Today is a wonderful day; it is cold and sunny. We rush along the green park, take over the local people on their morning runs, while they look at us with confused stares. We almost knock over an old woman walking her dog. The tiny fluffy thing throws itself in front of Ian, annoyingly barking. Ian kicks it away from the road. The squealing dog and the squealing grandma remain behind us. Already I can see the café I dined in yesterday, which feels to be ages ago.

Ian runs in front of us, and I can hear him shouting at the phone. "Keep him in place! We're almost there!"

Yes, we are really close, but then suddenly Akela hunches over, putting his hand on his lower right, and squats down.

"Ian!" I shout.

Ian slows down, and in the next moment sits near Akela.

"What's wrong? We're almost there, just hold on a bit more!"

"It hurts..." Akela moans. "Really hurts... I endured it so far, but I can't anymore."

"You know what? Climb on my back, I'll get you there somehow!"

Akela lets out a giggle, then stands up, still holding his hand to the pain source.

"I'm not a backpack, I'll get there myself, but you owe me a bottle of cognac."

"I will fill you a bathtub of cognac, just run!"

There's the hotel. I see the back minivan, Willy's head protrudes from the window, who is constantly shouting and honking. Lewis is standing with his hands stretched out in front of the bumper, blocking the way. The car moves forward, but Lewis does not back off.

We finally approach the car with our last bit of strength. There's its shiny side; we made it! Willy gets out, his white hair flowing in the wind and his blue eye burning with anger.
"You are late! Five minutes late! You broke the agreement! I'm leaving!"

Ian raises his hands in protest, but in that moment Akela, still holding his side and breathing heavily, opens the door and jumps in, completely ignoring Willy. Max gets in after him, and Lewis warily walks around the dazed old man. When all the guys are inside, the door closes shut.

Willy looks quite bewildered from the insolence, but then sits at the driver's seat and slams the door behind him with such a loud bang, that an echo goes around the street. Then the car lunges forward and surges on.

"Yes!" I jump in place from joy.

"Did you make it?"

I turn around to see Colin at the entrance, looking in the direction of the car. He looks as if something irreversible just happened.

"We did!" I respond.

"My aunt told me that police took you in, I thought it would be for a long time." Colin looks away. "I hoped..."

"What are you talking about?" I don't understand, is he joking? "You wanted us to be stuck in there, so the concert would be cancelled? It would be a catastrophe, don't you get it?"

Colin is still looking away from me and I see that he is nervously fiddling with his wooden bracelet.

"I don't want to scare you, but I'm very afraid that you saw your friends for the last time."

"Whaaaaa...?"

"I called you yesterday! I messaged you too! You didn't respond!"

"My phone was out of battery. What kind of nonsense are you talking about?" 

" What I wouldn't give for it to be nonsense!" Colin looks like he's about to break down crying. "I found something very terrifying!"

I grab my head. Then, as calmly as possible say:

"Colin, right now we will go inside, you will pour me a cup of coffee, and then tell me what you're so worked up about. Because at the moment I have no idea what you are talking about and that really bothers me. And my mood is really bad.
You get it?"

So we are sitting by a table once again. I have coffee in my hand that emits a pleasant smell, and Colin looks at me with piteous eyes.

"Now clearly and without hysterics. Why do you think that my friends are in danger?"

Colin swallows, lowers his eyes, and starts fiddling with his bracelet again.

"Maybe I'm wrong - I hope I'm wrong, but yesterday evening I was digging in papers, and found something like a statistic. It's a journal where there were pure numbers for almost 50 years. There are different categories, mainly the development of industry, but I found an interesting statistic on local people. Apart from categories about the number of deaths and births, there was another category about the number of people who disappeared without a trace, with a date for each. And so, the most disappearances were in autumn, at the end of September."

"People always disappear." I interrupt. "Husbands run away from wives, kids from parents. Even I ran away when I was sixteen. But still alive and kicking, as you see."

Colin remains silent, gathering his thoughts.

"I think I really did exaggerate the danger." he responds. "I just looked it up online later, and checked the news on the recent years. Too bad I don't have access to police records, those are much more accurate. Anyway, over the last ten years I found seven cases in our town, which were all in the middle of autumn. Last year it was a dancer couple. Two years ago it was a travelling musician... But you know what the most frightening thing is?" his voice falls down to a whisper. "When I was reading these records in my grandpa's study, a mirror suddenly cracked... There is a big round mirror hanging on his wall, which cracked as if somebody hit it." 

"Colin," I think the boy is making up these scary stories, in order to justify his panic. "what about ghosts? Are you sure none followed you home?"

