Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  The shape-shifter obeyed. Dropped his jacket. Pulled a sweater over his head, showing the embossed muscles. And he concentrated.

  - Well! - I was in a hurry.

  Lesha focused. Then one more time. Tightened up. His face was scarred, veins around his neck clearly swollen. And only after ten minutes of effort, one hand began to cover itself with fur. And then, the werewolf immediately relaxed and shook his head.

  - No. I can't... - and he turned sharply towards me. - What's wrong with me!? You know what's wrong?!

  I nodded. All this time I was looking at him with my inner vision. And now I understand.

  - That's the shit you got under.

  - And that's... - There's no way he could have said "irreversibly"? ». But I couldn't wait.

  - That's great to take off. Well, not really great, but you can. Now I know what's going on with you. That's not the problem.

  - In what?

  - I am weak and tired," I just explained. - You have to act now, and I'm not ready. But if we wait until nightfall, it could be much worse.

  - Why?

  - That shit didn't just suck it. In a couple of hours, the changes will be irreversible," I explained. - And then there's death.

  Werewolves slammed their eyes. Grandfather was the first to orient himself.

  - Yulka, what do you mean, whatever it is, is working on people?

  - On people, I don't know. I guess it's bad. I can see it on the back. It looks like a few black amoebas. There's six on Alexei. They sucked on the energy nodes here, here and here, - I pointed at the head, neck, chest and groin - and they feed on its power. They create a grid between them - and block the whole aura. They... disturb the natural flow of energy, change their path as they see fit, I don't know how to say this better... interfere with the natural functions of the body...

  - Can we rip them off?

  Backfill question. It's not "who wants to be a millionaire". My life is at stake. And his. And I answered, honestly.

  - I'll give it a try. I'm the only one who needs chocolate now. A lot. And then... just like that. Feed the meat and the sweet, which is better to regain strength, drink hot wine, grind... If they start cramping, hold it down. If I start yelling, it's no surprise. It's not easy, even for me. Especially not for me.

  - Why especially? - It's already Valentine. And the werewolf is worried about me. Although... is he worried about me? If anything happens to me, Mecislav will make a rug out of him. He'll stretch out on the wall and play darts. And he won't even die.

  - And our strength is the exact opposite of something," I confessed. - This is the part that unites me with Mieczysław - it's similar. And my natural part, and the one that is Daniel's, although I won't be able to distinguish them from each other soon, are the exact opposite.

  - It's an interesting movie. What's the difference? - Grandfather knew the whole story very well and figured it out faster again. - Mecislav is a vampire. Danielle is a vampire. And the power is different?

  - Mecislav is a vampire. Danielle is an artist. The Creator. - As always, the heart used to squeeze the claws of pain. Danielle, how could you leave!? How could you only have a conscience to leave me alone!? - And there's a huge difference. Mecislav is only trying to get from me. That's it. Power, power, me...

  - I'll talk to him," my grandfather promised.

  I threw my hands up right away. It wasn't enough!

  - Grandpa, I'm already out of my diaper! And I'll remove his jaw without anaesthesia myself, if anything! Ask Valentin, he'll confirm.

  - Yeah," the werewolf smiled. - Your granddaughter, Konstantin Savelievich, is one of the most dangerous creatures in this town. Vampires tremble with her, and werewolves shake shallowly.

  - Trembling, my grandfather clearly didn't believe it.

  - And by the way, it's a fact. Yulia is dangerous because of her unpredictability. And she's proven it more than once.

  - It doesn't matter, I've been cut off by a werewolf. It wasn't enough for him to tell my grandfather what I did. My legs will be ripped off! Along with my ears! - Look at the main difference, the way I understand it. Mecislav, though from the best motives (better motives? At the vampire's? Did I get my head hit while being carried? Or was the car shaken?) is trying to save everything for himself. And Danielle is the opposite. He gave me everything he had. Because he loved me. He didn't have that proprietary instinct at all. He's a crazy vampire. He's a brilliant artist, though...

  The tears somehow came back to their own eyes. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...

