VI
6 months later
Marek laughed heartily when Magda tried to imitate his movements as he worked out on a punching bag. He approached her from behind and hugged her.
"How's it going?" she asked, turning to face him.
"Great..." he replied, smiling. "Damn, I'll have to be careful not to annoy you or you'll beat me soon...
" "Never you..." she said flirtatiously. "Unless you're mean to me..."
Marek looked into her beautiful brown eyes and kissed her.
"I like it when you're so cheerful..." she whispered in his ear. "You know what I want right now..."
"What?" he asked teasingly, though he knew exactly what she meant.
Magda was about to answer when suddenly there was an insistent knock on the door.
"I wonder who it is?" – she laughed – maybe some disgruntled neighbor, we're being too loud…
Marek headed towards the entrance to the apartment.
– I'll tell him not to disturb us – he turned to the girl and said cheerfully – wait for me here…
He was about to open the door and see who was so eager to pay them this unexpected visit when suddenly there was a loud click of a lock being broken. Marek stood uncertainly, awaiting what would happen next. Another powerful blow to the door literally drove it inwards. Three well-built men stood in the doorway, staring wildly at him. These were not human eyes.
“Ghouls” – the thought struck Marek like a bolt of lightning.
“Kid, hide somewhere!” he shouted as loudly as he could, but he knew that if they killed him, they would surely kill her too.
At that moment, the first of them ran up and delivered a powerful blow, aiming for the vampire slayer's head. The boy instinctively dodged and kicked his opponent in the groin with all his might. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second attacker run past him, deeper into the apartment, to where Magda was. He immediately turned and ran after him, only to feel a powerful blow on his back. He was thrown back, landing against the wall. He didn't have time to turn around before more blows hit him.
"You dog!" the Ghoul shouted furiously, punching him. "You want to meddle in our master's affairs...?!
Marek thought of Magda. He wasn't afraid of death himself, but he couldn't imagine her dying, killed by the Ghoul. This wasn't her fight, it wasn't her business, it wasn't her fault. Enraged, he gathered all his strength and, ignoring the blows, jumped to the side. Slightly dazed, he ran toward his opponent. The Ghoul tried to strike him, but was surprised by the situation and couldn't land. Meanwhile, Marek grabbed the Ghoul by the head and dug his fingers into his eyes with all his might. The attacker screamed horribly and clutched his face. This second was enough for the boy to grab a chair standing in the hall and smash it on his would-be tormentor.
From the rooms beyond, he heard Magda's desperate scream. Marek steeled himself and ran in that direction. He furiously charged into the room and, without hesitation, delivered a powerful kick to the man pulling his girlfriend by the hair. He felt his leg break through the resistance of the attacker's ribs and sink slightly inside. The ghoul recoiled and groaned in pain. The boy jumped at Magda and grabbed her hand.
"Get out of here," he shouted, seeing several bruises on her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll kill the bastard!"
"Leave her alone, let's run away together," the girl tugged at his hand.
Marek broke free and ran to the man kneeling on the ground and kicked him in the head with all his might. He instantly fell motionless. The boy looked at Magda and cried; he was so afraid for her, so afraid that part of his life would ever touch her.
"Go to Gregor, we'll meet there," he told her through tears. "I'll definitely be there..."
The girl looked at him terrified, and he rubbed her eyes. At that moment, the first of the ghouls ran into the room.
"Run!" he shouted, lunging at the attacker. He noticed Magda running out of the apartment and felt calmer.
The opponent was very strong and determined, grabbing Marek and headbutting him. The boy felt blood starting to flow from his nose. The individual slammed him against the bed; unfortunately, he didn't know that the vampire killer always carried a weapon. He probably started approaching his victim. Suddenly, several shots broke the silence. The ghoul fell dead. Marek quickly got up, kicked the attacker who was still lying in the hallway, and ran out of the apartment.
VII
. A very worried Gregor opened the door. Marek, head bowed, entered. The commander looked at him reproachfully. The boy felt guilty and sad, holding his nose with his hand.
