Remember when Pandora opened the box and released all evils that one thing remained inside? Hope, that's right. I know what you are going to say: That teaches us that there's a silver lining, sun shines after rain, etc. I thought so as well. Until recently.

But, what if hope is a bad thing?

Do you recall that toy you never got, the one you were dreaming of when you were a kid?

You were hoping you would get it? Until…you grew up.

Do you call to mind your first teenage love? It wasn't mutual, was it? Were you hoping that the addressee of your love would ever notice you?

Don't answer, I know what the answer is.

How about adulthood? The first death of a family member, especially if you were with them in their last days, watching them agonizing, knowing that you can't do anything to help them? You were hoping for a miracle, right? Did it happen?

Hope, most of the time, has no logical explanation. Your hope is based on your inability to handle your strong emotions, or a difficult situation, or your life. Hope gives you something to live for, but when the cruel future slaps you on the face, it gets even more painful. Hope is killing you little by little, eating your soul bit by bit, scarring your heart, taking away all the sense you find in your pitiful life.

Don't agree?

Let's hope I am wrong.

He was standing upright facing the cave, enjoying his moment of victory. All those fights, all the tortures, all the deaths he caused, it was all worth it! Just like the note in the time capsule said: "A hole in the ground, two hedges in front, that's where the ultimate treasure awaits for its conqueror." He opened the door vigorously.

Sharp cold pain on the left, he fell on the ground, his last words : "Forgive me, Lord!"

A gust of wind knocked some of the books off the shelves of the ancient library and slammed the door behind his lifeless body.

There was a woman who lived on a farm.

In a small village, close to a river.

To maintain her garden's colorful charm

She had to make sure it's not going to wither.

Each morning she shouldered a pole

With two buckets - one at each side.

Then she would go for her everyday stroll

To the river - deep, crystal and wide.

One of the pails was having a crack

That kept growing bigger and broader.

Every next day when she came back

There was less water, less weight on her shoulders.

The bucket got sad and one day it said:

- You see that I'm useless, why bother?

The woman smiled and quietly led

It to the path: Because there's no other

Like you. You may have your tiny flaws,

But it's them that make you special.

See those flowers on the right? The rose

In full bloom? If I had another vessel

It wouldn't reach half of that splendor.

And if it wasn't for you I would surrender.

Due to your crack every time I pass by

I am giving these flowers their daily water supply.

If their voices could be heard, be sure,

We would witness some exquisite songs.

Odes of praise would accompany our tours

Make our journey nice and long.

It's the view of them that melts my heart,

Cheers my spirit, brings a smile.

So, you should be proud, as a start,

Of creating something so worthwhile.

Don't ever think you're useless,

Because, as it may seem,

The thing you ponder flaw

May be another person's dream.

INGREDIENTS:

1. A woman in a stable long-term distance (for the moment) relationship. (Yes, that's you!)

2. A bar;

3. Alcohol (of any kind, although it's beer in the original recipe);

4. A random man, who isn't that woman's type;

5. A woman's female friend

STEPS:

1. The woman (exhibit 1) goes to a bar (exhibit 2), accompanied by her friend (exhibit 5), with the clearest of all intentions to have ONE beer (exhibit 3), listen to some nice music and get back home.

(Just in case, exhibit 1 put on some make up, did her hair and dressed up in advance. What's the case? We don't know.)

2. Exhibit 1 meets exhibit 4 (a random man who isn't her type) after a solid amount of exhibit 3 and starts a casual conversation, even invites exhibit 4 to sit next to her, because "he's safe". (He's not her type at all, in any sense, he's much younger than her, and they barely understand each other, both being strangers in a strange land).

3. The casual conversation and the abuse of exhibit 3 give exhibit 4 the freedom to hug exhibit 1, then tighten the hug little by little. Exhibit 1 realizes that this hug may lead to something else, but hopes that it won't (the sober part of her brain). The drunk part thinks "What the hell!" (Yes, Hell is coming, but you don't know it yet.) With exhibit 3 still in the picture exhibit 4 starts kissing exhibit 1 passionately - first on the neck, then on the lips; hands are touching all those places that were reserved for someone else just two hours before that… Her brain screams "RUUUN", but her body…It's been a long time since it was touched this way - gently, sensually and confidently at the same time. Exhibit 4 knows what he's doing and why he's doing it.

