The Harlequin's Curse

      The main city hospital Royal Woods is a fascinating and enchanting place. Everything around shines from cleanliness, the tiles on the floor sparkle and blind with their shine, all the doors are like massive prison bars separating the corridor from the unknown – ideal order, to be brief. On a normal day, you wouldn't even notice this because of the crowds of doctors in snow-white coats, many patients, both afraid and not so afraid, as well as the eternal hustle and bustle. After all, in this building everything works like clockwork. But now Luan saw none of this – there was no one at all in the corridor, the lamps were treacherously burning suspiciously dimly, and she was already beginning to think that she had fallen into another mime trap. Stopping for a second, she looked around and looked behind her – there was no one there either. "Where did everyone go, what's going on?" – Luan asked herself, and, having received no answer, continued her slow way to the exit. A nearly invisible shadow followed her along the corridor, also sullenly. Only the shadow was suspiciously large for the patient's body...     It seemed like forever before Luan finally reached the exit of the huge hospital building. Or so it seemed to her. The van was still parked in the same place, and on the bench near the entrance sat Mr. and Mrs. Loud, who were talking about something so serious that they didn't even notice their daughter right away.     – Luan! You're already here! How did it go? – Rita exclaimed, noticing the approaching girl.     – Um… Overall, everything was… kind of good, – Luan answered, looking away, slightly thoughtful. – Let's go home. The worried parents nodded quickly and turned around, heading for the car. Their daughter followed them. Suddenly she stopped and looked back – she would be in this building more than once, and she should get used to it. But something was wrong. And this slightly worried Luan, the realization made her heart beat faster and her temples began to throb. Not wanting to stay here any longer than she had to, she walked to the van, quickly jumped inside, and the three of them hurried home.

***

    The road turned out to be too fast for the girl who was coming to her senses. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice at all how the car was already standing in front of the garage of the house, and Mr. and Mrs. Loud even managed to jump out and approach the porch. Luan, waking up from her daydreams, raised her head and looked at her father – Lynn Sr. looked questioningly at his daughter and pointed to the door behind him. In response, the thoughtful girl only waved her hand and nodded. "Go ahead, I'll sit for a little while longer", – read in her eyes, and her parents hurried inside the house. Now she was alone, in complete silence and in complete confusion – what was happening, what to do next and what would happen now. It seemed that there was no trace left of the former confidence and enthusiasm after therapy.     – Maybe... I should tell Lincoln about everything, – Luan whispered quietly and looked down again. It seemed like nothing had changed, on the contrary – everything should be better, but looking at the bandaged hands became somehow harder. It seemed as if they were about to tear off all these rags and start mutilating the poor body again. And the worst thing... that Luan's eyes really did light up with a caustic flame and determination for a moment.     – It's worth it. You should pour out your heart to him properly. Be closer to your little brother, – the echo of a familiar voice was heard, sounding from all sides at once and passing through every centimeter of skin like a cold wave. Hands began to inexorably clench into fists, the head began to slowly rise, and the lips merged into a single thin line. Eyes filled with anger and a flame flared up in them again, which lasted a little longer than usual. Fear? Spite? No, it was another portion of awareness. The awareness that this voice was right again. Shaking her head quickly and only slightly understanding what had just happened, Luan hurried out of the van and headed for the house. "I… I'll think about it later… I can't now", – she reassured herself, climbing up the porch and approaching the door. A few moments later, the poor thing finally crossed the threshold and found herself inside, where it was suspiciously quiet. No one at all in the living room? And even the soft sofa was empty? "This… is impossible", – was the only thing Luan could think at that moment – the sofa was only free at night, and even then Lucy sometimes came there to read her creepy books. The rest of the time, it seemed like all the family members were on duty there in turn – from 7 AM to 10 PM, there was not a second when this cozy place was empty. And now…     – Luan? Oh, you're back! – a joyful voice was heard from the kitchen, which made the girl scream and jump on the spot, turning around sharply. Snowy hair, an orange shirt and a mug of coffee in hands – Luan very quickly found the one she was looking for. Or rather, he found her himself.     – Lincoln! You s-scared me, – the frightened girl said, clutching her heart. – Yes, I just came in.     – Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't think, – the albino quickly apologized to her. – How did the session go? Is everything okay? Let's go on the sofa, and you can tell me then. Well, the sofa will be occupied again. But it doesn't matter now – Luan was stupefied again. How can she answer these questions if she herself doesn't fully understand how everything happened? "What should I tell him?" – she cried out to herself, seeking help from anyone, even the evil mime. The latter didn't take long to come. "Seek his help, he's your salvation", – flashed somewhere deep inside, and that was the only thing that could be answered. The poor thing slowly approached the sofa and carefully sat down on it, looking down.     – It was… kind of bad, – Luan managed to say before a sharp pain hit her temples, as if several bullets had flown in from each side. "It wasn't just bad, it was TERRIBLE!" – the devilish voice was heard by every cell of her body. The girl's tears came from the incessant pain, which only gave her words sincerity. Lincoln saw her wet eyes, quickly put the mug on the table and immediately ran up to her, not even suspecting that these tears were not at all because of the sorrowful therapy.     – Luan, what happened? – the albino began to calm his sister. – Why was it bad? What happened?     – I… no… not that bad…, – Luan began, but a new sharp pain hit her head along with another terrible scream:

