«So, did you warn him?».
I yelped in surprise. Laura had suddenly opened the door. I stammered something incomprehensible.
«And what did he say?».
What had he said? I really didn’t know, I didn’t even know what had happened.
Laura huffed, probably thinking me a complete idiot.
«Fine, it’s all the same to me». Without giving me time to reply, she slammed the door in my face too.
I was left depressed and heart-sore, no longer giving a damn about deer and dark corridors. Right then, I didn’t even care about Laura! One day, she would realise what she was missing, but by then it would be too late.
I went back into the house, too distraught to remember my earlier fears.
The living room was in the same state that I had left it in, so it seemed that the deer hadn’t come to visit me. I looked with disgust at the romantic atmosphere that I had set up. I put on the most inane CD that I could find, and poured myself a generous glass of whisky. Maybe the alcohol would make my failure easier to bear.
My bad mood worsened as I contemplated all the cushions that I had piled up on the sofa. I threw them to the floor grumpily, and then lay down on my side, just as I had seen Parry do. Damn, it was so uncomfortable!
I took a sip of whisky, and found it absolutely disgusting. I put down the glass and picked up the TV remote. I pointed it at the screen and pressed the button.
The TV exploded in front of my eyes, and the remnants of the screen came crashing to the ground. The wall seemed to have grown roots. However, I quickly realised that they weren’t roots, as they became into a pair of antlers, and then a whole head. Forcing its way in, the deer smashed through the DVD cabinet, and suddenly it was right in front of me.
It was another deer, almost as enormous as the first one. But it wasn’t the same one! It was the third deer that I’d seen the space of half an hour. How many more could there be?
My reflexes were clouded by shock, so I didn’t react until it actually attacked. It advanced with its head lowered, its antlers pointing towards me like a forest of daggers. I only just managed to jump behind the back of the sofa in time, and I began to scream.
The deer’s antlers ripped the stuffing out of the sofa, right in the spot where I had been sitting a second before. Without a moment to lose, I made my escape, screaming like a lunatic.
I leapt around the sofa, landing by the deer’s flank. As I threw myself towards the door, the huge creature untangled himself from the remnants of the sofa and turned to face me again.
I was behaving like a pathetic coward, but I didn’t care, I had absolutely no desire to be skewered by those antlers.
I didn’t even bother closing the door, because it didn’t seem likely that it would stop the deer’s charge. My best hope was that its enormous antlers wouldn’t be able to fit through. Then I remembered that it could walk through walls, and I started to scream even more loudly.
I ran down the corridor without looking back, and threw myself against the front door. Luckily, I’d been so depressed when I came in that I hadn’t locked it. It opened immediately and I sprinted outside, slamming the door behind me.
Heart in my mouth and gasping for breath, I looked wildly around me, terrified that I would see that monster coming after me.
It was difficult to think. What should I do? The answer came immediately, like a neon sign had been turned on inside my head. It was even flashing. OUTSIDE. Go outside, escape, run away!
As quickly as it had formed, the plan fell apart. Run away? And abandon Laura, my one true love? Leave her in danger? I could never do such a thing! Not even at the cost of my own life.
And so I threw myself against her door with a flurry of blows. «Laura! Open up! It’s important! Open up, open up!».
She was very annoyed when she opened the door, I guess she must have been busy putting her living room back together. «What?!».
«They’re everywhere!», I shouted. «They attacked me! We can’t stay here, it’s too dangerous!».
Laura only shook her head, sceptical.
I grabbed her arm and pulled. «Come on, quickly!».
She grabbed hold of the doorframe. «Are you crazy?».
«It attacked me! It wanted to kill me!».
«Who did?».
«One of the deer! Another one! Let’s go, quick!».
She shook her head, even more incredulous. I couldn’t fathom how no one else in the building had realised what was going on. Given the time of day, most of the residents were probably still at work, but someone in all those apartments had to be at home. Assuming, of course, that they were still alive.
«Move!», I shouted to her, drawing on a strength that I had never known that I possessed. «I’m not leaving you here!».
She was amazed at my determination. «But where do you want to go?».
«Outside! Out of this building!».
«But it’s our home…». She was even more confused.
I managed to make her let go of the doorframe and dragged her out into the corridor.
«Are we really in danger?», she asked me, upset.
«Of course we are! It wanted to kill me!».
She turned to the other end of the corridor, and her shaking voice made clear her concern.
«We need to warn Parry».
I almost screamed. «Parry can take care of himself just fine! Come on!».
«But that’s not fair!», she complained.
Deaf to her protests, I put my arm around her and dragged her firmly away.
Dear Libby
Emerald
House of the Dead
Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch
Luce
One
Palm Trees
Slaughterhouse
The Ballad of Pario
The Chalk Garden
Valgoj
Lizzi Bizzi and the Red Witch Page 94