Exhibit 1 realizes her mistake (has an epiphany, embodied by exhibit 5, who starts being aggressive to exhibit 4, because he neglected her and chose the other) and disappears as fast as she can. But, due to the side effects of exhibit 3, exhibit 4 has her number.

4. Then it starts - three weeks of agony, a struggle between guilt and temptation. A roller coaster of feelings she didn't wish for. Hot and cold waves drown her, make her wriggle in bed at night, wake up soaked with sweat. She curses him, craving to be with him each second of the day. At the end of week 3 she succumbs.

5. They meet. Exhibit 1 is attracted and bewildered at the same time. She knows what she bets. She has so much to lose. Exhibit 3 strikes again and she finally loses. Everything.

That's it, we did it!

A night she will never forget that lasts long enough for him to forget her name.

Next day - She doesn't need to go to Hell. Hell is already here and it's here to stay. Forever.

(If you like my recipe, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to my channel.)

There are times your heart is shattered

And your body cannot handle all that pain.

Lost is everything that mattered,

Gone forever, as a desert rain.

There are times your mind is drifting

Between nightmares of the past and now.

Illusions and reality are shifting.

You want to cope but you don't know how.

Because all the puzzle pieces of your soul

Are scattered, burnt, marred, buried.

You have one wish - to let the tears freely fall

And cry out all the poison that they carry.

But tears do not always cure.

Hot as lava they pierce your face.

You feel worse, darkness allures

You to give up to its infinite maze.

Just then, when you are about to dive

And, hopefully, drown in your smothering grief

There comes a hand that grabs you, reminds you of being alive.

Shaking your whole world, giving back the belief,

That you thought you lost along the way.

Some calming words, a warm hug or a simple gesture

Are all you need - this time, this moment, this day.

Soon you take the first step to your healing.

Then, the next, you can freely breathe again.

A smile comes one day - a gorgeous feeling.

You are reborn, it happened - you don't know how, you don't know when.

So, silver lining there must be for sure.

The sun must rise right after the rain.

For every pain there is a cure,

For every loss - a subtle gain.

Thanks to all the authors on this site! Thanks to the creators! This is the place I come when I feel the need to believe in myself again! Thanks for healing my soul! I wish you all to manage to draw inspiration even from the struggle with your inner demons. Sometimes the most beautiful things come from the darkest places. I am proud to be here. Happy New Year!

Once upon a time, in the dragons' land far, far away

There was a mermaid who lived in a castle - majestic and gray.

The castle belonged to some dragons who moved out of town.

Abandoned and ghostly it stood until it was found

By Mermaid who thought "I can live here. It's the least I deserve".

And so her reign started - on that land, on that piece of Earth.

Mermaid, kind and polite, soon made a lot of new friends.

Dragons who met her one time craved to see her again.

Generous gifts they would bring her - some funny, some stern.

Mermaid humbly accepted, giving all the joy in return.

All dragons were happy for the castle's new dweller.

But the happiest of all was the weather teller.

A special dragon he was - some say he was mad.

But nobody doubted the magical talent he had.

By omens and signs no one else understood

He knew if what comes in the future was good

Or bad and when it was bad he dashed down the town

Shouting out loudly about what was going to come.

Sadly he spoke in a way that was mystical, strange

Thus a lot of the dragons thought him deranged.

Soon nobody listened, no one considered to take a prevention.

Sad and abandoned he thought of a way to draw their attention

And to be useful. He started to dress for the weather to come.

Sometimes in hot days he would put on a sweater, so that all would be warned

That cold would appear in several days

And they had to prepare for it was to stay.

Sometimes in cold days he would wear a tee

Temperatures rising - that it would mean

One day he stopped in front of Mermaid's reigns

And instead of claiming it was going to rain

Or some of the sort, he took a serious face:

“They will conquer it”, said he, “they will conquer this place”.

Mermaid was startled - should she believe the terrible news?

Few days later the family came - the ones that were going to use

The castle to live in. Mermaid was anxious and scared.

They slammed the door before her: “You have no place there!”

And Mermaid was left all alone in the hands of her fate.

Merciful neighbors tried to help her but it wasn't that great.

Most of the dragons were poor and couldn't afford one more plate on the table.

Mermaid knew that, she felt ashamed and her health grew unstable.

Begging for food, looking for shelter, she just went door to door.

Day after day, night after night, as if she was never happy before.

At last she gave up and started to sleep in the street.

Skinny and dirty, aloof and unhappy in cold, warm and heat.

The mystical dragon who saw the future appeared again

Sat by her, patted her shoulder: “Soon it is going to rain.

You find where to hide, stay hale and alert!

Soon everyone gets what he deserves.”

Rain started in days, as he said.

Mermaid hid in a place close to a bed

Of flowers and waited for the miracle to appear.

Meanwhile the weather teller was given a gift by a peer.

It was a lottery ticket. An old friend of his

met him wandering down the streets.

The friend had two lottery tickets - exactly the same.

Gave one to the dragon and whispered: "May you win the game".

Two days had passed and the lottery was drawn.

The dragon knew beforehand that he had won.

Took the prize and bought a splendid home.

Went to Mermaid: “The moment has come.

I don't own a castle but there's a place you can stay.

You can share my food, live under my roof if you want, you can start from today.”

Mermaid said “yes” and they went home together.

Everything since then started to better.

Even the weather - sun finally made its way on the sky.

All that I am telling is real, I am not going to lie.

Except for one thing - that Mermaid wasn't a mermaid at all.

And the dragon who saved her was human, more human than all.

At first I thought this cannot be a source of inspiration,

To dig into the past and force what's left of one's imagination.

But then I said, why not, if I could spit all my spite, malice and venom.

It's judgment day! I found my path in life, the precious thing to lean on.

With no further introduction I open the Pandora's box.

And flounder selflessly into the muddy scary bogs.

Here they are, the important lessons I was taught,

The wisdom I received, the one I never sought:

One, if your buddy has a thing for fetishism,

You either fit or run, apply your realism.

Either way, it will most surely end in tears.

Or blood and death and certain years

In a warm and cozy place with bars.

Where you'll have time to cure your scars

Or gain new ones - it's always up to you.

So far for lesson one, now let's go to number two:

Two, if you're "almost perfect" but he "can make you better",

Believe me, you'll never reach his goals, so run, no matter

What the butterflies in stomach make you feel.

Instead, you'd better guide them to your heels

And fly away with all your imperfections.

Embrace the fact you might need no corrections.

Three, if he claims the woman's place is in the kitchen,

Your walk away from him is not considered ditching,

But a good survival instinct, hear what I say!

Handling the alpha male - there is no other way.

Five, if he dubs your bestie "my spare tire',

Soon or sooner it will spark a fire

In which the three of you may burn alive.

So, be very careful with number five.

Six, if he's narrow-minded, rude and frankly dull,

Do not expect to change the way he sees the world.

He's mister know-it-all, there shouldn't be a doubt.

There's no topic he's not competent about.

And you know nothing, a clueless little girl.

So “you'd better listen” to his words, his “pearls”.

I'll end my list with number seven.

When it seems your man is sent from Heaven.

He's perfect, you are happy and content

And nothing warns you of the bitter end

That is to come, when one day you just trip,

Then the pink sunglasses simply slip,

And make their noisy crushing fall

Then you understand: THERE IS NO COMMON GOAL!

Nothing both of you would like to do together.

Common future is something that will happen NEVER.

Both hearts are broken but it is for the best

To split the ways - one to the east, the other - to the west.

And start again your hectic quest.

In search of perfect half, no time to rest.

The years pass, you either find him or he finds you,

Or nothing of the sort, you realize alone's an option too.

