Darina Grotto - Unlimited

‘No,’ the girl whispered, smoothed her hair, ‘no, it’s ok. Just a slight dizziness. Ugh… I’m ready to show the project.’

Gregory smiled with his hands behind his back. Victoria was standing near the table under the pressure of his piercing glance, hiding hers. She frowned, pursed her lips obviously being nervous. The man was relaxed and kept on smiling. Being unable to stand the emotional attack the girl turned her laptop to Gregory and began to jabber her project presentation.

While she was telling the country manager said nothing. He was carefully looking at the screen, diagrams, columns and pile of unbelievably prefect sketches.

‘It’s a good idea, yes, it is.’ Gregory looked away from the black screen. ‘But I think something is missing. What do you think, Vic?’

‘What exactly is missing?’

‘You’re a designer, Vic, so you tell me what is missing.’ Gregory unnoticeably moved closer to her.

‘And as a designer I told you that it’s ok. I don’t see any gaps. If you do, then tell me and I’m ready to correct it’ Victoria quickly smiled at the man.

‘The only gap is that we need to meet in informal settings,’ the man said.

His voice was serious as it had never been before. No mock nor other hints were given. He silently looked at the girl, having turned to her and thrown back on the chair. That was the most disgusting moment when the word “no” stuck in the throat and had no chance to get out of there. It wanted so much but it couldn’t. The girl was unable to say no. How actually was she supposed to say no to the country manager?

‘No problem.’ Victoria lowered her eyes.

‘Fine.’ Gregory rose up from his chair. ‘Lidia will arrange a meeting and send the details to you. I think it’ll be the next week. Is it ok with your schedule?’

‘Yes, it is. Thank you. May I go?’

‘Sure, Victoria!’ Gregory shook her hand and came up to the doors with her.

Kharon was in the centre of Moscow, with no tiredness watched people whom he had never been interested before. In fact, he had despised and mocked them. He beguiled his pride. But it changed now. Funny things were over.

‘It’s been so difficult to find you!’ a man appeared near Kharon. ‘You smell of people totally, you have no yours own. We’re gonna lose you.’

Kharon folded his hands on the chest and pretended to be mean after he had stared at the man.

‘Does Lucifer know you to be here, Akton?’

‘No. I didn’t tell him. I don’t think he notices my absence. I’m here for little, for two hours. I’m fed up with people’s ribs and waists!’

Kharon silently smiled in reply. He couldn’t be said he was too glad to see his compatriot, but he was ok with it.

‘I wonder… Is that the truth what they gossip about behind Lucifer’s castle walls?’ Akton whispered in mystical voice.

‘What do they gossip about?’ Kharon raised up the big cup of coffee demonstratively.

‘Well… about your exile to earth. What did you do to enrage Lucifer so much?’

‘It’s just gossiping.’ Kharon was confused. ‘You shouldn’t believe in what they tell you. I’m tired of so many years work with no stop… I decided to take… vacation.’

‘A vacation?’ Akton looked at the demon suspiciously.

‘A time when you can have a rest.’ Kharon explained. ‘I studied it here. By people. They are always on their vacations when they’re tired. We didn’t even know that it was possible’

‘Did Lucifer just let you go?’

‘Not just but he did.’ Kharon smiled again. ‘How do you like people outside?’

Akton looked around. What could he say about people having glanced at them? People were beautiful. They were proportionated and well-built. They talked a lot and listened less. They thought a lot of themselves in general. They didn’t smile and they weren’t friendly actually at the first sight. Women. They wanted to be more beautiful than they were. People walked quickly. They walked on roads without looking at sides. They laughed a lot and had many cries in their minds which were firmly closed from others. Their thoughts were something personal that shouldn’t be shown to society. They got angry when someone pushed them or walked slowly before them.

That was all that Akton could say about people having been with them only an hour.

‘I had the same thoughts of people… But after I lived with them, I started accepting them different. I understood them very sensitive. They can experience true emotions which we will hardly be able to get through. So, if you think to have a rest somewhere, with no thinking go to the human world. You’ll have no regret. There’s nothing in common with being in their ribs. Yes, dear!’ Kharon interrupted his story with the call. ‘Where? Just a second… In the café not far from Patriarshy Prudy. Shall I be waiting for you here? Are you sure? Ok. I got you.’

‘And… who’s it?’ Akton didn’t missed a word.

‘This one? It’s a cell.’ The demon stretched his cell out.

‘You will show me this stuff later. I want to know whom you were speaking with. That wasn’t Lucifer, was that?’

‘Why can’t he speak with me on the phone?’

Suddenly a man appeared at the table. He seemed to be airy and light but to have so deep bass voice and stony stare. Then his stare became stonier. It had burgundy tone in his pupils. You could hardly notice it, but it was charming, attractive… forbidding. The both demons stopped speaking and looked at their Lord. If Kharon was ok, then Akton was noticeably nervous.

‘Why are you here, Akton?’ Lucifer wondered looking at Akton’s troubled face.

‘I… I wanted to see Kharon.’

‘Why do I know it at the time you’re seeing him?’

‘Lucifer…’ Kharon tried to speak.

