Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  Danielle left his car a block away from the dormitory, grabbed my hand, put the bags on my back - and just pushed the tank forward. What about him? He recovers, he's drunk with blood...

  And I felt worse and worse. My arms and legs were icy, flies were glimpsing before my eyes, and my ears were humming. My whole body was shaking a little. The stress went away, and the adrenaline started to roll back more and more. I was only dragging myself on inertia, trying not to talk, saving my breath. It didn't work out well, but I clenched my teeth and went forward, sometimes telling me where to turn to get to the dorm faster. I knew the city badly, but it was better than Daniel. The vampire didn't say anything either. That's right. I wouldn't have heard anything anyway. And if I did, I still wouldn't think about it. I wasn't worried about it. I was watching my legs go all over the place. They didn't believe I could go at all. Stupid legs. But after a while, I'd be incapacitated at all.

  Gods, I feel so bad!

  There was no one on duty.

  - Jane, where do we go?

  - To the right and down.

  Nadia lived in a semi-basement room for the "particularly privileged". The tiny room hardly contained a bed, a table, a fridge, a closet and an electric tile. Toilet is on the ground floor. Shower room - there. The only advantage was loneliness. But Nadia was happy about it, too.

  Danielle opened the door and shoved me onto the bed. The groceries went into the fridge, and the vampire pawned the inner latch and pulled the curtains.

  - It's a good thing there's a basement. I can curtain the window with a blanket and not suffer much from the sun. Jane, how are you?

  The question was asked on time.

  The adrenaline had finally dissolved and the day and night began to roll back.

  I got shaken up, then I jumped out of bed and started rushing around the room... The vampire intercepted me until I busted the closet.

  - Jane?!

  But it was too late. I was shaking and pounding, my teeth knocking so I was afraid to bite my tongue off. If a vampire hadn't held me back, I'd have just crippled myself. I couldn't even say anything. But Danielle seems to have figured it out. He took the vial out of Nadya's jacket pocket, ripped off the lid, and put it on my lips. I had a disgusting alcohol stench in my nose - and I tried to pull away.

  - Drink! - ordered by a vampire.

  I closed my eyes and took a sip. A ball of fire rolled down my esophagus into my stomach, and I coughed up tearfully. My throat was burning with fire.

  - More," Danielle ordered.

  I took a second sip like a good girl. Then the third sip. The fourth. On the sixth sip, my ears made a noise. But it was still terribly cold.

  - Jane, forgive me, a vampire spoke very seriously.

  And the next moment, I was on the bed. Danielle undressed me like a banana - fast, methodically and naked. I think I was crying. The hysteria continued, and the vodka barely took it off. The vampire splashed alcohol on my hands and started rubbing me hard.

  - Your feet are icy. You'll catch a cold.

  - Humans are fragile creatures, I squeezed some of them out.

  Daniel looked at me carefully, as if making a decision, and then threw himself into the water.

  - You're strong. You're very strong.

  And the next moment, his lips covered my mouth, locking up all the screams and tears. My last point of contact was, "Why is he so hot? He's a vampire and he should be cold..."

  And then everything merged into one solid strip of hands, lips and intertwining bodies.

  * * *

  I woke up, but I wasn't in a hurry to open my eyes. I felt so good! I was lying on something soft, and the heat wrapped me up to my fingertips. Nothing hurt. I didn't even want to open my eyes. But I had to. For the most prosaic reason, I had to pee. It's only in movies heroes do not go to the bathroom, and in life everything is not so sublime. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. Where am I?

  The ceiling was a stranger to me. Low, dirty white, in divorce. We couldn't have a ceiling like that at home. And where am I then? I slowly remembered last night, and I moaned.

  Oh, my God! Katya and I were in Death Combat yesterday, or whatever? "Wolf Fight"? "Wolf Fight"? Oh, one dick! And then what happened? Dushka, vampire, executioner, blood, Caucasian at the wheel, morgue, Nadushka, boy on the pavement, Danielle, sex...

