Chapter 1: The First

 

"How does the wine taste?"

 

The man across the table asks, while observing the red liquid in a glass. 

 

Everything about him is disgusting. To the point it makes you scribble a fork against an empty plate. And that's what the boy does. 

 

Squeaking. Annoying sound. 

 

"Suni, stop!" the mother shouts. 

 

Lost focus, out of hatred. 

 

The object of disgust gets up and raises the boy's chin, making him look straight in the eyes. The way his fingers clasp at the jaw, like thorns of a carnivorous plant. His eyes, vile and empty, running through his face, "You got a beautiful son, Marion." 

 

"If only he would behave as beautifully," she answers.

 

The boy shrugs the man's fingers. Angry expressions on both faces. Annoyed click of tongue from the mother. 

 

The only thought is to get away and make the surrounding faces disappear. 

 

And that's the next thing the boy does after the unwelcoming atmosphere at the dinner - comes to his favourite spot at the lake. The already dying lake. 

 

Just watches the horizon. The view. 

 

Numbness. And empty feelings. Just what he wanted. Calm. So calm and devoid of any disturbance, he is almost ready to shed tears at the existence of this, what feels like, another world. Different from the one of his present life.

 

The illusion gets interrupted. Promptly.

 

One pebble. Second one. Third. Splash. All three have failed. That's a bad technique of so-called pebble-throwing. 

 

Someone really wants to catch his attention. But he will be patient. The boy fixates his eyes on the water. 

 

Stubborn.

 

Young voice, "Um... It's pretty cold, you should grab a jacket."

 

Silence, it lasts quite some time.

 

"It's fine," the boy finally answers. 

 

"You are pretty... unfriendly."

 

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"And you are clinging to strangers."

 

"At least... I expect a common sense to look at people, when they talk to you."

 

"You are just not in my field of view."

 

"Are you trying to be clever?"

 

"I'm trying to show my indifference."

 

The owner of the young voice sighs. Contemplating. 

 

The stranger takes his boots off. Steps into the cold autumn waters of the shallow lake "Do you remember me, Suni?"

 

Stranger... or not so much.

 

Now, the mission of getting into the field of view is accomplished. The intruder is right in front of him, in a chilling water. Nowhere to turn the gaze. 

 

"I do... remember."

 

"And?"

 

"You are just a neighbor's kid."

 

"Well... only that? That's mean."

 

"It's nice to know you value my attention... but get out of the water already," Suni stands up, finally showing a reaction to such action. "You will catch a cold."

 

"Thank you for... worrying," the neighbor's kid, as he got called, got a bit dumbfounded even at such a little show of concern. 

 

"It's... just common sense," the last thing Suni says before leaving, while shaking off the grass dirt from his hands and pants - result of sitting on the ground. A tailored-made pants from a mix of silk and linen. Such a piece of clothing and stained by the dirt - the mother will be angry. But Suni hardly cares, perhaps he wouldn't even be against such a reaction. 

 

The neighbor's kid eyes follow the boy for a few seconds, until he disappears in the garden of the mansion. Giant, dark place. But expensive, absurdly so.

 

Then, and only then, he leaves the lake's waters. His toes are blue from the cold. 

 

"That was... stupid," he whispers to himself, recounting the reasons he decided to do such a thing in the first place, while shaking from the sudden feeling of freezing.

 

Late evening already. Time to go home.

 

But if for one it will turn into a peaceful night, maybe even with a bunch of pleasant dreams, for the other it might turn into a night full of turmoil. And nightmares - in the awakened state. Might. 

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