Chapter Three
The day had not yet begun to wind down, so Louise walked along the path through the Forests and Steppes with a peaceful mind. This day seemed to be one of many boring summer days, but only an hour ago it had been special: something new had come to Louise. Something she hadn't even realized before. Her parents were far away and living in unknown "Chascha", but the girl would find out about them. Or she would do something else – go straight to the City. To spite them. They'll take her there when she's eighteen anyway. But where is the Chascha? Is it really in the City? And is it the only one on the planet? Since the girl grew up, if I may say so, in the middle of nowhere, she had little idea how many people there were on Earth. But she will definitely get to the Big World. She might even make a friend – you don't meet them among the children of farmers and students of the Forest School.
– We are here," the young man Edol informed his companions. The trio approached the cottages, beyond which a single bright line was clearly visible, separating the human world from the one where beasts, birds, insects, farmers, and the few witches reigned. The teenagers did not suspect that their comrade Niels was following them on their heels. In fact, he had an objective reason – the boy, after all, lived in that village. But curiosity and a sense of excessive caution took over, and Niels decided to follow the girls and Edol. There was no telling what they might get themselves into – they were not without a clear mind. And Niels was a warrior, after all, who knew a thing or two.
– What's next? " Roxy inquired. She was obviously eager to demonstrate her superiority. Not only over other teenagers, but over the whole world.
– Do we wait for someone to show up? " Evie asked uncertainly. They didn't see Niels.
– I only see butterflies. Get out of here! " Roxy waved her arms, but soon realized that it wasn't really necessary. The butterflies couldn't get close to the children – something was blocking them. Like a barrier.
– We'll cross the border," Edol announced and stepped forward. Nothing much happened. Roxy, Evie, and the silent Thea followed suit. Niels, meanwhile, lurked behind the wall of one of the houses and decided to wait until they returned. Certainly not with booty. But, on the other hand, what if they got into trouble? Niels knew he might be late for his class, but not to leave these clowns in trouble, right?
When the four "brave men" began to move away from the border and were almost out of sight, Niels decided to make a quick run home and come back here on the way back. But then his attention was suddenly attracted by a small, lonely figure approaching the border. It was coming from that world, the world of meadows, steppes and sparse forests.
The boy saw a girl, a little younger than he was. She wore a gray dress with a white apron, and her blond hair swayed merrily in the wind. Louise saw Niels too, so she slowed down a little and looked closer. The young man also kept his eyes on the little girl from the forest. Who is she? Why is she here alone? Does she really live there on the other side of the border?
Completely unexpectedly, two things happened at once. First, hot tears sprang from Louise's eyes, burning her face unpleasantly. Second, a boy was speaking to Louise.
– Hey, what are you doing? So beautiful, and you're crying? " Niels asked. He sincerely did not understand what happened. Did he really scare the poor girl? Niels, of course, was lonely. No one ever sat next to him on the bus, and the girls secretly laughed. It was like he was a stranger.
– No, uh. no, no, no. I just…" Louise cried, hating herself for it. So much for the first meeting! How do people live, other people? …
– I'm sorry. Can I help? " Niels said quietly. He couldn't hurt a child!
– I saw… a girl and a boy. They were walking together.
– There were two of them?
– N… no. There were four. Three girls and a boy. It made me feel so, uh… Lonely.
– I understand you. I'm not loved too.
– No, no. I'm loved at home. I don't know anyone else. Even at Forest School, I'm…
– What's your name? " the boy asked.
– L-Louise. And you? " she said, wiping away her tears, which, however, had already begun to recede on their own.
– I'm Niels. Where do you live?
– We… W-we hardly know each other, I'm sorry…" said the girl, but then she asked:
– I'm looking for a mailbox. Can you tell me where it is?
– I'm only sixteen, Louise. You don't have to refer to me as an adult.
– I've just, uh. I've never talked to a boy.
– Not once in your life? " Niels was surprised.
– N-not once.