"NO, IT'S THAT BAD!"

The nut-brown locks almost completely covered her tear-stained eyes, and their owner could no longer hold back her sobs and sighs. Thin streams flowed down her cheeks, leaving barely visible marks on them.     – I… I… I don't…, – Luan sobbed, searching for words, before she heard the voice from inside her again: "Stop sugarcoating what's slowly killing you".     – What are you talking about? – Lincoln asked, sitting down on the couch and completely not understanding what had happened at the session and what was happening now.     – ... It was very bad. And very tough, – the girl finally blurted out quietly, sniffling again and surprising her brother with her words.     – What? Why? What was wrong? – Lincoln immediately began to question her, lending his outstretched arms to her. Now Luan had to sort out her thoughts – why was everything so bad? Coming up with something was not an option at all, what to answer these questions? And now, when she needed it most, she just couldn't wait for help from the brain demon.     – I... I'm... I'm scared, – Luan whined, choking on tears, leaning forward towards her brother's body and trying to forget for at least a second about the pain that was gradually fading.     – Why are you scared, sunshine? – her brother calmed her down in a soothing voice, gently stroking her head. His sister was already completely in his arms and only buried her nose in his chest.     – It's just… it's just that I… I don't know what's going to happen next, – the girl answered abruptly, wiping tears off her face. – What if… this is all in vain? If they don't help me? What if I…, – Luann finished, burying her face in her orange T-shirt again, sobbing loudly.     – Hush-hush, everything will be fine, sis, – Lincoln hastened to convince her, – all this is not in vain. You will definitely get help, and nothing will happen to you. Everything will be fine. The albino's outerwear began to get wet from tears, the flow of which slowly but surely diminished.     – That guy, uh... Benny, right? – Lincoln asked, to which he received a curt nod. – He seemed smart to me. I believe he means you no harm, you can trust him. Luan's already blurry vision became cloudy, and muffled voices appeared in her head again. "Oh, that Benny again, how much more can this go on?" – the loudest and most distinct of them grumbled. The girl's body cramped for a couple of seconds, and her heart skipped a few beats. "Do you really want this? Are you seriously going to choose this smug-looking brown-haired boy? Aren't you tired of deceiving yourself?" – a whole hurricane of questions and exclamations swirled in the subcortex of her consciousness.     – I k-know, j-just… j-just it's really s-scared, – Luan whispered quietly, trying her best not to look up – there she was even more afraid of seeing her brother's bottomless eyes. Suddenly Lincoln carefully lowered his chin to the crown of her hazel hair and began to run his fingers through it like a comb, gently catching every centimeter. The brunette's breath caught in surprise, and her face flushed crimson.     – Don't be afraid of anything, I'll always be by your side, – the guy answered soothingly, continuing his touching game. – You can come to me day and night, tell me whatever you want and ask anything, and I'll always listen to you and support you. After these words, he kissed his sister on the top of her head and continued his simple business. Luan's blush became redder and redder, but now she had no time for it. These words, these gentle touches, a kiss on the top of her head and combing her hair – for this she was ready to die then and there, and she didn't need anything more. Her hands themselves dragged behind Lincoln's back and embraced him, strengthening the already strong hug. The lucky girl laid her head on her brother's strong shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment in pleasure. This is exactly what she wanted, this is exactly what she needed. Slowly and slightly lifting her eyelids, Luan noticed a dark figure at the very top of the stairs, watching them. Not a second had passed before the unknown shadow slipped away, and a short rustle was heard from above, but then everything went quiet. Notes of growing anger and even greater pleasure simultaneously played inside her. Lincoln didn't hear anything suspicious, or he simply stopped paying attention to all the detailed rustling and grinding in this truly loud house. Having carefully disentangled himself and moved a short distance away, he examined the girl's face and looked into her eyes.     – Well, are you feeling better? – the albino asked briefly and affably.     – Yes... yes, a lot better, – Luan answered, still shy and trying not to show any of her real emotions.     – That's good, I'm very glad to hear it, – Lincoln exhaled, getting up from the couch. – Sorry, but I have to go. I promised to help the sisters a little. But don't forget – I'm always at your disposal. The girl nodded quickly, and the guy, smiling at her, returned to the kitchen for a mug of slightly cooled coffee and headed up to the second floor. Emboldened by what had happened, Luan called out to him:     – Lincoln, wait. The orange shirt stopped right in the middle of the stairs, its owner looked questioningly towards the sofa.     – I love you, lil bro. Thank you so much... for everything. The albino broke into a wide smile and his eyes sparkled, he almost forgot about the mug in his hands. Luan blushed even more than before, and her former confidence began to recede.     – I love you too, sis. Remember – I'm always with you. Winking at her, Lincoln quickly found himself at the very top and disappeared from view. The "lucky girl" pulled her legs up to her, rested her forehead on knees and wondered if she was really that happy or, on the contrary, unhappy.     – What next? – she whispered under her breath, pondering the events of the last few minutes. There were more and more ideas and thoughts, but nothing came together, nothing whole or sensible came out. Only fragments of some incomprehensible chains and scraps of unclear thoughts.     – Okay, okay... that's not the main thing... there's something more important right now..., – Luan said quietly, slowly looking up. For a second, her body trembled, her head turned to the stairs on its own, and her eyes began to flare up with a flame. A bright flame of dominion.     – Now the scoreboard shows a draw. 1:1.

