Fairytale Summer

FUN

In the morning, when the sun was not yet as scorching as in the afternoon, was the best time to put on the sandals and ran out there, in the gentle, yet already bright summer light, and bathe in the shimmering rays.

Nicky would always bring the bubbles with straws for everyone. Not as fancy as nowadays, just regular straws that normally we use to sip soda. They worked as good as the bubble making engines. The whole yard would turn into a sparkling rainbow-fairytale when all the gang started to work on the bubble-making. Magic. That’s where it all began.

Not so tired of watching, tired of staying on those all-the-way-jumping feet, the gang then forget the straws and the soap, and ran, chasing one another.

The games were endless; pirates and brave captaines, roses and gardeners, or wizards and witches, they all got sweaty and dirty and thirsty and hungry in all that summer heat that would start adding on by the elevenish.

Lemonade for three cents! Water, running from the garden hose, satisfying all the hunger, and adding from nowhere all the calories and nutrition. The moms would call for lunch, but it would be drearily to leave all the fun and go home. Boredom!

… Not for them. The bravest would escape the torture and ran to check for the fresh snacks hanging around on the neighbours’s trees and bushes.

Sweet cherries. Apples, yet as sour as the cheekbones would cramp, but that what would make the fun of eating them. Currants. They say, the marijuana lovers made currants illegal nowdays, nevertheless they grew everywhere back there. Black currants were juicy, and made their lips look blue. Red were almost transparent and so beautiful, as tiny beads from a necklace. The treats were provided naturally.

Sometimes the neighbours, pretending to be angry, would yell at them: “Rascals! Eating my berries without asking! Get in, now, pull out the weeds from my yard!” - It was not scary, in fact, it was what they were waiting for.

When the weeds were done, they would have a treat at the neighbour’s table: crunchy, sweet pink watermelons, relieving from the summer heat vanilla ice-cream, fresh cucumber salad or cold kefir soup… whatever it was, always times better than mom’s lunch. Always a surprise. Fairytale Summer food! The best food they had ever eaten.

In the afternoon, they were tired, dirty and happy. Moms were searching for them and would find them, somewhere out there. Bring them home. “You will not get out tomorrow”

The magic was over. For some time. In the morning the bravest would be out again. Moms could do nothing.

One day Nicky came with the idea to ran to the neighbouring district and make friends with the other kids.

BALL

Nicky was their leader, and the neighbourhood leader was Paul - he was elder and their gang didn’t do soap bubbles or chasing games anymore. They played ball. They had a large football field in the neighbourhood, with two gates, that at winter would turn into ice scaring ring and also hockey field, but no one played hockey there yet.

So Nicky and his friends: Tom, Sam, Leon, Vlad and Kathy (she was a tom-boy, and liked the boys’ games better than girls’ games), went to the neighbourhood and watched the ball game. They knew the rules, and Nicky got the ball, though they didn’t have the field. To their opinion, Paul was as good as a professional player. Fast, skilful, he also had the attitude and the strength of an athlete.

There were not enough players for a professional game though. Seven for a tram could be a minimal. The neighbours gang only had ten heads - five per a team. Paul, when noticed the new kids watching the game, called them to the field: “With you it will be seven per team, and two in spare.”

They joined. Every morning now they run to the neighbourhood and played ball. Moms, proud that their kids involved in sport, would provide sandwiches, snacks and water, and sometimes even come to watch, though boys usually didn’t like it. One month passed in training.

AUGUST

August was hot. They said, one of the hottest for the past ten years. The hit was above ninety sometimes and the friends went to the river for a cool down more often than to the field. They usually took the ball with them and passed it to one another on a beach.

One night, when Nicky’s mom and dad were out for a couple days, urgently visiting relatives out of states, he invited all the friends to his house for a campfire. Nicky had a large backyard, enough for all of them to sleep under the stars. So they gathered all and started the fire.

They made some shishkabab and marshmallow melts, all excited by the freedom. Nightingales started the song, announcing the midnight. No one was ready to sleep. “I’ll tell you the real story”, Paul said, “it is as true as I am sitting here. There is a warlock living not far from the football field. They say, he is three hundred years old, though maybe more. He comes out at night mostly, to collect special plants for his potions. He rarely appears at day time. The worst thing is, they say, he kidnaps lost kids, and drinks their blood, to remain young.”

“What do you mean, ‘drink blood’, they wouldn’t live if he does”, Kathy remarked.

“Who told you that they live? They are lost kids. Don’t get lost gal, or you can get in his claws.”

“No, I don’t believe it.”

“Yes, it is true. They wouldn’t say for no reason.”

“Let’s come to his house and see.” Kathy continued.

“Are you crazy? He’d catch you and no one ever know.”

“We will come all together, he’ll do nothing. Let’s get some of his apples and cherries, and see what he will do.” Nicky suggested.

“He’ll call police. He is mean as hell. He got a gun as well, and they say, he wouldn’t fret to shoot you.”

“Hey, if it is true, why police didn’t arrrst him?” Kathy asked.

“They wouldn’t arrest him, he got them in his pocket.”

“What do you mean, in his pocket?”

“He pays them and all the charities and his name is among the most influential elders in the community. They’ll do nothing to him, but they’ll make your life a hell if you try to bring him down.”

“There has to be something, to get him accountable.” Kathy insisted.

“What, is it?” Paul asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Should you drink kids’ blood if it makes you younger and live forever?” Paul asked. Girls all want to look younger forever.

“Stop it. I already have eternal life.”

“How is it?”

“Through my faith. I am Christian.”

“That’s whom warlocks like the most. Children of God. They suck their blood the same way they sucked His.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. Don’t tell you are Christian unless you are sure among friends.”

“Well, I am, are not I?”

“Yes. I’ll not bring you down. Even if the warlock pays me million for you.”

“Really?”

“Really”

Let’s go to sleep, Nicky suggested, feeling nervous. “Let’s go to the house. Mosquitoes are here and all.”

“You got fret, Nicky, that’s all.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Yes, yes you do.”

Anyway, they all went to the house and locked all the doors. The night passed by peacefully.

HORROR

Kathy’s mom was looking for her the next day, asking her friends what had happened, where is her Kathy. All sweared that Kathy left the party early, because “Mommy told her to be back by nine.”

Kathy was lost.