  What, did we have sex last night? I think we did. That's the first time we've had sex. I don't really remember anything. Was there a boy? And blaming a vampire won't turn your tongue. My grandfather once told me that after the fight, nothing like a hundred grams and sex hasn't been invented by mankind yet. The vampire was filmed like a hand. So Danielle treated me with his methods. I wonder if the theory that all children of a woman will be like her first man, in this case is relevant? I don't think so. Or is it? I'm gonna have little bloodsuckers in five, seven years from some normal guy, and I'm gonna be chewed up and drink my blood for the next twenty years...

  - Are you awake? - Danielle in blue jeans and a gray fluffy sweater appeared in my sight and carefully pulled the curtains tighter. The sweater went very much towards his eyes, making them brighter and deeper. Dark hair shattered beautifully on his shoulders. He moved around the room easily and gracefully, like a big leopard, then intercepted my gaze and smiled. - There's no sun outside, but I don't want to take any chances.

  - Danielle? So I didn't dream all this?

  The vampire sprayed in a smile.

  - You sure didn't dream about me. How are you feeling?

  I looked at him frankly. The vampire was very handsome and just my type. So masculine, normal, not sex symbolic or magazine beauty. The tall figure wasn't pumped at all, like many people do now, but the belly wasn't hanging either. Well, why would he? You can't get fat on one blood, no matter how you spin it. But actually, that's the kind of figure they turn to on the streets. Danielle was very proportionate. Slightly skinny, but not to the point of "dog joy", with long legs and wide shoulders. Serious, slightly heavy face with sharp features. High forehead, thin nose with a hunchback, stubborn chin, well-defined cheekbones. Huge eyes, downy black lashes, were the colors of liquid silver. But even now it felt like the silver was cold. Mercury, but not melt. Black eyebrows were a little wide for his face and rose sharply to his temples. And it made the vampire seem surprised at something. And he also had a face that was... kind. There was no arrogance in him. And I unwittingly thought, is it a mask or not? Either way, I'd be sad if he was just a dream.

  - That's great. What's your job?

  - Part of it's mine. And I don't regret it at all," said the vampire as he sat down on the edge of the bed. - What do you remember from that night? The most recent?

  I tried honestly to remember.

  - You and me. Are you and I really... that one?

  The vampire was embarrassed. No, he's really embarrassed. Or he pretended to be good. I mean, he said he wasn't sorry. But that didn't stop him from touching his eyes and sitting on the edge of the bed.

  - Jane, please forgive me, but I had no choice. You had to warm up and relieve yourself. And I didn't drink your blood. Whatever you want, I swear. I didn't get into your head or use any of my powers. But it was necessary. You'd be dead if I hadn't...

  I wouldn't listen any further.

  - Basta!

  The vampire took a surprise look at me.

  - What do you mean?

  I couldn't resist the jerk-off.

  - My grandfather told me there's nothing like 100 grams and sex after a fight. You know, I think we had more than a hundred grams of sex. And I'm not mad at you. I don't think I'd be able to act so determined if I were you. By the way, did I not bite you? I remember things very vaguely, but I think having sex with me while I was hysterical was as safe as having a lawn mower.

  The vampire had a big smile.

  - We did have more sex. You didn't bite me, even though I had a couple of scratches to remember. I'll show them to you sometime. Then you passed out, and I called your f
riend and told her to spend money on clothes, a phone and three SIM cards because we already bought groceries. Nadia had already come and gone. It's almost 2:00 in the afternoon.

  - Did I sleep that much? Wait a minute, how did you call her? You didn't know the phone!

  - So what? So you called her. All I have to do is repeat the set.

  I felt like a complete fool. Everything's brilliant. I had to translate the subject.

  - I feel better than I expected.

  - That's good. We have a big cultural program for today.

  - That's nice. Don't you think you owe me a frank conversation?

  I decided not to be surprised. Vampire so vampire, crocodile so crocodile. If now Nicholas II comes out from under the bed and proposes to me hand and heart - I will not faint, but promise to reflect on his words. Am I crazy? It's possible! But to find out, you must first live to see a psychiatrist. So calm down and go!

