Father glanced at his watch again, tapping lightly on the glass, as if checking to see if the time was going according to his plan.
- We're leaving," he announced, grabbing the keys from the table.
I sighed theatrically, rolling my eyes.
- Seriously? A children's story again? After all, I will fall asleep there," I burbled, slipping my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt.
Lina, as usual, stood leaning against the door frame, with her legs carelessly crossed.
- Well, sure, because they have nothing better in the repertoire. "Adventures of the Hamster Wizard," she chuckled with a wince, rolling her eyes.
I measured her with a warning glance. Lina knew when she was overreacting, but it never stopped her.
- Lina, stop," I whispered through clenched teeth.
- What did you say? - My father looked at me over his shoulder.
- Nothing, nothing... - I muttered quickly, pretending to rummage through my purse.
My father did not react. He and Marcel simply left the apartment, and I, with my purse slung over my shoulder, followed them. His SUV was waiting in the parking lot. My half-brother, slumped in the back seat, playing with a dinosaur.
- Dino will be at the cinema! - he exclaimed, waving the toy in my direction.
- Sure... Dino and the magic hamster," I muttered under my breath, barely stopping myself from rolling my eyes.
The father began buckling Marcel into the car seat. He was incredibly meticulous about it: the straps had to lie perfectly, and the toy had to be put away so that Marcel could reach for it, but not unbuckle himself in the process.
- Are you ready, Marcel? - He asked, and the boy nodded with a broad smile.
I slid into the seat next to my father, already feeling the irritation growing in me like a storm. Lina "appeared" right next to Marcel, sitting down comfortably as always.
- Do we really have to do this? - I muttered, staring at the glass.
- Stop complaining. Marcel wanted to go to this movie, and by the way we can do something together," replied his father, as if he was talking about some boring homework.
- How about someday taking me to see something I want to see, not "by the way"? - I chuckled bitingly, but quietly enough for him not to hear.
Lina folded her arms over her chest and looked at me with a smile.
- "By the way" is his favorite word. Why don't we print it on his business card? - she whispered, and her voice echoed in my head.
- Lina, I beg... - I sighed, trying to ignore her.
Father started the car, and the engine purred quietly. We set off toward the movie theater, while Marcel continued to wind up about his favorite dinosaurs. I stuck my eyes to the ceiling of the car, trying not to listen to him, or my father, or even Lina, who was particularly irritating that day.
The brat, began joyfully kicking at the back of my seat. At first they were light, random strokes, but they soon turned into a rhythmic stomping that filled the interior of the car.
- Stop it, Marcel," I said, turning my head toward him.
The boy looked at me with an innocent smile, and then kicked harder, aiming exactly at the spot behind my back.
- Marcel, seriously, stop it! - I repeated, trying to speak calmly, but the irritation in my voice was already palpable.
- Dino is dancing! - he called out, as if he didn't hear me at all, then began to dig even more intensely.
I clenched my fists, feeling my blood begin to boil inside me. Lina, "sitting" next to me, laughed quietly.
- This child is a little terrorist. You have two options: either you win, or he wins," she chuckled with amusement.
- Shut up, Lina! - I hissed, trying not to lose my temper. The kicks, however, did not stop.
Another, stronger blow moved the chair forward. This was the drop that poured the blackness.
- Dung, stop it at last! Don't kick the chair, because you're driving me crazy! - I exploded, turning violently and looking at him with fire in my eyes.
Marcel froze for a moment, and then his lips began to tremble, as if he was about to burst out crying.
- Maya! - father's voice sounded sharply, and his gaze was reflected in the rearview mirror. - What the hell is this? Why are you yelling at your brother?
- Because he kicks me! - I replied, pointing my finger at Marcel, who was now looking at me with big, moist eyes.
- It's a child! He has the right to play! - said his father, throwing me one of his "authoritative" looks. - Marcelek is being brought up in a stress-free way, and you, as an older sister, should understand this and show patience.
- Without any stress? - I howled, feeling my rage rising. - That doesn't mean he can beat me with his feet!