– So how…
– I'm sorry," Louise whispered, and ran away as if from a fire. The tears were glistening in her eyes again. A second, and only the girl's skirt was visible in the distance. She was making her way toward the cottage village.
"Gee!" Niels stood there as if struck by thunder. Who was this girl? And such an unusual name – Louise… Who is she? Apparently, she had met Roxy and the others and was upset about it. What's going on in her soul? …
– Uh, excuse me. Do you know where the mailbox is? " Louise shyly asked a farmer with a straw hat and a sack of flour in his hands as he passed by.
– Right down Main Street. You won't get lost," he smiled. – You're not from around here?
– I am. I'm just confused.
Well, that's it. Louise has been seen. No one can know who she really is! People don't like magic. People don't like people who are different. True, Galya hadn't said anything about what to do if you were being hunted. The girl looked around and did not see anything like an angry mob with pitchforks and burning torches. It was all right, then. And what little girls there might be in this village…
Louise soon found the box. It was very, very rusty and did not inspire confidence. What if he ate her envelope and didn't even choke on it? And mom wouldn't even remember that she had Louise. But there was no choice, so she put the letter inside. The deed is done and she can go home. Or rather, run as fast as she can. But Niels… Her heart beat faster. Her breathing seemed to freeze. The girl had never felt anything like this before. The day had taken on a very special color. Fantastic.
Roxy and Edol took a step forward. A moment more, and there was only darkness. They stepped onto the ground of the Forest. And in a moment they were gone. Stunned, Evie and Thea were left standing on the bright ground of the Field.
– Where are they? " Evie exclaimed. She was used to always following Roxy and had no idea how to act alone.
– Ugh!" said Thea. – What are we doing now?
– Call someone. Call the cops.
– I can't get a signal.
– So I don't know. You'll have to think of something!
– Ay, ay, girls, girls. You talk like cobblers. How did you get here? " they heard a voice behind them and almost jumped from surprise.
When they turned around, they saw an old woman in a ragged apron. She had some roots in her hands. What is she doing here?
– Who are you? " Evie asked, apparently desperate to take the lead.
– My name is Galina. Nice to meet you.
– Nice to meet you, too," Evie mumbled.
– Help us! Our friends are missing!" Thea said. That was the end of her word limit, and the girl would have to meditate and recover for a while. Communication is not easy for many people.
– What happened? " not without interest asked Galya, putting her stubs (obviously intended for baking for garnish) behind the sinus. Her dress in general was like a huge stash of all sorts of things. – What can I do for you?
– They were up… here," Evie pointed to a dark patch of forest grass. Were any of the worlds their enemy? If that's the case, they'll all be in trouble!
– Don't worry, they were just swallowed by the Forest. You'll have to follow and get your friends out," Galya said cheerfully and left. Louise will be home soon and will probably bring some interesting news. It won't be without it.
– Oh, and one more thing! Be kinder," Galya said to them. In a minute she was gone.
– What did she say to us? " Evie did not understand, nervously shifting from foot to foot.
– Just a few words," said Thea.
– Don't just stand there! Go on, go first.
– Why should I? You go first.
– Are you weak? I'm not! " Evie stepped onto the dark grass. Thea didn't hesitate to follow, because neither of them could do it alone.
Niels ran to his lesson and thought about the wonderful girl he had seen for only a few brief moments. For some reason, at that very moment his pulse increased twice as much, and his cheeks turned as red as the ripe tomatoes that grew in his mother's small garden at home. What if this… no, it couldn't be. Love… what a silly word! Childish and naive. Niels knew long ago that it doesn't exist. That people are just doing their duty. But, on the other hand, what was there to live for? Just to exist and then die? What's the point?
Niels took out his cell phone and turned on the selfie-camera: his red hair was standing on end from running fast, his green eyes were empty, his face was covered with moles and pimples, and there was a strange stamp of longing on his face. No, no one will want him. He will spend his life in a lonely house on the edge of the Earth, unless, of course, before that he died in battle. But what kind of battle? Would he ever be? Niels knew that love at first sight was impossible, but as long as he lived here and studied in the City, he should learn as much as he could about who Louise was.
