Lina Dee - Direville in the red fog

© Lina Dee, 2021

ISBN 978-5-0051-7667-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

DIREVILLE IN THE RED FOG

By Lina Dee

Edited by Lyudmila Termeneva

Translated & edited by Igor Stepashkin

Illustrated by Monaskrel`art

“Direville in the red fog” – this is the third collection of 9 stories-sketches about the life of a fantasy city in Western Europe in the first half of the XX century.

The sweet spring air scattering around the city, even more swirled the residents of Direville in the improvised carousel of his small world, bringing the spring ball and… a new danger as a red mystical fog that could harm the city or completely wipe it off the face of the Earth.

In the meantime, the vagabond hoarder Austin, managed to solve a few creepier secrets of looking like very nice residents. And beauty Kenna managed to capture the attention not only the famous violinist Rockwell, but also the twin princes and someone else…

Will there be a person who can save Direville from the looming threat, and what is so unusual about a snow-white crow that secretly watches over many residents?

After leaving the big red-and-white circus tent, painted with festive stripes, like a small caramel cane, which usually with the taste of peppermint, the man in dark glasses and black hat seriously thought about something, stopped for a moment, dusted off the pink spangles and suddenly… sneezed loudly. Laughing from this unexpected, almost explosive sound (and maybe from something else), he changed the expression on his face, hidden under big glasses, to a softer one, and walked with a strange gait, slightly throwing out his legs either from importance or from excess feelings overwhelming him on this spring day.

Mingling with the crowd, the mysterious man counted out a few gold coins, took the waffle cone with chocolate ice cream from a benevolent vendor, and began to eat it with a special childish passion, licking and smiling to everyone around him as insane. He looked at the details of the clothes of street vendors, bright clowns and people walking with curiosity, turning into delight, coming off from time to time on a carriage with a large crew passing by, probably next to Smoggiburg castle. Chocolate drops of melted ice cream dripped down the hand on the pavement…

Having finally reached the remains of the waffle cone, the man took a handkerchief out of his black suit, wiped his sticky hands and smiled smugly, seeing an approaching zeppelin from far. The pearl giant, enveloped in bronze stripes to match the lower part of the aircraft, resembling a boat, dropped the speed and altitude and, crossing the clear sky, approached the rides. Above the circus tent, it as if reaching the designated goal, seemed to be frozen, but in fact continued a quiet movement. The small hatch opened silently, and from there a bright rain of scattering red roses scattered in different directions. Petals covered tents coming out of circus artists, freaks from freak shows, wanting to watch at a miracle, jugglers, photographers with monkeys fussing around, small dogs and other animals and birds, rotating carousels, attractions «Loope-loope», roller coaster… and adults people exclaiming louder than children, who admired the fragrant petals ripping up the spring air and tried to catch them on the fly.

At that moment, a surprised girl in a sparkling pink dress jumped out of the tent that Mr. Villares had left and looked at Adelard, who, looking at her embarrassedly, turned away at the fabulously beautiful white horses, took off his glasses and rubbed his unusual yellow -blue eyes a little sticky hands, and then, put on his glasses again, reached the stop and jumped on the immediately arrived tram, following to the final stop the cemetery.

Meanwhile, the petals that filled the whole space continued to spin in the air and to pave the already scarlet ground… Victoria, wiping away tears of joy, pushed the crowd and ran to the tram, but it started moving. Adelard waved her, stopped to smile and turned back, slipping away into the thick of the crowd of the tram.

The tram followed the crooked route, a sad weaver Maya rode in it (Adelard had already met her in a quiet alley), a plump butcher from the «Three Bones» shop and many other residents whom Mr. Villares saw for the first time in Direville. They all stared at the scarlet rain of petals, continuing to envelop the city with their tenderness.

***

After fate played an Old Harry trick with him, Mr. Adelard Villares fence off to everyone and became like a real snail, inshelled for a very long time.

At that moment he lost his despotic wife Monique, who went to another man and disgraced herself and his shame. Then, due to strong unrest, he lost his work, and at the end, depressed by endless grief, pushed away his friends. And, one by one, without special reasons they capable of vetoing a long-term friendship, people put behind Adelard from their lives, so he was left completely alone soon, despaired, feeling like a looser.

At that time Mr. Villares lived in a small house, by the seashore, inherited from his parents, who had moved to Direville. Adelard could see a flashing beacon and multicolored shimmering waves in the distance. In the most difficult moment, when there was no hope for a brighter future and the ringing of the last coins in his pocket seemed like a capricious mock of fate, only the sea could calm him down and give inspirational power that didn’t let him go completely crazy.

***

Having stood for some time in the cemetery, lit by the sun so that grey and dark tombstones with readable and unreadable inscriptions and figures were covered in green and purple spots of light, and the walls of old crypts, kissed by time, surrounded by beautiful urban landscapes, fascinated as ever before, Mr. Villares slowly walked to the exit. Now he recalled that period of life with gratitude and some nostalgia, which he associated with the smell of sea fish, beautiful ships and acquaintance with beautiful Victoria, who turned his life upside-down.

The meeting with Victoria took place long ago, but it always came to mind with a bright yesterday memory.

***

On that day, Victoria Tweedy was gazing at the beach with a darkening golden sunset, when suddenly strange sounds caught her attention… The girl went towards them… She saw a young man desperately was beating stones against each other and he looked like a madman and she was surprised and frightened. So Mr. Adelard tried to understand the universal plan and get an answer to heartbreaking questions. Victoria’s smile and sparkling tender glance, as well as the raging sea, shook Adelard, he stopped his strange occupation and smiled her. He did it for the first time in several years. He was silent, and she chirped like a bird, inspiringly telling about dangerous tricks under the circus dome… But the evening was over, and the girl, inviting a strange acquaintance to the show, disappeared.

At that night, one more miracle happened in Adelard’s life. Returning to a lonely house, a man could not fall asleep for a very long time, and what he had been waiting for so long came stroke of insight. Adelard suddenly realized what he was born for. Feeling his destiny firmly, but not being able to come into fruition at least one idea at that time, he took out the paper hidden in an old chest of drawers and unstoppable began to draw something. These were sketches and drawings of inventions that could make people happy. He could not even imagine how they appeared in his head. Later, Mr. Villares planned to visit an old acquaintance the artist Melville, for whom he had once learned some phrases in sign language to take a couple of tips. Remembering that he could read, Adelard laughed with relief. So far, he did not know and did not even guess that Melville had a friend, engineer Adam, and Adam had a friend investor, Ben Tyler.