Father sighed heavily, as if he had to stop himself from exploding.
- Maja, stop being dramatic. If you can't get along with a five-year-old, it shows your immaturity, not his behavior.
- Sure, it's all my fault," I muttered, turning around in my seat. I tightened my hands on the strap of my purse, trying to control myself.
Lina leaned toward me with an ironic smile.
- Stressless Marcel just won this round. Congratulations.
I closed my eyes, trying to switch off. I didn't want to listen to Lina, or my father, or even Marcel, who was now triumphantly holding his dinosaur as if he had just won the war.
We arrived at the parking lot in front of the cinema. Father had barely turned off the engine, and Marcelek was already opening the car door, ready to run ahead.
- Marcel, wait! - called out his father, but the man, as always, dashed toward the entrance, running around like a twisted little bugger.
I got off slowly, looked around and immediately noticed a group of kids from school. They were standing by the vending machine with popcorn, laughing and watching something on their phones. I felt my stomach tighten.
- God, what a shame... He's making such a fuss about me," I whispered to Lina, who was "walking" beside me, as always with a nonchalant smile.
- I guess you have to get used to it," she replied with feigned concern. - A small one is like a schoolbag full of textbooks: it's hard to bear, but there's no option to get rid of it.
I rolled my eyes and sped up my step, pretending not to notice the kids at all. Unfortunately, Zuza, one of the girls in the class, noticed me and waved.
- Oh, Maja! - she called out.
I pretended not to hear it, and turned my head away. Lina snorted quietly.
- Well, well, popularity is growing," she threw in with a wince.
Finally, we went inside. Father walked up to the cash register, and Marcelek almost climbed up on the counter, showing a promotional poster.
- I want this set with a toy! - he shouted, pointing to a picture of a big bucket of popcorn with a figurine.
- Okay, Marcellus, we'll buy soon," said my father, and I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. His patience was so exaggerated that it seemed ridiculous to me. - Maja, do you want one too?
- I don't want to, I'm not five years old anymore," I replied quickly, trying to cut off the topic.
- Take it, it will be more fun for you," he stated, not even waiting for my answer. Buying two sets, he handed them to us as if he was giving away prizes. Marcelek jumped up with joy, clutching two toys in each hand.
- Is it so he can have two? - I asked, looking at my father reproachfully.
- Don't frown, it's just a toy.
We entered the cinema hall. Marcelek, excited as usual, ran between the rows before his father caught him and put him in his seat.
- Sit down, Marcelek, the movie is about to start.
I sat down next to my father, with the set on my lap. Lina, as always, "sat" next to me.
- What a fascinating evening," she chuckled mockingly, staring at the screen on which the commercials were displayed. - Admit it, you've been dreaming about this.
I sighed, staring at the screen where more colorful trailers were appearing. The movie hadn't even started yet, and I was already sick of everything.
During the commercials, Marcelek literally went wild. He shouted all the names of the toys from the screen and waved his hands as if he was in his own world full of colorful lights and sounds.
- I want it! And this! Dad, will you buy it for me? - he exclaimed, pointing at the screen every now and then.
I felt myself sinking into myself. I curled up in my chair, hiding my face in my hands, and I could almost feel the stares of the school children, who must have been looking at me with either pity or amusement.
Father, of course, remained calm, as if the whole show was the most normal thing in the world.
- Son, calm down, the movie is about to start," he said in a tone that, in his mind, was meant to be firm, but to me sounded like a completely helpless attempt to control the situation.
The commercials dragged on and on, and Marcelek wouldn't let up. He screamed, squirming in his seat, and his father pretended not to see it. I wanted to collapse to the ground. Seriously. At one point I couldn't stand it and hissed to Lina:
- Could you tell him something? He makes me feel so ashamed.
Lina shrugged her shoulders, looking at the ceiling as if nothing was happening. Then she finally sighed.
- I'd rather deal with something more interesting than your little brother. Maybe it's not your brother at all? - Lina replied with a mocking smile, adopting the face of a detective. - Tell everyone he's an adopted brat.
