

The Door

By Nelly Asher

Copyright 2014 by Nelly Asher

Smashwords Edition

# Chapter 1

### Made of Wood

While the city was melting from the heat, this neighborhood turned out to be relatively serene. The street Selena was walking on earned its name after the chestnut trees that were planted along the road – in their thick shadow one could take shelter from the scorching sun. Automatic sprinklers that turned on a minute ago were also refreshing the air. The girl has never been to this district before, and now she realized why it's considered the most prestigious in Texven. Looking around in fascination, Selena couldn't help but envy. Well-groomed mansions were making a way better impression than an apartment she was renting in a high-rise. And just to think of it, she gave up on driving a car to get a chance to live there... Her parents were going to present Selena a used car to celebrate her entering the university, but the girl prefered to spend that money on paying for her own apartment – she didn't want to be cooped up in a dorm. Both her house and university were close to subway stations, and after the late-night parties someone would always offer a ride. At the end of the second semester, all her high heel shoes were as good as new.

Selena stopped in front of an iron fence with a fanciful grating. It took some time to find the doorbell button concealed in the door's metal ornament. She recalled professor's words: "Push it for no less than five seconds". It seems that uninvited guests weren't welcome here... About a minute later a woman went out and approached the gate.

"Whom did you come to see?" she was looking somewhat surprised. Obviously, visitors like that didn't show up every day.

"I came to see Mr. Evanford. Selena Silver, if it tells you anything."

After a few seconds of hesitation, a woman nodded and let the guest in. The moment they've entered the house, she said:

"Wait here, I'll call him."

Selena leaned against the front door, watching a woman walking up the wide and quite steep staircase. It was clear that this forty-something lady was sick and tired of climbing those stairs. Who is she, anyway? Evanford's wife? Probably not – someone at the university has said that he doesn't have a family.

***

There are people who solve crosswords in their spare time; there are those who cross-stitch or make paper models. As for Kevin Evanford, he liked solving equations. That was soothing him, making him concentrate. But the June heat did no good to his thinking process. Kevin was reluctantly writing down a solution, even though he realized that it's wrong. He made a mistake somewhere, but couldn't be bothered to look for it.

"Mister Evanford?" their housemaid, Mrs.Mackolei, knocked the door. "Some girl came to see you."

"A girl?" he drew a question mark and put the pencil aside. Some girls he knew were meddlesome for sure, but no one came as far as showing up at his place. Kevin shrugged, went out into a hall and stopped at the top of the staircase, examining his guest.

The girl looked gorgeous – he has established that fact at the very first glance. Fine features of her face could be very well called perfect, and her physique was certainly good. But her most extraordinary feature was hair. Not yellowish, not acidized to the loss of pigment – a pure white color. At the same time, the girl wasn't an albino – dark hazel eyes, framed with long, mascara-tinted eyelashes were brightly standing out on her face. Contrast between the hair and the eyes was making her looks especially striking.

"Do I know you?" Kevin inquired. He was good at picking up details, and obviously would've remembered a person like that.

Selena took a look at a tall, very slender guy. It occurred to her that it must be not that easy to find clothes for such a body type, but his garments were tasteful and fitting, probably tailored.

"You didn't quite understand me," Selena turned to a woman. "I came here to see professor, Henry Evanford. He invited me to come here at this time."

"Sorry for disturbing you..." the housemaid said confusedly.

"It's all right. You can go, I'll deal with it." he waved to the visitor, beckoning her to follow. "I think my uncle is in the library. I'll show you the way."

Selena started climbing the staircase, holding onto the railing. The carpet on the stairs did nothing but hindering the movement – stiletto heels of her shoes were catching on its stiff pile. After overcoming the staircase she looked back – the feeling was similar to standing at the top of a mountain.

"How many stairs are there?" she asked, catching her breath.

"Twenty," Kevin replied, walking further down the corridor.

"It seems like no less than fifty," the visitor snorted.

"You can go back and count them yourself," young man said without even glancing at her. Before Selena had time to retort, he entered the half-open door.

Library shelves were filled with rows of books from the floor to the ceiling. Their sheer mass was oppressing – even the light pouring from wide windows with low windowstills couldn't make up for it. One window was open wide, and the light breeze was blowing. Professor was standing near the window, gazing into the distance.

"You've got a guest," Henry's nephew turned his back to leave.

"Ah, Selena... You're right on time," Evanford casted a cursory glance at the visitors. "Kevin, you stay here, too."

He shrugged and wanted to close the door behind him, but something was impeding it. Kevin jerked the door, and it closed with a crunch. Selena gave the guy a disapproving look – the air in the library was stifling enough already, and this way they'll suffocate completely. After hearing the sound of the closing door, professor slightly flinched and turned to his visitors.

"Sometimes, a long-forgotten past starts chasing you... And it leads you into a corner, into a dead end," he slowly said. Selena and Keving unwittingly exchanged glances and looked back at Evanford, waiting for an explanation. But he started talking about something else entirely:

"There is a book... The more you read it, the deeper you plunge into the madness. It all starts with the fear of doors..."

"What book? What are you talking about?!" Selena couldn't hold it any longer. "Why did you call me here, anyway?"

"I proved myself weak," he changed the subject again, ignoring the girl's questions. "Too much of a coward, both to move on and to withdraw from the race at my own will. Thus I decided to flip a coin, so to speak, to rely on a trigger principle," he looked somewhere behind Kevin's back. "I've established for myself – if a thin piece of wood will turn out to be tougher than me, I'll struggle on. If it'll break... So will I."

Henry made a few steps towards young people, still looking straight through them, and stopped. His face turned into a grimace of disgust that has immediately turned into fear, and then – into indifference bordering the hopelessness. Man turned around, ran to the window and stepped onto a windowstill.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled and jumped. There was a muffled sound, and then everything turned quiet.

Kevin and Selena, already shocked by professor's odd behavior, were utterly stunned. They were standing still, gazes fixed at the open window. The only thing breaking the moist silence was the buzz of flies. In half a minute a woman's scream pierced their ears.

***

...Sound of the library door opening snapped the girl out of her stupor. All that time she was sitting behind the desk, vacantly gazing at the books' backs. When ambulance arrived, Selena didn't want to go downstairs with Kevin – she couldn't bear to see professor in such a condition... In whatever condition he could end up in. But Evanford wasn't alone – two cops walked in after him. A young blond one, looking no older than twenty-five; the second one was bulkier than his partner, and seemed to be about ten years his senior. When Silver saw them, her eyes widened:

"What happened to professor? Why are these people here?" she asked nervously.

"Broken hand, fractured hip and, most probably, brain concussion," young Evanford summed up. "He's alive, but in a coma. Ambulance took him to the hospital. And police has arrived to investigate the circumstances of his fall."

"What circumstances? He started raving like a madman and jumped out!" she leaped up, almost toppling the chair. "We didn't do anything!"

"If you really aren't involved, you have nothing to worry about," young policeman was intently looking at the girl, who was terribly regretting that she didn't get out of here right away. It was obvious that after Evanford has suddenly got crazy everything can only turn for the worse! Now Silver started worrying less about professor and more about getting into trouble with the police. She gave the members of law enforcement a sullen look.

"I'm sergeant Clarkson," the older one introduced himself. "That's Jack," he pointed at his young partner. "Tell me your name, and how you are related to that man."

"Kevin Evanford, his nepthew," he replied coolly. "After my parents' death, Henry was my guardian."

"Selena... Selena Silver, his student!" the girl was stumbling through her sentences. "We didn't have any relations... It was just interesting to listen to professor's lectures and talk to him! That's why I was really surprised when Evanford has suddenly invited me to his house. He didn't quite explaing why, just said that it's important... I should've known from the start that something weird is happening to him, and not to come! Professor started spitting out some incoherent mess, then ran to the window and jumped out! That's it, I don't know anything else!" Silver shouted. She sat back down and turned away defiantly.

"An incoherent mess?" sarge repeated. "What exactly did he say?"

"That the past has driven him into a dead end. He mentioned some book..." Kevin started, but a clear ringing sound has interrupted him. "It's the gate. I probably should answer."

"I'll come with you," Clarkson said. They left, leaving Selena alone with a young officer.

The girl was beside herself with anger. She and that arrogant guy aren't prisoners after all, there's no need to watch them at all times! The uniformed man kept silence, but Selena felt his fixed gaze. Does he watch her so that she wouldn't run away or jump out of the window? Or is he just staring? Silver didn't want to look at him out of spite – she didn't want to deal with the police even that much. Selena hanged her head, grimly staring at the table, and then suddenly realized what was there right before her eyes.

A book in a cover with wood pattern. Quite realistically done – at some distance it could really seem that it's a piece of polished wood. Maybe that's the reason she didn't notice the book before – it was almost blending in with the desk. A metal plate was drawn at the upper part of a cover; similar to those that hang on office doors. Haurot Sputkee, "The Door". Professor's words flashed in the girl's mind: "It all starts with the fear of doors..." Can this be the book he was talking about?! Selena's eyes turned wide from the sudden guess. She desperately wanted to glimpse inside, but was stopped by recalling Evanford's words: everyone who reads it gets insane. Judging by his behavior, her lecturer wasn't lying... Besides, Selena didn't want to open the book with that cop breathing down her neck. She was nervously twiddling the corner of a cover, not daring to turn it over.

***

There were four people behind the gates – members of the investigative group. When Evanford started opening the latch, a man in business suit got out of the car parked nearby and headed to the mansion gate.

"Good afternoon. Kevin Evanford, I assume?"

Young man nodded, looking at a stranger with surprise.

"My name is Orlando Kinsley, I'm a lawyer of your uncle Henry. He left me certain instructions. Is a girl named Selena Silver in this house? If she is, I'll tell everything in her presence."

"All right," the face of professor's nephew didn't convey any emotions anymore. "Come on in," he opened the latticed door.

"...It gets damn crowdy in here," Selena muttered under her breath when another five people came in after Kevin and the sergeant. Forensic expert went straight to the window and started to powder the windowstill and the frame to dust for fingerprints.

"Hello, Selena," said the lawyer. "Henry Evanford asked me to give something to you and his nephew. I'll start from the top. Two days ago Mr.Evanford came to my office and asked to notarize his declaration of will. The paper is kept in a sealed envelope. He told me to come here and read it to you in adherence to certain conditions. My client said that on June twenty-eight – which is today – I must drive to his house a little while before three in the afternoon, and wait for his call to my cell phone. If there will be no call, I must wait till the investigative group arrives, come in with them and read the contents of the envelope in presence of the police, Kevin Evanford and Selena Silver, if she stays in the mansion. He wrote those instructions, though he didn't notarize them. I can show you the paper if you want.

"I think there's no need to," one of the officers replied. "Announce his will."

"So, you knew what will happen to my uncle?" Kevin asked.

"No," lawyer shook his head. Kinsley went to the table and placed his briefcase on it, moving "The Door" a little towards the girl. Orlando didn't pay any attention to the book. "I saw a man on the stretcher being taken into the ambulance... What's happened?"

"Henry jumped out of the window. He's comatose now," young Evanford answered evenly.

"Of course, my client's requests looked strange to me, but I had no idea what's on his mind. My condolences," Kinsley lowered his gaze. He took an envelope out of the briefcase, opened it and pulled the paper out. "I, Henry Evanford, am writing this being in sound mind and judgement. In case of my sudden death, complete or partial loss of physical capabilities I ask not to blame anyone. Whatever happens, I'm the one responsible," the lawyer paused. "My client told me to show the contents of this envelope to the police," Orlando gave the document to the senior officer. He ran his eyes through it and turned to the person near the window:

"What's with the fingerprints?"

"It looks like a man jumped on the windowstill, put his hand on a window frame and jumped out," forensic expert replied.

"I hope you don't suspect us of anything?" Kevin asked.

"There are no grounds," angrily replied the officer. It was obvious that he barely holds himself back from saying everything he thinks about some kooky idiot that distracts people from important work. "Your testimony was proven true. You won't even have to play the piano."

"What piano?" the girl moaned. She couldn't believe they've got off that easy.

"It means giving your fingerprints," he replied with a voice of a man deadly tired of idiots and turned to the forensic guy: "All right, wrap it up, we have some more calls to attend to."

Policemen left the library, but Orlando Kinsley remained. Once the sound of footsteps in the corridor has subsided, he spoke:

"Of course, that's not all," the lawyer pulled another envelope out of his briefcase. It had the word "READ" written on it in big, uneven letters. "I, Henry Evanford, am writing this being in sound mind and judgement. In case of my sudden death or loss of physical capabilities my mansion passes into ownership of Kevin Evanford – a nephew who has never become my son..."

Hearing this, young man cocked his eyebrow in slight puzzlement. His son? He didn't even know Henry had that attitude towards him. Today uncle surely keeps the surprises coming. What else is in store?

"However, he only gains the right of inheritance under a certain condition. He has to take a picture near the "Unity" statue in the Park of Blue Rocks, together with Selena Silver. You can use the snapshot camera "Flashphoto", it's in the equipment storage room. Kevin knows where it is. Selena and Kevin must come together to Orlando Kinsley and give the snapshot to him – it's only then that the agreement comes into effect. Other than that, in exchange for a photo the lawyer will give something I've left him."

"That was Henry Evanford's will," concluded Kinsley. The two kept silence. "Here are my contacts," he placed one card on a table before Selena and gave another one to Kevin. "My address and working hours are written there, come at convenient time," the lawyer closed his briefcase. "Do you have any questions?"

"A billion," Silver gloomily replied.

"Maybe not that much, but there are at least thirty seven," noted professor's nephew.

"I've already told you everything that I knew. Mr.Evanford didn't say anything else to me," Orlando shook his head. "If everything's clear on the subject of the will, it's time for me to go. Once again, accept my condolences."

Kevin walked the lawyer to the gate. On the way back he noticed something on the floor near the library door. Taking a closer look, he realised that it's a part of a broken pencil, the back end with the eraser. He opened the door and looked from the opposite side. The guess turned out to be correct – the second part of a pencil was lying inside the room. Kevin took both parts and pieced them together. Now it gets clear what thin piece of wood Henry was talking about... Selena recalled it too:

"If you weren't forcing this door and left it open, professor wouldn't have jumped", she grumbled.

"Henry knew that I'm always closing doors and, obviously, was counting on that," Kevin replied coldly. "And who are you to blame me, anyway? What's your role in all this, Selena Silver? Are you saying you were just a regular student of my uncle?" he sceptically looked over the cute girl.

"Well yes, imagine that!" she replied harshly. "I said it already, but I'll repeat for those who have trouble hearing from the height of their pedestal! Professor was teaching a class in this semester... He was a good lecturer, I even stayed after the class a couple of times to ask some questions. Being his student was easy and interesting, but after the exams were over, I thought we won't communicate much. Then, all of a sudden, he called my rented appartment yesterday night – I have no idea where he got the number from, was too confused to ask. He asked me to come at three sharp, and explained in detail how to get to the mansion. I suspected that something is wrong, but decided to go anyway. Who could've thought that professor was up to something like that?!"

"We won't understand his logic now anyway, all that's left is to follow the orders," young man was frowning to his thoughts. "We need to take a picture in Park of the Blue Rocks. I figure there's no reason to postpone it, so let's go there tomorrow morning."

"No-o, you're the one who needs it," Selena drawled, "or else you won't get your heritage... As for me, I don't owe anything to anyone!"

"I won't beg you and I won't quarrel," the gaze of Kevin's grey eyes was fixed on her face. "But do you hate me that much already?" putting the question this way was no accident. Evanford himself has felt a steady aversion since the moment he saw her. Even if her behavior isn't determined by stress, and she is always so short-tempered, it's not enough to justify such a strong, almost hostile attitude. Young man wan't able to find the cause of those feelings, and that was confusing.

"Hate you? It's like I've got nothing better to do!" Silver scoffed. "Okay, see you tomorrow at the park entrance... At about eleven. Don't forget the camera!" After a few seconds of pondering she added: "If there will be any news regarding professor, drop a message to my pager," the girl tore out a sheet from the notebook, wrote the number down and headed to the door.

"Hold on a second, what is it you're taking?" he nodded at the book that Selena picked up from the table. For a moment Silver looked like she herself couldn't understand what she holds in her hands, but collected herself instantly:

"No, I've changed my mind. I've got nowhere to put it," she placed "The Door" back at the table. "By the way... It seems to be the book professor was talking about."

"Really?" Evanford raised his eyebrows. "So, have you read it yet?"

"No... I'll read it later, when I have time," without even looking, Silver opened the book cover and suddenly tore out the first page. Folding it in four as she walked to the door, Selena stuffed it into her purse with one hand – the other one was already turning the door handle. "Tomorrow at eleven!" she shouted and darted out into the corridor.

Evanford shrugged. The girl didn't need to run away – it's not like he's going to chase her because of something like that. If the guest was wrong, an unfamiliar book from the uncle's library will simply be of no interest to him. If she was right – all the more reason to leave it as it is, not risking by opening it. Kevin glanced at the book again, turned away and left the library.

***

Strolling slowly, Selena didn't notice the beauty of the neighborhood any more – before here eyes, there was professor's shape in the window opening, the book cover, cops' faces were flashing, a prison gate started looming... The girl shook her head. The day was absolutely awful, but in the end, noone has died, noone was jailed, and anyway, there's no point in thinking about this any longer. She could use some distraction... Maybe it's worth calling that man that wanted to ask her out? They've exchanged their numbers, and the guy has even dropped some messages on her pager, but Silver hasn't replied then. Selena barely knew him, but it's for the best. They'll make some small talk about music, get to know each other a bit. And he won't ask too much questions about what was happening in her life lately.

The girl got to the nearest pay phone and opened her notebook. Under which name did she write his number... Selena could only vaguely recall the guy's face, and his name has slipped her memory completely. Here, it seems to be it. A cell number, so she can be sure that the phone will be picked up by the person she calls. And there will be no need to explain whom she's trying to reach... Hold on a second, since when did she started looking for the silver lining? Could someone else's drama turn you into an optimist? She inserted a card into the phone and dialed.

"Albert? Hi, it's Selena Silver. We spoke about a week ago. Do you remember me?"

"Of course!" young man's voice was full of excitement.

"Do you want to meet today? If you do, drive to the 'Eastern Peak' subway station" the girl said, sparing the foreword. "I'm waiting for you in half an hour at the entrance that's closer to the cinema."

"I'll gladly be there, but... My work finishes in no less than an hour," the voice on the other end of the line sounded perplexed. "Maybe let's meet a bit later?"

"Either now or... sometime later," Selena replied, making it clear that there will be no other time.

"Ok," Albert said after a moment of pondering. "I'll try to make it."

"Great. I'll be waiting," there was no trace of excitement in her voice. "See you," not waiting for the answer, the girl hanged up.

Silver came up to the subway in about fifteen minutes. Walking on high heels for that long has made her feet ache, but, as ill luck would have it, there were no benches around. Selena decided to take a walk – even though she won't have rest, it still beats waiting in a middle of the street for this guy to show up.

She wandered the nearby streets, examining the shop windows. Suddenly she saw a clock hanging on one of the buildings and realized what time it is already. Selena quickly paced back to the subway. Judging by the expression on Albert's face, he was waiting for ten minutes already – but, noticing the girl, he smiled and approached her.

"Hello, I'm glad to see you! So, where do you want to go? To the movies, maybe?"

"Would you sit through a chick flick with me?" Selena grinned.

"It'll probably be terrible, so I'd rather just watch some horror movie instead," he also showed his teeth in a smile.

"I've had enough of that already," the girl muttered under her breath and said out loud: "Let's just go eat somewhere. I've spotted a caffee nearby, seems nice, let's check it out."

They were walking in silence. Albert tried to catch Silver's glance, but she was looking straight ahead, paying no attention to her companion. Eventually he spoke:

"So, you're a psychologist?"

"I'm studying. Just finished the first year... Oh, here we are," she directed her steps towards the door of a caffee that had the words 'Good Wood' burned out on its wooden sign.

The interior was true to the name. Chairs were made of stumps, table tops – from tree trunk slices. There were almost no visitors at that hour. When they took a table, a waiter approached and placed menus before them.

"I'll have a cherry alcohol-free cocktail and some light salad," Selena said without even opening the menu.

"Um... I'll have tha same," Albert was taken aback a little. He obviously intended to check the list of dishes, but didn't want to make his companion wait. "You're quite a bold girl," he spoke when the waiter left. Selena realised – it's not about being swift in ordering food, it's about her making a move and inviting him out. But Silver didn't want to expand on this subject.

"Yeah, one can say that," she took a promotional souvenir out of an ashtray – a small envelope featuring the caffee logo, with a few matches and a sulphur strip. Selena scratched it with a tip of her nail: "Also, I blaze up really fast."

"You're shining like a real star, that's what I can say," Albert smiled.

"No," she took her hands off the table and looked into the man's eyes. "There are people everyone knows. They're bathing in the rays of fame. They live posh lives, or at least scandalous ones. Far from the earthlings, they assemble into canstellations with those of their own kind. They are the stars. And me... I'm just a moon," she concluded in a tired voice and turned away. It was far from the first time that Selena was giving that speech. It's like every person she met felt obliged to pay some compliment or joke about her name. And most of them were really low on imagination. "You're more beautiful than the Sun", "You're overshadowing the stars", "Heavenly body" – the girl knew all those trite expressions by heart, and was sick of them. Silver tried to give that speech as early as possible, to get the question out of the way and spare herself all the banalities about the moon and the stars. It usually worked.

...Selena was slowly sipping her cocktail, almost never letting the straw out of her mouth, so that she won't have to talk. The conversation flagged. Albert was trying to ask something, to tell stories, but the girl's reaction was lukewarm. She was distracted by thoughts about today's events, and she didn't find her companion interesting or attractive in general. Straw pulled the air with an unpleasant squish – there was no cocktail left. With a sigh, Selena took a fork and began picking the salad. Not wanting to meet Albert's look, the girl was examining the contents of the plate. The salad is nice, but right now food just gets stuck in her throat... The fork was also beautiful, with a delicate pattern, and looked almost like an actual silver one.

In some time the conversation ran into a dead end completely. Selena wanted to leave already, but thought that she might use a bathroom first. At that very moment, Albert's cellphone rang – a perfect opportunity.

"Nature calls," the girl smiled, picked up her purse and headed to the bathroom.

...After washing her hands, Silver went to the exit and stopped for a second. All right, it's time to get this over with... She opened a door with a determined move, not noticing neither the key in the keyhole, nor a faint chuckle in one of the stalls. Selena stepped outside and froze in shock.

She was outdoors. Trees were whispering around; wind was softly blowing her white hair. The girl stood for a while, gazing around, stunned. The lock clicked faintly as the door behind her slowly closed. She looked back and saw a small utulity room, colored green to blend in with the environment. Barely dragging her legs, Silver walked around it and saw a cobbled alley. A bit further it was splitting into a few smaller paths. There was a fountain babbling on a crossroad, water was pouring from the stone flowers on its top.

Selena realized where she is. In less than thirty meters from here there must be statues marking the entrance to Blue Stones park. She made a few steps down the alley and noticed a familiar slender figure from afar. Evanford also saw her and approached. Camera bag was hanging over his shoulder.

"Incredible... I never expected that," for the first time, respect was heard in young man's voice. "You're right on time."

# Chapter 2

### Down the Keyhole

Selena pulled the pager out of her purse. It was around five on the screen clock... She dropped the pager back.

"I know where the statue is..." Kevin pointed the way. He slowered his step to walk beside her. After all, it was for the first time in his life that the girl wasn't late for the meeting. And even came from the opposite direction – did she actually show up before he did? "I visited my uncle. He was transferred to one of the private hospitals, given a separate room. It turns out he was a long-time client, and a few days ago has replenished his account with a sum that will suffice for many years of vegetative existence."

"So, nothing has changed?" the girl asked quietly.

"No. His condition is stable. But it's hard to predict anything – at any moment, Henry's chances of waking up are the same as of quietly dying...." Kevin realized that he talks more than his companion. It has never happened before either. Come to think of it, the girl seems weird today – looks baffled, like she doesn't understand where and who she is. Evanford decided to reciprocate her today's politeness and check on her:

"Are you ok?"

"Not exactly," Selena sounded like she was spacing out. Her mind was running over the events for thousands of times, trying to understand what happened, and got tired of futile attempts. She decided to forget about it at least for some time and just live on. In his turn, Kevin didn't ask any more questions. Both kept silence until they reached the crossroads.

"I wonder how this piece is called?" Selena came up to the fountain with the stone flowers.

"How should I know," Kevin shrugged. "Nothing's written here."

"But all sculptures in Blue Stones park have names... How would you have named it?"

"It's the last thing on my mind right now," Evanford sharply replied.

"I'd name it 'Bleeding Wounds'," she paid no attention to his tone, mesmerized by slowly flowing water.

"You'd show some interesting results on the inkblot test," Kevin smirked.

The girl leaned over the water and ran her hand over its surface. So clear, so cool... That's exactly what she needs to freshen up, to feel the reality again. But she can't just jump into the fountain. Though... Why not? Without giving it a second thought, Selena took off her shoes and stepped in the water. It turned out to be quite cold, but the skin quickly got used to the temperature. Silver strolled a little, feeling the coins on the rough surface under her feet.

"What are you doing?" Kevin's eyes went wide. "Get out right now!"

She was about to comply. Selena remembered that park security can see her at any time, and the next thing you know, the police is involved... The thought about people in uniform sent shivers down her spine. She stepped back, but suddenly realized that Evanford is standing within her reach. Should she splash some water on him to throw him off his high horse?

Catching something in her look, young man stepped away. One can expect anything from this damsel... He didn't think much of her as it is. If Selena splatters his new shirt, she'll be completely dead for him.

For a few moments they had their gazes fixed on each other. Then the girl smiled and calmly stepped out of the fountain. The few people that were walking the park at the time were openly staring at Selena and her companion. Women were jealous of the blonde's looks, men were envying the guy who got his hands on her. But Evanford was the only one who wasn't staring at the girl's wet legs at the moment.

"So, are you coming?" he crossly asked, checking his watch.

"Sure," Selena put on her sandals. "And are you certain you don't want some refreshment?" she said playfully. Kevin rolled his eyes. Silver didn't bother him any more – even though she couldn't control herself at all times, driving people crazy on purpose wasn't her favorite pastime.

The curvy lane they were walking eventually led them to the "Unity" statue. It was representing two human figures of indeterminate gender. Their bottom halves merged into a single whole, turning into a stone pillar. Top halves have weaved their hands as if they were drinking Bruderschaft. But there were no glasses in their hands – one of them was gently stroking the neck, another one was strangling. It wasn't immediately clear that each statue is caressing or throttling not the opposite figure, but itself. There was a blue stone tablet embedded into the base, with a glided inscription engraved:

"If something is bothering you about someone else, it points out your own shortcomings.

By hurting someone else, you harm yourself.

Arguing with yourself, you lose. In harmony with yourself you're setting the rules of a game."

"What does it mean – points out your own shortcomings?!" Selena exclaimed after reading the first line. "If I'm annoyed by someone's sluggishness, does it mean that I myself am slow like a turtle?"

"No. It points out that you're too fidgety," unexpectedly for her, Kevin kept up the conversation.

"Well, maybe... It depends," the girl smiled cunningly. "And what if some person is really haughty, imagines himself to be an expert on everything and talks like he's doing a favor?" Selena looked him in the eye.

"He actually might be this way," Evanford glanced at her, crinkling his nose. "But if it bugs you personally – then you have a damaged self-esteem."

"Got dammit, you're impossible!" Selena finally exploded. "Can you get back to the ground for at least a minute and speak to people not as if they're worms?"

"I won't treat you better than you deserve," Kevin replied coldly. "You must've got used to the way your looks blind people to your temper? For me, such superficial things don't matter. I don't care how you look. I don't like you."

"You... You..." the girl was bloating with anger. She couldn't even pick a word suitable and offensive enough to curse him. "You're a swagger... A bag of sh... A damned smug... You're a shwuggering shmug!" Selena yelled. Even though it was the first time this expression came to her mind, it somehow seemed familiar.

"Shwu... Shwuggering shmug?" Kevin smiled wryly. Silver's absurd behavior began to amuse him. She's probably more of a fretful child after all, not a calculating bitch who got used to having everything she wants... In either case, they're on different levels.

"Yes! A shmug!" Selena repeated. But Evanford didn't react any more, and she calmed down a bit. "So, are we taking picture or not? Let's get this over with already," the girl said and muttered under her breath: "I hate this..."

"Me either," young man nodded.

"I mean, having my pictures taken..." being distracted by her thoughts, only after saying this Silver realised what she spilled. Kevin eyed her over – a remark like that coming from the person of her looks seemed illogical. "Just forget it," Silver turned away.

Evanford shrugged and pulled out the camera. "Flashphoto" indeed turned out to be in the storage room, and was in good order, even though noone has used it for at least seven years. Kevin looked around and approached an elderly woman who was walking the park. She appeared only half a minute ago and haven't witnessed their quarrel.

"Of course, I'll take your picture," the passerby said in reply to his request. Young people stood in front of the statue, about a foot apart from each other. But the woman didn't press the button, waiting. She probably had the same false idea everyone did – that those two are a beautful couple... But the wait didn't drag – something came to Selena's mind. She jumped up to Kevin and wrapped her arm around his waist, widely smiling into the camera. Her reckoning was right – the shutter clicked immediately. Evanford didn't have time to do anything, but the whole range of emotions reflected on his face was captured on film.

"Thanks... Nice picture," Selena ran up to the woman and took the camera.

"You're welcome. Have a nice day," she winked and continued on her way.

"Indeed, the photo is great," the girl was dying with laughter. "It's a pity I can't keep it..."

"You're going to present this one? I don't care, though," he was already too tired of her escapades.

"And now... What are we waiting for? Let's to go the lawyer," Selena said cheerfully. Her companion nodded. It was for the first time that their thoughts were in the same direction.

***

Dark green Pinton stopped before the gloomy office building. It was constructed a while ago, when they used to decorate buildings like that with moulding and other architectural embellishments. In its original state it would've looked way better than the modern concrete boxes. But the building was in need of repairment for a while already.

After passing through the columned hall with marbled floor, they got into an elevator. It had an old mechanism – to set it in motion, one had to press not only the button of the floor, but also "GO".

"Like in the university," Selena remarked. Evanford nodded. The girl gave him a curious look: "And where are you studying?"

"State University of Texven," he replied, sending the elevator to the fifth floor.

"Me too! Which department?" she was forgiving the small offences as easily as she was making them up. She was holding no more grudge against the guy, and was genuinely happy that they've found at least something at common.

"Mathematics. Graduated from the third year," he said, anticipating her next question. Kevin wasn't going to ask anything back, but he couldn't forbid her to talk.

"And me..." Silver started, but suddenly realized that she can't even quite recall the name of her companion. "By the way... Your name is Kevin, right?" she asked with some hesitation.

"Spot-on," he replied dryly. "And it's written in the document that you're one Selena Silver. Silver moon...." he glanced at her white hair. "Is this what your official ID says?"

"That's my real name! And this is my actual color hair!" the girl bursted. Evanford has hit her sore spot.

"Ok, it's not like I'm arguing," Kevin shrugged. The slow elevator has finally got to the fifth floor, and the doors opened. "We have to find the room 523..."

Silver and Evanford took a stride along the narrow empty corridor. Most of the doorplates indicated that offices belonged to people with private practices, various consultants. In about thirty feet the two have turned around the corner and saw the door with Kinsley's name on it.

"Good afternoon. We've brought the picture," Kevin said when they entered.

"Great..." lawyer took the picture, pulled the envelope out of the drawer and gave it to the visitors. "My client told me to give this in exchange for the photo."

Selena grabbed the envelope, pressed it with her fingers but couldn't tell what is inside. She torn it and shook a red, four-leaf clover-shaped keychain onto her palm.

"Is that it?" Kevin inquired. Orlando nodded. "In this case, goodbye," he headed to the door, saying: "You can keep it." He was getting the house anyway, so she might as well take the useless trinket.

"...I wonder why professor gave it?" Selena was walking the hall, examining the keychain. It seemed like she saw it before, was even holding it, but just couldn't recall where and when. Maybe Mr.Evanford brought it to the university once?..

"He spoke about the door, and now he gives a keychain. There's only a key missing in this chain of logic," Kevin replied.

"So, he wanted us to find the key?" she said pensively.

"You can look for it," young man shrugged indifferently. "I've got enough things to do."

"Do you think all of this is nonsense?" Selena scrunched up her eyes. "And this book will bring no harm?"

Evanford just waved his hand away, entering the elevator. Silver squeezed the trinket – the four-leaf clover was almost burning her palm. Darn it, so many weird things have happened, and nothing gets clear! Selena wanted to take a look at the page she torn out of the book, and now she had an excuse. If this Mr.Know-it-all thinks that it won't get worse... With a grin, she pulled the paper out of the purse and started to read. Noticing the look on his companion's face, Kevin peered over her shoulder and saw the lines:

LHC's ex-employee was looking at young people with some pity. His ill-starred successors don't have a slightest idea of what's in store... Now, with his current self, he didn't want to condemn them to this, but he saw no other way. He realised that resisting will be nothing but a waste of time for him. Nothing's left but hoping that they will have more luck...

It's always possible to find a hint in the book. It's even possible to read the walkthrough from start to finish. But then it will be no fun playing it, won't it? Which is why every time

Suddenly the lights went off, and the elevator stopped. Doors slided open, but there was the same pitch black darkness outside. And not a single sound.

***

"What the?.." Kevin muttered, pushing the buttons, to no result. Selena was stricken with a terrible foreboding. She recalled the recent sudden transportation episode. Noone can tell where they are now. But most probably, they're going through the same sh...

"Do you have a flashlight?" his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Well yes, and also I'm carrying a tent and a sleeping bag every day – just in case, you know," she replied harshly. "Though... Wait a minute," she dug into her purse and stroke a match. Kevin saw that she holds a tiny pack of matches with green brown logo that was barely distinguishable in the dark. Evanford noticed the word "good".

"You smoke?" Kevin raised his eyebrow.

"No," Selena stretched her hand outside. Dying flame was of little help against the darkness. The only thing that became clear is that the floor wasn't marble, but covered with old parquet.

"Good for you. Smoking spoils your breath, teeth and nails, not to mention leads to various diseases," Kevin stated prudently.

"This should be the last thing for you to worry about right now," Selena said through her teeth, lighting a second match. She stepped outside the elevator. Parquet creacked under her high heels.

"And what exactly should I worry about? Beside the fact that, in some unconceivable way, we ended up who knows where? Explain if you will," Kevin followed her. The second he left the elevator the doors slammed shut.

"For one, we're in pitch darkness, and I only have a few matches," the girl replied, slowly moving away from the elevator. Match's dim light has shown the shapes of piles of some small parts on the floor. Flame died out again, but before Selena had time to light a new one, a voice resounded. It seemed like it was coming from all directions.

"Why did you pass through the sliding doors? It's not supposed to happen... Did you use a cheat code? Or is Gelia playing her tricks again..." the speech turned into an unintelligible mumbling.

"What the hell?" Selena whispered. She lit another match and walked forward at a fast pace, trying to illuminate as much as possible while the fire still glimmers. But the same piles of small parts were everywhere as far as eye can reach.

"What cheat-code?" asked Evanford.

"Who are you? What on Earth are you talking about?" Silver yelled.

"The god and the slave of this room... And in this game, I think I'm a loser," the voice replied.

"Enough already," Selena muttered disgruntledly, pulling the paper out again and carefully lighting another match. There were only a few lines on this side of the page:

Selena, it's not fear that you're feeling, it's the excitement of the unknown. Risk is in your blood.

She decided to read the following phrase aloud:

And you, Kevin, aren't scared, because it's not darkness that you're afraid of...

Flame went out, and Selena felt something running over her foot. Legs of some unknown creature were thin and sharp... Like a centipede with metal legs. Silver jumped with a shriek, dropping the remaining matches. She was afraid of making a slightest move, not to mention searching for a pack on the floor.

"This is it," Selena exhaled. After a few seconds of silence they've heard a movement. Piles of small metal parts began to crumble, like something was crawling out of the sand.

Suddenly, Kevin had an idea. He pulled Flashphoto out of the bag and pressed the shutter. Flash illuminated the surroundings for a split second, but that was enough. When the match was still burning, it appeared to Evanford like there's a wall on the right. Now his guess proved true. He slowly walked towards the wall, flashing a few more times. Fortunately, this camera model allowed to take pictures with almost no delay. Pictures were flying out and falling on the floor one by one. Selena managed to catch a couple.

"We should examine them later... If we get out... Damn! If we still had matches, we could've looked at those photos and understand which way to go! Where have you been before?"

"Yes, it is my mistake," Kevin acknowledged. He never denied his mistakes. Pointing the camera in various directions, professor's nephew took a few more pictures of the room and put them into the bag for later examination. Evanford noticed a familiar outline on the wall... After a few flashes he was certain – it's a door.

"Let's go!" Kevin rushed to the door, pushing the button as fast as he could. Flashes were dazzling. Selena made a few unsure steps and stumbled, almost falling into the moving pile. She jumped up to Evanford, clinging onto his belt, and ran after him.

"You won't help me look for it?" the voice spoke again. "Oh well, it's up to you..." he briefly paused, but went on: "I can give you an advice. Sometimes, you'll need any key to proceed..."

The door turned out to be farther than Kevin anticipated. It even seemed like it was moving back as they ran. But the distance was decreasing, and eventually Evanford grabbed the handle – to his incredible relief, the door jerked open, and the couple tumbled into the corridor. Dim light of electrical light bulb struck their eyes after the darkness.

"Where are we?" the girl asked, blinking.

Kevin looked around and saw that the numbers on the office doors around them start from 1. But the plain door that was behind them didn't have number, and it seemed that it leads to the utility room.

"We're in the same building, but at the first floor. We've descended after all."

"Yeah, really funny," she leaned against the wall, rubbing her temples. Her head was still spinning. "I wonder how much time has passed?"

"No more than ten minutes," Evanford replied, checking his watch.

"We're lucky if it's less than a week," her lips twisted in a grin. "Last time, a few seconds turned into hours..."

"What do you mean?"

"You must've noticed that I'm wearing the same clothes that I did yesterday? Yes, I've met with a man. And yes, I didn't spend this night at home. I didn't spend it at all! I entered the bar toilet, and went out straight into the Blue Stones park, out of the door of some booth! That's all!"

"You do understand – twenty minutes ago I would've thought you're bonkers," Kevin said slowly. "But now..."

"You're crazy yourself?" Selena winked.

"No. Everything has happened for real, we even have proof. All of this must have some rational explanation. But where do we get it..."

"Maybe here?" Silver took the paper out of her purse... But it turned out to be blank from both sides. "What the hell?"

"I guess there is something about this book after all," Kevin reluctantly admitted.

"I want to read it as soon as possible... Well, let's go to your place?" the girl suggested. Evanford had no reason to refuse. When they left the building, the sun was still in the zenith.

"My car still wasn't towed to the pound. At least it's the same day," young man remarked.

"I'm sorry, can you say what time it is?" Selena turned to a passer-by.

"Ten minutes to twelve," he smiled at a cute girl.

"Thank you," she turned to her companion. "So, not much time has passed... At least some relief."

"Wait a second," Kevin frowned. "When we approached the building, it was twenty minutes to twelte on my watch, now it's two minutes past twelve. Ten minutes to twelve is earlier than the moment we've entered that elevator..."

"So?" Selena shrugged. "Do you want to run there and search for our past selves? Did it ever occurred to you that his watch was wrong?"

"Maybe," professor's nephew grumbled. They got into a car. Kevin was concentrated on a road while the girl was glancing around.

"This is... Can it be?!" Silver suddenly shrieked. "Look!" she pointed at an electornic clock dial on one of the buildings. Dial plates like this were automatically synchronized with the main clock in the city hall. It was 11.54.

"Great. We've shifed back in time," Evanford stated. This was the most ridiculous phrase he ever said with a straight face. "I hope the book will give us a couple of answers... Or else I'll wake my uncle up and ask him personally," he murmured sullenly, stepping on the gas harder.

# Chapter 3

### Marginals

After leaving Pinton in the garage, the pair entered the house. Selena didn't pay attention to how inconvenient the staircase was anymore. With every step she was getting closer to the book, and the desire to learn what's in there was getting stronger. Kevin, too, was so deep in his thoughts that he was walking in step with her, not trying to get ahead. But when they entered the library, he was got to the table first, picked "The Door" and opened it without a shadow of trepidation.

In the beginning of the book, there were neither an annotation nor any information about the author or the publishing house. There were no marks inside, as if nothing has never been torn out, and the first page was blank, save for a huge, bold question mark in the middle. Knitting his brows, Evanford turned the page. Text was printed in large font, with widely spaced lines:

You're on the threshold of a dangerous adventure. What will you choose? Staying on this side, with little sores of your problems? Or entering, putting your mind and life at stake?

Step by step, door by door you will penetrate into the depths of your consciousness. Things that you could never think of will be revealed to you. Something that doesn't lie on the surface. Layer by layer you'll clear your brain, until you'll get to the true you...

Consider it carefully. There will be no way back. You won't be able to open the next door before closing the previous one. And by the way – you've already started playing once you've read this far.

Decarbonized rays are driving the covered scheme... Some incoherent mess followed. Kevin turned a couple more pages – not a single sensible phrase. Checked out the last page – same there.

"Yeah, that did help," Selena sarcastically remarked. "It's obvious either way – I've got into a big trouble, and there's zero explanation about how to get out."

Kevin paid no attention to her words. Young man examined the book once again. What information is there at his disposal? Haurot Sputkee – those words can mean anything, but here they are used as an author's name. The book itself and the content of its pages can change. There is no information about an author or a publishing house. Pages aren't numbered...

"Give me this," Selena snatched the book out of his hands, closed it and immediately opened again. The question sign remained where it was. "At least it's not changing every minute," Silver concluded. She started quickly thumbing through. In a middle of the book something caught her eye. Turning back a couple of pages, she saw a pencil-drawn heart on a margin. Its edge was encrusted with thorns. Heart was "chained" to the paper with two crossed chains. A paragraph next to the picture went:

My body is free, but my soul is chained. For some, it's a battle, for some, it's a game. I know that fear is my greatest foe. My face may have changed, but my bonds are the same as before.

"Some teenage angst," Kevin sniffed.

"I wonder if it was here before?" Selena slammed the book shut and thumbed through it again. The heart was gone. Without a second thought, the girl grabbed a pen, putting ticks on some random pages. She thumbed through the book once, twice – the ticks remained. Selena torn out a sheet from her notebook and put it between the pages, and repeated the procedure, then shook the book just to make sure. The sheet was gone. "See! It's like this... reloads it."

"You do know how to deal with tech," Kevin said in almost serious voice.

"Yeah, I know which button to push to turn the computer on, imagine that!" Silver was infuriated. This snob is at it again! She couldn't stand it any longer. She was tired, terribly hungry and endured more stress within those twenty-four hours than she did within the last few years. Moreover, her legs were nearly falling off because of long walks on high heels – and the thought that she'll have to hobble at least one more kilometer was outright depressing. Selena couldn't spend another minute in this house...

"I'm leaving!" she shouted, heading for the door.

"Give the book back," Kevin demanded.

"No! Why would you need it if you dig all the wisdom out of your own mind? But if you want it, take it!" Silver pressed the book to her breasts.