  - Whatever you say, Danielle spoke humbly. - What do you want to hear?

  - For starters, what can I put on to go to the bathroom? I'll listen to the rest later.

  The astonishment on a vampire's face was worth a lot. Then he shook his head and laughed. I smiled back at him. Danielle wasn't laughing at all like Andre. His laughter gave me the creeps. On the contrary, it was fun and easy, as if huge soap bubbles were flying around the room.

  - You have an interesting logic.

  - It's not logic, but the body's natural needs.

  - Do you need some help?

  - I'll try to handle it myself.

  I got out from under the blanket and tried to get back on my feet. It wasn't easy, but I kept my balance. I was wearing an old T-shirt with Mickey Mouse's drawing that had faded from frequent laundry. Definitely Nadine. I'm not wearing anything like that myself. Of course, clothes don't matter to me, but I hate things with drawings. Everyone can have their little quirks, right? That bloodsucker must have taken advantage of my unconscious state. He doesn't know about my habits, though. Usually I'm not too straightforward, and this is the second time I've ever seen a vampire in my life.

  I pulled on the new jeans I was wearing, bent soap from the table, and a towel from a chair that had been carefully placed by a vampire, and headed to the bathroom, holding on to the wall. The dorm, thank God, is a place where an elephant on a leash can't be seen. There's not many people I've come to. And my pale look didn't raise any questions. A third of the people here have the same muzzle after the quail bird's visit.

  I thought about it for a while and decided to take a shower. I stood under the hot water for a long time, feeling the blood running faster in my whole body. I washed my hair with fragrant soap and thoroughly towel-dried it. I wanted to get rid of the smell of the dungeon. The smells of last night. And also, under the hot water, I thought it was wonderful. I remembered the events of last night - from the very beginning.

  All right!

  Holy water.

  No more questions about that. She's like sulfuric acid to vampires. If I get the same Duke, I'll just pour it in until it dissolves.

  Prayer?

  Katka definitely woke up after the holy water and my parody of "Our Father". Why the parody, though? Let me not know anything about prayers! But I do pray with business! And anyway, you don't have to be a priest for faith. Faith is inside, not outside. When all this story is over, if I survive, I'll go to church and have a serious talk about it, but not before. And actually, someone told me a story in my day.

  There was a woman who lived in ancient times. A dancer. And not a Christian. Not sideways. Gypsy? A woman from the east? She didn't know herself. She danced in the squares, and they threw coins at her for it. That's what she lived for. Of course, the monks grabbed her and wanted to burn her. But even witches have a last wish. And she asked me to let her dance for the last time. Everything was ready in the square. The fire, the monks - and of course, one of them had a cross in his hand.

  And the woman started dancing. Like never before. She gave everything in this dance - both life and soul. She danced like she lived, like nightingales singing on a summer night. She danced like tongues of fire in a campfire. And everyone watched, spellbound like a flame. And the crowd and the monks... And when the dance ended, she fell to her knees right in the mud. She fell under the feet of her killers. There was nothing left to do. Not for pride. No dignity. Not even to stand on her own two feet. Everything spilled out in the dance. But no one dared to touch her.

  And the wooden crucifixion of Christ came to life, the figure stretched out his hand and helped him to rise.

  The dancer wasn't burned. She lived a long and happy life in that town. And every day she danced in the square. No one dared say a bad word to her. Everyone came to see. Because everyone understood - the dance was her prayer to God. So much she put her soul into it.

  I don't equal myself with her. Apparently, this woman did believe in God after all. What about me? Do I believe in God? And what's my God's name? There were many questions, few answers. But if prayer works, there must be something about it.

  The crosses.

  The reaction is consistent. That vampire screamed after she grabbed the cross. Did he burn her, or what? And what happened next? Why was she scattered with ashes? Because of the cross?

  Is that what the life-giving cross does?!

  But it didn't happen right away. Not until after I said it.

  Prayer again? Can my crookedly written poems be called prayer? I wouldn't even print them on toilet paper - so that there is no cancer of the big buttock muscle. On the other hand, as much as I can, as I pray. And I was quite satisfied with the result.

