On the stone road

– Actually, no one! – assented Eric, just to calm down his friend.

– What have I done wrong? – Ruefully asked Holm.

– You did it! – Eric continued.

– Yes! I did everything right!

– Yes!

– She is bad!

– She is!

– Not me.

– Not you!

– Enough to you! – Noah cried out in exasperation at his friend.

– What? I just say what you want to hear – Eric stopped to act up, and began to behave yourself more seriously.

– I want to hear what you really mean to tell me – more calmly, said Noah.

– Come on. I have already said, but you didn’t listen to me.

His friend didn’t say anything. He lowered his head and ran his fingers through his hair, the same brown-colored, like his mother had.

– Unpleasant? – Eric asked, blaming his insensitivity, looking at each other.

– Not half…

Rain, with accompaniment of deafening clap of thunder, was so much beating on the windows, which began to seem as if they are about to be torn apart. Flown at Silent Valley wet night every moment was getting madder and more frightening.

– I’ll be back – Noah rose from his chair and walked to the fridge for a soda. – Would you like anything?

The phone call didn’t give Eric to answer.

– What happened? – Noah asked curiously, noticing the change in the face of his friend.

– It’s my father.

Holm immediately understood everything. He knew his friend was “lucky” with his father.

Eric was upset and he didn’t want to answer the call, but he knew that he must do that. Carl Lanter got furious when he was ignored by cellular. Most likely, he couldn’t phone Mrs. Lanter: it was not surprising: her old cell phone repeatedly hinted at the need for recycling. Perhaps Mr. Lanter has intended call her to inquire – whether it really is in the office, rather than in an institution encouraging adultery, in the company of a man generously treated her with cocktails. If Mrs. Lanter doesn’t answer the call – she certainly fondle in the alley with a scoundrel. From accusation to accusation the financial position and social status of a non-existent lover always varies. If the wife doesn’t answer the call, he should call her son in order to be convinced of her infidelity – it was turn-based strategy of “big mind” of Charles Lanter.

– I Listen, – said Eric, reluctantly holding the phone to the ear.

– Where are you, why so long … – immediately sounded annoyed howl on the other side of the line. Eric immediately left the phone away from his ear, and rolled his eyes upward. His friend Noah gave no sign that he heard the cries of Mr. Lanter.

– Why doesn’t your mother pick up the phone?! – Still angry, he continued to shout in a rude way.

As he had expected – his mother couldn’t answer the bell for some reason, and his father suddenly decided to ask him: – “Why?”.

– You seriously think I know it? – Eric said, almost screaming.

After the heinous insults, the beeps cracked. Angry parent hung up, didn’t telling a word any more.

Eric was so ashamed that such a disgusting person directly participated in his birth.

– I hate him – he admitted in a drooping voice.

Noah was silent; perhaps he didn’t know what to say and how to comfort him.

The sounds of bendable metal rang in the empty hall of a cafe. It became very hot around; Eric’s hands began to shake.

– Eric! – called him Noah in discouragement.

The guy didn’t take his eyes from the melting phone in the hand of his friend.

Glass screen pieces spilled from a solid body, which began to look like crumpled clay. Because of the panic the mobile device fell out of the hands of the owner. Another terrible abnormality messed frustrated teen from a place, and ran away in the storm.

Holm didn’t understand anything; he remained standing under the blinking fluorescent lights. Coming to himself, he couldn’t find his friend. Eric was far away.

The streets of the Silent Valley were deserted, its residents hid in their little houses, frightened of the lightning storm. Running through the sinking town, through the thin walls of water, Eric was trying to understand what was happening to him. His body was overpowered by anger and fear. Thoughts become darker as the clouds, filling an entire sky.

His mood has deteriorated immediately. His hands were clenching and twitching with anger. Eric wanted to run away from the bad things that happened in his life. He could no longer stand it.

Throughout his life, he watched as his father accuses his mother of betrayals, which, by the way, had never happened. As he spits at the sight of the bastard with gray hair, which he considers the conclusive evidence of adultery.

Eric dreamed that it was true, but, to his regret, it wasn’t. Carl Lanter really was his real, the vital father: for this fact Eric hated him even more.

In front him Eric saw flickering golden light. The lamppost, which was standing by the ruins of the arched gate in the town park, was similar to a lighthouse, which lures the travelers. The wet trees, which had arisen before his eyes, put Eric in impenetrable darkness with its rotting branches. The same blackness came out of the corridor in his old apartment. In addition to the suffocating darkness of the corridor, Eric could hear terrible cries.

The little boy was hiding his head under the pillow so as not to hear the pleas of his poor mother, who was desperately defending her face.

The sparks flew away behind Eric. An iron lamppost was bent like a dying flower stalk. The lamp struck the masonry of bricks and then shattered.

The nasty memories ruthlessly pushed through Eric’s head. There were so many, that soon there was not enough space for them.

Without pausing, he continued to walk along the tall trees, the winding path, past the benches, which were absorbed by vegetation. Suddenly Eric heard the crash; he looked up and saw, that one of the largest branches, standing next to a tree, was about to crash down on him. Acting as quickly as possible – Eric jumped to the side. He didn’t have time to catch his breath, as gloomy trees of the deserted park attack him again. Broken twigs rained down on his head with bendable to the ground branches.

In a panic, Eric ran forward, trying to escape from a wooden hail. He ran between huge bushes, which wound the elm around; ran a large maple tree with sharp leaves, and some aspen, and then Eric slipped through the arch of interlacing oaks. The giant branch of one of the oaks almost crushed him.

Eric Run out to a small glade, and then he began to stagnate in a circle, in the same place, looking as the memories were breaking his patience, and splashed out the pain destroys everything around him.

With the rending crash branches continued to bend and fall to the ground.

Eric’s exposure has exhausted. He screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his head in his hands. “I’m getting crazy..!” – Screamed the hysterical voice deeply inside of him, drowning out the sounds of a raging downpour.

Chapter 2

When Eric plunged in silence, he heard his heartbeat. Then, when he slowly removed his hands from the opened eyes, he saw a gray wasteland under the dead sky. Around the ground protruded stripped tree trunks. They rose completely naked; lost offspring scattered at their roots. Everything was colored with empty graveyard shades.

It looked as if over a beautiful park mocked hurricane, which spared nothing but boy, who was shaking on his lap and smeared with mud. The storm was over, the sky was no longer crying, and the wind was no longer howling. The inky darkness left the Silent Valley, leaving behind a lifeless leaden sky.

Eric slowly stood from the wet grass and went into the jungle of the wet debris. Without looking anywhere, and not to thinking about anything, Eric moved out of the town city park, wading through littered broken branches with difficulty. Eric, every now and then fell, slipping on the eroded ground, which was covered with a layer of wood chips.

He went round the large grid, which enclosed the passage; then Eric felt a stone path beneath his feet. He almost got out the park, where gathered almost all the inhabitants of a small town at the exit.

As soon as Eric was noticed, the two men ran up to him.

– How are you feeling yourself? – asked him a bearded man, who ran up to the boy, who was marching indifferently.

– Are you okay? – Immediately asked him the other man.

Erik nodded absently in response.

– Do you need a help? – asked the first man again.

Eric was silent again; he just shook his head and walked away.

All residents of the Silent Valley couldn’t take their prying eyes from the young men with gray hair, who was passing by them. Eric accelerated the pace. He began to feel himself worse among the people. It often happens with him. When he is in the spotlight, his brain begins to lose control. Eric wasn’t a closed guy, but there were not many people, whom he allowed to come beyond the wall, which he constructed around himself.

Astonished citizens left their houses in order to see the unusual sight. Looking at the ruined green wealth of the town, each expressed his assumption, how this could happen.

“It’s so strange, the wind wasn’t so strong,” – said Wilma Nilsson his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Persson. In respond she said: “Yes, it’s just impossible!” – the old lady was completely bewildered, she began to correct her color shabby wig.

“It was a tornado, I saw it!” – a little boy told to his buddies. “You’re lying!” – They shouted at him. “Tornadoes would have ripped trees from the roots!” – Little boy Thomas Valine, lashed out at his friend, who had a good imagination.

The clouds dispersed and the sun has almost disappeared behind the horizon. Now, every day daylight hours will be reduced, depriving people of a couple of extra hours, when they could enjoy the sun. It looks pretty sad.

