Unchallenged

The Letter

Nikolay POV

- A month before -

"At least tell me where I am!" I shouted to her as she was turning back to the front desk.

"Everything you need to know it's written inside that Letter. Leave now, you're scaring everyone!" she dismissed me, smiling at a man who was waiting in line and handing him a bag and an envelope. 

I glanced upon people's wondered and frozen features. Her warm smile was the last thing I remembered as I got out through the large glass doors. Nobody smiled at me in the last 10 years. It took me a decade to walk alone outside without being surrounded by guards. Freedom. I breathed it inside my lungs. It even smelled like something untouchable and everlasting. I was free. No trial, no lawyers, no judge, no papers to sign and... no last fight. 

I looked at my big clenched fists and thought about Petrov, the mafia rich man, who found pleasure in illegal ring fights between skilled prisoners. He had a huge fighting net affair among Russian prisons. He promised me release and a huge amount of money if I had won the the last fight. I looked around me. I had freedom, but where was the money and especially where was I? My head started to spin again. The bag! I grasped the cilindric bag in my fist. This should have been a bag full of money. I opened it fast but all I found inside were mere clothes. The envelope! He should have left me a bank cheque inside. I teared it open but there was only a letter. Where is the money? What did Petrov do to me? My whole core exploded with anger, my sight went dark and I squeezed The Letter in my fist.

"Read it!" I heard a voice in my head.

My dear friend,

Do not be afraid of the unknown. Everything will become familiar to you shortly.You are in a town you've never heard of or visited before but you will get used to it. Everything that have existed doesn't exist anymore. The place you call home doesn't exist anymore. You will never get back as hard as you try. The people you met before don't exist anymore. You will never find them again in this life. Conserve your personal energy for more useful things. You have received this chance because you have deserved it, but this doesn't make you a superior person. Every citizen was given a Letter and a mission. Don't search in vain because you will not find what you want all of a sudden. Be patient.Look for Ida Pallas and your house. She is meant to be your partner and friend.Go to the Town School, you have a job as a physical teacher there.Look for the Boxing Club if you miss training and fighting.Thank you for taking time to read my letter. Keep it. You may need to read it again.

Yours sincerly,

A friend

Firstly I thought it was a stupid joke made by Petrov. But after a few days I shockingly realised the words from The Letter were true. Little I knew then that this piece of paper was not for me, but for everyone a user manual of our new fates.

I walked cluessly along the streets but the anonymous place didn't leave a mark on me as it did to other people I got to know. I didn't walk outdoor alone anyway for 10 years. It felt more like a delight for me to be unattended outside. I could have been on a desserted island, or on top of a lonely icy mountain, it wouldn't have bothered me. I didn't even have what to start all over again because I only had myself since my mother died. But the hell I needed answers to my many questions and the f*cking sheet of paper didn't give me any feedback.

Still I was not on my own here. I had a strange feeling that I would not make ends meet if I disobeyed the message from The Letter. I could easy deal to visit the Boxing Club. I trully needed a good training session, but taking a job as a teacher? That was insane. First of all I didn't have an academic degree, second I never communicated with children and third I was an ex convict. Who on Earth would sign me up for such a job? However I had no money  and I would have probably reconsider the job offered in The Letter. 

Nevertheless I didn't know what to assume about Ida Pallas - partner - friend - house idea. Who was this woman, what would she think about me and our partnership/friendship suggestion? 

Thank you for reading this chapter! I'm trying my best to come to you with more interesting chapters! Please vote and comment if you read and enjoyed it!