  Okay. I'm calm. And I'm ready to work.

  - And the power of this creature... substance... it's the same. All to him. Everything is for him. It won't give up anything willingly. No, it won't.

  - Are you hoping to throw up?

  The bag of doubts looked at me. I snorted. Yeah. I'm going under his arm without bending over. And by the strength of it, he doubts me with one left. But it's not like I'm gonna pull the barbells!?

  - What are we watching? I don't hope so. I'll rip it out. And I'm gonna rip that thing apart.

  Leshka was confused for a moment, took his eyes away. And then he took a look at me. Resolutely.

  - Yulia, the thing is, I had our correspondent with me. Anya. Will you be able to see her too? And... cure it, if what?

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  - Lesha, I need to look at her first. And then it's up to me. I can't guarantee anything. You're still a werewolf, you know what I mean. And how do I explain it to her? There can be certain... special effects during treatment. And a reporter isn't a profession, it's a disease.

  - Yulia, you're saying the wrong thing," the werewolf wince. - Anya - she's not like that.

  I shaken my head. What and where did I hear about it? Aha! "Clara is good! ». That "good" didn't just happen to put me in a coffin. It was pure, pure, pure. Like the first snow.

  - Lesha. I'll tell you what. Either you bring her here unconscious. Either you bring her here, and she's fully aware of what's going on. But I report everything to Mieczysław. And if she opens her mouth even for a millimeter, she'll be worse, Valentin printed it hard. - Knowing Mieczysław, I can say for sure that you will stay alive. But you will dream of death. For a long time. What choice do you make?

  Alexei opened his mouth, closed it...

  - I... understand, I can't leave her to die! - came out of him suddenly.

  I sighed.

  - Grandpa, do you want to interview a reporter? Val, or you? Or can Lesha ask her to come up for a little while to meet him? I'll take a look and tell her what's going on. Yeah?

  - And then what? - the werewolf threw himself over.

  - That's okay. Can you knock a man out without him knowing what's going on? - I looked at Valentine.

  - I can do that too," Lesha shrugged his shoulders. - It's about a minute. Why?

  - If she's in this shit, I'll give you a sign, I'll lead with my hand and snap my fingers, knock it out. And we're gonna take care of this. You'll tell me she fainted. Then let her say what she wants, four on one, or better yet, I'll come out... do you understand me?

  - Understood," grandfather said. - What if she's okay?

  - Then we'll just shove it to you. Show her the company? And we'll clean Lesha in your office. - I smiled charmingly. Grandfather sparkled with his eyes.

  - Sweetie, did you finally get naked?

  - Not yet, but I'm progressing very quickly with vampires," I admitted. - There's nothing good to be taught, cowboys...

  - Bloodsuckers.

  - It's not my problem who they suck.

  - So I'm calling Anja? - Alexei intervened. - Is the plan in place?

  Grandfather waved his hand, saying go ahead, call and switch to me.

  - Do you often clean someone's aura like that?

  - For the second time in my life," I confessed. - Why?

  - It's strange to realize your granddaughter in the same rows as Kashpirovsky and Chumak.

  I spiked the cat.

  - Mo
re than what's missing! I'm in the same line as those... P.R.'s!?

  - Are you jealous? - My grandfather punched me.

  - What? Put your pants down, put your ass on the TV, I'm charging the space with energy, you'll get hemorrhoids! Put the water in the jar in front of the screen! I'm gonna say something that'll make your pimples go bad! That's bullshit!

  - But did it help people?

  I knew my grandfather was bullying, but again, I couldn't help it.

  - You don't need a knife for a fool, you lie to him from three boxes and do with him whatever you want!

  - Is that what I would do with you?

  - It's too late to twist me, I warned you just in case.

  - I know. It's a shame.

  The door swung open and a pretty girl entered the room. I sighed enviously. She looked like she was about twenty-three or twenty-three. We're both dark-haired, both well-dressed. And all the similarities. And the difference between us was radical.

  - Sack, your bag. What did you put in there, bricks? I got all soaked up before I got there!

