POV Matthew

These people were strange. Many of them had same sleep problem as me. Some had good doctors, who prescribed them nice drugs. I even got few pills from them, as I was looking worst among them all. There were no other junkies like me there.

Few of them were looking, as they didn’t have sleep deprivation problems. They even looked healthier than average person. These people talked, as if there was permanent solution, but didn’t tell much more. This Diana girl acted as if she was queen here. Maybe that was her right due to creating this group. There was also this Vivaldi guy, who acted as he was trying to dethrone her.

After some time queen Diana called inner meeting of healthy looking people. All healthy except one girl, went there. They seemed to discuss and argue. And when it looked, as there would be some divide, it calmed down unnaturally. One guy went to the lonely, small two chair table and sat there. He didn’t seem angry or anything and kept just watching us. It seemed that rest of them come to the conclusion. They came to us, to the main table.

Queen Diana stepped further, rest were backing her.

-= Our solution is for this people, who have their stones on them. – She said. I felt air was leaving me. I couldn’t breathe. I heard term stone earlier, when people were talking, but I didn’t have one. I thought that it was some inner joke or medical term in our condition.

For a moment there was silence.

-= I don’t have one on me, - One guy said. – but I left him in Radom. I can be back with it in the morning, even in the middle of the night if necessary.

-= We will deal with you when you will be back with stone. Now leave.

He took his things and left just like that. I was trying to be invisible.

-= There is one more. – She continued this topic. – You should show yourself. – After another moment of silence. – We can also do this hard way, by showing our stones, but that would make me very angry.

I was without option.

-= Sorry. – I said. – I don’t know anything about stones, but why it is, that the one with stone can be cured and I’m not? That have no reason at all.

-= Just go back to your home. Search it. There should be one there. You will know, when you will find it. We can not help you now. Faster you leave, better for you.

-= As if it was so easy. – I riposted. – You act so high and mighty. Do you even know, how many troubles I had to start to come here? And these troubles are waiting for me home now.

There was something happening. People moved away from me. There was some sort of pressure on me. I felt that I may faint in a moment. Before my eyes Diana was changing. I knew that this was only dance of lights and my stress, but somehow I felt, that she was monster.

-= Leave. – She said, and I ran as if my life depended on it.

After few minutes of running in fresh and cold air I stopped myself. What I was doing? Why did I panic so hard? And why nobody was helping me or defending? I didn’t want to go home, rather I would try to stay in War-Saw.

Now that I could think clearly, I felt humiliated and angry. Some girl was messing with me and I ran like a chicken. I decided to go back and somehow get my revenge.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I couldn’t just go inside pub. Not after I ran so bluntly. I would stay near some trees and bushes and look through open beer garden outside. I felt it was childish, but there was this miniscule chance that I could spot something and use it against that wicked girl. I had nowhere to go anyway.

I went with my plan. There was no good place near pub to see what was going on. I did some rounds around it. I heard some voices and recognized voices of some people from our group. They were still inside. I was waiting at the bench, then trying to spy from outside, then camping by the entrance and so on. It was getting colder and colder.

Then, when I was back on bench someone was calling me from the bushes.

-= Matthew, Matthew.

I stood up and started to walk in that person direction.

-= Stop. I don’t want to be recognized. – He said. I stopped.

-= I can tell who you are. – I said.

-= No. You think, that you can tell and let’s leave it that way.

-= Did Diana send you?

-= No, but I don’t think, that she could have problem with our conversation.

-= Really? You think I would believe you?

-= You asked. If you were sure, that you wouldn’t believe me, than why even ask?

-= Stop that non-sense. Why are you even here?

Shadowed person stepped back into bushes. There was some jogger running nearby.

-= I’m here to help.

-= How can I believe you?

-= You’re drug addict, aren’t you?

-= I started to take drugs because of these sleep problems. I’m not drug addict. It’s my medicine. – I almost cried. – I wanted to get rid of it. I thought that you will help me. I wanted to have my life back.

Person was in silence. I was sure, that he was one of the healthy guys, maybe one of three half healthy.

-= I can help you with sleep deprivation, but I don’t know if there is a way to go back to your life from before.

-= You’re not toying with me?

-= I’m not. But there is a price.

-= Sorry, you won’t get any money from me.

-= No, not that prize. To get rid of sleep problem you need to be fated with your stone as Mirror poetically said.

-= That’s bullshit, cowshit and shit from your mouth. – He was toying with me obviously.

-= I’m afraid it’s not.

-= Stop that.

He was waiting in silence.

-= Tell me, what you want to tell me, - I said. – but without that bullshit stuff.

-= Please excuse me, but there will be some of this, as you called, bullshit stuff, but I will put the minimum of it. – I nodded my head for consent.

-= First, - He said. – I will buy you train ticked to your city, if you will give me your real name. – In Poland you have named train tickets. – I will send it on your email or you can get it on War-Saw Central train station with your id.

-= I don’t wanna go back.

-= I will leave you some cash here after. I even leave you some antidote against Diana’s markings. It’s up to you to take it. Then, you will go home, search for a stone. It’s stone with two symbols on it. It’s kind of demonic stuff as Diana said, but I need to tell you. Just wait a little and I will finish story, I know that you think it’s bullshit. Put few drops of your blood on the stone, but not on symbols. It’s very important. Then you will have sleep deprivation problems no more, but stone will talk to you in your dreams.

-= So strange. Why did you tell me this fairy tale?

-= Because I believe in it. Now give me your name.

I could give him false name, but I wanted to get money.

-= I’m Matthew Kxx from Kaxxxxxx city. My email is [email protected].

-= Ok, Matthew. I want something in return. When I will be in need of help, you must promise me that you will help me then.

-= Ok, but nothing shitty or criminal, just normal, human help.

-= Ha ha, funny. But let’s have it that way. If you take money, then it means that we have a deal. I put the money by the bush, just give me minute to leave and you can take it. When you take it, leave this park immediately as someone else can treat you a lot worse than me.

-= I’m not afraid of Diana.

-= Ha ha, she’s the strongest right now, so it’s only natural to be afraid.

-= What do you mean?

There was silence. I was waiting for an answer. Long moment later there was still silence. I moved slowly to the bushes. There was something. In the tightly packed plastic bag was cash and in small bottle was some milky to yellow liquid. I counted cash, it was 11xx. A lot of cash for no reason.

I would gladly stay longer in the park and watch Diana in search of weakness, but it was night already and I had lot of money on me. Maybe not so much, but for me, in my situation, it was a lot. I took the money and ran towards train station.