I bit my tongue, it hurt, alive. That was the only thing I could feel, all other parts of my body were practically numb.
Chapter 2
“Wake up! You’ve collapsed! This isn’t some bedroom!” the words echoed in my head, breaking through a deep sleep. “Get up, I’m talking to you! “this time I heard it very clearly. And I also felt someone poking me with a stick.
There was a heaviness in my head, my eyes didn’t want to open, my hands, still not fully warmed up, ached. My stomach betrayed me with hunger, as if mourning the lost sandwich. Gathering myself despite all the internal confusion, I opened my eyes. And what do you think? The same little man in the black top hat stood before me. Now I could examine him closely and in less stressful conditions, and most importantly, he was actually there, alive, right next to me. So I hadn’t gone crazy yet, although that’s a relative concept.
“Finally, you’ve woken up! I was starting to think you died of fright. At your service, Sir Haverlock, the esteemed guardian of the secret entrance. My list of titles is much longer, of course, but you don’t need to know all of them just yet. I’ve saved many in my lifetime, and it’s been quite a long one, but never has anyone dared to fall asleep on me! They’d either sit there, terrified with bulging eyes – though your eyes don’t differ much – or they’d start wandering around in the dark prematurely, bumping into things they shouldn’t, and even shouting. But you fell asleep! Well, I’ll be!” The little man didn’t pause for a moment; his words flowed incessantly. I didn’t grasp the full meaning because, at the same time, I was trying to comprehend what was happening and where I had ended up.
This fellow was about the size of a cat, or maybe a bit taller, but that didn’t diminish his importance one bit. His suit was as black as if the fabric had just been made, untouched by fading, creasing, or wear. But it was his cane that truly caught the eye. Seeing it, I couldn’t tear my gaze away, completely forgetting to listen to the eloquent spiel of the monologue he was impressing upon me. The base was adorned with a golden tip that could switch from blunt to sharp in a matter of seconds, how exactly, I couldn’t say. The shaft was made of wood, as if two branches were intertwined so tightly that there wasn’t a single gap between them. The handle was cross-shaped and similarly metallic, with a precious stone on top. The color of the stone constantly changed, making it impossible to determine its true hue.
“Are you just going to stare? Can you even speak? Saving heaven knows who! Get up and follow me,” he exclaimed. After these words, my precious savior turned around and walked off into the darkness, lighting his way with the cane. For some reason, this didn’t surprise me at all. If there’s such a thing, it can probably perform even more impressive tricks.
To keep him in sight, I had to gather myself from the floor and carry my body after him. We didn’t walk for long, I didn’t count the steps, but there was a thought, maybe two minutes, no more. Here’s the door, opening beautifully. As soon as the cane touched it, colorful lights started to light up one by one across the room, or maybe not lights, who knows what they really were. Then our reflection appeared in the door, like in a mirror, but it reflected slightly different things than what I actually saw around me. There I looked like a grown man in some incomprehensible high-tech suit, resembling a pilot or an astronaut. There were many strange plants around, and Sir Haverlock was slightly older and a bit thicker than he is now. Above our heads was something incomprehensible instead of the usual sky with clouds, which I never managed to make out. I was literally dragged into the room.
“Come in, sit down! Let’s wait a bit longer until you come to your senses and start talking,” the owner of this abode said in a businesslike manner as he climbed the stairs on his short legs to fetch a bottle of some drink from the shelf. Unbeknownst to me, I found myself already sitting in a rocking chair, wrapped in something warm, swaying slowly back and forth. There was still a lot in the room to take in, and it would probably take more than a day to understand it all. The warm light from the fireplace brought tranquility, the logs crackled, and my eyes began to close on their own…
“Eeee!!! I’ve just woken you up! Here, have a drink; it’ll quickly perk you up! And why am I fussing over you like this? I should have sent you on your way a long time ago. Are you my protégé or something? I’ve been watching you on the roof for quite some time now; you didn’t see me, but I’ve known all about you for ages. Those sparrows are quite the chatterboxes. I don’t really have anyone else to talk to besides them,” he said, placing a mug of hot drink next to me before settling into the chair opposite, which seemed to have appeared there unexpectedly. It smelled very appetizing, and for some reason, I wasn’t afraid that I might be poisoned. Maybe because I was already dead, or maybe not. Hmm, it’s so delicious, like wine, but hot.
“It’s very delicious. Could you tell me what I’m drinking?” The words came much easier now. “Look at him, and nothing else interests you, kid?! Well, at least it’s good that you’ve started talking; you haven’t forgotten how to speak out of fear. Don’t worry, it’ll all pass soon; this potion can handle worse. Its recipe is complex, nearly impossible to obtain, so we have to retrieve it from another time, and that, you know, is a risky venture; you might not come back. Many have tried to brew it in the central world, but there’s no Sun there; without its rays and energy, it becomes just ordinary compote. In our time, you can’t even find those herbs, let alone talk about the strength they put into making this potion. So finish your drink and get ready; it’s time for you to go, you’ve lingered long enough.” The last words didn’t immediately register in my understanding. Words had been passing me by more often lately.
“Oh, what a frightened look! What’s so incomprehensible here? Here, take these matches. Keep in mind that their quantity is limited – just one box, and I don’t even know how you’ll manage with them, so don’t waste them. Well, I guess I’ll have to give you the backpack; it’s too big for me, but just right for you. It has a secret; figure it out, and you won’t go astray. Here’s a candle for the meantime; it should last you. My savior neatly packed this small load into the backpack, which was quite nice-looking. I couldn’t distinguish the color in the semi-darkness again. He zipped it up and silently handed it to me.
“That’s it, I’ve fulfilled my duty. It’s time for you to go. You’re on your own now.” Before I could learn or ask anything more, I found myself in complete darkness again. I was afraid I wouldn’t make it in time, and I was right. What a fool I am. Where do I go now? The candle. I need to light it. Its light didn’t reach very far; I could see just over a meter ahead. It felt like I was in a corridor. There were walls on either side, but what lay ahead or behind was completely unclear.
Well, here goes nothing. I’ll go there, or maybe there, my head turned from side to side. Making the wrong choice was daunting. What my inner voice suggested this time, and it was perplexed, despite our opinions always differing. Perhaps there was another “me” inside me, and indeed, more than once, it, meaning the second “me,” had pulled me out of trouble.
Well, I must go. The candlelight isn’t eternal, although even in that I wasn’t so sure anymore. We’ll decide, as they say, on the spot, depending on circumstances. And I went, right or left, who knows, depending on which side you’re looking from. I walked slowly as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The thickness of the corridor varied, in some places I could even see the ceiling above me.
It’s a shame I didn’t have a watch or a pencil to leave arrows on the wall. I saw it in some movie, to avoid getting lost. And as soon as I thought about it, there was a fork in the path ahead. Well, here we go, where do I go now? I don’t even have coins to flip.
The darkness around me didn’t scare me before, I don’t even know why. After all, I’ve always been a scaredy-cat, with my imagination sometimes not even the brightest light would help. I guess I understood that if I allowed myself to start being afraid even a little, I would be lost in my own fear in this empty dark place,