Мариам Петросян - The Gray House

Humpback never explained that, so I imagined away, coming up with some truly amusing images. Like babies cooing and kicking their little legs, floating up from their cribs, circling around the rooms, flitting out of opened windows, and flying to the tootling piper in his red tunic.

That wasn't even the half of it. To imagine a one-year-old that the parents wouldn't be able to hold on to was even harder. Then I realized that in the original tale this wasn't explained either. It just said that the Piper led away all children, period. So the littlest ones had to be included in that, too. I don't think I'd ever thought about that before.

Lary told about an enchanted princess. Obviously meaning Needle. Red told about fugitive deaths. Likely meaning himself.

Tabaqui told about a little old man who so disliked making presents, while at the same time being somehow obligated to do exactly that, that he even faked his own death to make them leave him alone.

Owl and Corpse dovetailed their stories with Tabaqui's, telling about their own encounters with this old man.

Vulture and Noble continued whispering to each other, and Lizard fell asleep. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal if I tried to get some sleep as well, but it didn't work out that way.

Because the next person to climb the stepladder was Blind, and the ringing silence that followed knocked the sleepiness right off me.

Blind remained silent too for a while. The candles went out, the lanterns didn't give off much light, but I could see that he was barefoot, dressed in his regular clothes, and that his hand was now wrapped with a bandage instead of a towel.

Finally he spoke. He said that he wished all of us luck, whether we were leaving or staying. Or leaving thinking we're staying, or staying thinking we're leaving. Or, finally, returning. Blind said that whatever we chose, every one of us would have to begin our lives anew, because the life that's waiting for us would have nothing in common with the one that was ending. Many would remember nothing of this life, but that shouldn't frighten us. “Those who live believing in the possibility of a miracle will find it.” Then Blind said that he was not saying good-bye to those who were leaving, only to those who were staying and returning.

By this time I was thoroughly confused, and couldn't figure out which of them I was.

But it got even more mysterious.

Blind declared that he needed two volunteers—an experienced guide for the inexperienced guide, and a caretaker.

“This latter position is permanent,” he concluded, and jumped down.

As soon as he did they switched on the wall lamps and everyone started getting ready to go.

I didn't realize that the Fairy Tale Night was over, it happened so suddenly.

The lights exposed piles of dirty plates and half-eaten food, candle drippings, and overstuffed ashtrays. It was no longer cozy, as if we all found ourselves in a train station, and just like people do when coming to a station, everyone everywhere hugged, said good-byes, and gave each other trinkets to remember them by.

Black sat next to me, slapped me on the shoulder, and said, “Take care, man... See you around.” And then left. Then I was being kissed by Needle, her face tearstained and puffy. Horse gave me a tiny broom, for luck. Lary hugged me and burst into tears, so passionately that it was all I could do not to start sniffling too.

I didn't have time to wallow in misery and get steeped in the farewell spirit. They quickly hoisted the backpacks on their shoulders and went out, with a sizable crowd trailing along to see them off.

Alexander helped me climb up on the windowsill, and together we looked at them crossing the yard.

It was still dark out, but Needle's wedding dress seemed to be glowing, and I could clearly see her in the crowd. Her, and Lary in his operatic white shirt. For some reason, out of all the happenings of that night, this stood out in my memory, how they all walked across the yard to the gates, bride and groom leading the procession. Someone was holding Needle's train. Black was certainly striding along purposefully, lugging his enormous backpack, lips pursed severely, but him I couldn't distinguish from above, I just knew that he must have been there. Him, Horse, Bubble, and Zit, and Genepool... and also Red, as it turned out later. And those two from the tent camp.

There actually weren't that many of them leaving, but the darkness made it seem like it was a large crowd, so I even started fretting if they all would fit in their bus, because I remembered Black saying that it was quite a small one.

Then they closed the gates, those who were seeing them off returned, and we tried to re-create the cozy night in the candlelight, but it just wasn't the same anymore. People still cried, talked in whispers, said good-byes and gave out remembrance gifts, though more subdued now. Less tragic.

I discovered that I'd been holding armfuls of presents, and more were scattered around on the bed, but I didn't remember whom most of them came from.

Humpback climbed on the top bunk and was playing the flute. Beauty and Doll discussed Needle's bridal attire in excited whispers.

The old night guard disappeared somewhere. I didn't know then that he had also left with the bus, so I assumed he just went away like the two from the tent camp. R One was the only unusual guest still remaining. He was sitting on the bed that was pushed against the wardrobe, drinking Vulture's tequila straight from the bottle.

Blind sat next to him and asked something. Ralph choked, and Blind slapped him on the back. I was curious what it was they were talking about, so I crawled closer.

“As you wish,” Blind said, getting up. “But it is entirely up to you.”

R One grabbed his arm and made him sit back down. “That was a joke, right?”

Blind said that he had no intention of joking. Then he extracted a grubby brown envelope from his pocket and handed it to Ralph.

“If you change your mind, open this. When you are done with all the rest of it.”

Ralph immediately stood up and looked around. He looked like Blind had just reminded him of a bunch of urgent and important things he had to do.

“All right,” he said. “How much longer is this night going to last?”

Blind shrugged.

When Ralph left, Blind took his place on the bed and grabbed the guitar left by Shuffle. The bandage on his hand interfered with playing, so he took it off.

Sphinx sat down on the floor next to the bed. Tabaqui stopped driving around the room and also crawled closer. A little while later, Alexander joined them too.

Blind twanged the strings, very softly, Tabaqui whistled, Sphinx and Alexander just sat there silently. The morning refused to come.

I got tired of waiting for it and fell asleep, so I don't know how long the others were able to endure this.

Shortly before dawn I awoke to the sounds of the flute coming from the hallway. Plaintive and repetitive. I opened my eyes, registered the deepening blueness of the sky, and went back to sleep. Right around that time someone also stroked my hair. Tousled it and went away. I would never know who it was.

Those who had left at the end of the night tried to do it quietly.

I was woken up by Sphinx.

“Get up,” he said. “Or you’ll miss graduation.”

It would have been less jarring if he'd set off an alarm clock by my ear. I sprang up.

“What? Already?”

The room was thoroughly trashed. It looked like that after every exciting night, though, so the mess was entirely expectable, but no less disgusting for that. And not a single soul in sight save for Sphinx and me.

“Have they all left?”

“They have,” Sphinx said, wearing a crooked smile. “And know what? You’ll have to help me, because there isn't anyone else.”