  Where I was tired and angry, she was calm and friendly. I had to tear myself apart with blood. She just walked through life with almost no effort. I didn't like people. What about her? Even now, she radiated calm and friendliness. And I'm sure they could be felt even through the camera.

  And the aura?

  Shit!

  There were two slugs sitting on her aura - I've already christened them that way. And they brazenly cooked and drank energy streams. But - weaker than Leshka's. And there was practically no net. So, some black threads in the area of the head. For better control? Interaction with each other? Are they trying not to hide their host? It's an interesting movie. And then what? Where does what they typed go?

  I made that same gesture with my hand and snapped my fingers a little bit.

  Anya took a step and handed Leshka the bag. And Valentine, appearing behind her back, pressed on some point on her neck.

  The girl settled down on the floor with an insensitive doll, and I quickly stretched out my hands over her aura. After trying it on Peter yesterday, I tried to put my knowledge into practice. And I made sure I was right. My hands were colored. Nasty ice needles. Like the ones I felt while ripping the curse off Peter. Oh, man...

  My hands pulled away, and I rubbed my hands. Even the memory was rarely unpleasant. I'm not your hereditary masochist... that's just one scroll...

  Fingers had been sore for over a month. The wounds were persistent and healed slowly, spitting on all vampire regenerations. Well, at least it didn't fester. But it wasn't as bad as that - small white scars like stars on the skin of my hands didn't add to my joy. And so soon I'll be all over it, head to toe. Twice I seriously contacted the vampires - and each time I get something good to remember. The only consolation was that no one died last time, except Slavkina Padi. But it wasn't too pathetic anyway. There is no need to pity traitors at all. And they won't be appreciated, and they will be betrayed again.

  I broke away from thinking and noticed that I was being looked at by three pairs of attentive eyes. My grandfather is calm and studying. Valentin is worried. Sack - with hope.

  - Is there anything I can do? - he asked.

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  - Something, somehow. What do you suggest? I can either clean her or you. I'm not strong enough for two. Probably not.

  - Then - her, - chose Leshka.

  I twisted my finger at the temple.

  - Are you even adequate? I don't know what or how, but she can still stand it. But you're about to start to change a lot.

  - What about her?

  - And she's got nothing yet. You're wearing ten times more of this stuff than she is. So it's up to me. - I was gonna say with determination that I would only take care of Alexei, but I ran into him. Determined. Determined. Shit! I can give you an order. But he can't forgive me for that. And neither can he forgive himself. I moaned. - Well, you understand! She's not going to die anytime soon! We can take care of you in peace, and then her! We'll get the girl out of here in time! But with you, it could be much worse!

  It's a dead end.

  Judging by the look of it, Leszka forgot the Russian language back in that century. But I can't clean two of them! It's necessary to get everyone in there, to take this filth away from everyone, to resuscitate everyone... and if - not everyone?

  The thought that came to mind was simple and delightful.

  Why are there more of these things on Leshka?

  That's right. It tastes better. It's a primitive way out of here. To get the creatures from a journalist to a werewolf. And rip everything off him already. It solves several problems at once. The journalist won't know or remember anything. And she doesn't need it. Lyoshka and I can work somewhere else. And Grandpa will take care of the girl. And gently advise her to go to the doctor. Yeah, there's a danger the leeches hurt something, but it's not much. Still, we have a chronic soreness in one out of three and a weather dependency in one out of two. He'll get over it somehow. I shaken my head with determination.

  - Leshka, get your Dulcinea on the couch and put your hands on her whiskey.

  - What for? - asked about the werewolf?

  - We'll poach slugs at you. Will you hold out for ten more minutes? And then I'll get them all off you. It's easier for us and easier for her. You don't have to lie about something you don't understand.

  Leshka didn't get it. But I wasn't going to explain either. Because there was so much I didn't understand. Only some facts were logical. This stuff is connected to each other. It's multiplying. It's trying to crawl on those who taste better. And I'm sure it can be cleaned up.

  - Well! - I barked at the Sack.