Young Evanford looked at her in contempt, remaining in place. The book didn't prove itself useful enough to fight for it. Let this harpy take it. After all, shifts might be linked to her, and he just happened to be around. Yet another proof that her company doesn't bring any good... Kevin realized that he's trying to fool himself. He's also neck deep in this paranormal situation... He just didn't want to touch this hysterical woman.

***

The first thing Selena did after opening the appartment door was kicking off her shoes. The girl collapsed on a couch and placed her feet onto the coffee table. Her body was so delighted with long-awaited rest that she even forgot about the hunger. Selena would've sat for a while without thinking of anything, but suddenly the pager beeped. Silver lazily took it out of a purse. A message was glimmering on the small green screen:

"So, you've decided to run away after all? Albert."

Dammit, she completely forgot about him. But Albert isn't a bad man, and he deserves some explanation. She dialed his number:

"Hello..."

"Selena?" he instantly recognized her voice, but it didn't sound like he was glad to hear it.

"I'm sorry it turned out like that... I didn't run away, it's just... It wasn't up to me," she didn't know how to manage not saying blatant lies and not sounding like crazy at the same time.

"But what happened? I already thought you got out of the toilet window, like in one of those spy movies," Albert warmed up a bit.

"Let's just say that there's a huge difference between slipping away and being flushed away, " the girl answered somberly. Spy novels just won't cut it – the events were straight ouf of science fiction. And life itself started resembling some horror movie... She didn't like any of those genres. "I don't watch spy movies, I prefer romantic ones."

"Shall we meet again, then?" he proposed. "I think it'll go better this time..."

"You know what... I guess we shouldn't," Selena replied after some hesitation. "I think it won't work out."

"But how can you know? We barely know each other yet..."

"Yes, but I can see that already. I told you I'm easy to ignite, but there has to be a sparkle... And there's none. You're a good guy – otherwise I wouldn't have explained you anything. But if I'm not being swept off my feet right away, I know it won't get anywhere. It's not you, it's me," as she was saying that, she was getting more and more certain that nothing is going to work.

"It's you indeed," Albert said in clear disappointment. "I know that I'm a good guy. And a clearheaded girl wouldn't have brushed me off without even talking for five minutes. Either you know exactly what you want... Or, rather, you have no idea. I knew people like that – they were wandering their lives and complaining about the wicked destiny, even though some of them started quite posh. A bit of advice for the future. Before blaming destiny for slipping you unsuitable options all the time, take a minute to realize what you actually want. Grow up. And until then – farewell," busy signal followed.

"Thanks a lot!" Selena yelled, slamming down the receiver. Advices from another know-it-all is exactly what she needed right now! And at her expense at that – calling mobile phones isn't cheap. She has to put something in her stomach to subdue the hunger and anger, or else someone is going to get hurt...

After finishing off some leftovers in the fridge, the girl returned to the living room. Thoughts were a bit more clear now, but it didn't do any good. Selena took the book. Now, when there was noone to fight, she didn't feel herself so self-confident. Silver cautiously opened "The Door". Everything remained as it was a couple of hours ago. She slowly leafed through the pages and wasn't too surprised when noticing a pencil writing on the margin... But what it actually said made her feel uneasy:

"You're gonna blow it. I'll win!"

Letters were big and very crooked. This sentence took all the vertical of the margin. Who cold've written it? Is it addressed to her? Selena glanced at the printed text – nonsense, just a bunch of words. After some thought she closed the book. It's probably not the best time for exploring it... Silver didn't want to confess even to herself that she just got scared. Nevertheless, she might need the book at any minute, so it's better to have it around. It won't fit into the purse, and she didn't like carrying bags in her hands. So, she'll have to take a bigger purse. Selena didn't fancy that option as well – she had her reasons to dislike bags that can fit something more than her make-up. But it seemed that there was no other choice.

She took a black leather bag from the depths of the closet, put it on a couch and shook the contents of her handbag out. Suddenly a photograph flew out. Well of course, how could she forget... Selena took the second photo and froze. A human shape could be discerned on the background of the frame. A man, half-buried in metal parts, was pressing something to his mouth. So he was speaking into a microphone, and the sound was distributed through speakers... But who is he? The girl examined his blurry face, recalling the basics of physiognomics that she took back in the first semester. But she couldn't distinguish any maniac features, or anything distinctive, for that matter. Just a regular guy.

It was the dead end. Selena realized that she won't manage to do anything else today – she has to take her mind off those abnormal events. Otherwise she'll get crazy, and crazy people can't solve riddles like that. It's a good idea to call friends, go out somewhere... Anywhere but the bar. Movies will do.

The girl wanted to put pictures into the book to keep everything together, but immediately figured that it's a stupid idea. Silver put the book and the pictures into the purse and tried to forget about them.

***

When the annoying visitor left, Kevin Evanford waited for a while and went down to close the gate. Then he returned and took "Flashphoto" from the library.

It wasn't clear what his ancestors counted on when they were building the mansion – most of the rooms weren't in use. Evanford's family tree has never been too branchy. Perhaps they thought that the situation will change... But their lineage kept declining. On the next step to the last resided Henry Evanford, who has never started a family, and his sister Mathilda, whose sole life achievement was her son, Kevin. The latter wasn't going to get married at all, much less burdening himself with an offspring.

Even before the recent tragedy young Evanford was thinking about moving into an apartment, but there was no particular reason to do it. Now there's no reason to postpone it – it's unclear when and if his uncle will regain consciousness, and he had no intention to maintain the mansion for long years to come. Before selling it, some revision has to be done in storage rooms – what's found in there has to be sold, donated or just thrown away. These were actual big rooms where rarely used or needless things were piling over the years. Three of them – for clothes, various equipment and for "other" things. Kevin considered library to be another room of that kind – it was full of books that Henry has almost never opened.

"Flashphoto" had to be returned to the equipment storage room, but Kevin forgot to do it right away, and didn't want to go to the first floor just for that. He can put the camera back later, and for now Evanford decided to take some rest and get back into a routine by doing the thing he loved most – solving equations. Kevin put the camera bag on the bed, but remembered about the pictures it contained. He might as well take a look.

Piles of parts... More parts... Selena's face – pupils are dilated, but it's barely noticeable with her dark irises... A wall... And what's this supposed to be?

Some weird structure was towering over the part piles. Seems like it was a heap of computer boards entangled in wires. Kevin noticed old transistors that turned obsolete around fifteen years ago. It was resembling a piece of abstract art – he couldn't come up with any practical explanation for a structure like that. He thoroughly examined other pictures – nothing new. There also were pictures of the door – it was approaching with every shot, its shape somewhat blurred because of the shaking camera. Those images evoked anxiety that seized him back then. No, this accident has to be forgotten... Being nervous is unhealthy. Kevin shoved the pictures back into the bag.

He sat behind the desk and took a pencil. Before him, there was the same equation he was solving yesterday. There's a mistake here... It has to be done anew. Evanford erased everything, but it was written with a sharp pencil, so thin outlines have remained on the paper. This was a bit distracting, but Kevin tried to pay them no attention as he started to solve the equation again. The solution seemed to be correct at first, no error here... He noticed that he draws along the old outlines. This has to be redone on a new sheet of paper, or else he'll do the same mistake again... Suddenly Kevin heard some sound coming from the corridor.

He got up and cautiously stepped towards the door, listening. In a few moments Evanford heard quiet taps, as if something has hit the wall near his room. Then there was a sound of a door slowly closing in the end of the corridor.

A quick look around revealed that there isn't a single object in the room that can be used for self-defence. Theoretically, something can be used to stun an intruder – for example, a heavy book put into a metal construction set box... No, crazy ideas aren't likely to help. The sane thing was to lock the door and call the police, but false alarm might bring trouble. Not to mention he didn't want to deal with people in uniform unless it's absolutely necessary. After some consideration Kevin picked an abstract metal statue from the table – a prize he took back in high school for placing first on the city math competition. Not too weighty, but it's still better than going empty-handed.

Evanford headed to the door, opened it as quietly as possible and peeked into the corridor. There were no more sounds. In a few steps he felt something under his shoe. Lifted the leg, but there was nothing on the floor. Kevin looked at the sole of his shoe and saw a cherry seed stuck to it. It was still wetly glistering, with tiny bits of red pulp – like someone has just spit it out. But the liquid it was covered with seemed more dense and turbid than normal saliva. Crinkling his hose in disgust, Evanford wiped his shoe against the floor, trying to get rid of the seed, and noticed another one lying nearby. Why did the intruder drop them? Or those aren't just seeds?.. Young man froze as he heard the sound of the slamming door... That came from his own room.

Squeezing the statue in his sweaty palm, he came back to the door and cautiously peeked in. Nothing seemed to have changed. But upon entering the room Keving quickly noticed a message on the paper with an equation. Writing was bold and absolutely terrible, like it was scribbled by a monkey:

Shall we play, handsome? Just you and me, forget about that idi

Last few letters were written with such a pressure that pencil cracked.

Who could've written it? And, what's more important, how did this person disappear? Ran away, slamming the door? Cupboard door couldn't make the sound he heard. The only one remaining is...

Evanford gave the closet door a heavy look. A nasty feeling arose from the left side of his chest, a place no signals were coming from for a long time now. In his childhood, back when Kevin was living with his parents, he had trouble falling asleep. It seemed that the moment he'll close his eyes some creature will crawl out of the closet. The boy wasn't quite sure what it might look like or what it'll do to him, but was frightened nonetheless. Father though that those fears were nonsense and refused to lock the closet, and mother didn't argue with her husband. Henry would've get him through some psychological treatment, but father thought that one should face their fear, and it'll go away. Once he confessed to his son that he's afraid of sharks and whales, so he takes every chance to go to the sea. Father never saw any sharks or whales after all. But one day he and mother went boat riding, lost control and wrecked...

Kevin didn't need uncle's help – he realized on his own how irrational his fear of the closet was. It's just a small room where mundane things are stored – what can possibly crawl out of it? But now... Something did, in the middle of the day, and left their marks. Arguments he was reassuring himself with didn't work anymore. Evanford slowly approached the closet and opened the door. Shelves were practically empty – almost everything was kept in storage rooms. Obviously, there was noone here... But slimy worms of fear were tying around his heart. Yes, Kevin was frightened and could do nothing about it. But it wasn't even about the note's author – as dangerous as that person was, he or she is still a human. What he dreaded was a shadow emerging from his childhood memories.

Kevin opened the door wide and took such a positon behind the desk that closet was in his field of vision. He sharpened a pencil, crumpled the paper and took a clean one. It seems that this ill-fated equation was never meant to be solved... Young man started on a new one. Familiar activity was distracting him a bit, but every half a minute Kevin was straining his ears to hear if some door in the house creaks, and looked into the closet.

***

Next morning Evanford was awakened by his ringing phone. At first he was angry at the one who calls so early, but noticed that it's already 10 AM. No wonder; yesterday it took him a while to fall asleep... The phone fell silent for a few seconds and started ringing again. Kevin reluctantly got up and answered it:

"Hello?"

"I can't go on like that," a female voice nervously said. "Kevin, we have to meet."

"Tiffany?" he was a bit annoyed. "First of all, it's not like I 'have' to do anything for you. You know pretty well, there's nothing for us to talk about."

"How can you be so... so..." it seemed she was about to burst into tears.

"You're too persistent and you make ungrounded guesses," Evanford wearily exhaled. Tiffany and him were students of the same department. They communicated, but a few months ago their relationship became somewhat more than casual. Kevin couldn't even tell how it happened. This girl just wanted to be around, and he didn't mind. That's how it always normally started, and eventually relationships fell apart on their own. Young man was fine with that, assuming that people should be together while it's comfortable, otherwise they shouldn't impose themselves on each other. Tiffany obviously didn't hold this view – Kevin quickly sensed it and didn't even tell her his landline number to avoid problems in the future. He turned out to be correct – she was calling his cell once in a while, despite the rates.

"I don't know what you're trying to achieve. You do realize that one can't expect much from the relationship with me," he honestly reminded. "Do yourself a favor and stop calling me."

"But... I can't just... Can't forget it all just like that," Tiffany sobbed.

"I'm sorry," Evanford sincerely replied, hanging up.

Getting up this late felt weird. His head was barely working. After washing his face with cool water for some refreshment, brushing his teeth and shaving. But when Kevin touched the bathroom door handle, he felt something similar to electrical shock. He jumped away, dumbfounded. Reached to the handle, but his hand started shivering as if it felt that its owner is going to chop it off. Evanford jerked it away, trying to repress the trembling. Lost in guesses, he made a determined step towards the door.

A wave of inexplicable horror seized, almost knocking him off his feet. Heart was beating like crazy, spasms were building up in his stomach. The door before him was the pinnacle of everything scary and dangerous in the universe... Kevin sat down on the edge of the bath, breathing heavily. In half a minute his consciousness cleared up a bit, but fear didn't go anywhere. Looking at the door, Evanford was baffled – what could possibly scare him that much? But still, he realized that he can't open it. Simply can not.

Kevin heard the cellphone ringing again. If only he had a phone here to get in touch with someone, to call for help... But who will he call? Noone he knows has the keys, and they can enter only if he'll unlock the gate himself. Rescue services? So, they will break into the house to find an owner sitting in the unlocked bathroom? In either case, none of this matters – the phone isn't here. The fear of doors will probably disappear as suddenly as it struck, but when will it happen? He has to act...

Young man took a moment to collect himself, shut his eyes tight, grabbed the handle and jerked it with all possible force, falling out into the corridor. Kevin crawled away and leaned against the opposite wall. The wide-open bathroom door didn't look all that dreadful any longer. In a minute he felt that his body gained enough strength, got up and unsteadily walked to his room. Fortunately, the door was slightly open, so it didn't cause much fear. He quickly entered the room and collapsed onto a chair, trying to figure what to do next. This incident definitely has something to do with the book... After some searching Evanford found the paper Selena's pager number was written on – fortunately, he didn't throw it away. He called the operator and left a message: "Bring the book to my house immediately! The door manifested itself."

***

Alarm clock woke Selena up early in the morning. Dammit, she keeps forgetting to turn it off for a week already, even though studies are over... Shutting the clock up with a usual push of a button, the girl got up. Pieces of dreams were still stuck in her brain. Something based on the moive she watched with her friends yesterday, but with many books. That reminded a young student not even about "The Door", but about the fact that her library books are overdue. She has to return them to the university right away – soon she'll go back to her parents' place and forget about the books till September. And in the beginning of the next semester she'll have to pay a fine, or will even be banned from using the library for some time... It's better to do it now. After having her breakfast, Silver took the books and headed to the university.

Exam session was already over, and the building was almost empty. Elevator seemed bigger than usual – it was the first time she was here alone, not squeezed in a crowd.What a weird feeling... Selena pushed the button of the seventh floor and pressed "GO". Only upon doing that she recalled yesterday's events and grew cold with terror. But she wouldn't be climbing there on her high heels anyway, so let the fate decide.

Fortunately, elevator got there without an accident. Selena returned the books and decided to take the stairs after all. After passing a few flights of old, worn stairs she started regretting this decision. Their department was situated on the fourth floor. She might as well take a stroll, say goodbye before the holidays... And take a break from the staircase where you risk slipping and breaking your neck with every step. She walked the corridor that had doors on one side and windows facing the inner yard on the other. Selena stopped near the auditorium where professor Evanford was holding his classes. Succumbing to the wave of nostalgia, she entered, absent-mindedly closing the door behind.

Henry Evanford was a good lecturer... No, it's too early to think about him in past tense. She leaned against a desk, her eyes sweeping the sunlit lecture hall. Everything looks different from when you're sitting behind the student's desk. That's how professor saw them, his audience... What does he see now? Are there dreams in condition like that? Selena sighed and headed back to the exit.

In a meter before the door she suddenly stopped, as if hitting the invisible wall. Silver stepped forward, but immediately jumped back – it felt like she was about to step into an abyss. Selena realized what it was about – the door. Closed door was emitting strong waves of terror. If only it was open, maybe she could slip somehow... But the very thought about turning the handle made her sick. The girl tried to touch the handle a couple of times, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Hey! Can anyone hear me! Come here, I've locked myself in!" she shouted for about a minute; tried everything up to ad slogans, then went on to cursing. Nothing worked – those few people who were still in the building were too far. They wouldn't have heard even if she screamed in the resonant corridor.

Selena sat behind the desk, trying to collect her thoughts. Uncontrolled, unreasonable fear of something is phobia. But it can't just turn up all of a sudden... Or can it? And how to get rid of it? She was severely lacking the knowledge. Now Selena was regretting that she returned the textbooks that must've contained some information on this subject... Though they probably wouldn't tell what to do in this particular situation. She suddenly realized that there actually is a book in her bag that might give a clue, but the girl didn't want to resort to it. On the other hand, she didn't want to sit here for ages. Selena reluctantly pulled "The Door" out and started paging through. Eventually something caught her eye:

You think there's no way out? Look behind you.

Selena slowly turned her head and saw an open window.

She got up and stepped behind the lector's desk again. Now she definitely felt herself in professor's shoes. He didn't try to commit suicide... He just left through the window. Selena cautiously looked outside – not a single soul in sight. She looked at her right – there are about three meters separating her from the window of the neighboring auditorium. Three meters along the stone border that was one santimeter longer than her foot.

Selena knew that it often happens in the movies – in films of those genres she disliked. In those she liked, a guy could climb up to the second floor to reach the room of his girlfriend. But a girl walking the narrow border on the fourth floor, on high heels at that – no, nothing like this has ever happened. Though, come to think of it, as long as she took a risk with the book, she might as well go the whole way. The window isn't that far, and the border is no scarier than the door... She moved a chair to the window, took off her shoes and fastened them onto her bag by the lacing. Stepped on a chair, teeth tightly clenched, then on the windowstill, and placed one foot on a border. Solid, rough and with a slight inclination that she would've never noticed under different circumstances. Selena put her other foot on the border and did a small step aside, still holding the windowframe. Doesn't seem too hard...

She glanced down and regretted it immediately. The height was dazzling. Silver decided to look strictly at the window. Collecting her will, she let go of the frame and slightly shuffled right. The most important thing now is to keep moving, or else fear car paralyze in the middle of the way. Selena moved another twenty santimeteres, her back and arms tightly pressed to the wall. Maintaining balance in a position like that was hard, and the bag on her shoulder didn't make it any easier. It seemed that even the slightest bending forward will lead to an imminent fall – there was nothing to cling to. That thought made her knees turn to jelly. The girl strained her legs and moved further, trying to get this over with as fast as possible.

The distance to the window was slowly shortening. Silver already forgot about the height – in the whole world, there was only her and that window. And just as she concentrated completely, the pager in her bag suddenly beeped and vibrated.

Selena twitched, barely remaining on her feet. A glance into an abyss before her made the girl feel dizzy. She wanted to shut her eyes, but was quick to remember balancing with eyes closed is much harder. Even though the sun was burning like crazy, she broke out in a cold sweat. Silver instinctively pushed herself into the wall and froze, waiting for her head to stop spinning.

In half a minute Selena somewhat regained her senses. After a stress like that simply walking the border seemed almost fun. She brought herself to turn her head and saw that there is no more than some pathetic1,5 meters between her and the window she stepped out of. But it feels like an hour has passed, and the distance crossed was greater than between the Earth and the Moon... Though covering a great distance in little time isn't always a good thing – she barely avoided crossing the twenty meters separating her from the ground in mere seconds.

"I'll kill him," she hissed through gritted teeth. Maybe murder was an overkill, but the girl was quite determined to end any kind of relationship with a person who sent that message, whoever he or she was.

Anger gave her strength. Selena got to the window with relative ease, grabbed the window frame and jumped inside. Before her feet touched the floor, Silver saw that the door of the auditorium was closed.

Selena was furious. She ran up to the door, determined to get out no matter what. Insanity, heart attack – whatever!.. She didn't have time to finish that though – the door yielded with ease, and the girl ran out into the corridor. Surprised, she closed the door and opened it again – there was no fear. Where did the phobia go? Should she have just waited? Oh gosh... Cursing her impatience, Selena put her shoes on and decided to check the damn message.

Well, who else – only Evanford could distract her at the worst moment possible. And, as much as she wanted to, it's impossible to get rid of him right now... Judging by his message, this snob has also tasted the door's magic. She has to find out what's going on – it's not like she could think of anything other than this anyway.

After an adventure like that falling down the stairs would've been a sheer delight, but Silver decided not to take any risk. She took an elevator to the first floor and called a cab from a nearest payphone.

***

...Selena was pressing the bell button for much longer than the necessary five seconds. She let it go only when the mansion door opened.

"I see you aren't afraid anymore!" she shouted, not waiting for Evanford to come closer.

"It affected you too?" he asked, opening the gate latch.

"O-oh yes, it nearly swept me off my feet," Silver sardonically replied. "And where were you when it hit you?"

"In the bathroom. I've barely opened the door."

"That's so sweet..." Selena drawled. If even a wimp like him could get out, she could've done it for sure! But not only she couldn't wait a bit, she immediately rushed to risk her bones... Now the girl was mad at herself. "All right, what did you want?" she asked gloomily.

"The moment I was leaving that message fear was clogging my mind," Kevin said. "I wanted to learn its reason to get rid of it... But when the fear of the door subsided, I recalled Henry's warning. The more you read the book, the crazier you get. If I'll try to look for an answer there, the situation will only get worse. I was going to cancel my request, but you came too swiftly."

"You could've though about it earlier, bright spark," Selena harshly replied, recalling how his message has almost sent her to kingdom come. "But what if it'll happen again? Or, even worse, if one of us will be thrown who knows where? We can't leave it like that. Besides... Maybe we'll find a way to get professor out of coma!"

"What do you suggest?" Evanford cocked his eyebrow.

"It's not necessary to read the book," the girl said pensively. "First, we can try asking someone who might know something..."

"I don't like where this is going," he frowned. "Are you going to return to that building?"

"We think alike," she smiled. "Actually, I wanted to visit the lawyer and question him about your uncle... But as long as you thought about that weird man in the room, we can pay him a visit either."

"You can go if you want, I'll pass," Kevin replied coldly. "I don't want to get even deeper into this."

"So, you wrecked my nerves, called me here, and now you want to turn your back and leave?" Selena raised her voice. "Don't you think that you are simply obliged to give me a ride at least, to pay off your debts at least a bit?"

"Fine," Evanford waved his hand. "I'll drive you there, but don't ask for more."

The girl just grinned at him.

***

They weren't far from their destination when traffic got slower.

"There's a jam ahead... Must be some traffic accident," Kevin turned to drive around. He wasn't too familiar with this area, but was hoping he took a correct course. Selena has never been here before either. Having nothing better to do, she was checking out the shops they were driving by. One shop's entrance caught her eye – done in dark shades, with a black nameplate, "Obsidian". There was something magnetic about it... She was suddenly seized by strong desire to go there.

"Pull over," the girl spoke. Kevin reluctantly pushed the brakes. "I'll come back in a minute," Silver said over her shoulder and headed to the shop without waiting for an answer.

Sunrays were barely penetrating the tinted window – light was coming from lamps that were creating a soft multicolored shade. It was pretty serene – a great relief after the street heat. Selena took a deep breath. It felt like she entered a different world, and yet it felt familiar, almost like home. She looked around. Leather bracelets, various charms, masks, items for pranking – a motley assortment of trinkets. Suddenly Selena noticed the salesman, a young man with black hair tied into a ponytail. He was sitting in a corner behind the counter and was examining something, paying no attention to the customer. But the very moment she saw him he looked up. His eyes were expressing nothing at first, but in a few moments his face brightened up, like he has recognized a friend.

"Hello!" he got up.

"Umm... Hi," Silver answered hesitantly, trying to figure if she saw him before or not.

"How are you? Is your hand fine already?" young man's voice was expressing a sincere sympathy.

"I think you're confusing me with someone else," Selena came closer to the counter so they both can take a better look. When she approached, the girl noticed a bunch of four-leaf clover-shaped keychains – identical to the one Evanford left, but in different colors. Silver frowned. There has to be some connection... "Do you have red four-leaf clovers?" she cautiously asked, deciding not to show her own keychain for now.

"I knew it's you," the salesman smiled. "Playing those games of yours, as usual."

Selena looked him in the eye, trying to catch the thought buzzing in the back of her head. All of this – the shop, the guy, his eyes dilated from the darknes – definitely had something about it... Something familiar... Something suspicious... It seemed that in a second she'll pull that thought out of her subconsciousness, but this moment just wasn't coming. Young man didn't say anything, keeping his gaze fixed at her. Prolonged silence was broken by the sound of an opening door – Kevin Evanford entered the shop.

He has a real talent to interfere in the least appropriate moment! Selena glanced at him menacingly, letting her acquaintance know that he must stay back. But Kevin didn't understand why she goggles at him and decided to ignore it. The girl's apprehensions were fulfilled – when the salesman saw that a man is approaching Selena, he seemed to have lost any kind of interest in her. His stare became blank again, and the guy sat back into the corner.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Selena hissed, clenching her fists.

"You were here for evidently more than a minute," Kevin calmly replied. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving," he headed to the exit.

After some hesitation, the girl followed him. She has to finish what she started. And it's better to talk to this guy some other time anyway. The pair got into the car and were near the building in a few minutes.

"Well, let's go," the girl said imperturbably.

"I told you not to drag me into this mess," Evanford frowned.

"As you wish," Selena snubbed her nose. "But if I learn the answer, I'll never tell you!" she slammed the car door and headed to the entrance.

Kevin was about to start a car, but paused. What if it indeed will not end with one fear attack? Is he supposed to struggle to break out of his own bathroom every time? Or disgracing himself in public places? Also, even though he didn't care about an obnoxious acquaintance, he couldn't just leave her like that, knowing where she's going. Because this way he is short of becoming an accomplice in whatever might happen to her. Evanford reluctantly got out of the car.

He saw Selena standing near the door at the first floor. She was in no hurry to enter – maybe was afraid, or was waiting for him. The girl was closely examining the door, even though there was nothing on it.

"Can you recall, was there a plate here before?" she asked pensively.

"I don't think so," Kevin shrugged. He would've definitely remembered if anything was written to the door to a nightmare. Selena turned the handle and pushed the door – it easily gave in. Silver was surprised and a bit scared, but didn't jerk the door back – opening it wider, she peeked inside.

"Come in," a friendly voice said. Startled, Selena looked at a man sitting behind the desk across the room. It's not the same man that was in the dark room with parts. Looking at him with mistrust, the girl stepped in. "Come in, both of you," he encouraged the young man standing behind his visitor's back. Kevin entered, closing the door behind him – after all, it wasn't easy to get rid of that habit in just a couple of days. He realized the mistake when he was in the middle of the office, but didn't run back. Evanford decided to wait and see what happens.

Warm sunlight was passing throught the thin curtains that were covering the window. It must be a psychiatrist's office furnished in pretty minimalistic fashion – there were two chairs near the desk, a couch, a bookcase and a clock hanging from the wall beside it. Its hands were showing quarter to two – they were a couple of hours ahead.

"Take a seat," man pointed at the chairs. Visitors exchanged looks and unwillingly obliged. "What brings you to me? Do you have some problems as a couple?"

"No," Kevin said sharply.

"So, everything is fine?" the psychiatrist grinned.

"No, we aren't a couple," he specified. Selena nodded, then vigorously shook her head, not knowing how to empathise that there's nothing between them.

"So what is it about?"

"It's about the door," Kevin replied bluntly.

"I'm often having a certain nighmare," the man spoke. "I'm standing in front of a door with a sign. All night long I'm pushing it, trying in vain to open it, but it just won't give in. What do you think is written on the sign?"

"It says 'Pull'" professor's nephew replied. "It's an old joke. What are you getting at?"

"If you want to solve a problem, try various approaches. Keep your eyes open to see the hints. And read the manual, especially if it's right before you... What is this door for you? Where is it leading? What do you think is behind it?

"There's another question," Kevin said. "Is it possible for a person to have a fear of the door itself?

"There is a huge number of phobias in this world," the psychiatrist started. "Some of them are familiar to many – for example, a fear of darkness. Some seem simply ridiculous... Yes, take it, help yourself," he spoke to the girl.

Selena looked in confusion at a piece of paper she was about to put into her bag. One side had a calendar for the current year and a line "Jeremy Lace, psychiatrist" written on it. On the flip side, instead of a picture, there was a list of phobias with short descriptions, about fifteen items. It started with Acrophobia – a fear of heights, and ended with Trypanophobia – fear of injections. There was a stack of calendars like this lying on the desk.

"Right on the subject," Jeremy spoke. "There are some of the widespread phobias on this list. Each of you has probably experienced those fears at some point..."

"Most of them, I didn't," Evanford also took a calendar, glanced at it and put it back. Selena couldn't get her eyes off the first line. The fear of heights... It can't be just a coincidence that the person whose office appeared in place of the weird room is talking about that.

"Do you know this place? This man?" Silver pulled out the pictures and handed it to him. The girl decided to play with her cards face up. After some thinking, psychiatrist shook his head. Maybe he didn't know the man on the photo... But Selena was certain that the office owner just didn't want to reply.

"Come on, spill it! You know something for sure!" she leaped up and bent over the table. But Jeremy didn't seem to notice the view he was treated to – his look was fixed on the girl's sparkling eyes.

"I can't tell you anything," psychiatrist replied with a subtle smirk. Selena was infuriated. He was scoffing at her! But what is she supposed to do? She doesn't have neither strength nor weapons to make him talk... "You deal with him!" she shouted at Evanford. "He knows everything! You're an expert in torturing people with words, so make him talk! I'll wait outside," Selena ran out of the office, slamming the door.

"It's better for you to find some common language," the psychiatrist advised.

"We have nothing in common," Kevin said, trying to digest the events that unfolded in the last few minutes.

"You do. There was an incident, a moment in the past," he got up and drew the curtain aside. There were yellowed trees behind the window, rustling and shedding their leaves under the gusts of wind. "And I'm stuck in that moment. I can't tell you anything else righ now." Jeremy took a quick look at the clock on the wall. It was still showing quarter to two, even though the second hand was spinning just fine.

Kevin looked outside, staggered. Autumn?! Time and space tricks again... Well of course, what was he thinking when entering here? It seemed like the walls moved closer, compressing him in a small trapbox.

"Who are you?"Evanford said with restraint. Panic won't do any good, and information has to be collected.

"Jeremy Lace, psychiatrist," the man answered, following a falling leaf with his eyes.

"I got that already... But what do you have to do with the whole book story?" Kevin asked patiently.

"I'm a rational element. An advisor. And I was the moderator in the circle," Lace turned to him. "Does it say anything to you? No. You won't understand the answer if you don't know the question. I'm only dispensing the information when its time comes. For extra hints, there is a book. Which, by the way, is in posession of your unpredictable lady friend. And the longer you sit here, the less chance you have of seeing her again."

It looked like the psychiatrist was serious. Kevin realized that it's silly to leave like that, but he's only wasting time here... He got up and went out of the office.

"Find her," Jeremy muttered under his breath. "You'll need her more than once."

# Chapter 4

### Plot fork

Once in the corridor, Selena quickly noticed the differences. The first thing that caught her eye was a better lighting, even though there wasn't a single lamp in sight. Corridor became wider; different color of the walls and size of the doors... It dawned on her what a deep trouble she got herself into. Selena jerked the handle – the door didn't give in.

"Kevin! It's a trap! Don't leave before you wring the answers out of him!!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The girl realized that he won't hear her, she just wanted to drown the fear in those sounds. Exhaling hopelessly, Silver went down the corridor. The sound of her heels clicking against the wooden floor was echoing the pale green walls. Suddenly, some other sound was heard from afar. Selena froze and strained her ears, but there was nothing but dead silence. The girl walked further and warily turned the corner. She tried to open the nearest door, then another one, and another one – to no avail.

Silver heard the sounds again, they were much closer, right behind the corner, coming from the place where she was a few seconds ago. A door slammed, and then someone's feet pattered. A door slammed again, and everything went silent.

The girl looked around, frightened. Who could that be? An enemy? Or maybe Evanford, or some other person like her, who had no idea what he's getting into? Come to think of it, how many more unwary people ended up here? Selena looked behind the corner. Some of those doors must be unlocked – whoever was there opened them without a key... It's worth trying. Silver reached out for the handle, but it unexpectedly turned and slipped away from her fingers. The door opened.

Selena was facing her twin.

It's like she was looking into a mirror. But her "reflection" had perfect tan – to obtain it, one had to have some experience with sunbathing or go to the good solarium. She herself never managed to get a tan like that – sensitive skin was getting sunburns too fast. Impression about her looks was severely impared at the sight of her dress – some yellowish color, a bit dirty, and at least three sizes too big. There was another notable difference – girl's hair was not white, but rich blond, in golden shade. Twin smiled at the girl as if she was an old acquaintance, winked and slammed the door shut.

Selena didn't move, blankly staring at the wooden surface, mind utterly blown. Who is this girl? What the hell is going on? She absent-mindedly turned away from the door and made a few steps along the corridor. A quiet click behind her back has heightened all her sensations. Silver slowly turned her head and managed to catch a glimpse of a man whose hands were wrapped around her a second later.

"Gotcha, sunny," the stranger whispered, stretching the words a bit.

The girl felt weird; not threatened, on contrary – it seemed like she was hugged by a friendly teddy bear. Her head started roaming with completely out-of-place memories about her childhood, when she was dreaming about a big stuffed toy that she could nestle up to and fall asleep... Despite the fact that this man has grabbed Selena, his touches were relaxing, calming her nerves. Realizing this was driving the girl even more mad.

In an emergency her brain started working fast. Selena recalled the lessons of self-defence that were taught to them at school during SE classes – "Surviving in the Environment". Her brain shut down for the next few seconds, while her body was acting on its own. Her hands flew up. Selena clasped the wrists of an attacker, stepped behind his back, breaking the grip, and snapped her hands up, throwing the man off his feet. She could run now, but where? Besides, it's not a usual place – she'd rather learn more about everyone who's encountered here. The girl jumped away, reaching into her purse for something to defend herself. Her fingers touched some elongated metal object. Silver pulled the fork out and held it menacingly, fixing her expectant gaze on the attacker.

He looked nothing like Teddy Bear. An appearance like that would've scared the children, even more so – their parents, who would've took him for some maniac pervert. Selena recalled physiognomics once again. Unlike that unremarkable man from the dark room, this man's face seemed to be taken from some stereotype catalogue. Receding hairline, a thick unibrow, protruding eyes and bright plump lips, grotesquely standing out on his pale face. But the look of his eyes wasn't threatening, rather vacant.

His look was full of incomprehension that can be seen in the eyes of a dog that was suddenly hit by its owner for no reason. Man's lips were slightly trembling, like he was about to cry. He clumsily got up, gazed into Selena's eyes, like he was trying to find an explanation for such a cruelty, and frowned.

"You're not my sunny," he said with a voice of an offended child. The man stepped back and disappeared behind the nearest door.

Selena hit the wall with a fork and cursed under her breath. For how long are they going to fool her?! Every new character makes this story even more murky, not giving any answers! She threw the fork back into the bag and saw the book. Well of course! The book surely must say what to do next... Silver could only guess what price she'll have to pay for this knowledge. But starving to death or going mad from aimlessly walking all those corridors is even worse. Selena glanced throgh the book and almost immediately saw the lines:

Proggod got used to the darkness a while ago, but it was still hindering. Accidental soldering iron burns were in the past, but looking for the right parts was still hard. They were running away, after all. Medium ones are sluggish, easy to catch. But the small ones, nimble imps that they are, were hiding inside the bigger parts, between the parquet planks... Catching them was hard enough on its own, and finding the right one for his project was nigh impossible.

The door creacked, and some light was shed into Proggod's abode. The door closed, but the light wasn't gone. Owner of the place saw a girl who was emitting a faint light. Her hands were behind her back.

"I haven't seen you in a while," the man didn't move, hoping that she'll approach. Then he'll have a chance to see his masterpiece, or maybe even to solder something... But asking her is fruitless – she does whatever she wants anyway.

"I've got something for you," his guest smiled promisingly.

"In your left hand, or in your right?" Proggod awkwardly joked.

"You're lucky that it's not in my right," her beautiful lips curled in a smirk. The girl approached after all, but not close enough. "Today we'll go without our hands," she put her tongue out – on its tip, there was one of the smallest and most needed microchips. Giving Proggod a few seconds to realize how tempting the offer is, the girl spoke: "You'll have to use a cheat code, to open a triple-size passage. Also, I need some help with the tools you'll give me."

"That's a bit too much, even for what you're offering," he frowned. "And anyway, why are you coming to me to ask for all those favors, to a stuck player with a dozen of useless cheat codes, and not to your buddy? He can do a hundred times more."

"But his buttons are way harder to push, either," the girl smiled and stuck out her tongue again. "Make your choice... Or I'll leave, and you'll be looking for this thing in the smallest and the darkest cracks," she dug the parquet floor with her foot. After some consideration, the man waved his hand:

"Ok, all right... But you'll stand next to me for ten minutes."

"Time means nothing here. I'll be with you for five hundred heartbeats," the girl came close to Proggod and licked his neck, leaving the chip on his skin. "And I'll try to make your heart beat faster."

"Just stand still and don't interfere," he replied harshly.

"You know full well, telling me not to do something is useless," his guest smiled. "Fine, I'll listen this time, though who will benefit from it? You've never even seen women from behind your computer."

After this, text turned into gibberish. Selena was disturbed by this dialogue – who was the person that man in the darkness was talking to? What did this girl want? Using a cheat code... What does it mean, anyway? The book doesn't give anything out for no reason. Selena sensed that there are some clues here, but couldn't understand what it is all about. Where is this arrogant smartie when she actually needs his help?..

Before Silver finished that thought, a door nearby opened, letting Kevin into the corridor. Taking a quick look around, he took note of the invisible light source and the girl who was nervously gripping the book.

"You're alive," he didn't sound too excited about this fact.

"Well, thanks for noticing," Selena scoffed. It's no time to get offended at his couldn't-care-less attitude. Besides, now she's certain that it's actually a guy she knows, not some impostor. "Did you learn anything?" she asked eagerly, running up to him.

"From what he told, we'll have to gather more information, or we won't get the answers. He didn't want to give away anything else."

"Nevermind," the girl waved her hand, knowing full well that scolding him is useless. Silver wanted to show him the paragraphs she read, but looked into the book and nearly dropped it – there was some completely different text instead of that dialogue. Selena put the book back into her bag and turned to Evanford: "What are we going to do?"

"Haven't you read about it?" Kevin raised his eyebrows.

"I've read about something, but didn't learn more than you did," the girl answered sarcastically. "I'll tell you later. Now we have to get out, but how? All doors are closed..."

"What a childish maximalism," Kevin shook his head. "I bet you didn't try opening most of them. There are plenty, and some are bound to be unlocked," he came to one of the doors and turned the handle. It gave in, to Selena's surprise.

"Fortune favours the fools," she muttered, approaching.

"I'm not sure how fortunate this will turn out to be... But if you really think so, you go first," he parried, looking around. The room before them was resembling the university auditorium – around five meters wide and fifteen meters long, completely empty, with no windows, but with a vent on the ceiling... And a door on the opposite side. After some hesitation, Kevin stepped in, ran up to the door and tried to open it – to no avail. Parquet was squeaking and slightly caving in under his feet, like there was an emptiness under it. He slowly walked back, thinking. "Do you remember what it said," he started, "you can't open a new door..."

"Before you close the previous one," Selena shuddered. "I don't want to end up being locked in here. It didn't say that the next door will open for sure, right? I don't like this vent – it may release gas, some insects..."

"We can't rule it out," Kevin shrugged. "But there is only one vent, and no obstacles. There's 99 percent probability that the situation is worse in other rooms."

Selena realised that he was right. She reluctantly closed the door and listened, but there was no gas hissing, not to mention the buzz of the insects. The moment Silver cautiously stepped forward, a plank fell out of the parquet in the middle of the room. In a second, a quiet splash was heard, and the very next moment another plank fell out in different place. Kevin didn't realize what was happening behind his back, but the girl reacted immediately.

"Run!" she grabbed her companion's hand and dashed towards the door on the opposite side. Despite the urgency of the situation, he couldn't bear someone dragging him like that. He stopped and jerked his hand out of Selena's. At that moment the floor under them sagged. Evanford instinctively pushed the girl away, but couldn't jump away in time – parquet broke, leaving Kevin waist-deep in dirty brown liquid. Running away from the rapidly crumbling edge, Silver got to the nearest wall and pressed herself to it. In a couple of moments after that planks stopped falling. Almost all of the floor ended up under the water – only small parquet islands near the walls remained, including the one before the door on the opposite side.

Young people stood still for a while. The girl was afraid that the parquet will break, and Kevin was struggling to come in terms with his situation. He was a very tidy, even squeamish person – wouldn't even kill a mosquito with his bare hand. And now he was covered in liquid that had the consistency of stewed fruit and the color of sewage waste. At least its smell was neutral.

Selena realized that the floor won't be falling down. She hit the parquet ledge she was standing on with her heel. Whatever was keeping the wooden planks in the air was holding them pretty good. Estimating the situation, the girl appealed to her companion:

"Please... Carry me to the door," Silver gave him a pleading look. She sadly realized that she has never depended on someone that much before. That was dreadful, especially given that she was at the mercy of a man who doesn't like her all that much... Fortunately, he didn't refuse directly.

"I couldn't hold you," Kevin sincerely warned. He had nothing to lose, and didn't have any particular reason to reject her request. But she should know about the consequences.

"You don't have to carry me in your arms. I'd rather sit on your shoulders," Selena suggested.

"You mean, I won't even get to carry you like a bride – you'll sit on my head like an obnoxious wife right away?" Evanford's voice didn't express any emotions. Silver stared at him, puzzled. She couldn't even imagine that his man can crack jokes, especially in a situation like that. Or was it the stress that has influenced him? She was partially correct. Kevin was usually expressing his sarcasm when the subject or conditions were perhaps not completely tragic, but not hilarious either. And he was doing it with such a straight face that it was hard to tell if he's kidding or being serious.

"All right, come aboard," Evanford approached Selena. The liquid was a bit thicker than regular water. "But yet again, I'm not guaranteeing that you'll make it out clean."

"Please, try your best," Silver said as friendly as possible. There was only one positive side – Kevin was standing on a convenient level. This weakling would've never got up under her weight... Selena cautiously perched on his slim shoulders. Evanford slowly walked towards the door, and the girl's heart was skipping a beat at every step – it felt like she'll lose her shaky balance any second now, and she'll fly headfirst into the sewage.

"Relax. You'll strangle me," Kevin was trying to keep his composure. Like it wasn't enough that this girl seems to have about two hundred kilogramms in her – she was squeezing his neck with her thighs... Selena loosened her grip a bit, but doing so has made her even more nervous. An eternity later they finally reached the door. The girl climbed onto the parquet ledge and caught her breath in relief. She pulled the handle... But the door didn't yield. But before the full horror of the situation has dawned on them, a key slipped out of the ceiling vent and sank with a quiet splash.

With nothing but a sigh, Kevin walked to the spot where the key fell and shuffled his foot on the floor, trying to locate it, but there was too much rubble. Evanford realized that he'll have to rummage for the key with his bare hands, and the mere thought of it was nauseating. But there was no choice, and there was no use in delaying the inevitable. He bent and dipped his hand into the liquid, deeper and deeper, but fingers just couldn't reach the bottom... Silver was watching him, nervously biting her lip. Seeing how arrogant he was, one could never guess that he's capable of any kind of self-sacrifice. Selena knew that this was no small feat for her companion, and decided to take it easier on him from now on. Which will be quite a feat on her part.

