She is Louise

– By who? Children? Aren't they schoolchildren?

– There are adults.

– I don't know. I'll tell Louise.

– Louise is a child.

– She's going to be a Butterfly! The only one in the whole neighborhood.

– That won't happen for a while.

– Then forgive me, but what do you suggest?" it seemed Galya was beginning to lose patience. She didn't want to change the way things were and fight people instead of her and Louise's carefree life. The world had changed. Years and centuries had passed, and knights and kings had been replaced by programmers and designers. Of course, Galina was far from modern urban realities and generally the problems of existence, but now, and indeed, vigilance will not be superfluous. I'd have to send Louise on a little errand.

When Galina approached the house, she found the girl sitting on the doorstep with her arms around her knees. "Isn't she crying? I don't remember my Louise ever crying at all".

– Is everything all right?" the old woman asked timidly, stroking the girl's back.

– Yes, it's just…" she mumbled. – Galya, this is love…

– What? What are you talking about, honey? " Galina didn't understand. Louise is only twelve, and the time is definitely not yet right.

– The time has come, " Louise objected in response to these thoughts. – But there are no wings. That doesn't matter, though.

– Louise, wings have nothing to do with love. Nor with first love. Tell me, who is he?

– I don't know it myself, Mother. Our eyes met for only a few tiny moments. But I am different now.

– You've met a real human boy?

– He's Niels. That's his name.

– And do you need him?

– I need him badly.

– Do you? Well, I can't help you now. But here's what you're gonna do: Go to the border and cross the border into the City. There's a lot of streets – find a store on any of them and buy a newspaper. Bring it to me.

– Are you, uh… seriously? " the girl couldn't believe her ears. – I'm going to the City? To the people? That's unbelievable!

– Yes. Here, take five coins to pay for the paper. Go on, go on.

– I… of course I'm going!

There was no trace of her former sadness. The girl threw on her polka-dot jacket (it was already evening, and the cool breeze was making itself felt) and ran down the path again. To think that for so many years she had dreamed of going to the City! There are many, many people there: men, women, schoolchildren, old people and babies. Louise would see a new, vast world. And in it, that's where Niels lives.

– Roxy, are you sure you want to do this? " Evie asked her friend. They were on their way home.

– Of course I am. I want to be consul or minister of the City. I want to rule for real.

– What if they don't believe us? Or it turns out there's really no one abroad? What then?

– But we've seen it all ourselves! Yes?

Thea just nodded, and the boy shrugged. Sure, Roxy wasn't a bad girl, but power games were a risky business…

No one knew there were two different worlds.

Niels slept and saw Louise's eyes, while Louise herself ran to the border. Some paths seemed to lead them to each other. This is how marvelous stories are supposed to begin.

After the entertaining scene, the Tree said to its butterfly helper "Thank you". It respected its world. It is only a pity that the play about salvation did not make a proper impression on the frightened schoolchildren. They did not realize that good and evil do not exist. They are one. And the world of people and nature should also become the same.

Chapter Five

Louise ran faster and faster, but soon her left side stung and she had to stop and catch her breath. She was almost there – the lights of the evening houses in the distance. Multistory buildings. With elevator and balconies. The city beckoned the girl with its mystery. It turns out that to get to the fairy tale, and do not need to go far – just ten minutes along the path through the Forests and Steppes. Louise was so used to her world and home that she didn't even know if she could manage alone in the City. Reaching the border, the girl closed her eyes and stepped into a new, foreign land. She passed a cottage community, in one of whose houses Niels Mountain lived, and reached a paved road where strange carriages with huge burning eyes drove. "They must be cars," the girl reassured herself, and moved on. She hadn't met any people yet – maybe everyone was already asleep. But, although the first stars were beginning to light up in the sky, the City was noisy – music was playing from the windows, buses and rumbling trolleybuses, crowds of people were still coming out of the entrances leading to the subway. Tired moms and dads were rushing home.

"Where can I find the store?" Louise whispered to herself in a trembling voice. She's scared. It's dark. No one is around. Or maybe there is someone who wishes her harm. "There's nothing to do, I'll have to find out the way," the girl decided and politely addressed a man passing by:

– Excuse me…

– What do you want? " the man asked sullenly.

– Can you tell me where I can find the store?

– Are you not from here, or what? " the passerby was surprised.

– А… Uh, yeah. I'm new here.

– There's a grocery store across the street," he pointed to a small building with a lighted sign that read "Products 24".

– Oh, thank you so much. I can buy a newspaper there, can't I?

– Well, yes," the man replied and walked away, muttering to himself: "Who in his right mind would buy a newspaper?"

It worked. Soon Louise would be home. And the night would be over.

The girl quickly jumped across the road, not even knowing about the crosswalk. The path was lit by streetlights, but Louise did not pay attention to the "zebra" drawn on the asphalt with chalk.

She knocked timidly on the door of the store, but got no answer, opened it herself and looked inside.

The store was small, and the windows were full of all sorts of things in brightly colored packages. The only products Louise could recognize were weathered loaves of bread and plastic bottles of milk; chips and potato chips were unfamiliar to her. The tired saleswoman, a full-figured middle-aged woman, turned to her unhappily:

– Well? Speak.

– А… I'm sorry," Louise hesitated, but still she was not confused. – Do you sell newspapers?

– Yes, by the cash register. Which one do you want?

– The newest one.