The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan

Author:Mariam Petrosyan [Petrosyan, Mariam]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
ISBN: 9781503942813
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Published: 2017-04-24T23:00:00+00:00

THE HOUSE

INTERLUDE

Grasshopper felt something as soon as he stepped inside the Tenth. A change not apparent to the eye. Ancient was hunched over the chess board cogitating, chin on knuckles.

Grasshopper crouched down on the floor.

Ancient never greeted him. He behaved as if Grasshopper didn’t leave and come back, as if their meetings were not separated by hours and days. Grasshopper had gotten used to that and had even come to like it.

He looked at the amulet box. Empty. Ajar, it lay on the mattress next to the board. There. That’s what’s changed. Why?

Ancient traced Grasshopper’s gaze and let the long fingers rummage inside the box. Then brought them closer to his eyes and shook off the dust.

“No more left. I’ve given it all away.”

Grasshopper craned his neck and peeked in.

“Really, all of it?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes.”

Ancient clicked the top shut and put the empty box away.

“So there will be no more amulets?”

Dejectedly, Grasshopper waited for an explanation. A lock of hair fell over his eyes, but he was afraid to move to push it away.

“I’m leaving. Going home.”

Here, in Ancient’s room, these words sounded strange. Like he wasn’t the one who actually said them. How could he have a home? Ancient was where he was. He had been born here, he grew up here, and he became ancient here. That was obvious to anyone looking at him and talking to him.

Grasshopper shuffled his shoe over the dark wine-stain spots.

“Why?”

Ancient moved one of the pieces and flicked another off with the fingernail.

“I am nineteen,” he said. “It’s well past time.”

These words also shifted something. Just like his mention of a home. He couldn’t be any age. He was outside of age, outside of time itself—until he broke the spell by saying the number. And it still didn’t explain anything.

“Everyone else is staying until summer. Why aren’t you?”

“It smells bad here,” Ancient said. “It smells worse and worse. You know what I’m talking about. You should be able to sense it. It’s already pretty bad, but it’s going to get much worse at the end. I know. I’ve seen it before. I remember the last graduation, the one before ours. That’s why I want to leave earlier.”

“So you’re running away? From your own people?”

“I am,” Ancient agreed. “Legging it, you might say. Without the legs.”

“You mean you’re scared?” Grasshopper said doubtfully.

Ancient scratched his chin with the base of the queen.

“Yes,” he said. “I am scared. There will come a time, much later, when you’ll understand. Then you too are going to be scared. Graduation is a bad time. It’s a step into the void. Not many can simply take it. It is the year of fear, of the crazies and the suicides, of insanity and nervous breakdowns. All of that disgusting stuff that spews out of those who are afraid. There’s nothing worse than that. Better to leave before it starts. Which is what I’m doing. Because I happen to have that opportunity.”

“So you’re making the brave choice,” Grasshopper said.

Now it was Ancient’s turn to be surprised.

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