«Distorted Reality»

«A person will not be able to discover new oceans until he has the courage to lose sight of the shore»

A. Zhid

***

Morning in multi-storey buildings. What's so special about it? Well, basically nothing, only if you live in a decent neighborhood in the city center. But if you live in a slightly "dysfunctional" area, located almost near the city limits, then the morning clearly does not start with a cup of coffee. Malory opened his eyes reluctantly. The alarm clock beeping was not so annoying, unlike the neighbors. Someone was running so loudly from above that whitewash was falling from the ceiling. From the side of the wall there was a crash of dishes and screams. — Why can't you sleep so early? Omega hissed softly, lowering his legs from the bed and putting on his glasses, looked at the phone display, "It's not even eight yet, and they're already making noise. The guy listened, and frowning, quietly walked into the hall. The sofa was crookedly made up, and Miriam was absent. Mallory, leaning on the door jamb, and tapping on it with his fingers, he quietly asked in nowhere: — Where did he go? Today is a day off...

***

The phone suddenly rang, from a recently received message. Malory twitched, and spilled milk on the bedside table. Gritting his teeth in anger, the guy reached for his mobile device and turned it on. Brown eyes rounded and thin lips stretched in a weak smile. — Yes. I have the highest score in all subjects! — omega pressed the phone, which had recently received his result, to his chest. Closing his eyes, he whispered, —All my efforts have paid off, three more academic years, and I will enter the best university in the country. The guy opened his eyes and put down the phone, sighed. Going to the sink and taking a rag, he chuckled: — The main thing is to survive these few years. In high school, the brains of many atrophy from an oversaturation of hormones and a sense of permissiveness. — Lindgren put down a bowl of cereal, and sitting down at the table, snorted, — And somehow I need to learn, and not be distracted by all sorts of nonsense. The teenager took a spoon and looked out the window. The rising sun was just visible on the horizon. Who leaves at this time anyway? And why hadn't Miriam told him? Usually they always told each other where they were going…

***

Omega was peacefully chewing cereal and leafing through scientific articles on his phone. There was a sharp knock of the door on the jamb and an excited Miriam burst into the apartment. Leaning on the doorjamb of the kitchen, after a couple of seconds of shortness of breath, he smilingly said: — We're moving! — The teenager choked on his cereal in surprise, Lindgren patted his son on the back carefully, —Go pack your things, we're leaving in a couple of days! The apartment is already up for sale, and I'll pick up your documents in the evening. Malory stared at his dad with huge eyes of shock. The news was so unexpected that omega could only squeeze out one question: — Where?

