The Castrator by Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov (short books for teens txt) 📕

HAD TO IMPLICITLY ADMIT HIS DEFEAT. BUT SHE DIDN'T PARTICULARLY CARE!

- "SHE WANTED US TO COLLECT THE MONEY! THERE THEY ARE!," SHE LAUGHED CHEEKILY.

- "WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?," I WONDERED, ALTHOUGH I HAD A GOOD IDEA WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.

- "WE MAY NOT TOUCH FELISTER'S MONEY, BUT AT LEAST WE'LL SHRINK JAKE'S," SHE LOOKED AT ME GRAVELY, WITHOUT A DROP OF SHAME.

- "WAS COLLECTING HIS MONEY YOUR TOP PRIORITY?," I STARTED TO QUESTION HER, "IS THAT THE MAIN THING THAT MATTERS?

- "WITHOUT CASH WE CAN'T CONTINUE THE PARTY," ZONARA REPLIED, "AND WE'RE ALREADY APPROACHING MISSOURI AND IT'S GOING TO GET PRETTY FUN THERE."

I WAS AMAZED AT HOW EASILY HE USED THE WORD "FUN" IN HIS VOCABULARY. I'D HATE TO TALK TO HER.

BUT WE BOTH HAD A COMMON GOAL - AND THAT WAS FELISTER.

- "YOU'LL THANK ME LATER, I'M SURE," SHE LAUGHED AGAIN. 'THIS IS REAL LIFE, NOT SOME SIMULATION. HERE, NOW JAKE HAS GONE INTO OVERDRIVE!

 

[1] Downtown - central part of the city.

[2] Kichi Manitou is one of the names of the Great Spirit who is also known as Wakan Tanka.

ARLO

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ARLO

 

GENERAL DENVER WAS TOO VARIED, AND HERE WE COULD FIND WHAT WE NEEDED. SO MANY PEOPLE GATHERED IN ONE PLACE.

I IMMEDIATELY REMEMBERED THAT TWO OF THE MOST MASS SHOOTINGS IN MODERN AMERICAN HISTORY HAD OCCURRED IN THE STATE OF COLORADO. BUT THE BLOOD OF THE VICTIMS WAS STILL HERE, WHICH MADE ME THINK HOW HIGH SCHOOL CRIME WAS IN SOME STATES. IT HAD ALSO LED TO SO-CALLED ZERO TOLERANCE POLICIES IN SCHOOLS, WHICH MAINLY CONSISTED OF THE FACT THAT STUDENTS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO FREELY BRING GUNS INTO SCHOOL INSTITUTIONS - IN GENERAL, THIS EVENT HAD REVERBERATED AROUND THE WORLD AS WELL, AND ITS REVERBERATIONS WOULD NOT BE SILENCED FOR LONG. OVERALL, THERE WAS NO STRONG EVIDENCE THAT THIS INEVITABLY LED TO A DROP IN CRIME, BUT THESE POLICIES DID EXIST.

ZONER AND I HAD BOTH COME TO TERMS WITH AND WERE LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT VIOLENCE WAS IN THE AIR IN THIS STATE.

WHEN WE STOPPED ON A STRANGE LITTLE STREET, SEEMINGLY STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I DECIDED TO ASK ZONARA QUITE CALMLY:

- "WHERE ARE WE ACTUALLY GOING?,"  I DECIDED TO PUT THE QUESTION TO HER DIRECTLY. "WE'VE LEFT SO MANY CORPSES ON OUR WAY HERE, AREN'T YOU GOING TO ELABORATE ON WHAT FELISTER'S FAMOUS LEGACY ACTUALLY IS? AND MOST OF ALL, WHAT WILL BE MY USE OF THIS LEGACY?,“

ZONARA TURNED AWAY. LOOKED AT ME RATHER STRANGELY AND TURNED AWAY:

- SOME THINGS IT IS BETTER NOT TO TALK ABOUT AT ALL. BUT I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT VERY SOON YOUR CURIOSITY WILL BE SATISFIED AND THE WHOLE PICTURE WILL BE SETTLED IN YOUR MIND. I AM ALMOST CERTAIN THAT YOU DID NOT EXPECT SUCH AN OUTCOME. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE CHILDREN OF DEATH?