Erik looked back, holding his breath. The place that considered to be the place of a free rest, has become a frighteningly repulsive. Crippled trees seemed to be telling him: “It’s your fault!”

Now and forever, this way for him is closed.

Soiled and wet through clothes were hanging from the thin body. It wasn’t visible the red soles on his white sneakers because of the layer of sticky mud on it. Drooping Eric decided to go home, because he had nowhere else to go.

He didn’t want to return to the cage, in which his house has distorted in the presence of Charles Lanter.

Gradually the town streets were filled with people. Some people moved to the side of the park, to find out the cause of accumulation of the crowd around it, and someone was going to the cafe to Holm in order to discuss what they had seen.

Eric regretted that it wasn’t dark. Passersby hit him with wide variety of curious glances. He had a terrible sight! His eyes were full of shock, his clothes were stained and torn – this ensemble looked not very charmingly. Some people at the sight of Eric moved to the other side of the road. They weren’t afraid; they did it from a sense of disgust. Eric was very surprised. He always struck by the fact that ordinary people, such as the residents of the Silent Valley could behave yourself with arrogance.

“Interesting, who they took me?” – he thought with a grin.

Despite the condemning spitting, Eric tried to cheer himself. Though it was impossible, after what had happened. Trying not to pay any attention to staring in his direction people, he kept going, hiding his eyes under the long gray bangs, sticking out from under the wet hood.

Turning into an empty lane in order to avoid possible collisions with Noah, Eric stopped and pressed himself against the brick wall of an abandoned house.

He couldn’t suppress the thought, which accused him of madness any more. It squeezed his brain, convincing him in frenzy. He didn’t understand what it could be: What has decided to spoil his hard life?

Eric passed by the lively place of the Silent Valley, then he sighed with relief, that was unlikely to last for long time, because soon he will have to breathe differently.

He will have to spend time with person, who causes a desire to stop breathing at all.

The man, whose increased self-esteem wasn’t supported by any life’s achievements – but he constantly pestered Eric with reproaches. To hear it from the loser wasn’t the most pleasant thing for him.

In his youth, Carl Lanter played bass in a band, which was popular in the nightclubs of the town. Not having had time to disperse properly, he shifted gears, making one mistake after another. As a result, his star didn’t succeed: the birth occurred at the stage of collapse. Mr. Lanter proved not those, who gets up after the fall, he continues to lie and wait for someone to help him to overcome his problems.

Eric, by the way, couldn’t understand, how his mother could love such a man? And why didn’t she left him after all that he had done and did not. Eric thought that, most likely, she is simply afraid of him. She is afraid of his hands, which have repeatedly made her hurt. Or maybe the whole thing was in her excessive kindness and faith in a hopeless?

“How can I convince her?” – The desperate hope seemed inaccessible to Eric.

The wind directed straight forward. A gentle breath of wind enveloped the Eric’s body and ruffled his wet hair. It was already dusk, lights in the street began to light up in a random order. After rising to the top of the hill, Eric, as usually, stood some time outside his home. He was thinking about what would happen if he turned back. After a few seconds, with sadness in his eyes and weighed down by his thoughts, Eric continued to go, promising himself that he would soon get rid of despotism.

Not having had time to open the black door, he immediately heard the disgusting, soaked rage scream of the tormentor.

– Who is it? – The resentful voice of Mr. Lanter came out of the living room.

Ignoring the nasty sounds, Eric walked into the corridor. He heard Carl Lanter gets up from the couch – quite rare thing for him- and goes to him. His heart started to beat the countdown, preparing for defense.

– Where is your mother? – Monster came out of the shadows into the corridor, which was lit by dilapidated lamp. – Why she doesn’t respond to my calls?! – His breath was as nasty as his words, which poisonous hatred all around him.

– I have no idea – Eric said dryly, no longer able to tolerate the disgusting creature beside him.

As soon as he tried to escape in his room, Karl Lanter grabbed him by the arm, not allowing to move.

– I didn’t finish with you!

– Really? – Eric asked irritably, in a loud voice.

– Well, shut up – growled the monster, clutching Eric’s wrist. – Quickly tell me where she is, bastard? – His eyes bloodshot with anger.