"Where's Madzie?" he asked uncertainly.
"In the room," Grzegorz said, pointing him in the direction. "I think you've let her down... we'll have to talk... but first, go talk to her..."
Marek looked uncertainly at his friend and slowly entered the room where the girl was. He looked at her; she was crying quietly, her face was scratched and bruised. The boy tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn't.
"I'm sorry, Little One," he sobbed. "I'm sorry..."
Magda looked at him through her tears
. "Marek... Marek," she sobbed. "I love you... more than life... you're the guy I've always waited for... the one... but... but I can't live like this... "
The boy approached her.
"I can't live like this... I trusted you... you told me... you told me so many times," she continued, "that you would end it... I wanted to help you...
" "And you did..."
"No... I wanted you to love me... to be happy... I wanted to be everything to you... the whole world... but I see that for you the most important thing is still... revenge...
" "Little one, it's not like that..." He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head away and cried loudly.
"I can't live like this... because you are everything to me... and I give everything... everything... to make you happy... but I can't just give... I need... love too...
" Madzia - Marek tried to say something but couldn't
. "Maybe someday," the girl burst into loud sobs, the words causing her great pain. "Maybe someday we'll be together... but not... until you understand... you won't understand how much you hurt me..."
She got up from the chair and headed for the exit.
"Wait here, I'll take her," Gregor said firmly. "We need to talk... we really need to talk..."
Marek fell to his knees and sobbed loudly; he felt he was losing her.
VIII
After about two hours, Gregor returned to the apartment. Marek, devastated, sat on a chair, staring blankly at a spot on the wall. The commander approached him.
"You're my friend, but you piss me off immensely..." he began harshly. "What exactly do you want, man..."
Marek turned his gaze towards him.
"What will happen if you kill that vampire? Haa? Will you be happy?" he continued, raising his voice. "I'm asking, fuck, will you be happy?"
"I don't know..." the boy replied uncertainly.
"Dude... He always liked you... You were like a son to him... Some said he didn't love his real children as much as you..." Grzegorz fell into thought. "Do you know what he always told me..."
Marek was moved at hearing these words. The old man was like his parents, he was the closest person in his childhood.
"I never told you this," the commander continued, "you chose your own path... but the Old Man always said: You know, Grzesiu, I wish this boy would abandon it all... there's been enough suffering in his life... and revenge won't bring him solace... he won't bring his parents back... no matter how many vampires he kills... Now Marek is young, impulsive, he wants revenge... but I'm afraid that one day he'll come to the same conclusions as me... but it will be too late... he'll miss his chance... he'll become a burnt-out man... a killer... I really wish he were happy... to find peace, meet a girl, start a family... and give his children the kind of childhood... he never had... and always dreamed of..."
The boy sobbed loudly, the words of his now-deceased guardian sinking in. He chased after things that seemed important to him, putting aside the truly most important things.
"What a fool I am, Gregor... why didn't you tell me I was an idiot?" What a jerk I am..
- Listen, Marek..., do you know why I never told you what the Old Man said about you...? – without waiting for an answer, he finished – because at the end he added: Grzesiu... you won't live anyone else's life... and although I think what I'm saying is right... it may seem stupid to Marek... because it's not about him living like this... because I want it... it's about him wanting to live like this... I hope he'll figure it out on his own someday...
- I love this man - the boy cried - I owe him so much... I was often... you know... I treated him badly... and he always wanted the best for me... Gregor... I thank you for everything too... you were always like a brother to me...
- I talked to Magda many times during the time you were together... I understood that she cares about you... that you are the fulfillment of her dreams... that's why six months ago I stopped taking you on shares... I didn't want anything to happen to you... at least I wanted to protect you somehow... we all wanted... I wanted to help you...
Marek came over and snuggled into Grzgorz's shoulder.