I SHUDDERED TO HEAR HER UTTER SUCH A DREAD WORD WITH SEEMING LEVITY.

- DO YOU KNOW THAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM OF SOME STATES THERE IS A LOOPHOLE BY WHICH A CRIMINAL CAN EASILY GET AWAY?

I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND HER, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME I COULD FEEL WHERE SHE WAS HITTING - SHE WAS A TRUE DEMON OF FLESH AND BLOOD. THAT WAS MY FIRST SIGNAL REACTION TO HER BEHAVIOR.

HADN'T THE FELISTER’S LEGACY BEEN WHAT WE'D SET OUT FOR, AND NOW IT HAD TURNED OUT TO BE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT! WHERE WAS THE TRUTH!

- THE PROBLEM IS, TO COMPLETE THE RITUAL, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A RECRUIT WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND A SINGLE THING ABOUT MAGIC.

I LEARNED! SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE RITUAL IN QUESTION FROM ABRAMELIN'S GRIMOIRE.

- TELL ME MORE! I WANT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M UP AGAINST! THIS WILL CHANGE THINGS A LOT! IT WILL GIVE ME A CHANCE TO UNDERSTAND...

- "TO UNDERSTAND WHAT," SHE ASKED ME WITH A STRANGE VEHEMENCE. - "TAKE A GOOD LOOK AROUND, WHAT THIS WORLD IS LIKE AND WHAT IT'S MADE OF! WHETHER THERE IS LOVE IN ITS CREATION, OR GRATITUDE TO TIP THE SCALES IN YOUR FAVOUR! CONSIDER WHETHER THOU THYSELF HAST NOT BEEN THE VICTIM OF SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES!"

I FELT UNEASY. SHE WAS RIGHT. THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THIS GIRL-SOMETHING REMINISCENT OF DÉJÀ VU. AND ANY DÉJÀ VU WAS, ACCORDING TO SOME, SIMPLY CAUSED BY A CHEMICAL IMBALANCE OF THE BRAIN.

- "I'M DYING," ZONARA SAID SADLY, "I HAVE CANCER AND I DON'T HAVE LONG. THIS IS THE TRUTH, MY DEAR. AND I DON'T PLAY ANY GAMES ANYMORE. IT'S JUST THAT MY END WILL BE NEAR. AND FELISTER WANTED TO SAVE THE SOULS OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T DESERVE IT. HE WANTED TO PLAY THE ROLE OF JUSTICE WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING ITS TRUE MEANING - I FIND THAT THOUGHT CRITICALLY UNBEARABLE."

I FELT RELIEVED THAT ZONARA WAS FINALLY SHOWING SOME HUMANITY, BUT I DIDN'T FLINCH, I QUESTIONED HER:

- WHY DID YOU KILL JAKE? IT WASN'T HIS FAULT, AND IT DIDN'T DO YOU MUCH GOOD TO DO IT.

- WRONG AGAIN. JAKE DECIDED TO KILL HIMSELF ONCE HE REALIZED HIS OWN ENVIRONMENT WAS TOXIC, AND HE WAS A VICTIM OF IT. ISN'T IT TRAGICOMIC THAT PEOPLE WHO SUPPOSEDLY HAVE EVERYTHING END UP WITH NOTHING? THE LAW OF REDISTRIBUTION IS TOO, TOO SIMPLE!

