Unlimited. Darina Grotto
real but unreal.
‘Now, Vasilisa,’ Kharon looked up at her, ‘you’ll forget this conversation as this information isn’t the one you need to know. Look at me.’
The girl lifted up her glassy stare at Kharon, being in horror she realized that nothing in the world would be able to make her forget what had happened in her flat. By looking in the demon’s calm eyes Vasilisa didn’t know her recollections were being got out of her mind by parts and shattered then with no chance to be recovered. In a few minutes of silence and hypnotized looks Vasilisa realized that several seconds ago she had had the best sex with the most handsome man in her life. She also understood that she was smothered with envy Victoria. Vasilisa was preoccupied with the only one question why was Vic with him?
Kharon unnoticeably smiled, having read little cocky ideas that he had put into Vasilisa’s mind. He liked them more than a crying lady, immorally hiding behind suddenly appeared conscience to be more deserving in the man’s eyes because she was still irresistible in her own ones.
Victoria was drawing sketches. She tried. She had to finish a sketch of advertising product but every sketch of hers was ended with appearance of a man’s picture, who held a woman. The crazy strokes, you could say absolute absurd, drew the silhouettes on white sheet. They were sharp and self-confident. She didn’t even need to erase them a bit! Yes, they were a bit chaotic, sometimes you would hardly understand where the beginning and the end were. But every stroke was in its right place. They were muddled apart, but the picture was almost finished.
Vic didn’t understand what was with her head and hands. How was that possible? She told herself to draw a square and the pencil drew proportional bodies of a man and a woman instead of a geometrical figure. Her hand drew them like if it had been sure for its life that any square looked exactly like this.
Victoria drew and drew until she realized that rebellious limb was about to fall off due to tiredness. The girl looked up the pile of drawn papers. The only thing she knew for sure was that the man she had depicted was Kharon. Victoria had no doubt it for a second. Victoria couldn’t understand who the depicted woman was. She didn’t find herself in it.
‘Well, what’s up?’ The door was adjusted a bit. Gregory came to her for the fourth time that day.
‘It’s ok.’ She answered and quickly and easily smiled, studying the manager’s face. He looked the freckle face of the red-haired girl with such kind and friendly look as if he was up to something. Then he lowered his eyes at the working table of the girl that was covered with pieces of paper drawn in pencil strokes. Vic was enveloped with a wave of confusion. The desk was full of pictures of some overs who made love with lust and lasciviousness.
‘Damn it…’ Vic swore barely audibly and burst herself to order papers.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ Gregory was surprised and quickly came up to the table, having taken pieces of sheet.
The girl’s heart was about to jump out as she was nervous. She pursed her lips and looked at the man as she was horrified to guess what her boss would think of her. But Gregory kept silence and frowned at the picture.
‘What’s it?’ he asked finally and stared at the girl.
‘Mr. Dogmanov, let me say,’ Victoria whispered in a low and squeezed voice, coughing. ‘It’s… How to put it mildly to make you understand right… I… I like graphic arts and… bodies… Yes, human bodies. Well you understand humans are organized very beautiful…’
‘Vic,’ the mad interrupted her excuses. His stare was already changed. It became kinder and softer. There was a hint at a smile on his lips.
‘Yes?’ Victoria lowered her eyes. She felt hurt so much that she wanted to cry. She sniffled trying to hold tears. She felt like a teenager boy whom mother had caught him while he was masturbating.
‘I have nothing against graphical arts and human bodies… You shouldn’t worry about it as if you had pictured something immoral. It’s a pile of drafting strokes.’
‘A pile of drafting strokes?!’ the girl exclaimed being unable to believe her ears. She glanced at the sketches and sank down into her chair because of the suddenness. All the papers were stroked in different directions. There were just strokes. They meant nothing and looked like nothing. There were pictures of psychopath.
‘I didn’t mind insulting you…’ Gregory apologized with surprise in his eyes looked at Victoria’s face and mad worry on it, who was pottering in drawn pieces of paper.
‘Are you ok, Vic?’ he asked mysteriously handing the paper in her hands. ‘You look strange.’
‘Do I?’ she asked.
Her voice was almost hysterical. Something played bad tricks on her. Was it her consciousness or imagination? Victoria was fed up with looking like a fool who was incapable of controlling herself. She got used to everything… But every time something could happen that threw her off her stride. She clearly saw the drawn couple making love and now she had a pile of drawn in pencil paper.
‘Wait,’ Gregory took hold of her trembling hands trying to calm nervous tremor, trying to calm the girl down. ‘Don’t litter sheets of paper. Calm down, Vic. Calm down! It’s ok. It’s ok.’
He stroked her hands and the girl who could hardly hold tears back. He looked at her eyes as he wanted to understand if she was calm.
‘Damn it,’ Victoria whispered again and sobbed.
‘Come with me,’ Gregory opened the door and gave a peremptory nod toward the doorway. ‘Come.’
He walked ahead carefully listening to the steps behind him. Victoria walked quickly after him, being a little bit distracted from her work of art. Gregory took the girl in some ordinary but cosy café, sat her in an arm-chair and ordered two fresh drinks.
‘Tell me what’s happening to you.’ The man sat before her with a sigh, doing up his trousers. He did not take his eyes off the sad girl.
‘I don’t know,’ she answered and covered her face with her hands. ‘I just don’t know.’
‘Hey,’ he carefully took off her hands from her face. ‘It’s ok. You shouldn’t be nervous. You can be yourself with me… We’re here not to speak about work…’
‘I think I’m going crazy…’ Vic looked up at her boss.
‘Why? What’s wrong? Can I help you?’ Gregory made a shower of questions.
‘No, no, it’s ok. It’s just little weakness.’
‘Are you sure? In your office you seemed to have been about to go crazy…’
‘No, I’m fine.’ Victoria smiled, ‘I don’t wanna you think that a psycho or idiot working for your company.’
Gregory grinned.
‘You know every man has his hobby-horse and bad mental thoughts. You’re not an exception. I just wanted to tell that if you need any help, moral or financial, you can always come to me at once. I’m your friend.’
Victoria silently listened to the sentences about friendship, pretended to be smiling. But there were still pictures that she had drawn before her eyes. She felt tired. All that mess of hell representatives drove her mad. Victoria was sure that it should have been enough to give Lucifer her soul and then rejoice at free life with Kharon. She didn’t expect Lucifer’s mark to have provoked issues with her body and mind.
‘I remember that day when I saw you for the first time ever.’ Gregory dreamily closed his eyes. ‘I was on my way to my office and you were with marketing managers, smiling and twittering about something. Then I thought: “What a cheerful girl!”. It was some time ago. Then something started happening to you. You were darkening, growing dim and the smile more seldom came to you. I’m speaking about your genuine smile but not about the one which you cover yourself with, saying that you’re ok. I don’t believe you, Victoria. You’re not that girl who you were before. You’re worrying about something and no matter how you try to hide from people, it’s still obvious.’
‘Humph,