Unlimited

Darina Grotto, 2017

Summer, 2013. Moscow. Just a young redhead girl. Just an amazing and unusual meeting. The meeting which thwarted plans and dreams of the young redhead girl, Victoria. And totally untypical love that got under the girl’s skin. What if she mustn’t love? Horrifying! What if she mustn’t want? Dangerous! And what if Victoria really wanted to love? How to live when suddenly as if touched with a wand everything became unusual including the redhead girl? In a Moscow beautiful summer, one beautiful day Victoria made a mess of things that led her into apocalyptic troubles.Содержит нецензурную брань.

4

^th

October 2013 (Friday)

A week later after the night spend with almost the Devil Victoria finally felt healthy, found energies and easiness. That was Friday. Victoria was at work, tried to project a new design of company product.

She drew with not stopping, examined fine details and dashes, having no desire to think about anything. She had a well-drown sketch when there was a small envelop in the display corner.

Vic stopped drawing, having torn herself away from the sketch and looked at the blinked envelop.

“What’s that?” was her thought when she thought gritted teeth put the pen aside and started reading message details.

Good morning, Victoria

I inform you that on behalf of the country manager, Gregory Dogmanov, the meeting has been arranged for today at 3 pm. Business-lunch takes place on the 3d floor in “La Esperanza” café. Please, have your laptop with you.

Executive Assistant

Lidia Sviridova”

The girl frowned and read the message again. She didn’t know who Gregory Dogmanov was and what a business-lunch was settled and why her participation was necessary. She got share of distrust and doubt in her mind. What if they were going to dismiss her? On the other hand, the country manager absolutely had something else to do but not to invite potentially dismissed employees to lunches.

The girl let it all hang out and kept on drawing. She bended very low above her sketch, intently scratching details with the plastic pen, which were transferred into the display at once.

Suddenly all stopped. There were no moves. Silence. Victoria didn’t like it ahead of the game. As she was no stranger to when the world stopped moving and it meant a crappy omen completely.

Her eyes became heavy… Victoria resisted but as a result she closed her eyes and turned out to be in some washy hall. Flying through it at a great speed, she tried to see murmurated things. The walls were enweaved of glimpses of strangers’ faces, indoor scenes, multi-coloured lightings and letters. There were many different letters not only in Cyrillic. Everything surrounded flew through Victoria fast-paced. She didn’t have time to catch anything with her eyes, dissolving in the eternal vision stream.

Then all stopped. Again. All was paralyzed. There was an intimate atmosphere. It had a soft semi-darkness, failing light, cosy arm-chairs with cushions. Vic felt sitting in one of the arm-chairs. There was a glass table but not transparent. Napkins, cutlery, salts and casters were carefully served the table.

Relax music sounded, warmed and filled with romantic pictures. There was a female tone. Sugary one. It was so pleasant to listen to it and understand nothing. The song was in French. It was for the better.

In front of her a young man was sitting. No, it was a man. A solid, self-confident one.

He wore a jacket with cuffs, smooth face, straight parting on his head. He seemed to be an ideal and mannered. He had neither imperfection nor defect.

Victoria cocked her head, having frowned, studied the cared-for look man.

‘Victoria’ he stood up and extended his hand. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. I’m Gregory.’

The girl stood up, too and took his hand and smiled having known what to say.

‘Pleasure is mine.’

They both sat to the table. Gregory studied the girl sitting in front of him, she studied his professionally and carefully done nails.

‘I’d like to discuss current situation about the re-design of our main package.’ The man gave the fat paper case to the girl. ‘But let’s begin with our lunch. Lady’s first.’

Gregory gave the menu to the girl also, intently following her with his eyes.

‘Ok.’

Vic was laconic. All the atmosphere confused her a bit. After quick glance at the menu Vic ordered just sea-buckthorn tea.

‘Mr Dogmanov,’ the girl closed the menu and looked at the man’s eyes. ‘I’ve already projected a new design of this product. I was going to send it for your approval. So, as you started talking about it, let me show you some sketches and templates.’

Vic took out her laptop, moved closer to Gregory and opened the laptop.

‘Well let’s see,’ she began, after she had opened the first presentation slide.

Vic spoke a lot, clearly, trying to convey a persuasive message her interlocutor. Unexpectedly she felt his leg touch hers under the table.

That was an accident, she thought. Vic shot a surprised look at Gregory and stopped speaking for a moment.

‘I’m sorry,’ the man smiled. ‘Go on your presentation. It’s very interesting.’

‘…This slide consists of a new form, more advanced that, my opinion, matches the product better than the previous one.’

Gregory watched the presentation of the new project carefully. His lunch was getting cold but they both dipped into the bright display.

‘Wow!’ the man exhaled, having fixed his tie, as Victoria had finished her presentation. ‘I’m really glad that our HR employed you. This project has to be on my table by tomorrow afternoon. I approved it fully and give the go-ahead for realization of each slides.’

The girl couldn’t help smiling, listening to flattered and winy boasting in her way. Words dint fail Gregory when he heaped the girl’s efforts with expressing thanks and enthusiastic shouting. Only the next touch of his leg to hers made Victoria come back to reality.

‘I’m sorry,’ Vic thought she was to blame. ‘I should move back.’

The girl rose quickly when she felt his strong fingers squeezing her wrist.

‘Victoria, please,’ Gregory rose, languishingly looked at her eyes.

Victoria couldn’t believe neither her eyes nor her ears. What was it? The country manager asked her to stay near him… It couldn’t be.

‘I’d like,’ he added, ‘to see another project. Ludmila told me about your initiatives in the field of graphic representation of the product slogan. I’d like to see it. Do you have it?’’

‘Yes,’ the fascinated girl answered, looking into the man’s eyes.

Gregory liked madly liked her look, full of interests, misunderstanding, charming and ambitious to know. What a man wouldn’t like that? There was only one problem which the man had no idea about: Victoria was looking at a woman, standing behind Gregory’s back. Only Vic knew that woman not to be seen by anyone.

The spirit stroked the man’s shoulders, shaking off invisible flecks of dust, motherly touching his back. A smile of pain froze on her lips, the glass tears were on her cheeks. Of course, there was her son before her!

Vic clearly saw every resemblance between them: they both have the same noses, lip lines and plush, eye shape and colour, more looked like European than Russian. Having completely realized that it was a spirit of Gregory’s mother, who carried her favourite son even after the death, Vic finally looked aside, sat and opened her laptop.

‘There are only sketches here they’ve not been dotted and crossed yet.’

‘Ok, I’m ready to follow your ideas.’ Gregory smiled, sitting closer to the girl.

A half of hour had passed before they finished discussing the second project sketches. Gregory made a few simple modifications more likely for form’s sake. Victoria listened patiently to the country manager’s commentaries, finishing her tea with sea-buckthorn.

‘Well, colleague,’ Gregory found himself taking the girl by the hand and smiling.

Vic looked at his smile and more and more understood that his smile had nothing to do with job. It looked like friendly but there were barely noticeable and captured shadows of affection in moderato in value of thirty-second notes.

His hand, tenderly holding her cold, pale and tired fingers just accompanied those shadows in his smile, confirming their existence.

The spirit of the old lady, being worried about her son’s fate, frowned. Vic realized the woman looked exactly at her, straight into her face. Its gaze was unbearably heavy, painful and awful.

‘The Devil’s bride…’ Vic heard the certain whisper.

The girl looked around: people wearing suits, were busy with their lunches, from time to time saying something about business; the woman-spirit studied with a cool stare her son’s hand giving its warmth to the odious girl; songs were in French.

Who said that? Whose whisper was it? A female one? The spirit? No, it couldn’t. Its lips silently compressed.

‘The Devil’s bride…’ the same whisper sounded again.

Victoria got more frowned. She looked at the spirit of the old lady and saw her whitish discorporate hand raise and try to unclasp his fingers which had been still holding Victoria’s hand.

‘No…’ Vic murmured, having noticed being accused with the worried spirit’s eyes.

‘What did you say?’ Gregory looked at the getting nervous girl questioningly.

‘Nothing.’ Vic saw the old woman step behind the back of her son. ‘Nothing,’ Vic repeated.

‘So, I’m glad to have such a specialist working for our company. By the middle of the next week my assistant will have arranged lunch out of office. Prepare the pilot product project with your sketches, put exactly them into project originals and present it to me. Are you ok with the deadline, Vic?’

‘Yes, I’ll manage it, Mr. Dogmanov.’ Victoria adjusted her hair trying not to look at the spirit’s eyes. ‘No problem.’

‘Ok, we should go back and… It’s been a pleasure to work with you personally.’

Victoria cracked a smile and hastened to the exit to turn away from the ghost.

Time started moving again into a hurry. Victoria opened her eyes. She was at her worktop. She had been holding the plastic pen. There was almost finished sketch on the screen. It was fifteen minutes past two.

Then other fail to understand happened. What was that? How did she have to feel about it? Victoria leaned back carelessly in her chair, trying to understand what was going on in her head. Would it ever come to an end? Suddenly it had dawned upon her: it was the very time! She had to run at the meeting… again…

The girl grabbed her laptop and ran to the appointed place, fortunately she had just been there. As she appeared at the restaurant Vic saw the same tables, faces, designs and waiters. Everything was the same she had seen already. Even the music was the same! The question “what the hell” didn’t leave her mind.

There was an identical table, the same cared-for look man whom she had already seen, waiting in great terror if all the other that had been in her vision, was going to happen.

To her horror every second of her prediction happened… even the foreseeable appearance of the old lady’s spirit, followed mannered Gregory whom, despite his high-status in the company, Vic didn’t like at all.

The only thing that didn’t come true was the label “The Devil’s bride”. That certainly calmed the girl down, obviously her subconsciousness took the decision to make fun of her.

After the meeting had been finished, Vic tried to subdue her jitters in her legs and hands, being happy that her vision and the reality were just a coincidence and that’s all.

