Darina Grotto - Unlimited

In lightning speed the girl drew templates, corrected the previous ones, trying thinking of nothing and not to predict events.

Gregory was on his business trip to America and Vic had time to breathe. She had no need to close the door and wait with horror when the door was opened, and Gregory came in.

The door did be opened. Vic saw nothing but felt someone be in her office. She looked up. There was a woman in the doorframes. Actually, a girl. Vic’s colleague. Victoria couldn’t remember the guest’s name. Before when Vic had worked in open space that girl had been not far from her and seemed to be friendly. What was her name? Alla? Anne? No. Victoria couldn’t remember.

The girls mysteriously gazed at each other and kept silence until the guest started uttering some sounds formed into speech finally.

‘It’s not a social visit.’ She said, came into the office and closed the door.

Victoria began feeling uneasy. Her heart sank. She didn’t want any visits especially not social. And, of course, the intended to conflict girl made her be nervous. In addition, Victoria understood that she was weak to protect herself in a physical and moral ways.

‘Ok then what?’ she asked with no desire, intently followed the girl with the eyes.

Anastasia! That’s right! Her name was Anastasia! Vic remembered the opponent’s name.

‘You know, there are rumours about Gregory and you over the company.’

‘What do I care?’ Vic tried to be natural, not showing her anxiety. ‘Just rumours. You should not believe everything you hear.’

Anastasia stared at Victoria, then at the red-burgundy stone on her neck. How unnaturally long she was staring at the jewel and she was difficult to take herself away from the painith. Victoria intuitively raised up the hand. She cupped her hand and covered Kharon’s gift.

‘Tell me the truth, do you fuck with him?’ Anastasia asked straight forward.

‘What a question!’ Vic protested having glanced back the girl.

The glance wasn’t shy and silent but aggressive and unusual for Vic absolutely. Besides she felt her rage and something else awaken. Something unfamiliar, unordinary as like an alien had come into her body.

‘Just a question.’ Anastasia said mockingly smiling. ‘Why then did you get your own office after just two working months? Gregory seems to live here with you. Wanna say it’s all out of kindness?’

‘I’m not gonna speak with you at all. Why should I explain anything to you?’

‘You should, Vic, actually as the colleagues can’t stomach you it’s all about female part. All the men consider you to be a whore, ready for making nicey-nicey to your master for all his kindness.’

‘I’ve got a man!’ Vic snapped out. ‘I’m true to him. I don’t need anyone but him.’

With no ideas why Victoria started justifying herself. She knew colleagues not to consider her to be a saint but when someone came and told to face “you’re a whore” she felt like a fish out of water.

‘So, you mean you’ve got someone else at home?’ Anastasia grinned. ‘Does he know you fuck with your boss?’

‘I don’t…’

‘Oh, come on! You can’t have it all just for free, can you? Have the balls to confirm you’re a whore!’

Anastasia almost syllabified the last word. She felt her superiority and capability to have pressure on Vic. She liked mocking her. Being in shock Victoria looked so funny! Up to a certain time.

Suddenly there was a black veil before Victoria’s eyes. The girl smiled. Rose up.

‘8 years ago… maybe 10,’ Victoria whispered, closing the eyes. ‘A park. There is so much foliage, summer is all bluster and life intents on spreading… It’s a big park. The title The Botanic Garden is not finished on the map…’

‘What are you speaking about?’ Anastasia tried to interrupt Vic with no ideas what Victoria was speaking about.

‘I’m sad… offended. My parents don’t understand me, they refuse to understand. But I’m so cleaver. I’ve been living enough to have my own opinion about life and future.’

‘Are you insane indeed?’ Anastasia looked worrying.

‘Rustles. Bushes. The nearest to me. I’m scared. A man with no trousers? He’s in the bushes, his trousers half down below the knees, his hands don’t know tiredness… I wanna scream… I’m scared…and interested. I’m turning to him…’

‘Hey!’ Anastasia hissed. ‘Shut up, will you?’

‘Oh, yes… I wanna leave but curiosity is holding me tightly. The man asks not to leave. I’m staying. He asks to get on my knees and make a blow job. There’s money in his hand. I take his money it’s not much. I’m shocked but not scared yet. The man reminds me that I have to touch him, there’s another note in his hand. I need money… I take the note and do what he wants me to do. It’s hot and pulsative in my hands…’

‘You idiot!’ Anastasia hissed. ‘Shut up now!’

‘It’s not disgusting for me. I’m still interested… and it’s pleasant now. Why not try? It seems to be ugh, but I like it… There’s another note is his hand.’

Victoria opened the eyes and with naughty smile stared at her colleague in whose past she’d been crawling tight now shamelessly.

‘Do you still think that the person whose behaviour is supposed to be obscene is me in this room?’

The poison was juicing out of her lips, enveloped the words with its venom, hurting Anastasia. Of course, she remembered that story. Perfectly remembered. For a while she had thought that she was nobody, but she found strengths to reassure herself about it. Besides she was definitely sure that nobody would ever know about her part-time work.

‘I can see the similar case in your life and not the only one…’ Victoria said, ‘and it wasn’t the last one…Huh… Whore!’

‘How did you know it?’ Anastasia screamed and ran out of the office, having slammed the door.

The smile disappeared at once from Victoria’s face like if the slammed door exorcised an evil spirit out of her. By no means Victoria didn’t mean to mock and much less humiliate Anastasia. She didn’t understand what had come over her. She didn’t recognize herself. Victoria drew in breath, covered her face with her hands and sat down into her armchair.

There was an envelope on the dim screen. With no desire Victoria touched the mouse.

Unknown Person: “Well, look who decided to show up… I’m glad that people remember of me when they’re in troubles. Trying to help you. What’s it now? Whom you’re gonna call for? Lucifer again?”

Victoria: “Your sarcasm is out of place. I’ve got a severe problem with my head”

Victoria furiously typing the message.

Unknown Person: “I’ve already noticed it. What happened?”

Vic was looking at the screen, squeezing and cracking her fingers. She felt uncomfortable because of a thought what was going to happen next. What would Sergey think of her after she told him about her imaginary friends? What if he decided that she was crazy? Vic couldn’t bear it.

Victoria: “When can you call a person crazy?”

For a long time Victoria was waiting for an answer, looking at the empty screen and being afraid that she plunged the man into a shock.

Unknown Person: “Two answers. The first is you can call a person a crazy in any way, as we don’t know what insanity is indeed. We can just assume that if someone behaves in a strange way he or she means to be out of wreck. The second is bad one. All are crazy who burn their lives, wasting time on empty things”

Victoria: “So you mean people who hallucinate can’t be called psychos?”