***

— Tts, tts. Of course I would like to say that the apartment is worth the sum that you indicated, but I am not accustomed to lying. — Alpha with slicked-back hair and light wrinkles, smiled sweetly at omega opposite. — The maximum for it you will get no more than two hundred thousand. Do you agree to this amount? — Oh, my God! I couldn't even think that it was so cheap! — Miriam emotionally threw up his hands and joined them in a lock near his heart, asked, — Is something wrong here? Can you explain the reason for this cost? - Of course. Your apartment is very, very old. It is not in the best condition, and it is far from the center. The Alpha smiled wryly. But, he looked into the eyes of his interlocutor, the smile abruptly slipped from his face. Miriam Lindgren's eyes lit up with a bad light, — Because of these reasons, this apartment will not sell dearly… — Really? God! I couldn't even think that 12 years is so much! I bought it a year after it was built! — The brunette covered his mouth with his hand and continued, — And the proximity of the subway! That's too bad, right? Constant noise… And the condition of the apartment… We haven't done repairs for 10 years! Wallpaper and paint are the same as after repair! It's such a horror ... — Miriam closed his eyes and sobbed, after a couple of sobs, he said softly, — I just wanted to get some money and give my boy a good life. But I did not take into account such shortcomings… What was I hoping for?! — Well, what are you, what are you! The apartment is not so terrible! — Alpha smiled nervously, and handing Omega a handkerchief, continued, — Let's do this. I will make concessions to you, and I will agree to buy an apartment for the amount that you specify. Just not above a million. Just don't be nervous, okay? — Good. — Miriam smiled faintly, — Let's discuss this matter in more detail? Mallory, looking away from the arrogant huckster and his dad, chuckled. Despite all the alpha's efforts to deceive them, he himself, in the end, was fooled by Miriam, pretending to be a stupid omega. In the apartment, in addition to the realtor, there were also movers who took the remaining boxes of things with them. Most of the furniture remained in the apartment, as it did not carry any importance for their family. And in those boxes that were being taken away, there were all sorts of small things. Closing his eyes and sighing heavily, the teenager turned his gaze to the phone display and pursed his lips. Grimville. That was the name of the place where his dad decided to move. And Malory couldn't even think of a reason for such an act! Why change their lives so drastically? For as long as Mel could remember, they had always lived in Seattle. Their whole life was spent in this city. And they lived well. What happened that Miriam decided to move to who knows where? Malory couldn't figure it out, no matter how hard he tried. Okay, omega could understand his dad if, following the current trend, he decided to transfer his son to a bigger and better city to give both him and himself more opportunities for a more decent life. But no! The city they are moving to was not even displayed on the maps. There was zero information about him on the network. Malory searched for two hours, but couldn't find anything about Grimville. For this reason, as well as for many others related to the move, Lindgren was in a terrible mood right now. From the immersion in thoughts, Malory was distracted by the hand that covered the display of his phone. Looking up, he saw his dad smiling like a Cheshire cat and a very unhappy realtor. Noticing that the second resident of the apartment turned his gaze on him, the alpha smiled sweetly again and said: — We can already go to the office to process documents, right?