I rolled my eyes, not even having the strength to respond. Instead, I tried to avoid the gaze of other people in the room.
Finally, the lights dimmed and the first scenes of the movie appeared on the screen. To my surprise, Marcelek calmed down for a moment, busying himself with his toys. I felt my father's gaze on me and reflexively straightened up in my chair, pretending to be interested in the movie. Of course, he was looking at me from the corner of his eye, as if I were in some kind of test for the perfect daughter.
I stared at the screen, sometimes even nodding slightly, as if the plot was incredibly engaging. In reality, every word of the characters passed by me.
Lina sat next to her and whispered quietly.
- That's a real test of patience, eh?
I threw her a quick glance and sighed heavily. I didn't respond. Instead, I continued to pretend that everything was fine, although inside I felt like running away from there as soon as possible.
My father continued to look at me, as if he was waiting for me to say something nice about the movie or at least pretend that I was having a great time. Meanwhile, Marcelek started whispering something to his father again, demanding popcorn.
I focused my eyes on the screen, even though the movie was trite and the dialogues so childish that I could barely stand them. I tried to stay in place and ignore everything that irritated me, but I could feel the tension building up inside me.
Everything was fine until Lina poked me. I looked at her in annoyance, but when I saw her face, something in me froze. Lina leaned toward me, with a serious expression on her face. She was strangely focused, and her eyes.... She was looking at something with such an intense, strange expression that it sent shivers through me.
- He is here," she whispered.
I looked at her surprised.
- What. Who? - I asked just as quietly, not wanting to attract my father's attention.
Lina did not answer immediately, but nodded toward the darkest corner of the cinema hall, where the light of the screen barely reached. She pointed her finger to a spot that almost merged with the blackness of the background.
- There. See.
I didn't want to look, but my eyes escaped on their own in that direction. At first it seemed that there was nothing there. I squinted, trying to see anything. There was indeed a deep darkness in that place, as if the light had bypassed that part of the room. I thought I noticed some movement, a gentle stirring that lasted only a second and then disappeared.
- Lina, don't joke around. - I tried to speak calmly, but my voice trembled slightly.
- I'm not joking. - Lina said with full conviction. - I have seen him. He is here.
I looked away, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down my back. I wasn't sure if Lina was mocking me, but there was something strange about it. The air in the room seemed heavier, and the shadows in the corner seemed deeper, as if something was actually hiding there.
- Maybe it's just an ordinary shadow? - I chuckled quietly, more to myself than to her.
- No. He is watching us," she replied almost silently.
I swallowed my saliva and looked at the screen, but I couldn't focus on the movie anymore. Something inside told me that Lina might be right. There was more than just a lack of light in that shadow.
I poked my gaze into the screen, feigning interest, but my heart was pounding like crazy. Lina's words rumbled in my head: "He's here."
Lina sat motionless, with a strange expression on her face that made me shudder. Her eyes seemed to be tracking something I couldn't see.
- Lina, what else did you see? - I whispered, barely moving my lips, as if I was afraid that anything louder might draw the attention of that something.
Lina did not take her eyes off the shadow. Her voice, when she answered, was icy, quite different from her usual playful tone.
- He is waiting.
I swallowed my saliva, trying to calm my trembling hands. The illumination of the cinema hall diffused the darkness, but there, in the corner, the blackness was thick, almost material, as if something was hiding just out of sight.
Suddenly I felt a chill on the back of my neck, as if invisible fingers had brushed my skin. I glanced at my father, who was focusedly watching the movie, and at Marcel, who was playing with his plastic dinosaur with fascination. No one but me and Lina were apparently concerned.
- Lina, stop," I whispered pleadingly. - It's probably just ... just the most ordinary shadow. There's nothing there.
But Lina slowly turned her head toward me. Something strange shone in her eyes, something I had never seen in her before. Something that made me stop breathing for a moment.
- That's him. And he knows we can see him.
I wanted to answer, but something in my throat blocked the sound. I felt every drop of blood in my veins freeze, and at the same time my heart was beating like crazy. The air in the room became strange, as if there was a sudden lack of oxygen.
In the corner something moved. Maybe it was just a shadow from the screen, but I swear I saw the darkness thicken there.
I froze. I was unable to take my eyes off the place. The shadow seemed to pulsate, to change shape. Maybe it was just the effect of flashing lights from the screen, but.... no, it was something more. Something I couldn't describe.
- Lina... - I whispered, but she continued to stare at that point as if nothing else mattered.
- Don't look away," she said quietly. Her voice was like the rustling of leaves, like an echo that shouldn't be here at all. - If you do, he will think you are afraid.
My heart was pounding like crazy. I couldn't catch my breath, and all I could hear in my ears was my own pulse.
- Lina, stop it. This is some kind of joke, isn't it? - I tried to smile, but even I felt how artificial it sounded.
- This is not a joke. - Her tone was serious, too serious for mere fun.
I finally turned my head, though everything in me was screaming not to do so. I looked at the screen, trying to focus on the movie, but I saw nothing but flashing lights. Suddenly I felt something.... strange.
- He knows you are trying to ignore him," Lina whispered.
- Lina, stop it! - I hissed, a little too loudly.
My father looked at me with disapproval.
- Maja, calm down, please. - His voice was as cool as ever, as if he was talking to a stranger and not his own daughter.
Marcel sat quietly, too absorbed in the movie to notice anything else. Only Lina and I knew something was wrong.
- He is approaching," she said suddenly, and I felt an icy shiver run down my spine.
I couldn't stand it. I glanced toward the corner. The darkness was deeper, almost palpable. And then I saw it. Two pale, kind of glowing eyes that flashed in the darkness for a split second. I drew in air violently, and Lina tightened her hand on my wrist.
- Don't move. Don't breathe.
I wanted to ask what we should do, but I couldn't move, couldn't get a word out. The shadow seemed to move, slowly, almost lazily, like a predator lurking for its prey.
- Lina... - I whispered finally, struggling to form words.
- Quiet. - Her whisper was like a command.
Someone got up from his seat, heading for the exit. And then suddenly the darkness disappeared. As if nothing had happened, as if everything was only in my head. But I knew it was real. And I knew he would be back.
I sat still for the rest of the movie, though I had no idea what it was about. The images on the screen blurred in my mind, as if I were looking through a fog. Lina sat next to me, calm, as if what had just happened was something completely normal.
The father didn't even turn around. Marcel, engrossed in the screen, leaned forward, waving his little hands as if he wanted to touch the fairy tale characters. I, however, felt something else on me - a gaze that I could not ignore.
When the movie finally ended, people started to leave the hall, but I stayed seated. I couldn't get up, my legs were like cotton wool. My father turned around and looked at me in exasperation.
- Daughter, move on. We don't have all day.
I rose slowly, feeling Lina put her hand on my shoulder. I looked at her, searching for an answer, but her face was impenetrable.
We left the hall, and all the time I felt as if something was following us. I looked surreptitiously behind me, but the hallway was empty.
- Hey, how about you? - Lina asked when her father and Marcel were out front picking out snacks.
- What was that? - I asked in a whisper, my heart still pounding in my chest.
- I don't know what to call it," she replied quietly. - But he is here. I know, he can feel it.
- Who?
Lina looked at me, and her eyes seemed deeper, as if they hid some secret.
- Shadow.
I didn't have the strength to answer. The word "shadow" sounded so innocent, so ordinary, but when Lina said it, I felt a cold that penetrated me to the bone.
My father called out to me in exasperation:
- Maja, stop pining and come on!
I ran up to them, trying to pretend normalcy. Marcel was jumping around us, brandishing the new toy he got with the set. My father, as usual, looked at me with an expression on his face saying "why can't you be like him?".
When we went out to the parking lot, I still felt that something was watching us. It wasn't a mere sensation, it was a weight, as if the shadow that Lina spoke of was right next to us.
