Lina Dee - Direville in the red fog

Mr. Dunn, standing in the living room in the dim light at that time, heard a flicker at the door, froze in place and thoughtfully ran his fingers over his lips. Someone knocked on the house… Yes, it was he who knocked on two hands, but did not call. The knockers looked around the yard, finding an Indian Scout motorcycle hidden under a thick canvas cloth against a wall. Only the motorcycles in fashion in the slightly lost Direville were not very popular, and, as a rule, many knew their owners by sight. This one definitely belonged to the owner of the «Boar and Rose» nightclub.

The door opened surprisingly very quickly, and the big black eyes of the landlord ran in different directions. Upper lip trembled with fear, and Scanlon Dunn, with mouse-colored hair, in a black velvet night gown, backed away. With a sharp movement, he accidentally moved the old table and, leaning on it, felt the switch from the second lamp with his right hand. Turning it on, Scanlon Dunn was holding his balance with all his might. The magnifying glass lying on the table next to the book fell to the floor, and the caustic green light of the lamp illuminated the pale world, which was not decorated with bright hues, like the dead weight of a ship on the ocean bottom suddenly lit by floating luminous fish.

Mr. Dunn could not back down anymore, his weak heart was about to stop forever. The man bent back even more when the furry paws of a giant spider jumped to the edge of a tilted table. Sweat profusely ran down from a green forehead. Only now the «victim» was able to see Blume and Frume Grober emerging from the darkness. Scanlon Dunn looked surprised at the strange guests, not realizing anything out of fear. He wanted to say something, but suddenly turned his eyes upward: at that moment, the spider attacked him, biting his neck painfully, injected a lethal dose of poison. Mr. Scanlon collapsed on the floor, clutching at his throat, squeezed prayers for salvation from the lips of old women, Grober, flew from his lips and silently dissolved in the treacherous silence. The downhill edge of the table was in the usual position, and the loose green lamp continued to spray a dim light at the corners of the living room…

And that was just the beginning…

The little girl’s fingertips trembled, her neck slightly swelled and reddened, and her eyes, insanely looking at one point, at first quickly ran from side to side, and then rolled up… The little heart bled and seven-year-old Ramona threw back her head and opened his mouth, baring his even teeth, waved his head and very quickly regained consciousness. If you had seen the poor girl at that moment, it might have seemed to you that some demons had just come out of her, but she… just yawned.

The young creature looked at the pistachio-colored pillows, decorated with lace braid, lined up on the high bed with the familiar pyramid, and, jumping down, quickly ran to the living room, trying to sneak away from the house. But nothing came of it: Uncle Robert appeared at the wide-open entrance door, who came to visit from faraway places, where, as she remembered, tall, gigantic burdocks grow. He imprisoned the girl in her arms, but she was spinning restlessly, trying to break free.

Taking a step outside the door, Ramona managed to notice the frightening darkness and feel the sultry stuffiness unusual for the spring evening. Again, she yawned hard and wide, she stopped resisting the smiling uncle with the prickly bristles and deep-pressed dimples on her cheeks, and childly and coquettishly allowed herself to be carried into the house. Despite the fact that she had other plans, and a couple of minutes ago she hurried into the garden, in her old tree hut to make a gift to her younger brother there. This hut was once built long ago, having left a good memory of himself, beloved grandfather Andrew Miri, who kept a small tobacco shop in Direville.

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