Evanford glanced at the distorted reflexion on his face on the brownish surface. If he'll get out of here after all, he'll forever erase this episode from his life. But first, he has to get out. Maybe not at any cost, but Kevin has already paid way more than he was ready to. A bit more won't make much of a difference... He took in as much air as he could and plunged under, fumbling in the rubble for the key. Being in this slop was way harder than being under regular water – Evanford emerged in a few seconds, disgusting liquid trickling down his face. Kevin wiped his nose and mouth to get some air. Fluid had a faint smell after all – a bit sour, a bit spoiled. Young man was about to submerge once again when the floor suddenly shifted about thirty santimeters down – now he was chest-deep in the liquid.

"Can you swim at least?" Selena shouted, worried.

Her words reached Kevin's ears moments before he plunged, so the question was left hanging in the air. However, the answer flashed through his mind, and it was "no, not really".

For a few seconds Evanford was hectically grabbing the rubble – he didn't even remember about his goal anymore, just wanted to get this over with and come to the surface. He stood up, gulping for air. A second later the floor dropped another half a meter, and the liquid covered him completely.

***

...Dim moonlight that was passing through the windows didn't make the room any more illuminated. Kevin knew that he's laying on a couch, and was able to feel his body, but couldn't understand if he's dressed or not. Unable to move for some reason, he looked around the room. Dark silhouettes were marking a table and a bookshelf. A girl walked up to him. Familiar face. Selena. But her hair is darker, and her voice is a bit different.

"So, we finally meet on my side of the field," she took a seat beside him. "It's a place where fantasies and nighmares come to life. I usually like fantasies better. What are you dreaming about?" the girl leaned towards him. "You don't have to answer. I know you have no desires. Because, for as long as you can remember yourself, you felt dead inside. When you were going to bed and waking up. When you were listening to the music, eating, or solving your equations... Dead, all along. Doesn't this bug you?"

"Not any more," Kevin rasped. Some heaviness was squeezing his chest more and more.

"The one who was within a hair's breadth from death will tie himself to life with a rope," their faces were so close that he could feel the girl's breath. "You'll get to feel the taste of life, I assure you. We'll be playing dirty," she pressed her lips to his.

***

Silver stood dumbfounded, staring at the still surface. She's not the best swimmer, but she can't just leave him drown like that! Selena almost gathered enough will to dive when suddenly something clanked behind the walls. Fluid rushed down, revealing a mesh grate with Kevin's lifeless body lying there like a broken doll.

The girl looked down hesitantly. Like it wasn't enough that the distance is a couple of meters, the mesh was so large that one could stick their fist into it – if she jumps, she'll certainly twist or break something! After some consideration, Selena lied down flat on her belly, clumsily slided down and hanged on the ledge. It's good that she almost never ditched the physical education classes in the university... There were less than forty santimeters separating her feet from the grate, so the girl couldn't understand why she's clinging so hard like there's an abyss beneath her. Silver unclasped her hands with an effort of will, dropped down, miraculously keeping her balance. Hobbled towards Kevin, cursing the grate holes that her heels were constantly getting into and trying to recall the artificial ventilation techniques that were taught to them in SE classes. She crouched down near Kevin and breathed some air into his mouth. The moment she did it, he twiched and doubled up, coughing severely.

"How do you feel?" Silver asked. Evanford gave her a gloomy look, trying to figure out what the hell he just saw. Did all of this run before his eyes when Selena was touching him? That episode was somewhat erotic... He never had any thoughts like that regarding his acquaintance, especially not in a moment like that. And why did everything seem so real, so tangible?

"Terrible," he spat into the grate, getting rid not only from the liquid, but also from a weird aftertaste on his lips. "And what is this?" he nodded at the grate. "There used to be a floor here... Or else would I dive into this sewage to get the key?"

"That's it. We're stuck in this waste hole," Selena exclaimed in a doomed voice. There were noone around but Evanford and a ghost of starvation – so, noone to mind her language for.

"I disagree with this statement," Kevin sat upright with an effort. "We aren't completely stuck. At least this grate is moving up."

Selena looked around. Indeed, the parquet ledges were gradually getting closer. A pair stood on their feet, balancing on the slippery iron, and went to the door they no longer had a chance to open. Selena climbed the parquet and slightly pulled the door handle, not expecting anything. To their great astonishment, it gave in and opened.

For a moment, it crossed Kevin's mind that the girl has played a nasty trick on him and the door was open from the very beginning, but he immediately dismissed that thought. First of all, even though she's far from the most intelligent person he knows, she won't do something that stupid. Second of all, he went to get the key at his own will, without anyone asking. And either way...

"There's no keyhole," he pointed out.

"Should we have just waited again?" Silver moaned. "But what was that key for, then?"

Kevin shrugged. Rhetorical questions were bothering him way less than the sticky fluid that already began to dry, turning into crust. Leaving through the same door they entered to get into the psychiatrist's office, professor's heirs found themselves in a familiar building. But this didn't bring much joy – both of them wanted to get away as soon as possible, never to come back again. They almost sprinted to the exit, hoping that noone will intercept because of what Evanford looked like. On the street, Kevin headed to where he parked his car, but froze in bewilderment – the spot where he left it was empty.

"My car is gone," fury was brewing in Evanford's usually calm voice.

"Are you sure you've..." she abruptly stopped, seeing the look on his face. "Never mind, we'll deal with it later. First, we should go home and have a shower. Let's take a cab."

"I've got nothing to pay for it," her companion said through gritted teeth. Contents of his pockets were good for nothing. Credit card could be cleaned up, but how is he supposed to do it right now?

"That's ok, it's on me," Selena waved her hand.

"I'll repay later..."

"Don't. After all, I owe you," she muttered, looking aside.

Silver had enough cash in her wallet for a regular ride, but it won't be enough to convince anyone let someone that filthy in their car. She withdrew some money from a nearby ATM, headed to the road and waved to a taxi that was driving by. Driver smiled at a beautiful girl, bu when the second passenger approached, the smile faded from his face.

"Here's for covering the cleaning expenses," she gave him a hundred grun bill, trying to act naturally. "I'll give you another one when we get there. Our friends... are taking practical jokes too far sometimes," Selena nervously grinned. She sat beside the driver, quietly told him the address and was chatting with him along the way, trying to distract from the man on the back seat.

"Where are we heading?" Evanford spoke when he completely stopped recognizing the streets they were driving.

"As I said – home," Selena smiled. Soon they stopped before one of the gray ten-storey apartment buildings. At home, Silver exhaled in relief and fell on the couch.

"All right, all right, you can go first," she waved in the direction of the bathroom. Once there, Evanford wanted to lock the door, but the bolt was broken. He turned around to see that the plastic shower curtain is almost transparent.

"Now that's some VIP-level privacy," Kevin muttered under his breath. But it's not like there was any choice. He put his clothes into the laundry basket, adjusted the water and stepped into the bath.

Selena would've rested for a while, vacantly staring at the wall, but felt terribly thirsty. The sun was in zenith and burned unmercifully. It's hard to believe that it's just noon – it seemed like three days have passed, no less... This thought freaked her out for a moment, but today's date on the electronic clock was reassuring. Silver went to the kitchen to drink some water. It was relieving, but didn't really save from the heat. Feeling a strong urge to take a shower, the girl headed to the bathroom, completely forgetting that someone's in there – even the sound of running water didn't tip her off. She realized her mistake only after opening the door.

"Oh damn! Sorry," confused, Selena slammed the door so hard that it bounced back, leaving a gap.

"I knew it," Evanford sneered.

"Like I did it on purpose! Who needs your bones!" Selena scoffed. This shwuggering shmug... She recalled her resolution to be nicer to him. An episode in the flooded room flashed before her eyes. After some hesitation Silver spoke: "Actually, well... Thank you for not letting me fall into that sewage."

"Water's running, remember? I can't hear you," Kevin replied.

"I'm saying, thank you!" Selena shouted.

"Don't mention it," he turned the water down a bit. Professor's nephew didn't like talking at high pitch. "I should also express my gratitude... Most probably, it was your intervention that didn't let me die," saying that, Evanford felt something tingling inside. Like a long-lost feeling... Or a memory.

"Yeah, it's also nothing to mention," Selena responded sarcastically. Now, when there's no serious danger, she can let herself get offended at his indifference.

"Well sure, your clean dress is more important than my life," Kevin blurted out, to his own surprise. For many years he didn't react to any taunts or jeers, especially that trifling... But now, for some reason, when she hinted at the uselessness of his live, Evanford suddenly felt affected. This sore spot has suddenly appeared out of nowhere seconds ago, so he didn't have time to analyze and deal with it, along with all other feelings that were seizing him. He decided to wait a bit and observe this sensation.

"I think it's actually the opposite!" Selena bursted. "You're the one thinking that nobody's life is worth your single hair, nobody's full brain is worth ten grams of yours, nobody's heart is worth your spittle!"

"I wonder if I'm making this impression on everyone?" Evanford responded coldly, surprised that he was engaged into such a lowbrow argument. "Or are you saying that because I don't throw myself at your feet like those herds of admirers that you've got used to? Or are you irritated at my thinking that smarts lead to success, not looks? And that success has to be earned by hard work, not by batting your eyelashes at someone who can do the work for you?"

Selena wanted to curse, but her tongue wouldn't obey her. Nervous tension that was accumulating during the day has reached its peak. Body shaking, eyes filling with tears, she became weak in the knees. Silver leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor.

"You... You have no idea," her voice, quiet at first, grew louder, almost turning into scream. "Do you think I've been like that for my whole life?! When I was twelve, I got badly sick... And you know how long did treatment take, all those procedures that make your guts turn inside out? Two years! Two freaking years!" Selena hit the door with her clenched fist. Now she couldn't stop neither the tears flowing from her eyes nor the words flowing from her mouth. "For all this time, doctors were concerned for my life... But I was almost dreaming of dying! Even when I was discharged from the hospital, I couldn't recover for a long time and was looking and feeling like a zombie. I've got no friends left – kids I used to hang out with moved on long ago, and I wasn't making any new pals at the hospital... While everyone else was living through their puberty, hormones bustling and all, I knew nothing but antibiotics! Like a dead fish on the shore – ugly, lonely, detached from life... Do you think everyone was running to me with their friendly support? Yeah, like hell! Everyone was staying away from me like I was still contagious, and brattier ones were laughing at me and my looks into my face! Back then, how I'd wish to have a gun in my hand..." she clenched her right hand in a fist and stretched the pointing finger out. "You can't explain anything to those people, so maybe the bullet will be an argument! Let's see how you fight when you have to press your hand over the wound? How will you chuckle and swear when half of your face is missing? Because of all this, my self-esteem was crappy, even though I looked way better than before. At sixteen, I started dating and slept with a guy half of the school had a crush on. This jerk called himself 'the first man on the Moon'... I wanted to kill him! But it opened my eyes – I realized that I'm worthy of something way better... I began to study hard, so that I could enter some good university, and eventually passed the exams to Texven State University! They say people are studying on psychology department to understand themselves better... In my case, it's true.

The girl fell silent, realizing that, for a long time now, she's talking to herself, saying too much at that. Selena got up and nervously knocked the door:

"Hey, are you listening to me? what do you think about me now that I've spilled everything?"

Kevin felt that if he won't say anything, she'll run into the bahroom, demanding an answer.

"I sympathize with you," he responded. Indeed, her words didn't leave him completely indifferent. Even if he wanted to, Evanford couldn't imagine what she's been through... And that she had frightening thoughts like that. Or maybe she still has them? So, dealing with her is not only psychologically wearing, but dangerous as well... "The one who stepped over all the tribulations, who has not only their body, but also their mind completely recovered, is worthy of respect. You've managed to do it, I hope?"

"I guess," Selena replied after a pause. The girl already calmed down a bit, so she wanted to change the subject. "Anyway, don't mind what I said. Past will stay in the past. And what about the nearest future? What are you going to put on now?"

"Maybe you have some clothes of you pals by chance? Or perhaps you'll donate some long coat of yours, at least? And some slippers – just to get to the cab," he'll look ridiculous, but Kevin couldn't care less – it's impossible leave this apartment looking worse than when he entered it. Theoretically, he can ask someone to bring him clothes, but Evanford didn't have any friends close enough to ask for something like that.

"It's not like I have men coming over that often, but even if I did, I doubt any of them would have had your body type," the girl said. "I'd rather just go and buy you some clothes and shoes, there's a shop just around the corner. Consider it an advance – who knows, maybe one day you'll get me out of a tough spot again."

"The last thing I need is you making advances at me," he replied dryly.

"Nice flirting with ya," Selena grinned. She could appreciate a good retort when she heard one. "So anyway, tell me your sizes, just let me grab a pen..."

Kevin reluctantly complied. Sure, it won't be that bad if he gets some clothes, but there's a little chance that it'll be something he likes. For the umpteenth time today, he had to pick the least worst option.

Silver decided to leave the bag at home and take a smaller purse she used to carry. The bag is quite inconvenient, and besides, there will be all those little things in the shop... It's better to be on the safe side. Selena took a wallet out of the bag, put it into her purse and went shopping.

After thoroughly washing himself, Kevin wrapped a towel around his waist and pulled his credit cards and keys to his house and car. He might need them – there's still hope that Pinton will be found. Evanford cleaned his posessions and left the bathroom. Now he can finally look around and see where ill fate has brought him. To be fair, appartment looked tidy, though poorly furnished: there were no paintings, flowers or other decorative elements, just a wardrobe, a couple of chairs and a couch. And what's there, a bag? Selena must've decided to drop the extra weight... The book is probably there. Leaving "The Door" in his reach is somewhat uncautious of her – though indeed, it's not like he was going to grab it and run away. Kevin didn't want to read it, but examining it might reveal something – an object that posesses such extraordinary qualities must have some features that stand out.

Of course, rummaging through others' belongings is wrong, but the book partly belongs to him, so he has a right to take it. When Evanford opened the bag, something caught his eye. What is a fork doing here? Elegant, with an ornate handle. Such a fine cutlery isn't used in everyday life – except for maybe in restraunts or some elite houses, or put on the table in regular families when some important guests are coming over. Why would she need it? Combined with Selena's recent story, assumptions were ranging from bad to worst. Putting the book aside, Kevin decided to examine another source of danger.

Not concerned with privacy any more, he took all contents out of the bag. Some objects were quite mundane – make-up, pager, a notebook and three pens; others were puzzling. Evanford didn't see those pictures before. So, they've managed to take a picture of a man in the black room? He should memorize this face. A clover-shaped keychain left from his uncle. A coarsely made wooden bunny figurine – one of those freaky cheap ones. It seemed to him that Selena knows better than buying something like that. But she obviously had this bunny for a while – it looks frayed, the paint is cracking. Maybe there are some sentimental memories connected to it, or is it something like a charm? Though, judging by her appartment, this girl wasn't a fan of knick-knacks... He couldn't explain the origins of the bunny based on what he knew about her so far. A trivial figurine has shed light on the side of her personality he had no idea about... And that could hold virtually anything.

The last item was the calendar from psychiatrist's office. The date grid side wasn't of any interest – just a usual calendar for the current year, 2001, weekends and holidays are highlighted. There's a name and a job title of Jeremy, though without any contact information. After glancing at this side briefly, Kevin turned the calendar over and started to examine the list of phobias.

Acrophobia – fear of heights.

Autophobia – of loneliness.

Claustrophobia – of closed spaces.

Erotophobia – fear of sex and of talking about it.

Heliophobia – avoiding the sunrays.

Hemophobia – fear of blood.

Hoplophobia – fear of weapons, firearms in particular.

Mysophobia – of microbes and dirt.

Nyctophobia – of darkness.

Panphobia – fear of everything.

Pyrophobia – fear of fire.

Sociophobia – fear of other people and their possible judgement.

Trypanophobia – fear of injections.

Evanford saw most of the titles for the first time, thought he certainly knew about the phobias themselves. Those aren's some peculiar fears that are a humiliating to even admit – like fear of bare knees, of the color blue, of the number 28... Or fear of doors, for that matter. Most probably, there was a reason those phobias were presented here, but Kevin didn't see any logic. Evanford went through the list a few times, almost learning it by heart, then put all things back into the bag.

He examined the book once again. At least its outside appearance remained the same: hard cover with a print or finished wood – an illustration of the title. There was a metal plate on it, featuring the author's name at the top: Haurot Sputkee. Beneath it, in a larger font: "The Door". There were no inscriptions on the back. A commercial publishing house wouldn't agree to something like that. Yet another proof of "The Door" being customly published, adhering to client's requirements, maybe even being the only copy. The question is, who could've made a book that constantly changes its contents? Kevin felt like he'll see the answer if he'll read it right now. After some consideration, Evanford put the book back where he took it from and closed the bag. It's not a question he would take risk for. Though such questions have already started to occur.

***

"Hi there!" Selena said cheerfully, entering the apartment. Shopping has always been lifting her spirits. "I tried to come back as soon as possible! Oh, I see you're reading the "100 of the greatest masters of mind?"

"I had absolutely nothing to do," Evanford shrugged. "This book is quite superficial – a mix of psychologists, philosophers, and some cases of an outright fraud."

"Of course, it has little to do with science. But it's useful because some of the most important points about meaningful personalities are summarized in one place. Take Ugo Mayerstamm, for one. His name is known even by those who were never interested in psychology, but not many people can tell much about his concepts off the top of their heads. But here they are explained in a digestible style, so people could easily remember the main ideas. For example, there are two powerful forces fighting within a person – instincts of life and death..."

"Or speculating that a person has a personality core, pure by its nature," Evanford spoke. "And the husk of rules, expectations, experiences that stick to it during the life. Henry once told me about it."

"You had a curious childhood," the girl smiled.

"Not when I was a child," Kevin shook his head. "I didn't have any contact with him back then. I moved in with him after my parents' death," he said calmly.

Selena gave him a sympathetic look and pulled the light cotton T-shirt and the pants out of the branded shopping bag. Evanford had to admit – she guessed correctly, he would've bought something like that himself.

"It's easily soiled, but I hope we won't have to swim in slops any more," Silver said. "Here are the shoes... And I took care about this too, don't worry," she pulled out two different pieces of male underwear. "I wasn't sure what design you'll like more. I've also bought myself a dress, I'll put it on after having a shower. You can change here while I'm in the bathroom."

"Ok," Evanford nodded. "Thanks for your help. I'll say goodbye when I'll be going."

"You'll wait for me," Selena said seriously. The look of her dark eyes has pinned Kevin to the couch. "You think I can think of anything else after what happened? I have to check all possible clues before turning to the book again. I mean, we have to do it together. Because we've ended up in the same boat that is carried by sewage torrent, and we're rowing without paddles, with our bare hands. Will we ever get to the shore? We'll see. But first, we'll pay professor a visit."

# Chapter 5

### Handle this

They passed "Welcome to Texven!" sign. For a few minutes now, taxi was going down the highway. Some of the smaller roads branching from it had signs: "T. Criedman Respiratory Disease Clinic", "Sanatorium Emerald". But the road they soon took didn't have any sign – just a half-meter pole painted in variuous shades of blue. Curvy road took them through the forest to the tall metal fence with a closed gate.

"Don't wait for us," Kevin turned to the driver. He came up to the transmitter near the gate, pushed the button and said: "I'm visiting Henry Evanford."

The side door opened, and the pair entered the clinic grounds. The first thing that caught their eye was an absence of sharp corners. Serpentine roads, well-kept flowerbeds of indefinite shapes, benches with curved backs... Around the park, there were people in hospital gowns. Most of them were the staff, wearing white. Others had clothes of different colors, but of the same design – obviously a uniform sewn for each patient personally. Everyone was wearing name tags. Most of the people were strolling or resting on the benches, but there were exceptions. One man was standing still, his palms pressed to his ears, staring into the sky. Another one was squatting near the flowerbed, lazily picking the ground. He was watched by a male nurse that was sitting on a bench nearby with an elderly patient.

"What are they treating here?" Selena was looking around in surprise.

"I have not idea. Maybe everything. As far as I know, in the last few years uncle was turning to this institution with every malady he had," Evanford's heirs entered a three-story clinic building. A nurse approached them at the entrance.

"Are you visiting Henry Evanford?" she asked. "I'll walk you to his ward."

"What's his condition?" professor's nephew inquired.

"Nothing has changed. Our equipment registers slight brain activity, but the chances of waking up from coma didn't increase."

...The girl was dreading what she might see, but the scariest part of professor's image was a huge abrasion on his cheek. Henry looked like he was peacefully sleeping; his hands stretched along his body, right one encased in a plaster cast. There were small screens near his bed that were showing his heartbeat rate and some other numbers and lines that Selena didn't understand. The girl took a chair at the head of his bed and peered at professor's face. If only he would open his eyes... Though no, she'd rather wish him to open his mouth and explain them what the hell was going on.

"Why did you get us into all this..." Silver spoke sadly. "Well, maybe it's our own fault. You've warned us about the hazards of "The Door", and we opened it anyway..." suddenly, an idea popped up in her head. "And what if we'll read the book to him? Maybe fighting fire with fire will work, and we'll manage to shake him up somehow?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Kevin frowned. "It'll drive you insane for certain, and even if it influences him, the impact will most certainly be negative. One must not read the book, I thought you knew it better than me."

"Don't tell me what to do and what not to do!" Selena snarled. "He's no better than dead either way. We might not live to see the moment he wakes up, but we need help right now!"

"Fine, whatever," he sighed wearily. "I'll wait outside."

Kevin left the ward and quickly paced down the corridor. He hated hospitals, no matter how tidy they were. The very fact of knowing where he is was dispiriting, making him want to get away as soon as possible. On the first floor, he saw a man in light green uniform that spoke to a nurse passing by:

"Can you stay with me for a bit? Please?.."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sputkee, I'm busy," she replied somewhat dryly. It was obvious that it was far from the first time this patient was making such a request. "I'll try to send someone over..."

Kevin didn't hear the rest. Scraps of conversation like that are usually forgoten in a couple of steps, but now those phrases stuck in his brain. Something was bothering him about those words. "Can you stay with me?", "No, I'm sorry, Mr. Sputkee..." Sputkee?! Wasn't it the name on the book cover? Evanford wheeled around, but the hall was already empty. Before looking for this parient around the hospital, he has to try getting some information... Kevin approached the receptionist.

"A person named Haurot Sputkee is being treated here, isn't he?" young man's voice sounded as calm as usual. Even in a stressful situation like that, it would've taken Evanford an extra effort to talk emotionally, even if he wanted to.

"Why do you want to know?" a woman asked after a short pause.

So, 'The Door's author is here... He should proceed with a great caution.

"He was an acquaintance of my uncle," Kevin said at random. Though this might turn out to be true – ending up in the same hospital couldn't be a mere coincidence. "After what happened, I'm left with some issues I can't find a solution to... Perhaps this man can help."

"We have no right to disclose information about our patients," the receptionist looked at the visitor intently. "But I understand your situation, and I won't deny something you already know. Yes, Haurot Sputkee is here, and it was Mr. Evanford that opened an account to support his being here."

Kevin was actually at the point of losing his cool. So, he was way more than an acquaintance... How are their roles in this story correlate?

"Was my uncle visiting him often?" he tried to keep talking at ease.

"I don't know, but as far as I can tell, he never did, never even asked about him," it did seem strange to her and many of her co-workers – the fact that a person that invested so much in this patient didn't check on him even once. Of course, noone told Mr. Evanford anything – it was none of their business. Haurot himself was quite easy to deal with, but there was something off about him, even after taking into account what kind of ward he was in.

"What's he treated for? Or is he just living here, like at a resort?" visitor asked casually.

"This is a general hospital, but hospital nonetheless – we don't take in healthy people. And, I repeat, I won't divulge the information about the patient."

"There are no healthy people, there are only unexamined," Kevin muttered. Henry used to like this saying... There's nothing else left to learn here. To avoid further suspicions, it's better to end the conversation, and it's better to do it by jumping to some other subject. "By the way, I was curious since I got here – why are patients' uniforms in different colors? Does it mean anything?"

"No. We just suggest a few colors for every patient to choose from, and they pick what they like."

"I see... I must say your hospital is quite nice – I'll surely seek treatment here... if... anything happens," he squeezed out an awkward smile and stepped away. Where to now? Will he have to check every single ward, looking for that man? Evanford entered the right wing of the first floor and decided to ask some patients.

"Excuse me... Do you know where I can find Haurot Sputkee?" he spoke to a pale girl in lilac uniform.

"I don't know... He passed by not long ago," she replied faintly, staring blankly into the wall. Kevin figured he moves in the right direction, and went down the corridor. Turning the corner, he noticed someone in green uniform walking up the stairs. Evanford quickened his steps, trying not to run. Upon getting to the stairs, he practically flew up to the second floor and look around – Haurot was nowhere in sight. On the third floor, Kevin saw the door of one of the wards closing.

Kevin headed to it, but suddenly felt his head spinning. He staggered and leaned against the wall, watching it turn darker, becoming dirty green. The ceiling was slowly moving up – corridor was getting wider. Light floor tiles cracked, turning into white and brown mosaics of smaller tiles. Evanford looked around, dumbfounded, barely keeping himself on his feet. Kevin pressed himself into the wall and closed his eyes tight. Mentally counted to thirty and opened them. Corridor looked completely normal.

***

Selena put the book on her knees, trying to bring herself to open it. Now she was plagued with doubts. What if Evanford is right, and something will happen to professor because of her? It's hard to take such a responsibility... But she had to cling to any straw. Silver sighed and started reading:

"Should I admit it or deny it? Flee or fight? The answer isn't obvious, even when there is no way to escape..." the girl was looking into the book, failing to notice that the lines on the monitors started to jerk. "Now he was standing before the door he couldn't open – there was no handle. If only SHE could help him... But she's just sitting there, not having the slightest clue about what's going on. Don't leave him alone, Selena..." upon reading those lines, she leaped up. Dammit, Kevin! Anything could've happened to him – and she doesn't even know where he headed after leaving this ward. She shouldn't have let him go – besides, it was her who suggested to stick together... Selena ran out. Monitor readings began falling back to normal, without reaching the critical point.

In the corridor, she was about to run the way they came from, but recalled the lines from the book and sprinted in the opposite direction. Another staircase... The girl ran up and noticed Evanford leaning against the wall.

"Kevin?" Selena approached and saw that his eyes are closed. "Are you ok? Hey?" she touched him, then tapped him on the shoulder. Although Kevin didn't react to this, in a few seconds he opened his eyes, looked around the corridor, then shifted his gaze to the girl.

"When did you get here?"

"I though you need my help... I've read it in the book," Selena frowned. "What's wrong with you, anyway?"

"I don't know... Doesn't matter," he replied sourly. "I saw Haurot Sputkee, the one who wrote this book. He entered that ward," Evanford pointed at one of the doors.

"Who?" Silver's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"About eighty percent sure," Kevin approached the door and turned the handle.

A man in light green hospital gown was standing with his back turned to the entrance, staring into the window. Silence fell, but the moment visitors were about to talk, the patient said:

"Did you come here for an autograph?" Haurot turned to them. His looks were giving an ambivalent impression: in good physical shape, no wrinkles – and yet he didn't seem young. He could've been aged thirty as well as sixty. Smile was dancing on the man's thin lips.

Kevin and Selena were somewhat baffled by such straightforward words. This man wasn't even trying to conceal who he is, to run or disappear. They couldn't imagine that the author of the mysterious book will appear before them so quickly and easily, and now they didn't know where to start.

"Was it you who wrote this book?" Evanford finally asked. He recalled the episode with Jeremy Lace. Questions should be as clear as possible – this was the only rule of this crazy game he understood and accepted.

"It was never written..." Haurot was eyeing Selena, as if she was an acquaintance he didn't see in a while. "It was me who created it, yes. But all of you have put bits of yourself into it."

"All of us? Who are 'us'?" the girl flared up. This person's gaze was making her nervous, and she was already too tired of vague hints... Selena jumped up to the book's author, grabbed his shirt and pressed him to the window. "How many people are involved in this? What kind of a mess did you stir?!" she growled into his face.

"Aren't that many... You ran into each of them already," their eyes met. His were as dark as Silver's, but she didn't see her reflection in them. It seemed like his pupils are two bottomless pits leading into some other world. "It wasn't me who stirred everything up, it was you. Of course, things were boiling up to this, but it was you who stroke the critical spark, pulled the trigger..."

"Me?!" she recoiled, unable to find her tongue in surprise and outrage. Taking advantage of the pause, Kevin voiced his question:

"You're answering in a way more willing and straightforward manner than anyone we've met before... Why?" it seemed suspicious that this man was making contact so easily.

"I don't have to help you, though withholding information from you isn't in my best interest either... But the most important thing here is my wish. It was my wish to tell all of this to you. And I wished you to spend time with me. I almost never leave this ward, but sometimes even I don't want to stay alone... But I don't have that need any more," he abruptly ended, turning to the window.

"You just had to ask it, didn't you," Selena hissed at Kevin and turned to Sputkee: "What do you mean you have no wish? We've just started with our questions! And we won't go anywhere until you answer them!"

She didn't have time to get too furious. Suddenly Haurot turned around, his glance gliding the room, not concentrating on anything, like it was slipping off from all objects. The girl backed away to the door where her companion was standing.

"I have to get out," the patient spoke nervously.

"You're a big boy, hold it in for a few minutes," Selena smirked.

"These walls... Are pressing me... I'm being squashed here..." he was breathing heavily. Selena couldn't understand what happened to him all of a sudden, but she quickly figured what to do.

"Then it's you who won't be going anywhere until you answer our questions!" she pressed her back against the door, and pulled Kevin closer. He didn't resist. Who knows – maybe those savage methods will help them squeeze some more information after all...

Haurot was obviously stronger than them, and he could've easily pushed the pair away and make his way out. But the man didn't even try – he sat on the floor and huddled up, his arms around his knees.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," the patient muttered. "You wouldn't even be able to wrap your mind around it... But I fell slave to the limits I've set for myself. I compressed the multiformity of the universe into four walls of a small room. Once I came up with a way of liberating yourself from something that chains you down. A long and hard way, especially for you; with many restrictions. I can violate them if I want. But I don't always have the wish to do so..." he buried his face between his knees, like he couldn't stand seeing this room.

"If you're so mighty, why are you whining like a little girl?" Selena asked with irritation.

"Not quite a little girl, but not quite almighty.... I've tried to mark the days on the calendar, but I'm still not sure when that cycle of mine starts," he winked at Kevin. Young man couldn't understand why – it's not like this sentence made more sense to him than to his female companion.

"Ok, enough of those ravings!" the girl was pretty frustrated. "You'd better tell us something useful!"

"For one, how do you know my uncle and why did he pay for your being here?" Kevin specified. Selena looked at him in surprise, but before she could say anything, Haurot wheezed out:

"I need more space... The nearest key point will do... Open the door, quick..."

Evanford obliged. There was an already familiar corridor outside, with electric light coming out of nowhere. Right before them there was a wide open door; behind it, he could see an interior of some house. Or, rather, of his own.

"What is this place?" Silver asked with suspicion.

"My house, as seen from the kitchen," Kevin turned to the patient. "What does 'key point' mean?"

"Let's go," Haurot jumped up and ran outside, pushing Selena out of his way.

"Hey!" the girl sprinted after him, trying to kick him in the back with her tiny fist.

Evanford left the ward and stopped in the corridor. "You can't open the door before closing the previous one". If this is a rule, Sputkee just broke it. Does it indicate the invalidity of the rule, or the capabilities of the book's author? At this point, the mathematician realised what confuses him most about the current situation. Not even the mortal dangers, but the randomness of the rules and absence of visible logic. To be fair, regular life is also dangerous and unpredictable, but Kevin has developed a strategy of going through it way before he reached his age of twenty. And that sewage stream they're swimming in seems to consist of nothing but hidden rocks. Closing the ward door, then the kitchen door, Evanford entered his home.

In the mansion's huge hall, Haurot slowed down and sat on the staircase step, leaning on the handrail. Selena kicked him in the shoulder to let off some steam, and started pacing before the staircase.

"You knew professor? How and why did we get here? Who are you? Why is the book constantly changing?" she didn't even give him a moment to answer. Evanford approached them and interrupted the stream of her speech:

"Tell me... Are there any rules or regularities to all this? If there are, what are they, after all?" Kevin realised how vague his question is, but he had to start somewhere.

"Of course there are," Haurot raised his head. "In the place you've visited, laws of physics don't work... It's more about the laws of psychics, so to speak. By the way, you can observe one of the direct correlations right now..." Sputkee shifted his gaze to Selena. "And don't get furious, it doesn't suit you. I'm not ignoring you. On contrary, you were the closest one to me of them all, and I'm ready to fulfill your wishes before everyone else's... If I myself will have a wish to do so."

"That does it!" Selena lost her temper completely. "What the hell are you getting at? What do I have to do with this?! We've never met before! Or are you confusing me with someone else?.." she recalled running into her doppleganger. "Who is she? Just don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about!" Silver snapped again and jumped at Haurot, knocking him down on the stairs. Kevin shook his head in disapproval. This girl just can't keep her distance. He was polite enough to say nothing, but acting like that might get one into trouble.

But it seemed that Haurot paid no attention to an attacker. He turned his eyes to the ceiling and smiled joyfully:

"That whitewash was nice back in its day... So high, almost in space... Finally..."

Selena punched Sputkee again and sat beside him on the step, breathing heavily. She couldn't remain at the peak of fury for long, especially not when it comes to a psycho who didn't even react at her.

"Well, it seems that no matter what happens, you just don't give the slightest fuck" the girl summed up in a tired voice. Sputkee cringed, as if the word she dropped has caused him physical pain. Selena smirked: "What? Am I reminding that you didn't get laid for a while?"

The man didn't answer, and silence fell for a few minutes. Haurot was staring blankly at the ceiling, Silver was simply exhausted, and Kevin was thinking. These words about some direct correlation he can observe... Does it have anything to do with the kind of questions the book's author answers? Or is it about the changes in his behavior? Suddenly, an image emerged before his eyes.

"Do you have that little calendar from the psychiatrists's office with you?" he turned to Selena.

"Yes... I guess..." a bit surprised, she pulled the calendar out of her purse and gave it to Evanford. He ran the list of phobias with his eyes and frowned. The girl asked impatiently: "Well, what is it?"

"Calendar... Cycle... First, he didn't want to be left alone. Then he was afraid of small enclosed spaces – manifestation of claustrophobia. Now it's erotophobia – fear of sex and talking about it... He experiences those phobias in turn."

They looked at Haurot. He was sitting with his back straightened, smiling. Selena spoke:

"Dark shroud of the night was covering their ardent bodies. He pulled her lacy panties off and started to..." seeing that this doesn't have any effect on "The Door"s author, she turned to Kevin: "All right, what's next on the list?"

"Heliophobia," young man answered with a fairly straight face, but mockery was ringing in his voice.

"What?" Selena blazed up again. "Well yes, you won't run into a line like that in science fiction or math textbook. But everyone's got their own taste! I always liked novels about romance and... so on.

"I wouldn't be so certain – you can name the book what you want and illustrate it with spaceships, but it'll still be a romance novel under it, with contents that'll turn any paperback cover into hard one," Kevin replied nonchalantly. "Though, to be fair, I haven't seen this done to a math textbook yet."

"You're right, cover can be quite misleading," the girl sighed. "So, heliophobia? Fear of the sun?" she grabbed Sputkee's hand and pulled him to the front door. He didn't resist. On the street, he squinted from the bright sunrays, but didn't show any sign of anxiety.

"Why doesn't it work?" Silver asked noone in particular.

"It does... You just didn't interpret this word right," Haurot replied.

"How about you just answer us?" her voice was almost begging.

"No. Are you trying to manipulate me? Well, go on, as long as you've started," he grinned. "You've always been amusing me, you know."

Here he goes about this unexisting past again! Clenching her teeth to keep herself from swearing, Selena pulled the man back into the house.

"Fear of blood comes next, and then the fear of weapons," Evanford said before she asked. He suspected that this strategy won't bring them any good, but he couldn't bring any alternatives to the table.

Selena immediately had an idea. She lead Haurot to the kitchen and made him sit. Silver glanced around, but didn't see what she was looking for.

"Where do you keep knives?" she quietly asked Evanford.

"There, I suppose," he nodded at one of the drawers. Kevin was no good around the kitchen. Henry and him never cooked anything – they either hired a cook or ordered some food. He'll probably have to learn when he'll be living alone in his own appartment. Young man grinned cheerlessly – he's considering this already, as if he has already got out of all this alive and even sane. Mathematician always thought that the next step could be planned only based on the current situation, and it's of no use to think about the distant future. And with everything that was going on recently, even a few hours from now seemed like a distant future.

Selena picked the sharpest knife, approached Haurot and sat in front of him.

"Are you scared?" she took the knife to his chest. Sputkee shook his head.

"So, it's too early for that... And what about now?" with a quick movement, she made a skin-deep cut on her palm. At the sight of blood, Haurot's face convulsed with fear. "Great," Selena's lips twiched – it was hard to tell if she smirks or winces in pain.

"Why did you do that?" Evanford gasped. Phobia or not, looking at blood made his stomach curl, too.

"Other kinds of fears are harder to control. And here, now you see it... Now you don't," she clenched her fist, hissing from the wave of pain that followed. The book's author exhaled in relief. "I think that there's some power in blood... As someone once said, I'm not sure who: 'Sometimes I have to cause myself pain to make sure that I'm still alive'."

"Yes, cruelty and fearlessness are in your blood," Haurot said. The girl opened her palm, and he shuddered involuntarily, but didn't look away.

"Why don't you close your eyes?" Selena suddenly asked. She felt that there's some catch to all of this. "It's obvious that you could've easily ran away, so why don't you?"

"Because I realized not so long ago – you can't run away from yourself. I'm sick of hiding from my problems. But even I can't cope with this alone," Sputkee gave her an intent look, then turned to Evanford. "And whatever we thought back then, none of us wanted to be left alone..."

While he spoke, Kevin was fiddling with the calendar. Something caught his eye – February 29th. But it's not a leap year right now... Only at this point he realized – even though the year written was current, 2001, the calendar grid doesn't fit. After some quick calculations, he figured which year is actually presented. Another careful look revealed another detail – October 12th was highlighted, even though it wasn't Sunday or holiday.

"October 12th, 1996... Did somethin happen that day?" Kevin spoke.

"Yes... That's when it all began."

"What are you talking about?" Silver leaned closer, her eyes glowing. "Five years ago I was rotting in the hospital... Maybe there's something I don't rememver? Tell me... What was I like back then?"

"You didn't look as awful as you thought. But you were angry at the whole world, you were blaming the external forces for everything that was happening to you..."

"But it's not my fault that I got sick!" the girl indignantly exclaimed.

"Your attitude towards life and death was complicated... But you never were heavily sick. Those memories aren't actually yours," paitent of the clinic was looking at her without blinking. "But you were contaminated with grudge. Your soul got crusted over with bile. After October 12th, a lot has changed... But you'll learn about it yourself," all of a sudden, he leaped, grabbing her, thrusted open the door of the built-in food closet and threw Selena behind it. There was a corridor instead of the shelves – Kevin noticed this in a split second before Haurot shut the door back. Evanford froze, completely stunned.

"See, I'm so talkative right now, you don't even have to blackmail me," Sputkee spread his arms, showing how 'open' he is. "I can tell you a lot of things, and you won't even have to deteriorate your mind by reading the book. And, as you may guess, if you leave, I won't be there when you come back. Make your choice. Choice is the whole point of this game..."

"Where's Selena?" Kevin interrupted him.

"Not far. But the book has influenced her too, and now your friend sees some interesting things... I'm not telling you to take advantage of the situation, but wouldn't it be flattering if a girl ended up at your feet?" Haurot's voice got harsher. "I'm warning you right away – you won't prevent what will happen. And anyway, if a sweater fell on the floor, it might as well lie there for a bit – it won't get any dirtier, right?"

Realizing what he's getting at, Evanford rushed to the door. Running into an invisible barrier of fear, he wasn't even surprised. There was no time to think about how dangerous the door is – he had a goal behind it. Scalding his hand with boiling water, being electrocuted and feeling the moving slime under his fingers all at once, Kevin turned the handle, jumped out and ran to the staircase.

***

Unable to maintain her balance, the girl fell on her knees. Her head was spinning, everything was swimming before her eyes. Did she really lose that much blood? Selena glanced at her palm – there was no wound. And what's more, her fingers were adorned with precious stones, and her hand was in a beautiful embroided sleeve. Silver rose to her feet, examining her corset and puffy skirt. Her vision now clear, Selena saw that she's in a corridor of a castle. Tapestries and lampades were hanging on the walls, the ceiling was decorated with moulding.

Yes, romanticism has always been attracting her – long before melodramas and paperback books with couples on the cover. As a child, Selena was reading fairy-tales, watching cartoons with their beautiful, innocent love stories, imagining herself at the heroines' places. She was secretly hoping that some miracle will happen, and she'll also turn into a beautiful princess. And meet her prince... This desire was especially strong while she was in the hospital.

And now her dream came true.

Corridor lead Selena to the staircase covered with a fluffy purple carpet – just like those she saw in the movies. A heroine walks down the stairs, bright and gorgeous; an admiring prince is waiting for her below... And here he is. A charming young man was running towards her, stretching out his arms.

With a smile, the girl fell into his embrace from a steep staircase. Her body entangled in the underskirts, turning into a pile of fabric and bones.

"..Stop!" Kevin shouted, seeing Selena balancing on the top step. But it seemed like she was just waiting for him to appear. Silver smiled blissfully, closed her eyes and collapsed. Kevin stuck his hands out, as if trying to break her fall – or fence himself from the disaster he's unable to stop.

The girl quickly rolled down the stairs, ending up on the floor in an unnatural pose, but with a face still completely peaceful. Evanford backed slowly. For some reason, his heart was beating more wildly than when he was hiding from the closet monster as a child.

***

Ambulance took the girl and her companion to the same hospital where Henry Evanford was taken before being transferred to the private clinic. They were both examined by the same doctor. Kevin was waiting in the corridor, trying to forget what institution he's in. The bag with the book was on his lap – when he took in from the kitchen, Haurot was gone, as expected.

"Come in," the doctor opened the door, glancing at Evanford with some suspicion.

The girl was lying at the bed. She looked even more pale than usual, and surprisingly calm. Kevin got used to his acquaintance always chatting and being quite expressive, so seeing her like that was strange, even unsettling. Of course, her appearance is the last thing to worry about right now...

"How are you related to her?" doctor was trying to speak casually, but the suspicion in his voice was even more obvious than in his look.

"She is my... friend," Kevin replied after some hesitation. That's what he wrote when filling the papers, but it wasn't as easy to say out loud. Kevin never called anyone his friend – he didn't like to fling the words around, and he didn't have enough basis to give that title to anyone he knew. "What's the diagnosis?"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told the inspector," doctor said dryly. "Broken hand, concussion of the brain, bruises. But she's in a coma."

"What's the probability of her waking up?" Kevin's voice didn't give anything away, but his fingers were squeezing the bag handle.

"Chances are the same as your uncle has," doctor decided to express his thoughts after all. He gave the visitor another grave look and left.

Kevin approached the bed. Certainly, there were many times when he wanted to get rid of that obnoxious girl's company, but he didn't expect everything to turn out this way. Come to think of it, she wasn't all that intolerable – she was trying to help him, was risking, getting the answers out of "The Door"s author... Young man was feling awkward: Selena might be reckless by nature, but he certainly realized perfectly well how this may end, and didn't intervene. Evanford could admit his mistakes when he made them.

