Voltage

Thirteen

pte

en yea

ter of a large company, the clinking of a broken bottle, the groan of a mechanism - any sign is quite enoug

rse, the dull sound of a ruler hitting the wall, the rattle of pedestals turned over during the inspection. So-so problems - those who did n

vade the rest of the troubles by getting away from the culprit and his problem in time, then this trouble itself chose its victim from among the frightened children huddled together in a common crowd.

looked like two knitting needles peeking out of the outlet. Nearby, on a stool, lay the yarn forgotten by the nanny, from which they fished out the pieces o

" the elder loomed over me, curling hi

is weak! s

did not interfere with a clear realization: being a victim of these four is extremely bad

ing a slap on the back of the head. Commercials a

t shying away from the outlets of the curious. The socket - it was "not to be approached", "not to be touched" - the same taboo, like a first-aid kit or handles on windows. So I hunched a little and sharply clamped the knit

it? The guy on the ri

echoed uncertainly, fli

elders with fear

ds the wall – not on purpose, just the guy was literally thrown away from me, thrown t

a picture of the future punishment. Then I took the knitting needles out of the socket and handed them to the nurse, with apologies. It seemed to me that it helped - the flow of screams immediately dried up, the woman herself backed away from me without getting up, then famously f

er, it turned out that the guys were good and not at all guilty at all, on the contrary, they were saving a foolish child who had stuck the knitting needles into the socket. That's when I burst into tears - because of resentment at such lies and injustice. At six years old, there are good and ba

me up, led me to the bed, gave me something

a first-grader, the first of September - the day on which all my peers went to first grade. But not me. It was as if I had become a reserved animal of this institution - they fed me, guarded me, and controlled my health. Among the shortcomings are daily running in the morning and evening, several painful injections, separate exercises during the day and bitter pills along with breakfast and dinner. Another would have been delighted, but I, with some animal instinct, inexplicable neither by experience - which had nowhere to come from, nor by anything else - there were no obvious facts that a six-year-old could understand - I felt unkind. Every day looked like a twin brother of the previous one, minor details changed - like the weather, food, flashing faces. And then the bell rang in the hands of a first-grader, the first of September - the day on which all my peers went to first grade. But not me. It was as if I had become a reserved animal of this institution - they fed me, guarded me, and controlled my health. Among the shortcomings are daily running in the morning and evening, several painful injections, separate exercises during the day and bitter pills along with breakfast and dinner. Another would have been delighted, but I, with some animal instinct, inexplicable neither by experience - which had nowhere to come from, nor by anything else - there were no obvious facts that a six-year-old could understand - I felt unkind. Every day looked like a twin brother of the previous one, minor details changed - like the weather, food, flashing faces. And then the bell rang in the hands of a first-grader, the first of September - the day on which all my peers went to first grade. But not m

of my peers - in a year of individual lessons, I solidly waved. The headmistress's welcoming speeches and a small concert performed by high school students fit in half an hour, after which the first-graders were given the right to be the first to enter the building - only this time for the first time they will go not to the left wing, to the living rooms, but to the right. At the entrance, the headmistress intercepted me, easily pulling me out of the gen

ple circles before my eyes and wildly rustled in my temples. With the last of my strength, I tried to push away my tormentors, putting all my rage, all my desire to live and all my fear into this attempt. The result came out completely wild - it flared up so that even through closed eyes and dense fabric there were circles before my eyes, it jerked sharply, removing all the burden from me, I breathed a scorched and immediately - the smell of a past thunderstorm. Silence reigned for a second, which was immediately replaced by children's yelling and crying. The footsteps of the nurse on duty pounded along the corridor, ceiling lamps flashed overhead, illuminating the place of the massacre, in the center of which was my rather shifted bed, on both sides of which the tears of wild resentment were smeared by the "advocates of justice". And not only from resentment - someone was thrown onto the frames of nearby beds, someone bruised his elbows in the fall and unsuccessfully hit his head. The nanny clucked, seating the children on the beds, brilliant green and cotton wool appeared from the first-aid kit, and I continued to squeeze in my hands a burned-out blanket with dark stains in several places, with which they almost strangle

zen ... and he didn't want to wash off in any way ... My stomach turned cold, I picked up my legs and wrapped myself deeper in a blanket and a blanket, trying to protect myself from the evil, heavy look given

ch fear for conversations, and instead of threats, heavy, resentful breathing and quick, slightly frightened looks were quite enough. I got up to straighten the tangled sheet and

and director walked in circles around my bed, examining the opal marks on the floor, studied strange patterns on the hands of other children and in a strict voice asked about what happened. Then followed a long journey through empty corridors, going up to the second floor, the light of a lantern, going to the

of fears and prohibitions. You can't move my bed to the older group - "He will kill everyone there!". I wonder who the scary "He" is? Cannot be placed in the library - "Vera Sergeevna will tell her husband!". In the corridor - "It's cold there." In the first-aid post - "You can not interrupt training!". Or even here, in the director's office

o vicious, he throws stones so that he flies evenly between the shoulder blades, neither to escape, nor to hide! They also say that he eats children. And cats. And dogs. This is the pe

the same as in the medical block. A two-liter jar of tea leaves, covered with a white lid, hovered on the table with smoke. There was an unfolded newspaper with photographs of unfamiliar, beautiful people. On the windowsill huddled forlornly a

ered, nodding toward the

ble by sitting on the very edge of the bed, and even wrapped myself in what I had brought with me. Nanny ju

out a discordant rhythm - firstly, it was scary, and secondly, the

all, with a terrible muzzle and a black cane in his hand, he bared his teeth in thirty-two

k his head reproachfully, reaching out

y head, I myself twitched, invol

man's han

ked at me suspiciousl

ou, for a while. the nanny stood up to meet him

e was not a hint of k

g an unkind look. "He can't stay in the ward - he'll cripple someone else or s

the watchman inter

over, you still do not sleep at night. Was i

sed her to him - not for long, they immediate

on soft mats. Will you come? she wriggled her bodi

uest," he chuckled contentedly, es

! purred from

of unoiled door hinges or the yell of a cat whose tail has been s

dy seated on the bed opposite, closer to the table. The cane lay c

ok my

he muttered, l

ea from the container into a miniature cup, as if

ow, I didn

next to him and look

piled on in a crowd," I said, looking greedil

threw three cubes of sugar into a cup, greatly

deceive. Yeah, I didn't really understand

ched one cube from my mu

to lose the sweetness. - It came out

gray, scorched eyes, clung

And the guys were thrown away. And black footprints on the floor. A

th his finger at a grey-black patch t

ulled him off me as soon as he

ed at the holes in the light, carefully sniffed at the cinders and even tried on his tongue. After th

nted to kill them? he said thoughtfully,

protested from the

froze, pourin

ntly. It was scary and I wanted to breathe. That'

red ..." already stating, he nodded to his t

rong

nty laps in the summer heat. And then ... then this bastard knocked over the conte

t need it," he hobbled to the door, gr