Lovefool (Introduction)

#87 OSTANUS DAY

  When Mia woke up, she felt that someone was touching her hand. She almost jumped out of the bed. She opened her eyes and saw it was the old lady who changed her bandage. Mia stayed in bed and tried not to move. The bandage had to be made once again, from the very beginning.

  The old lady was alarmed by Mia’s behaviour. She looked at her and sadly shook her head. Mia didn't understand what the old woman wanted to tell her with this gesture. Apparently, she wanted to calm her down. She didn't say a word. She didn't make any sound.

  Mia wasn't relieved. She was scared by the fact that she didn't feel anything earlier. Her new bandage was already finished. The old lady stood up and brought her a warm meal and put a cup of tea on the table, that stood right next to Mia’s bed now. Mia was shocked that she didn't hear this table being moved from one corner of the room up to her bed. She tried to act self-conscious. She tried to be stronger than she was. Her own weakness and lack of reactions embarrassed her.

  After she ate rice with meat and sauce, Mia stood up and took a water bottle, which stood next to her bed. She drank almost the whole litre of water. She felt weak and she didn't know why. Maybe she was still dehydrated? Now, after drinking some water, her internal balance should be at least back to a minimal level.

  Mia looked at the old woman who took some clothes from the chair and showed them to Mia to change her clothes herself. Mia saw that the new clothes were looking exactly the same way like the ones she was wearing.

  Mia followed the old lady's silent order and when she was ready, the Russian driver came to pick her up and she ensued him. They didn't go to the elevator, but to one of the rooms along the corridor. It was a large and empty room. Mia entered in and looked around. There was nobody. The Russian let her in and left.

  Mia didn't know how late it was. There were no windows and no day light came in. It smelled like stones and an old house's cellar. It wasn't a nice smell. Then the door opened and Jonas came in. He was pulling Sebastian by his arm. It looked painful. When Jonas saw her horror, he threw Sebastian across the room, so he hit the opposite wall and fell down. Sebastian sighed. Only now she noticed that his eyes were blindfolded. He was stretching his legs and didn't know what was happening. Mia wanted to run to him, but within a second Jonas stood in front of her and blocked her way.

  -Stay here. – Jonas ordered and looked back to Sebastian.

  -If you want him to live, you have to follow my orders. Will you?

  Mia nodded.

  -I didn't hear you. – Jonas smiled crookedly and waited for her new confirmation.

  -I will! – Mia screamed.

  -Good, was it so hard? – Jonas said.

  He stepped back, came to Sebastian, and took the bound off his eyes.

  -We don’t want to be alone. We can invite Julian as well, won’t we? – Jonas asked sarcastically.

  Mia was shocked. This wasn't going according to her plan. There was no escape.

  -So, dear Mia, or should I rather say Emilia Anna. I will ask you some questions and before you answer me every single one of them, you will look into the eyes of your beloved fellow here and think over whether you’re saying the whole truth. If I just get a feeling that you’re not honest with me, I will do things you don’t want me to do. Are we clear about it?

  Jonas was speaking loud and clearly. Mia nodded.

  -And, Julian, isn’t she pretty tonight? A real beauty! – Jonas was laughing quite friendly, but in his eyes was a shadow of madness.

  Jonas looked at Sebastian. Sebastian looked at Mia wondering what was going on and he couldn't understand anything. He had to admit that she looked gorgeous in this clothes. She was fabulous.

  -So, dear Mia – started Jonas – what do you know about us?

  Jonas was standing next to Sebastian who was too shocked to move.

  -Not much. – Mia said with a trembling voice.

  Jonas slapped Sebastian into the face. Sebastian made a step sidewards because of the strength of the aggressor.

  -I hope it won’t affect the transmission. – Jonas laughed cruelly looking at Mia.

  Sebastian’s nose was bleeding. However, he remained straight. Mia looked at him with a bleeding heart. She was still calm outside and stayed like a statue.

  -So, this was your first lie, dear Mia. – said Jonas.

  -I am telling the truth. I don’t know much about you. – She added quickly afterwards.

  -Ah, Mia, lies don't travel far. – answered Jonas, looking at her suspiciously. – When will you start telling me the truth?

  -When you start asking more precise questions. – She answered before he slapped Sebastian once again.

  Jonas smiled.

  -You’re indeed an extraordinary girl, Mia. For a human you’re quite entertaining. Therefore, I redefine my question: what do you know about us exactly? Once again, I remind you that it could be painful for your friend, when I don’t like your answers or if I feel you’re not honest with me.

  Mia swallowed and started to talk slowly, her voice was frail:

  -I know that you’re not human. I know that you are much faster and much stronger than anything I know in the world. I know that you can read minds and that you can kill Sebastian and me faster than we will even able to notice.

  Jonas stepped closer and looked her directly into the eyes. She held his look and didn't blink.

  -And that is all you know?

  -Is there much more to know? – She asked almost with an enthusiastic curiosity.

  Jonas looked at her as if he would see through her and she felt frozen inside. But she didn't move. She didn't breathe in or out. She held his look at her and tried to appear convincing.

  -And you really don’t know anything else?

  -How much do I know then? – Mia asked astonished.

  Sebastian believed her. She couldn't know more than she already told. However, the things, which she said were strange and seemed to be impossible. It wasn't real. It was just a bad dream. Sebastian hoped that he would wake up soon.

  Jonas put his hand on her throat and pressed it slowly.

  -Are you sure you have nothing else to say?

  Mia felt that breathing became harder, that she didn't get enough air, that her face became red from endeavour. Nevertheless, she didn't intend to tell him anything else. Jonas pulled her higher against the wall and she couldn't feel the ground under her feet.

  -Are you sure? – Jonas repeated his question and observed her watchfully.

  Sebastian wanted to help her and jumped into their direction, but Jonas pushed him aside with a black light coming from his free hand. Sebastian crushed against the wall. He groaned of pain, but stood up after a while.

  Jonas focused once again on Mia and as she almost didn't get any air anymore, he relaxed the pressure of his hand and let her fall. She seemed not to know anything else.

  -So you don’t know much for real. – He was visibly disappointed.

  She tried to catch breath, but she coughed instead and it was hard to start to breath normally again. While she was laying on the bright soil, she quickly touched her neck to check that everything was fine. She wasn't hurt. She was just subdued by Jonas. She breathed in.

  -You surely wonder how I achieved all this for our beloved Julian to get something of my genius. I will tell you.

  Jonas walked from one corner of the room to the other drawing a continuous line between Mia and Sebastian. Mia was still laying on the floor, trying to regain the balance and calmness she had before.

  -So, I already saw that there are some feelings between all of you.

  Mia wasn't sure to whom Jonas was speaking right now. She followed his moves and every now and then she was looking at Sebastian. He was sitting on the ground, breathing deeply.

  -It is dangerous to stay too much around human beings, Julian. You became soft. Moreover, this girl is on you. That’s on you, Julian.

  Jonas continued, still walking to and fro.
br />   -In our life, we should never count on lucky occurrences. We have to plan with what we live. However, I saw you, Julian and Mia, coming with your fancy car on Monday morning. I felt you there and I am quite sure that you felt me as well. That’s why you convinced Mia to stay in another place. When I saw Mia and Sebastian running together in the afternoon I knew that this boy would be useful. And I was right. You made it so easy for me! It would take me more time to find this boy than some of Mia’s old friends like Viola. There are some stories about Mia, and I have some respect for her: for a human being you’re a real fighter and if you were one of us, I would offer you a deal. Nevertheless, you’re just a human being, a small, weak worm, which I can smash anytime I want. Furthermore, it isn’t about you although it was fun to play with you as I already told you yesterday.

  Jonas was very ironic, scornful and his speech was full of hate. He was shining with his brilliant idea and was enjoying the silence. Nobody wanted to interrupt his triumphal march. He started to swim in his glory.

  -And then, I didn't want to allow you to enjoy the time. It wasn't you, Julian, who decided to play, but that’s my rules, my decisions and your lives depend on me.

  Jonas was flying in his glory.

  -And I didn't want you to be happy. I always break dreams before people even start to dream. In addition, living a dream for a short while is just a price, which you pay for broken hopes. I love it to encourage people to step forward and to realize what they were internally wanting to. Then they feel like flying and living a dream and within one second I take them back to reality. And this new reality looks indeed more hideous than before, before they started to dream. This downfall is the greatest satisfaction for me. I see it as my job to show people what they really are: a weak existence without perspective. That's what I like: to see the resignation in their eyes and to see their hate and lack of sense of what they are doing.