***

    A lonely and dim light burned in a dark room on the second floor. The gloom and apathy of its owner only intensified the deadly silence around. Luna was sitting on the floor, leaning her back on the table leg, and holding a small wooden match in her hand, which was already half burnt out, blackening coals were falling in small particles to the floor. The flame went lower and lower, starting to burn the fingers of the girl-rocker. But she sat motionless, closely watching the light and wandering in the depths of her mind. The match was almost burnt out, but nothing had changed – Luna also stared at it without looking away and simply waited. A tiny fire had already jumped from the wooden base onto her fingers, reddened and roughened by the guitar strings, which began to tremble and squeeze even harder. Tears appeared in the eyes of the musician, and her whole body began to shake. The scorching flame approached the end of the match, and the girl only watched as it left bright and painful burns on her skin, passing over every millimeter of the fingers holding the small piece of wood.     – Why? – she asked into the void, as if searching for an answer within herself. The match had completely burned out in the meantime, and the flame quickly and abruptly disappeared, leaving everything around in pitch darkness. The maroon fingers from the burns continued to shake, and tears began to flow down the cheeks and drip onto the floor.     – What's wrong with me? – Luna continued to whisper, looking at her burnt hand and the smoldering embers left on the floor. "You're doing nothing, but she's already realized it and even took a step forward", – a voice flashed through her head, which she wanted to brush off, but with which the guitarist couldn't help but agree.     – So what now? Should I jump forward? So that everyone understands, huh? – she tried to object, but even to herself it sounded unconvincing. "Just start moving towards that goal, now it's your turn", – was the only thing that managed to sound in Luna's head before there was a soft knock on the door.     – Luna? Can I come in? – a man's voice sounded, and it wasn't at all difficult to guess whose. The girl quickly put away the burnt match and quickly cleared her throat, after which she answered:     – Sure, Lincoln, just slip in. The guy carefully opened the door and quickly walked inside, holding a mug of coffee he had brought from the kitchen. He looked a little sleepy – the first night in the new room was kind of unusual. And then the guitarist's eyes sparkled with little sparks.     – Link, you don't have to ask before you come in. This is your room now, too, – Luna drawled, sitting down on a chair facing its back. The albino hesitated a little with his answer.     – Come on, it's not hard for me, – Lincoln began to justify himself, looking away. – Especially since what if you were changing clothes, or were naked, or something like that…     – So what? – Luna asked with a smile, licking her lips and looking at her brother, who in turn was completely confused.     – What do you mean 'so what'? – he decided to clarify, his face turning slightly red.     – Lincoln, we all were kids. Yeah, I'm a few years older than you, but we've both seen each other naked, haven't we? – the rocker purred lazily, looking at Lincoln through half-closed eyelids. – So if one of us sees the other naked, it's not that big deal. At this point, the albino turned completely red, but thanks to the fact that he hadn't managed to turn on the light in the room right after entering, it was almost invisible. He lowered his head just in case and shifted from one foot to the other, which showed his embarrassment even more.     – I don't even know... Are you s-sure?     – Of course, Link. We live together, you don't have to ask permission every time to go into your own room, – Luna answered, lazily running her fingers through her chestnut hair. – And don't worry about me – I don't mind and I'm not embarrassed.     – Well, okey... But if anything, then tell me, – Lincoln mumbled, blushing, and, having received a barely visible nod from his sister, slowly walked closer to his table to put the mug on it, which had almost fallen over several times. – Why did I come here... You said that you needed help with the guitar. Shall we sort it out now? Or later...? Luna also got a chance to catch her breath after such revelations, and of course she took advantage of it.     – Listen, I'm busy with other things for now... Let's do it after lunch, okay?     – Yes, s-sure, – Lincoln replied, coming to his senses. – Then… I'll meet you later, – he continued, approaching the door. The rocker nodded just as quickly, and the albino hurried out, casting a quick and embarrassed glance at his sister before leaving. As soon as the door closed, the girl exhaled loudly and grabbed her heart, her face immediately turned red, and her hands began to tremble. Her vision became cloudy, everything around swam before her eyes, and her breathing became abrupt. There was only one thought in her head: "A wonderful start, little star. But there is something else. Something more personal…". Luna sat on the chair for about a minute, coming to her senses and calming her frantic heartbeat. Finally, clenching her fists and breathing angrily into the void, she stood up and headed straight to her small bedside table. Opening it and rummaging around a bit, she found exactly what she had opened the locker for – that very photograph opposite the school. The photograph where everyone was happy. The photograph where everyone was smiling. "Eyes alone are not enough. What are you waiting for?" – the thought swirled in her head. Looking at the cheerful faces, Luna could no longer pretend that everything was fine. With slow and trembling hands, she began to tear off a small piece of the photo. The rustling of the card was almost inaudible, but in the broken heart of the poor guitarist, this rustling sounded like a clap of thunder, like a shot at point-blank range. "Clever girl", – the last word that swirled in her head before the photo was finally torn into two parts and dropped on the floor.     And it's as if nothing has changed. It's just a photo, right? Only now it's neatly divided in two – Lincoln and Luna are hugging in the larger piece. And Luan is left on the torn-off scrap. The black marker doesn't fade, so her eyes will forever be crossed out with thin and uneven strokes.