- "EVEN IF WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS REALLY TRUE," I LOOKED AT HER, FEELING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SKEPTICISM, "SOMETHING STILL DOESN'T ADD UP. THE MONEY IN THAT BAG PLUS JAKE'S MONEY IS ENOUGH TO DO A TRANSPLANT. YOU CAN PICK ANY CLINIC IN THE WHOLE WORLD AND YOU'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO COVER THE TREATMENT IN FULL - WITHOUT SERIOUS EFFORT. THERE ARE MANY DESTINATIONS WHERE THEY DO WONDERS LIKE THE US OR ISRAEL. WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT?,“

- THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CELLS IN MY BODY ARE DAMAGED TO THE POINT WHERE HARDLY ANY CHEMOTHERAPY WOULD BE OF ANY REAL BENEFIT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU DON'T REALIZE ALL OF THIS. I WANT TO BEG FOR HELP NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF BUT FOR ALL THOSE KIDS WHO WERE IN THE BOARDING SCHOOL WITH YOU!

- SO, FELISTER...

- MAYBE YOU'RE BEGINNING TO REALIZE WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT. FELISTER WAS A GREEDY TYPE WHO GOT A LOT BUT NEVER USED HIS VAST OPPORTUNITIES. WHERE OTHERS HUNG THEIR HEADS, HE WAS ON THE FRONT LINE. THE DEMONS PROVIDED PROTECTION FOR HIM TO ACHIEVE HIS GOALS.

- AND WHAT EXACTLY WOULD YOU ASK OF A GUARDIAN ANGEL IF HE WAS AT ALL WILLING TO LISTEN AND HELP YOU!

ZONARA SAID NOTHING, JUST TOOK MY HAND AND LOOKED AT ME WITH HIS DEEP, SAD, BLUE EYES. THAT LOOK COULD MELT YOU OR KILL YOU!

- LOOK AROUND AT THE ENORMITY OF HUMAN SUFFERING! WE ARE HERE TO SUFFER - IT IS OUR VOCATION! WE ARE HERE TO LEARN OUR LESSON! BECAUSE THEN WE MAY NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO LIVE AGAIN!

HER FACE WAS COVERED WITH TEARS AND I WANTED TO HUG HER, TO WRAP MY ARMS AROUND HER, TELLING HER I LOVED HER. CRUEL, IRRATIONAL, BRUTAL, UNPREDICTABLE, BUT MY LOVE!

THEN I REMEMBERED EINSTEIN'S WORDS "IN THAT SENSE - I HAVE NEVER LOOKED UPON PEACE AND HAPPINESS AS ENDS IN THEMSELVES - SUCH AN ETHICAL BASE I WOULD DEFINE AS MORE SUITED TO A HERD OF PIGS.[1]"

- YES, THAT WAS FELISTER'S HIDDEN AGENDA! TO SHOW US THAT WE WERE LIKE A HERD OF SWINE! BUT I WANT TO LIVE!

- "THEN, IF WE ARE TO TAKE THE INDIAN'S WORD FOR IT, WHAT IS IT THAT SO HAUNTS US?,“- I PUZZLED GRAVELY-"THE SPIRITS BURNED WITH NO DESIRE TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH HER, AND THIS SEEMED TO ME A LITTLE STRANGE."

- "THE INDIAN MAGIC IS TOO STRONG," INTERJECTED ZONARA, "IT HAS HAUNTED US ALL THE WAY HERE! THIS POWER, IT'S IN ME AND IT MAKES ME FEEL IT!"

- DON'T YOU REMEMBER THAT FELISTER STARTED HIS RITUAL WITH ME FIRST, BECAUSE HE COULDN'T FIND A BOY, OR RATHER HE COULDN'T FIND A SUITABLE BOY THAT FIT THE CRITERIA!

- "WELL, IN THAT CASE, WHY SHOULDN'T I BE THAT BOY," I INTERJECTED, "IT'S NOT SOME GAME, IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN SAVE YOU!

- "YOU DON'T NEED TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR MY SAKE," SHE TOLD ME SERIOUSLY, "I'M HERE AND MAYBE THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. I SHALL BEAR MY OWN CROSS, AND THAT MUST NOT BE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY."

- WELL THEN, WHY DON'T WE JUST GO TO ONE OF THOSE JOLLY SHOPS[2] .

