- Or maybe cut off?

- What? - I did not understand.

“That path is there, it leads through the forest, right?”

- Well, I do not know, it seems like ... But how do you know where it will lead us?

- Well ... I have a lot here that I know. We walked here with the guys ...

- Walked? Here?!! - I was outraged by her revelation. - Escaped from the camp, then?

- Well, yes ... It's dark now, of course, but, in my opinion, this is the same path that we used to go to the village.

- And how many did you go ?!

- Yes, the fact of the matter is that not long, twenty minutes - no more! But this is definitely not six kilometers!

- And are not you afraid to cut the road through the forest at night?

- Well ... I'm not alone, I'm with you ...

There was nothing to oppose such an argument to me. Turning off the well-worn primer, we walked along a narrow path towards the forest. Rather, it was not a path at all, but a wide trail. She wagged among the trees and shrubs. Oddly enough, from the outside this forest seemed much more sinister than from the inside. There was even a feeling that the forest is not as dark as in the open.

- Face, do you know the terrain? - I joked to somehow raise both the mood.

- And how? Vaughn oak with a hollow, there is a raspberry bush, but the familiar anthill! ..

We both laughed - even in our soul it became easier - and went through the woods, continuing to pin each other in a friendly way. A few minutes later the girl again asked to stop, to give the foot a rest. There was nowhere to sit down, so she just hung on my shoulder. Suddenly, I really wanted to hug her, but I did not dare, because I hadn’t allowed myself to do that before, and this could scare her now.

However, it was not this that scared her at all, but the loud crunch of brushwood near the path. We both turned in the direction from which the sound came, but saw nothing. Only thick trunks of trees, but tall shrubs. Then our eyes met, I tried very hard not to file a view that I was also a little uncomfortable. At the same second the crunch of dry branches sounded again, this time very close.

- Who is there? - I asked loudly, but only an echo spread my question through the forest.

- Vanya ... I'm scared! - Admitted girl.

- Come on, come on! ... Probably, these are local mushroom pickers from the village late.

The crunch was repeated again, but now on the other side of the path.

- Hello! Mushrooms, berries collect? - I tried again to establish a dialogue.

- Maybe just go on? - Lika reasonably offered me.

We started walking again. But now they were moving much faster and silently, unwittingly listening to the sounds around. I had the feeling that someone was following us, and not just one. It seemed to me that a little behind on either side of the path someone was walking right behind us. I suppose that Lika heard it too.

- Wan, I can not so fast ... And I need to fix the bandage ...

- Of course, let's help! ..

The last thing I remember is how I adjusted my elastic tight bandage to neither Likina’s ankle. Then - a blow to the back on the head with something heavy and dark ...

* * *

Opening my eyes, I realized that I was in the room. But it was not like our campus. The ceiling was low, some brooms hung on the walls, and right in front of me was a large Russian stove. The fire from the furnace was the only source of light here. Holding my bruised nape with my hand, I tried to get up.

- Oh, look - he came to himself! Hold it, hold it! - There was an old woman's voice from somewhere on the right.

At that very moment an old man appeared next to me. He was so old and wrinkled, that if he hadn't moved, I would have easily taken him in the dark for a bizarre stump. My grandfather cleverly grabbed me from behind, lifted me to my feet and brought my hands behind my back. He held me with a steel grip, I couldn’t even believe that I couldn’t be able to free myself from capturing such a decrepit-looking old man.

- Lika! Are you here? Where is Lika? !! - I screamed with all my might.

- I'm here ... - I heard a weak girlish voice from the depths of the room.

- Are you okay?

- Seems Yes...

- Come on! - Grandma screamed loudly, which, judging by the sound, was somewhere near Lika.

Shuffling loudly, she approached me. In the dim orange light of the stove, she seemed even more ancient than the old man who had so skillfully just neutralized me. Her unnaturally stooped figure, a scarf on her head, tied up with a knot, a long nose, deep-set eyes, sunken cheeks, and a dirty apron persistently cast associations with some kind of scary-fabulous image.

- Who you are? Release the girl! - I demanded, standing with his arms twisted back.

- Uh-heh-heh-heh! ... Let go, Iris, let go! And let you go and your friend ... Here's just the elixir of you cook and let go right away ... - Muttered the old woman with the intonation of the woman Yaga.

- What is the elixir? !! Are you out of your mind ?! - I tried to break free, but the grasp of my grandfather was just dead.

- What is what ... Healing - what else? Can you have a name for it? Please: double-youthful ...

- Woman! Stop joking around here! Lika, get ready, we're leaving! - I bluffed.

- I can not, I'm tied here ... - Lika calmly reported.

- Uh-heh-heh ... Look at him! ... And where are you going to ?! And to call you like an iris?

“My name is Ivan ...” I admitted reluctantly, twice trying to slam the old man in the back of my head with my nose, but he deftly evaded.

- Vanyusha, it means ... Ehe-he-he ... And how old are you?

“Twenty-six ...” I said through clenched teeth, trying in vain to strike my invader with my heel, “And the girl is only eighteen, lower her!”

- But this is absolutely unimportant! Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... - Grandma laughed again in her raspy voice, - In the entomy business, the girls - the younger they are, the better, should I explain to you, Vanyusha ?!

With these words, she put her hand to my face, opened her hand and blew in my direction. Some whitish dust flew into my face, began to burn my eyes, nose and throat. I coughed. It was like red pepper or something. But the burning sensation began to pass quickly, and soon no trace was left of him.

At that time, I felt the grip from behind noticeably weakened, and then disappeared altogether. Realizing that my opponent gave up the slack, I decided to use this to break out myself and free Lika. Yes, it was not there! ... Any attempt by me to make at least some sudden movement was doomed to fail.

It was as if, standing up to the chest in the water, trying to suddenly run, nothing would come of it. If you move your legs slowly, you can walk freely in any direction, stepping along the bottom, but as soon as you try to speed up, the water instantly blocks movement.

But in water you can at least relatively sharply move your hand or bend your leg, for example. And now I could not move fast at all. That is, freedom of movement was complete, but only as long as you move deliberately slowly, and as soon as you want to do something quickly, an unknown force literally paralyzes.

While I was getting used to this new state, the old woman bent down and suddenly began to unbutton her pants on me. And now I could not even turn my head fast enough.

- What-oh-oh-you-do you want ?! - I was outraged, but the speech was also inhibited.

- So it’s clear that ... I told you - I will cook the elixir, - the old woman pulled off my pants with my underpants and threw me to the side, - here we take some of your strength and youth from you and your girlfriend, and you don’t worry.

After that, she headed into the room, from where Lika's voice had come. I followed her, but it came out oh-very slowly. True, now no one was holding me by the hands.

As I approached, I saw how the old woman blew the girl in the face with the same dust as me. She was sitting on the floor with her back leaning on the fat leg of a huge ... Read more →