In still water

– Here I am! – Lisa tried to catch him again and almost grabbed his T-shirt, but he dodged again.

– Enough! I said enough! They will drive me crazy … – my mother sighed and turning to her husband asked – How long is there left?

The father of the family rummaged in the carburetor, realized that he could not do anything. His face and hands were completely covered in soot. Then he took the map and looked at it, smiling broadly:

– We have already arrived. But the father of the family seemed to read their thoughts, adding:

– All looked around, there was an impenetrable forest. And where is Home?

«There’s a house around the corner.

Everyone took their bags and walked a little along the broken asphalt and really saw a turn and then a huge, old mansion and gasped, some from surprise, some from despair…

– Cool! – said Serik admiringly, whistling.

«Utopia,» Liza said almost crying.

– Well, come into the house! – suggested the father of the family and walked forward.

The dull, neglected castle created a gloomy impression, and the garden overgrown with nettles and weeds did not paint it at all. The huge black eye sockets of the windows seemed to follow them wherever they went, wherever they hid. The ugly, time-cracked windows were visible from everywhere. Lizzie, as she liked to call herself in the English manner, even saw in one of them the outlines of a thin girlish figure hiding behind an old, velvet curtain on the second floor.

– Does someone live here? – asked Lizzie

– No. – the owner sold the castle long ago. It has been empty for some time. There is absolutely no one here. «» An elderly, but rather sweet madam answered, meeting them at the very entrance. – there is only an old gardener. – she smiled sweetly. – But he comes here early in the morning. You see, he has been looking after this garden all his life and now it is simply a pity to throw him out into the street. But don’t worry. He is completely harmless, albeit sullen in appearance.

Digging at this time at the other end of the overgrown garden gloomy. a hunched, bearded old man suddenly emerged from its depths and, muttering something in their direction, passed by.

Alexey Ivanitch, stretching out his hand to say hello, awkwardly pulled it back and was embarrassed.

– Y-yes … – he mumbled.. – Well, please, our new home – he smiled as if nothing had happened, l trying with all his appearance to make it clear that nothing in general had happened and offered to enter the house. Although the house was old, it still retained its splendor: ornate marble staircases climbed to the second floor, marble, Italian tiles, albeit battered in places and faded, high ceilings depicting mysterious paintings of the Renaissance, doors made of turtle shells, beautiful sculptures of paradise maidens with bowls, meeting them at the very entrance and a boy with a gold fish at the fountain, in which there really was no water now. And the whole mansion itself was covered with a thick layer of dirt and dust, and in some places mold was in full bloom.

`` A little repair and it will shine. «» Father encouraged him enthusiastically.

– yes … – said Lizzie. – it only slightly touched the plaster and it crumbled almost all over, covering the entire space with itself.

– That’s all we have. – the father answered quietly.

– He’s just super! – said Serik in delight and quickly with the speed of lightning flew up the stairs to the second floor to look for his room.

Chapter 5

The old dilapidated castle was not at all happy with the arrival of new owners, rather, on the contrary, he resisted this with every particle of it, every creaking board underfoot on the second floor, a dark attic impenetrable to light, where, in addition to the old, thick cobwebs and black, fat spiders, yes bats have never existed and nothing. After the first owners, a little more than a whole century passed. This is quite mature enough for a castle of this type, which contains many secrets and ghosts. And now, as soon as Serik entered the house, he sighed heavily in a gusty cold wind that burst through the suddenly opened shutters of huge, gloomy eye-sockets-windows. He worried and hesitated, staggered slightly to the side and creaked with each of his floorboards, and impressive cracks appeared on the clean, polished marble. These cracks crept from top to bottom on the walls of the upper floors, and through them seeped black, smelly, like oil, slurry, which seemed to boil with rage and indignation at those who disturbed their peace. But all these changes have remained unnoticed by the new owners. As it remained unnoticed, that disgusting suspension also leaked from the pantry located under the first floor and tightly locked by a weighty old lock through the crack and followed the boy. Chasing him on his heels, and where she crawled everything washed away a little bit preserved white and colored patterns on the walls were covered with black and green mold with a corresponding damp stench for her. For a minute the boy stopped, feeling someone breathing behind his back, as if someone was standing quite close to him and breathing Serik right into the back of his head. He turned sharply, but he saw nothing but old mold on the walls and a beating cobweb on the high ceiling. «Strange,» the boy thought, «I thought there was definitely someone here, but where is he?» He walked a couple more steps back and looked around, but saw no one. On this floor he was completely alone. He shrugged his shoulders and a minute later forgot about this incident, jumped up and ran on, humming an unpretentious song: «Yoh-ho-ho!»

Lizzie didn’t care what room she was in. She was depressed and just slowly climbed up the old, creaky stairs. Then she walked along the dark, long corridor, looking now and then into her smartphone. But he’s dead. Wi-fi did not catch here. When she reached the first room, she entered it and sat down on the bed without even looking at it, without unpacking her suitcase.

The next morning, everyone sat as usual in the spacious kitchen and at a modest breakfast. Everyone was in good spirits, except for Lizzie. She was indignant:

– There is no wi-fi here. There is still no light and hot water! And nothing at all! Why did you have to move here!

Mom tried to calm her down, but Lizzie got up and left the kitchen, and then completely out of the house.

She stood in the street and shivered from the cold. It was early morning and the sun had not yet risen high enough to warm the entire earth. Her father left almost immediately after her, and together they left for school.

Chapter 6

When Lizzie entered the classroom, the class was silent for a moment. Thousands of eyes were fixed on her. To the smallest detail, they evaluated her appearance. This made Lizzie a little embarrassed and shy. One red-haired girl sitting on the windowsill noticed this and went up to her. She was lively and cheerful, bold, in contrast to the quiet Lizzie, who only at home could swing a license, but was completely awkward on the street.

– Hi! You’re new? You can sit next to me. Oh yes. I am Tiffany.

– I am Lizzie… I mean Lisa… Nice to meet you Tiffany. – Lizzie shook her hand and walked with Tiffany to her place.

The class roared again and took on a life of its own until the loud voice of the teacher burst into it: