorten your life.

  - She's already a vampire.

  Katya's a vampire?! Higher Powers!

  - How the hell would you know?!

  Mecislav didn't pay attention to my rage.

  - You haven't looked all the way, Curly, and I don't have the strength to show you again.

  With those words, something came to me. The rage has subsided.

  - Wait a minute! So, do I have any powers?!

  - And the huge ones! I figured I'd spend a lot more energy. And people go into trance for a long time, too. An hour, two, sometimes three.

  I rubbed my forehead trying to focus.

  - And what does that mean for me?

  - What you should be doing is magic, curly. When this is all over, I'll look for your teacher. Or I'll try to teach you myself.

  I wonder what? The Kama Sutra?

  - That's so sweet of you.

  The rage has boiled in me again.

  - What about my friend?!

  - After I picked the fight, Andre got really mad. And asked me to tell you that you were lucky. If you had chosen a friend, we should have taken her with us. Last night, when you and Daniel ran away, he did find time to take over Katya. It was the second bite. And tonight, while we were driving to him, he bit her a third time. And he killed her. Although I don't know exactly how. And after a while, she'll be up a vampire.

  - Your zebra... fish... crocodile... god's soul vampire...!

  I was in a wave of pain. It was all my fault! It was my fault that Katya became a vampire! Я! Я!! Я!!! If I hadn't come to Andre's club! If I had gone there alone! If I hadn't harassed Andre, if I could have taken her when I ran away with Daniel... If I hadn't, if I had... I covered my face with my hands and moaned about feeling guilty.

  Mecislav covered my palms with his hands, gently taking my fingers away from my face.

  - Don't, curl
y. It's not your fault. It was meant to be.

  - It's for wimps! - I exhale through the clenched palms. - And the strong decide their own destiny!

  - You've decided your fate, both of you. You're saved, Curly. But you couldn't decide her destiny. If a man meekly accepts all that is written for him, he must not complain about anything!

  - Katya is much weaker than me! What could she choose? At least I resisted, and she wasn't even given this.

  - She was born an ordinary person. It's not good and it's not bad, the cards just lay down.

  I was dreary, nauseous and disgusting.

  Don't blame yourself for her fate. You couldn't have changed anything.

  - What if at some point I went the other way? I could have saved her!

  - No. I'd just get caught myself. And I'd be a vampire. Or a slave to Andre, fulfilling all his wishes. And his fantasy is rich... Do you know how much a vampire can take before he dies?

  - Get off!

  I slipped all over my face with my hands on it. Tears flowed down my cheeks. Katya-Katya, I'm so sorry for you! I could... if... I would...

  Mecislav gently but firmly took my palms away from my face, and then drew me to his chest. And I burst into tears like the last of my hysterics.

  The vampire wasn't trying to calm me down. He just stroked me on the head like a baby and there was nothing sexy about his movements. I guess I realized I wouldn't be so hysterical right now if he tried to hit on me...

  Finally I was able to dazzle him and wiped my tears.

  - Katya - favorite, though not the only child in the family! What will her parents be like now?

  - I don't care about that. And you don't have to worry. You're still too weak, girl. - A vampire gently pulled me off his manly shoulder and looked me in the face. - Okay, nose swollen, face in the stains, eyes red and snot with fringe. You need to stay in bed for a long time. All day long. Rest, sleep, eat, watch TV - and think nothing of it.

  - I don't feel so bad.

  - Will you try to get up?

  I tried, and then I fell right back down. My whole body was in severe pain.

  - You're right. I need to get some sleep and at least a day to get better.

  - You're gonna have a day, Curly. And in the evening, we're going to Andre's again.

  - What for?!

  - Then... There's got to be a second fight. Boris is one of Andre's men.

  - And Boris is strong?

  - Yeah, sweetie. He's the second strongest after me.

  - Okay. - Suddenly there's a smile on my face. Weak, crooked, but it was! I could be proud of myself! - And you're gonna dress me up in some kind of red pants again?

  - What didn't you like about them, baby?

  How he got me with his nicknames!

  - To the ass!

  Mecislav threw his head back and laughed.

  - You know, it's been a long time since anybody's entertained me like you have, baby.

  Really? He even remembers my name! Oh, a miracle! Oh, joy!

  - Have you ever tried calling a clown to the house?

  - We'll try it sometime. Lie down, gather your strength, and we'll go to the ball tonight.

  Something I didn't like about what he said. Right! Let's try it! Or the vampire has a greatness mania: "We, Nicholas II..." or he has some plans that suggest our future together. Us! That word made my neck sparkle. I wanted a future with Daniel, not with this picture from a fashion magazine.

  - Where are we?

  - At Snegirev's.

  - Oh, I see. What time is it?

  - It'll be dawn soon.

  - And Danielle is outside?! The sun is very bad for vampires!

  - Danielle feels the dawn is coming. And she won't risk her life.

  - Let's hope so.

  - Daniel has some good features, too. He can sleep during the day if he wants to. So in the evening, when twilight starts to fall, he'll come to you, curly.

  - That's good.

  - Then try to get some sleep, pretty lady. Sleep and regain your strength. You'll need them next night. Very much so.

  I smiled crookedly, closed my eyes and leaned back on the pillows. Sleeping was brutal.

  - Good night, Mechislav. I mean, good day.

  - Good day, Curly. Let him be really calm.

  The last words I heard were not clear. I fell asleep in a deep, calm sleep. And I didn't open my eyes until eight hours later.

  ***

  There was a dim winter sun looking out the window. There was no one in the room but me. I tried to reach out under the blanket. I did it. The body was whining as if I had been punched for a long time (though why - as if?), but otherwise it wasn't so bad. I could move. Even if my arms and legs were cramping every time I moved. I knew this room very well. The snowbird took it to me every time we stayed at his place. I crawled out of bed and headed for the tub. Shower! Hot shower! And a gentle massage. And wash your head! Usually I wash it quite rarely - once a week, or less often, so that the hair does not become too greasy, but now ... The hair stinked brutally some garya. And blood. I didn't like that smell at all.

  I was standing under the shower for a long time.

  Hot water literally brought back to life. And at the same time, it brought thoughts to life.

  This night...

  Oh, what did I do!

  The first one. Danielle.

  He lied to me again. And something tells me this isn't the last time.

  But why can't I resist him?

  Why is it so easy to accept everything he says? Why I don't let anything go of Mieczysław, and it's only worth stretching out "Jane, forgive me" - and I'm spreading out with kissel.

  I think I knew the answer. But why is that...?

  When I asked my mother what love is, she replied briefly: "Sometimes happiness, sometimes God's punishment". And me, what? Love is happiness. But to love a vampire? A vampire who will frame, betray, leave, kill at any moment...

  Oh, my God, why would I do that?!

  All right, easy.

  Breathe out, breathe out, breathe out.

  And so a hundred times in a row.

  Have you calmed down? No?! Then a hundred more times.

  Breathe out, breathe out, breathe out.

  I was calm now.

  Whether I love Daniel or not, I'll decide later. When I see him again. And now there's a bigger problem. Namely, my suddenly found power and what to do with it.

  How did all this show up?

  At first, I realized I couldn't be hypnotized by any vampire. Not Boris, not Miecislav. But that's no surprise. Gypsies never divorce me or me for money. And the recipe is simple. If they're trying to hypnotize you, get aggressive. Get mad, snap at me, get mad, hit me hard. And it'll work. It's gonna work amazingly.

  It worked with vampires, too. The action turned out to be equal. And it seems to apply to all my abilities. I can't do anything by myself. But if they try to affect me somehow, I become some kind of rubber wall. Try hitting it with a hammer. It'll bounce off and hit you on the forehead. They're trying to hypnotize me - I respond with aggression, and hypnosis doesn't work on me. The appearance of a vampire in my dream can also fit this pattern. Medislav tried to subdue me - in any case, in a kind or violent way. And I answered to his power - mine. And I flushed the vampire down the toilet. It's funny he didn't bring it up anymore. So what's next?

  Attack on the road.

  Slug tried to eat me, and instead I almost ate him myself. Okay, I didn't eat him, but I was able to resist and act. I mean, again, just a reflection of aggression.

  One last thing.

  Vlad.

  Now, that didn't fit into any opposition anymore.

  A vampire tried to kill me. I say "tried," because I'm still alive. But what came over me is completely incomprehensible. And what I was doing, too. You gotta chew on a vampire's throat. You can't imagine it without a liter of vodka! And then what? He wasn't trying to hypnotize me. It was more like I was trying to hypnotize him.

 
But the memories were authentic. And so was his family. I would swear on my mother's health that they really existed. And I even knew what that wall was. And the bridge. And I knew why a vampire couldn't walk across it.

  I knew why prayer helped and why I said exactly what I said. What kind of prayer, though? I'd be excommunicated for it, for the wrong interpretation. Not "God's slaves", not "save, have mercy, help"... None of that happened. And what kind of slaves are we? God created us, didn't he? And we make our children. We do, too, in a way. But children are not slaves. So we're not slaves to God, either. But the church won't admit it for centuries. Proud and independent people for power lovers are worse than nettles in their pants. And as for "save and have mercy on us sinners," that phrase pissed me off. A little bit of God for a leg? Doesn't the cone crack?

  I don't allow myself that. If the edge comes, then you can pray. But even then God won't give you a hand. There will simply be favorable circumstances that you can use - or not use. And after the communication with vampires, I had strong suspicions that prayer just helps to awaken your own human power. It splashes out and the human begins to influence events. But then there's a price to pay for it. Either that or else...

  And with Vlad it was a lot like...

  I knew and understood everything, but I was afraid to admit it.

  Shit, I'm just... cowering?!

  I am Leoverenskaya!

  I unwittingly shook my head. We Leovernese do not allow ourselves to run from danger! It still runs faster than a man and bites his heels painfully. Well, shall we all tell ourselves, and be honest?

  Let's say.

  But it's better later.

  Later.

  Otherwise, I'm really hungry.

  I scolded myself for cowardice and looked for some clothes with my eyes.

  Oops!

  On the nightstand, right under my purse, there were some sheets. And there was something... painted on them?

  Danielle?

  I scratched the drawings and fell on the bed. It was five sheets in total. And on each drawing there was still a blurred, more like a pencil sketch, but without a sketch, without a perfect drawing of lines, you know... I'm not an artist...

  The drawings were not yet complete - and at the same time they were already living their own lives.