"I'm sorry," he spoke. Kevin never repeated his confessions twice. He's only left to hope that she has heard it.

# Chapter 6

### Open up to me

Upon opening her eyes, Selena took some time to analyze her sensations. Tactile receptors were reporting that she stands leaning against the wall, eyes were showing a long corridor before her, and ears didn't hear anything. Even though all signals were clear, the girl felt a bit different than usual, and couldn't quite grasp why. The last thing Silver remembered, was Haurot pushing her behind the door. Then the memory gets blurry – something might've happen, but she could never tell. So, this corridor again... However, this time it was different in a small, but important way – doorplates have appeared on the doors.

Selena slowly walked, reading what they said. "Childhood Room", "Not Quite Alone in the Dark", "Testing of Muscles and Nerves", "Desire Garden". For some reason, Selena didn't have any doubt that these doors will open if she pushes them. But will it be possible to come back? Those names sound fishy... She has to pick a door that'll have something useful behind it – or at least something not mortally dangeous. Selena entered the room which said: "Memory Screen", and, after some hesitation, closed the door behind her.

On the opposite side of this small room there was a tinted glass. On its right, built in a wall, a metal panel with an outline of a palm, vertical slot and a shutter that was covering a depression. The girl put her palm to the panel, and the shutter lifted. In a small hollow behind it, she saw a worn plastic token and a paper folded in half. When Silver took them out, shutter fell again. Token was decorated with some abstract pattern, without any inscriptions. On a paper, there were lines in terribly uneven handwriting:

"A small treat for passing the Room of Immersion. Just see what else will be in store! Keep your eyes peeled!"

Who could've written this? The girl shrugged, threw the note away and placed the token into the slot. The second she did it, tinted glass illuminated, showing a small gym with floor covered with mats. There was a coach with a group of teenage girls wearing blue uniform with green stripes. Students were practicing fighting techniques in pairs. One of the girls threw her partner on the floor with a rapid move, separated from the group and went to do pull-ups.

"Who allowed you to do that?" the coach yelled. Others giggled, some started to whisper to one another. Selena could hear a phrase: "Our scarecrow is acting up again..."

"I'm sick and tired," she closed her eyes, still hanging on the bar.

"Cut the crap and take your place!"

The girl let go of the bar, opening her eyes when her feet touched the ground.

"You cut it. With this, if it's sharp enough for you," she said in a low voice, sticking out her middle fingers. Other students didn't hold their laughter any longer. Young rebel was looking at them with hatred.

Suddenly, another vision appeared. The same girl, in her school uniform, was sitting in an empty class, with a sheet of paper and a pen lying before her on the desk. Now Selena could take a closer look at her. Deep-seated eyes, thin lips and other small details in the girl's appearance were turning her face from unremarkable into unattractive, and sour look on that face was only making matters worse. In her short blond hair, there were a few strings of gray – they didn't stand out all that much, but there were enough of them to notice.

"You're incorrigible," a strident voice said, and a tall, slim woman entered the frame. Her back was so straight like there was a metal needele instead of a spine. "We would've turned a little filth like you out of the school long ago, if only you had where to go. It's hard to believe that you're a daughter of your parents... We're keeping you here only in respect of their memory – you realize it better than me, if you can still realize anything with your nut of a brain. If you'll try to run away again – help yourself, noone will be missing you," woman pursed her lips and put an open book on the table. "Copy this chapter. And do it properly, or I'll take stricter measures," giving the student a scornful look, she left. Selena heard a door closing, and a key turning.

"You can chock on your swagger and cold bile, I don't care," teenager took the pen in her left hand and started scribbling slowly. It was obvious that writing with her left hand was unnatural. "Sick dogs, you can sit in your kernel, being bitches submissive to the biggest bitch of them all, and gnaw on each other's throats all you want... Me, now I have a place to go."

After this, the woman that was scolding a student appeared sitting behind the desk in her office. She had a visitor – Orlando Kinsley.

"...Mrs. Richardstone, I came here to talk about one of your pupils, Deborah Cunningham. She turned sixteen two days ago. Now the rights to her parents', my clients' house, are fully inherited by her. May I talk to this young lady?"

"Mr. Kinsley," the woman spoke gravely. "Cunningham kin was noble and respected once. The only thing that remains from them now is the family name and the family nest. Deborah has already ruined the name's reputation, what do you think this disaster of a teenager will do to the nest?"

"I understand, but rules are rules," the lawyer replied firmly. "She is of age, and has a right to dispose of property as she wishes."

Mrs. Richardstone sighed and shook her head:

"Deborah is not on premises right now. About half an hour ago she left to participate in a psychological correction group. That's a court order," she gave Orlando an expressive look.

"In that case, I'll come back later," lawyer calmly replied and got up.

The screen switched off. Selena was looking at the dark glas in perplexity, pondering over what she saw. What do memories have to do with this? She doesn't now neither this place nor those people! The only familiar face is Kinsley, but that doesn't make anything clear... Silver put her palm to the panel again, but it didn't have any effect. With a disappointed sigh, she turned to the door and pushed it. To her relief, it gave in.

In just a few meters, Selena couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the plate saying: "Shwuggering Shmug". Even though the girl used that expression before, she didn't actually envision anything in detail. Will there be an illustration? Communicating with a shmug might be bad for the mental balance, though... But curiosity took over, and Selena entered. The door was a bit tough to open, as if it wasn't on usual hinges, but on pneumatic ones that slowly close automatically.

There was another door in front of her. On its right, a young man was sitting, his feet placed on the desk. Not paying any attention to the person that entered, he was pushing the buttons of a small rectangular device in his hands. His stature and haircut were making him resemble Kevin Evanford a little bit. Desk plate was saying: "1st Secretary".

"Is shwuggering shmug at his place?" she came up to the secretary and looked behind his shoulder. As it turned out, he was playing on his cellphone, but Selena has never seen such an advanced one: not just colorful, but with incredibly realistic graphics. "I'll go see him..."

The guy waved his hand without even looking. A bit surprised, Silver walked to the door. It was even harder to open than the first one.

The room appeared to be the same, but there was a woman behind the desk, glancing at the sample and writing something. "Main Secretary", the plate said. She was resembling the teacher from that memory clip – hair is in a tight ponytail, eyes are drilling through the glasses, sits very straight. But this woman looked even more severe. She also didn't look at the visitor, and Selena decided to just walk by, even though something was telling her that it wouldn't work. The girl was about to pull the handle when a harsh voice made her flinch:

"Where do you think you're going?"

Instinctively drawing her head into her shoulders, Selena turned around and was cut with a pejorative look. It seemed like an invisible but powerful laser was directed at her, making her burn with shame. For a moment, Silver felt herself like a bug being fried under the magnifying glass, but quickly came to her senses. This is exactly the feeling that shwuggering shmugs try to evoke, consciously or not. Some of them actually have an advantage and are boasting because of it, and more primitive ones just make themselves look higher at the expense of the others. In either case, one mustn't give in. She didn't even meet the biggest shmug yet – if nothing else, she must save her nerves for him.

"I'm going to visit your boss," Selena turned the handle, but to no avail.

"By appointment only," her voice was almost triumphant. "Did you write an appointment request?" she pointed at the sample.

Selena felt like she's having enough of it already, but her curiosity about the pureblooded shwuggering shmug was still prevailing. There were no more chairs, so she had to bend over the table in an uncomfortable position. When Silver took a pen, secretary shouted into her ear:

"No! Write with your left hand!"

Gritting her teeth, the girl obliged. This woman really looks like the one in the vision... But what's the connection? After a few minutes of scribbling, she was about to put the pen down, was stopped by another shout:

"Two copies!"

Dense anger was boiling up inside Selena. Pushing the pen into the paper, she was thinking of how she'd rather pierce the woman's throat with it, to keep her from making any more of those ugly noises. Those fantasies were somewhat helpful in letting off steam. Upon finishing, Silver wanted to throw the paper into secretary's face, but the woman was quick to take the sheets herself, and started reading them, silently moving her lips. In half a minute, Selena was about to burst and get the hell away. She already opened her mouth to say the last juicy goodbye, but once again, the secretary was a split second faster:

"You may pass," she crumpled both sheets and went on writing.

Almost chocking at her own words, Selena opened the door. She wanted to slam it as loud as possible, but it was resisting, closing even slower than the previous two. With a grunt, Silver let the door go, turned around and froze, staggered by the view.

On the walls of a hall before her, there were huge paintings, tapestries and carpets. All of them were featuring the same man – either his portrait or him surrounded by faceless extras; in various situations, in costumes of various periods. On one painting, he was riding a horse in full armor, fighting a dragon. On another, his bloated body was covered with nothing but a loincloth, lying on a lake bank, surrounded by dozen of nubile women – they were dancing, splashing about in the lake, and feeding the shmug with grapes. Though he didn't even seem to notice them, absorbed with himself. Yes, this was The Shwuggering Shmug, in flesh. The one who wasn't convinced by paintings could read the golden plate on his desk. There were also three mirrors – in front and at the corners.

"Do you know why the doors are so tough?" he honored Selena by talking to her first. "So that it'd be impossible to slam it."

"To drive people even crazier?" Silver specified.

"I look especially good there, ain't I?" Smug pointed at the painting where he was tearing the lion's head off with his bare hands.

"Well... As good as on the others," the girl replied evasively. He nodded with satisfaction, and it looked like his chest has inflated a bit more. Looking at himself in the mirror, Shwuggering spoke again:

"Did you grasp the ideas of my work 'Transcendental axis of realism through the prism of hedonistic views of ancient murianders?' Did you understand my witty references to the sources, especially on page 496? Or at least on 351?"

"No, and I'm not going to," she said harshly and muttered: "Now I get whose ravings there were in that book..."

"Is that so?" Shmug perched his spectacles on the end of his nose and gave the visitor a sullen look. It occurred to Selena that, if the Main Secretary's eyesight could've got worse from all the paperwork, this character only needs glasses to look over them. After a pause, the man said: "How can one be so uncouth? If you didn't even understand my masterpiece, who are you to evaluate my paintings?"

"Emm... Me..." she was baffled by the way he put that question. Nevertheless, Selena didn't hold any grudge at Shwuggering. His ego is so huge that getting angry with him was like biting a balloon. From inside. She didn't know what to say, so replied simply: "I'm Selena Silver."

"But indeed, I know nothing about you," Shmug suddenly changed his tone. "For example, have you already heard the song 'The one who scored the most'?"

"I don't want to hear it," the girl tried to protest, but he ignored her and started spitting out the lines, flapping the desk with his plump palms, completely out of step:

"I'm the one who scored the most,

I was gaining where everyone lost,

And the one who doesn't admit it

Should just suck it up or go eat it,

They know pretty well what they should eat," he flapped harder, making the finishing accent of the verse. Selena was too shocked to interrupt him. Shwuggering went on:

"In their lives, I shine like the Sun,

And for all the cool things I have done

The world owes me one,

A really, really big one,

A huge one, even," he flapped harder again.

"All right, that's enough, enough!" Selena shouted. "I get it!" she couldn't stand another second in the same room with this man. Silver dashed for the exit, opening the door just so she could barely slip through, and ran on. Behind the slowly closing door, Shwuggering continued his song. Selena ran out into the corridor, and slowered her pace only after turning a couple of corners. Shortly after, she stopped, seeing the door that said: "Jeremy Lace. Psychiatrist."

Everything in the office was the same as before, except for one detail – instead of the curtains, there were dense blinds.

"Welcome," greeted the psychiatrist. "Do you want to take some anger management classes?"

"And do you want to finish me off completely?" she collapsed on the couch.

"Well, as long as you're sitting on my couch, I have to help you," Jeremy said. However, his grin was telling Selena that he wouldn't have said anything to them the last time, even if Kevin and her would've lied on the couch together. "Just take into account that I'm much better at analyzing the past and showing the present than in predicting the future. You can say that I live in the past... But now I'd like to talk over something that happened recently. Do you remember how you got here?"

"Sure," Silver shrugged. "Haurot pushed me behind the door."

"But there is a blank there, isn't it?" Lace winked. "Lie down and close your eyes."

Selena reluctantly obliged. The psychiatrist spoke:

"Relax. Imagine yourself lying on a bed covered with silk sheets. You're getting up and look closer at intricate fretwork on the back. It's a royal bed, and you're in a royal palace. But where's the owner? You leave the room and go searching for him. A long corridor... A staircase... And there he is, your prince. You go down to him..."

"Oh hell!" the girl gasped, her eyes open wide. Gems on her rings have flashed in Selena's mind, elegant corridor lights have illuminated her memory... And the steep staircase she was about to step on. Silver looked at her left palm – not a scratch.

"What's the matter?" Jeremy smirked. "Don't you want to listen till the happy ending?"

"Where am I?" she asked in horror. Instead of answering, Lace clapped his hands, and the blinds on the right window lifted. Selena saw a hospital ward, from the angle of someone lying on the bed. Evanford was sitting there, looking giant from that perspective, deep in his thoughts.

...Kevin was blankly staring at the window, trying to figure what to do now. He spent more than two hours in the hospital, and this was very depressing. But he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet, realizing that if he'll do it, he never comes back. This "game", as it is called for some reason, touches upon some things he's interested in, but it's too dangerous to play. Professor's nephew wanted to give up on it long ago, but each time something was pulling him further. Or someone... He won't go on with this crazy story, especially not alone. Selena could spend years in this condition. On the other hand, she was helping him, so Kevin felt obliged to do something in return. Visiting her? It won't do any good to either of them. Though what else could he do in those conditions? The book crossed his mind. Of course, it might give an answer, but at what cost? How much is he willing to give up to bring the girl back?

As if hearing his thoughts, Selena opened one eye.

Evanford was watching, stunned, as her right eyelid slowly lifted exposing the dilated pupil. Kevin bent, waved his hand before Silver's face and saw his reflection in her motionless eye doing the same.

"Kevin! Can you hear me?!" Selena leaped up and started pounding on the glass like crazy. Jeremy observed her futile attempts for a few seconds, then snapped his fingers. Blinds fell back, hitting Silver's hands.

The eye suddenly closed, but Kevin stared at it for another half a minute in shock, then grabbed the book. When Evanford opened "The Door" in the middle, a dried-out red leaf fell on his lap. He cautiously took it and examined. There was nothing unusual about the leaf itself, but, as soon as young man touched it, everything around him started to change, to wither. Walls were cracking and decaying before his eyes, cobwebs were spreading. Instead of the girl, there now was a petrified mummy on the bed.

Kevin realized that those are nothing but hallucinations, but there was nothing he could do. It seemed like his body didn't belong to him. Dry leaf pulled Evanford to the exit. He went out into the corridor with dark green walls and white and brown tiles covering the floor. Selena was walking towards him. Her hair was rapidly changing their color and length – from white to black, from long to short. An unpleasant grimace was appearing and disappearing from her face. The girl pushed Kevin and said something, but he didn't catch it. Then Henry Evanford passed him from the back.

"We have a meet-up today, remember? Come on time!" professor said friendly and disappeared behind the corner.

The leaf was pulling Kevin further. He also turned the corner, came up to one of the doors and turned the handle...

Evanford suddenly realized that he's sitting beside Selena's bed with a closed book in his hands. The ward looked normal again, and no trace of a red dry leaf. He glanced at the watch – it looks like no more than a minute has passed. He had a great urge to shove "The Door" as far as possible and forget about it forever, but one look at Selena's face made him realize that he can't avoid reading after all. Feeling doomed, Kevin opened the book.

This time, lines were printed in large font on every second page – obviously so that one could see as little text as possible at any given moment. Kevin forced himself to read, but after the first couple of lines he himself didn't want to miss a single detail.

The girl turned away from the closed window, piercing Lace with her look.

"Don't worry, your friend figured it out," the psychiatrist spoke. "If it wasn't for what he's doing now, I wouldn't have answered a question this vague... You're asking where you are? This place is called The Pocket. The pocket in space and time."

"What?!" Selena was more than baffled.

"This place exists outside the regular physical reality, and time here flows differently," he looked at the stopped clock. "Everything that gets here is conserved. Objects don't change with time, fruits always remain fresh, but you don't have a need to eat or sleep. People don't get old... But this place would've been especially sought out by those who suffer from diseases that don't have a cure yet. You can exit into the nearest future from The Pocket. And even travel back into the past, but no farther than half an hour before the moment you've entered. However, this is random, noone can determine which time they will exit into. Well, almost noone... Nevertheless, anyone can shift through Pocket into the key points, especially if they posess Any Key."

"What key points?" the girl frowned. "And will just any key help here?"

"You won't hear about the key points from me," Jeremy was looking serious. "As for Any Key, it's a very powerful artefact. It can open any door, not just in The Pocket, but in the regular world, too. On the other hand, it's a tool for cheating, working around the key rules of the game. That's why using Any Key has a penalty – it equals reading ten thousand letters from 'The Door'."

"It just gets more and more confusing," Silver pouted her lips.

"Well, I hope that at least for you my words didn't go in vain," Lace said, almost inaudibly.

...Kevin raised his eyebrow in surprise. Was this man talking to him?..

"What are you muttering there? You'd rather tell me how to get out," Silver gave him a sulky look.

"It's almost impossible to do without external help. But your buddy is by your side... Do you think Kevin will have the guts to employ the Sleeping Beauty method?" Jeremy winked.

"No, he'll never think of anything like that," Selena sighed. "He's not actully that shy, but he seems to be almost disgusted of touching people."

Evanford wanted to continue reading, but there were nothing but fragments:

Won't have the guts... He doesn't feel anything... Runs like a coward... He'll never touch... He couldn't....

Kevin shifted his gaze to Silver. It looks like he has to do it, and he didn't have any particular reason not to... Evanford bent over and briefly touched Selena's lips. Nothing happened. He pressed his lips harder – again, no reaction. Frowning, he picked the book. The text has changed:

"And it won't help anyway," Lace noted.

Kevin was a bit frustrated, but thought that there's no reason to get angry. Even though this action didn't yield any result, it didn't take much effort, so there's nothing to regret.

"By the way, I haven't told you yet about the most curious feature of The Pocket that you'll have to take into consideration," the psychiatrist continued. "This place unites physical and mental worlds. You basically enter into your own head. Theoretically, your friend can visit you here and even interact with you, but he won't get you out – only something that came from the physical world can leave The Pocket."

"That explains some things... But everything feels so real..." the girl ran her hand over the table surface.

"In The Pocket, everything does become real," Jeremy replied. "You can meet your fears in flesh. But regular weapons are of no use for fighting them. What's important is understanding the strategy."

"Why fears? Can't I meet my fantasies?" Selena said discontentedly.

"Actually, you can run into anything, but this place wasn't designed to be a carefree vacation spot," Lace responded dryly. "Those who come here, come to fight... And to win, if they can. To get to the finish line successfully, you'll have to face your phobias and get away alive."

"And what do I do now?" Silver quietly asked. After a pause, Jeremy answered:

"I've got an option for you. You see, I'm stuck in this office..."

"Why stuck? Are you afraid of the door?" the visitor interrupted him.

"No, but..." he couldn't finish that sentence – Selena grabbed his hand and pulled him to the exit. Jeremy didn't resist. When they went out into the corridor, Selena tried to yank the nearest door open, but it didn't.

"Don't forget to close the previous one," Lace reminded. After she did that, the other door gave in... Revealing the psychiatrist's office. The girl shook her head in disbelief and checked a few other doors – regardless of what their plates said, there was the same room behind each of them.

"Now you see?" he pulled his hand out of Selena's weakened grip and came back into the office. "As I said, I'm stuck here. There's another way out, but I wasn't desperate enough to use it yet. This way, you can get out much faster, and I'll show it to you, if you promise to do something I ask," he looked at the girl expectantly.

"Do what?" she asked with suspicion.

"Find AT-75. Tell him I'm sorry and I deeply regret everything that happened," Jeremy stooped his head.

"But who or what it is? Where am I supposed to be looking for him?"

"By the book, I can't tell you anything else," the psychiatrist shook his head. "You've got the task, and whether you accept it or not is your choice."

"All right, I'll try," Silver shrugged. "But what will happen if I couldn't complete it?"

"Accepting the task doesn't bind you, it just opens you a new route and gives you an idea of what you have to do. But if you won't complete it, your being there won't have any sense, an you won't be able to come back the same way. In that part of The Pocket, even the doors are hard to come by. Though, if you love books, you'll surely have something to entertain yourself, but I suppose you weren't going to spend the remaining part of eternity reading."

"I see," Selena bit her lip nervously. Her chances don't look that bright, but wandering aimlessly is even worse of an option. "Well, where's your passageway?" she looked around the office.

Jeremy Lace opened the glass door of a bookcase and began pulling out the multivolumed set of the book named "Everything about psychology". Ten thick, tall volumes were filling not just the width, but also the height the lower shelf. Lace pulled out a couple of books, and the light stroke through the opening. Silver peeped there in surprise and saw that behind this row of books, there was another one, with the books turned into the opposite direction, their backs facing a huge empty space behind them. The psychiatrist took half of the volumes out and started on the second row, opening a well about ten meters in diameter, its walls covered with bookshelves. Illumination here was brighter than in the corridor, but there was a thick fog a few meters above and below, so it was impossible to tell the height of the well. The girl looked around the shaft and declared resolutely:

"I'm not going there."

"There's no way back," Lace made a helpless gesture. "You've agreed to my conditions, opened the entrance to the next level, and now the door back is simply closed."

"You could've warned me before," she said morosely, looking down. Her feet were already turning to jelly. "What is with that fog?"

"It's a shoud of the unknown. It symbolizes the limitations of your knowledge. Reading new books, you broaden your field of vision, but at the same time you realize that you don't possess even one billionth of human knowledge. That's why the fog never clears... And here's a piece of advise – first of all, decide where you want to go – up or down."

"Up... Going down is always easier, I can do it later," Silver closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the last moments of stability. She put her legs through the opening, laid onto her stomach and slowly crawled out, trying to find support for her feet. There was some space between the books and the edges of the shelves, and those small ledges were barely enough to stand on and to grab. Lace waved his hand goodbye and began to put the books back. It felt like he was laying the last bricks into the wall of her crypt.

The girl glanced down and almost fell from the dizziness that ensued. Few meters that were separating her from the fog seemed like an awfully long distance. And who knows how far the bottom actually is... With a nervous gulp, Selena clutched at the shelves, fixing her glance at the books before her, restoring the equilibrium. Trying to keep her hands from shaking, Silver climbed up a couple of shelves, and fear paralyzed her completely. Climbing isn't easy, and who knows how far she'll have to get... She'll get exhausted and fall eventually, so what's the point of delaying the inevitable?..

Kevin took his eyes away from the book and looked at the girl. Her face was absolutely calm, readings on the equipment were also stable. Is she really living through all of this? Evanford didn't want her demise to be on his conscience – if there's any way he can help, he should at least try.

"Hold on," Kevin said. After some consideration, to be even more convincing, he touched her hand and added: "I'm with you."

In a few moments her weakness passed. The one who's born to drown won't be hanged; even if she's destined to fall, she didn't want to bring this moment any closer. Sucking it up, Selena started to climb.

She was glancing at the backs of the books as she was passing them. Various branches of science, genres of literature and many other informative and entertaining titles. Some of them seemed interesting, but the girl didn't stop – even eternity won't be enough to read everything curious that there is. Selena was successfully ignoring the books until a certain title caught her eye: "Marco Tarnivale: a flash in the sky". He was one of her favorite actors, but she didn't know much about his biography. She couldn't just pass on something like that. She'll just page through it, a few minutes spent here won't hurt... Selena pushed the surrounding books into the abyss below. Rustling their pages, they disappeared in the fog, but she never heard the sound of them hitting he bottom. She put Marco's story into an emptied space and started reading.

Evanford put the book down – he wasn't interested in some actor's life story that followed. He has already swallowed so much text that he probably won't even be able to exit the ward. But if he stops now, this sacrifice will be in vain. Everything possible must be done to help her get out.

"Please, come to your senses," Kevin took Selena's hand again. "You have to move on!" he squeezzed the girl's hand. Until recently, Evanford was calm and dispassionate within, no matter what happened around him. But with everything that occured, his indifference slowly began to crumble. He couldn't tell if it was bad or not. Once Kevin was actually somewhat concerned that he looks at the world with the eyes of a person who doesn't belong to this world any more.

...Upon finishing the first page, Selena was about to turn it and read on, but suddenly it dawned on her that if she'll end up staying here reading his bio, she'll never see any more her favorite actor's movies, and her own life story will end before even beginning! Silver started climbing with determination, trying not to pay attention to the book titles.

It was impossible to tell how much time has passed – besides, time didn't mean anything here. Her arms and legs didn't get tired, but her mind was getting more and more bored and numb, even despite the colorful book backs floating by and the everpresent risk of falling. Selena was mechanically moving her limbs, just staring blankly in front of her. That's why it was a surprise when suddenly her fingers touched metal instead of wood. Looking up, the girl saw that the fog above was gone – there were metal bookracks, similar to those she saw in the university library. In a couple of meters above, there was a grate serving as the floor for the second level of bookracks. A few more could be seen through it, and it was impossible to tell how many there are overall.

Selena climbed up, gave the well a farewell look and walked the narrow aisle. Her heels were clicking the metal floor, but the sound was immediately muffled by the mass of books. Bookracks weren't tall – she didn't even have to stretch her hand to push her fingers through the grate above. Fortunately, the mesh here was much smaller than in that Submersion room, or Immersion, or what did they call it. But still, it'll be pretty uncomfortable to walk – why does she have to wear heels even inside her own head? Silver closed her eyes and tried to conjure up some comfortable shoes with a sheer power of will, but it didn't work. It wasn't the first time that heels were causing trouble, and Selena was pretty sick of them already. She probably won't wear them for a while after this is over... If this will ever be over.

...Evanford put the book away and got up. It seems that the events there aren't bound to the flow of time here, but are happening as he reads about them. So, he can take a break and go out to realize the idea that he had just now. Besides, it's vitally important for him to be outside the hospital at least for a short while.

Nothing impeded Kevin from leaving. He came back in an hour and opened the book. Action took off from where he left it.

...Beside books, there were also folders and magazines. Everything looked older and bleaker than in the well. Pieces of cardboard with letters and numbers were sticking here and there between the books. Numbers were written in ascending order, each with a combinations of letters, but Selena couldn't see any pattern with the letters themselves. Will she have to wander around cluelessly, just hoping she'll run into the right shelf? But this library is enormous, and who knows how many floors there are...

Her thoughts were interrupted with some sound. Selena froze and strained her ears: someone ran by not far from her. Light steps were heard again, but this time the girl caught a glimpse of a yellow dress on the second floor.

"Hey! Wait!" she shouted and threw herself up the nearby staircase. Those steep, almost vertical staircases with narrow metal steps were at almost every corner. Running against the bookracks and getting her stilettos stuck in the grating, Silver was cursing, but running in the direction of the sound.

At some point, she couldn't hear the sound any longer. The girl stopped in hesitation and turned around. Selena was at about the fourth floor, and couldn't even tell which direction she came from and where the well is supposed to be. She couldn't come back even if she wanted to – so, in some sense, does that mean that the door behind is closed, and a new one has to appear? But where is the one she was chasing, and what was that person up to?

Suddenly something hit the grating next to her foot, bounced off and fell down. It looked like a small stone... Silver looked up and saw her twin. The girl with golden hair was looking from behind the bookrack a few meters away. Selena could see the grudge in her eyes, even though her lips were stretched in half-grin. In a couple of seconds she disappeared without a sound. Selena rushed after her, but stopped at the place where her double was standing. Cardboard pieces on the bookrack were labeled AT.

There were mostly files that had the line "Human Resources' Limits" written on them. What could that mean? Ok, here's AT-75... Only after pulling out the file Selena noticed the stamp "Top Secret" at the bottom. Inside, there was a dossier on a middle-aged man that she've never seen before, judging by the photo. But her eyes rounded when Silver read his name:

Henry Evanford.

Date and place of birth: January 12 1954. Giddenspot, district Zitane.

Current status: deceased.

Date and cause of death: August 9 1993. An accident during the HRL experiment.

Supervisors: Leona Trammin, Jeremy Lace.

It was followed with pages of reports. Selena re-read the form. Jeremy Lace... He must've been responsible for that man and guilty of his death, so now he's asking for forgiveness. But what does it have to do with Henry Evanford? What experiment was it? Silver couldn't come up with any coherent idea, so she gave up and decided to just retell the psychiatrist's words:

"Umm... Jeremy Lace wanted to tell you something," she felt silly talking to the picture. "He regrets what happened..."

"And since when are you talking to imaginary friends?" someone suddenly asked.

"Professor?!" Selena almost dropped the file. The girl shoved it back between the others and ran up to Evanford. "How did you get here? Did you see my twin? How do I get out?"

"You always like overwhelming people with your questions," Henry replied softly. "I'd gladly help you, but I'm just a prisoner, a loser. I don't even have functions, let alone abilities. Nevertheless, I'll lead you to the door. But I must warn, even Any Key can't open it..."

"All right, we'll see," Silver said impatiently. Evanford nodded and moved down the isle – it was too o narrow to walk side by side, so she had to follow him. Piercing his back with her glance, Selena spoke: "Professor, with all due respect, I'd like to know: will you also play dumb and keep me on the rack like Sputkee or that Lace guy, or will you answer my questions after all?"

"I'll try the latter," he replied without turning back.

"Why did you do what you did? Was it the book that influenced you? By the way, why does it constantly change? Where did you get it?" as long as she couldn't hold the torrent of questions, Selena was at least trying to keep them on the same subject.

"I love books and enrich my collection from time to time, I fancy the unusual and rare ones... One day I was working at my library, and one of the book suddenly caught my eye. There wasn't anything special about it, but it seemed strange to me that I can't recall any of its contents, so I decided to refresh my memory. When I took it out, a trinket squeezed between the pages fell out... The book opened my eyes, but when I realized how dangerous it is, it was too late. Of course, it wasn't the regular paper edition. One could compare it to the glass of a giant washing machine where our fears, problems, hopes and pieces of the future and the past twist and turn, become interwined... You can only see a small portion of them behind the glass. Everything else whirls somewhere deep, where eye can't see. Haurot Sputkee was the only one capable of creating an object like that. Everything you see around you is also his creation," Henry passed his hand across the books. "This individual has enormous powers and capabilities... But, in the same time, some sides of his are no less defective than of any single person who got involved in this game."

"Why does everyone talk about some game?" the girl frowned. "Is it just a figure of speech, or is there something in particular..."

"There was a man, a fan of computer games and programming..." professor began.

"Proggod?" Selena interrupted him.

"Yes, you've already met," Evanford turned back for a second, the corner of his mouth twitching in a grin. "He was obsessed with the idea of making a perfect computer game..." Henry abruptly stopped talking and walking. Silver cautiously looked behind his shoulder. Bookracks have suddenly ended. The aisle has lead them to a room with low ceiling. On the opposite side of the room, there was a corridor that turned left almost immediately.

"Go, quick," Evanford let her pass in front of him while nervously glancing around. The same second a man emerged from an aisle a few meters away. It was a person from the picture. He was looking in their direction attentively, without blinking, but he didn't seem aggressive. "I'll deal with him," the girl heard something cracking. She turned back and recoiled in fear. Professor's eyes were flaming with hatred and he was holding something in his hand... Looking like an electric shocker. Where could he get it from?

"You again?" Evanford whispered with spite.

Silver stood there dumbfounded. She had no idea of what's going on, but she just knew that it's only going to get worse from there. It is indeed wise to get out of here, but first she should keep her promise and pass the psychiatrist's words.

"Jeremy Lace says he's sorry!" Selena blurted out. "He looked very upset... Whatever happened, it's eating him up..." stranger's unblinking gaze was confusing the girl, making her say things that Jeremy never told. "Anyway, I hope you'll forgive him," with this, she hared off into the corridor.

They were silent for a while. Man took a few steps in professor's direction, piercing Henry with his stare.

"She's right," professor said without looking at his opponent. He jerked his arm as if he was going to throw the electroshocker away, but the device remained in his hand after all. Professor gave the patient a heavy look: "It's hard for me to overcome my weakness. I can admit that much. To run or to fight? The answer isn't obvious even when there's no way back..." he turned away and spoke, as if addressing to someone who wasn't in that room: "Now she's walking towards the door that she won't be able to open – there's no handle. You could help her... You realize what is going on now, don't you. I understand, and you can see for yourself – sometimes it's hard to express what you feel. But now you must do your best. Don't leave her alone, Kevin."

...Young man read those words in surprise, but when he saw the next paragraph, his eyes grew even wider. He never said things like that – his mind didn't even work this way. But he'll obviously have to read it out loud now. Holding the girl's hand for the greater effect, Kevin spoke:

"Don't let my behavior upset you. I'm rarely getting attached to anything, but you've found a place in my heart – like a flower that took root in dry soil," he cringed at this phrasing, but read it. Suddenly he noticed some change in the monitor readings. Kevin put his finger to Selena's wrist and felt the rapid pulse, though she looked just as lifeless as before. Keeping an eye on her face and the monitors, he went on:

"I understand, it's hard for you to believe, you have doubts. It's hard for me to admit, too, but I really need you. Come back. Please."

Cardiogram was twitching; some light started blinking, indicating the increased activity. Silver's eyelashes twitched, her hand squeezed Kevin's for a brief moment. He put the book aside and leaned over Selena.

"I know you can make it. Wake up. I'm asking this personally," he squeezed her hand tight.

...Selena has already lost count of how many corners she turned while walking this corridor. There was no particular reason to worry, but the girl was feeling more and more uneasy – heart beating faster, head spinning. At some point Silver even had to lean against the wall, being afraid that she's about to fall. Whatever causes this weakness, she should hurry, or she won't make it to the end of this corridor. Selena broke into a run... And rammed into a door that was just behind the next corner. Something poked her stomach. Silver looked down and jumped back in disgust – instead of a handle, a human hand was sticking out.

Judging by its shape and skin condition, the hand belonged to a young man. Selena reluctantly stepped closer and touched the hand – it was hanging still. She clasped her fingers around it and pulled, but the door didn't budge. Clenching her teeth, Selena cautiously put her palm into it and squeezed slightly. The hand tightened its grip, making the girl freak out and jump away again. In a few moments she calmed down and tried to shake the hand a couple more times – it didn't try to hold her in its clutches, letting go the second Selena was releasing her grip. Selena finally pulled herself together, grabbed the hand as tight as she could and tugged the door open.

...The girl jerked her hand so hard that Kevin lost his balance and fell on her. Eyes wide open, Selena looked around and finally focused on Evanford's face.

"What's happened?" a second ago, she was standing before the door, and now she's on the bed in some hospital ward. Sense of nausea was even stronger now.

"You fell down the staircase," Kevin replied, clumsily getting up.

"I remember," Selena tried to rise on her elbows, but dropped back immediately. She looked at her left palm to check if the scar is still there, and saw her hand in plaster cast. "And what the hell is that?!"

"You broke your hand when you fell. Got away easy, I must say," he decided to point out the bright side.

"You surely know how to cheer up," she rolled her eyes, exhausted. "I felt from the very beginning that this staircase of yours... But oh, whatever. Did I lose my shoe there by chance?" Selena recalled her fairy-tale halluscination, Kevin as a prince, and grinned slightly.

"No," Evanford didn't get why she asks. "By the way, regarding shoes. I know that when you're in the hospital it feels nice when someone is visiting you and brings small gifts... This is for you," professor's nephew presented her the box that he bought in the nearest shop when having a walk.

"Thanks," Silver smiled. "That's my size, and I like the style, too... It's good that they've got no heels, I just thought..."

"I know. I've read about all of this," Kevin pointed at the book.

"What?!" her heart started racing again. "Really? About everything that's happened to me?"

"After the point when you've opened your eye in the psychiatrist's office. And did you hear or feel anything?" he inquired cautiously.

"No, nothing," Selena shrugged. "So, you haven't read about Shwuggering Shmug?"

"No, though it sounds familiar," he was going to ask about other characters, but the girl was too eager to share her impressions:

"See, I'm walking down this corridor, and one door says: Shwuggering Shmug. Of course, I entered – who could've known what's gonna be there! In the first room, there was a guy – he was resembling you a bit, by the way..."

She was chattering, waving her hands, puffing out her cheeks, impersonating everyone she met. Paying no attention to Evanford's impassive face, Selena merrily went on with her story. Probably because they were in the hospital, everything, even someone else's mood was contagious – in a few minutes, Kevin smiled, then broke into laughter. Inspired by his reaction, the girl got carried away and started to make things up as she spoke, so the story turned out to be quite long. As she was telling it, the pair forgot about the book, about their situation, even forgot where they are. Young people were laughing, imagining what would've happened if Shmug entered the room of distorting mirrors, or how the classes would go in the Shwuggering Shmug department in a university.

"And the prom would've lasted a few days. Every single one of them would go on stage, get some statuette award, and, in their farewell acceptment speech, would list every good and average mark they got since the beginning of studies. But finding a partner to go to the prom won't be a problem – everyone would just dance and kiss with the mirror," Selena was a bit tired already, so she stopped talking and looked at Kevin reflectively. "But actually, shmugs are no fun, of course. There's no way I'm going to visit this Shwuggering again. Come to think of it, I'd give a lot to never get into the Pocket altogether..."

"We'll solve problems at they come," Evanford was cool and collected again. "But it's late now, I'll be going home. I'll visit you tomorrow."

"What? Are you going to just leave me here?!" Silver almost shouted. "I'm going with you! To your place. Until it's all over, it's better for us to stick together..."

Kevin replied after a short pause:

"Don't you have to lie down for a while? You didn't just take a nap, coma is no joke. You can't just open your eyes and run about your business. Doctors won't discharge you just like that."

"I'm all right," the girl spoke through her teeth as she was taking the sitting position. Selena actually did feel herself better with each passing minute, though she was still quite weak. "I'll deal with the doctors somehow. It's not the biggest problem there is right now. So, are we going?" she got up, but immediately staggered and grabbed Kevin's shoulder. He wrapped his arm around Selena's waist to support her, and they went out.

***

...To calm his mind before going to sleep, young man was solving equations sitting right on the bed. He rather sensed than heard the door opening.

"It was unlocked," Selena said when he looked at her, and let herself in.

"You open the door without knocking, and you come in without asking if you can. I'm glad that to see that you recovered back to your normal self," Kevin said, but his voice didn't sound scolding, just tired.

"And you're charming as usual, my prince," Selena forced a smile. "I didn't have a chance to thank you for saving me... Though it's surprising a bit – you're such a man of logic, and who am I to you – taking such a risk for a stranger was irrational..."

"Don't exaggerate," he abruptly cut her short

"Yes, I'm sorry," Selena sighed. There's no use playing coy with him, and indeed – she's a stranger, and she should simply be grateful for what he did. Silver paced across the room nervously: "So much went down today, recalling it sends chills down my spine... And what's going to happen tomorrow?" suddenly, she sat beside Kevin on a bed, wrapped her arms around his slim torso, pressing herself against him, and whispered: "I'm scared."

This took Evanford by surprise. Everyone was praising his analytical skills and were expecting achievements, solutions, actions – especially certain girls. But it was for the first time that someone has turned to him for support, like he was stronger and could provide protection. For some reason, it was deeply bewildering. This reaction was weird on its own – it's not like he's was that weak and pathetic...

"It's going to be all right," he stroke the girl's shoulder.

"Do you really think so?" Silver raised her wide open eyes at him. Kevin saw his reflection in her dark pupils again – not even himself, but the person he was for her at that moment. Not an indifferent pessimist, but the only hope, a number that has all the stakes on it. After a short consideration, he replied:

"I'm certain."

For a few seconds Evanford actually believed in his words, but then Selena released her grip on his body and got up.

"Thank you. Goodnight... See you tomorrow," she said without looking at Kevin and quickly left. He shrugged and picked the notebook again. Even though the air was still hot, he was feeling some kind of cold where there bodies used to touch – as if the skin was deprived of warmth.

# Chapter 7

### Nothing left to close

Selena kept falling in and out of sleep. She had a hazy dream – or, rather, shredded pieces of a dream. It was impossible to tell what's going on – just some details that were briefly passing and vanishing in the void. First, a knife blade flashed, cutting along the lifeline on someone's palm. A voice said: "Forever". Then there was a revolver barrel, and a voice saying: "You're sixteen now, you can pick adult toys". Those flashes were brief, but it seems like everything drags for hours. Sometimes Silver emerged from this drowse, but never woke up completely.

As she opened her eyes once again, Selena noticed the shapes of trees against the grey sky – the dawn was slowly breaking. Encouraged, the girl decided to finally shake the sleep off. But what will she do in someone else's house at a time like that? Silver still wasn't thinking straight, so the only thing that came to her mind right now is to check on the knife she used yesterday. It was as good of an idea as any, so she pulled on her dress and headed to the kitchen.

***

Evanford passed out the second his head touched the pillow. Soon after, some faded images started passing in his mind. It was tinted with smell – though, even in his sleep, Kevin realized that dreams can't smell. Someone's house... Everything was very vague, but oddly familiar. As Evanford struggled to distinguish something in the blur, he woke up. Images vanished, but the smell didn't go away. He took a puzzled look at Selena – she was standing in the middle of his room, brushing her hair with his comb.

"Breakfast in bed," seeing that his eyes are open, the girl nodded at a plate with some porrige in it that was standing on the bedside table. When Silver got to the kitchen, she already came to her senses and almost forgot what she was after in the first place. But, as long as she had nothing to do anyway, Selena decided to cook porrige.

"Thanks, but this doesn't entitle you to wake people up at an ungodly hour and use someone else's comb," Kevin said gloomily, trying the dish. A peculiar taste – sensory receptors told him that he ate that before, but his memory was refusing to reveal where and when.

"Not bad," Evanford had to admit. "Where did you get the recipe?"

"A-ah, that's what my mom always used to cook. She taught me what spices to add to make it tasty. It's our secret, noone else knows the trick," she winked cunningly. "Anyway, as for our plans for today... I've got a place I want to visit," Silver glanced at her plastered hand. "But first I'd like to go shopping – get some shorts and top, because who knows what hoops we'll have to jump through just to stay alive – it's better to have fitting clothes."

"Ok. And we'll also go to the police station, I want to report the stolen car," Kevin scratched the bottom of the empty plate. The food turned out to be tasty, so he didn't even notice how he ate it.

***

...It was refreshingly cool inside the police station. That should've been a welcome break from the street heat, but Selena didn't feel herself any easier. For some reason, this place was giving her the creeps. Kevin came up to the officer on duty and spoke:

"My car was hijacked. Where can I report it?"

"Give me the license plate number, maybe it was already found," he replied.

"It happened yesterday, around noon. Dark green Pinton-Cruise, TX-131-04, registered on me, Kevin Evanford."

Officer entered the data into his computer, raised his eyebrows and gave Selena a suspicious look.

"Yesterday at 11:20 A.M. this car has caused a traffic jam on the intersection of the Tomir street and Barlingway ave. Its license plate was removed, but the vehicle was still identified. The car suddenly turned 90 degrees and stopped, blocking the traffic. It caused a few collisions and created the traffic jam. Fortunately, noone was hurt."

Kevin frowned. Intersection of Tomir and Barlingway... That's on the way to the building where the notary's office was. When they were driving there yesterday, they had to make a detour. Because of a traffic jam. Judging by Selena's wide-open eyes, she recalled it too.