We got into the car, and Marcel immediately started playing with his toy. The rope disappeared, as if it had evaporated, but I knew it would return, as it always did. I looked out the window, searching in the darkness for something anything that could explain the strange feeling.
As my father started the engine and we took off, I felt something watching me. The shadow may have disappeared from the movie theater, but I knew it wasn't gone forever. He was waiting. For me.
The engine purred quietly as the father stopped at a traffic light. The night was thick and sticky, and the streets seemed too quiet, as if the world had stopped breathing. There was a strange atmosphere in the car, as if every millimeter of space was filled with tension. Marcel, of course, could not sit still.
- Stop digging into my chair, Marcel! - I growled, turning violently backwards.
But what I saw made my heart stop. The place where Marcel should be sitting was empty. And yet... not quite.
There was a shadow there.
Not Marcel. Not a small child with a toy in his hand. Just a dark, disturbing silhouette that seemed to pulsate like a living, black fog. Where the eyes should have been, there were two shining dots, like the cold sparks of an extinguishing campfire.
I didn't have time to think. A scream ripped from my throat, loud and full of terror.
- Maja! What the hell are you doing! - The father turned abruptly, and the car jerked slightly as his foot almost touched the brake.
I glanced back at the back seat. Marcel was sitting there, of course he was sitting there. He was looking at me with big, terrified eyes, and his little toy was lying forgotten in his lap.
The brat cried immediately as soon as my shout broke the silence in the car. He first moaned quietly and then burst into a full-blown, childlike cry that echoed off the windows.
- Well beautiful! - Father looked at me with a face twisted with anger. - What are you making up again? You scared him to death!
- But... I... - I tried to say something, but my throat seemed to tighten. I couldn't describe what I saw. Marcel, or whatever it was that was in his place, still flashed before my eyes.
- No "buts!" - interrupted my father, slapping his hand on the steering wheel. - You have to stop acting like a spoiled kid! I don't have the strength to do that.
Marcel burst into tears, rubbing his small hands over his weeping cheeks.
- I just ... - I started, but my father ignored me.
- We're going home! - he announced with such firmness that I didn't dare speak up. - What is the matter with you? - asked my father, more annoyed than concerned.
- N-nothing... - I howled, trying to calm my breathing. - I just... I was scared of something.
Father furrowed his brow, but returned his gaze to the road when the light turned green. We set off, and I tried to calm my beating heart.
But what I saw... It wasn't an image. It wasn't a shadow play. It was something there, I saw it clearly.
Lina appeared on the couch, as if she had sprung out of thin air. She leaned toward me, her gaze cool and serious.
- You can see. He is watching us. Always.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I clenched my hands in my lap, trying to stop the trembling. As the car flashed through the night, I felt that I had left something behind in that shadow. Or maybe that something was still there, just waiting for the right moment.
The car turned around at the nearest traffic circle. The way back was tense, as if the air in the car had thickened. Marcel sobbed quietly, his father growled something under his breath about ingratitude, and I sat in silence, curled up in the seat. Lina was also silent, and her presence was almost imperceptible.
When we stopped in front of the block, my father only gave me a brief glance.
- Get out.
Without a word, I opened the door and stepped out of the car, feeling his angry gaze on me. Marcel was still crying, and his father was trying to calm him down.
- And think before you put something down again! - he added in farewell.
My father didn't even wait for me to reach the door. As soon as I closed the car door behind me, he pressed the gas and drove away, as if he was driving away someone who no longer mattered. I felt like a passenger in a cab he didn't want to see in his car anytime soon.
I stood on the sidewalk for a while, looking at the disappearing lights of the car, while images of the shadow from the back seat still loomed in my mind.
I walked slowly to the apartment, with images from the car still swirling in my head. That shadow I saw in Marcel's place.... Was it really real? Lina was silent, as if she too was trying to digest what had happened.
When I opened the door to the apartment, my mother leaned out of the kitchen, holding a mug of steaming tea in her hands.
- How was it? - She asked with a smile, as if she really wanted to know.
