Страхи Бабочки

My friend and I refused to go to the hospital, so we stayed overnight in the same house. Closer to night, Vlad was taken away by a special unit because he is completely unstable. All night, Dasha and I slept like logs. My whole body ached from the wounds and bruises. Kim and Odan didn't leave our side for a second. Our mothers were like twins; they took sedatives and also fell asleep, while the fathers discussed everything that was happening. And of course, Mark was also sent to sleep, as he was very tired after such stress.

The next morning, we gathered all our belongings and got into the cars to head home. Kim went with Dasha, and I went with Odan. Our parents followed us in separate cars. The whole way, I just stared out the window; my body still ached. The only thing that brought me any comfort was Odan's presence, but today he was different. He didn't talk to me at all and only whispered about something with Kim. Looking at the forest outside the car window, I didn't even notice when we arrived in the city. The streets were so familiar that my heart felt even calmer. As we turned onto our street, the cars with my family and Dasha's family passed by. Each went their own way to be with their entire family at home in peace. After all, there was no longer any danger, and we could live peacefully, think about dreams and plans, and not be afraid that Vlad would find me again somewhere. Now he would spend many years either in a psychiatric hospital or in prison, but he certainly deserved it.

We were already approaching the house when Odan suddenly squeezed my hand tightly and pulled me into a hug. When he embraced me, I could feel his heart beating a thousand times faster. He was breathing heavily, and when we parked and got out of the car, he simply put his sweatshirt on me and handed me the same soft snake I had slept with. At that moment, the driver and several guards got out of the car and started pulling Odan towards the vehicle. He gestured for them to stop and whispered something to one of them. They let him go and stepped back. Odan then walked over to me, took my hands, and placed a note in them.

"Do you remember why you didn't understand the snake and butterflies in the drawing?" I thought to recall the drawing and the inscription beneath it clearly once more, and then I nodded, not understanding at all what this had to do with anything. "The butterflies are you, and the snake is me. I tried, writhing, to prevent us from being separated, as my father requires. But I will have to do it because we had an agreement."He's saving your and Dasha's family, while I have to accept that my father has had a contract with a business partner since I was five years old. It states that upon reaching twenty years of age, I must marry this partner's daughter. If the contract is not fulfilled, my father will lose his share in the business, which he really doesn't want, as nothing is more important to him than money. I couldn't believe any of this was true. I thought I was just sleeping and it was a dream, but unfortunately, it was my reality. Tears streamed down my cheeks, I was choking on them and couldn't do anything about it. The person I had come to love so much, and couldn't spend a single day without, now had to leave, and we wouldn't be able to see each other. I wrapped my arms around Od's neck and didn't want to let him go, but the guards were already separating us. They managed to push me back somehow, and forcefully shoved Od into the car, immediately locking the doors. The car started moving, I fell to the ground and just screamed. I felt pain inside; all the wounds on my body didn't inflict as much pain as this one, which was now tearing me apart from the inside.

A few seconds later, a car with my parents and Mark pulled up to the house. My little brother immediately ran out of the car and sat next to me. Following him, my parents also jumped out of the car. They surrounded me and started asking what had happened, but I just kept crying and hitting the ground with my hand. Finally, when the guards got into their car and drove away, I was able to hand my dad a note and sit up a little.

"Read it, I can't..." Tears streamed down my face, and a large, prickly lump was stuck in my throat, making it very difficult. I held onto my mom, and could fall at any moment; my legs were giving out, and my strength was leaving me.

"Let's go inside the house first, we'll read it there," Mom led me into the house. Mark was sent to his room, and I was almost carried to my room, but I didn't want to be in my room. Instead, I went to the room where the Sanchezes had been just a few days ago. Sitting on Od's bed, wrapping my legs around a pillow, and clutching a toy snake, I prepared myself to read.

"Lia, are you sure you're ready? Maybe now isn't the time?" Dad said with a very wary tone. His movements were careful and gentle, but I shook my head and gestured for him to read. So he did. Opening the paper, we saw many traces of wax and some charcoal. The handwriting was indeed Od's. I loved watching Od write, so I knew by heart how he wrote every symbol and letter. "The letter says:"

"Butterfly, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I couldn't. I thought I could prevent this, but I failed.

I'm leaving now, but I will definitely come back. I promise! I'm sorry, Butterfly.