Staying in the hall, Gregory looked at Vic with the smile while she was losing herself in the corners of her mind, had no idea how to behave.

‘Have a good day,’ he said.

‘Thanks… you too…’ Vic turned back and went to her work place.

‘The Devil’s bride…’

The girl stopped dead. Having turned around she saw in the lobby the same old woman’s ghost. It stayed and intently looked at scared Victoria.

‘What did you say?’ Vic asked out of foolishness.

The old woman silently raised her hand and wagged her finger at Vic after she disappeared.

Vic was paralyzed. For the whole time of being with the demon she had got over that she could always see something or someone other couldn’t. She didn’t know what exactly she saw — spirits, ghosts or something unknown. But the girl couldn’t get over the fact that those guys started speaking with her and not just speaking but labelling her.

‘Kharon,’ she whispered on the phone after she had heard the man’s voice. ‘Meet me at 6.30 near Barrikadnaya metro station.’

‘Your voice is very odd, dear.’ The demon said puzzled.

‘It is probably, I need to talk to you.’

‘Oh, why? I’ve never had any serious talk before. How am I supposed to react? Wait, keep silence. A serious talk… Well. The word serious doesn’t cause any positive thoughts if to put it logically. Hey, Vic, what’ve I done?’

Despite of her being in panic, Vic smiled. Guessing Kharon distracted her from her thoughts of the ill-fated old woman.

‘You haven’t. That’s not so bad. Just meet me, ok?’

‘As you wish. How do you feel, love?’

‘Love?’ Vic smiled again.

‘You’re so…like me, asking about every word I tell.’ Kharon smiled, too. ‘I got you. At 6.30 near Barrykadnaya metro station. I bet I’ll guess the carriage you’re gonna be in.’

‘Try your best.’ Vic almost forgot about the accident at work.

The memories were destroyed with the pictures of Kharon’s face. His nice smile and gentle gaze conduced the girl’s sooner rehabilitation.

Vic heard the phone hang up, grinned and already looking forward to meeting.

At that time Kharon was walking along the city, revelling in the view of streets and beautiful women, persistently collecting all information about human behaviour. Ideally curiosity made him flirt with girls, using all conceivable and inconceivable tricks to see what would happen next. He was interested in reading their minds and he liked to listen to their voiced answers. He had fun.

“By accident” he stepped on some girl’s foot, stumbled and almost fell. She was about to attack the awkward man, say him many bad words. But Kharon started twittering in Spanish that he was so sorry to be so an awkward not to notice the girl while he had been seeing the sight of Bolshoy Theatre vault.

The girl immediately smiled, having forgotten about her dirty suede shoe. Kharon went on saying sorry in bad Russian. Of course, his foreign splendid accent, innocent eyes, beauty of his face played its role.

The next conclusion was drawn: Russian women weren’t so angry as they wanted to look like. Their mean faces very fast turned into bright smile with sincerity and they were already ready to help. Kharon saw it better than any other men. The sexual energy he had, charmed women when they were awakened.

To other couple, that had drawn the demon’s attention with its passionate kisses in the middle of Alexandrovsky Sad, Kharon said that he could predict everything. He turned into a blind old man, took the girl by the hand and whispered in a hoarse voice:

‘The wedding is on 10^th of October.’ Looking at nowhere, strongly holding her hand, the demon was reading her mind. ‘You’re waiting for the wedding. Everything is bought. He’s your fiancé. But he has a mistress already.’

The man got pale and contradicted, banishing the old man from his sight not to let him talk nonsense. The demon insidiously smiled, his eyes flashed which had nothing in common with old age and kept on telling some things that nobody could have known but the couple themselves.

Indeed, the tear-stained girl punched him with the thorn roses in the face, threw away the ring and ran home in tears.

‘You, freakish old grumbler…’ he hissed, clenching his fists.

‘You’re gonna be an impotent in a year, young man,’ the demon predicted in a sepulchral voice.

Having had fun with the passer-by Kharon went down in metro as crowded as a can with sprats. People went home, tried to smile, pretend they were fun and glad the day was over. By the way they didn’t forget to shout at others, having wolf-looks, hated them.

When the carriage was at Kuznetsky Most a great crowd invaded into and Kharon turned to be almost at the very corner. There was a nice-looking girl before him, and she looked at everything around with understanding in her eyes. Her shoes were stepped on, someone pushed her, but she thought that it was ok, none of those were on purpose.

The demon was too close to her and without hesitation staring at her face. It had sadness and sorrow a bit and some desperation. Kharon saw her eyelashes freeze, her eyes were staring ahead at his chest.

The door opened and more people got into the carriage, pushing and kicking each other. The demon had time to set his hand against the wall not to let him press the girl.

‘Unbelievably…’ he said quiet looking at her scared eyes.

Looking at her face you could see the girl waited for the man to be about to fall at her with his body, tramp her foot or make a nasty trick. Her eyes got scared while Kharon’s eyes smiled.

The train steamed out of the station and people mechanically waved aside but the demon kept his hand against the wall not letting large-tonnage wave come down on the girl. The smile played across his lips while he was looking at the understandable confusion.

The girl tried not to stare at the man who was heroically covering her with his body. In the glimmering of the carriage Kharon gazed her cheeks were overspread with a faint flu and her eyes looked lower.

Using his position and potential coming closer together the demon moved to her. He did so close he could feel warmth of youth. The girl felt too the atmosphere and lifted her eyes.

‘I’m sorry.’ He said quiet slightly bowed to her.

The train was running down, and the wall of passengers leaned upon the demon’s back. He, of course, couldn’t hold himself such pressure and the crowd bumped him into the girl.

Instead of screaming and going into hysterics the girl smiled and turned to the door in the glass of which leaned on her demon was reflected.

Daria… The demon closed his eyes and let the thought stream so uninteresting break into his head…. I’d like to go in this way eternally… Mine is incapable of anything like this… Cans are on his head… the cell is in his hands… here the stranger is like a protection from everything. I don’t wanna you go out…

“Go out” came Kharon back to reality, letting out the girl’s thoughts from his head. He shifted his eyes to get what the station was.

‘This is Barrikadnaya station, change here for the orbital link…’

Kharon smiled once again, glanced at the girl interested and left the train.

He was in the middle of the station having his eyes closed and listened. No. He didn’t listen to neither people nor unceasing clatter and chatter around, mechanical voices… He tried to listen to her.

Then some visions flew one by one: an intimate atmosphere, a pub, café, restaurant. He couldn’t understand what a place was it, but he knew a place to eat. Victoria. A man was confused. An ambitious precisionist. What his name was G…Georgy… Gregory… It started with G… He wore a grey shiny suit. His hair carefully done… Supper. Business lunch. Some food. Something whitish. Who knew what was it exactly? But it could move. That wasn’t a human. No heart, discorporate. A spirit. Female energy. Fear. There were Victoria and her fear. Why?

The demon read the girl’s visions who was coming to meet him. The closer she was the better he could see what she had seen.

Kharon turned back and headed to the head car coming from the centre. Yes. The closer he came up the better he could get Victoria was in the very carriage. Her crazy energy… the energy of the witch gave itself away and Kharon could feel it coming closer to the doors.

The man stopped near a supposed carriage and stared at the wall where like on TV he could see the train rush in the tunnel. In several seconds bright light showed out from the hole. Kharon smiled.

The train was running down at the station, the man stepped back, hiding in the crowd. The train stopped, the doors, near which Victoria had been staying, opened and a hand appeared before her.

‘How do you do this, ah?’ Vic asked with obvious smile of admire.

‘You, dear, stream through my body. I can feel your every atom and neuron. By the way, I’m glad that your mood has been enhanced as you see me and I can hear now a pleasant tune of your voice. I wish you hadn’t remembered the lunch with that man… But this is what you’re gonna speak about, isn’t it?’

‘That’s impossible, Kharon. You can’t just so unceremoniously dig in my mind. We’re gonna have nothing to speak about if you keep on reading my mind. Shall we go outside?’

‘Actually, I didn’t read.’ Kharon led the girl through the crowd. ‘I’ve almost stopped being able to do it. I can still see your past by bright and picturesque images. I can still feel your feelings. Why were you confused with the invitation from that man?’

They were at the long moving staircase. Kharon was on the lower step, embracing the girl. Being only in his arms she could relax totally, let everything be as it was, without interfering in anything, thinking of nothing. Only his arms could help her to distract from all the world and make her think only of him. She desired to think of his warm, gentle hands, stroking her back under the jeans jacket with no stopping.

‘It scared me.’ Vic put her arms around him, having laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

‘Scared? Don’t you like surprises?’ he took up the girl and careful brought her from the moving staircase.

‘I don’t.’ Vic said the truth, coming ahead in the street while Kharon was holding the door for her.

‘It wasn’t the one for him, indeed.’ The demon followed her and at once it started drizzling like the thinnest needles falling on his face from the sky.

Victoria was staring at the sad sky, feeling its tears on her face.

‘It’s raining…’ she whispered, and something brought her into a country of illusions and dreams.

The demon held her strong in his arms, trying to protect from raining. Being under his arm, she felt like a peregrine falcon nestling under its mother’s wing.

‘I’ve heard that raining in the human world is very romantic event for lovers. This is romanticism, dear!’

‘True. But it’s not for everyone. There’s a touch of romanticism for both of us but there’s no any for these who are pushing and cursing us. I wanted to walk home…and it’s raining. Are you so romantic Kharon to walk in the rain? I know it’s not so warm and tender as the summer one, but it’s good anyway when you’re with me.’

‘We can find out about romanticism of my… soul,’ Kharon looked at her.

‘What are we waiting for then? Come on!’ Vic grabbed his hand and hurried to the Garden Ring Road.

They walked put arms on each other, stepping on the Garden Ring Road, trampled by the times. It was still raining but was ready to leave with no breaking down the lovers. People ran under umbrellas, constantly bumping into each other with their umbrellas. Vic didn’t care! Rain. Snow. People. The world. The planet. Was there any point to see all of those? All lived in its own circle. This circle had been before Victoria was born and it was going to be after she was dead. The only thing she would hardly have was the man. But at that time he was walking near her.

‘Didn’t you want to know the man whom you had lunch with?’ Kharon asked being curious.

‘To ask how you can know is stupid… I think I didn’t because I don’t like him, I don’t feel anything for him and the only man in my mind is you.’

‘I know, dear. But, how to put it right… He’s a human. You have more chances to live like a human with him.’

Vic stopped, came up to Kharon and looked at him with indescribable fear and despair in her eyes.

‘Tell me the truth, Kharon.’ She asked quietly. ‘Will I have a chance to live like a human with anyone after that night on 26^th of September? Will I be able to love a human as I love you? Will he be able to give me what you do? Tell me, Kharon. Don’t be silent!’

‘Are you giving up for lost? You’ll be only 23 on 16^th of September 2015 and now you’re speaking about your future and abilities to love?’

‘I don’t wanna give up but I’m a realist. You are the most perfect happiness that could ever happen to me for my eternal life. I regret nothing and moreover I’m not gonna be regretful about your appearance in my life.’

‘You know, dear, you have to live with people a bit to answer your question now… Honestly I don’t know what to say, what I have to say…’

‘You don’t need to say what you have to. What’s there?’ Victoria touched his chest. ‘What does it say?’

Kharon said nothing. Tears. There were tears in her eyes. Vic was waiting for an answer like manna from heaven.

‘I…’

‘The truth, please, Kharon. Tell me the truth, what do you feel here?’ the first tear dropped on her cheek and hurried to run away to flow together with the rain.

‘The truth?’ the demon defined. ‘Nothing. I feel nothing here.’

The demon put her hands away. Vic pursed her lips, fighting the coming up tears. She took his hand and kissed his fingers, pressing his warm palm to her cheek.

‘That’s ok… I’ll do everything to fill you with a human life, make you hear your heart trembling when you see the eyes of a human whom you really like. I’ll teach you how to feel, Kharon, I will. Please don’t resist me.’

‘I’ve got you. I don’t mind. Try your best. But don’t let them drop, ok?’

‘You don’t wanna me cry, do you?’ Vic smiled through tears, still pressing his hand. ‘I won’t.’

‘And you’re still doing it?’ he smiled.

‘No. The last ones. Shall we go further? I have something to tell you.’

‘About your meeting?’

‘Yes. There was a woman.’

‘Called you the Devil’s bride?’

‘Did you…’ Vic was about to get surprised but grinned instead of. ‘Exactly. Why did she say it, Kharon?’

‘You again listen to everyone and think that’s it all about you, don’t you? When we were going out from the metro some girl called you…just a second, I’m trying to remember. It was something like a bitch. Why didn’t you notice it? So maybe you shouldn’t notice what ghosts say?’

‘Do you want to say that the insult was about nothing?’ the girl exhaled.

Kharon stopped near the sad girl and with words “come to me”, pulled her into the nearest archway. He pressed the girl understanding nothing in the corner and put his hands on her head.

‘I’m sorry, Victoria, but I understand nothing what you’re speaking about… I need to know… Now!’ The demon pressed her head stronger with his hands with difficulty getting into her mind.

‘No, no. Kharon, that won’t work…’

‘It’s all useless… I want to get your honesty, Victoria, and how I’m supposed to get it without being in your mind?’

She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth because of the man’s pressuring, threw back her head and soundlessly squeaked. At that time the demon was covering the twisted corridors and halls of consciousness and subconsciousness looking for the answers.

‘Here they are,’ he whispered, stronger pressing the girl’s head. ‘You can stand it a little more… I’ll get them out.’

A minute had passed before Kharon let go of the exhausted girl. He relaxed his hands, gently kissed her lips and stepped back, having turned away from Vic.

‘I’m not a murder, dear.’ He said with his back on her.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’m not a murder but you make me be.’ Kharon turned to her. ‘I’m really sorry that it’s me who has to do it as no one will.’

‘What are you talking about, Kharon? You’re scaring me…’

‘Tell me, Victoria, what on earth prompted you to think so?’ He folded his arms. ‘What was your logic?’

Vic frowned and had a blank nervous look, looking at the man.

‘Now you don’t understand what I’m speaking about, do you?’ the man came up to her again, grabbing gently for her shoulders. ‘You make me kill your hope.’

‘My hope?’ Victoria had a lump in her throat as she started getting what a hope murder Kharon was speaking about. ‘No, Kharon, don’t. Don’t shoot from the hip…’

‘I saw it in your thoughts. Is that old woman who gave it to you? Why did you believe her so ridiculously?’

Someone coughed and steps were heard. Kharon let the girl and stepped back. It was the first time in his life he felt so strange. He looked at a stranger, at his leaving shadow and didn’t understand his feeling that had appeared with the stranger together. That was the first step of shame.

‘The Devil’s bride doesn’t mean, dear, that you’re the one. There are no weddings in my world.’

