Мария Денисовна Хруль - She is Louise стр 3.

 Shall we play, detectives? Let's find them and destroy. I bet I know who's responsible. Let's show them who's boss.

"Dear Mommy,

Louise, your daughter, writes to you. Although, am I really your daughter? I want to see you very much, but I don't think you share my wish. Do you love me at all? And does my father? Galya doesn't say anything about him, and I'd like to know where he is and how he's doing. Honestly, I don't even know your names.

Tell me, why am I living with Galya in the Forests and Steppes? I'm a child, and a child needs a mother and a father. Sometimes I even feel like an orphan. What made you give up your own daughter? Don't you need me at all?

There's a town near us, but I've never been there. Galya says I don't belong there. I know that ordinary children live there, who will not become Butterflies and will not eat flakes of flower pollen every day. Surely there are schools in the City where all the teenagers go and have fun with each other. Why can't I do the same? I'm a teenager too and I want to make friends and I end up living like a caged animal.

I talked to a butterfly recently, but she didn't say anything sensible. Why would I even want to turn into a Butterfly if I was born human? Are there any other butterfly people like me? What about you? Do you have wings too? Why did nature set it up this way? It's not logical at all.

Galya said that in six years you'll take me away from here. Where will we go when I have wings? If I'm not supposed to come to the City of Men, where are we supposed to live? And what's the point of all this anyway? I don't understand.

I hope you and my father remember that your own daughter lives on this planet at all. Write to me as soon as you can.

Louise".

The girl reread these lines several times, but did not correct anything. The letter was like a confession of her own soul Louise was able to pour out on paper everything that had been languishing inside for so long. Would her mother answer her? The girl really wanted to know the answers to a lot of questions, even though it seemed that she was still six years away from transformation. But, really, why is it even necessary? Man was born a human, and an insect was born an insect. It is perfectly natural. Louise knew very well what balance was. Doesn't all this mean that if she becomes a Butterfly, another butterfly will become a human? But who or what would want that? Does the universe itself engage in such nonsense?

 Did you write it? " Galina asked, sitting at the table and stirring something in the pot. This something smelled rotten, but mixed with the wonderful smell of strawberries. It must be strawberries again.

Yes, it's ready. Can I send it out?

 Maybe now you want a smartphone? " asked the old lady.

 What? " the girl didn't understand.  What is it?

 All the people in the City use them. It's like a magic window it transmits messages instantly.

 Oh, come on, it's ridiculous. How do you know about this thing?

 I've been around a lot.

 Okay. So I'm gonna go?

 Well. Let me write the address," Galya took the parchment, folded it four times and wrapped it in a white envelope, on which she wrote: "Chascha, street 15, house 135, apartment 9".

"What an address. I wonder where that is? And why don't they tell me anything? " Louise thought with annoyance, hiding the envelope in a small wicker bag.

 The mailbox is on the border with the City.

 Will I really be able to go there?

 Yes, go ahead.

 I won't need stamps?

 No. Go on.

 So are you in?

 I don't even know," Edol answered Roxy's question uncertainly. He was a very tall guy, and he always smelled like some kind of cologne.

 We're going to cross the border and find scary creatures. You've been there, haven't you?

 I was, but

 Scared?

 Not at all! Okay, I'll go.

 Let's go grab a bite at the pizza cafe and then we'll make a plan.

 Nice. But why are we even doing this?

 You'll find out.

Niels stood behind the fence, listening intently to their conversation with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. This wasn't going to end well.

Chapter Three

The day had not yet begun to wind down, so Louise walked along the path through the Forests and Steppes with a peaceful mind. This day seemed to be one of many boring summer days, but only an hour ago it had been special: something new had come to Louise. Something she hadn't even realized before. Her parents were far away and living in unknown "Chascha", but the girl would find out about them. Or she would do something else go straight to the City. To spite them. They'll take her there when she's eighteen anyway. But where is the Chascha? Is it really in the City? And is it the only one on the planet? Since the girl grew up, if I may say so, in the middle of nowhere, she had little idea how many people there were on Earth. But she will definitely get to the Big World. She might even make a friend you don't meet them among the children of farmers and students of the Forest School.

 We are here," the young man Edol informed his companions. The trio approached the cottages, beyond which a single bright line was clearly visible, separating the human world from the one where beasts, birds, insects, farmers, and the few witches reigned. The teenagers did not suspect that their comrade Niels was following them on their heels. In fact, he had an objective reason the boy, after all, lived in that village. But curiosity and a sense of excessive caution took over, and Niels decided to follow the girls and Edol. There was no telling what they might get themselves into they were not without a clear mind. And Niels was a warrior, after all, who knew a thing or two.

 What's next? " Roxy inquired. She was obviously eager to demonstrate her superiority. Not only over other teenagers, but over the whole world.

 Do we wait for someone to show up? " Evie asked uncertainly. They didn't see Niels.

 I only see butterflies. Get out of here! " Roxy waved her arms, but soon realized that it wasn't really necessary. The butterflies couldn't get close to the children something was blocking them. Like a barrier.

 We'll cross the border," Edol announced and stepped forward. Nothing much happened. Roxy, Evie, and the silent Thea followed suit. Niels, meanwhile, lurked behind the wall of one of the houses and decided to wait until they returned. Certainly not with booty. But, on the other hand, what if they got into trouble? Niels knew he might be late for his class, but not to leave these clowns in trouble, right?

When the four "brave men" began to move away from the border and were almost out of sight, Niels decided to make a quick run home and come back here on the way back. But then his attention was suddenly attracted by a small, lonely figure approaching the border. It was coming from that world, the world of meadows, steppes and sparse forests.

The boy saw a girl, a little younger than he was. She wore a gray dress with a white apron, and her blond hair swayed merrily in the wind. Louise saw Niels too, so she slowed down a little and looked closer. The young man also kept his eyes on the little girl from the forest. Who is she? Why is she here alone? Does she really live there on the other side of the border?

Completely unexpectedly, two things happened at once. First, hot tears sprang from Louise's eyes, burning her face unpleasantly. Second, a boy was speaking to Louise.

 Hey, what are you doing? So beautiful, and you're crying? " Niels asked. He sincerely did not understand what happened. Did he really scare the poor girl? Niels, of course, was lonely. No one ever sat next to him on the bus, and the girls secretly laughed. It was like he was a stranger.

 No, uh. no, no, no. I just" Louise cried, hating herself for it. So much for the first meeting! How do people live, other people?

 I'm sorry. Can I help? " Niels said quietly. He couldn't hurt a child!