P.S. If anything, write to Kim, he'll help."

Tears streamed down with even greater force, Mom stroked my head, and Dad didn't know what to do with such information. After a couple of hours, I finally calmed down and was able to tell my parents everything from the very beginning. What they heard plunged them into shock; they couldn't believe such a thing could happen, but apparently, it can. I sat at the kitchen table in his sweatshirt, holding a toy, and just cried, remembering all our walks and nights. And especially that day in the park near the coffee shop, where it all began. I remembered his eyes and tattoos, and most of all, the snake tattoo on his neck. As I learned during our conversations, he drew all the sketches himself, and each one meant something to him. So, this one, as I now understood, meant that he wriggled this way and that, avoiding all problems.

Late in the evening, his words and image still lingered with me. I cried and looked out the window; it hurt not only inside, but now, towards the evening, the wounds all over my body were forgotten. No matter how hard Mom tried to comfort me, nothing worked. Suddenly, the phone rang. I looked at the screen; it was Dasha. I asked Mom to leave and answered the call.

"Li, you know why Odan left, right?"

"Of course, he told me everything. I still can't believe it. It feels like it's all just a dream and nothing more. Did Kim leave too?"

"Yes, their father allowed him to stay, but both Kim and I decided it would be better for him to go with Odan and help him solve this problem. And I, of course, am staying with you and helping you. How are you, my friend?"

"Well, how am I... I've been crying all day, sometimes from the intense pain inside, sometimes from physical pain. All the wounds on my body are just aching, some deep ones have bled several times. And I won't even mention my stomach and back, honestly, I don't even know how to lie down properly. Yesterday, a strong painkiller helped a lot, but now no other medication is working." I paused for a second, tears welled up in my eyes again, and I just burst into tears. "Dash, will I really never see or hear from him again?"

"Don't cry, we'll figure something out. The main thing is not to lose heart."

***

It's been two months since that day. I didn't stop thinking about Odan for a second. During all this time, I lost a lot of weight and lost fifteen kilograms. I almost didn't eat food, but the only exception was always some sweets or with some from Kim and Odan, which at Dasha's request they sent often so that I could at least eat something. I also transferred to home schooling, because I didn't want to leave the house at all, and I stopped communicating with everyone, because they already started teasing me from the scars left by Vlad. And I wasn't in the mood either. My whole day was almost the same: I almost didn't sleep and all day I looked at photos with Odam in the album, reread his letter and almost didn't take off the sweater that Sanchez gave me that day.

And during these months, Kim came to us several times and often came to visit me with Dasha. It seemed to me that I was waiting for Kim even more than my friend. After all, it was during his visits that I got letters from Odan and some news about him. We couldn't not communicate with him at all either, and then one day we figured out how Od and I could talk.

Kim and Dasha often talked on the phone, because there are no contracts with Kim and he could communicate and see Dasha whenever he wanted. And when the two of them were calling each other, Odan and I were sitting in the background and talking slowly, but we pretended that we were not talking to each other, but he was talking to Kim, and I was talking to Dasha. But there was another difficulty - he couldn't even look at the phone screen, because he was forbidden to communicate not only with me, but also with Dasha, and there was a camera in their room and the father watched his son through it. But in principle, everything suited us, the main thing was that we could talk, and in what way it doesn't matter.

Today was New Year's Eve, but I wasn't in the mood at all. My parents and Mark were fussing downstairs, and I was still sitting alone in the room and didn't want to see anyone. Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and after the door click, my friend's voice appeared. Apparently, she came to congratulate me and traditionally opened the gifts, but alas, I never got to the gifts. I didn't prepare a single surprise this year, only Mark got his robot and that's because I ordered it back in the summer and it was lying in the closet. Following the voice, there were steps up the stairs, and a second later a funny elf Dasha burst into the room. She aimed at a funny, but at the same time beautiful costume and looked very festive. She quickly jumped on my bed and hugged me.

- Well, my friend, aren't you going to have fun even today?

- I'll try not to prevent you from celebrating, but how can I do it when I can't even celebrate it as we planned with Odan before? - I tried to smile and took Dasha by the hands. - I'm sorry to load you with all this again. Well, I didn't prepare a gift for you. I didn't think about it at all, I'll give it to you later, okay?