I didn't know what to answer. Was I supposed to tell her the truth? About how Marcel kept kicking me, how my father treated me like unwanted baggage, and then about the shadow.... No, even if I wanted to, I couldn't.
- All right," I chuckled briefly, passing her in the hallway.
- Is that all there is to it? - she asked, setting the cup down on the table.
- It was ok, mom. I'm tired, I'm going to my room," I added quickly, before she could ask anything more.
She didn't try to stop me, just looked at me with a slightly worried look. I felt her gaze on my back as I disappeared behind the door of my room. I closed it behind me, leaning against the cool surface for a moment.
- Okay? - spoke up Lina - That was "okay"?
I didn't respond. I was too tired, too torn to get into a discussion, even with her. Finally, I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, trying to put everything that had happened that day out of my mind. But there was still a shadow lurking in my thoughts, his face, which I saw in Marcel's place.
I was lying on my bed, trying to quiet my thoughts, but the silence in the apartment acted on me like the sound of wind before a storm. Suddenly I heard the sound of the telephone. My mother answered almost immediately.
- Hi... yes, he's in the room," she said in a calm, if slightly tired tone.
I tried not to eavesdrop, but her voice changed suddenly, becoming more strained.
- Excuse me? - She asked sharply, and then lowered her voice, as if she wanted me not to hear her. But the walls were thin.
- I can't believe you're saying that. Maybe start with what you are doing wrong! - Her voice rose, clearly annoyed.
I walked closer to the door, trying to understand what was going on.
- Hearing inadequate behavior for her developmental capabilities? Because what? Because she dares to speak up when your son treats her like a punching bag and you pretend not to see anything? - Her tone became increasingly harsh. - Why don't you look at yourself instead of complaining about her? At how you treat her?
For a moment, all that could be heard in the apartment was his father's muffled voice on the phone. He must have answered something, because the mother finally burst out:
- A psychologist? No, Marek, you will not make her a problem that needs to be solved. She's your daughter, for God's sake! Why don't you start treating her like a daughter, not.... a customer!
I couldn't listen to it anymore. I got back on the bed, putting a pillow to my ears, but I could still hear every word clearly.
- No, I don't want to hear how everything is my fault! Think about yourself! - shouted the mother, and her voice trembled with emotion.
Finally, the slamming of the bathroom door announced that she had finished talking. Silence reigned again in the apartment, but it was a silence charged with tension that could almost be sensed in the air.
I lay on the bed, looking at the ceiling. I didn't know whether to feel relieved that my mother was defending me or ashamed that I was the cause of another brawl between them.
I was trying to collect my thoughts when I felt something move on the edge of the mattress. At first I thought it was my imagination, but when I turned around, I saw Lina. She was sitting there with her legs pulled up to her chin, staring at me.
- Massacre, huh? - She asked quietly, tilting her head to the side. Her eyes were calm, but there was something hidden in their depths that I couldn't quite understand.
- What do you mean? - I answered in a whisper, although the apartment was silent.
- The fact that your parents are fighting. I know it hurts," she said. - Her voice was strangely gentle, as if she really knew what it was like.
I looked away. I didn't want to talk about it.
- I don't understand why they hate each other so much," I muttered. - Mom always says that Dad was different before they divorced. That they were even happy once.
Lina sighed and rested her chin on her knees.
- Because, you know, divorce is not just paper. It's like tearing apart two bodies that used to be one whole. Sometimes too many wounds are left behind to get along.
I looked at her. She was so calm, as if it was all obvious to her.
- It's not fair," I said angrily. - Why do I have to suffer through the fact that they can't get along?
- Because it's always like this," replied Lina, looking at me seriously. - Parents think that children don't understand, but we understand more than they would like.
Silence hung in the room. A soft lantern light came through the window, casting long shadows on the walls. Lina reached out and pointed to the window.
- Do you see that light? - She asked suddenly.
- What about him? - I answered puzzled.
- Sometimes children are the light for parents. But the problem is that they are often too busy living in their shadows to notice.