  Looks like a prayer. I warmed another vampire with a cross (let not myself, let it be indirectly, through Katka). And Dyushka, to my great regret, didn't fall apart after he got a cross in the face! Or is it about Katka? And if I had warmed him up, would he have died? Eh, I didn't think to pray for a test then! That's a pity!

  So maybe we can still do this? If we see each other?

  But to do that, we have to replenish the crosses. And holy water. Today. And Nadia can't be trusted to do that. I'm not setting up a friend like that. And how do I explain it to her? I'll ask Daniel to show her fangs? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Vampire one wouldn't agree.

  Will I be able to reach the church?

  Where am I going to get off the submarine?

  So, what's next?

  And then. And then we had that interrogation. Well, that makes sense. A good investigator is a bad investigator. It's not even interesting to remember. And it's clear why Duke decided to question me. Of course, he would have told me how Katya told me to pawn everyone off, but it didn't work. By the way, I wonder - why? Katya was in a trance from his speeches. At least she understood what that bastard was doing, and there was no way to send him away. And for some reason, I did it. It wasn't just hypnosis. I mean, antihypnosis. I was even cooler than Van Helsing. I mean, the vampire fell apart. And I didn't poke anything at her. Uh, would you know how and what worked then? How did I do it? Okay, what I don't have is what I don't have.

  Shall we move on?

  Yeah.

  Well, I just got lucky with the executioner. Let's be honest with ourselves, I'd rather not do this to anyone else. And this is stupid luck. Fools are lucky. You put a vampire on the executioner, I wouldn't do anything to him.

  Danielle. Why did I help him? Well, it's clear. I hate fascists. And those who do that are fascists and bastards. I killed that vampire right away, I didn't torture her. And Dyushka...

  Scum!

  Is this what happened when Danielle drank blood from me?

  I tried to remember how I felt. It felt like a vampire wasn't drinking blood, it was something else. That fire that burned inside me. But why would it be like that? Okay, that's what I'm going to ask him.

  Well, the rest of the night is completely within reason. That's all I don't understand.

  Who did the vampire call? What kind of "calling a fr
iend" is that? So what do we do next?

  I could only offer one way out.

  Set a fire in the club, adjust the holy water tank and fill it all with vampire mother. Until all the fangers have dissolved. Or at least sanctify everything there. Pay the rite anonymously and let the good uncle with the cross walk around the club. Only that won't help. As I understand it, a priest must be a believer. Not one who sells his prayers. And secondly, vampires won't sleep and wait that easy. No, they're not gonna get killed that easily. Well, how's that?

  Asking Daniel.

  Anyway, what are my plans?

  And the simple ones. I have to deal with Duke before he kills me. And in this noble way, I'll be satisfied with any means necessary. Buy, kill, scare me into a bear's disease, that'll do me good. As long as I and my family stay safe.

  Me and my family...

  Katya!

  That's what I forgot about her. Although after a night like this, you'll forget your name.

  I wonder what happened to my friend? Maybe because of our escape, Duška didn't find time to take care of her, and I have a chance to get her out? By a human, not a vampire.

  I'd like that.

  But something said I wanted too much.

  * * *

  I didn't go to the room too willingly. A vampire will try to put me to bed again to rest, and interrogation is not my style, but there was no choice. Danielle was waiting for me in the room with a cup of something hot and red.

  - The blood of innocent victims?

  - Exceptionally guilty.

  - Did they wash their necks before drinking?

  - And even the ears. Come on, drink it, and no discussion.

  I took a sip and I shrunk.

  - Pomegranate juice with honey? Ew!

  - But it's useful. You lost a lot of blood and ran around in winter without warm clothes. Drink and go to bed, and I'll bring you lunch. Or breakfast?

  - A vampire cooker?

  I immediately scolded myself for ugly language, but it was too late. Kindness in the vampire's eyes was replaced not by anger, but by a desire to repay. I hurt him, and he wanted the same thing for me. But he held back.