"One more thing, young one... grab your luck... screw this life we lead... this isn't real life... real life... real life is a happy life... grab your chances and try to change everything while you can... try to forget the bad past and live... live well... and live happily... not like me." Gregor grimaced as if he were about to burst into tears, but after a moment he looked normal again. "I don't want you to ever be like me... this will be the worst... you have a chance... don't miss her... don't let her go... this girl is your chance... I've already wasted my life... I took the wrong path once... now it's too late to go back and start over...
" "Thank you, friend... and I'm sorry for everything...
" "Why are you standing there? Wash up and go to her... I took her to Ania's, to the dormitory..."
The boy approached his commander for a moment and hugged him warmly. He could always trust him and count on him, he knew Gregor would never let him down." He was grateful for everything, especially for this conversation; in that moment, he understood everything. He quickly ran to the bathroom and washed his face, changed, and hurried to Grzegorz's car. He took out his cell phone and dialed the number he'd dialed so many times when he was worried about Magda or just wanted to talk.
"Hi," the voice on the phone said. Marek thought it was the sweetest voice in the world
. "Listen, Mała... I think... I mean, definitely... I just... I wanted to say that...
" "What's the matter?" He could sense that she had been crying recently
. "I love you, Magda... "
Silence fell on the other end of the phone.
"I always did... I just never knew how to say it... and I'm sorry for everything... everything will be different... I'll be with you soon."
A joyful cry could be heard .
"Marek... finally..." she uttered through tears. The
evenings
in the city weren't very busy, so Marek reached the dorms without a problem. He got out of the car and hurried into the building. After a short conversation with the doorman, he went to the first floor, where Ania's room was. As he approached her door, his heart was pounding like never before, and without knocking, he went inside.
"Hi Marek..." Ania said in greeting, slightly surprised. "Haven't you met Magda?... someone just called her and she came outside... I thought she was with you...
" "Long time?" The boy grew slightly worried.
"Well, literally five minutes ago..."
Without listening to her, he went out into the hallway. He took out his phone and dialed Magda's number.
"Excuse me..." a thick, male voice came from the receiver
. "Who the fuck are you?! Where is Magda...?!!" Marek shouted. "If something happened to her... fuck... I'll touch a hair on her head... and I'll beat you like a dog! Do you understand?!
"Calm down, clown," the voice replied, "if you want her to live, don't say that to me... in half an hour, in an old warehouse on Piastowa Street...
" "Wait," the boy tried to say something else, but the man had already ended the call.
The vampire slayer quickly called Gregor and summarized the whole situation, then ran to his car. He banged the steering wheel a few times, hard, and then covered his face with his hands. He was worried and afraid like never before in his life. He wanted to turn back time a few days and drive somewhere, somewhere far from this city, far from this life. He started the engine and drove to Piastowa Street. November rain lashed against the car window.
The old warehouse stood slightly off to the side, about thirty meters from the street. Marek noticed two cars parked nearby and thought it didn't bode well. Despite this, he confidently went inside. At first, he couldn't see much, as the pale light from the streetlight filtering through the dirty windows dimly illuminated the interior. But after a moment, as his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he noticed five figures and a sixth, smaller one: Magda.
"Let go of the girl," he tried to sound confident, but his voice cracked. "It's none of her business..."
"Don't give us orders!" one of the men shouted, approaching Marek. "You're meddling in our affairs... pissing us off... messing with us... and you still want to order us around?"
"Please... let her go... I don't know what you want, but don't hurt her." The boy looked fearfully at his beloved.
"What do you mean, you don't know what we want...?" – the man was surprised – you have been chasing our Lord for a long time... you are killing our brothers... and you don't know what we want...
- I'm done with this... – said Marek – please let her go... I don't want to fight anymore... there has been too much suffering... revenge will not bring relief...
The man standing next to him laughed loudly.
"Did you hear him?" he asked the others, and a thunderous laugh responded. "Bring the girl here..."