The light elegant but powerful gesture turning into an obvious “stop” forbad him to speak. Lucifer didn’t take his eyes off Akton. There was a mocking and manneredly arrogant smile frozen on the lips.

‘Akton,’ the Lord kept speaking after he had understood nobody was going to answer him. ‘Why do I have to look after this, my dear friend? You do know better than I that you’re forbidden to appear in human world. Why did you break my order?’

The smile faded away from Lucifer’s face. Having settled in the cosy arm-chair, the wrathful man with his menacing look was creeping over the scared demon’s face. It had passed more than just several minutes before Lucifer started speaking again.

‘Heh, Akton… My silent friend, you’re coming with me to my private room, we’re gonna have a very serious talk. As I have a feeling you stopped understanding me and my language. And now…’

Lucifer snapped his fingers and the world became deaf for Akton. He was unable to hear neither a single sound nor rustle, there was vacuum emptiness in his ears.

‘What’s he done? What’s wrong with him?’ Kharon finally caught the possibility to speak.

‘Nothing. Akton is a good demon but stupid and naïve. If he comes to earth, he’s in a strict sense he will have a mash on human life. Then I have to annihilate his painful memories about earth life. Do I really need it, Kharon? I’m worried that I can lose such a good demon in love for humanity. I don’t want it. Being aware of your unsociability, my conscience was clear when I sent you here.’

Akton was sitting with no move and looking at Lucifer’s mouth opening without sound, he was trying to guess what the Lord was speaking about. There was a smile on Kharon’s face, and he kindly looked at Akton.

‘I see, Lucifer. You’re always considered being the Lord worried about your subordinates.’

‘I’m glad to hear it. What’s up, Kharon? It’s been long time I came to you, forgive me please. I had a lot of things to do quickly and that made me put off our meeting.’

‘You don’t have to answer to me…’

‘No, Kharon. Primarily you’re my friend. I want my friend to know me not to have forgotten about you. I was busy but in my mind I’m always with you. I’m acutely aware of your so-called wedding night in the human bed… Unfortunately, I can’t see your emotion at all that you got through that night. Tell me, Kharon.’ Lucifer glanced and smiled at almost dead Akton.

‘It is a kind of challenge.’ Kharon confessed, ‘feelings are different from I used to have in dreams. Her performance made me wild. Everything I use to have in dreams now is just a dream. I know what I’m able for now. I wiped away my self-confidence with a more powerful one. I’m so proud of myself… And it was the first time I stayed with a woman in bed after. I slept with her, Lucifer. She was lying nearby, with no life and move because I took all her energies. I felt her have peacefulness… Until now I haven’t regretted about your decision to send me on earth.’

‘I hope your efficiency isn’t going to be worse after you tried a woman in your hands in reality?’

‘Of course, it’s not, you have nothing to be worried about. I like Moscow, people but I miss my home. I miss my work. After coition Victoria is recovering within a week. She gives herself to me till the last drop and I certainly take her last drop.’

‘I would do the same… and I did the same.’ Lucifer still glanced at Akton with mysterious eyes.

‘Did you?’ Kharon surprised.

‘My friend,’ the Lord smiled. ‘I’m a man. I like women. This is normal natural law. I want to touch them, feel their gentle bodies in my arms, hear their languishing breath and feel their sharp nails tearing off my back… I understand all that you felt that night.’

‘Oh, Lucifer…’ Kharon wiped his forehead, puzzlingly looked at the table. ‘You know I couldn’t even think you relate to women… with human ones in reality.’

‘What’s wrong with you, Kharon?’ Lucifer looked at the waitress. ‘Any male creature in our place looks for sex with women. It’s not a surprise and new. Not only incubi come down in human world, do they, Akton?’

The demon was enjoying unbearable scared silence and dumbness, which he had been rewarded by Lucifer.

‘You know the worst thing is that girls of my choice turned into dust at the last second. It’s black, loose dust. My energy, my sudden light that I can’t hold inside anymore, bursts out of me and as you know it’s not for human eyes. So, we all are connected with one female vice on the earth. But I can’t give such possibility to someone like Akton. I see you want to ask something else. Come on, my friend, don’t be shy.’

‘I… can’t read her mind after that night. I don’t know what she thinks about. I can see only empty halls and stream of them. But there are no thoughts. I can still read her subconsciousness stream when I touch her head. Every time to read her mind is more difficult for me. She’s difficult to be with her.’

Lucifer cocked his head to the left and regarded a girl at the next table with his fond eyes. He seemed not to be listening to Kharon after having been totally preoccupied with the view of the lone girl.

‘She’s a witch, Kharon.’ He answered suddenly. ‘That’s ok that she doesn’t want anyone to dig in her mind. You’re not an exception. She’s getting stronger and she doesn’t understand it. She unconsciously prevents you from accessing to her thoughts. Don’t worry, you’ll do it. I shall warn you that the witch might is still sleeping in her. All she does now is just a game. It’ll be interesting to look when she realizes who she is.’

‘She sees spirits, she doesn’t allow me to read her mind, her energy is gargantuan, and all of these is just a game? She’s unusual… Why can’t I see ghosts, by the way?’