Because, let's face it, you should have known it from the start:

In YOUR life YOU are the person with the most important part!

- Many years ago, our whole society got sick with a rare disease: the internet. It started innocently - emails, chats, Wikipedia, we used those big boxes where we store the eggs now. Computers. Later, it was transferred to something you can hold in one hand.

- The nutcrackers?

- Back then, these were called smartphones, their sole purpose being the internet, the thing that slowly and steadily took over our time and lives.

- Because you could find the whole knowledge of the world in just a few seconds and you didn’t need to go to the library like now?

- No. In fact, no.

- Because you could work without having to get up early and actually leave the house?

- Well, there was this work-from-home trend, but no.

- Because you could talk to the people you love, no matter where on the planet they were?

- There was this opportunity, but we used it at the very beginning only. Soon after, we stopped talking on the phone, we texted instead. Actually, this is not correct - there wasn't any text. We used to send messages of simple yellow pictures, emojis, to express our feelings. It was so much easier. On the rare occasions when we saw an acquaintance on the street, we didn't know what to say because there are no emojis in real life and the words for that were long-forgotten.

- Because you could work without having to get up early and actually leave the house?

- Well, there was this work-from-home trend, but no.

- Because you could talk to the people you love, no matter where on the planet they were?

- There was this opportunity, but we used it at the very beginning only. Soon after, we stopped talking on the phone, we texted instead. Actually, this is not correct - there wasn't any text. We used to send messages fof simple yellow pictures, emojis, to express our feelings. On the rare occasions when we met an acquaintance on the street, we didn't know what to say because there are no emojis in real life.

- You didn't gather with other people?

- It wasn't like now. The internet was so much more interesting than an actual meet-up with an old friend. There were social media, shopping apps, influencers, vloggers, tik-tokers… All these things that we willingly wasted our free time on...We were all sick with the same disease.

- And then?

- The depression came and no one was prepared for it. We turned to the internet, our master, once again.

- And?

- We asked for help, for a way to heal our souls.

The internet was silent.

One day, one man just had enough and he did something unthinkable. He shut his internet down! He didn't think he would survive. The next day came, then the other. The man endured a strange transformation. He started to hear the birds' songs; see the hues of green on the tree leaves; detect the different aromas of flowers in bloom; enjoy the gentle touch of the sunbeams. He felt he wasn't insatiable anymore, quite the opposite, he was content. It was then when he realized he was no longer sick. He wanted to share his cure with the world. So his long journey began. City after city, town after town, his speeches were so profound and honest, that all those sick people, they felt like they had to do what he did. They tore the "net" apart and just like him, they started to see, hear and feel. Real feelings. And they remembered the words for that. People made their final choice…

We chose freedom. The freedom to be the only masters of our lives. Now we have time.

I.

In a small country, located somewhere between Europe and Asia, there was a small village, known by the name of Medovene. It had a population of 372 people from different origin and races, who managed to live in peace with one another. Of course there were quarrels from time to time, mainly connected with obstacles daily life created. But most of the time it was quiet and peaceful – a dream come true for people, living in cities, but not for the locals – this calmness suffocated them. They felt their lives passing in the monotony of daily routines.

Thank God, there were children. Although there were only five, they made noise for a whole class. Kids loved to play outside, irritating cattle or nervous dogs, or playing hide-and-seek in the nearby forest. However, their favourite hobby was to mock at Guncho – the local shepherd.

Guncho was a 25-year old man, who, due to his illness, had the mental abilities of a child. When asked a question he found difficult, he would slap his head, smile stupidly and cry: “Wa-ter in myyy heeeaad, wa-ter in myy heeeaad” and run away rapidly. Kids loved that, chased him and made him repeat again and again. Guncho deliberately let himself be caught, because he adored them. He didn’t realise he was their laughing stock, he thought they were his friends. Although Guncho was mentally disabled (there was much truth in his words “water in my head”- he suffered from hydrocephalus*) and couldn’t read and write, he was a man of good heart, always ready to help. The entire village knew him and people tried to make his life bearable, as much as they could.

