Nikita has a strong feeling that he is looking for something or someone on the Internet. He just doesnt know who yet
Or does he know? He quickly ran the name of the goddess Alais through a Google search engine. The Internet didnt respond immediately. He had to sweat, twisting the query and searching the sites. The inscriptions remained in some places, but the descriptions were removed. There were no pictures of the statues or images of the goddesses, either. Instead, as if they were icons, beautiful, ominous photos of Athenais as an angel peeked through the sites. The actress was very closely associated with the goddess. As if the goddess existed only on the screen. But was she in history?
After an hour of scrolling through websites, Nikita drew a disappointing conclusion.
Alais is the goddess of Ancient Egypt, who did not exist or who, for whatever reason, they chose to forget about. The second is more likely. If the deity is too evil, it is best forgotten. But how beautiful it is!
Nikita could hardly tear his gaze away from another photo of Athenais, which looked like a golden engraving.
If all angels were as beautiful as she was, he wouldnt leave theirs temples. It was a pleasure to look at the picture of Athenais.
Suddenly a key clicked under his finger. Nikita did not realize what he had pressed. The Internet reacted instantly, opening an unsolicited window, in which all kinds of horror flashed: torture studios, mutation of people and destruction of temples. Nikitas eyes began to glaze over. What did all this have to do with Athenais? He was only looking for information about a goddess or a movie star. The creepy information was somehow connected specifically to the star.
Sects, madness, terrorist attacks, mass psychosis, suicides, psychiatric syndrome in movies. Is this really all about her? He must have the wrong website. Those newspapers and magazines hed recently browsed online didnt have it all. So where did it come from now? Maybe he was seeing double?
Or maybe its all just a clever promotion for the movies? Like: dont go to a horror movie, its so scary it will drive you crazy. After reading such a warning, the audience will come running like a house on fire. Its all cleverly planned. All you have to do is applaud.
It was getting dark outside the windows. A track of lanterns lit up on the highway, reminiscent of the Milky Way. The car headlights glittered like stars below.
The panorama from Nikitas window was miserable. There had once been a square below the windows, but it had been gutted to create a playground and parking lot. The rosebushes had been ripped out to make room for the basketball court, which was always empty. Only the highway behind it was lit with electric lights in the evenings.
Evening Moscow glittered with neon signs and lanterns as if they were stars. At night, they made the simplest of neighborhoods seem appealing. Athenais, too, appeared only as darkness fell. Chat came alive as if a night star had flashed.
Hello!
She started again with a familiar word. Nikita clicked the keys irritably, issuing an accusatory tirade:
Youre like a vampire, you sleep in a coffin during the day, and you wake up only at night? Only you feed on energy, not blood. Youre an energy vampire who catches gullible guys in a chat room and drives them crazy.
The wound on his leg suddenly ached. It was absurd to claim that the creature in the chat room was feeding off his energy and not his blood. The razor was missing somewhere, after all, and a lot of blood had gushed out of the wound. Instead of being absorbed into the carpet, the blood disappeared, too. Or was he just imagining it all?
Are you so angry that I dont talk to you during the day? Athenais had accurately noted the reason for his anger. Apparently, shed already fooled a lot of guys.
Im angry that I cant meet you, Nikita admitted honestly.
Maybe its for the best.
Why it is not? Are you really a vampire?
Not a vampire. And even in the movies I did not play vampires.
Then what are you? Are you an actress?
I wouldnt call myself an actress.
But you are a movie star, arent you? Or are you not?
A movie star, yes! But I am not an actress.
Its a strange combination. How could it be?
I wasnt acting, Athenais explained.
Did she really think she was a real angel? If you look at her picture, you wouldnt call her crazy. With her looks, you could consider yourself a goddess. Probably every perfect actress gets so caught up in the role of her characters that she stops to think of it as acting. Let her imagine what she wants.
For Nikita, the most important thing was that Athenais was not a vampire, and therefore would not jump on him to drink blood. He was probably a dreamer, because he still hadnt given up hope of a date with Athenais.
Are you Russian or a foreigner? it occurred to him to ask. On the one hand the question was naive. Athenais knows Russian very well. On the other hand she is marked on Wikipedia as a foreign movie star. Its possible, of course, that Russians have become accustomed to foreign cinema. And that happens. After all, art is international. Wherever a creative person finds work, thats where she works. Foreigners were often invited to work in Russian cinema, too.
And what nationality are the angels? Athenais, as usual, answered a little arrogantly.
Dont fool my head with angels again. Youre alive, youre real.
All angels are alive and real.
Do you count the myths alone?
You dont believe in angels?
I believe in you, because I see you. By the way, how do I get you to video chat again? Are you in the mood to show yourself to me again? And what did you use the razor for? Dont tell me the razor is a prop to make a movie.
Sometimes a razor is enough to commit suicide, Athenais replied cryptically.
Youre not going to kill yourself, are you?
No, but others have done it.
Who are the others?
There was a brief silence. Then the chat window was filled with dots. It meant that Athenais was typing a reply.
Did you know that angels are creepy, cold-blooded, emotionless creatures?
Communicating with Athenais began to resemble puzzles and riddles. Nikita felt like he was doing a crossword puzzle, not typing the answer.
Youre an angel yourself.
It doesnt matter?
You blacken your own kind.
There are exceptions everywhere.
Shes got a point. Nikita also believed that no one should be labeled or tagged. The quality of people is not determined by gender, age, or nationality. In any category there are both bad and good people. Can the same criteria be applied to the angelic race?
I was fascinated by your movie about Lucifers rebellion, Nikita confessed.
Athenais must have thought he was flattering her on purpose.
It wasnt the movie that impressed you, she protested. You were impressed by Lucifers beautiful face.
Thats true! It wouldnt have looked as good as it did without Athenaïs beauty. But she was perfect for the type. After all, Lucifer (his Old Russian name was Dennitsa) was revered as the most beautiful angel in heaven. It was his beauty that became the apple of discord. The angel became proud and decided that he had to have the world by himself. After all, his beauty was the brightest thing in the world. Because of it, the angel had to lead.