ISBN 978-5-0059-1955-7

      Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

      Chapter 1 Into a Dangerous Way

      The sunny day, as it was supposed to be, was beautiful. The fresh breeze after the rain gave vivacity. The summer I’ve been waiting for is here. Even though it was winter yesterday. The school was left behind and a fun time of games, fun and exciting adventures awaited me with my friend Petka. We have been friends with him since childhood. We are already sixteen years old and our adventures have become more interesting and mature, you can no longer surprise us with a magic ball, yo-yo or other artifacts that defy logic in our usual sense.

      Putting on red shorts and a yellow T-shirt with my name on it, everyone should know me, and packing my things in a suitcase, I ran into the yard. My friend was waiting for me there, he always waits for me there no matter what the weather is outside. This is our world with him and we can be who we want to be here. I was interested in one question, what will my friend come up with this time? He has such a fantasy and the resources of his grandfather, archaeologist Anatoly Viktorovich Kurochkin. Known in narrow circles as a troublemaker for his very provocative articles in magazines that overturn established ideas about the history of the Earth and mankind.

      He was taken to our elite school last year only because grandfather threatened to tell everyone that the school stands on the site where rituals with sacrifices used to be held. This could put an end to the reputation of the institution.

      – Hello Victor, I forgot to wash my teeth again. My friend laughed, in his white T-shirt and red shorts. His favorite clothes. Although I did not like her, he looks like a fool in her. He mocked me by dressing like that.

      – No, I always clean them. Although, to breathe a nasty smell on you, I would eat a dirty frog from a dark swamp.

      – That’s a good Frenchman. Today we will go to a new world of fairy tales and adventures. Everything we want is waiting for us there. And so did she.

      I sighed heavily, meeting her always goes badly. Not surprisingly, I didn’t try to please her, although I could, but I didn’t because of childish folly. She has taken a dislike to me since the day I transferred to the elite school number 355 two years ago. For a whole year I studied without my friend Petka and slowly got used to it, but then he transferred, and everything returned to normal.

      – And you about it. Of course, let’s go. We are already waiting for the class and our witch, a teacher of Russian language and literature.

      And we sat in Petka’s father’s car and drove to school, to the place where I last wanted to go today, but there she was waiting for me, the love of my life and the school bus. Today is the day when we go to the Birch Groves summer camp. Strange name for a camp. But everything suits me. Spending a month in parental share with my friend was wonderful. This is not our first camp, so I was calm. We spent a week in another camp and were kicked out because we burned down the laboratory, we wanted to find the elixir of eternal life, but we failed. But we did not give up trying and will certainly continue in this camp.

      Petka’s father shook hands with us and let us out of the car, he is not very talkative, unlike grandfather. We went to the school, everyone was waiting for us there. I smiled, it’s good that all summer I won’t see these yellow school walls.

      – Here are our famous friends Viktor and Peter Kurochkin. – Our teacher of Russian language and literature, Antonina Mikhailovna, was standing near the bus. Behind her back we called her a witch. She always disliked us and oppressed us in every possible way, she gave me five and two for essays, although they were written excellently, but for a friend just three and two. She has slanting blue eyes and is in her fifties. A nasty thin voice and she smelled not the best way. Although she taught not badly, I understood everything. Although I’m generally smart. – Again, probably, the dirty trick that they started here and laugh like horses. I have suffered from them in the classroom. Before you appeared, our class was peaceful and successful. You brought ruin to it. You don’t have a knowledge base. Confess what you came up with.

      – Not. – I said, calmly taking the queue, looking out for the girl I fell in love with. – We were innocent even that time when you sat on a pin, and we didn’t spill glue on the desk. – It was true, I didn’t do it, I can’t say about Petka, he said no, but I didn’t believe him, because he laughed, each time remembering these moments.

      – I’ll find out the truth anyway, and then you two rascals will be unhappy. I’ll get a hold of you, then I’ll have the last laugh. – She smiled and I did not like this smile, she is also still that entertainer. It’s not for nothing that we call her a witch, once after school Petka saw her draw some symbols on the blackboard and read strange letters in an unknown language, looking in a mirror, I didn’t see it myself, but the nickname stuck.

      – Why are you here, are you going to the camp too? Petya laughed.

      – The prankster Kurochkin guessed, I will teach you there, otherwise you will forget the material completely over the summer, I will be your senior counselor there and will not take my eyes off you.

      She began to move her slanted eyes, I involuntarily laughed, she flared up and turning away, snorting a curse at me, went into the bus. Her scent filled the air, nauseating me, and I prayed to all the gods that inhabit our magically devoid world for the bus to have a working air conditioner. And then sometimes he himself turned off halfway.

      – That’s bad luck. The witch will come with us. What do you say Victor?

      – So Petya, even a witch will not be able to interfere with me well, have a rest this summer. – I looked at Katya, a girl from my class. How beautiful she is in this black t-shirt and knee-length skirt. In vain, not shorter, but with her parents hugging her, she could not dress differently. Her father, Oleg Yusupov, is an official in the Ministry of Education and more than once handed me diplomas for winning the Olympiads. I couldn’t take my eyes off her for a long time. Maybe this is my first love. In the camp I will find out, there will be time. I thought so. But fate has other plans for all this and the book of life has already been written and its pages cannot be rewritten, no matter how hard you try.

      – Again you laid eyes on Katya. Although you know that it is useless, she only looks at those who have money. We have nothing to catch there.

      – I would not only lay eyes on her, but she does not want to talk to me. I smiled sadly. She really does not make friends and talks with those who are poorer than her, that’s what life is like in our small provincial town. My friend did not say anything, but put his hand on his shoulder. He knew that my heart was scratched by love for her. A dangerous feeling that can destroy at such a vulnerable age. We must control ourselves. But it’s so hard when you’re in love.

      – Let’s not crowd at the entrance. shouted a formidable bus driver, a man in his forties wearing large glasses and a cowboy hat. – Throw all phones and valuables into this bag, the order of the director of the camp. And then you kids will bury yourself in them all summer long, and you won’t rest normally. Throw everything away without a trace, we do not want your parents to complain that something was stolen from you during your vacation. You will receive your things back when you return from the camp..

      I put my phone and all valuables. And the medallion from Istvanskaya ore that Petka gave me, left it suddenly useful. He still easily went crazy in the closed pocket of my shorts.

      – And he at least sees the way. – Said, laughing, Petka. – And we can entrust him with our things, I have one medallion worth as much as this whole school. – He laughed, although he lied, our medallions cost as much as our entire small provincial town, but we did not know about it and thought that they were worth nothing. He received them from his grandfather, who was afraid for his grandson, knowing that there would be a lot of darkness and evil in his life. The friend also hid the locket. He did not trust such things to strangers.

      – I also