Freelance Storyteller - Attracts beauty

tensed even more. My body was yanked off the bed, and then something heavy landed on my chest. It was trying to penetrate me, and I was frozen with terror.

Suddenly I was transported to a small room with rough-hewn walls and an iron door. There was a tiny window in the ceiling that let in light. In the corner of the room was a bucket of toilet paper, and in the center of the room was a mattress on which lay a naked crying girl with loose hair. Next to it in a paper bag were two chebureks and a bottle of water. The girl got up and walked barefoot across the cold dusty floor to the door. After making sure the door was locked from the outside, the girl took the bucket and threw it at the window several times in a row, creating an incredible rumble, but the glass didn't break and no one came. "Soundproofing, so yelling is useless," she said aloud and sat down on the mattress and started eating. When she heard the door open, the girl fixed her hair and bent down to strike a seductive pose, trying not to shiver. She looked like a goddess imprisoned amidst the grayness, gloom and emptiness. A boy came into the room. He was breathless at her beauty, silently devouring her with his eyes for a while, then he put the knife to her throat, pulled her to him, and kissed her. I felt nauseous. I wanted to spit, but my mouth was closed. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't speak. "Jesus," I tried to whisper. It seemed like an eternity before I was finally able to open my lips and speak loudly: "Lord, have mercy." And then I woke up. I was still shaking with fear, though I lay still and tried not to move. "By "protecting" Michael and his sister, I'd gotten a side effect in the form of a night visitor. Their essence tormented me every night now, but this was the first time I'd ever dreamt about this girl.

Chapter 6. Dejavu

The doorbell rang. I jumped up, quickly cleaned myself up, and rushed to open it. My intuition told me that Michael was there. After we'd kissed passionately more than once one night, I'd had to turn him down, and we hadn't seen each other in over six months. All that time I loved him and missed him immensely.

I opened the door and, on a sudden impulse, I wanted to hug him, but when I smelled the "scent of a woman" on him, I pulled back. My joy has been replaced by something oppressively heavy, but I'm still smiling:

— Hi, Michael!

— Hi, Lina! He pulls money out of his pocket and places it on the nightstand. Here's the usual… for your help. My fiancée Dina has been kidnapped.

I miss the punch for a second. Though it hurts, I try to keep my face as Michael continues, examining him and noting how mature and strong he's gotten in the meantime:

— Last night, when I wanted to propose to her, she didn't show up. After seeing the video for subscribers that she made when she walked out of the clinic from the plastic surgeon, I got the police involved. I still have contacts from the last case. Today they found her cell phone in the grass, not far from the road, and witnesses who saw her get into a car with a skinny, smiling guy.

— Dina," I try to react, but to change the subject, I add. — You've changed.

— Yeah, I'm taking a "young fighter's course." As they say, if you want peace, prepare for war. But more on that later. First, check out this post Deena made on her page last night:

"Hello, my good ones! I have news for you. I've decided to remove a couple ribs to make my waist thinner. Now I consulted with the doctor who did my breast augmentation. And I'm happy with the conversation. And my boyfriend's paying for the procedure. I'm meeting him in an hour. And maybe tonight I'll have a surprise to share with you. See you tonight, my favorites!" While the girl was writing this down, one man with lustful eyes and two women with faces twisted with envy accidentally got into the frame. But Dina didn't notice it, she was in anticipation and glowing with happiness.

I watch carefully, trying to distract myself from the irreparable situation that is slowly destroying me from the inside out. There's something else that makes me push all my feelings deeper. The first is that Dina is the girl from my dream tonight. So through the creature I saw the kidnapper and the place where they are, but only from the inside. And the second was her eyes. I realized from her eyes that she had been "done to death". The customer was a woman. Reason being jealous of Dina's demand for men.

— Is it another maniac? — Michael's anxious and confused.

— No. He's just a guy who thinks he can get away with anything.

— How do we find them?

— I know one way. If you sink to the bottom of the spring, the heart can stop. Then the soul can leave the body and find anything.

— Can you do that?

— Theoretically, yes. Do you know how to resuscitate?

— I took a course. Shall we go to "our" spring?

— Our spring has dried up. The drought's gotten to it. There's another one in the mountains, but it's three hours away.

— Then let's not waste time. Pack and bring your passport. I put a power of attorney on the car for you, just in case. The papers are in the glove compartment.

Realizing I might not come back, I pull out my backpack, first aid kit, towel, makeup, a change of clothes, a folder with documents and money, in which I add Michael's money.

— Did you bring a gun, too? — I try to distract him from my careful packing.

— No, I had to leave it in the armory safe. They're strict about that now. But I have a perfect hand-to-hand record. No one can beat me.

While I'm packing, Michael starts talking about the course, his plans, and Deena. Noting that he's channeled the effects of the magic in the form of irritability and anger into sports, I listen half-heartedly, trying to take in everything that's valuable and necessary. There's no telling how the dive into the spring will go, but I have a feeling I won't be coming back here again.

Chapter 7. The Path to Truth

When we reached the spring, I looked around, gathering my strength. The beauty of nature had always fascinated me, but not now. It was peaceful and warm all around, but not for me. I prayed, realizing that I was about to go through death.

Michael, having undressed, went into the spring and after dipping a few times, began to swim. When he came up to me, I realized that the spring had "taken the spin off of him."

— Why don't I love her anymore? How could I love a girl like Dina, she's not my person at all? — He started the conversation, perplexed. I watched his whole planned life go down the drain, but I kept silent.

— I remembered our relationship with you. What happened then that I forgot you? I forgot I loved you.

— I gave you a spell. I didn't want to get in trouble with my fiancé.

— Oh, I see. I didn't want to upset him. If you'd told me, I wouldn't have pursued you, so why go to such extreme measures? Do you realize I almost ended up with the wrong girl?

— I'm sorry. I didn't know it would turn out this way with Dina. Magic always has a side effect. I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't have backed off right away, and I wouldn't have been able to keep up my defenses for long. I loved you, too, and I still do, but I was afraid my fiancé would hurt you. He won't let any man near me.

— He and I could have made a deal. Why would he want a fiancée who loves another man?

— He doesn't care about my feelings. He's a powerful sorcerer and his power can be amplified through my energy. That's why he doesn't touch me, he waits for my energy to be at its maximum. But the energy can pass on to another man I'm close to. Do you understand now?

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