Her words sank deeply into my memory. I moved closer, resting my chin on my knees, exactly as she did.
- Do you think they will ever stop fighting? - I asked quietly.
Lina looked at me with a slightly sad smile.
- It depends. Maybe someday they'll remember that you're not at all just a problem to be solved, but a part of themselves that they can't relinquish.
I felt her words strangely sway my thoughts. I wanted to ask how she knew all this, but before I could open my mouth, Lina crooked her head, looking at me with a spark of irony in her eyes.
- And by the way, your father is a stupid gay man.
I looked at her shocked.
- Lina! - I exclaimed, although somewhere inside I felt that I didn't quite agree with her.
- Well what? After all, you've seen how he behaves. All the time he makes himself master of the world, while in reality he does not even embrace his own life. - Lina shrugged her shoulders, as if she was stating the absolutely obvious.
- But he's my dad... - I muttered, more to myself than to her.
- I know, and that's why it hurts even more, right? - Her tone softened, but there was still something relentless about it. - But let's be honest. You won't change him. He's already like that. Too focused on himself to see what's really important.
I sighed, feeling the weight of her words. I wanted to argue with her, to defend my father, but I couldn't find the strength within me. Lina was right.
- Do you think he will ever understand? - I asked quietly.
- I don't know," replied Lina, looking at the window. - Some people never change. But that doesn't mean you have to suffer through their stupidity.
Her words were harsh, but in a strange way comforting. It was as if she was trying to tell me that I could get away from it, that I didn't have to carry the burden of their mistakes on my shoulders.
- What if I'm like that one day, too? - I whispered, more to myself than to her.
Lina looked at me with a warm, if somewhat ironic smile.
- You? Don't be ridiculous. You are much smarter than that. But you know what, even if you make some mistakes, it will be your life. And not some copy of their drama.
I looked at her, feeling a strange mixture of relief and sadness. Maybe she was right. Maybe I didn't have to be like them. Maybe I could have been.... different.
Lina tilted her head, and a slight smile appeared on her face.
- You know what, if anything, you can always submit Marcel to horror movie castings. He would make a furore there as a little mischievous demon.
I glanced at her in disbelief, and then involuntarily laughed.
- Lina, stop it! - I said, trying to be serious, but laughter escaped from my throat, as if it could not stop itself.
- So what? Just give him a packet of candy and you have a scene from a horror movie guaranteed. - Lina pretended to spread her hands dramatically, as if she were presenting some sort of naughty genius.
I laughed quietly, but I felt the tension in me slowly deflate. I took a deep breath, and Lina looked at me more seriously.
- And seriously, Maja, you know you can always count on me, right?
I fell silent for a moment, feeling the warmth spreading through my gut. There was something in her voice that sounded so sincere that for a moment I felt like she was speaking straight from my heart.
- I know, Lina. And thanks. Really.
Lina smiled wider and sat on the windowsill, swinging her legs.
- Well, that's great. Because what the heck, but with a brother like Marcel you have to have support. Otherwise you wouldn't last long.
I laughed again, feeling that despite everything, despite all this strange and difficult situation, I am not alone.
Lina turned around, looking out the window at the city lights flashing in the distance.
- By the way, what was it at the cinema today? - I asked seemingly out of the blue, but I knew the question had been hanging in the air for a long time.
I felt my heart speed up. I still had that shadow in my mind, that strange, frightening feeling that had been with me since the screening. It was as if someone was constantly watching, even though no one was there.
Lina looked at me intently, and her eyes seemed strangely serious for her.
- You know, sometimes people see things they can't explain. Maybe it's more than just an ominous shadow.
I furrowed my eyebrows.
- More? What do you have in mind?
Lina shrugged her shoulders, as if she was stating the obvious.
- This thing is not from here. From your world.
I trembled, hearing these words. Lina said it in such a tone, as if she knew something I could not comprehend.
- But after all ... it's impossible.
- And how do you know? - she interrupted me, turning away from the window. - The world is a strange place. Sometimes the boundaries between things are thinner than we think.