THE TWO OF US DID VISIT SUCH A PLACE AND THERE WERE QUITE A FEW UNINITIATED TEENAGERS WONDERING WHAT STRAIN OF MARIJUANA WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO THEIR SOPHISTICATED TASTES. I GUESSED A BIT, BUT GENERALLY TOOK THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT IN STRIDE.

I KNEW THAT MARIJUANA CONTAINED THE ACTIVE SUBSTANCE TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL, BUT I ALSO KNEW THAT EXCESSIVE USE COULD LEAD TO A HEART ATTACK. I LEFT THESE LOST SOULS IN THIS SMOKY WORLD THAT WAS THEIR WAY OF ESCAPING REALITY.

WHEN WE WERE GOING OUT THERE WAS A STRANGE GUY CALLED BLUEBIRD.

I THOUGHT THAT THIS YOUNG MAN, AND HE LOOKED MORE LIKE AN ADULT, HAD HAD A GOOD HARD SMOKE AND WAS GETTING INTO CHARACTER, BUT IN FACT WE HAD COME ACROSS A MAN WITH WHOM OUR ADVENTURE WAS JUST ABOUT TO BEGIN. HE TOLD US MANY INTERESTING AND USEFUL THINGS - AND FOR FREE. APPARENTLY HE ALSO FELT A BIT AWKWARD IN A PLACE LIKE THIS.

- "I HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU. I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING," HE REMARKED. "GRASS IS NOT IMPORTANT, AND YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT."

LEAVING THE CITY LIMITS, WE CAME UPON A COUNTRY ROAD THAT PROBABLY LED TO NOWHERE.

- "I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE BEEN TO SEE A WOMAN SHAMAN," HE LAUGHED, "AND SHE HASN'T REVEALED A WORD TO YOU, HAS SHE? I'M SURE IT'S ALL PLAIN AS DAY. YOU SPECIAL AND I HELPED YOU."

HE WAS SLURRING HIS WORDS SO STRANGELY THAT I WONDERED WHAT ETHNIC GROUP OF INDIANS HE WAS. HE SEEMED TO GUESS MY THOUGHTS AND HASTENED TO REPLY:

- I AM FROM THE CAYUGA[3] TRIBE AND I CAN TELL YOU FOR A FACT THAT THAT SHAMAN DID NOT REVEAL TO YOU EVEN AS MUCH AS A PEA EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED. AND THE NATURE OF THE CURSE THAT IS UPON YOU! FOR A START I CAN INFORM THE HONOURABLE LADY THAT SHE IS NOT A CANCER PATIENT AS SHE THINKS. AND PROBABLY NEVER WAS! AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL BE!

ZONARA SHRIEKED AND COVERED HER FACE WITH HER HANDS.

- BUT NOT ONLY THAT! THE SACRED PLACE WHERE YOU SHOULD REALLY PERFORM THE RITUAL IS LA POINTE CEMETERY, WHICH IS LOCATED IN WISCONSIN.

- RIGHT BETWEEN MISSOURI AND OHIO - WE BOTH ROARED IN UNISON.

- "BACK IN THE DAY," BLUEBIRD BEGAN, "THERE WERE MAJOR PROBLEMS AND DISORGANIZATIONS WITH THE RECOGNITION OF SACRED INDIAN SITES. FOR US IT IS A SPECIFIC AND DISCREET PLACE THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED WITH OUR BELIEFS. OF COURSE, THERE ARE ENOUGH SUCH PLACES IN THE US, BUT LA POINTE IS DIFFERENT ENOUGH IN THIS RESPECT." "LOOK," HE PAUSED, "IMAGINE ALL THE PARANORMAL ACTIVITY THAT IS OFTEN THE SUBJECT OF SPECULATION. THERE ARE CHRISTIANS BURIED IN THIS PLACE. AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE. IF YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS RIGHT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE YOUR RITUAL, BUT AFTER THAT, A LOT OF DANGERS AWAIT YOU."

A BLUE BIRD