  Jonas’s bright smile dominated the room.

  -And this case wasn't so different. It is so easy to predict people and make plans for them. I don’t have to try hard. I played my trick and called for Mia. I focused your attention on Mia and when she broke up with you – Jonas looked at Mia and added quickly – unfortunately unnecessarily as we all know now, I was already on my way to play the second trick. Consequently, I had enough time to catch Sebastian, and then to follow Mia. I wasn't sure whether you, Julian, would come to me just because I had one of them. Now I have them both and I can play it as I want.

  Jonas came to Mia.

  -You can rely on Mia, indeed you can. – He stroked her cheek and a second later, he hit her her hard in the stomach.

  She couldn't breathe and she automatically hugged her tummy. Then he slapped her again, hit the leg where she was wounded.

  -You see, Julian, I knew that she isn’t as extraordinary as you think. She’s just a human being and additionally a stupid teenager. It was so obvious that she will try to leave the city after she had nothing more to lose. A stupid, predictable girl.

  Jonas hit her once again into the stomach and this time it was even stronger than the first time. She crushed. She fell on the ground. She coughed blood. Sebastian tried to stand up, but before he could even moved, Jonas was already in front of him and had caught his throat.

  -You’ll stay here and you will be quiet. – It wasn't a request, it was a strict order.

  Sebastian nodded as far as he could. Jonas made a step back and was walking from one end of the room to the other and back again.

  -Where was I? – Jonas asked himself. – Yes, indeed it was so obvious that she will try to escape. Of course, I was there. My people were watching the railway stations, and informed me when they saw her. I was sitting opposite her all the way to Berlin and she didn't notice me. Of course, she didn't notice me! She’s a human! She’s a crush-test dummy! In addition, when she left the train and stood there like a dumb all evening and half of the night, it was only because of me that she wasn't attacked or approached. You know that Germans are like Americans: always scared of a terrorist attack. They look at everybody as a suspicious character. Idiots!

  Jonas was triumphing and celebrating himself exaggeratedly. As he was talking, Mia realized that nothing she ever got was truly belonging to her.

  -But, Julian, the best piece is yet to come. A really brilliant idea. I told her that I still needed her, but if it was only up to me, I would have killed her already when she was three years old and I wouldn't have waited until now. She was a strange child and she always stayed this way up to now.

  Jonas stopped for a while and remembered his first meeting with Mia. His eyes were not shiny, they were rather strange. There was something that wasn't so obvious for him. There was a riddle. He was asking himself something. However, it didn't take long and he returned to his victory march.

  -It is ridiculous. She was hoping that you won’t come here and that you won’t find her. And she thought it was about her. From the very beginning it was about me and you, Julian. So if you have any power, come here. You’re welcome! Be our guests!

  Jonas was screaming ironically while looking at Sebastian. Jonas smiled steadily jagged. His eyes showed a perfect mix of hate and. By hook or by crook, he was going to win this game. He was so sure that Julian wouldn’t step by.

  -You see, Julian, it is all up to me when and where we meet. You and the others, you have no idea where to find me. It is me who decides how this is going to go. Now you know how it is to be banished. You’re banished from your love; you’re banished from the one, who was so important to you that you even told her who you are!

  He came closer to Sebastian and tied his hands with the cloth, that was tied over his eyes before. As soon as Jonas finished, he went back to Mia, took her wrist, and pulled her up. Jonas looked at Sebastian with demonic satisfaction and said like a winner:

  -Look, Julian, take a last look at your shiny, human, fallen star, who apparently doesn’t appreciate my strength.

  Then Jonas’ fingers smashed Mia’s hand and as she didn't lose consciousness, he shook her. She was like a puppet in his hands. She was hanging in the air and her feet couldn't reach the ground. Blood was dripping vividly onto the ground. Jonas held her hand and she screamed because of the pain. She was still able to perceive what he was doing to her.

  -You can beg for mercy, Mia. – Jonas whispered into her ear, watching her very carefully. – Just one word and everything will stop. I can show mercy sometimes.

  She didn’t look like she was going to request anything. In addition, Jonas wasn’t merciful. He even didn’t play the merciful one.