- Lina, stop," I said, feeling my palms begin to sweat slightly. - Don't scare me, okay?
- I'm not scaring you. I'm just saying that there are things beyond what we see every day.
A silence fell. Lina continued to look at me with that mysterious smile of hers, and I tried to digest what I had just heard.
- Do you ... know anything more? - I asked quietly, almost in a whisper.
Lina looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes, but instead of answering, she just shrugged her shoulders.
- Maybe I'm just a great observer?
I sighed, feeling that with her I would never get a clear answer. But still, her words planted an uneasy feeling in me. What if what I saw was more than an illusion? What if Lina was right?
- Come on. Leave it for now," she said after a while, changing the subject.
We sat on the bed, each busy with our own thoughts. Lina reached out and began to play with a strand of her hair that fell over her shoulder. Something about her behavior seemed different, as if she were somewhere far away, in a world of her own.
I looked at her, hesitating for a moment. Finally, I gathered my courage.
- Lina... - I began quietly.
- Hm? - she muttered, without looking away from the window.
- You... have a family? - I asked, feeling my question hovering in the air.
Lina froze for a split second, as if my words surprised her. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled, but the smile was different than usual.
- Family? - she repeated, as if savoring the word. - You could say that.
I furrowed my eyebrows.
- Meaning? - I asked, feeling that he was avoiding the answer.
Lina finally turned her head and looked me straight in the eyes. Her gaze was full of something I couldn't understand - sadness? Longing?
- My family is ... far away," she said slowly, choosing her words with extreme care.
- Far away? Where? - I asked, unable to stop myself.
Lina laughed quietly, but there was something bitter about it.
- In a place you couldn't reach. Even if you wanted to.
A shudder went through me. Lina always said things that seemed on the verge of joking and seriousness, but this time something in her voice made me feel a strange uncertainty.
- Why do you never mention them? - I asked, lowering my voice.
- Because there is nothing to talk about," she replied quickly, as if she wanted to end the subject. - Let's just say that my family and I don't see each other very often.
- Is that why you are here...so often with me? - I asked, and my heart beat faster.
Lina looked at me with a slight smile, but did not answer. Her silence spoke more than words. I felt there was a secret behind that smile, something she didn't want to tell me.
- Eh... sometimes family is not just the people you are related to. Sometimes it's those who are with you when you really need them," she finally said.
I didn't know what to answer. There was truth in her words, but I still felt she hadn't told me everything. Maybe someday I'll find out, I thought. Maybe.
Lina got out of bed and walked over to the window. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but instead just looked up at the night sky. The moon illuminated her face, giving it an almost unreal glow.
- You know... - she spoke up after a long moment of silence, still looking into the distance. - Sometimes the people we count on the most let us down. And that hurts. But that doesn't mean we have to be alone.
Her words hung in the air, heavy and soothing at the same time. I felt the tension slowly leave my body. Lina was right. Although everything seemed difficult at times, I was not alone.
- Thanks, Lina," I said quietly.
She turned to me with a smile.
- You can always count on me, little one.
She returned to her seat next to me and poked me lightly on the shoulder, as if trying to defuse the atmosphere.
- Well, enough of the snot. How about we do something cool tomorrow? Why don't we take pictures of those "scorching" kids of yours and make memes out of it? - she suggested, and her eyes flashed with her usual mischievous expression.
I laughed despite myself.
- You're the one with the ideas.
- And what better than thinking about.... you know," she waved her hand in the direction of the door, as if to push everything that was happening behind it into oblivion.
I nodded my head. She was right. Maybe tomorrow will indeed be a better day.
- Okay, we're going to bed. But if tomorrow I forget what I promised, remind me, okay? - she said, laying down on the bed with exaggerated seriousness.
- Sure, Lina, sure," I replied with a smile and turned off the bedside lamp.
We fell asleep, and I felt a little calmer. I didn't know what the future would bring, but I knew one thing: Lina was on my side, and that meant I would somehow manage.