One of the others brought the crying Magda and pushed her toward the boy. Marek was about to gather her in his arms when suddenly shots rang out somewhere. The girl let out a soft moan and fell to the ground. The vampire slayer stood frozen. He couldn't comprehend what had happened; this couldn't be happening, she couldn't die. He knelt beside her, ignoring what was happening around him.
"What were you thinking, dog?" the man beside him shouted, "that we'd let her and you go..."
Marek didn't listen to what he was saying, he grabbed Magda in his arms, and she opened her eyes slightly.
"Baby, I'm sorry..." he said, tears streaming from his eyes. "I'm sorry... it wasn't supposed to be like this...
" "It's okay, honey..." she said with the greatest difficulty
. "Everything will be alright, honey... you'll get through this... we'll be together... we'll be happy... "
The girl nodded and groaned.
"Madzia... I'm sorry I didn't show... I didn't know how to show my feelings... that it was hard for you... I know..."
She smiled slightly.
"That night when they attacked our apartment," he whispered sobbing in her ear, "you know what I was afraid of... that I would lose you... the most precious person in my life... my happiness... and when you wanted to leave... I realized I needed you... I always did... and only with you am I happy... and only you am I in love... I always loved..."
He sobbed loudly.
"I always knew, Marek..." she said quietly, wincing with pain. "You're the one I've been waiting for... always... and I'm glad... that at least for this year... I was truly happy... and loved..."
Tears ran down her cheek, but she no longer had the strength to sob.
"Little one, everything will be alright..." he tried to comfort her. "You know... I finished the poem... I know it's possible... / another person gives me... happiness... / love... gives me security / the past fades... a new life opens..."
Magda smiled, but she couldn't say anything. Marek didn't want this to happen, but he felt the girl wouldn't survive. He'd seen many deaths in his life, knew its symptoms too well to delude himself.
"Honey... thank you," he was sobbing loudly, "thank you for loving me... for trusting me... for being there for me... you can't leave... what will I do on my own... I can't cope on my own! Do you hear me? Don't die! Live... please!" Live for me!... I need you - he whispered through tears
. There was a deathly silence in the hall, only the loud sobbing of Marek, kneeling on the ground, could be heard.
Magda looked at Marek with her large brown eyes, he loved them so much, and smiled one last time. She closed her eyes and stopped breathing. The boy nestled against her body, holding it tightly, sobbing. At that moment, Gregor and a few companions ran into the hall. The commander paused for a moment when he noticed Marek kneeling there. He lowered his gaze and nodded sadly. The group of men standing in the distance quickly realized the situation, and the fight began. The boy paid no attention, simply cradling the body of his beloved and whispering in her ear.
A
cold November rain fell heavily as the group of people stood over Magda's grave. The priest recited his final prayers, then the coffin was lowered and covered with earth. Her loved ones, despite the poor weather, stood mournfully by the grave for about an hour. Somewhere in the distance of the cemetery, Marek stood in the rain, looking much older than he actually was; the experiences of the recent past had left a deep mark on him. No one would guess which of the drops rolling down his cheek were tears and which were rain.
"It'll be alright..." a familiar voice came from behind him. "I don't know how... but it has to be."
The boy turned and saw Gregor standing behind him. He smiled slightly but said nothing.
"What are you going to do now...?" the commander asked
. "I'm leaving... I don't know what I'll do... but Madzia showed me that there can be another life... a happier one... you know, Gregor." Marek burst into tears and for a moment couldn't say anything. "I miss her... you know?"
- I know...
- I'll probably never meet another person like her... but her cheerfulness and attitude towards life... gave me hope... you know... I was really happy...
- I know, man... it shouldn't be like this... it shouldn't be like this... but this is life... our life - Grzegorz looked somewhere into the distance - there are no happy endings here
- Thank you for everything... I'm leaving... too much death and suffering in my life...
Gregor nodded approvingly and replied:
- So, goodbye, my friend... and live... and remember these beautiful moments... and forget the bad...
- Yes... - Marek hugged his commander - I will...
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