-I don't need anything at all, I understand everything. -She looked at what I'm wearing. -So, now we're dressing you and going downstairs. Mark and parents are very worried that you are sad, and then I will give you a gift and go to my place to celebrate. Shall we? This will be your gift for me. - I nodded, and Dasha immediately soared and went to see what I had in the closet. Suddenly she got that one top and the same shirt that were near the coffee shop that very day. - Let's do it?

-Come on, do you know that's exactly what I was in that day in the park when there was an excursion for Kim and Odan.- Her smile didn't weaken and she put her hands down.

-If you don't want to. Let's not wear them then?

-Why, on the contrary, I want to. Only then let's put the whole look together? - My friend nodded and I got up inspiredly and started looking for jeans and everything I was wearing that day. I also put on makeup and made the same voluminous bun that Od loved so much. He said that this way I look even more like a butterfly because of the addition of a certain femininity and beauty. When the image was completed, I turned in front of Dasha and after a long time a smile appeared on my face. - Isn't it beautiful?

-Of course! And how happy they will be now when your parents and Mark see you. Run to them! - She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room, after a few seconds we were already standing in the kitchen. Mom was cutting some salads, and dad and Mark were helping her set the table. Dasha clapped her hands and when everyone turned to us, she pointed at me. - Here's your daughter, I don't know how on New Year's Eve, but now she will definitely sit with us. - Mom had tears in her eyes. And Mark already ran away with all his might and jumped on me.

-Hooray, my sister will be with us! -He wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his head in the strands of hair that had fallen out of the bundle.

-Yes, Angel. I'll be with you. -I kissed him on the cheek, and then put him on the floor and led him to the table. -Well, let's finish everything quickly and celebrate?

Everyone made a fuss and ran here and there to finish everything as soon as possible. Dasha and I cut salads, mom set the table. and dad and Mark stretched the Christmas tree. Half an hour later, everything was ready and we sat down at the table. I was glad that I'm with my family now and we can be together so calmly. It's also my birthday in three days. And it seems that, except for the fact that Od is so far away from me, everything is even fine. But nightmares started bothering me again and so far no one at the table knows about it. I dream every night, then fragments from past meetings with Vlad, then the moment when he dragged me and the room and Od came there. I felt again and again everything that Vlad was doing and because of these pains I couldn't sleep either. Scars only once again reminded everyone of this and not only me, but also those around me. Dasha was a little luckier with it. Her wounds have completely healed and you can't even tell that something happened to her.

Dasha was distracted from her thoughts, she whispered something to my mother and took her hand and led her upstairs. She took me to the room and put me on the bed, and she sat down at my desk and put the phone so that both me and her could be seen. I've already guessed that Kim will probably call now and Odan will be there too. That's why I tried to pull a smile and sit down. The phone rang. Dasha answered quickly and turned the phone at me. I saw Oda sitting on the bed behind Kim, who was wearing the same things as that day, but there was not enough of the sweater that I was holding in my hand now. Odan was smiling and it was obvious that he was up to something.

-There's a little gift for you, you know that Odan plays the guitar perfectly.-Kim looked very mysterious and was clearly for one with Oda and Dasha. I nodded and began to guess what kind of surprise Dasha wanted to give me. Apparently, Kim told her what I was wearing that day, and that's why she took out these things. Kim turned to his brother and waved his hand. Od took out a guitar and I recognized the similar rhythm of my favorite song. which we often listened to together at night. He played to the pre-chorus and started singing:

-¹I cherish you so much, I cherish you so much. All other people's voices are like white noise. I only ask one thing: let's just run away. - Tears of happiness flowed down my tears and I picked up the lyrics of the song, now we sang together:

-Where the sun is playing is clear. Where the sunsets of the nights are more beautiful. There I will share time, pain, and happiness with you. May my soul always be cloudy. I know what a fairy tale will give. Black-black, but your love is beautiful. - Odan fell silent and let me sing my favorite part alone, I sang this piece alone when he was here with me. - The stars fall from the sky, breaking into lonely fragments. You see dreams in me, but I'm not stars, I'm a crystal reflection. Give me a chance, I'll get rid of the pain. A hurricane goes out in it, a fire burns in me. I'll follow you for a long time. - I got out of bed and went to the phone, put on Oda's sweater. I leaned on the chair and, smiling at Dasha, continued to sing. Odan on the other side of the screen did the same to Kim's beliefs that it was forbidden and their father or one of the guards would come now, they didn't prevent Odan from standing right next to the screen and smiling, listening to me. - I cherish you so much, I cherish you so much. All other people's voices are like white noise. I only ask one thing: just don't hurry. - The last chorus was left and Odan sang with me, and at that time they had already started pounding on the door.