Guncho was abandoned as a child by his mother, who, the minute she understood he won’t be a “normal” person ran away somewhere, nobody knew where. Father – unknown. Somehow Guncho managed to grow up, moving from one house to another, trying to help with daily chores, taking care of domestic animals, talking and singing to them. He adored cows, sheep, goats, chicken, cats, dogs, pigeons, turkeys and they loved him in their own way, too. Whenever one of them refused to eat, because of sickness, their owners called not for the local vet, but for Guncho. He managed to “convince” the animal after a short chat to accept some food. People were grateful to the young man and gave him presents.

One day, when the old shepherd died, a meeting was called and all the villagers unanimously decided that Guncho had to be their new shepherd. This made him so happy, that he rushed into the woods and howled the whole day – that was one of his ways of showing satisfaction. Since then, Guncho was the proud shepherd of the village of Medovene. In the mornings he would greet the owners, gather the animals, hug them and go along the road with a stupid smile on his face. After collecting all of the cattle, their strange happy herd would go to the nearest big pasture and slowly and clumsily settle there.

____________________________________________________________________

*Hydrocephalus is the buildup of fluid in the cavities (ventricles) deep within the brain. The excess fluid increases the size of the ventricles and puts pressure on the brain.

II.

The pasture was surrounded by a picturesque river, which ended in the middle of nowhere, creating a swampy area. Small animals would enter the river to play, rather than use it for pragmatic reasons - drinking water, for example. They were often swept by the current into the swampy spot. Nobody knew how deep this place was, but, since two fatal incidents happened there in the recent 10 years, locals avoided this location. It grew wild, full of strange-looking plants, a home for innumerous water species, some of which created strange and scary sounds during the night. Guncho was the only one who wasn’t afraid of the swamp. He believed that the water in his head came namely from this place. He thought he was partly human, partly water creature. Maybe that was the reason he adored swimming in the swamp. He did it every day at lunchtime – while the animals were resting under the shadows of the nearby oaks.

III.

Days were passing, months, years. Life in Medovene kept on with a slow, almost invisible rhythm. Considering the age of the prevailing part of the population, when someone died it was an event - everyone put on their most official suits or dresses, as if there was a wedding ceremony to be held. No matter the religion of the deceased, the whole village attended the funeral. It was an occasion for them to see each other, to have a snack and a drink together, to discuss the latest events.

Guncho hated funerals, because he didn’t understand them. He would suddenly rush through the crowd hugging people he hadn’t seen for a long time (his perception of time was wrong – he couldn’t make a difference between hours, days and years), smiling and singing. Although people knew it wasn’t on purpose, this behaviour often upset the close relatives of the deceased. That’s why he was a “persona non grata” at funerals. People didn’t want to be reminded that a “normal” person had stopped to exist and crazy Guncho was going on with his senseless life. A week or two after the funeral close relatives of the deceased, chased by their sense of guilt, would give Guncho "presents" - the tools or clothes of the deadman. Guncho could recognize whose objects these were and would ask where the person was. He was told the man had been gone and wouldn’t come back ever. Guncho felt horrible – as if he was a thief, and he didn't use the presents. He would store them in his secret place – a small cave in the surroundings of the village, waiting for their owner to return. Actually, the place wasn’t that secret – kids soon discovered it and often made a mess, stealing or hiding some of the objects. That made Guncho depressed – he would abandon his job, refuse to eat and sleep until he found the thing and bring it back to its particular place.

IV.

One day in the summer an old house in the village was bought and in a while two women settled there. A mother and a daughter. The daughter’s name was Nicky – she was a sixteen-year old beautiful young lady – slim, tall, long blonde hair, large emerald, always curious eyes. At first locals couldn’t believe that an event of such character was taking place in Medovene. The two women were overwhelmed with attention, small gifts and other signs of hospitality. Soon everyone in the village knew their story. It turned out that the mother was a housewife, the daughter was a schoolgirl and there was a father – a well-known surgeon, working in the nearest city. When asked when the doctor would come to live there, the women’s answer was the same. “Soon, he’s got a lot to do before moving in.”

Days were passing at a slow pace, and soon the two newcomers were completely integrated into the local community. Due to his job, Guncho couldn’t meet the women for a while, but he had heard of them.

V.

One morning, while he and the herd were making their way to the pasture, just in the village’s end, he noticed a small black kitty, hiding behind a shrub. The kitty was so scared, that it was meowing hysterically and distracted the other animals. Guncho managed to approach the kitty and after a short soothing chat took it in his arms. Guncho guessed whose this animal was, but he couldn't leave the herd, so he decided to bring it back in the evening. When the time came Guncho gathered the herd, took the kitty and headed to the newcomers’ house. He rang the bell, the door opened and… there she was. An angel in a white dress, red swollen eyes, tears dropping on her perfect face.

One "miaw" was enough to change her expression - tears dried, broad smile on her face, she cried: “You found him, you found him, Mom, come!”. Then there were hugs and kisses , a cry and laughter, innumerous gratitudes, and an offer for dinner. Guncho got so embarrassed by all the attention he got, he couldn’t bear it. He smiled stupidly, hit his head several times, shouted: “Wa-ter in myyyy heeead!” and ran away as fast as he could.

In fact, the reason for his escape was Nicky. He immediately fell in love with her, the moment he saw her. He had heard of angels in the local church, but had never seen one before. His emotions were a strange mixture of love, respect and fear of the supernatural. From that day on, he did his best to avoid having to meet Nicky, but secretly observed her, full of adoration. Nicky could feel someone was watching her and soon discovered who. She was flattered by Guncho’s attention and searched for a way of communication with him. She would come to the pasture at first every morning, then the afternoons and then in the evenings again. Guncho’s first thought was to hide himself, but then he would look at the herd and feel guilty – he was responsible for these animals, he couldn’t betray them. So he figured it out. Every time Nicky came, he would throw himself into the swamp and swim and dive and float there until she came back home. Nicky liked this little game of his and became even more persistent.

VI.

One day, at lunchtime, Nicky took an unexpected step. She dived into the water. She tried to catch up with Guncho, who was floating around like a dead leaf. What she didn’t know was that the swamp was deep, and Guncho was above the deepest part of it. She swam to him. Guncho was startled. He quickly found his way out of the water, stepped on shore and started to dress hectically. Nicky yelled: “Hey, come back. Why did you escape? You won’t come, ok, I’m coming then!” – and started swimming to the ground. The minute she did it, she felt something was quickly wrapping around her right ankle. She screamed and tried to release herself as fast as she could, but, instead, she felt that the thing was pulling her to the bottom of the swamp. She lost confidence and balance and felt she was to drown any minute. One last “help” and she was lost in the water.

At first Guncho thought Nicky was playing and attempting to lure him to come back into the swamp. He felt so confused and embarrassed, that it took him several minutes to realize what was happening. He plunged quickly and started to look for the girl. A minute passed – nothing, another one – still nothing. Cold sweat, confused mind, shivers down the spine. Guncho was swimming and diving, and gazing and crying. And then he saw her. He dived for the last time, grabbed her porcelain body with one hand and started swimming with the other. He managed to take her to the shore. No signs of life, her pretty lips were blue. Guncho shouted at her, slapped her face, cried, shouted again and howled like a wounded animal. It was useless, she was forever gone...

VII.

...Or so he thought. Luckily a local heard Guncho and went to se what was happening. The ambulance came shortly. A heart massage gave result. Nicky woke up and started coughing out the water she had swallowed. They took her to the same hospital where her father worked. Guncho felt a miracle had taken place. He was relieved.

Nicky spent a week in the hospital until she fully recovered. Her father came to see her several times a day. He kept on asking her what had happened, but she was too embarrassed to tell the truth. So she made up a story – that same day it had been so hot that she had decided to dip herself in the water. She had tried to learn how to swim, but got tired and felt she couldn’t make a move. She told both her parents and the police that she didn’t remember anything after that, only that Guncho was her savior. The case was closed.