‘No, there aren’t, but there are in my world!’ Vic interrupted him, grabbing his hand. ‘There are weddings in my world. There are brides and fiancées… There’s love. All of it exist in my world. And I have right to dream about it. You can’t make me stop doing it. You can’t. There are lots of things in my world which hardly can happen in yours and they’re immune to you. But it means nothing, does it? Jesus, Kharon…’ Victoria put her hands on her head, being shocked with the conversation. ‘I’m in shock indeed! I’ve never thought that living in your world is torn to pieces and wounded with stereotypes and prejudices which you’re not able to get rid of!’

The girl experienced great desperation. No, it wasn’t about the man. No. She was upset with that fact that some things didn’t depend neither on you nor your surroundings.

‘What’s it, Vic?’ the demon asked, touching his left side of his chest. ‘I can feel your feelings. How do you call it? I wanna know…’

‘It hurts now, and I feel desperation because of your words. I don’t like it and I’m hurt. I would call all of it disappointment…. Let’s go. We’re wet through. This conversation happened too early and now I’m catching up to it. Not for all the world borrow this dispiriting feeling for yourself. Nothing can change my feelings to you, but death can.’

Disappointment. What was the level of it? Was it a strong sense? What was going to be after? There was a small of human senses into insensitive depth of the demon and now he was preoccupied and tried to understand what and why. Most of all he wanted to know why. Why could people experience those terrible feelings? Why couldn’t they reject to experience them, harking after other feelings? Why did people like being disappointed? For a month of being with people Kharon had time to know what joy meant. Why not to use this perfect ability to be happy… What stupid things those two-legged creatures were. They had so wide range of positive thinking, but they ate dirty and garbage without stopping.

‘Ok, Victoria. At this time of day, I got your mind. Thank you. I’ll take this lesson into account. I’d like to tell you something about the man you had dinner with. There’s a thing for you creeping in his heart that you call affection. Certainly, it’s not a love. I don’t feel him feeling the way you do towards me. But as I see all people can fall in love. But, saying it in your language he’s ready to let you see what can be done in his bed.’

Victoria was listening so-called exciting story about her boss and instead of understanding the news she tried to realize if there was a share of jealousy in Kharon’s words, whose love she wanted to arouse. Just a little of jealousy… But she was either deaf or there was no jealousy. Kharon just spoke like a morning greeting or what’s up.

They went away from the Garden Ring Road to Tverskaya Street at Mayakovskaya metro station and headed towards the Red Square. It was the first time they kept silence for a long time. They both had something to think over. At that moment they both were ok. Kharon couldn’t and didn’t want to get into Victoria’s mind and one could hardly get into his except Lucifer. They gave a little time to each other to think over something, work on misunderstandings.

When they were at Pushkinskaya Square Kharon stopped and looked at a big building, proudly elevated behind the monument.

‘Why did you never tell me what a building it is?’ he asked Victoria.

‘This one?’ the girl nodded at the building. ‘This is a cinema. You’ve never asked me.’

‘What’s the sound?’ Kharon asked under his breath turning to Vic. ‘You… Is this a chatter of your teeth? Why are you doing it?’

‘Kharon,’ she smiled, rubbing her sniffly nose, ‘people usually do it in two cases: when we’re afraid or cold.’

‘You have no fear now that means you’re cold… Cold…’ Kharon repeated mysteriously, ‘I see, once I saw a young man put his jacket on a girl in the cold evening… I’ll give you my coat.’

Victoria kindly smiled and stared at Kharon watching him build his logic chain in his head and she looked forward to waiting for it to be done. Kharon quickly unbuttoned his coat, easing down when undid the last buttons.

‘But it’s wet… through. It’s the same as yours and that’s why your teeth are chattering… Oh people… What’s going on in cinemas? Can we go there to get warm?’

‘Sure, let’s go. Moreover, we can watch a film. A cinema is the place where you can watch films.’

‘Really?’ Kharon ‘Then let’s go. By the way why do people go to the cinemas if they have TV and internet at homes where they can watch the same?’

‘Oh, Kharon, it’s so meaningful question it can be answered for a long time and in a variety of ways. Any cinema isn’t just a place to watch a new film, catch a break with no sleeping. You can get new emotions, sympathize or be happy for the main characters. You can be upset a little bit because all that is showed in films never happens in life. Or you can breathe a sigh of relief that things you see are just film and nothing more. So, any cinema is nothing more but the place where you can get emotions. Couples often go to the cinema. They are there to enjoy each other and don’t care about the actions on the screen. As a rule, if you ask them what the film is about, they hardly would remember its title.’

‘Umph…’ the man looked at the girl attentively and smiling. ‘Then we have several reasons to get there.’

There was a world drama on the screen which everyone knew by not a generation. It was the Titanic.

First twenty minutes of the film Kharon was busy with his girl. He kissed her fingers, warming them up with his breath, rubbing her skin, warming up her chilled hands. He embraced Victoria softly rubbing her shoulders, awaking her endless passion. The man intently looked at the sitting near girl. He wasn’t interested so much in actions on the screen. He was more interested in Victoria.

