Heart's tale

Chapter 3 part 2

"Today fhif one, fomorrow anofher," Zara raised her eyebrows and took off her hat, placing it on the polished table. "Whaf are you going fo do?"

"I don't know," Milo yawned. "The road home is closed – two beggars have been watching me since this morning, and it's not safe to stay here, either."

Both girls looked at each other. They even looked alike in some ways. They were both cute, young, slender, with thin, soft features and tufts of hair gathered at the top of their heads. Except that Zara's lips were a little more puffy from her constant whistling, and her gaze as heavy as pounded weights. Both wore simple green dresses, apparently made by the same dressmaker, only Zara was wearing a raincoat. She took it off and laid it on the bench, and turned her tired face toward Milo.

"Unless..." said Milo thoughtfully.

"Whaf?" Zara squinted her eyes.

"Well, that's unlikely. Remember, when Dad was dying, he called me in and asked the others to come out," Milo said slowly.

"Yef. I remember," Zara nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but he gave me the address and told me to learn it by heart. Corner of the Salt Canal and the Alley of the Blind, red door. He said, if I had nowhere else to go, I should go there."

"Hmm... Myfferiouf. Dangerouf. Buf if'f probably worfh af leaff finding ouf whaf'f ouf fhere. And one more fhing... How will he find you?" Zara raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"He will," Milo lowered her head on her arm.

"Fhen whaf are we waifing for? Lef'f go!" Zara's eyes lit up, and as she stood up she threw her cape back over her shoulders, which appeared to have a hood, and she handed her hat with a veil to Milo who was looking at her in surprise."

"Now? But it's probably... What time is it? And that must be dangerous!" Milo was taken aback.

"Now," Zara nodded uncompromisingly and slipped her hat over her sister's head.

As the girls passed the Colosseum, huddling at the edge of the street, a fine rain drizzled down, nailing the naughty heart dust to the ground, staining the streams of water red, as if it were blood flowing through the veins of the sewers. The tables were cleared, and even the trash was gone from under their feet. Zara stared intensely into the darkness, sensing its unkind intentions, but the darkness was full for the week ahead and only had enough power to frighten the occasional stranger with its emptiness. The girls reached the Alley of the Blind quietly, only to be startled by the frozen figure of the black metal knight as they turned the corner. But after a closer look, they realized that it was on a charge. And, after bypassing the cloud of black smoke streaming around the sucking screeching sound made by the pipe bolted to the knight's chest, they made their way to the canal.

In the light of the dim glare that had somehow miraculously descended to the water, the girls were not immediately able to distinguish the red door, which had lost its brightness. When Zara took a step to knock, Milo put her hand on the girl's shoulder and pointed to the lock lying on the steps. Zara looked at her sister and frowned. Milo shrugged, sighed, put her hand on the doorknob, and pulled it toward her. The subtle creak was so evocative that both girls instinctively squirmed. The door opened, though, and nothing happened. Immediately, as if on cue, they disappeared into the doorway.

It was dark inside. Milo pulled off her hat and hung it on the hook where someone else's cloak was already hanging. Zara closed the door, creaking again (quieter this time), and they both took slow steps, trying to keep their toes up, and moved into the hallway. The room was completely empty, as if no one had ever lived there. There were not even any lights. Zara approached her sister and looked her in the eye with surprise. Milo shrugged again and pointed to a small staircase that went up to the second floor. Zara nodded, took a step toward her, and then froze. Milo heard the indistinct sound, too, and froze beside her. The sound was immediately repeated. There was someone crying upstairs. Zara turned around and looked at her sister with completely rounded eyes. But Milo just nodded toward the stairs, and they both hurried up.