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THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 36
The girl could not stand it and unfolded the letter. In a beautiful calligraphic handwriting in a letter after a long greeting listing all the statuses and regalia of the sender and addressee, the lines were painfully pricked:“ In accordance with the adopted agreement on mutual observance of borders, I demand the extradition of two violators who crossed the border of the territory of the Circus at night without permission. The penalty for violation of the terms of the contract will be appointed by the Director of the Freak Circus, called the Man in the Mask, in a personal meeting with the violators.A personal meeting is scheduled on the day of receipt of the letter before noon.From accompanying the guilty, I strongly recommend to refrain ."Why all this?! I was in his arms right in his tent. I myself asked to be made a weirdo!” Lis thought with a heavy beating heart.“Madame Claudia, please,” the girl breathed out, suppressing panic
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 37
“It’s only for two weeks, I’ll survive!” the girl mentally encouraged herself and took a step towards the exit from the tent.“Taking this opportunity, I remind you,” her voice caught up, “two weeks and your friend should work at the Circus . The conditions are the same.The fox stopped abruptly and turned around in place. It was as if all the air was knocked out of her lungs, and the girl herself felt stunned by the impact of something heavy. For Charlie, she would not be afraid to give the Man poison to drink, even realizing that this would not harm him, but she would take a sip of the full cup of consequences.- This is too much! she breathed, filled with anger. The turmoil in thoughts due to the presence of the Man instantly disappeared, giving way to crystal clarity.Fearlessly jumping up to the Director, who had gone into the darkness of the tent, she hissed angrily:He is a citizen now. For you, he is untouchable! You can threaten me all you want, but I swear on all the devils,
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 38
She made it to the very beginning of the movie. The ticket clerk waved his hand with a smile instead of handing the girl a ticket. The hall is empty, it was possible to choose any row and any place. The girl with a smile settled down closer to the screen, and prepared to immerse herself in an unusual interpretation of Carroll, called "Alenka's Dream" from the Czech director Jan Svankmajer.Absorbing the world of Lynch's surrealism, the girl experienced exaltation at each scene of the cruelly straightforward logic of Alyonka's dream. Even if the Fox was a ghost for this City, one outlet in it was created especially for her, even though only she knew about it. However, closer to the middle of the picture, the images began to blur before my eyes. Lis hurriedly rubbed her eyes and closed them for a moment in the hope that this would help ...“ Before my eyes, a pretty girl in a dress from those that the Tea Witch provided me. Looks into my eyes... into the eyes of a Man. The girl's face i
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 39
Another tent, previously unvisited. Decorated in the Gothic style. A table for several people has already been served. Candles in heavy antique candlesticks. Red tablecloth. Red walls of the tent. Light darkness. The setting is intimate.At the sight of the space for a joint dinner, Lis swallowed convulsively. The state in which she was, even deja vu could not be named. Pure memories, but not hers. The most recent concerned just those captive teenagers. All you had to do was close your eyes.“ Four teenagers and a woman in a strange disproportionate dress are sitting at a table. From their hunted faces and bruises on the faces of the guys, it is clear that they are prisoners. Captives who did not succeed in their attempts to escape. The girls are dressed in dresses not for their age. One of them reminds me of Zoey, barely conscious, rubbing tears down her face. Tight blond curls and a baby face reinforce the image of helplessness.Last try. A girl with aquamarine eyes, whose face is u
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 40
“You wormed your way into my memory. It can be said that I heard the echo of your nightmares this night! He spoke so fluently that it seemed impossible not to believe him. “Still, I’m not proposing a massacre!” My circuses continue to live. As you noticed in the morning, the difference between bobbleheads and freaks is not great, but still there is an important difference! Artists receive deformities for their vices. And serving the Circus becomes their payback. Is it so disgusting to punish those who deserve it? There are no good people in this city!“What about the teenagers you kept here? Lis tried to wriggle out of his arms, clinging to her memories. What were their vices?However, it turned out to be impossible to escape from the grip, which seems friendly only with resigned submission, but in fact is not inferior to a bear trap in terms of strength. The air began to sparkle with tension as she felt his breath on her cheek.We all make mistakes, don't we? - from his close presenc
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 41
“Vulture,” hissed the Fox, trying to control the pain and keep outwardly impregnable. - Scavenger!For some reason, the legs themselves began to measure the distance between the walls of the tent, the voice became more insinuating, and the posture was proud.- Grave thief. "The dead don't need treasures," is that what you said?From the sudden change of image, the weirdo stared at the Fox with a glazed look, dropping a chicken leg from his hand. When the girl took a step towards him, he jumped back with a squeal, as if he expected her to at least punish him.He left his family to die of hunger. And he spent the loot on good food, corrupt women, booze and gambling! - with a venomous grin, the Fox looked at him carefully, considering him for the first time, not as a terrible creature, but as an image invented by the Man for punishment. With a smooth gait, she slowly approached him. - It's a good mask! Ideal for you. Do you justify yourself at night while everyone is sleeping? Do you kee
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 42
The wrists are tied with a tight clothesline. Again the same nightmare about drowning in the bathroom. Doomedly I press my cheek to the edge of the tub. The real world is not much better than the world of my nightmares. There is no desire to fight. I'll just wait until it's over and maybe wake up.A middle-aged woman with a dry, unkind face appears. Now she reminds me a little of Claudia. I involuntarily begin to fidget, lips whispering the words assigned to the role of this victim. It's probably a good thing that I see the nightmares from the faces of the victims. If I were in the role of maniacs, I would quickly go crazy. Perhaps my subconscious is saving me this way, rearranging the roles.– So it is necessary, the sun, – hands fall on my shoulders.I close my eyes. Now everything will end.However…A sharp jerk down under the water, which has become unpleasantly cold. The wrists are untied. I can control my body without being shackled by chains or a nightmare scenario.Around the
THE MYSTERY CITY CHAPTER 43
But the main action takes place not in the heat of battle. A grown-up girl with aquamarine eyes stands in front of a man. She is again out of place in a formal dress. The girl herself is disheveled and exhausted. The man is completely in his element. Predator movements, imperious voice, seductive notes. There is an offer to join the Circus in exchange for saving everyone else. Yes, the years go by, but the methods do not change. Again, dirty blackmail and a game on the girl's nerves. However, boldly looking into the slits of the Mask, she refuses.- What a disappointment! - despite the image of the imperturbable Dark Lord, the refusal responds with a painful prick.Then, having taken the disagreement to heart, the Man makes an even more obscene proposal to the accompaniment of the increased screams of the girl's friends.“You will live your worthless life and after death you will join us as a freak!” Choose or all your friends will die! - a wave of burning hatred becomes a bold allusi