***

— And why do the trains arrive so early... — Honey, what don't you like? But we will have time to explore our new city better, and we will not get lost in the dark. — And what's the big deal if we get lost? There are not dense forests with wild animals around here. — Malory covered his yawning mouth and turned his calm gaze to Dad, who began to look around, trying not to look into his eyes. Malory raised his eyebrows in surprise, — Or are there forests with animals after all? — But there is a lot of fresh air and the ecology is good… — Miriam! How can this overcome the danger from wild animals?! I hope you bought an apartment or a house in the center ... — the teenager massaged his forehead. Shifting his gaze to the older omega, he stopped abruptly. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said coldly, — Miriam Lindgren! What's wrong with your eyes again? Where did you buy us a place to live? And finally explain the reason for our move! The few people who were walking along the streets at that time looked around in surprise. Omega is half the size of his dad, very thin and angular, stood and scolded his parent, at the same time while he shyly covered his face, and tried not to look into his son's eyes. — Mallie, honey, calm down, please. I bought a nice house on the outskirts. You'll like it there… — For what money? We sold the apartment yesterday, and you bought the house a week ago. — For the ones I saved for the car. You know I couldn't decide which one to take. — Okay. We'll discuss that later. Answer me the second question, Miriam. For what reason did we move? — Honey, you know that I want only the best for you. You were lonely in Seattle… — It's a stupid reason to move. If you wanted me to have friends, you would have enrolled me in a literary or some other circle. Are there any other reasons for changing the location other than this? — Of course there is! Or do you think that your dad is so helpless and cowardly that he runs away because of one problem?! — Miriam emotionally threw up his hands and folded them crosswise on his chest, continued — I had a reduction at work, and because of my education I could soon lose my job and get a terrible recommendation. And you haven't been getting enough sleep lately because of external noises and because of this you are very nervous… — These are not reasons to move. You can leave your job voluntarily and find another one. And you can put sound insulation in the apartment. Malory was saying this with his eyes closed and massaging his forehead. He didn't notice how his dad's face was darkening and his lips were compressed into a thin line, — Maybe there are more reasons for moving, or you just acted impulsively... — Malory Benjamin Lindgren! Stop arguing with me! I don't have to explain in front of you! Until you turn 21, I am responsible for you! Miriam's face darkened and her eyes turned black with anger, Malory raised his eyebrows a little in surprise and opened his eyes looking at his dad. After a couple of seconds, realizing that he had brought the parent with his own words, he pressed his lips tighter and lowered his eyes, — Now you will be silent, and you will raise this topic only in Grimville. And now we're going to find out when the bus leaves. Is that clear? — Yes... — Malory replied softly, not raising his eyes from the ground, not wanting to meet Miriam's furious gaze. After a couple of seconds, he felt a hand on his head that smoothed his terribly disheveled hairstyle — Fine. — Miriam smiled affectionately and took his son by the hand and went forward. The two omegas turned around and quickly walked to the information booth that had just opened.