– Go to hell! – Angry shouted Eric, tearing his limb from his fat paws.

After changing the direction, he went to the kitchen.

– Give me your phone! – Demanded the tyrant, following directly behind Eric.

In the hope that the ringing contraption will help him get rid of the madman, Eric shook out everything from his pockets in search of a mobile phone. Being killed by the ecstasy, he had forgotten what had happened to his phone.

– I don’t have it, – recalling the shrunk piece of metal in his hand, said Eric.

At the moment, he didn’t care how this could happen.

– You are lying to me! You don’t want I call her! You cover her! You do not want me to know where she is and with whom! – Becoming drunk on his own malice, Carl Lanter was losing his mind, and began to tell the full absurdity.

Sometimes Eric thought that blames of the oppressor in these absurdities, happened just because he would do that. Inadequacy persuaded Mr. Lanter in his right, that his actions might be inherent in other people around him.

– I really lost it – Eric tried to speak as calmly as possible, trying not to let his feelings that were inside him to spray out.

The boiling from anger bubbles were escaping from the mouth of Mr. Lanter.

– Who are you kidding, bastard?!

The back of the hand of Charles Lanter slid by Eric’s temple.

His hands were shaking, his eyes were watered. His heart was torn by hatred for the man that stood in front of him; to the person who spoils everything within his radius. He wasn’t even a person, he was a creature – not able to take care of anyone, and certainly, not able to love someone! This consumer eats every day more and more energy: he is dangerous, and he spoils the life!

– It’s ok, if only she … – his threats continued.

Rotten tongue faltered and fell into the pharynx. Eric didn’t hear from him anything any more.

The click in the head said, that the glass was full.

The eyelids shut.

Silence.

A sec.

Blurred loops quietly rushed for racing in different directions furniture: the kitchen tables with a crunch flew into details from merciless blows and its contents flew out and broke into pieces. In the air floated a variety of figurines, which were made of different material. Aluminum forks, spoons, knives, and other utensils —its all bent and compressed in lumps. The dining table was off the floor; it crashed into standing on a shelf picture and then broke in two parts.

All that were in the kitchen were pressing the ceiling, the walls: it seemed, that a little bit more – and the room will fall apart. Whirlwind didn’t stop! Gas stove flew up, then fell down and began to cuddle up to the plinth, periodically tapping on the corner. Poison gas hastened to fill the air. Fifteen years old boy didn’t pay any attention to it.

Eric stood with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened. The only thing that he has deigned to respond for all time was a solid dull sound. In the hallway the sound of the merger with the wall of the skull of the person, who offended him, was interrupted by frame advance of occurs, replacing it by hurricane of events. In an instant mute knocks turned into a deafening cacophony.

The last chord was the spark of the crashed incandescent bulb, which surprisingly hold out so long time among this chaos: the whole room became decorated in the bright blue color.

The explosion.

The room sunk into the orange-red storm.

Along with shards of the glass door, Eric was thrown out into the cool evening, right on the flower bed of purple asters. His body shook, and his mind was somewhere else, but the instincts of self-preservation were trying somehow to revive the fragile flesh and pull as far as possible from the flame.

The house looked like a torn shirt, from which holes the flame was burning. The fire began to grow, taking more and more of small dwelling for yourself.

Scrolling to his head the occurred things, the instincts shouted to Eric, “Run!”.

In a panic, he covered his mouth with his hand so as not to choke of the huge flow of oxygen, he did it. Eric was all ragged, he got up and ran off into the woods, into the darkness, into the emptiness of the hopelessness of the further normal life.

The poor guy didn’t know what happened and who is to blame? Who killed his father? Who pursues and tries to kill him?

Besides Eric and his father, in the kitchen there was no one: who made furniture to dance in the air and blew up the house?

“What could it be?! Who did it?! "– Eric yelled desperately, still running in deep darkness among the trees, constantly stumbling about almost everything, what was lying on the ground. He made himself not to thing about anything and ran forward.

Sticking out from all sides hooked branches scratched his face and hands, which were paving the way in the darkness of the fugitive.

“Whoever it is, he won’t catch me!” – The words didn’t stop from the moment when Eric woke up after the explosion. These words burnt the heart, they blinded eyes, choked, knocked down. He didn’t realize how fast he run, and whether he was running. In the darkness of the forest he couldn’t see anything, and without stopping Eric was looking for a way – but just where? Where could he get away from what he didn’t even know?

Now, Eric didn’t know how to be, how to live. Everything has become a nightmare. A couple of seconds divided his life on “before” and “after”.

Caught on the right foot by protruding from the ground root of black alder, Eric fell and rolled down. Moving by somersaults almost a minute, frightened boy rolled with from a small slope; committing another somersault, he ran by his shoulder on something sharp. There was no pain, fear didn’t give place in his body any other feelings or sensations.

Coming out onto the highway, Eric didn’t have time to navigate before the surge of boat blinding light. Eric was dumbfounded by the unnatural rubber squeak, his thin body collapsed like a rag doll.

Eric shook immobilized in the shine of white light, until someone’s hands rose him from the wet asphalt. In his eyes everything mixed up, the images around Eric were illegible. Even the feelings were not able to perceive anything.

There was a pause, it lasted so slowly that is already began to seem as if it will never end. The storm has stopped – there was not a single word in his head, just calm, silence and a bird, which was flying in the glass sky. Flickering lights dimmed in the endless expanse of emptiness. After a while it disappeared too.

Light alternated with darkness, reality mixed with fantasy, everything was mixing in Eric’s head. He was killed by tragedy, Eric didn’t understand: he is sleeping or awake, lying or sitting, or standing, or even hanging. Everything was viscous and hazy. Stupor didn’t leave him even for a second. Without moving, he kept looking at one point.

Flames. He liked looking at it, lying on a sofa under a warm blanket. That night was very cold, and the only thing that warmed him was the fire in the fireplace. It warmed his naive child’s soul.

It was nearly midnight; everyone had gone to bed, except for the little boy. He didn’t want to miss a minute of the fabulous night. Getting out from the bulky blanket, the child decided to hide under the tree that stood in the living room. The tree was magically beautiful; he couldn’t take his green eyes from its small flashing lights. Closely pressed to the wall, the boy carefully walked fluffy fir, and crept under her thick prickly needles. He lay down on the soft carpet, waiting for a miracle. The lights of shimmering garlands, which reflected in the Christmas tree lulled the boy. He fell asleep, right under the Christmas tree.

That Christmas was the best in his life! Because in the Christmas night there was no man that enveloped a wonderful holiday in shattering loud moans and abominable complaints.

His father’s face, contorted with surprise and fear, his long, and, at the same time, a short flight, kick, crunch, death. In his head flashed the image of the White House, which was dissolving in the fire. The devour guilt, the horror of what had happened shook Eric. But somewhere deep inside, what he was ashamed and afraid, it was simply unacceptable to admit even to himself, come to enjoy from the liberation of the heavy cargo.

– No! – Angrily shouted Eric, without acknowledging the shameful joy. – No, – much quieter, he repeated, pressing his head to the knees.

He wasn’t happy about what happened. On the contrary! It was much worse!

“Where am I?!” – Eric was stunned, when he looked around.

Chapter 3

– It’s not necessary to scream so much – reproached stranger. – At first you seemed quiet and peaceful, and suddenly such a stir.

Eric didn’t remember what happened, and in the confusion he tried to understand – where he is and how he got into the car to a stranger? He looked around – he was not familiar with district. Wherever he looked – everywhere people moved quickly on the sidewalk. Cobbled paths stretched on both sides, along the wide street, crowded with noisy vehicles. The frantic pace of the big city didn’t cease even behind closed windows of the car. The boy bugged out eyes of bewilderment, Eric panicked, pressed against the leather seats, intently examining the stranger.

Behind the wheel of two-seater car sat a broad-shouldered young man, in the view he was twenty-seven. The abundant bristle was sprawling across the face, and also emphasized the lower part of the cheeks. His hair was like coated by dry oil, it was a little worn and pushed to one side, and fell below the eye line. The golden edges of bow tie, strongly stood out against the deep black shirt, they were merging with trousers, jacket, shoes, hair of a stranger, as well as to the vehicle interior.