"Driver ran out and got away. According to the eyewitnesses, it was a young girl wearing shorts, top and a white wig, with her hand damaged," officer glanced at Silver once again.

"What are you getting at! It wasn't me!" the girl replied resentfully. "And my hair is not fake!" even in a situation like that, she could just let the remark like that slide. "I'm sure someone wants to frame me! Actually, I have a twin..."

"Fingerprints are different anyway," officer said. "But we've already found a suspect from our database. Nevertheless, if someone wants to frame you, and you have anything to do with this case, we'll take your fingerprints, too..."

"Do you have anything on this girl? Name? Picture?" Selena's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"I won't disclose this information," he replied firmly.

Silver realized that there's no way she's missing this opportunity. The girl quickly took the book out and opened it, asking mentally: what is there to say or do to make him reveal the information? She managed to keep the straight face when she saw a few 100-grun bills between the pages.

"Check this out at least – maybe those people will look familiar?" taking this risk, Selena gave him the book. To her relief, officer didn't read a single word – taking a quick look around, he opened the desk drawer and shook the money out in one swift move. Returning 'The Door' to Silver, he spoke:

"Eyewitnesses said that the girl's right hand was bandaged. There were only the fingerprints of the left one on the steering wheel. They belong to Deborah Cunningam, born in 1980, an orphan. She was caught shoplifting a few times. The last ocassion was in 1996 – when searching her, they've found an unregistered .22 short gun. She was given a few weeks of community service, and assigned to attend a rehabilitation group. Shortly after she vanished."

While he was talking, Selena moved closer and stole a glance at a photo on the monitor. She immediately recognized the girl she saw yesterday on the screen. Same face, not too attractive, same heavey look, but on this picture her short light-brown hair was dyed black.

"Thanks, you've helped us out a lot," she said with gratitude. "We have to go now..."

"Not so fast," officer looked at Evanford. "You'll have to answer the investigator's questions," he picked the phone receiver and pushed one of the buttons, connecting to someone. "Is Mr. Wesley in his office?.. Ok, I see," he turned to the visitors: "He's not here now. You, sir, fill the report form. And both of you will have give a written cognizance not to leave the city until it's proven that you're not related to the case."

***

When they left the station, Selena wiped imaginary sweat off her forehead.

"Phew, we're finally out," she shuddered. "I thought I'll get arrested for someone else's dirty tricks."

"Do you know the one who stole my car?" Kevin looked at her fixedly.

"In a way... You must've read about me meeting my look-alike in the library? Well, it's not for the first time... My exact copy, just tanned and has a yellow hair. I know nothing about this chick, but it seems like she's deeply involved in all of this. Now I'm starting to understand that she crossed me before..." Silver recalled her conversation with the souvenir shop owner. That's where she was going to head today. Selena had some vague guesses before, but now she was certain that her suspicions are true. "But this picture on the monitor is nothing like me, though I've seen this girl before. Some angsty teenager. I don't know her, but for some reason a few episodes involving her were shown in 'Memory room' in the Pocket. This was in the very beginning, even before meeting Shwuggering Shmug."

"Yes, I haven't read about it..." he stopped, looking forward in surprise. A girl was walking towards them. She was giving Kevin angry looks, and straight-out shooting lightning bolts from her eyes at Selena.

"Tiffany? What are you doing here?" Evanford raised his eyebrow.

"I came on her invitation!" she pointed at Silver. "I was curious to see what your mistress is like! You were playing hard to get, and ended up falling for such a... I'm not jealous of you at all!" Tiffany spat out at the girl. "Don't worry, your pal won't hear from me ever again!"

"Wait..." Kevin spoke, assessing the situation. He knew this girl as calm and reasonable person, otherwise he would've never communicated with her in the first place. One would have to make a considerable effort to drive her that mad. "Whatever happened between you, I know nothing about it, I swear. Could you please let me know what's going on?"

"You actually don't know anything?" Tiffany sighed, seenig him genuinely surprised. "Then I'll open your eyes at your lady friend. Though I'm mad at you, you don't deserve some trash like this one... She called me from your cell, told a bunch of vulgarities, described your affair and said that I can see you here, at this place. Yes, I decided to see what you could possibly have found attractive about her, and say you the last farewell while I'm at it!"

"When was it?" Evanford frowned.

"Right now! She told me to hurry if I want to find you here..."

"Actually, my car was hijacked yesterday. My phone was in it," he replied dryly.

"Then... I don't know who it could've been... Sorry, I didn't want to offend your friend. No hard feelings, ok?" Tiffany was calming down little by little.

"Did she say anything else?" Silver finally opened her mouth.

"Nothing," the girl replied readily. It was obvious that now she wants to clear herself in Kevin's eyes.

"I'm sorry she was rude to you. But some of her words were true – we are really in a kind of a relationship," Selena suddenly declared. Evanford didn't show his surprise – she must have a reason for saying it, so he'd rather see what it's about. After all, he can disprove this statement at any time.

"It caught us both by surprise, and everything unfolds very fast, we don't know where this will lead us," Silver went on. "And when it will be over... If it will be over... On one hand, I'm hoping for it... Anyway, if our roads will separate forever, that'd be a shame. I've actually got used to him somehow," Selena dropped her gaze.

Tiffany looked at Kevin. He nodded slightly. The girl shook her head in bitter disbelief, turned around and ran away without saying a word. After a minute of silence, Kevin spoke:

"Actually, we could've dialed my number from her phone and see if that girl picks up."

"I don't think this would've worked... And anyway, I saw that her company makes you uneasy. Consider this a favor – now she's unlikely to bother you again. Of course, I was talking about this situation in general, not about some love affair we'll never have... But basically, I was saying the truth," Selena raised her gaze. "And we'll come across that damsel soon enough, don't you worry. Let's go, I think I've got a place where we could dig something up on her."

***

Selena cautiously stepped into the darkness of the shop. Everything was the same as before: no customers, and a salesman sitting behind the counter, looking at something on his lap.

"Hello," Silver spoke. He glanced at her and smiled vacantly:

"I knew you'll come."

"Sure... You know I always come," the girl winked. She was trying to act natural and cheerful, like he was actually an old pal she was happy to see. "I have trouble with something else, though. And I think you're the one who can help," she winked again and licked her lips. "Will you help me remember?"

"Of course I will," he didn't look surprised at all. "I didn't forget you even for a second."

"How much time have passed?"

"A split second in comparison to eternity... But every minute without you feels like an eternity," he gave Selena a long look. It was getting harder for her to stay cool.

"All right, let's focus on something that happened recently," Silver spoke quickly. "When I was here last time, you asked if everything is ok with my hand. Is that what you meant?" she pointed at the cast on her arm. Suddenly the guy grabbed her, and Selena barely kept herself from jumping away.

"No, you had your right hand bandaged. But this wound... You're coming back to me, like you've never left," he showed her his left palm that had an old scar across it.

"Umm, I see," she pulled her hand out and stepped back. "And what did I say when I came the very first time?"

"You were talking about the things that only us know, and you promised to come back soon. You've left a key, telling me to give it back to you later. But an important thing like that could be carried only on the special keychain... Do you have it?"

"This one?" Selena produced the four-leaf clover that she got from professor.

"Exactly," wide smile that appeared on his face made him look creepier. "Do you at least remember what it means to us?" when Silver shook her head, young man went on: "Ok, let's start from square one. This is you," he pulled a photo in a black frame from under the counter. Selena shook her head again, now in disbelief.

The photo was made in Blue Stone garden. There was a couple hugging before the Unity statue – this guy from the shop and the girl she saw in Memory Room. The boy looked younger, and the girl's hair was already dyed black.

"Me?!" she asked, looking at the image in shock.

"Yes, you," he calmly confirmed. "Mary Wesson. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet – my name is Tenko."

"Are those real names?" Selena asked warily.

"More than real... They aren't written in documents, but they are what our souls say," Tenko gazed deeply into the photo.

"Then what do they mean?"

"You've always been gutsy," he smiled again. "You loved the quote 'God made people weak and strong, but Smith&Wesson has evened out their odds'. Our names, everything that was before we met – none of it mattered. Upon finding each other we became stronger, but we remained nothing but pawns in the game called life. An average John Smith. And his friend, Mary... Wesson."

"You don't seem average to me," Selena muttered, glancing around the shop once again. "That's a beautiful story... But why do you introduce yourself as Tenko, then?"

"That's the name of a hero from an old fairy-tale. A princess detested living in the castle, felt that she doesn't belong there, and loved walking in the forest. One day she walked as far as she never had before, and met a wolf named Tenko. They had a lot in common. The wolf became her good friend, and later – her lover..."

"W-what?" the girl stuttered.

"Don't take everything literally," Tenko said. "There are lots of allegories in our old tales... Besides, people often turn into animals there, and vice-versa."

"Yeah, and I thought that relationships became complicated in modern age... My parents should've told me more fairy-tales. Anyway, what happened later? Did he turn into a handsome man and they lived happily ever after?"

"No, it was the princess who was sometimes turning into a wolf – she had a wild animal spirit," he gently stroke the photo. "And it's not the way the story ended... Princess came of age, and never visited the wolf again. Maybe she was forced into marriage, or maybe she was busy with new responsibilities, and perhaps she herself decided that she's all grown up and shouldn't get involved with lower species any more... The wolf never knew what happened, but he stayed faithful to the princess till the end of his days, and never lost hope that she will come back. That's why I picked this name – I also believe that Mary is alive, and that she will be back one day."

"Oh, now I see," Selena exhaled. If what they have in common with that wolf is faithfulness, this isn't that bad. This guy is already pretty weird, and him turning out to be some pervert would've been too much for her. "By the way, when did your friend go missing? Was it in 1996? Somewhere in October?.."

"I see that you start remembering," Tenko grinned.

"Tell me more about Mary," the girl asked. "How did you meet? Where is she from? What does she like... What was she like?"

"To me, it doesn't matter who she was before we met..."

"But it matters to me," Selena looked deeply in his eyes.

"Mary used to recall some 'Lavender House'. I don't know what it is, but she spoke about it with grudge. She lived there before we got to know each other, but shortly after moved in with me. We met when she came into my shop once, and the attraction sparked in the very first minute. We were soulmates... We've made those scars – those marks will remain forever, just like our feelings," Tenko showed his left palm again.

The girl nervously picked at the scratch on her own palm, and suddenly, a small piece of the scab fell off. The skin under it wasn't even red – it looked like it healed long ago. Surprised, Selena scratched the strip of coagulated blood, painlessly tearing away another piece.

"We've spend as much time together as we could. We loved looking at Moon, especially when walking in Blue Stone park... I've made a tattoo as a sign of my attachment," Tenko started pulling off his shirt.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" gasped Selena. "What if someone comes in?"

"Nobody usually comes during the day," salesman replied calmly. On the left side of his chest, there was a heart chained with two crossed chains. Selena already saw this image in the book.

"My body is free, but my soul is chained. For some, it's a battle, for some, it's a game..." she said, recalling the poem.

"It went a bit different," corrected Tenko. "I've dedicated those lines to Mary:

My body is free, but my soul is chained,

For love is a battle, it isn't a game.

Fear of losing you is my greatest foe,

Though I may get weak,

All my bonds are as strong as before."

"No, that's not what I've read," Silver shook her head. She didn't say it out loud, but Tenko's version was more trite, though way less ambiguous. It didn't explain anything. Now that Selena gave it a second though, it seemed like the poem from the book wasn't about love in the first place...

"I can read another poem – it must refresh your memory... We wrote it together, it was our anthem," Tenko fixed his gaze at her face and began reciting:

I see myself in you,

My pain, my angst, my fears,

But when we are together

They almost disappear.

No matter what you do,

Whether you fly or fall,

I will surely follow you

And I will share it all.

Though I hate you so much,

Just like I hate myself,

I want to always be with you,

It's something I can't help.

With the very first lines, some vague images started flooding Selena's mind – vague reflections of memories she couldn't possibly have. She runs somewhere... Here is a woman Silver saw on the screen – it's probably her that she's trying to get away from... Tenko appears, they talk, laugh, he presents her something... Something dangerous... Even though the pictures themselves were pretty hazy, accompanying emotions turned out to be surprisingly bright. Anger, tension, happiness, wild joy – all of them were peaking. Selena saw herself standing on the edge of a roof or a deep pit, and steps forward. For a moment, it really seemed like she falls into an abyss. Is this actually the effect of the poem?.. Silver clutched at the counter to remain on her feet, but didn't say anything to Tenko. The feeling of flying was addictive. She should get to the bottom and see what's there... But the poem ended, breaking the fall and putting her on the solid ground again. The girl looked at the salesman and quietly said:

"Just give me the key, ok?"

With a grin, Tenko took the key from under the counter and put it on the keychain.

"Four-leaf clover brings luck, they say. And this one is red like a heart. We've exchanged those trinkets to always be with each other, bringing luck. Yours disappeared with you, but I never lost hope to see both of you again," he put the keychain into the girl's hand, but didn't let go. "You will visit me again, won't you?"

"I guess so," she pulled her hand out of his and backed away. She actually had no desire to come back. This guy may reveal some more details, but it seems like he's gone nuts on his love to this girl. It doesn't even bother him that they are completely different people, and he's not even curious where she got the trinket from. Who knows what one could expect from him... As if hearing her thoughts, Tenko spoke:

"I don't care what you look like, Mary – shapes won't deceive me. I know it's you. And you have this keychain for a reason... I'm sure you will remember and understand everything with time."

"I hope... You know, when someone scolds you for something you've never even done it makes you three times angrier. Later!" Selena waved her hand and quickly left the shop.

Kevin was waiting outside.

"I thought it'll take longer," he said when Silver approached.

"I've spent half an eternity there," the girl rolled up her eyes. "This guy is weird... But I've got something from him. I was right – my twin visited him, and even left a gift for me," she showed the key.

"But where does it fit?" Kevin frowned. "Could it be..."

"Yes, this might be a key to just about anything," Selena looked him in the eye. "Any Key. Did you read about it?"

"Yes. And I remember what fine there is for using it. We should think hard whether we've exhausted all other options."

"There is one place where we could probably learn something," Silver said. "Have you heard about 'Lavender House'? No? That's what I thought... Let's just hope taxi drivers know about it."

***

'Lavender House' turned out to be not some brothel, but an elite gymnasium for girls. That's all taxi driver could say about this institution. He dropped the pair off at the entrance, before the tall lattice fence.

"I see a lot of this kind of fences lately," Selena muttered. "I wonder if they are there to keep people from getting in, or from coming out?"

"They must be for protecting the residents," Evanford shrugged. "Though you can't protect yourself from everything with a fence alone."

"And it seems to me that this is a cage for those who are inside... I can't stand obstacles like that," Silver looked through the lattice at the three-story building. It did resemble some kind of educational institution, one built long ago.

They approached the security officer's post at the entrance. The girl turned to him:

"Good day to you, sir! From what I've heard, your gimnasium provides excellent education. New school year is just around the corner, and I'm thinking about enrolling my sister into your school. I'd like to learn more about the disciplines you study here, what approach you have to teaching, and about the gimnasium in general. Who can I talk to?"

"We have special days to show visitors around, or you must arrange a meeting in advance," he glanced at the visitor condescendingly. The girl smiled wryly. He would've probably treat her way more seriously if she would wear a dress and stiletto heels... Well, if she had some magic power of foresight to predict situations like that, she wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place.

"Don't judge the book by its cover. I assure you, our family can afford the education here. We don't have an arrangement, but perhaps a recommendation will do? Does the name Cunningham say anything to you?" Silver raised her eyebrow.

Security officer said something into his walkie-talkie and, upon hearing the answer, told to the pair:

"Come in. Someone will meet you at the front door."

They passed through the gate and went to the building. Looking at his companion with a slight surprise, Kevin asked:

"What's with the manners?"

"I don't know what's gotten into me," Selena shrugged. "I guess I just intuitively felt that I should play this way... And it worked."

"Yes, all of us have flashes of shwuggering shmug here and there," Evanford noted, unruffled as always. The girl laughed and lightly slapped his shoulder. When they approached the entrance, a woman wearing a blouse and a knee-length skirt came out and greeted the visitors:

"Welcome," she gestured them in. "My name is Anna, I'm a teacher here."

"Nice to meet you. I am Selena Silver, and this is my friend, Kevin Evanford," the girl introduced herself.

"Being honest, I haven't heard those names before," Anna's grey eyes were examining the visitors. "Why have you decided to turn to our school?"

"First of all, it's very prestigeous. Besides, Cunninghams were friends of my family, and used to speak quite favorably about your gimnasium. It happened so that I had my education abroad, but my parents want to enroll my sister here. I fully trust our friends' recommendations, but still decided to come and see for myself what this place is like," Silver was holding up well, making it seem like conversations in such a tone were natural for her.

Evanford didn't quite understand why she have never mentioned this school before. It's obvious that it's not for the first time that she sees it, or speaks about Cunninghams, for that matter.

"And by the way..." the girl continued. "As far as I recall, their daughter was studying here? Do you know anything about Deborah, what did she do after graduating?"

"She's surely hard to forget," Anna replied dryly. "We were studying at about the same time, she was a couple of years younger than me, but everyone here knew her. Deborah was ill-tempered even before her parents' death, and after it she became completely unmanageable. She was starting fights with other girls, but always blamed them for picking on her. There was no particular reason, just rebelling for the sake of rebelling itself. She ran off a few times, shoplifted.... Then begged to take her back, and we didn't chase her away out of respect for her parents. And then, she simply never returned, and nobody was eager to find out what happened to her."

"This is truly sad," Selena lowered her eyes. "Anyway, I wanted to learn more about the gymnasium. Would you mind showing me around?" she was talking politely but insistently. Anna glanced at her coldly and spoke:

"Hildia Richardstone has founded the Lavender House in 1926. She named it after her favorite flower. Violet was a color she associated with sadness. Tender, like all flowers, and its scent is dispersed as fast as the spirit of aristocracy. Hildia was very concerned that heirs of respected families are driven farther and farther away from their noble roots. In her opinion, the responsibility of passing traditions to other generations lies mostly on women. Mrs.Richardstone decided to found a school where girls would turn into real ladies, choose the right path in life, and later raise their own children properly. Initially it was a small private school that one couldn't just drop into," Anna looked Selena in the eye. "But in some time they've started to accept not only girls from aristocratic families, but everyone who was willing to pay. The program has also changed," young woman walked down the corridor, gesturing the visitors to follow her.

Built half a century ago, the building was kept in perfect condition one the inside and the outside. Anna opened one of the doors, showing the class interior – new chairs and desks, well-kept flowers on the walls. Corridor was decorated by paintings drawn in a wide variety of techniques.

"Those are works of our students," Anna commented. "We highly value the artistic development of the girls. We're studying a broad spectre of disciplines that allow students to express their talents in various fields of art and science. But there is also an intensive physical training. In modern world, anything could happen, so we're giving lessons or first aid, surviving in the forest, self-defence..."

"SE? 'Surviving in the Environment'?" Silver asked quietly.

"Yes. So, you do know something about our education," sarcasm in her voice was barely noticeable.

Selena turned pale, striken by realization. This couldn't be... She always knew that they had that class, and even employed some things a day ago. But now the girl couldn't remember the teacher's face, or any specific details about the SE class. Was she really studying in this school?..

"Could you please show us the gym?" Silver spoke. Anna looked at her in surprise, but Selena endured her gaze without blinking. The teacher shrugged, nodded and moved further down the corridor.

"Where are the students?" Kevin asked.

"Most of them went to their parents for vacations. Those who left are in the dormitory, in the opposite wing of the building. Would you like to see their rooms, too?" Anna turned to Selena, now openly sarcastic.

"No, thank you," she couldn't care less about what this lady thought of her – now there were way more pressing issues to be bothered by. "I'd rather ask you if among those paintings on the walls there is one by Mary... I mean, Deborah?"

"Why are you so interested in her?" the teacher wrinkled her nose. "This girl was famous not for her talents. She might've had skills to develop, but all she was busy with was complaining about the way nobody understands her, without ever trying to calm down and create something to be valued and respected for. It seemed that she could rhyme well enough, but nobody saw her poems," Anna opened the door and they entered the small gym.

It was definitely the place that Selena saw on the screen, just from a different angle. The girl made a few steps, feeling like she was sucked into a TV. Kevin was watching her, baffled – there was less and less logic in his companion's actions. In a few moments Selena surprised him even more – she jumped, gripping the horizontal bar, and left hanging with her eyes closed.

Selena listened to her sensations. There were no more than ten santimeters between her feet and the floor, but the distance was rapidly increasing. A few moments later there was a bottomless pit below. Untrained arms were getting weaker, and the girl gripped the bar tighter. Silver actually felt that she'll fall from the dizzy height if she will let it go... But wasn't afraid of it, on contrary – the abyss was drawing her in. To feel the pleasure of flying, of absolute freedom, and get rid of all problems at the end... Her numb fingers were still holding, but Selena gave in and slowly loosened the grip. Fingers slipped, and the pitch black abyss swallowed her. During this second in the air Selena did feel like she falls from blinding height. Feet touched the floor, and Selena opened her eyes. The illusion was gone.

Anna and Kevin were looking at her with a silent question in their eyes. But the girl couldn't explain whatever just happened even to herself. Vague guesses and memories were swarming in her head. Silver asked:

"Say, do you know if Deborah ever had suicidal tendencies?"

"You do know one representative of Cunningham kin, albeit not the best one by far," someone spoke. There was a woman standing in the door frame, wearing glasses and business dress, her hair clumped in a tail. Selena felt irritated when looking at her. Nevertheless, it wasn't a personal enemy before her, just a stranger she had nothing to do with. Principal has no right to give orders to the visitors. She can kick them out at most, but Silver already learned enough and might as well leave. This woman had no power over her, and that made Selena feel spiteful satisfaction deep inside. It seems that Mery Wesson manifests herself more and more...

"Good day to you, Ms. Richardstone," the girl grinned.

"Do I know you?" she frowned.

"In a way," Selena replied evasively. "Thank you, I've learned everything I needed," she spoke to both women, bowing slightly. "My personal decision is positive, and I will strongly recommend your school to my parents. This is definitely the place I'd like to see my sister studying in. Have a good day," she passed by surprised teachers into the corridor and headed towards the exit.

Ms.Richardstone asked Anna something, frowned again and said:

"Excuse me, what is your name?"

"Does 'Mery Wesson' ring any bells?" having nothing more to seek here, Selena already dropped her formal attitude.

"No, but..."

"That's not me," the girl said calmly. "My name is Selena Silver. We won't bother you any longer, I bet all of us have more important stuff to attend to. Goodbye," she forced a smile and quickened her steps. Leaving dumbfounded women behind, Kevin and Selena passed by the guard and quickly walked down the street. Not waiting for her companion to start asking questions, the girl spoke:

"I don't know any of those people. In the Pocket I've watched a video where a strict teacher was scolding a disobeying student. Then I saw a picture of that girl in the police station. And the clerk in Obsidian store said that she was his friend and called herself Mary Wesson, after the revolver. Also, he showed her picture and told that it's me! Could you imagine that?" frustration was enveloping her again. "I look nothing like her! Anyway, that guy said that Mary mentioned some 'Lavender House'. So, I decided to check... And now I feel like I was actually studying here... Seems like I am connected to Mary somehow," Silver winced at that thought.

"Does it shed any light on our story?" Evanford asked.

"I don't know, but that doesn't bring any joy, that's for sure," Selena replied sullenly.

"By the way, wasn't it hard for you to hang there with your hand broken?"

"Well, if that knife wound didn't keep me from grabbing it..." Silver showed him a completely healed palm. She scratched nearly all blood crust away, so there was almost no mark left from the yesterday's wound. Kevin was astonished:

"How could the cut heal so fast? This is physically impossible..."

"You see it with your own eyes," Selena waved her hand. "I don't feel any pain... I've never broke bones before, I don't know how long it must take, but you're right, it seems quite fast. It feels like my hand is in good shape already, and that cast only gets in the way.

"You should do an X-ray..."

"Sure, but not now," she looked Kevin in the eye. "We have to move forward. Now we've got no options left but reading this book... Or... Should we check out what this key does?"

"You're well aware that it's better not to use it," Evanford shook his head.

"It might turn out to be the lesser evil... We just have to be careful where to stick it into," she stroke the jagged edge of Any Key. "There's a certain door that you also know pretty well, and there might be something of interest behind it."

# Chapter 8

### Spare copy

They walked the marbled hall, trying to look calm. Security officer followed them with his gaze, but didn't say anything.

"Why is he staring?" Silver muttered. "Spots on the floor were cleaned up long ago – how long can one live in the past?"

"Don't judge the others. We seem to depend on the past ourselves, thought until recently we had no idea we do," Evanford said, referring to his own thoughts.

They've approached the door that used to open into the dark room and the psychiatrist's office. Selena turned the handle just in case – closed, as expected. She took the key out of her purse and put it into the keyhole. It went in smoothly, like it was made for this lock. With a deep breath, the girl turned it and pushed the door... But it didn't budge. Before she could think anything, Kevin came closer and turned the handle. Selena smiled nervously, placed her hand on his and opened the door.

A strange view emerged before their eyes. There were quite authentic-looking ruins, cracked stone slabs on the floor. But the door they came through was in the usual painted wall. The wall was stretching further in both directions, but it was impossible to walk along it – the path was obstructed by ruins. Ceiling was about ten meters above them. It felt like a piece of ancient world got transported into a huge hall.

"Why would anyone make a setpiece like that?" Selena took a few cautious steps on the stone floor. "What's that?" she froze and strained her hearing. There was a barely audible growl, and a couple of seconds later some creature jumped from behind the semi-collapsed wall.

It resembled a dog, but one with a very long neck and disproportionately massive paws. Animal was unhealthy – chapped red skin could be seen through the hairless patches in its fur. With a roar, the creature threw itself towards Selena.

The girl didn't have time to consciously recall what SE lessons taught them about protection from dogs. She instinctively put forward her arm bent in elbow – let this creature rather chew on her arm than on her face... To her surprise, creature didn't jump and knock her to the ground, but stopped and closed its jaws on the arm. Its teeth punctured the cast and began to sink into the skin. Selena was about to stab the dog's bloodshot eye with a key she was squeezing in her hand, but didn't have time to – something whizzed and hit the animal's ribcage.

Creature unclenched it jaws and growled loudly. Another bullet – that was most probably a bullet – got buried in the fur. After the third one the dog dropped dead. Selena wanted to look where the shots came from, but a female voice yelled:

"Eyes on the floor! Hands up!"

Silver slowly raised her hands. She had a guess about who was giving the orders, but didn't want to argue with someone who holds the gun.

"Look at the floor!" the voice replied harshly. "Don't look at me!" the second she said it Silver raised her gaze. There was a girl in yellow dress standing in the cover of a wall, about a meter above the floor.

"Well of course, forbidding has the opposite effect on you," the girl smirked and jumped down, her light dress rising to her hips.

"Who the hell are you?" Silver finally asked.

"I'm Gelia Gold!" the girl smiled radiantly.

"Is this all you can say?" she frowned. "Why were you running around me? Why do you look so much like me?"

"I'd say that you are the one looking way too much like me. You're my pathetic copy," Gelia muttered with irritation, but her twin didn't hear her any longer.

"What's with your hand?!" Selena asked in shock.

"My faithful helper," her new acquaintance grinned.

"May I?.." without waiting for the answer, she approached, took her twin's hand and started examining it, both disgusted and mesmerized.

The girl's right hand was deformed beyond recognition. It seemed like under the thick layer of skin bones were forming a clenched fist with the pointing finger stretched out – but to the touch the small lumps didn't feel like bones. There was an orifice at the tip of the finger, making it look like a gun barrel; it was a bit moist, almost completely covered with soft skin that seemed elastic. The "barrel" had slightly wider spots that were marking the joints. Selena cautiously pressed it – feels hard, like there was metal inside. Gelia was reluctantly but patiently putting up with her twin feeling her pistol hand, but when Silver tried touching the exit hole, she immediately jerked her hand away.

"No-o, only those I like may touch this! Everyone else will deal with this at a distance... And what about you, wanna examine me?" she pointed at Evanford, almost sticking the barrel into his chest.

"No, I can see everything from here," Kevin shook his head. Selena's double was different form her in many ways – even physically, let along in her behavior. In comparison to this lady, Silver seemed modest, almost refined. Even before, even though he didn't particularly like his uncle's student, she grew on him a bit during those few days, and now he saw her positive qualities in even better light. Cognition comes through comparison. Those girls were completely different... If not to say "opposite".

"Are you shooting from it?" Silver had her eyes glued to the weird limb.

"Naturally," Gelia stroke her hand gently. "I'm calling it 'gunhand'. Doesn't have the greatest range, but at a close distance it's the best, and I love getting close. Its power depends on what it's loaded with, and on the mood, of course."

"So how do you load it?" beside the barrel, Evanford didn't see any other holes.

"Oh, it's a bit unconventional," the girl blinked. "Come and I'll treat you to some sweet berry. I also need to fill my charger," she slapped a small empty sack hanging on the rope around her waist. "Let's take the upper route. Those animals are primitive, all they can do is running and biting, but I've got no time to waste on them," grabbing the rocks with her left hand, Gelia quickly climbed up the ruins.

"And where's the dog?" Selena suddenly noticed that the dead animal is gone.

"Did you ever play computer games?" the girl rolled her eyes. "Ok, move it, I'll tell you on the way."

Stone blocks turned out to be surprisingly smooth and clean. Kevin and Selena climbed up and followed Gelia, trying to keep up with her pace. Collapsed walls were forming a labyrinth of their own, but the girl obviously knew where she's going. All four surrounding walls could be seen from this height – the room they were in was about the size of a football field. In half a minute the pair got used to walking on the stones and almost didn't fall behind their guide. Upper route was more convenient indeed – beside a multitude of dead ends, there were many animals down below, exact copies of the first dog. They were standing completely still, like statues. Creatures didn't react at people, even though sometimes they were passing right before the animals' vacant eyes.

"Don't they notice us?" Selena asked quietly.

"We're outside their trigger zone," Gelia was talking in such a tone like she was explaining this for the tenth time to someone mentally challenged. "Those dumb furries exist in a plane, in two dimensions. They come to life only when the enemy appears nearby."

Distracted, Selena failed to watch her step and quickly paid for it. Her foot slipped, and the girl slid down, her back rubbing against the stones. Fortunately, it wasn't that high here. Selena fell on her knees.

"Do you have noodles for legs or what?" Gelia wrinkled her nose painfully. It looked as if her twin's clumsiness didn't just irritate the girl, but was making her suffer. Suddenly her eyes narrowed, and Gold abruptly stretched her right arm forward.

A dog that jumped from behind the ruins was rapidly approaching its target. Gunhand made a quiet squelch, and something flashed in the air. Judging by the projectile, the bullet must've hit the creature's muzzle, but it seemed to disappear. Silver raised her gaze from the floor, looking right into the hellish dog's gaping jaw, and heard the second bullet whizz by her ear. Animal dropped dead in the same pose as the first one.

"Next time you won't be as lucky," it was unclear by Gelia's voice if it's a warning or a promise. She jumped to the ground. Selena was vacantly looking at the lifeless animal lying before her.

"Are you all right?" asked Kevin, also coming down. His voice pulled Selena out of her stupor.

"I'm alive," she raised to her feet. Knees and back were aching, but there wasn't a slightest scratch on the skin. "I recalled how I fell once on the stone stairs. It almost didn't hurt at the moment, but it turned out that my pants are torn, and there is a big, though superficial abrasion on one knee... It was oozing with ichor for almost two weeks, and took a long time to heal. And those stones don't seem to work the same way," Selena kicked the ground with her heel. "But you know what's weird? In this memory, I'm about twelve or thirteen years old – at the time I was supposed to be in a hospital, not run around. I'm starting to lose any idea what's true, what happened to me, who I actually am?" she shuddered.

"I also start having doubts," Evanford replied pensively. There was no particular proof, but it was easy to guess that something is off with his own past, too. Now when Kevin came to think about it, he couldn't clearly recall a single episode from his childhood. Save for the fear of the closet, but only the feeling itself, no specific images. He couldn't visualize faces of his parents. Adding up all events in his life will do little to explain how he grew into the person that he is. There's an important component missing from the equation, some logical link...

"I see that those dogs will have a treat today – snails in their own juice. Hurry up!" Gelia yelled. After walking around a few more walls they came up to a door in the wall. The girl opened it, announcing: "Welcome to my garden."

It was an actual garden – alive, fruit-bearing cherry trees were growing from the floor. Gold walked between them, looking for something.

"He did what I asked, good boy," she picked the cutting pliers from the floor and gave them to Kevin: "Help her get rid of that damn cast."

"Yeah, it seems like it's of no use," Silver agreed. Kevin clumsily cut the cast gave the pliers back – Gelia took them and immediately threw to the floor. Selena rubbed her hand:

"First the cut, now this... Everything heals so quickly recently. I'm not complaining, but it's still weird."

"Don't you worry, it won't last long," Gelia muttered under her breath and spoke louder: "I see that you decided to play seriously. It's time to tell you something," she opened her bag and started collecting cherries. "Once upon a time there was a man. That is, he existed, but it was hard calling it a life – no TV, no dog, no religion, no favorite t-shirt, no sex, no cup of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. All he did was programming, and he was so obsessed with it that he became one of the top professionals. He even went as far as considering himself a god of programming, though he never told it to anyone, because he didn't like interacting with people. His only entertainment were video games, and he was obsessed with the idea of creating a perfect game. The one that would combine all genres, with dynamic, nonlinear plot, powerful artificial intelligence and hyperrealistic graphics. But this man was way ahead of his time. Hardware that could run such a game didn't even exist back then – and even if it did, it certainly wasn't for sale."

"So he decided to built his own machine," Kevin continued and turned to Selena: "When you were in a coma, my uncle mentioned an obsessed programmer. And you knew his name, though I can't recall it now."

"Proggod?" the girl frowned. "I've read an excerpt where she entered his room and gave him some small part that he was looking for, and in return, asked to cheat! And I think she was scheming against us," Silver glanced at Gelia from under the brows. "Why did you steal the car anyway? And why were you chasing me? Why do you look so much like me, and where did you get a hand like that?!"

"You'll get the answers if you finish the game," Gold grinned. "Are you going to listen to me or interrupt me with stupid questions? So, a certain event has changed everything. Proggod and a few more people got a chance to bring their secret wishes to life. What you see around is a collaboration, a mixture... If you'll put a few unhealthy brains into a blender and push the button, this is the cocktail that you'll get. Proggod has set the main style. His fantasy was way more detailed and large-scale than the others'. Key objects, auxiliary characters, trigger principle and many other elements of computer games..."

"Trigger?" Selena repeated, baffled.

"Well, yes. Certain things that put characters or events in motion. For example, each of those dogs had a specific zone that you have to step into to make it react. And this is the general rule – you can't move forward before you perform the right action. You didn't try all that hard, of course... But you were lucky thus far," she tied the bag.

"Which event did you mention? The one that took place on October 12th, 1996, when time stopped in Jeremy Lace's office?" Evanford gave her a searching look.

"Uhh, you just can't stick to the subject, do you... I'll never finish this briefing," Gelia rolled her eyes. "Well of course, what else do you think this could be about."

"Then who are those 'other people' that you've mentioned?" Kevin went on. "Who was there? Jeremy Lace, me, Selena, Proggod... Who else? You? My uncle?"

"I could only hint that six people were present," the blonde smirked.

"Maybe also Tenko?" Silver blurted out without even thinking. Gelia shook her head. "Well, then maybe... That creepy guy that grabbed me in the corridor! He must've confused us, sunny," she winked sarcastically. "Who was that? What relationship do you have with him?"

"A-ah, Pet," Gold shrugged. "I call him that, this is shortened from Pervert. He's no one to me. Just blows sometimes, that's all."

"B-blows?" Selena raised her eyebrows. "So, after all, you are..."

"No," Gelia sharply interrupted her. "Me? And this sobby sack? Who are you taking me for? He's so repulsive that I can hardly imagine even you with him," she shuddered in disgust.

Selena sighed. Granted, her double's appearance is hardly the worst thing that has happened these days. But Silver twitched every time she looked at her living reflection. The girl detested her twin from the moment she saw her first – maybe partially because she felt Gelia's enmity towards her. Whatever was the case, Gold was irritating her more and more.

"Tenko? Pet? Who are they?" Kevin have never heard those names before.

"Tenko is a clerk in 'Obsidian' store, and your girlfriend's old flame," Gelia said. "As for Pet... It's too long to explain, and I don't want to anyway. We know each other, that's what I can say."

"Yes, Selena mentioned that the clerk mistook her for his friend," Evanford remarked. Selena nodded, looking at him almost gratefully – at least someone sees her as herself, not as some girl from the past. "Either way, this man wasn't there when the event took place, so we're not taking him into account. And the one you called pervert, was he present, after all? Who is he, what is his real name?"

"That's his name now," Gelia shrugged. "Now we all have names that suit us. Those we deserve..."

"So, let's see... Me and Selena were certainly there on day X. And Jeremy Lace – that was the moment he got stuck in time. Proggod also participated. There are reasons to think that my uncle was there too. Gelia also, probably. And, as we found out, there was someone named Pet. And don't forget Haurot Sputkee. Did I miss anyone? Doesn't seem so... Who are the extra ones, then?"

"No one," it looked like Gold was smiling at a joke that only she knew. "All of them were in the circle."

"In a circle?.. But you said that six people were present, and I counted eight," Evanford frowned.

"Different math is at work here," the girl cunningly winked.

"Another rules... The laws of psychics?" Kevin cautiously asked, recalling Haurot's words. Gelia smiled in agreement. "I assume you're acquainted with Sputkee?"

"O-oh, more than acquainted," she grinned. "We ended up close by accident, and this close relationship lasts to this day," Gold unwittingly cringed. It seemed like she wasn't too satisfied with that relationship.

"And you know my uncle, too?"

"Yup. A born analopsychotic," she said it with almost an unironic respect. Selena turned away. She couldn't stand seeing her own mouth spitting out things like that.

Kevin would also gladly get rid of her company – Gelia was arrogant, crass, unpredictable, and didn't give an altruistic impression at all. Nevertheless, she saved them from dogs and now readily answers the questions. This was obviously suspicious.

"Why are you helping us? What's your benefit from this?" Evanford asked straight. Gelia jockingly raised the gunhand barrel like a scolding pointing finger and said with a smile:

"Well, you got me. Yes, I'm saying all this not because I enjoy chatting with you. Plot has to be moved forward. I also want to get to the finish line, and ending the game, unfortunately, depends only on you now," Gelia began examining a tree branch.

"And what will happen in the end?" Selena's eyes widened with curiosity.

"A miracle," Gold picked a big cherry and put it into her mouth. "When the wishes of those people came true, they didn't become completely healthy. There were still bugs in their brains, they've just crawled into the corners. And if you fail in the game, they'll grow and munch on you till the end of eternity... Of you'll just die. But the one who will make their way through all the trials will get out clean, and will help those who were before him. That's why stakes rise with each new player."

"And you're also one of the players?" asked Evanford.

"No-o, I'm a Joker of this deck. I've got no problems, no fears. But saying that I don't give a fuck would be a lie, because sometimes I do," she winked suggestively. "Yes, I do care how this will end. And I'm actively participating, as you've already noticed. By the way, I'll travel with you a bit," she obviously wasn't going to check if they're on board with it or not. Picking a few more berries, she offered them to Kevin, licking her lips: "Want to treat yourself to something juicy?"

"No, thank you," professor's nephew shook his head.

"Are you squeamish about taking food from someone's hands?"

"It's not about that," he replied calmly. "I can't check if they're wormy or not, so I'd rather not eat them."

"And what about you?" Gelia looked at her twin.

This was one of the few things they had in common – Silver did like cherries. All berries looked exquisite – glossy, meaty, without a single spot. Under another circumstances she would've taken them without a second thought, but now she was suspicious, especially after what Kevin said. Selena took one cherry and tore it in half with her nails. Inside the juicy pulp, she saw a fat worm squirming. Shrieking in disgust, she threw the cherry away. Terrified by the realization that was building up in her head, the girl took another berry and opened it a bit. Catching a glance at something white inside, she slowly put the cherry back into Gelia's palm.

"Are they all like that?" she asked in horror.

"Sure," Gold bit through the juicy pulp, licked her lips and started chewing. "That's a nuisance, but I'm willing to pay this price... It's a full course meal right there," she smiled wryly and swallowed.

"You said you don't have any problems. But it seems that you're not too happy with this situation. You contradict yourself," Evanford noted. Gelia ignored him.

"Wait a second... To pay the price for what?" Silver asked.

"For this," the girl threw her hand out. Soft skin that was covering the barrel hole stretched. A cherry stone flew out at great velocity, whizzed by Selena's ear and smashed against the wall. Silence fell.

"So, your body doesn't digest them, just spits them out immediately?" Kevin finally spoke. "That's a curious way to function."

"If I don't shoot, they get dissolved within a few minutes," Gold replied.

"I see," Kevin nodded. He guessed the gunhand's principle of operation back when their new acquaintance didn't spit out the first cherry stone. It's obvious that it was her visiting his mansion and leaving a note. It's unlikely that this lady will explain why she did this. That episode might have no significance, perhaps she just wanted to screw with him, there's no better way to put it. It seems like Gelia enjoys pranks and practical jokes.

"If you'll ever decide to visit me again, at least call. Intruding like that is simply rude," Evanford remarked dryly.

"Ok, next time I'm about to come, I'll let you know," Gelia winked. "Alright, enough chilling. It's time to find some new adventures," she headed towards the door. Exchanging glances, Kevin and Selena reluctantly followed.

***

In the corridor, something caught Evanford's eye. He blinked a couple of times in disbelief, but it looked like his eyes weren't lying – Selena did cast a slight shadow, something he has never seen here before. Kevin turned back and saw that he also has a shadow, even more blurry. He waved his hand, and the shadow repeated the gesture. Calculating the angle of light incidence, Evanford realized that Gelia is the only possible source. Gold herself didn't cast a shadow, and didn't glow either. He had already put up with the fact that anything is possible in the Pocket, but decided to verify his guess anyway. He was watching Silver's shadow change as she moved. Then Gelia stopped before some door, and Selena stepped closer to her. Shadow became way more distinct. The girl turned and raised her eyebrows:

"Hey, what's up with you?" Silver was surprised to see him looking somewhere at the lower half of her body.

"I don't remember seeing shadows here before," he pointed at the floor. "It seems that Gelia is the one casting the light."

"Well of course! And not some lame reflected light at that," Gold tossed her head proudly, glancing at her double.

"Yes, you're a real sun in place where stars don't shine," Silver said through her teeth and turned to Kevin: "Isn't this your license plate?"

Evanford finally raised his gaze and saw familiar numbers. Indeed, his license plate was hanging on the door. Looks authentic, not a phantom or a replica... He touched the plate, and it suddenly fell right into his arms.

"That's a good sign," Gelia said.

"It's just a regular one," Kevin said, examining the plate.

"No, I mean you didn't even enter and you've already picked an object! In the Pocket, you can make anything from anything, but you can only carry out the things that got here from the big world. That's a rule that can't be broken," Gold crinkled her nose. "Anyway, we'd better come in – we'll probably get more stuff in there."

"Or we'll get our asses kicked," Selena muttered, but she didn't have a better alternative. She entered, instinctively trying to stay close to Evanford.

