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– 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.
– What was that?" Edol asked, scratching the back of his head.
– We failed the mission, you oaf! " Roxy shouted at him. How could she, a real star, successful in everything, screw up? Not catch a single scary beast? She was loved, no, just adored by the whole school, and she chickened out! They can't let that go!
– I remember the old woman," Evie said slowly, almost syllabically.
– What? Nonsense We were in the forest," Roxy countered.
– You were the first to set foot in it, and Thea and I were here for a while," Evie explained. – Right, Thea?
– Uh-huh," she mumbled. As before, so now, you couldn't get many words out of her. "And who are they all – just a bunch of losers!"
– Anyway, listen," Edol said, – there's no point in us staying here. We've got to go home – no, we'd better go to the police. They'll come and arrest these vile creatures.
– Yeah, and let them get what they deserve. Kick them, and kick them hard!" that thought didn't seem so stupid to Roxy.
– Let's get out of here before it gets dark," Evie was drawn toward the house, toward the chips on the shelf and the phone charger.
– Okay, let's go.
The four started back the way they'd come. Their journey had been almost useless, but now they had a purpose: to find and kill evil monsters. Better than cramming for algebra and geometry exams.
– People? Here? And who are they? " a worried Galya asked the butterfly, who had just returned from the Forest. – Of course, unless you mean those poor children…
– They were human youngsters. Four of them," sang the butterfly.
– I saw them. Apparently, they all went into the Forest.
– Yes. They're dangerous.
– You think so? I am not sure they're dangerous at all. People haven't come to our land for centuries. Except, of course, for the simple farmers. But they don't care about us.
– We could be in trouble. We could be attacked.
– By who? Children? Aren't they schoolchildren?
– There are adults.
– I don't know. I'll tell Louise.
– Louise is a child.
– She's going to be a Butterfly! The only one in the whole neighborhood.
– That won't happen for a while.
– Then forgive me, but what do you suggest?" it seemed Galya was beginning to lose patience. She didn't want to change the way things were and fight people instead of her and Louise's carefree life. The world had changed. Years and centuries had passed, and knights and kings had been replaced by programmers and designers. Of course, Galina was far from modern urban realities and generally the problems of existence, but now, and indeed, vigilance will not be superfluous. I'd have to send Louise on a little errand.
When Galina approached the house, she found the girl sitting on the doorstep with her arms around her knees. "Isn't she crying? I don't remember my Louise ever crying at all".
– Is everything all right?" the old woman asked timidly, stroking the girl's back.
– Yes, it's just…" she mumbled. – Galya, this is love…
– What? What are you talking about, honey? " Galina didn't understand. Louise is only twelve, and the time is definitely not yet right.
– The time has come, " Louise objected in response to these thoughts. – But there are no wings. That doesn't matter, though.
– Louise, wings have nothing to do with love. Nor with first love. Tell me, who is he?
– I don't know it myself, Mother. Our eyes met for only a few tiny moments. But I am different now.
– You've met a real human boy?
– He's Niels. That's his name.
– And do you need him?
– I need him badly.
– Do you? Well, I can't help you now. But here's what you're gonna do: Go to the border and cross the border into the City. There's a lot of streets – find a store on any of them and buy a newspaper. Bring it to me.
– Are you, uh… seriously? " the girl couldn't believe her ears. – I'm going to the City? To the people? That's unbelievable!
– Yes. Here, take five coins to pay for the paper. Go on, go on.
– I… of course I'm going!
There was no trace of her former sadness. The girl threw on her polka-dot jacket (it was already evening, and the cool breeze was making itself felt) and ran down the path again. To think that for so many years she had dreamed of going to the City! There are many, many people there: men, women, schoolchildren, old people and babies. Louise would see a new, vast world. And in it, that's where Niels lives.
– Roxy, are you sure you want to do this? " Evie asked her friend. They were on their way home.
– Of course I am. I want to be consul or minister of the City. I want to rule for real.
– What if they don't believe us? Or it turns out there's really no one abroad? What then?
– But we've seen it all ourselves! Yes?
Thea just nodded, and the boy shrugged. Sure, Roxy wasn't a bad girl, but power games were a risky business…
No one knew there were two different worlds.
Niels slept and saw Louise's eyes, while Louise herself ran to the border. Some paths seemed to lead them to each other. This is how marvelous stories are supposed to begin.
After the entertaining scene, the Tree said to its butterfly helper "Thank you". It respected its world. It is only a pity that the play about salvation did not make a proper impression on the frightened schoolchildren. They did not realize that good and evil do not exist. They are one. And the world of people and nature should also become the same.
Chapter Five
Louise ran faster and faster, but soon her left side stung and she had to stop and catch her breath. She was almost there – the lights of the evening houses in the distance. Multistory buildings. With elevator and balconies. The city beckoned the girl with its mystery. It turns out that to get to the fairy tale, and do not need to go far – just ten minutes along the path through the Forests and Steppes. Louise was so used to her world and home that she didn't even know if she could manage alone in the City. Reaching the border, the girl closed her eyes and stepped into a new, foreign land. She passed a cottage community, in one of whose houses Niels Mountain lived, and reached a paved road where strange carriages with huge burning eyes drove. "They must be cars," the girl reassured herself, and moved on. She hadn't met any people yet – maybe everyone was already asleep. But, although the first stars were beginning to light up in the sky, the City was noisy – music was playing from the windows, buses and rumbling trolleybuses, crowds of people were still coming out of the entrances leading to the subway. Tired moms and dads were rushing home.
"Where can I find the store?" Louise whispered to herself in a trembling voice. She's scared. It's dark. No one is around. Or maybe there is someone who wishes her harm. "There's nothing to do, I'll have to find out the way," the girl decided and politely addressed a man passing by:
– Excuse me…
– What do you want? " the man asked sullenly.
– Can you tell me where I can find the store?
– Are you not from here, or what? " the passerby was surprised.
– А… Uh, yeah. I'm new here.
– There's a grocery store across the street," he pointed to a small building with a lighted sign that read "Products 24".
– Oh, thank you so much. I can buy a newspaper there, can't I?
– Well, yes," the man replied and walked away, muttering to himself: "Who in his right mind would buy a newspaper?"
It worked. Soon Louise would be home. And the night would be over.
The girl quickly jumped across the road, not even knowing about the crosswalk. The path was lit by streetlights, but Louise did not pay attention to the "zebra" drawn on the asphalt with chalk.
She knocked timidly on the door of the store, but got no answer, opened it herself and looked inside.
The store was small, and the windows were full of all sorts of things in brightly colored packages. The only products Louise could recognize were weathered loaves of bread and plastic bottles of milk; chips and potato chips were unfamiliar to her. The tired saleswoman, a full-figured middle-aged woman, turned to her unhappily:
– Well? Speak.
– А… I'm sorry," Louise hesitated, but still she was not confused. – Do you sell newspapers?
– Yes, by the cash register. Which one do you want?
– The newest one.