"So you don't believe me after all. But the mirror did crack! After that I constantly had this feeling of someone standing behind me. I even took a few things from the study for protection" he points at his bracelet, and takes out a small pouch from his pocket. "They supposedly protect you from evil powers."

I take a sip of my coffee.

Colin sighs, then guiltily lowers his eyes and goes back to the reception. What an impressionable boy indeed.

I finish my coffee and start biting my nails, or what is left of them anyway.

What if he is correct? Although... what do I have to support it? A dried out fountain, from which the guys drink every day? A ruined building, which looks normal with an expensive interior to Ian?

Colin does not stay silent for long.

"I also read that in ancient times there was a heathen sanctuary there."

I wince.

"But in middle ages they build a church over it."

"I didn't see any church there."

"Of course, it burned down!" Colin solemnly mentions. "What if that place is a place of power for old gods? What if it's cursed?"

"Colin, shut up." My nerves are ready to blow up.

"Maybe they made sacrifices there, and-"

"Shut up you moron!"

"You're a moron!"

I throw my cup at him with full force, but he dodges and it flies off into a corner.

"The cost of broken dishes will be added to the bill. But you will be the one paying, if your band doesn't return."

What a rowdy boy! If he was my brother, I would have strangled him by now.

I feel my stomach spasm and release, making me run to the toilet. Everything is because of my stupid overactive imagination. I understand Colin - his young fantasies are filled with adventures, superheroes and aliens. But me? Where did all my neutrality and nonchalant attitude go? I don't even want to mention logic and rational thinking!

Along a crack between ceramic tiles runs an ant, pursuing it's mysterious target. There is nothing but a flat surface around it, and the ant can't even imagine that it is being watched by a mighty Goddess, sitting on a toilet with her pants down. Well, it can't acknowledge me because of my magnitude. Should i spit on it? Nothing personal, just because of my dark mood, to see how it will wriggle inside Goddess' spit.

I better take a walk, or a ride around the town. Before i end up getting a rectal prolapse due to stress.

When I exit the toilet, Colin is standing by the bar and wiping mugs, not looking in my direction.

"Colin" I approach him as calmly and officially as I can. "Could you lend me your bicycle?"

The boy faces me, instantly forgetting about the mugs.

"I'm going with you!"

"What are you even talking about?"

"You're going to Tory Val, right? I'm with you!"

"I'm not going there. I need to go around town. It's my last day here, and I haven't seen much yet."

"Then take a walk. Do you want a map?"

"Bicycle! Lend!"

"You want a taxi?"

"You little..."I shut up, clenching my teeth.

Colin sniffles. Then looks at me with puppy eyes.

"Please... I beg you... take me with you. When you leave, what will I do? Sit and worry, whether you will come back or not? I will feel responsible, how can you be so selfish?"

The puppy eyes were really convincing. If I'm honest, I'm glad to have a companion. But I still make a look of disapproval and ask:

"Aren't you afraid of being sacrificed?"

Colin scoffs. "Don't worry, if there will be any danger I will instantly run away and hide. Will observe you from safety. Maybe will even take a video and you will become famous."

"Do you have another bicycle?"

"I'll take my aunt's."

"But who will be at the reception?"

"I'll wake up the cook and technician. They're sleeping all the time anyway, while I work. We'll meet at the parking lot." Colin disappears behind the door, not waiting for my answer. Well, he asked for it.

There are really two bicycles on the parking lot: a small, black one that belongs to Colin, and a bigger bicycle with orange wheels. The spot where our green FIAT is usually parked at is empty.

Ten minutes pass, then fifteen. As I was about to drive off by myself, Colin finally shows up, looking cheerful. He brought a big camouflage-colored backpack with him.

"Where were you? How much do you plan to make me wait?"

"I made a few sandwiches, put in water and a few other things! Also got dressed. I thought that you also stopped by your room to change."

Well... the boy isn't wrong. I'm still wearing the same outfit from yesterday. But right now I don't feel like changing. I switch the subject.

"Can I take the large bicycle?"

"Why?"

"It has bigger wheels. And it fits my height better."

"I don't recommend it. It's made for cities, so it doesn't have good brakes. Mine, however, is a mountain bike, and it's lighter."

"Well, then you can have yours if it's that much better."

"Fine. But don't complain if you get your butt hurt."

"Listen, Colin, you're going with me, but only if you stop being so rude! I'm older than you!"

"Okay, I won't say bad words near the old auntie. Let's go?"

"You little prick... let's go!