Behind the door, there was a narrow passage, dimly lit and compeletely metal, with large rusty spots. There were gratings in the walls with fans slowly spinning behind them, but air didn't seem to flow at all. Holding their breath, trio moved forward. The surroundings made even Gelia nervous – at least she cut her chatter and looked concentrated. Kevin noticed some brown spots on the floor – they were darker than rust and had a more distinct shape. In a few steps he saw more spots like that, and some weird streaks on the walls. Evanford decided not to draw the girls' attention to them.

Suddenly they heard a gritting sound followed by something heavy being dragged on the floor. Everybody froze, straining their ears. In a few meters before them the passage forked, and the sounds seemed to come from the left. Gold cautiously looked around the corner:

"It's clear. Which way do we go?" she grinned, seeing the expressions on their faces. "Ok, let's turn right."

Squeezing the plate in his hands so hard that fingers started to hurt, Keving was thinking what he would've done had she turned left. Most probably would've followed anyway... It's sad to admit, but he was too nerve-wracked to think clearly. And that is wrong.

They passed a few more turns and walked a long the corridor for a couple of minutes already. It seemed to stretch with every step. Dozens of useless fans were spinning behind the gratings in the walls. Their movement was nauseating, it made them desperatly wish for a breath of fresh air. Kevin waved with the license plate near his face, creating a slight wind, then did the same to Selena. The girl looked at him gratefully. She seemed even more pale than usual. Eventually the passage ended with a turn. After a long and dull period of walking Silver and Evanford's attention somewhat deadened, so what they saw came as even more of a shock.

The very first grating behind the corner was wrenched apart, with some creature's tentacles sticking out of it – thick and so long that they could've reached the opposite wall. When trio appeared, tentacles jerked and started wriggling, some of them stretched out towards people. But the next moment, for no apparent reason, they were pulled back into the opening, leaving stains of green and purple mucus on the walls. Gelia waited a bit and calmly walked forward, passed the grating and turned to her compations. Kevin and Selena were numbly staring at the place where tentacles were.

"Uh, come on!" Gold waved her hand. "Don't be scared, it won't crawl out, and even if it will, it'll do it very slowly. Would you rather turn back or what?"

Passage behind them seemed almost endless. Walking it again would be like descending to the center of the Earth, into obscrure, dark caves one can never get out from... Selena dashed forward, stopping in five meters after the grating. Kevin didn't run, he even glanced into the opening while walking past it. It was pitch black inside, but Evanford just sensed something moving in there.

This segment of the passage was short, and Selena was standing not far from the next turn. Unhealthy curiosity overcame the fear, and she looked behind the corner. Silver froze, seeing a puddle of crimson liquid on the floor. Walls nearby were spattered from top to bottom, there were even spots on the ceiling. Meanwhile, Gelia quietly approached and slighly pushed her twin's shoulder with the gunhand. Selena shrieked and kicked her to the floor with a fast move, without even realizing what she does – it was the body memory.

"You're a psycho," Gold muttered, rising to her feet.

"Don't you ever touch me," Silver hissed.

"You know better than anyone: telling not to do something is of no use," her lips quivered in a half-smile. It seemed that even despite ending up on the floor, Gelia enjoyed that she managed to freak her double out. The girl easily jumped over the puddle and moved on. Kevin walked around the puddle, doing his best not to touch the walls. In a few steps he felt something was off and turned around. His companion didn't make a single step.

"Selena?" he called.

"I'm not going anywhere," her voice was trembling, but still sounded quite determined.

"Uhh, we've just mentioned this thing with 'not's," Gelia grumbled. "You will not go? And what will you 'yes' do? Will you remain standing over that puddle forever? Will you turn back? Alone? Don't waste my ti..."

"I'm going back," the girl said firmly. "I'll find a way out into the corridor and try some other door. I don't know it there will be something better... But at least there were no puddles like that before we met you."

"Whatever rocks your boat," Gold shrugged and turned to Evanford: "Are you coming?"

He stood still, shifting his gaze from one twin to another. Frowning, Gelia came close to him and said quietly:

"Do you still have doubts? We are the same – why do you care who you're hanging out with? How is she better than me? I'm way more bright and brave than she is! And I have an idea of what's going on in there! You like logical thinking, isn't the choice obvious here?"

"First of all, she has the book and the key. Besides, I know her, and I can't say the same about you," Evanford moved away and stepped towards Selena.

"No, ok, wait!" Gelia shouted. "Didn't you still get how everything works here? You can only move forward! You'll never come back the same way! Believe me," she sounded serious. For a few seconds twins were staring at each other without blinking. Finally, Selena spoke:

"Maybe so. But we're not your tail to be dragged around everywhere. You think that we won't be getting anywhere no matter what crap you say or do. I don't like it," she looked at Gold from under her brows.

"I don't care," Gelia shrugged. "If it bugs you so much, be a guide yourself. Next time, you say which way to turn. But first we have to move."

Still sullen, without saying a word Selena walked around the puddle and further down the passage. Gold's invisible light now was behind her back, and a blurry shadow was sliding before her like a ghost. That was getting on her nerves, so the girl quickened her pace to leave the double behind and get rid of the shadow. It was turning more and more transparent, but, as if out of spite, didn't vanish completely. Concentrated on the floor under her feet, Selena even forgot about the danger and didn't notice anything around. Passage made another turn, and Silver almost turned the corner, but suddenly some creature flew out towards her. Almost hitting her chest, it made a circle around and flew on. Frightened, she turned and saw the creature hovering in front of Kevin.

Evanford froze, seeing something shaggy right before his face. Almost ball-shaped, covered in tousled fur. Transparent, fly-like wings were flickering behind his back, but for some reason didn't make any sound. There were six legs under the belly, very thin and feeble. They dangled lifelessly, but the small chelas on their ends were making rapid gripping movements. But the scariest, though not the most exotic element of the creature were its eyes. Real, dark gray human eyes without eyelids, which made them look goggled, but with thick brows hanging over the eyeballs. That gave it an even more sinister look.

For a few seconds a furry ball and a human were looking at each other. Then the small beast frowned even more and swooped at Kevin. Evanford instinctively recoiled and hit the creature with a license plate. It felt like he was hitting a heavy soft ball. Creature flew back a couple of meters. At first glance it didn't seem to take damage, but it wasn't moving as smoothly as before.

Kevin held the plate at the ready, waiting for another attack, but the shaggy ball didn't even approach. It flew down the passage, back where they came from. Legs with neurotically clicking chelas were blowing about under its belly, like hair. It seemed to fly backwards, so that its eyes were fixed at Evanford and were piercing him with their gaze until the monster disappeared behind the corner.

"I see that you like this fluffy cutie," Gelia remarked, turning to her twin. "Are you googling like that to look more like him? Copying others is a bad habit, you'd better find your own style."

"Oh damn," Selena exhaled. "What the... Though no, I don't even want to know what it was!" unable to stand still, she started pacing back and forth. "How many other monsters are there? And you're going to go there, Kevin? Well I'd rather..."

She cut her words short, accidentally glancing behind the corner. In a few meters, the passage divided into three, and right in the middle of the intersection there was a revolver lying on the floor. Selena cautiously approached, trying to figure out her feelings. This might be a trap... But for some reason it seemed that the gun won't hurt her. Still not daring to grab it, Selena leaned down and saw an engraving: "Smith & Wesson". Series H-32.

"Yeah, sometimes you have to look your fear in the eye," Gelia friendly slapped Kevin's shoulder and whispered: "It flew to you because you had something to protect yourself with. Don't worry. This place doesn't put you through bigger trials than you can theoretically endure. Of course, in practice anything could happen..."

"Why is it lying right on the floor?" Silver spoke.

"And what is it supposed to do? Hover in the air? Maybe also spin?" Gelia asked dryly. Only after turning the corner Evanford realized what they're talking about. But Gold replied even before she actually saw the gun...

After some hesitation Selena picked up the revolver. She never held a weapon before... Or rather didn't remember if she did – it's already obvious that memory shouldn't be trusted. But the feelings were familiar. Weight of the revolver in her hand was reassuring. The girl aimed at the nearest fan, sensing the fear of this place and its monsters slowly turning into curiosity. With a habitual movement, Selena pushed out the cylinder – there were five live cartridges and one with a punctured cap.

"One is spent," she spinned the cylinder and pushed it back in.

"Is this all you can say?" Evanford frowned. He recalled her words about wishing to have a gun. If she'll get it, especially in circumstances like that, it's unclear who will suffer more damage. "Are you sure you should pick up the things that are so blatantly planted before you?"

"And what do I do? There are tentacles creeping around, some hideous bugs – do you think it's wise to stay unarmed?" the girl answered indignantly. It was hard to argue with that. Kevin himself didn't quite regain his mental balance after the creature's attack. And it wasn't even about the fact that the monster attacked him – its appearance itself was deeply disturbing. Googled eyes, shaggy body, chelas – it seemed like he saw something like that in nightmares. But when?

"So, which way are you going to lead us?" asked Gold without a hint of irony. Selena confidently pointed to the right with the revolver's barrel. For a brief moment, the blonde bent her lips in a smile of superiority. Now Evanford was certain: Gelia manipulates her double, and everything unfolds just the way she wants. But what's her agenda? He could only make guesses, but Kevin felt from the very beginning that the interests of their new acquaintance don't match their own.

Silver walked forward, glancing at the fans. Arm with the revolver was lowered, but hand was squeezing the handle nervously. Silver wasn't actually sure what she will do if a monster suddenly jumps out, will she manage to react and shoot quick enough. In either case, the gun made her feel way calmer. But, even thought there were many suspicious spots on the wall, nobody was attacking.

They passed a few more turns and forks. Selena was choosing the direction without thinking over it, just listened to her gut at the moment. Turning yet another corner and suddenly seeing a door before her, Silver immediately opened it and stepped outside.

***

As always, instead of the sky there was a ceiling above, and before them there was a small square with a few rows of cars lined up. Those were mostly brightly painted sports cars. There was a single road starting from the edge of the area, and there seemed to be no other way out. Houses that surrounded the square were standing close to each other – either side to side or with a gap so small that not even a child could squeeze through. Houses were very similar – with smooth walls, square windows with almost untransparent glasses and a single door right in the middle of their facade. They only varied in number of floors and in color – each house was painted in flat shades of yellow, green, blue or brown. Looking around, Kevin said:

"Those houses remind me of a block construction set I once had – colorful, standard-shape and empty inside, just very big."

"I also had a set like that," Silver recalled. "The box is still collecting dust in the closet. I don't know why they bought it for me, I always liked dolls more," she turned around – the door they came out of was an entrance of one of the houses. Selena stroke the wall – it felt smooth like plastic.

"Wow, my favorite ride," Gelia smiled. "Well, pick a car."

"And where are we going to drive?" her twin asked with distrust.

"Not where, but away from who," Gold muttered under her breath and walked towards the cars.

"Hey, what did you just say?! You were here before?"

"Sure,"Gelia said over her shoulder. "I like having a great ride... How do you think I was practicing jumping out of a car?"

"Hey, by the way, why did you start all this hijacking mess in the first place?" Selena finally asked.

"No reason," she smiled carelessly. "It's not like you always realize why you act one way or another. I just felt like it. Cause why not?"

"At the very least because people could've been hurt as the result," Kevin replied coldly. "Anyway, you gave me trouble."

"No problem, I can give you pleasure, too, in any way you want," the blonde winked cunningly and sat at the hood of a violet car with yellow and green stripes. "You'd better pick a car. We don't have much time."

"What do you me..." Selena was interrupted by a loud deep sound coming from behind the houses. "What's that?" she turned around, startled.

"Do you see this line?" Selena's twin pointed at a barely noticeable stripe drawn around the parking lot. "It's a trigger. Once we've passed it, we woke up something."

"Would it have killed you to warn us before?!" the girl was furious. "And what do you mean by 'we'? You were the first one stepping over it!"

"Trigger only works on a specific condition. And you know what, darling? You're the one who has a condition!" – she pointed at the revolver in Selena's hand. "Let's cut the chatter and just dash already!"

"Closed," Selena nervously said, trying a couple of nearest cars. "How are you going start them without keys? How did you drive them before?"

"When I visited this place alone, everything was different," her voice drowned in a mighty roar. Whatever was making that sound was much closer now. "I could just drive around – with no consequences, but with no prizes, too... And I have no idea what's going to show up now," she also tried to open a door, but to no avail.

Girls ran along the rows, trying to get some car open. Evanford remained in place, looking around – he thought that it's better to analyze the situation first before rushing about from one dead-end option to another. Soon he noticed a dark green car that stood out among the brightly colored ones. Kevin didn't have a single doubt...

"Follow me!" he said it so loud and confidently that the girls immediately ran up to him. Quickly walking towards Pinton, Evanford pulled out the keys that were still in his pocket. He pushed a button, and alarm switched off with the usual beep. As if reacting to this, something loudly bellowed, and a monster appeared over the roofs.

It vaguely resembled a crab. Leathery angular torso looked like something has hammered it out. Body was small in comparison to six legs – thick pillars with a few joints each. There were orifices on the torso – they seemed small from the ground, though actually they could've swallow a grown person. They were opening and closing, as if chewing something. One of them opened wider, releasing a deep drawn-out groan. Monster swinged and threw his leg over the building.

"Whoo-oah," sincere astonishment reflected in Gelia's black eyes. Grabbing the keys out of Kevin's hand, she jumped in on the driver's side: "It's more than I expected! I'll drive, or we won't hold out for a minute! Get the hell in!!!"

Kevin sat next to Gold and finally threw the license plate on the floor. Selena turned around on the back seat in horror, watching the monster through the dusty glass.

"Well, hang on," Gelia stepped on the gas. The car speeded, and in a couple of seconds they left the square behind. They were driving along a relatively wide street surrounded by the same block houses.

"Do you really have to go that fast?" Kevin tried to grab the safety belt, but fingers slipped off the smooth surface. One look was enough to confirm that the belts weren't in this car by design. Of course, Evanford realized that it wasn't actually his Pinton, but now it became painfully obvious that the copy was less than accurate. What other unpleasant surprises will this car have?

"Would you rather rest in that beast's embrace?" Gold throttled back a bit to follow the road bend.

Kevin glanced into the rear view mirror. Monster was moving heavily and slowly, but due to his huge steps the distance between them didn't decrease. Besides, he was stepping straight over the buildings, and the road had more and more curves. However, Gelia drove confidently, without dropping speed. Pinton was moving fast and smoothly on the perfectly flat asphalt. They would've enjoyed the ride, if it weren't for the roaring creature behind.

"I see that you're familiar with the road," Kevin remarked.

"No, it's different each time, I just had a lot of practice," Gelia leaned back, easily steering the wheel with her left hand. "But creatures like that never chased me before. Everything is different now..."

Suddenly the car shook. Through the back glass, Selena saw a pothole disappearing in the distance. Gelia raised her eyebrows in disbelief: there were many bumps and dents on the road ahead.

"What the..." she muttered, trying to at least avoid the largest potholes.

"I assume they weren't here before," Evanford grabbed the bar above the door, trying to hold a vertical position.

Selena was tossed from side to side, her fingers scratching the thick fabric of a seat in an instinctive attempt to grab onto something. Silver almost forgot that there's a gun in her hand, and eventually squeezed it too hard...

Everyone was so distracted that nobody even got scared. Shocked, the girl was looking at a hole in upholstery, but didn't even think of dropping the weapon. Without turning his head, Evanford glanced into the rear view mirror, trying to figure out what's going on with his companion. Gelia shouted:

"Have you ever heard about a safety catch?! Why are you making holes where they don't belong?"

"Well I've..." the car jumped up again, and Silver hissed, twisting her mouth in pain. Kevin realized that she bitten her tongue. The very next second her twin pulled a similar face, though she had no obvious reason to do it.

"Fhat a pain in the ash," Gelia quietly muttered through her teeth and turned the wheel, making another sharp bend. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. Pupils were dilated – not so much from fear as from the nervous excitement. "Get down!" Gold yelled, throwing herself on Evanford's lap.

"What are you doing?!" Kevin leaned to the wheel, and only at that moment he saw a huge blade blocking the street; its edges were stuck in two opposing houses. It was rapidly approaching.

Selena understand what Gelia meant only when she heard an awful gritting sound. In the very last second she dropped backwards onto the seat, watching a wide metal stripe passing before her eyes, and saw a ceiling where the roof used to be.

Despite the terrible sound, the blade cut the top off the car as smoothly as razor cuts a tinfoil – even the windows didn't crack. It passed on the level where passangers' necks were supposed to be. Pinton didn't even slow down, as if nothing happened. Fortunately, this segment of the road didn't have curves.

"Get up, we've passed it," Evanford said, trying to hold on to the wheel.

"I feel fine here," Gelia replied from his knees. "And if you want, I can make you feel so fi..."

"Cut it out. This is serious," it was getting increasingly harder for him to maintain self-control.

"I can't cut anything, I can only bite..."

"Got dammit, we're about to crash!" Kevin finally exploded. It was the first time Selena heard him yelling, and this stunned her even more than the shot did. Gelia sat straight at once, saying cheerfully:

"That was quite an ejaculation, as old-timey people would say! I'm feeling merry, I'm feeling gay," she whistled, grabbing the steering wheel right in time to turn the corner. "Oh, we have a cabriolet now! You've always wanted a similar model, didn't you, Selena? I bet you'd also fancy a car like that," she turned to Kevin, who was staring blankly at the control panel. "And the road has straightened out, too! Things seem to be looking up!"

"Well, I'm looking up right now, and things don't seem to be that great," Selena watched monster stomping behind them. The last illusion of protection disappeared along with the roof. The huge six-legged thing looked even more threatening... And was closer. Much closer. As if catching the girl's glance on itself, the creature roared and threw its leg over the building. A furry pillar hit the asphalt in ten meters behind the car. "It's gonna squash us!" Selena shouted.

"I see," Gold replied gloomily. "So why are you just sitting there? Won't you at least try to shoot it?"

"What's the point," almost hypnotized, her twin was watching the monster's body pulsating above them.

"What makes you think that?" Gelia raised her voice. "It will certainly be more useful than shooting the place you sit on!"

"Don't let her provoke you," Evanford said quietly. Kevin didn't like losing his balance, and after the recent splash of emotions he retreated into himself even more. However, he still cared enough to try to prevent Selena from making a mistake, but in this state of mind he forgot that telling her not to do something has an opposite effect.

The girl tried to aim. Vague memories from her past and an accidental trigger pull don't count – it's the first time she will really shoot, and she felt somewhat unconfident. To her own surprise, Selena realised: it's not that easy for her to shoot at a living being, even if it's so scary and disgusting. She took a deep breath and quickly exhaled, pulling the trigger.

It looked like the bullet simply disappeared, but the creature roared with such a pain like it was mortally wounded. Monster almost bucked, hitting the ceiling with his front legs so hard that some plaster fell off. Huge jointy legs bent in the air; monster froze for a moment, as if aiming, and dashed towards the car. Not waiting for him to catch up with them, Selena made another shot with a steady hand. She was ready to hit him until ammo runs off, but the second bullet had a stunning effect. It seemed like it exploded – dark purple blood splattered onto the ceiling above the creature's back, began to ooze from all the pulsating orifices on its torso and poured from the exit wound. Bellowing in agony, the monster tumbled down, crumpling the buildings like cardboard boxes. He hit the ground with such a force that it shook the car, even though it was quite far already.

"That was one hell of a bullet..." notes of horror and admiration rang in Silver's astonished voice.

"Why did a usual bullet have such an effect?" Kevin spoke. Latest occurrence pulled him out of his apathy.

"Because it's a very, very important revolver. Its bullets bring substantial consequences. Of course, if you don't just hit the wall," Gold replied seriously. It was obvious that she's not going to say anything else on the subject. Another minute passed in silence. Feeling calmer now, Selena leaned on the back of the seat. But just as she finally began to enjoy the ride, the car turned another corner and stopped. They were in a dead end – the road was blocked by a wide building. It was no different from the others, save for the gilded door.

"Don't forget your plate," Gelia turned to the passanger. "And yeah, there's one thing. Here's your prize for making it through this stage," she took a cell phone out of the glove box and gave it to Evanford.

"It was there all this time?" Kevin asked in surprise. The girl winked and nodded. With a sigh, young man turned away from her and pressed the call button. Ten recently dialed numbers appeared on the screen. Tiffany's name was in the beginning of the list. "Why did you call her?" he raised his gaze at Gelia. "Can you explain at least one of the things you've done?"

"Make me," she smiled wryly, opening the door with her healthy hand. Suddenly Kevin grabbed Gelia's right wrist and pulled her to himself.

"Why did you call her? Can you explain at least that?" he repeated in an absolutely level voice. The girl smiled playfully and leaned even more towards him.

"Do you want a logical explanation? There is none. Nobody hired me to make your lives simpler. I have reasons to help you, but that doesn't mean I can't play some tricks on you, if only to see the look on your faces. I'm a girl of mood, didn't you still get it?"

"It's not much of a pleasure to be around people you don't know what to expect from," Kevin said. "There's a difference between being enigmatic and being inadequate. Personally I am trying to stay away from such people."

"Then why are you clinging to such a person," Gelia jerked her hand out of his, pushed the door and jumped out of the car. "This is what I am, whether you like it or not! Yes, I'm a rebel! Rules are written to be broken!.."

"Written... With a left hand?" Selena interjected. The girl felt that this remark will anger her double, and indeed: Gold shot her an incinerating look. But that flash sank in the void of Selena's black eyes. It was useless to fight her with her own methods. While Gelia was distracted, Evanford continued:

"You know, each road has two directions. If you don't want to move in one of them, move in the opposite. But if you're running across just for the sake of doing everything your own way, you'll fall off the bridge or end up in a ditch."

Gelia was too enfuriated to object or even curse. She turned around and shot a couple of stones into the wall of the nearest house. They smashed so hard like the shot was twice more powerful than it was before. She glanced at her companions with contempt and quickly paced away.

Selena and Kevin exchanged glances. They both didn't like Gold, so it was a moment of complete mutual understanding. They smiled at each other without saying a word, got out of a car and followed Gelia through the gilded door.

# Chapter 9

### Exit is where the entrance is

Gelia wasn't that angry already. Her smile flashed like a ray of sun in the stormy sky:

"You've passed the test – now you can relax and watch the cutscene! Take a token," she pointed at the metal panel with an outline of a palm that was mounted in the wall.

Selena recognized the Memory Screen room. Everything was the same – even the door is in the same spot, even though it doesn't lead into the corridor. Kevin approached the panel and put his hand to a contour, barely touching it. The shutter immediately opened, revealing a token. Evanford put it into the slot, and the screen lighted up.

...White walls of the office were decorating with abstract paintings. There were a few desks with chairs, and a dozen of soft pillows of different shapes were lying on the floor. A fair-haired boy was drawing something behind one of the desks. Another person in the room, lounging in the comfortable chair, was none other than Henry Evanford.

"May I take a look?" professor spoke.

"I guess," the boy replied. There were many colorful crayons, markers and chalks lying on his desk, but he was using a simple pencil. Evanford approached the desk and said after a pause:

"I asked you to draw a picture. Where did you get these from?"

Camera panned in to the table, and the viewers saw a paper with neatly written equations. Kevin noted that they're quite simple, but not so bad for a child of that age.

"I came up with them myself. I'm writing something first, and then try to solve it," the boy raised his head. He looked about twelve. The girls looked at Kevin and back at the boy, comparing. Facial features were very similar – no doubt that it was young Evanford in the past.

"That's really nice, but could you please draw something, too?" gently insisted Henry. The boy shrugged nonchalantly and sketched a human figure. One could only guess that this was a female with short, most probably dark hair.

"Who is this?"

"I don't know, I ran into her in the hallway," young Kevin returned to his equations. "She shoved me aside and said: 'Get out of my way, little snot'."

"Don't worry, soon you'll grow up, and no girl will push you away," Evanford smiled with reassurance.

"We both know it won't happen," he spoke seriously, not just like an adult, but like someone who already lived a better chunk of his life.

"I understand, equations aren't usually written with crayons... But still, is there any specific reason you've picked this pencil?" it felt like professor felt awkward and just decided to change the subject.

"Because, if you make a mistake, it's easy to erase the pencil and write over again," Kevin replied.

"Perhaps, but the paper will never be as clean as it initially was... Almost invisible traces of past will still remain," he seemed to talk to himself. After a moment of pondering, Evanford spoke: "Come to my office tomorrow at half past two."

The boy nodded, and the screen went black.

"I don't remember this," Kevin shook his head.

"This screen must be showing the past we didn't know about... Before October 12th," Selena said. "Last time I saw a girl whose picture the clerk in the shop has later showed me, saying that it's me."

"You've been here before?"

"Yes, when I was in a coma. There also was a note next to my token, saying that it's a prize for making it through some room. Now I understand who wrote it," Silver glanced at Gelia from under the brows.

"Well yes, and what's your problem," Gold grinned. "I told you I'll help you once in a while. And now I'll also tell you something: those tokens were given to each of you for getting through the Room of Immersion. A great adventure, wasn't it, Kevin?" she winked. "But now you've passed a new test, you should receive another token."

Kevin pressed his hand to the contour again. Shutter opened, but there was nothing inside. Selena frowned and tried the same, but the compartment was empty again.

"I'd rather give you a hint, or you'll struggle with this for a few more days," Gelia smiled. "None of you will get it by himself. And I bet you don't get the solution either, even though it's so simple..."

"Thanks for the tip," her twin replied harshly. She firmly took Evanford's hand, entwined her fingers with his and pressed it to the panel. The token that appeared was bigger than previous ones and had a different pattern. Selena took it with her free hand and put it into the slot.

The screen came to life and showed a couple sitting in doctor's office. Silver was surprised to recognize her own parents, though they looked at least ten years younger than now. They looked concerned, almost frightened.

"I will speak frankly," the doctor said. "Unfortunately, the diagnosis was confirmed. As I said, it's a rare form of disease, and there is basically no effective cure at the moment. We'll do all we can, but I give no guarantee."

"If so... How much time there's left?" father's voice was breaking. Mother was barely keeping herself from bursting into tears.

"I can't say for certain," the doctor lowered his gaze. "It depends on various factors... Five years... Seven... Maybe ten."

Tears appeared in mother's eyes, but before they ran down her cheeks, the screen turned dark again.

"Those are my parents," Selena said quietly, not knowing what else to add. An awkward silence fell. The girl realized that she's still holding Kevin's hand. Releasing her fingers, Silver said:

"All right, we saw the video. What's next?"

"Let's go look for some more adventures, what else?" Gelia grinned.

"But really, where is all of this going?" Evanford spoke. "We didn't come here for some cheap thrills. The only thing we want is get this game over with as quick as possible. If you want to throw yourself from one danger into another, it's up to you, but we'll be going different ways."

"Whatever," Gelia nonchalantly waved her hand.

"Wait, what's that you're holding?" Selena squinted with suspicion.

"Nothing," her twin put both hands behind her back. Now Evanford also noticed that Gold was squeezing something in her left hand.

"No, show us," Selena tried to play it cool, but her uneven voice was betraying her. Making a wry face, Gelia unclenched her fist and threw the keys at Evanford.

"I meant to give them to you... You've left them in the car," the blonde muttered.

"You got out before I did," Kevin remarked coldly. The girl shrugged, but avoided meeting his eye. Evanford said to Selena in a low voice: "We have to decide what to do next. Maybe this is the case where we should check what the book has to say?"

"I don't know... I just want to go home," Silver replied wearily. She opened the door and froze – what she saw behind it was more than familiar... Realizing that there's no time to waste, she jumped outside, pulling Kevin behind her. "And you stay where you belong!" Selena shouted over her shoulder, closing the door.

"Yeah, as if you belong there," she heard in the last second before the lock clicked.

They were standing on a porch of a private house – the door they came through was its front door. The house was surrounded by a small garden and a white picket fence. This neighborhood looked quite neat, though didn't seem wealthy. Suddenly, a big collie ran onto the porch and barked at Kevin a couple of times, wagging his tale affably. Wary, Kevin stepped back.

"Don't worry, it's his way of saying hello," Selena pat the dog's head. "Mitch doesn't bite anyone... He can't even tell a friend from a stranger, happy to see anyone – that's one silly dog... But he's so cheerful, everybody loves him and got used to him long ago. It seems like we had him for as long as I can remember," she smiled and slightly pulled the dog's ear. Mitch shook his head and barked friendly. The front door opened, and a woman appeared.

"Selena?" she smiled in surprise. "I've heard Mitch barking, I thought he wants to get in... I'm glad to see you, didn't expect you to come so soon."

"Well, it was on the spur of the moment... I wasn't planning anything specific when we spoke last. That was on Tuesday, right?" she asked cautiously. Mother nodded, and Selena looked at her companion with relief.

"So, we didn't jump in time?" Kevin whispered in Selena's ear. "But what about space? Are we far from Texven?"

"About five hours by car," Selena answered just as quietly. Her mother interpreted their private conversation her own way:

"But you still didn't introduce us," she was looking at a handsome young man with a smile. Glancing at the license plate in his hands, slightly raised her eyebrow.

"This is my mother, Adeline Silver. And this is Kevin, my... friend," she said with some hesitation. But after a few seconds of thinking Selena looked her mother in the eye and repeated firmly: "Yes, he is my friend."

"A friend, huh," the woman said with a knowing smile. Kevin spoke:

"She's right, we are friends."

"I got this, you're not obliged to play along," the girl whispered again.

"Did you lie, then?"

"No..." Selena replied without looking at him. "After all we've been through... If you aren't my friend, then who is? I told the truth."

"Me too," Kevin said without much emotion in his voice.

Seeingh them whispering to each other, Adeline got even more convinced that her daughter for some reason cenceals her true relationship with this guy. She had no idea how uneasy it was for them to call each other friends.

"All right, whatever you say," she smiled. "Come in. You're right on time – the food is almost ready."

"Great! I'm really so angry that I'd eat three Mitches," the girl laughed, patting the collie's head again, and they entered the house.

***

"I wonder why I always catch you staring out the window," a female voice spoke.

"Where should I stare, then? At the door?" Haurot turned around. Gelia shrugged:

"I don't know... There are way more interesting things behind the door than behind your window," Gold approached, stood by his side and pressed her forehead onto the warm glass. Hospital's patients were leisurely strolling outside. "Like fish in and aquarium... You can pull any of them out, and the others won't even notice. You can stir up the still water of their lives in any way you want, you can take anything out of the aquarium and put anything into it..."

"I don't have a wish to do that," the man replied calmly.

"Why do I almost always miss it when you have heliophobia?" she poked Sputkee with the gunhand barrel and walked away from the window. "Those are the only moments when I can scare you into helping me!"

"If you were visiting me more often, you would've seen more of it. I would also appreciate some company when I'm having autophobia," he replied. "Besides, I'm fulfilling your wishes not only when you're trying to pressure me. For one, just recently gave you the pliers you asked for. And before that, I cured the hand of a girl – the one that you've always said you hate, by the way."

"That numbnut broke her arm, was there any other choice?!" Gelia exploded. "If the left one also stops functioning, how am I supposed to do anything, with my mouth or what? You won't fix this one for even half an hour," she waved the gunhand. "I can't go anywhere looking like that! And I don't have anything to cover my hand with because of your stupid matter conservation rule!"

"But you were the one craving for the built-in gun, and there's no way you're giving up on it now," Sputkee objected. "And I've already explained that distorting the matter balance in that world may lead to unpredictable results. Probably that substance cocktail that I've stirred up also didn't go without consequences... But now I won't be interfering with anythng. What happens in the Pocket is only limited by the imagination of those being here. But in the external world that works by the laws of three dimensions, nothing can just appear out of nowhere. You're well aware that the only reason you can be here is because you have a physical basis. And I've made an exception for you – allowed you to take the cherry stones outside. I even gave you a chance to accumulate the mass that I'll later transform into whatever you want."

"Yeah, but you came up with that points award system just to screw with me," Gold wrinkled her nose painfully. "Each cherry pulp eaten adds a measly gram of matter, each digested cherry stone – also a single gram, but a worm gives a whole three! I almost threw up my intestines many times until I stuffed myself with enough to make this damn white wig. And also clothes – though there wasn't a lot of matter there, but still... I could've sneaked into some shop and just take the clothes I need – but no-o, you can only exit through the key points," Gelia scowled at Sputkee.

"Those are the rules... Did you come here to complain? What do you want this time?"

"Not much," Gold smiled cunningly. "I know her better than anyone else... That pale reflection of mine already begins to realize who she is and how little she's worth. I know where Selena will go soon, and then... I want to make everything even more spectacular than usual. Let "freedom" be the key word..." the girl came up to Haurot, threw her arms around his neck and whispered something into his ear. The book's creator asked:

"Do you want to send Selena into the Endless Cycle? It's not to my advantage."

"Well, it's not yet clear how all of this will play out," Gelia said in a purring voice. "She still has to face it at one point or another. My double will either be ready or not, she'll either get lucky or not. It's like flipping a coin. For humans this game is complicated, but to you, everything that happens here is nothing more than a coin flip, isn't it?" the girl moved away and looked into his impenetrable eyes. "So, will you lend a hand?" seeing that Haurot doesn't object, she grinned.

***

"Sorry, I can't leave the pan unattended for long... I'll go to the kitchen, and you make yourself at home," Adeline winked to her daughter.

"Where can I wash my hands?" Evanford immediately asked.

"I'll show you around... But first, let's at least put our stuff somewhere," Selena went into the living room and was about to put her bag on the couch, but Kevin said:

"Are you going to drop the weapon in the middle of the house?"

"Oh, right," she headed to her room. Evanford frowned. Something occurred to him just now:

"It was said that only the objects that came from the outside world can leave the Pocket. And this is logical – if it was possible to pull the products of sick imagination out of one's head, the results would be disastrous. Thus, the revolver originally came from here."

"Ok, maybe... So what?" the girl asked with suspicion.

"I'm stating a fact. I don't have enough information to come to any specific conclusion," the mathematician shook his head. However, Kevin had some conjectures... Selena got used to H-32 quite fast. It's possible that it belonged to her before, back in the time they don't remember. And there's a reason the gun was returned to her. But whom does it benefit? On one hand, some means of self-defence are necessary. But Gelia was the one leading them to the revolver, and Kevin had great doubts that her twin's well-being is something the blonde cares much about. In the hands of a nervous, scared girl a weapon may cause more harm to her own self. But Evanford couldn't suggest anything specific, so he decided not to annoy Selena for nothing and keep silence. As if feeling his look, Selena turned around:

"Should I leave your plate in the room, or are you going to carry it all the time?" she took the license plate, ran into her room, threw everything on the bed and quickly went back. It took mere seconds, but she spoke to Evanford in such a tone like he was standing there for hours: "Are you still here? The bathroom is right there, go wash your hands! Or are you afraid of the door?" she turned on the light, threw the door open and bowed jockingly, gesturing him to enter.

Kevin stepped onto the worn green tiles. Bathroom was not that much smaller than in his uncle's mansion, but for some reason it seemed awfully cramped. It felt like any movement will send something flying on the floor; like the sink is placed way lower than it should, and his head almost hits the ceiling. Evanford stood still, trying to figure out what makes him feel this way. Seeing his confusion, Selena muttered:

"Oh boy, you can't even open the faucet?" she stepped into the bathroom, moving him away with her body, and turned on the water. "Ah, it's hot!" the girl jerked her hand back, pushing Kevin. His sense organs still sending mixed signals, it felt for a second like he's falling, so Evanford grabbed Silver's shoulder on a reflex.

"What's wrong with you?!" she wrapped her arms around his waist, trying to keep him from falling. They froze for a few moments, looking each other in the eye. Kevin realized that explanations won't make the situation any better.

"Sorry. It's just..." he let go of her shoulder and waved his hand indefinitely. Senses more or less returned – the walls moved apart, the sink was on the level it should be. Selena cautiously removed her arm, as if being afraid that her companion will start falling again. She brushed the soap with her palm, quickly rubbed her hands under the water and left the bathroom. Kevin washed his hands way more thoroughly.

"That's ok, you'll get to eat something now, cause you seem to be so exhausted that you're about to drop dead from a single flick," Silver said with a smile. Feeling the tasty smell coming from the kitchen, she cheered up. Friends went to the living room and sat on a couch. Selena leaned back onto the soft pillows, enjoying her rest. Kevin was sitting straight, looking like he's listening to something tensely

"What's the matter?" the girl asked. "It feels like you're sitting on a pole."

"I can't recall where I know this smell from..."

"Oh, it's one of mom's speciality dishes. She loves cooking and usually comes up with everything herself, but I'm not sure about this one – maybe she got the recipe somewhere. And you could smell it in a restaurant or in someone's house, who knows," Silver shrugged. "I've read that smells stick in your memory better than other senses. Though it's hard to recreate them in memory, once you feel them, you immediately recall everything connected to them."

"Selena, I need some help here," Adeline called from the kitchen. She was cutting vegetables for the salad. When her daughter came in, the woman pointed at the second cutting board and a knife. "Let's do it together, it'll be faster."

Selena took a cucumber and began to cut it. She realized perfectly well why her mother actually called her, but wasn't going to account for anything. After a short pause, Adeline spoke:

"You know how I usually feel about your way of choosing boyfriends... But I do like this one. I see that you got more mature in the university, started to take things more seriously. I'm happy for you."

Silver didn't reply. She was chopping the cucumber faster and faster, barely missing her fingers. She was always annoyed by conversations like that, and in this case it's definitely better to just say nothing. Seeing that straightforward questions bring her nowhere, mother decided to change the subject somewhat:

"Coming here must've been a very sudden decision – you didn't say anything and didn't even take anything with you... At least you've got your bag, but your friend carried nothing but a license plate," she smiled.

"You know, it's a complicated story... Let me explain you later, when the dust settles," the girl replied in a tired voice. If everything ends well, she will think something up. And if not... Then it won't matter what mother thinks about today's story. "We aren't here for long, we can leave any minute. I'll explain you later," Silver repeated. She turned away and went on cutting vegetables, then suddenly asked:

"Where did you get the recipe?" she nodded at the pan.

"It's one of mine, of course," Adeline replied proudly. "It's requires some practice to be done properly, I didn't teach this one to you yet. But I can write the recipe down if you want."

"Maybe some other time," Selena said gloomily, stabbing the cutting board with such a force that the knife got stuck in there, but immediately took it out. She shouldn't give Adeline another reason to worry – if mom will ask any more questions, she'll definitely lose her temper.

***

As they were eating, Adeline kept glancing at her daughter and Kevin, but didn't say anything. Selena was already hoping that she won't ask any more questions, but, when plates were almost empty, the woman turned to Evanford:

"Do you study in the same university?"

"Yes. I've finished my third year in the department of Mathematics," he didn't see a particular reason to avoid the answer. Mrs.Silver nodded in approval and went on with a smile:

"Do you work somewhere?"

"Mom, you've taught me since I was a kid that you shouldn't talk while you're eating," Selena sharply interrupted her. "Anyway, we'll go have a rest," she kicked Kevin's leg under the table, got up and left the room. Evanford shrugged, left his unfinished plate and followed her. The girl whispered quickly:

"She may be nobody to you, you won't see her again! But I don't want to get my mom involved, she'd rather know as little as possible about all of this, and about you, too. I understand, feminine curiosity and all, but sometimes she really gets on my nerves with all those questions. Adeline is a good person, and I don't think she wants to annoy me on purpose, so I don't want to fight... But sometimes it drives me mad when she pries into my personal life. Well, I mean..." she stumbled. "What I'm saying is mom may sink her teeth into you if you let her. She'll ask about all your relatives and tell everything about our family. She'll go on about what a sweet child I was – before getting sick, I mean... She would've shown my stupid child pictures, if there were any. And actually, you know, sometimes it seems that my parents wanted a boy. And now mom sees a potential "son" in any decent guy," Selena stumbled again, but not because she said something she didn't mean to. A guess, crazy and blurry, flashed somewhere deep in her mind. If anyone told her that this morning, Silver would've thought he's crazy. But now this idea didn't seem that implausible, though she was still unable to digest it.

"I'll keep this in mind," Evanford said with indifference. He turned on the bathroom light, entered and opened the faucet. There were no more strange sensations.

"And you're quick to get used to our switch," Selena remarked. She leaned against the wall opposite to the door, examining Kevin with her gaze like she saw him for the first time. "We have a bathroom, a toilet and a hallway, but they've messed up with the wires, didn't connect them in order. This usually baffles our guests, and even people who visit this place often sometimes confuse the switches. But I see that you've familiarized yourself with them almost immediately..."

"I saw the way you're turning it on. Nothing complicated about that, one example is enough," Kevin replied, soaping his hands.

"I guess so," there wasn't much confidence in her voice. "Wait a second, we ate already, why are you washing your hands?"

"You never let me forget your true nature," Evanford replied dryly.

"My true nature? I seem to recall it too," Selena muttered under her breath.

When he left the bathroom, Kevin raised his hand and touched the wall about thirty santimeters straight above the switch. After a quick glance, his fingers slipped down the wall, turning the light off. Evanford didn't even notice how automatic his move was, but it didn't go unnoticed for Silver, who was watching him closely. She could bet that the next time professor's nephew will hit the switch immediately. He is a quick learner, there's no doubting that... But it's probably not the only reason. Her suspicions grew stronger.

They entered Selena's room. The girl stretched across the bed, enjoying the comfort. Kevin looked around, picking where to sit. Just like in her appartment, this room didn't have much decoration or even furniture.

"I'd sit on a chair if there was one," he said, taking a seat on the opposite side of Selena's bed.

"There was a couple, but mom took them away. I'm not living here anyway, so there's no point in having them here," Silver smiled, finally feeling relaxed. "A-ah, I can't believe we're having a rest!" she pulled up her top a bit and stroke her belly, shutting her eyes like a satisfied cat. "Like they say, basic needs are fulfilled!"

"Need for safety is also one of the basic ones," Evanford remarked.

"Then you should also mention the need for reproduction," Selena grinned, looking upward at him.

Kevid didn't reply. Silence fell for a while as they looked through the window, watching the gray floating clouds. When they entered the house half an hour ago, the evening sky was already getting overcast. Now it almost got dark. Suddenly, a lightning flashed. Silver shuddered at the thought of the deafening thunder that will follow, but it turned out to be mild – the storm was far right now, but with this wind, it could rage above their heads pretty soon.

"Sun was shining so bright this morning... I would've never guessed it will rain like that," Selena spoke.

"Maybe the weather hasn't changed in Texven, but we're far enough."

"It feels like the storm is everywhere. Even the weather could no longer stand this heat and stuffiness, and threw up," Silver gazed into the distance. "A heavenly orgasm of relief, a climax everyone was waiting for," lighting flashed again, the thunder was louder, and droplets started hitting the glass. Seeing the way Kevin glanced at her, Selena looked him in the eye and asked: "There's something about rain that makes a person philosophical... What, are you shocked by my metaphors?"

"No. They're quite in your vein," he replied. Selena rolled to her side, facing him, and asked:

"Can you tell anything about me?"

"What do you mean?" Evanford raised his brows.

"Well... In a mess like we've been through people usually show their character, what's truly inside... Their true nature, as you've already said. Maybe you've figured something out about me, something that others don't see at the first glance?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious. Just like my mom," this question was actually just a preface. Selena didn't expect Kevin to answer, she was looking for an excuse to say something about him. She didn't want to blurt out her guess all of a sudden. But to her surprise, Evanford spoke:

"I can share my observations if you wish. You're not as ill-mannered as you sometimes seem or want to seem. There were things I couldn't explain right away, but I probably can now. You're a kleptomaniac, or whatever it is called when a person steals small things without even realizing what they're doing," Kevin watched Selena's reaction. He wasn't completely confident about his guess, and didn't want to make any false accusations. But she wasn't even trying to argue. The girl turned away and said bitterly:

"Just don't call me names, ok? Do you think I'm a thief or sick? No!" her voice slightly broke. "It's just that sometimes... I take... stuff. Some small things... My hands are just grabbing them! There's nothing I can do about it, and you're right – I often don't even notice that I'm doing it! But then they blame me," Silver released a heavy sigh.