***

— What does it mean to leave in 5 hours?! Are you serious?! — Miriam slammed his fists on the wooden tabletop and leaning on it, hissed, — Why is there no place indicated?! — I'm sorry, of course, but why are you yelling at me? Do you think I'm making a schedule or am I making fun of you? — Omega of thirty years calmly raised an eyebrow, and after drinking coffee, continued, — It's not my fault that Grimville is in such a place that it's impossible to get to it without problems. And the local mayor doesn't even lift a finger to fix it! — And what the hell are we going to do these 5 hours?! — Miriam curled his lips in displeasure and folded his hands, began to think about the situation, after a couple of seconds, he did not calm down a bit, — I do not intend to tolerate this! Let's decide something! Malory looked away and took a few steps away from the information booth. Knowing his dad, he was sure that now Miriam would either get them a huge discount on tickets, or the bus would leave a few hours earlier. So he decided not to get into it, knowing in advance the probable outcome. The guy turned his gaze to the nearest parking lot, and began to run his gaze over the rare transport, plunging into his thoughts, which could not get away from one single topic. Their move. He was weird anyway. What for? Unclear. And Miriam's excuses created even more questions. How could a person like Lindgren be afraid of an elementary reduction because of his education? Miriam was a good worker, often stayed late to do everything in the best way. Malory saw it perfectly with his own eyes, so he didn't believe in the nonsense about his dad being scared at all. What other reasons his dad had for moving, Mel didn't understand. Until a thought suddenly struck him: «What if Miriam is planning to move because of me? Maybe he found a good doctor in this Grimville, but he only sees locals? That's why he decided to move to another city. And he doesn't tell me the reason, so as not to frighten me even more. This is more likely than the nonsense about the lack of friends...» The teenager's gaze caught on the motorcycle. The dark brown eyes widened in surprise. The motorcycle was unusual. On the hull, the moments of the knight's battle with the dragon were depicted in bright colors, behind the huge lizard there was a tower with someone inside. Malory was struck not by the drawing itself, although it was done very well, but by the fact that it was done manually. This was noticeable, since the paint was already noticeably smeared and cracked in some places. Privately, Lindgren even praised the author of such beauty. Inspecting someone else's transport, Malory was amazed for the second time. The motorcycle was assembled by hand! Some of its details differed in brand, size and color. It is clear as day that the bike was assembled and painted by hand, apparently by its owner. Mel couldn't help but admire and marvel at this man. If he decided to do it himself, then such a person deserves respect, at least for his skill. While the son was inspecting the parking lot, his dad was swearing and arguing with omega that he was responsible for the schedule. Gradually, the clarification of the relationship and the "who-is-to-blame-for-the-delay" flowed into a more peaceful conversation where Miriam found out about Grimville all the information known to his interlocutor about this city. The information itself was not much. All of it was relative about what was happening in the city itself. From their conversation, Malory only caught a glimpse of information that there are a lot of very rich people in the city and that the only school in the district is elite, but free. Omega in the information booth scolded the mayor, sponsors and the sheriff. Miriam relaxed, his shoulders slumped calmly. Omega smiled weakly and was about to thank his informant, but he was stopped by a voice that suddenly rang out: — Well, stop, you juvenile delinquent! Where are you going?! Wait, I'm telling you! Two people were rushing from the direction of the city center, one of them, a middle-aged policeman, was just shouting, trying to stop another guy, who looked a little older than Mel, who was rushing away from him with joyful laughter and a crazy smile in all 32 teeth. Jumping into the parking lot and waving his hand to someone unknown, he jumped on the motorcycle that Lindgren had been looking at before, and holding up the middle finger of his left hand, the guy exclaimed: — Fuck you, old devil! Fuck you, not a promotion! A moron like you shouldn't carry a gun with you, otherwise you'll shoot the fuck. Out of boredom! Hahaha. Having started the motorcycle, the guy sped off, taking a pistol out of his pocket and holding it up. Both Lindgren froze with an indescribable expression on their faces, being in complete shock. That's exactly what they didn't expect! At that time, the policeman finally reached the parking lot and stopped near the information booth, began to catch his breath. The man who had previously communicated with Miriam rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. Shifting his gaze to the policeman, he calmly asked: — Him again? — Yes… Again, this little bastard.! — said the alpha, catching his breath, — This little devil decided to give me a tiny bonus... — It's so fucking carefree to behave! You know very well that this child is a wonderful pickpocket! This is the third time he's stolen a service weapon! And please note, this is your second time! — omega spat on the ground and looked at the visitors frozen in shock — And these are highly respected citizens, a representative of the nobility of your Grimville. — Really? Miriam only managed to squeeze out of himself, trying to digest what he saw and heard. — Yes. Okay, let's get away from this. It doesn't concern you any more than it concerns me. — The informant rubbed the bridge of his nose and pointing his fingers somewhere in the side, continued - I want to please you a little. Now I will ask one of my friends to go earlier than in 5 hours. Go in that direction, there is a blue bead. He is just going towards your city. — Thank you! — Miriam smiled sincerely, and reached into his pocket for his wallet, — And how much do we charge? — Not at all. I won't have anything because of this, and you will save. But I want to warn you in advance! The bus doesn't go straight to Grimville! It stops somewhere 5 kilometers from the city limits, there is a stop there. So you'll have to walk, as there is no connection there. Miriam's smile became more strained, and Malory's eyebrow jumped in a questioning gesture, but he decided to hold his questions until the city. After thanking and saying goodbye to the informant, they went in the indicated direction. At this time, the policeman turned a questioning look at Omega: — Are they seriously going to move there? — Yeah, I was no less shocked myself. I even thought that I heard it in my sleep. I hope everything will be fine with them... — I hope so too…