Twenty minutes later the demon glanced at the huge screen and… Victoria lost an interlocutor in him. The demon of lust was buried with unbelievably beautiful and incomparable frames.

‘Who’s it?’ he asked Victoria having seen a red-haired girl on the screen, standing on the deck.

‘The main character of the film. Haven’t you seen the beginning?’ Vic smiled, stroking his hand.

‘No, honestly I’ve been busy with your chilled hands and I wish we had been at home in bed. I’d have warmed you up faster. You’d have been exhausted with unexpected heat… Then I saw this beautiful woman. Why does she look like this?’

‘Are you about her dress? It’s the beginning of the XX century, Kharon. All looked like her then. I think you were with women at that time, weren’t you? Obviously with no dress. Films can show you features of the past and even future. So, there’s nothing surprisingly.’

‘I see.’

Kharon looked back at the screen where one of the main characters tried to speak with the red-haired girl. That’s all the man was consumed with the frames.

Victoria even didn’t try to prevent him from watching this splendid film about love. She was surprised and fun a bit that the demon who was thousands of years old was interested so much in the dramatic film, you can say, even girlish. Of course, all his life Kharon had deals only with women and their sacrament parts of bodies. He knew nothing about what existed in human world and what for. The demon had the better day at that moment: there was no definition of a film for boys or girls. He knew nothing about gender separation. He didn’t know that he had to pretend saying “ugh, this is the wimpy drama for stupid first-year girls and this one is for the real men”. There was not a touch of stereotypes imposed by the society. He had no need to be cool at work for workers in the mornings. He was completely independent of society and its venal opinion. He didn’t even know that he was watching girlish film absolutely. And the best of all was that Kharon didn’t imagine and think that after watched the film he would have no need to say “ugh what a shit”, giving 105 Oscar reward to the actors and director in depths of his heart. The demon just watched the film, giving birth to his pure opinion.

There was love raised in the screen. True and sincere one could ever happen between a man and a woman. Kharon followed that love very attentively. He followed the young man’s actions, his emotions and experienced feelings, the moves of his lips and loudness of his words.

He observed the girl and her emotions, experienced feelings also. He felt such tenderness walking between the two main characters. He had never felt nothing of that with women before. He didn’t because he didn’t believe or despise but he just didn’t know that he could do it, he had a right to do it.

He watched the scene of shipwreck with his opened mouth and getting frozen heart. The enormous thing in all subtexts, in historical and perfection especially, was destroyed by nature… The demon couldn’t believe his eyes: how did people manage to build such unusual miracle covered with luxury? Why did absurdity happen to it? With one slight move nature razed that huge ship to the dust, showing people what they fought against, reminding them of that they shouldn’t think they were gods. Nothing was eternal, everything had the end.

There was a scene, where light hardly begun to live love tried to survive with the help of the hands: they both wanted to be saved to keep their love. Kharon was very interested to watch both of them. He carried about them, soundlessly whispering where they had to ran, where they would probably find the rescue. With curiosity he watched the second beloved man, his insult and humiliation. He also was in love with the red-haired girl.

Then the demon realized that love was really stupid and foolish. Why did it do what it did? It was ok, that rich man loved that girl, they would have got married and the happy end! Suddenly Kharon realized that the girl didn’t love the rich man! Damn reciprocity. The demon had time to draw parallel between his in his own relationship with the human was in love with him.

Victoria looked at Kharon’s eyes where sometimes terrible frames were reflected in. Did he blink? Vic knew the film almost by heart she had no need to look at the screen. She was more interested in originating emotions which probably the first time distorted his face. She was hardly able to abstain from smiling when Kharon instinctively squeezed her fingers seeing the terrible actions on the screen. Did the demon try feel what those people did when they were getting through the catastrophe? Did he realize how horrible and deadly was it?

‘It’s the best one I’ve ever seen while my being with people…’ Kharon whispered glowingly when the screen was covered with the black veil of the emptiness. The light was getting brighter covering the place. There was silence and seldom whispers cut through the after-euphoric silence.

‘I’m glad you liked it and that we came here but my jacket’s still wet inside… We’re gonna in the rain again.’

‘We’re not. Literally I realized that heroes are what girls expect men to be. I was reading women’s minds who were in the cinema. There was no one who didn’t want to have such crazy love.’

‘I’m not surprised. Unfortunately, two people being in love with each other is very rare to happen. More often is when just only one is in love… Our relationship isn’t an exception.’

‘I’m sorry.’

‘Me too! But I’m really glad you’re with me, studying to feel and don’t face like a thunder, hating me because you have to live with people.’

‘Come to me.’ Kharon stretched out his hand. ‘We have to find a quiet corner. Here it is, is this quiet enough? I think it is. Come closer. Closer, dear.’

‘What are we doing?’

‘Closer. Touches of distrust. Do you trust me?’

‘I do.’

‘Close your eyes and count. Aloud.’

‘One’ the girl said in a low voice, pressing the man to her, ‘Two.’

‘Three, Victoria, you can open your eyes.’ Kharon relaxed the grip of his arms. ‘We’re at home. It’s warm and not wet.’

‘I wanna have the same ability. I always forget you can do this.’

‘The main point is don’t forget about my other abilities.’

His strong hands, seemed to be awkward, freeing the hot body from clothes very quickly.

Victoria was glad to be in the embraces of hell again. She was excited and already knew what to look forward to. She already knew what she had sold her soul for and what for that man was with her and what he was able to do. She crazily, fiercely and passionately yearned for him. She yearned for his divine energy, touches and charm. She desired for his making-crazy kisses because of which her head went around, the breath came faster, and she didn’t know if there was ability to breathe again. Her heart lost its mind, beating in dead run as if it had beat its last minutes and wanted to have time to catch more life. She craved for the warmth stroking her skin, burning through flame, setting her on fire and she didn’t care about her skin burns. The euphoria on its plumes was the main thing.

She wanted to feel his tongue that would never know what shame and modesty meant, to hear wicked words that made her hackles rise, infecting her body with sexual energy. She was ready for being paralyzed after to pay her voluptuousness, for drinking it with no human but with the demon. She cared about nothing again. She waited for his arms and kisses.

Like no other Kharon knew the girl’s feeling, her obstreperous desires and in this case, he knew no refuse. Moreover, he was able to be initiative in bed, no initiative went unpunished didn’t work here…

Clothes. Fitfully wet laid on the floor and nobody needed it. Nobody wanted it. His arms seized her round the waist and Victoria didn’t open her eyes feeling the floor, the earth stay beneath, her body in the strong demon’s arms was coming high, straight to the ceiling. His canoodling, unbelievable and mind-bending made her want to abut against something but there was nothing under but the abyss.

‘We’re gonna fall’ the girl whispered, having totally relaxed in the demon’s arms.

‘We fell a long ago, dear,’ he answered, passing his hand over her hip, ‘We have no place to fall deeper… Just one word from you and I’ll stop. We’ll hit the pillow, pretend that we need nothing. Come on, dear, tell me no like you did before… Tell me about romanticism…’

‘I’ll never say it again.’ Victoria whispered through slight narcotic madness.

‘Then trust me and don’t ask anything.’

Oblivion. Reality was dead. The outside world was dumb. There was a shadow of the huge wings on so much whitish ceiling. His breath was near her ear. Her eyes were closed. They didn’t want to see anything. Nothing had to prevent her from enjoying the physically close moment. Her ears were deaf. They listened only to their own sounds, nothing more they wanted to. They weren’t interested. They were silent in time with beating of the heart.

It was unusual gravity-free, bewildering, tormenting the atrabiliary capsules with a red-hot hammer demanding to let adrenalin out. Endorphins were indulging the hypophysis mad already. Energy. Like a furious volcano that had already broken the holistic earth cover, destroyed life, immersing it into an adult metaphor, offering to go through a hyperbolic way up to personification with no hesitation and shame of itself, with no care of the world time, its nasty mocking hands that ruthlessly touched cosmic matter, moving it closer to the inevitable vacuum black, voracious hole.

There was no end. Nobody waited for it. They both like naïve children, believed in its absence, pretending that it was ok, life wasn’t as bad as they used to think. It was so good to have all desired ability to play tricks with yourself and believe in illusion for a while. There was no desire to refuse it and the girl wanted her to belong to it… to him fully.

The demon devoured the energy she let out. He couldn’t help taking it. He needed to feed to give him to her again. He had no thoughts to give up her energy.

Space was still unsustainably, confusing with its spatial hammock where they both were lying. It was talking, cradling them like a babe. Victoria wasn’t there. She wasn’t on the earth. She was mastering the space, studying its internal structure, molecule and atom structure which didn’t exist when Kharon didn’t touch her. He was a magician. Was he good or bad? There was no answer. It didn’t matter. Kharon created a perfect illusion of a popular fairy tale.

The more pleasant the girl was, the stronger she felt her energy leaving. The more energy she lost the stronger Kharon became that had a staggering influence on his loving actions. The stronger the demon became the more energy he made the girl let out. It was a vicious circle filled with viciousness and cyclicity. He didn’t want to abrupt it. None of them wanted to come out of it neither the demon nor Victoria.

And the light… it was nearby. Here it was. It stroked the couple, hovering in the gravity-free who stroked each other in the ceiling arch.

‘I’m sorry, dear,’ the demon said very quietly, ‘I can feel you be about to release all your potential,’ he clasped her in his arms, ‘and I have to take it.’

And it went again…

The next morning Victoria could just open her eyes and nothing more. This time she wasn’t scared. She knew what was going on and when it was over. It was just pleasure and feelings of that she had got everything out of her life and indeed she had no need to live further. She didn’t care if she faced sudden death, she was ready for it. Both her body and her soul were full of indescribable admire and happiness.

Victoria just lay naked in her owns silence, with her closed eyes and felt Kharon’s gentle touching. She wanted to smile but she was in no state to do it. Her soul smiled instead, and the demon saw that fabulous smile and was glad that he was the reason of that happiness and readiness to go to another world.