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to diagnose you. I didn't mean to offend you," Evanford said, his voice as even as ever.

"It's all right, never mind," Selena was staring blankly at the ceiling, thinking how to put it better. Suddenly she had an idea. The girl jumped up, ran up to the door and exclaimed: "Come! Come with me!"

Kevin didn't like following her commands, but he had nothing to do in this room anyway. They entered the neighboring room. Wallpapers here used to have bright drawings, but the colors already faded with time. There was a black-and-white photo on the bedside table, picturing a couple with a baby – in a woman Evanford recongized Selena's mother. There was nothing else in the room – no pictures, flowers, decorations or other things that would make a room look like someone lives there. Though the room was well-groomed, it seemed to be abandoned long ago.

"I used to live here before ending up in a hospital, then moved to another room... I wanted to make some renovations here, but mom stubbornly said no. I wanted to forget about everything that happened before I got discharged, but to her, all of this reminded the "great" times when I was nearly a baby. She put the picture here – it must be the only picture with me. I guess didn't like being photographed since my very birth – I was making faces at the camera, and not even in the amusing way. When I learned how to talk, everyone realized for sure that it's better not to point cameras at me," Selena stopped, looking at the picture. She saw it many times, but now started to notice the things she didn't pay attention to before. For one, parents often dress their small daughters into some cutesy dresses, but the child on the photo was in a one piece suit, blue or green. Though Silver herself started to dress feminine only since she was about fifteen... Maybe before that she was influenced by her parents somehow?.. But the girl realized that it's definitely not the case here.

At this moment her eye was caught by a detail that killed all the remaining doubts. Baby's irises were barely discernible, but it was clear that they are light, not dark.

"Do you recognize anything in this room?" Selena looked into Kevin's gray eyes, trying to stay as calm as possible.

"No," Evanford wasn't completely sincere. He actually couldn't recall anything specific, but at the same time he couldn't get rid of the sense of deja-vu that he felt since entering this room. "What exactly am I suppose to recognize?"

"Ok, look arround for now... And I'll go back to my room. And don't even try to go in there! I need some time alone!" the sound of slammed door drowned in another peal of thunder. When the rumble subsided, Evanford heard the lock in Selena's room clicking.

He had no intention of following her. For a while now, Kevin also wanted to be left alone, to get some rest. Unlike Silver's room, this one had a chair that was standing by an empty desk. But the guest laid down across the bed, leaving his feet on the floor. He didn't want to take his shoes off, and the bed was too small for a person his height either way. The matress turned out to be quite soft and comfortable. The sound of rain was soothing, and fatigue was getting the best of him – eyelids were getting heavy. But Kevin couldn allow himself to fall asleep in some unfamiliar house, and tried not to close his eyes, gazing around the room. A lightning flashed, and someone's silhouette appeared on the ceiling for a brief moment. Evanford didn't understand what it was, he wasn't even sure if he saw anything or not, but he felt an inexplicable anxiety.

His sleepiness was gone. Kevin looked intently at the ceiling, waiting for the next lightning. When it fleshed, Evanford realized – what he saw was just a shadow of the tree branches. One has to be quite frightened and distraught to see a figure with its arms stretched.out in it. Or not arms... The silhouette that appeared to him didn't seem human.

Pinches of worry were getting stronger, even though Kevin realized how groundless they are. Suddenly, another flash snatched the open closet door out of the darkness, and Evanford felt his heart skipping a beat. Vague childish fears were overcoming him once again. But now the monsters that may appear from the closet had a shape – a shape of a creature that Kevin ran into in the Pocket. Not the huge monster, but a shaggy ball with bulged eyeballs. This creature is flying completely silently, and once you close your eyes for half second it'll fly up to you, burning you with its hateful stare, clutch at your face with its tiny chalas and start making its way into your throat to suffocate you... Meanwhile, the other hairy ones will get under the blanket and rub their furry bodies onto yours, tearing up the clothes and the skin.

Those images flashed so brightly before his eyes that Evanford shuddered. Maybe it's better to check that the closet is empty? No, this is stupid. Kevin didn't want to admit that the actual reason why he doesn't move is the sticky fear that glued him down to the bed. Despite realizing how silly the situation is, Evanford couldn't regain his balance. Having a walk and getting some fresh air might help, but where could he go? There's a downpour outside. Wandering around someone's house isn't an option, and neither is pacing the room like a prisoner in a cell – besides, in a condition like that Kevin wouldn't turn his back at the closet. There's no point in knocking on Selena's door – she doesn't want to see anybody, and there's not much she can do either way. The only thing left was to remain there, motionless, and try reasoning with himself.

***

Once in her room, Selena took out of the drawer one of the used exercise books that remained there since high school and tore out an empty sheet. She digged in her purse, took out a pen and pressed it to the paper. Thoughts were scattering. Each sentence that came to her mind seemed awfully dumb. Silver had a guess as to what she should do, but didn't like that idea. However, after a minute of staring at the paper she gave up. Clenching her teeth, the girl took a pen with the left hand and started writing:

You've always been so

Each letter was a struggle. Selena was barely holding herself from starting to write fast, with huge unreadable scribbles. But she went on carefully writing out:

observant, but this time, I got it first.

The girl knew why Kevin didn't realize it before she did – everybody around him didn't go on about how he's not the one he considers himself to be. At first she was fighting that thought, but eventually accepted that it's true... Selena didn't remember much about Mery Wesson, but reluctantly accepted that she was that person some time ago. Silver couldn't deny it any longer once she got home and realized whose place she took.

I don't know how you ended up as professor's nephew, but you're a real child of Adeline and her husband, Trevor.

That was quite straightrorward, but is there any good way to put it? Her hand was getting tired. Biting her lip, Silver went on:

And I really am Mary Wesson. I don't want to get you even more involved in my troubles, I'll go deal with them myself. You can get to know your parents.

She looked at the paper, not knowing what else to add. This is probably it – nothing else came to her mind. Suddenly, the girl realized what else she could wrap up.

Selena took Any Key and came up to the door. There was no keyhole, so she just touched the lock with the key, opened it and stepped into the already familiar corridor. Calmly closed the door behind her, opened the opposite one and found herself in the darkness of "Obsidian".

Tenko looked at her, smiling silently. He didn't seem to be surprised that Selena came out of the storage room.

"You're back," he said softly.

"Not for long," Silver shook her head. She decided to be brief and came straight to the point: "I've realized that at some point I really was Mary Wesson..."

"See," smiled the man behind the counter.

"...It was damn hard for me to accept it. But everything has changed long ago. Mary Wesson is gone, she died a few years back. And this is something you have to accept," Selena's black eyes were piercing him. "But you seem to be the only one who loved her. I must tell you the truth and say you have to move on, I think I owe her that much. Goodbye. You'll never see me again."

Silence fell. Tenko's face darkened, but then took a blank expression again.

"I knew that this day will come," the guy's voice was giving away that he wasn't actually that nonchalant. "You're drawn to death more than to love... Have you decided to put an end to it, after all?"

"Consider it a guess," Selena replied dryly. "Of course, we'll see who will finish whom, but I'm not going to give up easily."

"You're just as much of a daredevil as before," there was a bitter smile on his lips. "Do you still have my gift? I hope it will help."

"I hope so... Anyway, gotta go. I want to return something to you," the girl took the key off the trinket and gave the four-leaf clover to Tenko. "Your heart is at your disposal now. We owe nothing to each other. I don't have you here," she touched the left side of her chest. "But I can say that you will remain in my head. I will never forget you... No, not like that. I will always remember you."

"So, you're leaving just like that? You won't even kiss me goodbye?"

"I recalled something from the past, but I'm still not Mary, not at all... I understand your feelings, but... Well, I just don't want to kiss you, sorry," she honestly admitted. This weird guy wasn't attracting her at all, and Silver didn't have a slightest wish to touch him. "It must've seemed strange to you that I appeared from inside the shop? It's a long story... I know, you would've believed me if I told you, but there's no time to explain. It won't happen again," she was slowly backing down to the door. Once Selena finished that sentence, she waved her hand goodbye and walked out.

Silver returned to her room just as easily. Now, there's just one thing left... She put the paper in the bag and went out.

...Once he heard the door opening, Kevin sat straight on the bed, looking askew at Selena.

"Can you close your eyes?" said Silver, getting closer.

"Why?" Evanford frowned.

"You'll see," she grinned. "Come on, there's nothing to be afraid of! Just close them, ok?"

He shrugged and obliged. A minute ago Kevin desperately wanted to shut his eyes tight and was afraid of doing it, but now the weird sensations were gone. Young man heard Selena putting something on the bedside table. Then he suddenly felt the girl sitting onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips onto his. Kevin opened his eyes and looked at his reflection in Silver's dark pupils.

"Haven't you ever been curious?" she asked quietly.

Evanford decided not to inform her that he was already forced to have that experience, both with her and her twin. He kept silence, waiting to see what happens. After lingering for a few seconds, Silver looked away, got up and ran up to the door.

"Farewell!" she smiled wryly and disappeared in yellow electric light, slamming the door behind her.

Kevin was staring at the door, baffled. An equation with three unknown quantities is more comprehensible than the behavior of his companion... And did he actually see a gun in her hand? Evanford looked at the bedtable. There were the book, Any Key without a trinket, and a sheet of paper under the family photo. Professor's nephew picked the paper, frowning more and more as he read the scribbles.

So, Selena left to deal with her demons, and it looks like she doesn't expect to come back. And she kindly leaves him alone in strangers' house with his "parents". Maybe he really is their child – at this point, this guess is no crazier than any other. But why did she come to such a conclusion? Is there any proof? He took a photo, but didn't pay attention to the baby's clothes or eye color – there was something else he was interested in. Without much hope, Evanford took the picture out of a frame and looked at the back. To his great surprise, there actually was a writing saying: "Kevin's first birthday. Mirror Pond, April 3, 1985." So, Selena was right – but even more baffling was the date on a picture. The day and month of birth were indeed accurate, but in 1985 he was supposed to turn four...

But there are more pressing issues than that. What to do now? Go and meet the "parents"? Adeline has no idea that she is his mother, and will demand explanations where her daughter went. If he presents her the letter and the picture, it will only make the situation even more complicated. Evanford couldn't stay here. There's nowhere to retreat now – sooner or later he will end up in the Pocket anyway... Kevin picked up the book and the key and was about to leave the room, but stopped and looked at the half-opened door of the closet. He approached and opened it wider. There was some old stuff inside, nothing special. Theoretically, there's enough room for shaggy balls to hide. Kevin closed the door. He didn't even touch it with Any Key – it was obvious what will be behind it when he opens it again. Squeezing the round handle so hard that it almost began to hurt, he turned it and went out.

# Chapter 10

### Judging by the cover

The sound of rain was cut so abruptly that for a second Selena thought she went deaf. The girl shook her head and slowly walked down the corridor. Now where? Doesn't matter... All doors are the same. Silver felt like she was playing the lottery, trying to guess by the back of the ticket what will be inside. It's just that instead of prizes there were punishments. All right, dragging this out won't help her. Summoning up her courage, she opened the nearest door.

There was a short narrow passage that ended with heavy curtains. Selena cautiously slipped through them and found herself on a wide and empty area with wooden floor. There was a well-lit semicircle from some invisible spotlight above, and everything beyond it sank in the darkness. Just great – you can't see anything, but anyone in the shadow can stare at you! Silver looked around nervously, raised the hand with the weapon and walked along the edge of the lit area. Blackness surrounding it was so thick that she couldn't even see her fingers when she stretched her hand out into it. Suddenly, a voice said:

– Walking in circles, as usual?

The girl turned around and saw a glowing figure approaching the semicirle. It was unclear how Gelia emits the light, but her body was enveloped in soft shining. When she left the darkness, it disappeared – or, rather, stopped being that noticeable.

"So what? I know it's some kind of a trap!" Selena looked at her double with suspicion.

"Are you scared? You shouldn't have come here. No one invited you," Gold said caustically, slowly approaching.

"Nobody's asking you either," the girl harshly replied, without even noticing that she also steps in the direction of her twin. When she was a meter away from the edge of darkness, some gritting sound was heard. Silver froze, but didn't even have time to look up – a cage without a floor and a door fell above with a loud sound, trapping her. It was about two meters wide and high, with bars the size of her wrist. Stunned, Selena huddled up, but in a few moments her fear turned into fury.

"Let me out!!!" she hit the bars with the revolver. Gelia just crinkled her nose and walked back, but this time, the invisible spotlight started to follow her. A piece of wall and the curtains disappeared in the darkness, and the edge of the lit semicircle was getting closer and closer to the cage. When Selena realized what this means to her, it made her flesh crawl. Ending up alone, trapped in the darkness till the end of time?! She pressed her back against the bars, as if it would help to get away from the approaching blackness. And almost lost her balance – the heavy cage slowly moved after Gelia, loudly scraping the parquet.

Gold stopped, but the spotlight moved further, suddenly illuminating the people sitting behind their desks – Shwuggering Shmug and his secretaries. Gelia loudly cleared her throat and spoke:

"Let me introduce the judges! The First Secretary," she pointed at a young man who was sitting with his feet on the table, his nose buried in his phone. His pose didn't change since Silver saw him first. "Tolerable, if you don't need anything from him. But you have better luck getting a passionate kiss from a statue than making him do anything for you. Here's our Main Secretary – a quintessence of bureaucratic nightmares! And, finally... Shwuggering Shmug!"

Shmug was now sitting on a gilded throne behind the high desk with three mirrors standing on it. At the sound of his name, Shwuggering nodded and puffed his cheeks a bit.

"The great judge, the medium of the ultimate truth!.." it seemed like Shmug inflated a little when Gelia said that, like he took a deep breath and never exhaled. Selena blinked, unsure of what she saw. But it seemed that her double noticed the same thing, and cut her speech: "The jury is ready!"

"And who's on trial? Me?" Silver stepped back to the center of the cage, stroking the revolver nervously.

"No. He is!" her double threw her hand out. Following this gesture, the light shifted, and it turned out that the gunhand's barrel was pointing at a man sitting on a chair. Silver recognized the guy that called her "sunny". Now she realized that he confused her with her twin, but this didn't make her any more sympathetic towards him.

"Who is that, anyway?" she looked at the man with distrust. He was stooping, his head hung low, his hands lying limp on his lap. His pose was conveying a feeling of doom.

"As I said, it's Pervert. Is it so hard to remember?" Gelia wrinkled her nose.

"Is it really how he's called?" the girl asked in surprise. "Is he on trial for harrassing you?"

"You'll see," Gold grinned and snapped her fingers. The spotlight went out.

***

The door closed, cutting the thunder off on its mightiest note, but something else started to bother Kevin's senses – a sickening smell fo medication. Corridor before him was painted in brighter and more acid shades of green, and there were rows of seats along the walls. He obviously was in a hospital. In a very grim hospital.

Light here had sources – quietly buzzing luminescent lamps on the ceiling, half of which didn't function. The lamp in the end of the corridor was blinking, making the atmosphere even more sinister. Kevin cautiously walked forward. Near the doors to the wards there were big, dusty windows with some yellowish streaks. Same streaks were on the chapped artificial leather of the seats. Looking at them, Evanford was getting even stronger fits of nausea. His head spinning, Kevin wouldn't mind taking a seat or leaning onto something, but in a place like that he was disgusted by the very thought of touching anything. He gulped and made another few steps, but froze as he noticed some movement in a window he was passing by.

At a closer glance, he saw a profile of a person leaning over an operation table or a bed. When the silhouette straightened up, he was holding something in his hands. Then he took it to his face, sank his teeth into it and jerked it away – like an animal tearing pieces off a prey. Even through the muddy glass it was possible to see his jaws moving vigorously. Suddenly, as if feeling someone looking at him, a figure stopped and turned his head at Kevin, but in a few moments returned to whatever he was shewing. Evanford quickly moved forward.

He was already near the blinking lamp when a shadow flashed in a window nearby, and some creature sat on the glass, making it crunch. The creature started to crawl, scratching the glass with its claws and tapping its tail. Its moist leathery belly was turning the dry filth on the window into a gooey mess. Trying to avoid looking at it, Evanford quickened his pace and turned the corner.

He immediately noticed that there's a brighter light coming from a window about five meters away from him, and that it's cleaner than the others. Kevin came up closer and cautiously peeked in. There was nothing but a single bed standing in a neat white ward. A boy, the same one that Evanford recently saw on the Memory Screen, was half-lying on the pillow. He was writing something with a pencil. The boy raised his gaze, fixed it on Kevin for a few seconds, and turned away. The original watched his younger self for a couple more minutes: he just went on drawing. Evanford turned the knob and entered.

The ward was dirty and abandoned. There was a piece of paper lying on the soiled torn sheets. Young man turned it over with the tips of his fingers and saw a writing:

"I don't like it in here. I want to get out of here, the sooner the better."

The second he finished reading something moved under the bed and quietly hissed:

"Prosss..."

Without losing a moment, Kevin dashed to the exit, but the door didn't budge. Long hands in white, red-stained sleeves stretched from under the bed; their fingers were wriggling like they didn't have bones. There was no time to ponder: Evanford stroke the glass with all his might with the book in his hands. It didn't just break, it shattered into a million pieces – there wasn't a single shard left in the frame. He threw the book outside to free his hands and climb out, but didn't have time to pick it up – boneless hands were already turning the knob, so there wasn't a single moment to spare. Kevin broke into a run.

He was rushing along the corridors, without slowing down even on the turns, even at risk of running into something even worse. Evanford had no idea what he's running away from, but horror was driving him forward, not leaving any chance to think or to glance back. Blood was pounding in his temples, smell of medication was driving him insane. Walls were swaying before his eyes. Human figures were pressing against the windows from inside the wards, scratching the glass and moaning:

"Proc... Pross... Pross-seeed-urre-eeh..."

Kevin didn't pay attention to anything any more, he was just moving his feet as quick as possible, trying to keep in the middle of the corridor. A wall appeared almost out of nowhere – he noticed it too late, and there was nowhere to turn anyway. Kevin made a few more steps and stopped. As long as there's nothing to lose, maybe he should at least take a final look at something that reduced him to a frightened fleeing animal? But the moment Evanford was about to turn around, long fingers grabbed his forearms. Kevin felt small needles piercing his skin. It seemed like his own bones started to soften, his legs turned to jelly. Semidarkness around instantly got thicker, and blackness devoured his consciousness completely.

***

After a moment of darkness, the rectangle of the memory screen appeared before Selena. It was so transparent that it felt like one could just step out onto an alley behind it. It was probably one of the remote corners in Blue Stone park. Couples like spending time there at night, but now, in broad daylight, there was only one man sitting here. Silver easily recognized Pervert, though he looked noticeably younger. Lower hairline, somewhat slimmer, face looks fresher... But overall, he didn't give much better impression than now. The guy was holding a worn plastic bag and looked at the alley. He was obviously waiting for somebody, for a while now, but didn't show any signs of discontent or anxiety. The viewer didn't have to wait long, though – a girl in her young teens appeared in the frame.

"Hi, Finkey," she ran up to the bench and sat at arm's length from the young man. So he does have a name after all...

"Hello. I have a present for you," Pervert reached into his bag. He spoke and moved a bit sluggishly.

"I also have a surprise for you..." she began, but Finkey already took out a cute stuffed puppy.

"Here," he handed the puppy to a girl.

She took it and put on the bench. Nervously biting her lip, teenager glanced somewhere behind Finkey's back. In a few moments, she summoned up her courage, grabbed the panties from her purse, pulled them onto the guy's head and jumped away. He didn't do anything, just looked at her with incomprehension. Giggling and camera clicking sounded from outside the frame. Memory Screen's camera turned, showing two girls of the same age as the first. One of them was taking pictures with an old model of Flashphoto. When Pervert turned to them, shutter went off for the last time, and the pair darted away. The girl on the bench also laughed, but it was more of a laugh of relief. She got up and ran after her friends.

"...They're just sick," Silver muttered.

Another part of the park appeared on the screen. The girls stopped to catch their breath. The one with the camera looked at the pictures and laughed out loud.

"Holy crap, I can't believe it! I didn't think you'll have the guts to even ask him out!"

"Piece of cake," her friend raised her head proudly. "Now you must slap the math teacher's ass!"

"No problem," she shrugged, "An old fart won't even realize what happened. There's nothing to worry about, he's not such a pervert as Finkey."

"A pervert? Why? What did he do?" the third girl nervously asked.

"Didn't you hear about Mila? No? Oh come on, I thought everyone knows about that by now! Anyway, she had a big fight with her boyfriend, was feeling like a total mess and decided to relax with some beer. So, she was just sitting right in this park, when suddenly Finkey shows up like some jack out of the box. He sat next to her, but Mila was like – ok, who cares. But then, out of nowhere, he started on some bullshit about how he likes her, how he would give her gifts and care about her, and so on! Mila was real pissed at her boyfriend, and that couple of beers also did their thing, so she didn't shut him up. Finkey went on about how great it will be together, and came to the point when they are in bed! And then he started to talk such a rubbish that Mila even sobered up and barely kept herself from breaking the bottle on his head!"

"A-and what did he say?" the third girl asked, almost scared and yet curious.

"How do I know, and does it matter?" she snorted. "Could you imagine that mug in a bed beside you? Isn't that enough? What other details do you need?"

"I've pulled my oldest and ugliest panties onto him! That serves him right," the girl said vindictively.

"Yeah, serves, that's the word!" her friend bursted. "Are you nuts?! Don't you know that for perverts, used panties are a hundred times better than new!"

"What, are you saying I should've bought new ones for him?! And how do you know that, anyway?"

"Umm, I've read about it somewhere... And you've even left your panties to that creep!"

"Was I supposed to get into his reach and take them off? Who knows what he could've done? Maybe he's crazy? Maybe he'll want to get back at us?.." a realization of the possible consequences of their joke began reflecting on her face. Judging by the looks of two others, it also dawned on them just now.

"Well... He's dumb... And seemed harmless..." the third girl said. "Maybe he won't do anything..."

"How do you know?!" the girl with the camera replied harshly. "It's not like it's always written over some maniac's face that he's a pervert and a nutjob! Though with this one, it's actually pretty obvious! We should stay away from him, and warn everyone else..."

"Yeah, everyone's better keep him away, because who knows... What a perv," the girl who talked to Finkey shuddered.

Camera switched to the guy on the bench. He sat still for some time, staring blankly into the distance, then pulled the panties off his head, put them on the bench near the puppy and slowly walked away. For a moment, deep sadness and anguish reflected on his face, but then it turned vacant again.

Memory Screen started flashing short scenes of Finkey with different women. Their age and appearance varied, but all of them were yelling at him, slapping his face, or just looked askew and walked away. Finkey was getting older with every frame. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, and a corridor appeared. Selena immediately recognized the building where Orlando Kinsley's office was. Judging by the view from the window, it was one of the top floors. A woman almost ran up to the elevator, pushed the button a few times and stared at the floor indicator, nervously tapping her foot.

Number 22 appeared on the indicator, and the doors opened. Woman entered the empty elevator and sent it down with an impatient button push. But after a few floors the elevator stopped, letting in a man in blue overalls with a badge on his chest saying: "B. Finkerl". He glanced at the woman and slowly turned away. She looked askew at him and looked back at the floor indicator. In a few seconds the elevator shook and stopped. After a moment of darkness, emergency lights turned on.

"What the hell!" irritated, the woman kicked the door.

"Elevators are old, it happens sometimes," Finkey spoke. The lady looked at him and recoiled, pressing her back against the wall. It seemed somewhat weird to Selena – even though Pervert's face in dim red light looked even more sinister than usual, he acted peacefully. Why looking at him like he's some hungry bear.

"You should do your job better," the woman hissed. "Everything breaks because idiots like you are in charge!"

"I only fix printers, copy machines..." Finkerl started to explain, stepping towards her.

"Don't come any closer!" she squealed. "Stay back, you bag of fat!"

Finkey obediently stopped, looking at her in confusion. But apparently the woman couldn't even stand his look.

"Why are you bothering me?!" she yelled. "Help! Somebody, help!"

"What's going on there?" a muffled voice from the outside said. The lights went on again, and the doors slided open. The woman jumped out of the elevator, pointing at Finkey with a shaking hand:

"You'll get arrested! And fired! And arrested again!"

"Come with me," said the guard that happened to be around and watching that scene. He called out to a woman that was about to walk away: "I'm talking to you too. Come with me, both of you."

Images started flashing again. There was a nervous woman, people in white coats, Finkerl, filling some tests... Selena heard scraps of conversation:

Yes, traces of drugs were found in her blood... He? There were no complaints before... The doll was found in his utility room... Mr.Finkerl, what do you see on this picture? We have to test some more... Send to the nearest Center...

Voices and images faded. Memory Screen disappeared, and the spotlight turned on again. Gelia spoke:

"So, Pervert, you're accused of imposing your ugly self on people. Nobody wants to listen to you! Nobody wants to be with you! Even touching you is a crime against the aesthetics, but you went as far as describing some poses and such!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Selena shouted. "Yes, he's not handsome, and he's weird, but he's still a human like everyone else! He also wants love!" with the last words, her voice trembled. Silver swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat. She began sympathizing with this miserable guy after all. "I don't know what he was telling, but if some hunky boy said the same, that would've made many of those women horny! At least he can appreciate a person he loves, something that many can never do!"

"So, you've decided to play his attorney," Gold grinned. "We'll see if attorney who is herself behind the bars will be of much use," she walked up to Finkey. "Did you see yourself in the mirror? Why did you ever approach those people, what were you hoping for? Everything that happened is your fault! Do you admit it?"

"Whatever you say, sunny," the man quietly replied, looking at her with eyes full of sadness. Gelia turned to Shwuggering Shmug:

"He confessed! The sentence may be announced!"

Shwuggering slightly turned his shoulders towards the accused, still looking at himself in the mirror, and spoke:

"Your perverted impulses were bothering everyone, including yourself. And you're sentenced not even to a punishment, but to a treatment! You'll be spared from the root of your troubles..."

Selena was darting her eyes from Shmug to Pervert, unsure what to say. Suddenly a sound of something clanking and creaking shook the air. Startled, the girl turned around and saw something that resembled an old dumpster. And indeed, on its front there was an opening for garbage – or god knows what else. Above it, there was a metal manipulator about a meter long, with a few joints and a gripping device on its end. That reminded Selena a hand in a toy-grabbing machine, but instead of three weak clinging thingies there were twice more sharply clenching claws. It would not only grab a toy, but immediately tear it into pieces. Manipulator was wriggling like a metal snake in convulsions, its grabbing device spinning on its axis so loosely that it felt like it will break away any second. Deafened by the loud sounds, Selena was watching with rounded eyes as the dumpster was moving to Pervert. When the distance between them shortened, metal hand stretched out and began clenching its claws even more vigorously, as if sensing a prey. A couple of times it made a movement like it was throwing something into the opening below. Finkerl stood up, his groin now being on the same level as the metal claws. Only at this point Selena fully understood what they ment by the "root".

"What are you doing!!! Stop it! Finkey! Just move the hell away! Do you hear me?!" she banged on the bars again, then hit against them with her whole body. Gelia painfully smirked, twitching her shoulder, but didn't say anything.

Finkerl paid no attention to her cries. Though nothing was holding him, Pervert stood still, arms hanging flaccid at his sides. With a giggle, Gelia kissed him on the cheek and jumped away.

Selena's throat already went sore from all the pointless screaming. The girl felt acutely aware of how helpless she is. Her heart wrung like it was squeezed by the manipulator's claws. Something terrible is about to happen to this innocent man, and all she can do is watch! Even if she wasn't trapped in a cage, it's not like she could stop the machine with her bare hands... Selena glanced at the revolver – the gun was sitting so naturally in her hand that she almost forgot about it at this point.

There were just a few meters left between Pervert and the machine. As it was moving, the angle became more and more inconvenient, so every second counted. Selena aimed, suddenly realizing that the barrel is pointed at Finkey's head. A single shot to relieve him from pain of unrequited love and all other torments? No, what on Earth is she thinking?.. Silver chased away the stray idea, drew a bead on the metal arm and pulled the trigger.

She turned out to be an accurate shooter, and real-world bullets were much more powerful. Manipulator snapped in half and dropped under the wheels. Dumpster rode onto the broken parts, started clanking at almost unbearable volume, shook a couple of times, stopped and fell silent.

For a few moments, nobody moved. Silver was not daring to breath, still unable to believe that it worked. Finkerl was just standing there, humbly waiting for his fate and not paying attention to anything any more. Shwuggering Shmug and his secretaries didn't give a damn, just like before. It was only Gelia who looked around, smiled and walked to the middle of the stage, slowly clapping.

"You got it right in time, congrats! In the Pocket, death is not the end, it's just the launch of another Endless Cycle, even worse than the previous one. But there's a problem: though you might intervene with the cycle, there's no way you could break it!" Gold fixed her eyes on Selenas' and uttered distinctly: "There's nothing. You. Can do. About it!" she turned to Shwuggering: "Your honor, the sentence must be enforced! Right?" the girl looked at Pervert strictly.

Shwuggering Shmug pulled an impressive knife from under the table and began examining his reflection in the blade. Finkey gave Gelia the last sorrowful look and slowly dragged himself to Shmug's desk. Selena's eyes widened:

"Hey! What, are you going to?... Yourself?! Don't do that! Don't listen to them! Run!"

"He was always running to me, not away from me. And he has nowhere to run even if he wanted to," Gelia said mockingly.

"Sh... Sure," Silver spoke through her teeth. There was no use talking to Pervert, so she decided to speak to Shwuggering Shmug: "Dear judge! You're so beautiful, smart, sexy and fair! Take the knife away!"

Shmug didn't bat an eye, but the girl noticed with surprise that his chest, arms and cheeks inflated a bit. Now Selena was sure that it's not just her eyes playing tricks on her – Shwuggering does literally inflate by flattery. An idea flashed in her head, and Silver quickly spoke:

"Shwuggering Shmug, you're the strongest of them all, you can tear a hundred people apart with your bare hands! You have a godlike physique!" she omitted saying that he has a figure of some beer-making god at best. "You're the smartest and most talented! Everyone adores you, head over heels with love!" her words worked – Shwuggering was gradually inflating like a balloon. Meanwhile, the First Secretary never looked away from his phone, and the Main Secretary was scribbling something on paper, probably recording the girl's words.

"Shut up!" Gold hissed, giving her double a dirty look. With a vindictive grin, Silver went on:

"Worthless people must be grateful for your every word, for your every spit! Each of your nails is worth five hundred kilos of gold!"

Finkey came up to Shmug's desk. Shwuggering admired his reflection for a few more seconds, barely holding the knife in his swollen hands, and threw it on the floor. Pervert picked the knife and headed back to the chair, unfastening his belt. Gelia jumped up to Shmug, yelling:

"You're a self-absorbed pig! You didn't do jack, but you're showing off like you've invented the cure for death!" her words didn't have any effect – Shwuggering only kept getting bigger. His eyes almost disappeared behind his cheeks; buttons were popping off the overstretched shirt. Grinding her teeth, Gold ran to the cage and started screaming obscenities at her twin, demanding her shut the pie hole. Selena stepped back to the center of the cage, shouting:

"You're a lord, you're a king, you're a god!" she was already running out of ideas, but Shmug didn't seem to mind straight and repetitive praises. Seams of his shirt bursted. He looked like a greasy skin balloon with hand appendices, and kept growing. Finkerl walked up to his chair, put his belt and the knife on it and, with his usual sluggishness, started unzipping his fly. Selena tried not to look at him. She didn't know what she wanted any more – to help Finkey or to vex Gelia. Doesn't matter, this can't end well either way... Silver sank to her knees, speaking without a pause:

"You're a master of the world, ruler of the universe, master of the universe, master of the universe..." she curled up into a ball, pressing herself to the worn parquet, her hands over her head. "Master of the universe, master of the universe..." her tongue was getting numb, speech turned into mumbling.

Suddenly, Gelia stopped yelling and looked back. Her black eyes reflected a monstrous, three-meter-wide ball that Shmug has turned into. His skin was so strained that it looked almost transparent.

"Oh shit," Gold exhaled.

Shwuggering Shmug blew up.

***

Evanford felt something hard sticking into his throat. He wanted to move away, but realized he couldn't. Metal semicirle was clasping his neck to the back of the chair Kevin was sitting on. He felt shackles holding his forearms, waist, legs, wrists and ankles. His left hand was fixed palm up, so firmly that he couldn't even move it. His right hand had more freedom, its fingers lying on a small keyset with numbers from 0 to 9 and enter and cancel buttons.

Kevin glanced around. Room was similar to those he was passing by earlier – a door and a dim window. As far as he could see, it was empty. Gloomy twilight was surrounding him, distinct light sources disappeared again. Well, at least the annoying lamp doesn't blink any more. Everything about his situation was terrible, but right now the most irritating was stray hair that fell onto his eyes, tickling his face. He tried to blow it off, jerked his head a few times, trying to shake it off – to no avail.

"Is this an electric chair after all, or are you just having a seizure?" Gelia entered his field of vision. She was wearing a very short white coat with a low neckline.

"Where am I?" Kevin asked coldly.

"In a medical institution," the girl declared solemnly. "Don't you see how I'm dressed?" Gold slowly ran her left hand over her body and pointed her gunhand at Evanford. "I hope you're a big boy, and aren't afraid of needles any more."

"I still feel quite negative about them, especially in a place like that," he said through his teeth.

"Then you might prefer to take a shot at solving this," Gold smiled.

An equation appeared on the wall before them, drawn with some fluorescent chalk. Though not too complicated by itself, it was quite long. With a pencil and a piece of paper, he would've solved it within a couple of minutes, but now he obviously has to keep everything in his head.

"I know what you're thinking," Gelia said in a sweetly venomous voice. "Yes, it's not a calculator under your fingers, those buttons are for entering the final solution. And make it quick, while you still have something to press them with," the moment she said it, something started buzzing, and a manipulator with squeaky joints descended from the ceiling. It had a 10-santimeter long rusty needle on its end – the sting was turning around, as if looking for a prey. It pointed at Kevin's left hand and started approaching. Evanfort felt his pulse becoming more rapid. It seemed like the only thing keeping his heart from jumping out is the metal squeezing his chest.

Blood was pumping in his temples, his left hand was straining in futile attempts to get away from the needle's path. Numbers were jumping before his eyes. Kevin read the equation a few times, trying to make something out of the shining carousel of digits. Self-preservation alarm was screaming so loud that it muffled the voice of intellect. Evanford tried to concentrate. Judging by those buttons, the answer must be an integer, and not negative. His first sketchy calculations returned something like twenty-three. Rusty needle was half a meter away from Kevin's arm, but it already seemed to be piercing right through his brain. Clenching his teeth even harder, he entered "23" and pressed the submit button. The equation on the wall flashed red, manipulator buzzed menacingly and made a thrusting move with the needle, but in a couple of seconds everything went back to what it used to be.

"Are you nervous?" Gelia winked. "You should be grateful that this is a test for newbies. First attempt is free, and you don't even have to control your heartbeat... You're practically having fun! Can I have fun with you?" she asked, landing on his lap.

"Gelia. Leave," Kevin said stonily.

"But I'm not interfering with anything," the girl softly ran her hand over his face, swiping the strands of hair. "I'm not obscuring the equation... I won't even be an eyesore!" she pressed her gunhand to Evanford chest and drew a question sign. She slid down to the floor and poked his navel, marking the dot. "I'm used to worms, and size doesn't matter!" Gold pronounced cheerfully, trying to undo the button on his pants with her left hand.

Young man took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if he was trying to cool down the boiling brains. Everything, even time itself, was working against him. Kevin tried to detach his mind from the body that he almost didn't feel anyway, from all the burdening fears. There were only the equation and his intellect that was processing it. Soon, an answer appeared before his eyes – clear, definite, integral, positive. Evanford entered "21".

Shackles unlocked immediately. Realizing that nothing holds him any more, Kevin harshly pushed Gelia away and jumped up, barely avoiding running his hand into an approaching needle.

"Are you fleeing? The fun just begins," Gold purred, curving on the floor seductively. Ignoring her, Evanford rushed to the exit. "And you won't get away from this fun!" Gelia shouted before he slammed the door. Once in the corridor, Kevin heard someone saying:

"She's right."

Young man turned around and raised his eyebrows in surprise:

"Uncle Henry? Is that really you?"

"I'm not your uncle..." professor Evanford replied quietly. He was leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the door before him, deep in his thoughts. "You've always been a smart boy, and I wanted to believe that you'll succeed in this game. Though I'm ashamed to say that I had little hope that anyone will... But you've escaped many dangers and progressed very far! A few more right steps, and everything will resolve in your favor. If this happens, I will also return to the real world, for I do have where to return to. I was even afraid of it, but realized that I want to return after all. To turn over a new leaf, as silly as it may sound. But, when we will meet again there, you will hate me. Maybe right now you think you're incapable of emotions like that, but you will hate and detest me. There are things you don't know about me – I recalled them just recently myself. I can't say if this information will help you. But I simply must relieve myself from this burden," he finally looked Kevin in the eye.

***

Silver unglued her eyelids and blinked a few times. Everything was blurry. Squinting, Selena realized that there's a hand lying before her eyes. It seems to be hers. Seems to be the right one. Yes, that's certainly her right arm – its fingers are clinging to the revolver. So, she's lying on the floor on her stomach. That's why her body felt so stiff. Silver almost didn't feel her left hand – she was lying on it all that time, and the hand went completely numb. Selena rised a bit, but lost her balance and fell, hitting the floor with her chin. On the second attempt, she managed to take a sitting position. Her left hand was dangling like a noodle; the right one was sqeezing the weapon.

The girl looked around, trying to figure out where she is. Wooden floor. High ceiling. Walls. There's a door with some plate in one of the walls, and the Memory Screen. No Shwuggering Shmug or his secretaries in sight. A toppled cage lies nearby. Behind it, there's a body in yellow dress, lying in an unnatural pose. And here's Pervert, lying on his back with his pants unzipped, but not lowered. Selena didn't see blood, or anything else, fortunately. So, she made it in time after all... She looked at Gold with a smirk.

Meahwhile, Gelia pulled her limbs up to her body and slowly rose to her feet. Her face was creased, tanned skin looked flabby. Gold stepped towards Finkey, barely keeping her balance. It felt like her knees are about to bend in the opposite direction.

"Your breasts are even saggier than your dress," Silver muttered.

Without a word, Gelia raised her right hand, obviously trying to show her twin a middle finger with the gunhand barrel. Even this gesture was hard for her to make, and the dangling left hand didn't obey her at all. The girl limped up to Finkerl and collapsed on him. Gold bit his chin a few times, trying to bring him back to consciousness. The second he blinked and moved, Gelia pressed her lips to his.

Selena noticed some reddish scraps scattered around. One of them was right before her. She took a closer look and shrieked – those were two fingers, shrunk like deflated balloons, connected with a small piece of skin. Silver rolled her eyes, not knowing where to look – pieces of Shmug are all over the place, and like that wasn't enough, there's this couple smooching.

Gelia threw herself at Pervert with an unexpected affection. After a few moments of barely touching his lips, she wrapped her arms around Finkey's neck and began kissing him so hard like she spent a week in a desert, and Finkey's mouth was the source of water. The man also embraced her, his plump hands slowly stroking her back.

Silver couldn't help but notice that Gelia's body gets slightly better with each passing second. Her skin wasn't flabby any more, arms and legs looked healthy again. She recalled her double's words: there's nothing between her and Pervert, he just blows her sometimes. So, does this mean she can also blow up? And it was possible to inflate Shmug the same way, if there was someone non-squeamish enough with a death wish? Is everybody here a balloon? Selena felt her own head swelling from all those thoughts.

Finally having enough, Gelia pushed Finkey away with a renewed strength and sprang to her feet. Selena, already more or less recovered, also got up.

"And you're somewhat smarter than I thought you were," Gelia said with her usual grin.

"If we look the same, it doesn't mean I'm as dumb as you," Selena muttered.

"But your biggest trouble is only about to start – and it will never end. You know, there are things above you... And then, there are things below you. And soon there will be a lot of those things. You will get what you were dreaming about for so long," she grabbed Silver by her left wrist and exclaimed: "Eternal freedom!.."

Selena tried to wrest her hand away, but Gelia was holding tight. Selena didn't hear parquet starting to drop in a meter behind her – it was flying down silently, without hitting anything. The hole was quickly widening. Before the girl knew it, she was hanging in the air, held by Gold's firm grip. She glanced down and gasped in horror. Below, there was the book well – like before, only about ten shelves were visible, everything else was shrouded in fog. But Selena knew how deep it is... Though, come to think of it, no, she actually had no idea. It might as well be bottomless.

"The freedom of falling," her twin finished. "You've got so far... But what's the point if you didn't understand anything, didn't learn any lesson?" Gelia was lying on the edge of the hole, clutching at Selena's wrist. "Do you really want to throw away everything you've been working on? What is your choice?"

"Get me out of here!" Selena shouted, wincing in pain. She tried to tuck the revolver into her shorts to free her right hand, but realized that it will fall out. It seemed like H-32 has glued itself to her palm, and the girl felt that if she will dump it, it will be like tearing off a piece of herself. Silver tried to shake that stupid feeling off, but her twin didn't leave her any time for pondering:

"That's what I thought," Gold said with a spiteful smile, loosening her grip. "You know, there are things we deeply hate, but still cling to. But sometimes you just have to... let go," she unclenched her fingers. Selena screamed, falling down. "Loser! You've never managed to live properly!" Gelia yelled into the fog. "And now you won't even properly die!"

Silver didn't hear her. Books around her were flashing faster and faster, but the dense fog a few meters above and below her seemed completely still. Fear almost disappered; she only felt the dizzying, tickling sensation of flying. Eventually she'll smash anyway, so she might as well enjoy the moments there are left. But what if this well is indeed bottobless? Selena glanced at the gun. If she'll get sick of falling, she could finish it any second. But for now... Her body relaxed, except for the right hand that was holding the weapon. Selena closed her eyes. After looking at kaleidoscope of books, Silver now saw some flashing bright spots – it felt like she was bathing in a rainbow, free from all the earthly sorrows and restrictions, even from the weight of her own body. This feeling was so wonderful that she could revel in it for hours on end, but at some point she slightly opened her eyes – and they immediately widened in terror.

The fog disappeared. Far below, where the well shrunk to the size of a coin, she could see the bottom. And it was rapidly approaching.

Selena keenly sensed every cell in her body, vividly imagining them all being mashed. Dammit, why did she ever open her eyes right now?! She would've kicked the bucket in blissful ignorance... And it's not even certain that the death will be instant. There were only a few seconds of falling left, and Silver didn't hesitate this time – she put the gun to her temple and pulled the trigger with a steady hand.

There was nothing but a quiet click. It was the turn of that spent cartridge that was used sometime in the past. Pure, wild, blood-curdling despair stroke her like a lightning bolt.

Selena closed her eyes again.