VIII.

Nicky was discharged from the hospital and got back home. The whole village went to see her and brought her presents. It was a happy day in Medovene. Guncho was the happiest of all. From that day on Guncho was a daily dinner guest in Nicky’s house. Her father eventually settled in the village. Nicky’s father delicately observed Guncho’s behavior every day, read a lot about hydrocephalus and one morning he called a family meeting.

“We need to help our hero” – said he, “and I think I found how.” Then he started explaining that Guncho’s medical condition can be cured. The procedure included a surgical insertion of a drainage system, called a shunt. This shunt would help the excessive amount of water in Guncho’s brain to flow in the right direction and at the proper rate. This would allow for his brain to function normally. Surgery was expensive, but Nicky’s father was ready to do it himself for free. The whole family agreed and Guncho was taken to hospital.

IX.

Operation was successful. Guncho was left in the hospital for two weeks - the physicians wanted to be sure his body accepted the shunt. It all seemed ok and after a few last tests Guncho was discharged from the hospital and sent back for home recovery. Every day people from the village would come and see him, bringing him breakfast and coffee.

At first Guncho couldn’t realize what was happening, where he was, who all these people around him were. His mind was blurred. Gradually he started to remember. He remembered he had lived in Medovene all his life, he remembered he was the local shepherd, he remembered his “treasures”, he remembered Nicky.

He felt there was a major difference in him, his mind was clearing out every second, he sensed he had lost something irrevocably, he got scared. He wanted to get rid of these thoughts and soon started doing his job again – to distract his mind from bad thoughts. He passed by neighbors’ houses, anticipating each animal, hoping that he would be cheered.

Nothing happened. Suddenly all of the animal friends, whose languages he had spoken before, became nothing more than sheep, cows, lambs, goats, just cattle. The first day they went to the pasture he realized that he didn’t want to take care of the animals anymore. Later, he visited his treasury and felt ashamed of himself. How could dead people’s possessions – old shabby clothes, archaic tools, and useless stuff be valuable for him? He threw them as soon as he could. Children saw this, felt that something wasn’t right and from that day on they avoided him. Subsequently this tendency ranged throughout the whole village.

Guncho felt so lonely, so scared, so depressed. His values had changed, his life had changed and there was no turning back. The only comfort he had left was the pure love he felt for Nicky. When he felt he had gathered enough courage, he went to see her. She threw herself in his hugs, crying and laughing at the same time, pronouncing inarticulate phrases, kissing his forehead, his temples, his cheeks… This lasted several minutes. Throughout which Guncho discovered the bitter truth – he didn’t really love her, she wasn’t an angel, she wasn’t perfect, she wasn’t beautiful at all. She disgusted him.

X.

Guncho ran away back home. Could this filthy poor dwelling be called home? He didn’t think so. He couldn’t stay there; he had to go somewhere to clear his mind. One last time, he went to the pasture. Alone. It was getting dark when he left. He sat on the river bank, near the swamp, stared at it and started wondering what had led to this dramatic change in him. Thoughts were bumping into one another and together in his head, he felt as if his head was getting smaller. He grabbed it in a desperate attempt to remove the headache and he suddenly realized the reason for his depression – there was no water in his head anymore.

The surgery was more than successful; it not only kept the physiological processes of his body run normally, but the mental as well. The shunt helped him think as a normal person. It marked the end of “stupid old Guncho” and gave the beginning of an intelligent human being. This process opened his mind and made him realize the one and only truth - his life was useless. The deceit, the fairytale he had lived into throughout his whole life was now gone. He had to face the truth – he was the village’s laughing stock, he had no education, no skills, no money, no opportunities and he didn’t love anybody. For 30 years. Enough!

Guncho dived into the swamp, relaxed his body and let the creeping plants wrap around him in a final deadly hug and bring him to the bottom of the swamp. The last thought that passed through his mind before losing consciousness was: “Water in my head, wa-ter in m-y he-add”.

The end