  Then Jonas let her fall. And she fell onto the ground.

  -And, Julian, how does it feel inside? However, the best is always being saved for the end. You didn't know it, because you never practise it. We can indeed absorb abilities of other beings. So I will take her life and she will be a part of me. I will get to know all of her thoughts and wishes and you won’t stop me, because you’re not as great as I am. You’re weak and you never manage to cross the line between us.

  Jonas bent down over Mia and took her smashed hand. Then he pulled her up into the air once again. She was hanging in the air like a puppet. Jonas held her across her throat as well and then he waved with her hand, he waved good-bye with her hand. Before she even noticed, he hit her in her face and her head fell down onto her right shoulder. Her nose was bleeding.

  Mia's gaze wasn't sharp anymore. Her stomach was one big pain. It was pulsating and she felt blood everywhere. She was gulping blood, she was smelling blood and she felt it running down on her skin and even flowing internally. Was it possible to feel blood streaming inside of you? She didn't really notice that her wrist was badly hurt, too. She just felt an increasing wave of heat. Pain and suffering were written on her face. Nevertheless, she clenched her teeth and tried not to give Jonas any satisfaction. It was hard. It was the hardest thing she was ever doing. Jonas was visibly disappointed by her behaviour. He expected her to b
eg for mercy or at least to look like a looser.

  Everything Mia tried to hide came out from the deep of her heart. Jonas had told her that she wasn't the one who was valuable in this game. Neither she, nor her family. With every cell, she felt the range of emotions inside. She was divided and lost. For the first time in her life she was as lost as a stone, which you throw away into a lake. And she was very aware of it. She was in a sea of emotions and she was drowning.

  She wasn't able to swim up to the surface and take a breath. She was drowning rapidly and the deeper she fell the less she could see. There was nothing but darkness in front of her eyes. She tried to steady herself against the wall, stretched her arm carefully, tried to feel the wall. It had to be close. Her hand was trembling and her heart was beating slower and slower. She felt like she wouldn't get another breath. An invisible power took her by the throat and strangled her. She felt the surface of the wall and leant against it. She couldn't see anything. Darkness ruled everywhere. She tried to breathe in, but it was impossible. Her efforts to get any air were unsuccessful.

  He threw her across the room and she smashed against the opposite wall. She fell down and before she could take another breath, Jonas held her neck in his hand and his fingers pressed on her throat more and more. The air couldn't find a way into her lung. In addition, there was a black, gloomy light streaming out of her as if he would suck out her energy.

  She closed her eyes. She couldn't see anything anymore. It didn't matter. She closed her eyes so tight that she was able to hold her tears. Tears gathered in her eyes, waiting to flow, if she didn't keep her eyes shut tightly. Maybe, it would be possible, if she had more strength. She was even too weak to cry.

  This situation made her furious, disappointed, she took herself to her own borders and she remained politically correct and diplomatic as always. Otherwise, she would have been lost from the very beginning. Dead man is always walking on the thin red line. It was the 4th degree of danger. Damn it.

  But at the same time these feelings were overwhelmed by a great shadow and she felt powerless. This hurt her more. Inside she was throwing herself here and there. She was walking on thin ice. Dead woman was walking instead of her. She was curious when it would all crash down. The scratches had been there for a long time.

  Thousands of words, millions of associations, lack of sense in all this chaos and here she was looking for some emotions. Today she didn't feel much at all. She felt empty inside and outside. She left him, and this would echo through all eternity. She was feeling great nothing. She was just smelling blood and while she opened her eyes with difficulty, she was convinced she was looking on snow and it seemed logical that it was her blood.

  She thought: Cogito ergo sum, I think, therefore I am. I suppose you can still see a shadow of me. Let me die. Let me rest in peace. There is nothing of me anywhere. I can’t live like this anymore.

  Then I thought I needed one minute to notice him, one hour to judge him and one day to fall in love with him. Now I need the whole eternity to forget him. I hadn't have so much time. I was dying now. I love him and I was dying.

  In addition, she knew that he won’t come. However, she was relieved by this fact. She could almost die in peace now. She only hoped that Sebastian would manage to survive. Unfortunately, Julian had no clue where to search for them. She wasn't able to give him any helpful hints, but she was proud of it. He wasn't the one who would die today. This was her personal satisfaction.