***

The sun was sinking below the horizon, the sky seemed to consist of lava, and the clouds seemed to be made of fire. Malory turned his calm gaze from the horizon to his dad. Miriam commanded the movers, showing where to put the boxes. Standing on the street, the teenager looked at the house that his dad had bought. He was genuinely surprised that Miriam hadn't lied to him, and the house was actually cute, like something out of a TV show about the American Dream. A two-storey light blue building with a blue roof, with an adjacent garage and driveway, surrounded by a white wooden fence. At the back of the house there is a small free area with a huge tree, and access to a small walking park connected to the forest. Pretty nice house. Malory even had a question, for how much exactly was this house bought? Isn't everything too good in it? Miriam waved to his son, and with a smile made a gesture to come in, inviting them to their new home.

***

Malory was running around the house, happily flashing his eyes and smiling broadly. He did not stop talking and rushing around the house, he constantly heard from him: "It's so spacious here!", "There is always hot water here, you don't even have to wait!", "There are so many shelves for books! The previous tenants seemed to know!". Miriam leaned on the door frame and watched his son, smiling faintly from the corner of his lips. When Malory ran into the library for the fifth time, inspecting the bookshelves, Miriam chuckled, and clarified: — Do you like it? — Yes! — Have you already looked at the attic? — Miriam raised an eyebrow in a questioning gesture, — They told me that there were old books left there… After these words, the guy jumped up and rushed to the second floor to the attic, inspecting his new house. From the inside, the house also met expectations. On the ground floor there was a kitchen, a living room, a small library, a bathroom and doors to the garage. On the second floor, two rooms were distributed as bedrooms, one of them was combined with a bathroom, another room was completely empty, but with a huge window overlooking the neighboring house, two more were filled with all sorts of junk, as well as a hatch to the attic that was closed. The renovation was new, and was done in light colors. When the ladder to the attic straightened and crashed, when it fell, it raised a cloud of dust, which caused Lindgren to sneeze. Quickly wiping his watery eyes and grunting, he carefully began to climb the stairs. The attic was very dusty and cluttered. But surprisingly there were no cobwebs. But there were a lot of boxes of different sizes. Turning on the flashlight on his phone, Malory began to look around in search of those very books. Just in the farthest corner there were four boxes with the inscription "Books", noticing them, the teenager began to approach with a quick step. Squatting down next to him, he began to carefully inspect the boxes. Each of the three was big and heavy, but the fourth was definitely lighter. Malory picked up the box and shook it gently. He expected to hear the sound of something small rolling or books knocking against each other, but he could not think that someone's quiet screeching came from there. Malory jumped up in surprise, and almost let the box out of his hands, but coming to his senses in time, he hugged the box tighter. Taking a deep breath, Lindgren began to look around for something sharp. There was someone alive in the box, and he wanted to free him. The upper part of the box was tightly sealed with duct tape, and it was impossible to tear it by hand. Something glittered on the windowsill, noticing that omega got up and put the box down, ran to the window. The razor blade was lying in the sun, casting glare. Malory would have thought longer or would have looked for scissors or a stationery knife on the lower floors, but he did not know how long the prisoner of the box was immured. What if it's already been a week? Saving someone else's life was more important now! Taking the blade as carefully as possible, Mel sat down to the box and began to cut the tape layer by layer. But there were injuries. He cut the fingers of his right hand so badly that blood dripped. Pursing his lips tighter from the tension, Malory only shifted the blade to his other hand, and continued working. The last cut, and the whole attic was filled with the joyful barking of a small puppy. The guy jerked, and the black muzzle of a 2-month-old puppy, of an incomprehensible breed, came out of the box. The dog got out of the box rather clumsily and climbed onto his savior's lap, happily wagging his tail. Lindgren looked into the eyes of the little puppy in complete shock, and involuntarily smiled and stretched out his wounded right hand to him. The dog first sniffed, and then began to lick omega's fingers. After 20 minutes, Malory had played enough and cuddled with the dog, and now lifting him in his arms, he was coming down from the attic. Miriam, at that time, was dragging things from the living room to his new bedroom, noticed his son, and smiling, was about to ask a question about books, when he noticed his child's hands, or more precisely, what was sitting there. His eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed. After standing in complete silence for a couple of minutes, Miriam poked a finger at the dog, asked: — It's Fine, I found it in the attic. Malory said calmly, stroking the puppy's head. — Have you already given him a name?! Malory, how did he end up in our attic?! — Miriam folded his arms on his chest, and twisted his displeased face. He didn't like it very much. — I found it in a box. He was immured in it with almost no access to oxygen, and put in a far corner. Malory answered the second question. There was an obvious dislike in his voice for the person who had done it. — Oh... monsters, not people! — After the words of his son, Miriam's face became calmer, and he himself came to look at Fine, who was already asleep, — Mallie, don't do such a pug, I beg you. I didn't know! I thought you picked him up somewhere, and his owners are worried! Do you want to keep it? — Yes. — Good… It's even for the best. They say animals help to settle in a new place. — Miriam stroked the puppy's short fur, and looking at his son, asked, — Why Fine? — There are so many bad things in the world. Let at least the names of animals bring joy. Miriam laughed and kissed his son on the forehead. After a couple of minutes of conversation, he took him to show him the new bedroom. By the end of the day, Malory had already relaxed so much that he had already thrown thoughts about Dad's strange behavior and, in principle, any questions about the reason for their move somewhere in the back of his mind. But I haven't forgotten. And also did not forget that the city of Grimville is very strange. And we need to find something for him. At least a little…

***