Chapter Four
– What? I don't know any Louise. You must have been dreaming," Mrs. Mountain told her son Niels three hours later, after he had told her about meeting the girl from the Forests and Steppes.
– She lives there, on the other side of the border. Can I go there?
– No way, you're not making that up! What if your father finds out? What do you think, a girl?
– I'm sixteen now, Mom. That's quite an advanced age," the boy said calmly.
– I realize you're a teenager. But life has its own rules.
– I know, I know.
Niels was somehow calm, although his whole body was still throbbing. Somewhere in the world, there's Louise. Louise in a gray dress and a basket in her hands. With long blonde hair and big glassy eyes. Like something out of a fairy tale. Maybe it was – Niels had just fallen into a fairy tale that had lived nearby all these years? Now he would do the routine things, but he would go to bed early – tomorrow is the first day of duty. He'll have to put on a uniform with a uniform coat. He'll probably even be given a horse. Or just put him in a tank, as is proper in our world. He will be a knight, but a real one – now he has someone to protect. Niels forgot to think about the fact that soon his father would come home and demand an explanation. For everything. For everything in the young man's life, no matter what he did. He had also forgotten about his comrades, whom it was good to remember. His eyes closed on their own.
– Where are we?!" Roxy shouted in confusion, finding herself alone with Edol in the suffocating darkness. He may have been a great guy, but he was useless as a warrior.
– I don't know. It's dark.
– Get me out of here! " the girl began to lose patience. After all, she was a simple high school student, albeit obsessed with fashion and boys, but certainly not with old fairy tales. That's not her thing.
– Easy. Let's take a step back," Edol suggested, giving Roxy a hand so she wouldn't trip.
– Careful, you! My manicure! …
– Shh! Freeze!
– What is it again?" she asked unhappily, but she didn't have to wait for an answer, as branches began to wrap themselves around the bodies of the two teenagers. Or it was vines. You couldn't tell in the dark. Something had caught them. And wanted to devour them. It was a tree, but it wasn't just any tree – it was the Ruler of the Forest. Humans have done a lot of damage, not just to this place, but to the planet. And you have to get your strength from somewhere.
– Aaaaaaah, save me!" Roxy frantically panted and waved her arms. Edol, on the other hand, tried to remain calm, even though it looked like they were in trouble. The tree was stronger than they were.
Then the guys heard voices. As it turned out, they belonged to Roxy's friends, Evie and Thea. The girls also stepped into the Forest and fell into the clutches of the Tree. Well, more precisely, the branches. The situation seemed hopeless – who could help them and explain to the tree who was the boss? There was darkness all around and not a single living soul (at least not a human one). The "brave" four couldn't think of anything better than to start screaming together. Yelling. Swear a little – teachers or parents surely wouldn't recognize it.
The end would have been near, but, as it should, a miracle happened, arriving just in time: for a moment the darkness was illuminated by a bright white flash, and the children could see something marvelous. It was the wings of a butterfly. The tiny butterfly, like an intercessor, flew past the children and approached the tree. Then it began to flap its wings quickly, like a hummingbird. Waves invisible to the ordinary eye began to emanate from them (but the children were in a magical place!), as if attacking the mighty tree. Of course, nothing terrible happened to it, but the careless schoolchildren were released. The silhouette of the butterfly disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
It took Roxy, Evie, Thea, and Edol about a few seconds to realize what had actually happened to them. Everyone was intact – alive and well. Who had saved them? No one knew. It couldn't have been an ordinary butterfly – an insect weighing little more than a gram? Then who? Or what? This place was clearly home to powerful forces beyond the reach and control of man. Evil dwelt here. And evil has no place in this world. At least not in the City. We have to save him. Warn the others. Call for help. Gather an army and defeat the monsters. If necessary, raze all the Forests and Steppes to the ground. Or lower.
– Shall we go back? " Roxy was the first to speak, as expected.
