Shocked, IВ stood on the shore and looked into the Ocean. It continued toВ swallow the Island silently, when the voice came suddenly from right behindВ me.
В«Shrimps?В»
«The Girl…» I whispered in despair.
«She’ll be back!»
Yanis gently touched my hand and led me away.
***
The Mount grays because of grief…
The curse of witch came true – distress!
The Rocks were talking with Belief
And holding Fairy byВ her dress.
In soot – her air castle, yard…
The Fairy sighed, she didn’t cry:
«Mama’, remind the Heaven guard
ToВ come for me before IВ die!В»
The Wind was whispering withВ ash,
The Night was reaching for aВ song,
В«Goodbye, the Sun!В» On Earth ofВ trash
The Time was breathing clearly wrong!
The stolen Fairy was all right,
But gloomy Rocks were sad and silent,
В«Some Visions cannot sleep at night,
The Sorrow wanders through the Island!В»
The clouds covered all the slaves,
The Sky was crying being fault,
And tears were falling on the waves
ToВ make the Sea wake up from salt.
1.3. The Boy who asked for aВ Lantern
ByВ 10:00В p.m.В IВ became definitely alive. Firstly, the 12-hour time difference between the Island and my country affected. Secondly, during the day it was incredibly hot there and absolutely unbearable toВ stay out on theВ Sun.
It seemed that life on the Island had not changed at all over the years, as well as the strawy hotel, consisting ofВ small guest houses, inВ one ofВ which IВ had spent the night waiting for the ferry toВ Cebu during my previous visit. But that time, following Alex, IВ was ready toВ call the guest house aВ В«hutВ».
Thatched roof, bare walls, a small window, a table with a candlestick, a tiny bed and a narrow wardrobe… I had noticed even then there were no light bulbs in the lamps, and so far no one guessed to insert them!
As before, there was no tap for hot water inВ the shower, although the cold water got warmed naturally under the scorching Sun inВ some storage tanks outside the house.
And what to say about air conditioners! – I found only an ancient fan in the room, but the electricity in the network had disappeared somewhere.
And more! IВ double-checked, including the reception, there was still no Internet there.
However, perhaps the charm of the lost in the Ocean Island, the riddle of which I had to solve, was precisely in such wildness and complete isolation from civilization…
Planning my vacation, IВ decided toВ explore Camotes thoroughly, because the first time we had had toВ escape from the Island the very next morning for having no cash. ByВ the way, no cards were still acceptable there.
IВ stepped out ofВ the hut into the deep darkness and wandered towards the light ofВ aВ torch burning at the reception like an eternal flame.
InВ fact, several torches were always available there so that any tourist could take one out if felt like walking around the Island at night.
IВ got the opportunity toВ light my path and stepped out the gates toВ aВ dirty road, on both sides ofВ which long-legged palm trees towered, piercing the black-bookВ Sky.
Turning to the left, I walked towards the pier, getting used to the darkness. Suddenly a boy jumped out of unknown to me species of the tropical thickets. He seemed to be about seven years old and looked like a homeless grimy beggar, easily found along the streets of big cities. The Boy grabbed my hand and began to beg, shouting out the same word in almost all languages of the world. And that word was…
В«Lantern!В»
Understanding nothing, IВ took aВ couple ofВ coins out ofВ my pocket and handed them toВ theВ Boy.
However, toВ my greatest surprise, having seen the coins, the beggar squeamishly threw them into the thickets, twisted his finger at his temple giggling, and then he shouted out again,
В«LANTERN!!!В»
1.4. The Old Man with black birds
I felt uneasy, but at the same moment I heard someone’s steps from the left. A hunched male figure was approaching us from the pier side, and soon a barefoot, gray-haired Old Man in linen clothes, with a wooden walking stick in one hand and a cage with black birds in the other, stopped near by.
В«Good evening,В» IВ said toВ break the oppressive silence. В«Can IВ help you?В»
The Old Man chuckled and continued toВ scan me, and the Boy giggled again.
Suddenly, a woman, apparently the boy’s mother, appeared out of nowhere. She bowed deeply to the Old Man, muttered something in the local dialect, then grabbed her son by the arm, and they instantly disappeared into the thickets.
IВ felt completely uneasy and stood as if paralyzed. IВ could not move inВ fear.
В«What do you want, my dear Soul?В» the Old Man asked distinctly, inВ an authoritative voice.
My heart began toВ beat wildly.
The disastrous chaos reigned inВ my head, but for some reason IВ thought about the Fisherman. IВ wanted Yanis toВ appear right next toВ me, but IВ kept silent.
The Old Man, realizing that he was unlikely to wait for my answer, turned around and hobbled further. I looked after him, still unable to recover, as someone’s hand fell on my shoulder, and I screamed in surprise.
В«Alice?В» IВ heard aВ familiar voice, turned back and saw Yanis.
He graciously escorted me В«homeВ», said goodbye and disappeared.
Chapter 2. DEAD WATER
2.1. The Ocean comes silently
…Water… all around me is water… I can’t float up… I have no strength to…
В«Damn! This dream has already torturedВ me!В»
I vaguely remembered that always in that dream, in its last frame, I saw a man’s face, although waking up I couldn’t restore it in my memory.
IВ woke up on the Ocean shore just inВ time. High tide. Still, it was strange, there were no waves at all there, and the Sun used toВ fall into the water instantly, giving way toВ Mrs. Warlock, named Night.
I sat down at a table in Yanis’ cafe.
В«How are you, Alice?В» he asked. В«Have you got enough sleep?В»
«Yes, thank you. It’s good you walked me home at night. To be honest, I was a little bit scary. Do black magicians really live here?»
«Yes, all kind of sorcerers, and stargazers, and healers, and alchemists… It’s easier to tell who is not here!» Yanis chuckled.
«And that Old Man with black birds… Who is he?»
В«The owner ofВ the Island,В» Yanis replied reluctantly.
«The owner?! I would have never thought! Just like a beggar… Does he have a villa here? Or is he content with a hut in your Paradise, too?»
В«He lives inВ the cemetery,В» Yanis replied without showing any emotion.
«Where?! Yanis, you’re kidding! Although on the Island of black magic, there is probably no way to exist without black humor… Well, but what about sightseeing here? Tell me, you do know Camotes better than me.»
В«It depends on what you want toВ see.В»
В«Does everybody see his own?В» IВ laughed.
«Why not! However, like everywhere else. What does your tender soul prefer for dinner today? Shrimps, mussels or…?»
«No, no… Only coffee with milk, please!»
Yanis left and was back aВ couple ofВ minutes later with aВ cup ofВ cappuccino and aВ glass ofВ water, and IВ decided toВ continue our sweet talk.
В«For how long time have you been here, Yanis?В»
В«Time is aВ relative concept,В» he answered evasively. В«It depends on the way you measureВ it.В»
В«So, what would you recommend me toВ see?В»
В«Everything!В» Yanis smiled.
Suddenly, someone pulled my arm. I turned around and saw… the yesterday’s Boy! The one who looked like a beggar. He dived into my soul with a plaintive look, held out his hand and said the cherished word… «LANTERN!»
IВ looked at Yanis. He said something inВ an unknown language toВ the Boy, and the Boy went away.
«But why „lantern“?!» I exclaimed, because such a strange request had sent my mind into a stupor.
«You shouldn’t be surprised at anything here, on Camotes,» Yanis winked me. «This Island is not like ordinary ones!»
IВ finished my coffee, thanked Yanis, left aВ tip and decided toВ take aВ walk.
2.2. AВ Scary Market
That evening, instead of going back to the hotel, I went far along the path that started immediately after Yanis’ cafe and, apparently, led to the village of local residents.
The lights of candles and torches flickered in the darkness, children were rushing back and forth, people in the houses were talking loudly and even singing something. I noticed that many of the natives I met along the path were walking with baskets full of all sorts of things, as if they were returning home from the market. And indeed, behind the village, some market rows were placed…
IВ was glad toВ have change inВ my pocket and decided toВ treat myself buying something delicious.