- Kim, close the door. - Od's story, stopping for a second, Kim quickly ran to the door and locked it, came back to us. And we continued to sing, not paying attention to the knocks and screams that they need to be let in:

-Where the sun is playing is clear. Where the sunsets of the nights are more beautiful. There I will share time, pain, and happiness with you. Let my soul always be cloudy. I know what a fairy tale will give me. Black-black, but beautiful, your love. - At that time, they broke into the door and turned off the phone, and Dasha and I were left alone in silence. She looked at me, and I smiled and rejoiced that I was finally able to sing this song with him again, even though we are far away.

¹Black Love" (Black Love) duo ELMAN & MONA: ELMAN, Mikhail Malakhin & MONA.

***

Three days have passed since that moment, I still remember the moment when we sang as a duet. I've been in a good mood since the morning, I even dressed up and gladly accepted congratulations, but of course I was worried that maybe now my father won't allow Kim to call Dasha and because of us they won't be able to communicate. Since that day, Kim has never given any explanation of what happened next.

Mark ran into the room, he jumped on me and kissed me on the cheek, I circled him around me and went to bed with him.

- Happy birthday to him, sister!

- Thank you, Angel, how did you sleep? Have you ever had nightmares? - He shook his head. - And who dreamed? Bears and bunnies?

-Elephants.

- Did you dream of an elephant? - He quickly nodded his head and hugged me again.

Suddenly I heard the doorbell, followed by the click of the lock. I couldn't hear the voice of the incoming one, but I heard footsteps on the stairs. They were painfully familiar, because that's how Odan was calmly and quietly rising. I got up and put Mark next to me, I was afraid that I was wrong and it wasn't him. Suddenly the doorknob twitched, I tensed up and froze in anticipation. The door opened and ODAN's head appeared in the crack. He was holding a glass of freshly brewed latte and a few croissants in a bag.

-My lady, can I come to you? - He stood with his head down, but I could see his smile. I quickly jumped out of bed and threw myself into his arms, and he only had time to put coffee on the dresser and hug me back. Od easily picked me up and circled me several times, and then put me back on the floor.

- But how, Odan, how did you end up here? Did your father forbid you? Will we have to part again? What happened? - I had a lot of questions, the answers to which I just needed to know, but Od told me to be quieter and I calmed down, waiting for answers.

- Well, look, all you need to know is that on that day my father noticed us on the cameras and sent security guards. They brought us to him and he started reporting to us, but then for some reason he softened and said that I could communicate with you. After all, he felt sorry for both you and me. After all, he saw that you were all thin, and I couldn't accept it and started to look bad too. The last straw was that I almost didn't eat or sleep, but I was looking for options to get out of this "golden" cage, according to him. Well, he told his partner that the contract would not be executed and he didn't care about this share in the business. And it turns out that the daughter of the same partner already communicates with someone and her father wanted to go and terminate the contract with my dad. So they came to the general opinion that their whole contract is nonsense and it is necessary for us to decide our own fate. That's how father sent us to you on the first plane. Kim immediately went to Dasha, and I went to you. - My eyes lit up again, I hugged Oda and did not want to let him go anywhere. - Look, - he let me go and, collecting his sleeve, put his hand in front of me. There was a tattoo in the form of a snake crawling on a pole, and butterflies next to it. And then it dawned me that it was the same drawing that he drew for me in the notebook and which I saved for memory. - When I was at home, I missed you, and this scar on my hand pissed me off. So I decided to disguise him with something that brings joy.

- Stop, aren't you going anywhere else? Won't you leave me anymore? - Od raised my head so that I could look directly at him.

-Butterfly, I will never leave you again and go anywhere. Father is transferring us to your school. We have distant relatives here, we will live with them until we come of age. - I cried with happiness and buried my forehead in Od's shoulder. - Don't worry, don't cry, now I'm with you.