She is Louise
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– I'm sure she's already read your letter.
– So soon? " objected the girl. Even the best mail in the world does not deliver mail so quickly. Unless it's pigeon mail. But Louise hadn't seen any pigeons lately.
– Maybe you're right. I need to calm down. I'll put things in order," she said softly and went to her room. What she missed now was a mother's simple love! … Any mother can tell you whether Niels is good or bad.
It's she. She's definitely she. What the is this? What is she even doing in his life? She just barged in by accident, that's all. Oh, she walked in quietly. Little Louise and almost grown-up Niels. Has a silly name and is finishing his service. Definitely no university next, only Latin. Mom doesn't mind that.
Louise is lucky – her parents probably don't control her every move, so she can walk and wander wherever she wants. I wonder where she lives? What school does she go to? And how old is she? Is she human?
Niels arrived home completely exhausted and immediately collapsed on the bed. The teaching had gone by rather quickly, but he still ran out of energy. It was good that tomorrow was Sunday. They'll be able to meet. They'll see each other.
– Are you here?" Mom came into the room. She was wearing slippers and a pink robe – typical "mom" clothes. But Louise had never seen Galya like that.
– No, Mom, I crawled in. Can't you see I'm here? Or should I have answered that I'm not here? " Niels grinned back. And really, what kind of ridiculous questions are these?
– Don't yell at your mother, rude boy!" she exclaimed and slammed the door. Niels remained in the room, as if scalded by boiling water. What a load of crap! …
"Tomorrow I'll have to get Louise's phone number. Well, no way to chase her out of my heart! …"
Niels still gathered all his boyish strength into a fist and went to the window – to take a breath of fresh air and look at the stars. They were so bright! Like eyes.
In her native hut, sitting on her bed, Louise did the same thing. The stars were beautiful. In fairy tales, loving hearts often reach upwards, towards the sky. Into the vast cosmos. However, Louise and Niels hadn't heard much about it. Why read stories written by someone else when you can create your own?
You may ask: why does it all happen so strangely? They see each other's eyes and fall in love – is that how it happens? Louise was a young girl who had hardly ever known any love. Parents were far away, and for what – unclear. Why hide from the world, if Louise is still a human being? Previously, the girl always thought that it would be better for her to first live in a big city, and then hide her wings from prying eyes. But she had always been grateful to Galya, because small children, and even more so teenagers, could be obnoxious at times.
Elizabeth hadn't realized that her daughter had met a boy. She and Edward decided to leave the girl in Steppes and Fields with Galya. Galina is a proven person, because she was also a Butterfly in the past. Louise will grow up to be a real princess. At the age of eighteen she will get what she never dreamed of – power, wealth and servants. And most importantly, magic. The girl will master it perfectly – Galya will take care of it. Everything was going to be all right. The big day was still six years away, but Mom and Dad often thought about how they would come and get Louise and take her away. Tell her who she was. But how will the girl take it all? Of course, the girl knows that she will become a Butterfly – Galya told her long ago. But the daughter does not know everything. The reins will fall into her hands. The reins of power. To command and control people. That's the way it's decided. That's not to say the parents want it that way – yet for every father and mother, it would always be better for their child to be perfectly ordinary. Lived among peers, went to school and had friends. What else is needed? And mom and dad would go to work, and on weekends would get out all together to the movies or the bike park. But in the magical story everything is different: Louise "languishes" in a shack at the Glade, and Elizabeth and her husband live in a high-rise, trying on the roles of office workers. It will be like this for another six years – until the year two thousand twenty-eight, life will go on as usual. Then they will see her – their daughter, all grown up and ready for anything.
Louise must live her life according to a clear plan – going to Forest School and sometimes walking in the Glade. No social media, fancy things or peer acquaintances – nothing to keep the girl in Galya's house. Of course, there is a tiny, literally one in a million, chance that on the right day, Louise will meet the right boy. A simple human boy. With disheveled hair but a pure soul. Far from trendy. And then, only then will Louise fall in love and their souls be glued together. As long as they're apart, they'll suffer. Thoughts will not rest. But when they see each other, a new, unknown happiness will open up. But that's impossible, absolutely impossible. "Oh, there was a letter somewhere, a letter that came a little while ago. From my Louise! …"
Chapter Eight
– You okay?
– I'm good.
– We're weird. And this whole thing is weird, too.
– Yeah, I guess so," Louise agreed. It was just the two of them now. They were standing in the middle of a huge flower meadow. A chorus of steppe butterflies buzzed around them. You know, Forests and Steppes are a world of wonders!
Louise tried not to look at Niels, but only held his hand. It was awkward for both of them. It was as if they weren't them at all.
– We met so suddenly that I didn't realize it at first. But I remembered you and your name, Louise," Niels said.
– Do you think we'll…?" the girl asked timidly.
– We need to get to know each other better. Where do you live? " the boy began.
– You can't just ask that!" Louise was suddenly indignant. She didn't really want to talk about where her home was. And who her parents were. But she would not lie. She wouldn't lie!
– Oh, I'm sorry, Louise. I didn't think," Niels was immediately embarrassed, who was very afraid of offending the girl. All his life he had been on the sidelines of society, and now he had his own star. Or a flower. Whatever you want to call it. There's a purpose. There's a keeper. The heart is open, the lock is off.
– Nothing. I live here in the Forests and Steppes. I go to the local school. I hardly ever see real people, especially boys. And the ones I go to school with are so boring. It's like they're gray.
– What are you talking about? You've never been to the City? " Niels was surprised. Wow!
– I've been there once. Mother sent me to a roadside store. She wanted a newspaper," Louise began to explain.
– A newspaper? Does anyone read them nowadays? There are…
– There are what?
– Well, the news, for instance.
– What's news? The news is carried by butterflies.
– No, I mean the TV. You don't watch it?
– We don't.
– Do you have WI-FI? Uh, Internet.
– No.
– I see. Don't you get bored like this?" Niels asked.
– No. I'm having a lot of fun. Niels, I'm glad I have a friend now.
– Thanks, Louise. Listen, you can come to my house whenever you want. I'm about to graduate high school.
– Wow, you're a grown-up, aren't you?" exclaimed the girl, giving Niels an admiring look.