  The shape-shifter was still hesitating.

  - You're giving her a guarantee that she's safe?

  - I'm not your fear agent! And the longer you get on my nerves, the worse it'll be for both of you," I got angry. Oh, come on! You want to help them, and they're fighting back!? - Five seconds to think, and then you can both die!

  I guess I was convincing. The girl found herself on the couch three seconds later. And Leshka put both hands on her shoulders. I squinted.

  - Hands on her head. Did you see Christ in the pictures? How does he put his paws on his brain?

  - Uh, uh...

  - There you go. Do it now!

  The sack obeyed silently and gloomyly. And I stood up across the street and put my hands firmly on him. And I squinted. Two black spots were swimming boldly in the girl's aura. What's the name of that filth?

  - Chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick, chick... Na-na-na-na-na...

  I sighed. Oh, I hate to get into this rot. But that's right. The bag is bigger and tastier. It's got more of those slugs on it. And if I stand next to it and open up, they'll think I'm even better. And they'll have to eat me. They'll leave the girl alone.

  Do I have time to duck?

  Where will I go if I have to?

  And tonight, I'm gonna do a proper brainwashing for Mecislav. If he hadn't sent me there...

  Oops!

  Shit!

  And if he hadn't sent me there, my grandfather wouldn't be there anymore. Or he wouldn't have been a little later. What are the slugs that are soaked in? Would I be able to understand that? Can I help you?

  There was no answer. But there was no desire to fight a vampire either.

  I kept my hands a couple of millimeters away from the Leshkins. The auras were stirring. I saw his creatures activate. But there were few. Too few. And to crawl back to me, you'd have to break the net. And then the creatures on the girl's head started to move. They were closer. They were more comfortable. I was stronger, which means I tasted better. And they decided to use it.

  Slowly, like a slime of dirt, one of the slugs strung from its place. I immediately felt like bouncing up and shouting, "Yay! I wasn't wrong! ", but I had to freeze and watch the other creature. It took me a couple of seconds to get cold - if
I'm wrong - and at least one of them is left. But - no. As slowly and reluctantly as a lump of thick dirt sliding down the wall, the slug moved after his brother.

  I exhaled, and I touched Alexei's hands for a moment. Literally with my fingertips. But it was enough. Aura's good. But it wasn't enough. But in personal contact, I smelled much better. And they moved faster.

  Okay, here we go, here we go...

  Crawl, sweethearts...

  I translated the look on Alexei's face. He's pale, his forehead is sweaty, his eyes are blurry, he's clearly not feeling well, but he should. Shivering, but he's holding on.

  Look at your hands. No, they haven't crawled yet...

  - Leshka, can you hear me?

  Eyes are down, but the eyelashes are shaking. Hear that. And he's ready to do whatever I tell him to do.

  - As soon as I get my hands off you get yours out of here. Okay?

  Consensual short nod. And I'm back in the gaze of filthy drops again. Ah, a little faster!

  Didn't take long to call. Minutes and a half. At the last moment, when the creatures crawled into Alexey's arms, but had not yet crawled to me - I broke contact. And the next second Alexey was sharply detached from both me and the journalist.

  The creatures were left on it. Got it!

  I had a good look at the girl's aura.

  It's clear. Yeah, there's stains, tears, clouds somewhere. Oh, come on. Man is a recovering system. Yeah, and I'll take the time to look at it in two or three weeks. And now...

  I nodded Valentine's head quickly.

  - Val, you're with us. You'll help us if something goes wrong. Grandpa, there's all hope for you. Keep the girl busy and tell her to see a doctor. Plizz...

  - What about you?

  - I'm gonna do Leshka's share.

  - That's very nice. Are you sure you're not in any danger of that?

  - Unless it's a general weakness. Well, I already told you. Do you remember?

  - I know.

  - Then... where would we go?

  Grandpa shook his head.

  - You'd better not go anywhere, but take Alexei to your house - and do this bad thing at home. You gonna be okay with that? - Now my grandfather was looking at a werewolf.

  - Yeah. I can handle it.