# Chapter 11
### Foreword

"So, I actually am a son of those people that Selena thought were her parents? But why did I live in your house and considered you my uncle?" Kevin asked almost indifferently. He was too tired of being surprised, looking for incomprehensible answers to vague questions. Evanford was content enough with the fact that there was no immediate physical threat.

"I think you've figured out that everything has changed on October 12th," professor slowly walked down the corridor. "But that was the end of a chapter of my life. I'll start from the beginning. Many years ago, there was a man who studied psychology. He wanted to be a scholar, to lecture. Despite his young age, he already saw himself as a professor, was dreaming about his future smart students, about a big library and even about his own mansion. Yes, this man had a vivid imagination. But his life turned out differently – after graduation he started working in the field of applied science, worked in various research centers. He established a good reputation, built some connections, and eventually was invited to work in a private center. He didn't know much about it, but heard that it was connected to the government. He wasn't given much information or time to think it over, but the position was well-paid, and, as he thought, had good career perspectives, so the man agreed," professor Evanford paused, collectiing his thoughts.

"Why are you talking about yourself in third person?" Kevin asked with the same nonchalance.

"Because that wasn't me. To turn into someone I am now, this man changed more than once – outside, and most definitely inside. In the beginning, his work didn't differ much from what he did before. But after a while he was offered to be an assistant in an experiment that was unusual for him... It went on like this. There was a water tank. Inside of it – a panel with a screen that had a collar attached to it with a short chain. A young fit woman in a swimsuit approached the tank. She had a stylized marine corps emblem tattooed on her left buttock. Woman jumped into the tank and confidently put the collar on. After a signal, the panel started to lower. Various questions appeared on its screen, and the subject had to enter the correct answers on the keyboard. Three right answers unlocked the collar. The woman and the panel emerged, and the test started again. First questions were simple, but they were quickly getting trickier. On her third dive, the subject skipped a question, then the second one. She was getting nervous. Emerged, breathing heavily, and reluctantly locked the collar on her neck. This time, the subject was barely thinking over the questions, skipping a lot without even reading, and only answered a couple when she ran out of oxygen. Her lungs blowing apart, the woman was instinctively trying to tear the collar off. The experimenter changed the question on the screen to a simple equation – it would've been enough for her to press one button to free herself. However, the woman's blank, goggled eyes didn't notice anything any more. Experimenter unlocked the collar, but the subject passed out moments after that. She was pulled out of water and quickly brought back to constiousness. The experiment was over.

He paused, sighed heavily and spoke again:

"There was no better way for it to end. No matter how smart or enduring the subject was, the task was to push him or her to their limit. LHC was researching the depths of human capabilities, trying to reach the bottom. The department where our hero worked was examining the intellectual abilities of a person in stressful situations. Sometimes the subjects, like that woman, were well-trained people who knew about LHC and the risk they'll be taking. But more often than not, the department worked with less... "quality material". They were picking the inmates, the homeless, the hospital patients that had no close family, that were working on menial jobs... Someone nobody would make fuss about if something goes wrong. Roughly speaking, someone dispensable," those words made Evanford crook his lips like something very bitter got into his mouth.

"Dispensable?" Kevin repeated slowly. "Is that what it said in your instructions, or is it your personal definition?"

"After that experiment, there were many more," Henry went on, ignoring his nephew's question. "That man showed himself as a professional, collected and level-headed. But it was only a facade – he was getting more and more curious about what will happen if the experiment will ever be drawn to an end. To the last limit... Obviously, those thoughts didn't just appear out of the blue – he had vague fantasies like that for many years. But working in LHC stimulated them... And gave means of their realisation," he stopped again. "Once they were conducting a standard experiment on how long can a person answer questions under slight electric shocks. They were administered on even time intervals, and also if the answer was wrong. The voltage was low, but eventually got higher, though it never reached the life-threatening levels. So, it wasn't too pleasant, but not deadly, and for many years, there were no fatal outcomes in this experiment. This time, our character's assistant was summonned to help in a much more important and complicated test, so he was conducting the experiment alone. The subject was a man named Henry Evanford. Over forty, bachelor, no close relatives, dropped out of high school and was working low-paying jobs since then, had problems with alcohol. Like many others, he agreed to the scout's offer to get some quick cash doing almost nothing.

At first, everything went as usual. Man was answering the questions, and the hero of our story was hitting him with electricity from time to time. But the longer he was looking at the subject, the more he wanted to check what happens if conditions will be toughened. After all... This man has almost no value anyway... As if acting on its own will, the hand has increased the voltage. The subject shrieked, but answered the question correctly. Then he made a mistake again and took another shock. Pain was distracting him, making him confused – the next answer was also wrong. Henry Evanford started to protest, demanding to finish the test. That would normally be the end of it, but now the experimenter, ignoring the subject's pleas, asked another question, but the only answer he got was cursing. The experimenter gave him another shock, repeated the question, and, not getting the answer, hit him with electricity again. The subject was screaming, trashing in his chair, but he couldn't help it, pressing the button more and more often, as if the convulsing man was some fakir's dancing snake that hypnotized him. In a few minutes the man fell silent and his body went limp – his weak heart couldn't endure... The experimenter hit the button a few more times and froze," though professor was trying to describe it like it happened to someone else, it was getting harder and harder to pretend. It was obvious that the events that came alive in his mind were disturbing him, images were vivid before his eyes again.

"...He was looking at the subject's lifeless body, slowly realizing what he has done. His psyche finally fractured. One part of him was repenting in horror, it was the other one that later told everybody that it was an accident. Noone disproved this lie, but somebody who made such a blunder could no longer work for the department. But once you know what LHC is about, simply leaving is impossible – the government never loses sight on most of the people who used to work there. He was asigned to a job in one of the public therapy centres, though he could use some therapy himself. He started to get treatment in one of the private hospitals, and that helped a little, but his twisted thoughts refused to go away. He couldn't stop thinking about elaborated traps... In all the juicy details, he imagined the things that happen if a few subjects will be put into a house where their physical and mental capabilities are tested on every corner, behind every door. Where the consequences of riddles unsolved are getting worse and worse... But the most cruel thing is that this is the game nobody could win," Evanford's voice got even sadder. "After avoiding a trap, the subject goes straight to another, until he eventually gets stuck and dies. There's no way out of this."

"Are you trying to say that we're playing that twisted game of yours now?" Kevin frowned. "And there will be no end to this horror? It's really time for me to hate you."

"No, no, it's not like that!" professor said with agitation. "I wasn't the only one whose fears and wishes created this reality. It is possible to win, and then you will leave the Pocket a healthy man, even saving those who failed before you."

"I assume you're also one of them? What happens if you lose?" from what he could gather, 'losing' here didn't mean 'dying'. Henry's words confirmed his guess:

"The one who loses is drawn into an Endless Cycle. Whatever scares and torments you happens again. And again. And again, and again and again. And again..."

"Got it," Kevin interrupted him. "What happens to you, for example?" he asked straightforwardly.

"I tried many things to get rid of those memories, of that image in my head..." the man answered, lowering his gaze. "But now I keep running into him... Doing it again and again..."

"Doing what?" his nephew asked as they were turning the corner. Kevin saw a man standing in the middle of a corridor, his stare fixed on professor. Young Evanford heard something cracking and saw a stun gun in his uncle's hand.

"So, you've never stopped?" Kevin asked coldly. "And in the library, even though you've admitted your guilt, you still shocked him to death after Selena left? Yes, you've told that you're weak before, but now I see how true those words actually were. How could you fantasize about an elaborate test for the others if you can't pass the simple endurance test yourself? Realizing that you won't survive the deadly maze that your own mind created, you decided to avoid the extra tortures and go straight to the inevitable end, dumping the onerous task on us... You're not worthy of an emotion as strong as hatred. You're simply pathetic," Kevin said scornfully and walked further along the corridor.

"Wait!" there was pain in his voice. "You've become a son to me, a smart child that I always wanted, and I never would've harmed you. I'd never give you a task harder than you can cope with! Not long before the decisive scene in my library I took a pencil and thought to myself: even this piece of wood is firmer than me. If it won't break, I will also endure. But if it will... It will mean that my successors are stronger than me, so I could delegate the task to them. Of course, those were nothing but excuses – I'm not trying to accuse you of making me jump out of the window," Evanford shook his head. "And yet, thought it's too late already... I understand that it won't help anyone, won't prove anything and won't change your attitude... But I do have will power," he sqeezed the stun gun for a second, then threw it aside.

"Are you really trying to tell that you'll never touch it again?" Kevin raised his eyebrow. After a short pause, his uncle replied:

"Yes. Enough with the self-deception. After all, I'm not a cold-blooded murderer, I'm a human being. While you stay human, you can't rationally prove the uselessness of someone else's life. Every person was of interest and value to me, because in every head there's a complex, unexplored universe... I fully admit my guilt, and I regret."

"It's all good and well," young Evanford said dryly. "But I have to go regardless," he made a couple of steps and turned back: "By the way, how can you tell if you won?"

"Being honest, I've never even thought about it," professor spread his arms helplessly, "I assume that when it happens, you won't miss it... You won't have any doubts."

Kevin shrugged, turned away and continued walking, cautiously passing by the silent man. He recalled Henry saying something like that about "true love" once. Once it happens, you have no doubts. But those abstract definitions are of no use.

***

Evanford was walking along the corridor, looking around attentively. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of Selena sitting in a room behind one of the windows. Kevin froze, trying to understand if his eyes are lying to him or not. Glass here was dark not even because of the dirt, but because it was so tinted it turned almost opaque. Silver was sitting on the floor of an empty room, her back leaning against the wall. She was completely still, and even from behind the glass Kevin could see that her eyes are vacant.

"Selena?" Evanford knocked on the glass, but his companion didn't react. Kevin took Any Key out of his pocket and put it into the keyhole, hoping that the girl will still be there when the door opens. He turned the key and tried to pull it out, but it was stuck. Kevin tugged at the key a few more times, but it seemed like it was soldered into the hole. After some hesitation, he let go of it and walked in.

Because of the tinted glass, it seemed from the outside that it was dark in the room, but it turned out to be more illuminated than the corridor. Now Kevin realized why the glass was tinted – instead of the usual window there was a huge mirror on the wall. When he entered, Silver didn't move, but when young man made a couple of steps in her direction, she threw the gun up.

"Don't approach! Or your brains will paint this door," she was looking aside absent-mindedly, but pointed H-32 with a steady hand at Evanford's head.

"Selena, it's me, Kevin. Do you recognize me?" he was trying to talk as soft as possible.

"Yes. Leave!" the girl waved the revolver impatiently.

"I won't leave this room without you," Evanford replied, inching towards her. "I need you, Selena. Try to understand that."

"What?! Get out!" Silver finally glanced at him, piercing him with her eyes. "Who the hell are you, what do you want? Real Kevin would've never said something like that!"

"My words are quite logical," the visitor objected. "Now I can compare, and see that when we were going through this together, everything wasn't all that awful. Of course, the situation was dreadful before, but after we separated, it abruptly went downhill. I don't know what happened to you. But, in my subjective experience, when I started walking the Pocket alone, everything became much worse," Kevin paid no attention to the revolver barrel that was already way too close to his forehead. He only looked into the girl's eyes. "I realized that we have to stick together. It's not just a whim. It's a matter of survival."

Selena's look cleared up a bit. Her lips were trembling slightly, her finger on the trigger was also quivering. Evanford moved the hand that was squeezing H-32 aside from his head, sat on the floor near his friend and put his hand on Silver's shoulder. He wanted to add something, but Selena didn't wait for the explanations. She threw her arms around Kevin's neck, squeezing so hard that it was almost asphyxiating. Selena sobbed quietly, thought there were no tears in her eyes. Evanford leaned against the wall and, after a few moments of pondering, hugged the girl.

Silver also took a more comfortable position, curling up on his chest, and took Kevin's hand with her left hand, still holding the gun with the right one. Slowly coming to her senses, she was trying to figure out what happened. She was falling and saw the floor... And then... She was sitting and looking at the floor. Evanford entered... Did she want to shoot his face? Selena realized that she actually could pull the trigger if Kevin have said anything wrong, dragged the conversation out for too long or just made the wrong move. But she didn't take him down, that's something. Then he sat beside her, and... Did she really cling to him like that? Only at this point did it dawn on Silver that she still lies on her friend's flat chest, his skinny arms wrapped around her body. So that's what "clinging to a straw" means... She must've been pretty desperate half a minute ago. Seeking protection in his arms is like trying to cover up with some tree branches to protect yourself from a hurricane. And yet... It's still better than being completely alone. Squeezing Kevin's arm on an impulse, the girl asked:

"Really? Did you come here for me?"

"Yes. I've already explained – there was no other option," Evanford replied in his usual even voice.

"Your logic is sound as usual, hero," she smiled wryly. "Anyway, it doesn't matter what brought you here... I'm glad that you came. Thank you," Silver raised her gaze, looking into his face. "Really, thank you," she sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

Evanford thought that even if there wasn't any logical reason to go after her, he still wouldn't have abandoned Selena in this situation. He already recalled how unpleasant it is when everybody leaves you alone in a dreadful place like that, and didn't want to act like that towards others. Besides, after all they've been through together, Selena indeed began meaning something to him...

The door opened, and Gelia ran in. She was back in her regular baggy yellow dress.

"Making love, not war?" she asked with a smirk, pointing the gunhand at them. "Don't you know?! If there is a gun, it must fire! At somebody!"

"If you're asking for trouble, you'll get it!" Silver shouted, jumping to her feet and drawing the revolver at her twin.

"Come on, was it so hard?" Gelia rolled up her eyes. She didn't move, Selena also stood still. "You could've shot him, using the last cartridge...And that would've been a great "Game Over" for both of you! Each of you would've started on their own Endless Cycle... For you, it's the eternal helplessness of free falling, for him – those equations that he has to get right, or else... Ugh... Selena, you're always spoiling everything! Words can't describe how much I hate you! I can't shoot you, I'm not that into self-harm... But I know how to cause you pain," smile beamed over her face. "Don't take this bullet to heart," Gold pointed the gunhand at Kevin.

Selena acted before she could realize what she's doing. A guess flashed in her mind, instincts worked immediately, and she smashed her right hand against the wall. Gelia's hand jerked, and a cherry stone knocked down a piece of dried paint a few santimeters away from Evanford's head.

Hissing from a sudden pain, Gold grabbed her wrist with left hand and aimed at Kevin's stomach. Selena covered him, jumping into the line of fire, ran up to her double and grabbed Gelia by her right wrist, trying to twist the girl's arm behind her back. But Selena was still weak, so Gold easily broke free and jumped away, pointing the gun at Kevin again. Evanford rose to his feet as quick as he could, though he realized that there's no way for him to avoid the next bullet. Pulsating flash on the tip of gunhand's barrel moved, but cherry stone didn't fly out of the opening. Gelia glanced at her cherry bag and cursed, realizing that she forgot to load. Furious, Selena was about to attack her double again, but suddenly the door opened, and a voice said:

"That's enough, Gelia," Haurot Sputkee entered the room.

"What are you doing here?" Gold wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

"You had an opportunity to destroy their lives, and you've used it... And wasted it. The game must end, and it's me who sets the conditions on which it happens," Haurot shifted his gaze from Evanford to Selena. "You've passed the test successfully."

"Really?!" Silver exhaled. "But which one? There were a lot..."

"You didn't slip into Endless Cycle. Of course, if you'll spend some more time here you'll have many more chances to get stuck in Endless Cycle, but testing you forever is not in my best interest either."

The moment he said it, Pervert entered the room. Girls stared at him in surprise. Finkey lifted the corners of his lips in a semblance of a smile and stepped towards Gelia.

"What the?.." she gasped, backing away. "What are you do..."

She was interrupted by Jeremy Lace walking into the room. Once he closed the door, the handle turned again, letting in Henry Evanford and his former test subject. The door closed, only to open a second later before a man that Kevin and Selena recognized as Proggod. He was squinting in the light, even covering his eyes with his hand.

"It's gettng too damn crowdy," Gold muttered, trying to get a cherry out of her bag before anyone could notice. But Silver never took eyes off her twin, so she immediately jumped at Gelia, tearing the bag off and throwing it to the opposite side of the room.

"Don't you try anything funny," she snarled, stepping back.

"The game will end soon, so we'll watch the final cutscene together," just as Haurot said that, the big mirror on the wall turned transparent, revealing Jeremy Lace's office behind it.

Kevin glanced at the clock – it was half past two, plus a few more minutes. There were some empty chairs standing in a circle in the middle of the room. Henry Evanford was sitting behind his desk, writing something down. In a few moments someone knocked on the door, and a boy appeared on the screen.

"Hello," Evanford stood up to greet him. "You're right on time. Take a seat, others will come soon."

Just as he said it, Proggod entered. He looked tense, as if thinking hard about something. Henry, young Kevin and Proggod took seats next to each other. Silence didn't last long – a female said outside the screen:

"Hey, watch your step, idiot!"

"Watch your tongue, missy," a man replied. Mary Wesson walked in, followed by Haurot Sputkee. They've obviously bumped into each other at the door. Looking at Mary, Selena realized that it must be her in the past, but still couldn't bring herself to believe it. It wasn't even about the face – that girl didn't give a damn about the way she looks! She was wearing worn-out sneakers, t-shirt with some old stains, loose jeans a couple of sizes too big. Mary's short hair was already dyed black, like on that picture with Tenko. The haircut was actually nice, but there were no traces of make-up on her face, so black hair was weirdly contrasting the dark blond brows and eyelashes.

"Hey there, little snot," Wesson crashed onto a chair next to Kevin and put her artificial leather bag on her lap. The boy gave her a cold look and turned away.

"Why are you so harsh?" professor said mildly. "He's almost as tall as you, and not much younger."

"Oh come on, he's no more than eleven," it was obvious that she says that just to argue.

"He's actually twelve and a half. And you?"

"Didn't you read my file? I turned sixteen a couple of days ago," Mary grinned like he recalled something curious.

In a crowded room, Kevin frowned. If his young version is of that age in 1996, that tallies with the date on a family photo – he must've turned one in 1985. That means that he's not 20 now, just 17? And Selena is 21 already? Judging by the look on her face, Silver was also thinking about that. Suddenly, her eyes opened wide as it dawned on her that he got a few years older in a matter of seconds. Silver glanced at Kevin in shock – he nodded, confirming that her calculations are correct. The girl looked at her hands, as if being terrified that her skin will suddenly cover in wrinkles.

"I'm fifty-three," professor smiled too. "What about you, Lewis?"

"I'm thirty-seven," Proggod replied, still deep in his thoughts.

"And you, Haurot?"

"Don't you remember what my file says?" Sputkee retorted.

"I see that you're quick to pick the habits of others," Evanford turned his eyes to Mary. The latter exchanged glances with Haurot and twitched the edge of her mouth in a conspirational half-smile.

"So, now what?" Wesson asked. "Will we share some stories from our lives? What we did, or who?"

"You can tell about that either, if you so choose," porfessor replied calmly. "But we will start when everyone's here."

"And who's missing?" the girl impatiently glanced at an empty chair between Haurot and Proggod.

"You'll see. He's about to be here, he's a couple of minutes late. By the way, I appreciate you all coming on time," Henry said with respect. "Deborah, you could put your bag on the floor, the cleaning lady washed it today."

"Thanks, I'm good," Mary Wesson clung to the bag, giving Evanford a sullen look. She obviously didn't like being called by her real name.

A few moments later Pervert entered the room, gently carrying a sex-shop doll in his arms. It was a cheap, roughly made one, with dishevelled hair the color of dirty straw, vacant look of painted-on eyes and an ugly open mouth. The doll was in baggy yellow dress, with some worn heel-strap sandals on her feet.

"This one surely has a story to tell," Mary said, leaning to Haurot.

Selena glanced at her twin with widened eyes. The revelation was so grand that she couldn't even find the words to jibe at Gelia.

"There were six people indeed," she finally uttered. Silver realized how lame her remark was, but couldn't come up with anything better and didn't want to miss the moment. Kevin turned his eyes from the doll to Gelia, simply recording the new information. Gold furiously hissed something incomprehensive, trying not to look at her double.

Finkey clumsily sat on the last free chair and tried to seat his rubber girlfriend on his lap. But her legs wouldn't bend, so he just leaned her against his side, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"See, he also holds on to his stuff," Deborah muttered, turning to professor. Judging by the look that flashed on his face, the Henry was also surprised by the doll. But he spoke as if nothing happened:

"So, everyone's here now. Today we'll play a little game. It'll help you understand yourself, your inner difficulties, along with the ways of solving them..."

"So, by the end of the game we'll be completely cured?" Haurot inquired.

"You'll make some steps in that direction," Evanford replied evasively.

"I'm here for so long already... I'm sick and tired of walking in circles... Everything must have an end," Sputkee muttered under his breath.

"What do you mean by 'cured'? I don't consider myself ill," Proggod suddenly proclaimed. Mary immediately hopped in on the argument:

"Yes, me neither! Who do you think we are?!" she was always ready to fight, no matter what the subject was.

"I'm not calling anyone sick," professor said calmly. "But everyone has their difficulties... I've already discussed this with each of you. You've agreed to share with other people in a group. And now, please, take each other's hands and try not to let go."

With puzzled looks, his patients fulfilled his request. Pervert obedietly reached his hand to Proggod, but his right one remaind wrapped around the doll's waist. Haurot grabbed the rubber limb instead.

Looking at the screen, Silver felt something touching her hands. Sensations that surfaced from the depths of memory were almost real. Thin and cold Kevin's hand was barely holding hers – the boy obviously didn't like this idea. But Sputkee's touch was soothing for some reason. She didn't want to run, didn't want to argue. There was only one wish left – to lie down, relax and watch the stars that shine in the infinity of space. She's just a peck of dust in vast weightlessness... For a moment, the feeling was even stronger than it was back then. Selena rubbed her hand, trying to concentrate on the screen.

"Well, collect your thoughts," professor spoke. "I can start first. My name is Jeremy Lace. I'm working here for about half a year..."

This time, even professor's nephew looked perplexed. Kevin and Selena looked at Henry Evanford and Jeremy Lace, but they didn't say a word.

"What?" Selena exhaled. "Umm... What the?.." it seemed like she completely lost the ability to say anything coherent. "Dammit, can anyone pause this video?!" she finally blurted out.

"No," Lace replied coolly. "We'll watch it till the end, and then you'll be asking questons."

The girl clenched her teeth in rage, realizing that there's no time and no point to argue. She glanced at professor, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to what was happenning around him in the room. Henry cocked his head, watching with interest as his younger version spoke:

"I was transferred here by the order of my superiors – nobody was asking my opinion. But I've grown to like this center, I appreciate working here," Henry-Jeremy paused for a few seconds. "And now, let's go clockwise," he looked at the boy on his left. Adult Kevin checked the clock again – 13:37. "Please, tell us about yourself – what's your name, how you ended up here, what you're doing, what's bothering you... Whatever you feel like sharing."

"My name is Kevin Silver," the boy started. His last name was no news to anyone already. "I used to be scared of something, but now I'm not. I just don't like hospitals. But I have to spend all my time in them, because I'm mortally ill. The disease is rare, so doctors want to examine me better while I'm still around. I have no problem with that," young Kevin was staring blankly into the window.

The mathematician also looked at the bright autumn trees behind the glass, and it suddenly seemed to him like he's in the room himself. Everyone's silent, he's talking. He says the truth, because he sees no point in lying. He doesn't care. He's indifferent to what happens now, and to what will happen later. He'd spend much better time solving equations. But it's impossible right now, so he just counts the red leaves on the maple tree behind the window. He recalls counting to about seventy-four that day... Kevin shook his head, shrugging the vision off. A glass of Memory Screen and a few years of life were separating him from the office again.

Silence fell for a while. Mary gave Kevin a look that reflected sympathy and even remorse – it seemed like she somewhat regretted teasing him. But Wesson immediately turned away, and a smirk appeared on her unattractive face again:

"What, is it my turn now? Oka-ay... Papers say that I'm Deborah Cunningham, but anybody who gives a damn knows that I'm actually Mary Wesson. I'm here because someone had problems with my personality and self-expression. And also... Well yes, sometimes I take other people's stuff... But I don't want that, I don't like it myself!" she said with irritation. It was obvious that it's hard for the girl to talk about all of this, but it seemed like that habit was really spoiling her life. Deborah looked at Haurot impatiently, waiting for him to talk, so that everyone would stop looking at her.

"I'm Haurot Sputkee, and I'm here for what you would call quite a long time," the man said. "Among my own kind I'm worthy of nothing but disdain, because I can't create anything original. I want to create, but I can't make anything fundamentlally new, I'm only capable of mixing and rehashing the things that already exist. I've seen many worlds, but yours has suddenly captivated me. Especially people – primitive, and yet concerned with the matters of creation... They could even produce something themselves, albeit within the limits of what they've seen before. No, you didn't get me completely right," he remarked, though everyone was silent. "By creating, I don't just mean making something physically, but also coming up with things in your mind – it's still hard for me to separate those concepts. Being here was very interesting, I even adopted an image in your world. But I got too involved, got too much into a character that I am here. It is not right. This way, there's not a slightest hope for creating something new. I realized that I have to leave this world and never to return again. But I need a little push from the outside."

Faces of Kevin, Finkey and Lewis didn't express anything. Evanford's interest was piqued – it looked like he was hearing the patient's story for the first time. Mary was grinning.

"I'm not a nutcase," Sputkee turned to the girl.

"I didn't say anything," Deborah looked at him with surprise.

"I know," he replied without batting an eye.

"Thank you for sharing this with us, Haurot. And what will you tell?" Henry looked at Pervert, and he spoke:

"My name is Biddick Finkerl. Women were always pushing me away... I know, I'm dumb and ugly... But I just wanted to be with somebody, to love," Finkey's infantile voice made him sound like a child who is never allowed candy. "But now I have Sunny, and I don't need anyone else," Pervert pressed his cheek to the doll's chest. "People never get it... But the doctor said that here I could tell everything without fear. So, I decided to introduce her to you – who knows, maybe you will understand? I don't want them to take her away from me... To be with her, I have to kill her and blow her again and again... Today I was late because I was inflating her in the bathroom," Finkey lowered his guilty gaze.

"Yeah, because after inflating her it took some time to deal with the plug," Mary whispered, choking with laughter.

Pervert finished talking, but Proggod, deep in his thoughts, didn't notice that it's his turn.

"Lewis?" Evanford called.

"Oh, right," he started talking, though it still felt like he wasn't quite there. "My name is Lewis Trow, I'm a programmer. I don't have any problems. I successfully work for a certain company, and in my free time, I'm thinking about creating a perfect game and a perfect computer to play it on. I like my work, and I spend there as much time as possible. Yes, sometimes I forget to eat, sometimes I don't care about sleeping. It's probably because of this that I started losing consciousness from time to time, but nothing too serious. However, my superiors aren't content with that. They were trying to convince me to change my way of life, they were even threatening, trying to send me home earlier or to suspend from work – but that was to noone's advantage, so they stopped doing that. Then they've sent me here for treatment... Though I'm not sick," Lewis said it all monotonously, without pausing, like he was playing a tape in the recorder. Upon finishing this monologue, he returned to his thoughts.

After a small pause, Evanford was about to say something, but Haurot was the first to speak:

"So, Henry, aren't you going to finish your story? We still haven't heard about your problem. If I understood correctly, we have to share our problems to get rid of them, right? And this game must help us, not just indulge into your fantasies that are considered twisted in this world?"

"W-what are you talking about?" he replied with a stammer, as if caught off guard.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Mary asked, alerted. "Is he hiding something from us?"

"You weren't all that honest either," Haurot remarked. "You didn't say anything about your ill temper or about your appearance that you hate."

"Do you think I'm a freak?" she yanked her hand out of his. Sputkee didn't reply anything, turning to Henry again:

"From your point of view, everyone who gathered here are useless, and our disappearance will either go unnoticed, or will even be a relief to some. This is true for everyone but him," Haurot nodded at the boy. "We're the suitable candidates for the 'Trap labyrinth' that you'd like to walk us through under the premise of a game. Maybe not right away, but our conversation would lead to it at some point. Are you certain that this way any of us will make at least one step towards solving their problems?"

Mary's face got more and more sombre, especially after Sputkee told about their uselessness. Wesson's narrowed eyes were darting from Haurot to Evanford, her fists nervously clenching. She didn't notice how hard she squeezes the boy's hand. Kevin looked at her askew and pulled his hand out of the living vice.

It had an effect of safety pin being yanked out of a grenade. Mary dug into her bag with a now free hand, took out a revolver and jumped to her feet.

"All of you are out of your mind!" she yelled, brandishing the gun. "I'm so sick of this crap that I'm about to puke! What's going on here?!" she pointed H-32 at Evanford. Stunned, the psychologist couldn't say anything. "What? I'm asking you!" Deborah said with an even more threatening voice, now aiming at Haurot.

"You're an ambiguous person," the man said calmly, looking her in the eye. "Contradictions that tear your soul apart won't let you live in peace. But I came up with a solution. With the help of this game, we will actually be able to get rid of whatever wouldn't let each of us live our lives..."

Finkey, Proggod and Henry-Jeremy were looking at Mary tensely, but young Kevin was looking outside the window without moving a muscle. He counted to seventy-four. Suddenly, a red leaf fell off the branch and slowly whirled to the ground. Seventy-three, then...

"I also know a solution," Mary's voice quavered for a moment. Pressing the gun to her temple, the girl pulled the trigger.

# Chapter 12

### A new leaf

Everything in the room stirred up and blended. Contents of the screen spilled out, catching the viewers in a crazy whirlpool of images and sensations. All of this wasn't perceived by eyes, and not even with the sixth, but with some eighth sense, with every cell in the body. Fantasies, life stories and personalities of everybody in the room were mixed, creating a dense cocktail of interweaving combinations. It was so beyond the limits of regular sensations that mind could barely stand it – it felt like it would splatter any second like a soap bubble.

Suddenly, Mary's face appeared before Selena's sight. It was melting: shapes of the nose, eyebrows, cheekbones and lips changed slightly, almost imperceptibly; every second the face looked just like it did the moment before, and Silver couldn't even tell how it happened that it changed beyond recognition. Though Selena actually recognized it pretty well – she was now looking at her own self. After seeing the transformation, the similarities between her and Mary Wesson seemed obvious.

Vision ended just as abruptly as it started. People in the room froze, coming to their senses. Everyone but Jeremy Lace and Haurot looked baffled and confounded. Selena quietly asked Kevin:

"My face... Did you see it?" she ran her hand across her cheek.

Evanford shook his head. A few seconds ago he was watching a google-eyed ball of fur crawling out of his younger version's mouth. Monster scratched the boy's chin with its chela and flew away. Kevin's body became semi-transparent, and the mathematician watched small black dots detaching from his lungs and disappearing – the eggs that hairy monster laid. When his lungs cleared, his figure flashed with a bright light that blinded Kevin for a moment. Evanford blinked and found himself in the room with the others.

"I still need comments," he said coolly, turning to Sputkee. "First of all, why do I consider myself Henry Evanford's nephew, and why it's not actually his name?"

"Everything is very simple," Jeremy Lace spoke instead of Haurot. "Henry Evanford is the name of Jeremy's patient..."

"Right, I saw it in the folder!" Selena exclaimed.

"A patient that Jeremy electrocuted," Lace finished.

"Umm, what?!" her eyes rounded.

"Memories of this were tormenting him until October 12th, and didn't leave him after. Each of you was almost relieved of the problems that were poisoning your lives – almost, but not quite. To get rid of them entirely, you had to face the challenge and finish the game... You've become Henry's nephew because he was dreaming about a student, a successor, and a son, for that matter. This is why he invited you – to get to know a smart boy better, albeit in such a way... It didn't matter much for you where to be, so you stayed with Evanford. Mary ended up at your parents' place because she wanted a normal family. And Cunningham's mansion was now professor's residence."

"But why are you also named Jeremy Lace?" Kevin asked. "What role are you playing in all of this?"

"I looked like that many years ago, before I worked for LHR... And before the plastic surgery," Henry Evanford quietly spoke. "I despised myself, I couldn't believe I'm capable of such an atrocity, I wanted to separate myself from a man who commited the crime. I couldn't see him in the mirror every day," he looked at the screen that has already turned back into a reflecting surface. "I came to the therapy center a new man. On the outside, but not on the inside..."

"My face may have changed, but my bonds are the same as before..." Selena muttered and asked aloud: "And what about me and my twin? I think I'm starting to get it, but could someone explain it properly?"

"As I already told, you were torn by contradictions," Haurot looked her in the eye. "Sentimental misanthrope, a noble filth... You were raised as a smart, sophisticated person, and deep inside that's what you indeed were. But your temper, complicated character and life circumstances were taking their toll. You were growing a rigid, thorny shell. You also hated your reflection in a mirror. Do you remember Mayerstamm's concept? I've separated the shell, the husk, both inner and outer. I've changed your face slightly and whitened your hair completely – one-third of it was already gray. Your last name comes from your new parents, and I decided to call you Selena. I thought it would be a nice touch."

Sputkee looked at Pervert.

"As for Finkey, he wanted his beloved to come to life. But, even though he perceived Sunny as a real human, he never gave her a personality. He just loved her without thinking about what her character and interests might be like. So I gave her a part of Mary's personality. Besides, she was close to me because we were next to each other."

"If I got it right, the order we were sitting in had crucial importance?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. Everything mixed up, but the experiences and emotions of you direct neighbors were more influential. As you've probably noticed, you were receiving the book in turn, starting from Finkerl. I was supposed to be first, but my participation would've been unfair. So I just went on to live through the Endless Cycle by the calendar. Victory of each of you would've helped me, too."

"So, they've been through everything that we were, but eventually lost?" Silver asked with agitation.

"It's not like they tried their best," Haurot shrugged. "The book wound up in Finkey's hands soon after October 12th..."

"How did it happen?" young Evanford inquired.

"You know that there are no closed doors for me," Gold said under her breath. Sputkee went on:

"Finkerl didn't remember what happened, he thought he just lost Sunny somehow. When he realized that he could get her back with the help of "The Door," and alive at that – he downed a book in one sitting. After this, the only way out of the room was straight into the Pocket. There his girlfriend easily lured him into the Endless Cycle."

Pervert looked at Gelia sadly. But the girl didn't even notice – the look of her dark eyes was piercing Selena. Gold's left hand was clenched in a fist, the right one stretched tensely along her body. A drop of liquid fell from the tip of the gunhand barrel into the wet spot underneath. It seemed like she will throw herself at her twin any second now, tearing her into pieces. In her turn, Silver didn't see the threat – she was looking at Haurot, catching his every word.

"Lewis Trow went on with the life he was living. One day he noticed an unfamiliar book on the shelf in his house and decided to check it out. He started to read, but it happened so that after a few paragraphs he passed out, as it often happened lately, and his consciousness was transferred to the Pocket. There he was quickly caught in Endless Cycle – doing work that has no end, never seeing the results, only left to guess if he made any progress or not... His physical form was left unattended, and it was too exhausted to support life for long. In a couple of days people from his company started to worry about him – Lewis skipped the job, something that has never happened before, and didn't return any calls. They've sent someone to check out on him, and the door was eventually open, revealing the body. There was no book around... And you know what happened when "The Door" ended up in Henry Evanford's hands."

"We know it too well," Kevin replied sullenly. "But I hope it's over now?" he turned to Haurot.

"Yes," he nodded. "From now on, you're mortal – if any of you dies, this will be the end..."

"I've been waiting for this moment to come!" Gold suddenly shouted out, aiming the gunhand at her double. The next second the revolver was pointing at Gelia's forehead.

"Again with your nonsense," Selena crinkled her nose. "Didn't you hear him? Game over! You don't even have anything to shoot with!"

"Your tongue is longer than your memory," the girl smiled wryly. "Did you forget the bullet that was shote on October 12th? I still have it... within me. You won the game for both of us, but the world is too small for us both!"

"O-oh, what a speech," Silver said mockingly. "Just as everyone thought that anti-hero is defeated, it turns out he has the last ace up his ass! Now I know why you act like a flat villain character from a cheap movie. I understood why you're so coarse and crass – what could anyone expect from a cheap sex-shop doll stuffed with the rotten chunks of my personality? Don't tell me now that you still don't see which of us is the shadow!"

"If I'm your shadow, it means that you're the only obstacle between me and the sun," Gelia hitched up her chin. "Once I get rid of you, I could finally live free!"

"If you shoot me, both of us will die," Selena replied almost calmly. "If I shoot, you're the only one who goes to the rubber hell."

"So? Don't you want to send me there?" Gold asked caustically. She was trying to talk normally, like she doesn't give a damn, but it was obvious that this time it's not true. "Are you afraid of missing the mark from a couple of meters away? Now you won't shoot blank for sure! I'm giving you one last chance!" Gelia shouted, waving the gunhand. She was losing it completely. "Don't you have guts? Shoot! Shoot, you idiot! What are you waiting for?!"

"You're the one who waits," Silver grinned. "You can't live in the real world. The only thing you're capable of is imagining enemies and fighting them. You know nothing but illusions. And you perfectly realize it all, but you can't help but argue. You seek destruction and death... But, if you bend your hand, your gun doesn't work, right? That's why you can't lodge a bullet into your temple. But I won't do you any favors, and certainly won't listen to your orders. Yes, I used to fantasize about it a lot, but I can't shoot a person in cold blood. You can't break every mirror, you can't shoot everyone who pisses you off. One should deal with inner problems first... And always wandering around with cocked trigger won't do you any good. If there's a weapon, you'll find the enemies... You're right. Sometimes it's better to just let go," Selena pushed out the revolver's cylinder, shaking out the empty cases. Then she picked out the last live cartridge, dropped it onto the floor under her feet, and threw H-32 into the corner, freeing her hand. Silver raised her arms with open palms and looked at her twin.

Gelia's stretched-out hand was visibly shaking. Dripping with fluid, the handgun barrel reluctantly spat out a piece of iron. The girl's legs gave way, and she started falling – slowly, like she didn't have any weigth. Finkey ran up and carefully caught Gelia, descending to the floor with her. Silver shook her head bitterly, watching her twin getting thinner, deflating.

"So, the game is over," Kevin repeated. "What now?"

"You could get back to your life as healthy people," Haurot replied. "Those who have something to return to..."

"Yes, I've got nothing left in that world," Proggod spoke. "But shouldn't I get at least some bonuses at the end of the game?"

"You'll see," Sputkee uttered. Trow's thin lips stretched in a smile. He came up to the door, opened it, and a blinding light flooded the room.

"Yes. Now I can see everything," Proggod stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"I also don't want to return to that world," Pervert suddenly said. "What will we do there? Sunny deflates for some reason now, but I will blow her all the time. We will love each other forever," a childish smile of joy appeared on his face. Finkey rose to his feet, holding Gelia in his arms. The girl resembled a skeleton covered with skin. Gunhand was pulling her lifeless thin arm. Hollow-cheeked face, with eyes looking even bigger and darker than usual. In the last moment before she was carried out of the room, Gelia darted a glance at her twin, sending shivers down Selena's spine. It seemed to Silver like she gazed into a pitch-black abyss of hatred and despair.

"But what about the mess that we left in real world?" Kevin spoke after a pause. "How are we going to resolve the issue with the police? Which of us will leturn as a child of Adeline and her husband?"

"It's up to you," Haurot shrugged. "Now I have a wish to change everything the way you want it to be. I'll clean up all the necessary papers. If you want, I can erase memories of those events."

"If you want to come back to your parents, I understand," Silver said without looking at young man. Professor was silently waiting for Kevin's decision.

"No," Evanford replied without a second of hesitation. He already thought this over. "I'll stay at my uncle's house if he doesn't mind it. During those years he proved himself as a person worthy of respect, and showed some willpower after all. I was given a second chance, and I think he deserves it, too.

"Of course, I agree!" Henry smiled. "I also want to be the one everybody thought I was a mere week ago. To teach, to live in the same house..."

"And what do you think about that?" Sputkee turned to Selena. "Mansion belongs to you – or, rather, to Deborah Cunningham. If you become her again, you'll get your property back, if not – you'll have no right to obtain it."

"To hell with it... Maybe sometime later I'll regret losing the mansion, but right now there's one thing I know for sure – I don't want to be neither Mary nor Deborah," the girl replied with fatigue. "Let everything remain the way it used to be. Just erase my police records."

"I see," Haurot said. "Not a trace of those events will remain in your world. You'll return to the morning when you first saw 'The Door'. Everything that happened will be nothing but a memory in your head. But I could clean it up, too," he glanced around.

"No," Henry Evanford looked at the silent figure standing behind his back. "It certainly would've been easier, but... I was wrong when I said that I could start clean. I have to face the truth – half of my page is already covered with writings, and pretty shameful ones at that. Looking at those lines makes me way more appreciative of the santimeters of clean paper that are left," he walked towards the door. Test subject and Jeremy Lace followed. "I'll be in my study, you're welcome to visit when you're ready," he said before three men left the room.

Kevin and Selena exchanged glances.

"We also want to keep our memories," young man said. His friend nodded.

"As you wish. Either way, nothing keeps you here any longer," Sputkee pointed at the door. Kevin stepped towards it, but Selena froze, looking at Haurot. Now that she was safe, fear gave way to curiosity.

"So, you're not human? Who are you, then? Where are you from?"

"You'll never understand that," he replied.

"Why's that?" Silver frowned.

"Because you'll never hear the sharpness of color green," Sputkee looked at her with a half-smile. The girl raised her eyebrows.

"Well then, whatever... Farewell!" she waved her hand goodbye, and the pair went out.

They stepped into the corridor of Evanford's mansion. Selena leaned against the wall and slowly exhaled.

"Wow," she quietly said. "So, what now?"

"We could go talk to my uncle," Kevin shrugged.

"Are you really ready to forgive him?" the girl asked, puzzled.

"I already spoke on that subject. Though I have a lot of things to figure out, that's for certain," the mathematician said pensively.

"Me too," she sighed. "But you know, this is the last thing I want to discuss right now... Let's go get some fresh air, what do you think?"

"Fine," he replied. "We could go for a ride. I think the car is in the garage."

"Let's rather just walk," Silver suggested. "Your neighborhood is so beautiful... And I have just the right shoes," she smiled.

"I don't object," Evanford replied.

"What are you talking about, what 'not's?" Selena tossed up her arms. "You should say 'I agree'," Selena winked playfully and walked down the corridor.

The housemaid, Mrs. Mackolei, saw her employer's nephew appearing on the second floor with some girl. Nobody came in this morning – she must be here since yesterday evening... This girl, or any other girl, for that matter, has never been here before. Mrs. Mackolei wondered how long has it been since those two met. Morals were different in her time. Though recalling the summer of '74 still made her blush... Oh well, they can do whatever they want, it's none of her business. The woman gave Evanford a nod and retreated to the kitchen.

Selena came up to the middle of the staircase, immediately recalling why she started to hate it in the first place. Descending those steep stairs is hard even without heels... The girl stood still, figuring if she should walk to the banisters or just take courage and descend in the middle. Suddenly she felt Kevin looking at her. Silver glanced at him in suprise and saw Evanford reaching his hand out to her. Selena smiled and took it in hers.

They ran down the steep staircase surprisingly easily and went out, quietly closing the massive front door.

###

...And a couple of words from Nelly Asher, a person who crafted the world you've just visited::

"Congratulations on bravely reading this book till the end. I'll be grateful if you write a review at your favorite retailer, and any kind of feedback will be appreciated – feel free to contact me via Facebook. I hope to share some more exciting and sinister tales with you in the future, so let's stay connected."

