The Sun & Moon Theatre

The events of 1995

.A dark room with dim lighting near the table, where a man around 50 years old is sitting. He looked very tired, as if he hadn't slept for several days; his skin had a sickly color, and his disheveled hair reached his shoulders. The man was actively filling out some papers. There was a knock on the door. The man didn't react, but the visitor didn't need to - he entered immediately after knocking.

-Steve? - The visitor turned on the light, causing the man to squint and rub his almost faded eyes.

-We have a problem, -  the visitor said, raising his voice.

The man, stopping his rubbing, finally looked at the visitor in the police uniform.

-I already know, - he said in a monotone voice.
-So what..?
-Do what you always do; I'll handle the rest. - The man turned back to his papers.

Shouts echoed through the house.
A little girl, around ten years old, ran through the house with joyful shouts. She was dressed in a beautiful yellow festive dress with a large bow at the back.

- Mom, Dad! - the girl shouted happily.

- Yes, dear? - asked a dark-haired middle-aged woman in a soft, gentle voice, as her daughter ran into the kitchen.

The mother was just setting plates with breakfast on the table, where the brother and father were sitting.

- It's my birthday! - the girl said joyfully again.

- Yes, dear, it’s your birthday, - the mother smiled gently, brushing a black strand of hair from her face. - So hurry up and eat, and then we'll go pick up your friends to go to the theater together!

- Sun and Moon?! - the girl and her brother shouted.

- Of course.

The brother sighed in annoyance and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms, while the sister jumped up and down with joy.

- I will celebrate my birthday with Sun!

- Can we at least invite Mike?

- Of course, we'll pick him up on the way - the mother gently patted her son on the head and sat down at the table.

- Are we there yet? - the girl asked for the umpteenth time.

- Soon, - replied the father, tired of his daughter's questions.

- It's good that Oswald and Mike walked, or they would have gone crazy from your chatter! - said the dark-skinned girl, laughing.

- I can't wait, this is my first birthday at the theater! - the girl was bouncing on the seat and waving her fists excitedly.

- You won't regret it! - said the second friend with large bows in her braids. - Birthdays at the theater are always amazing!

- And expensive, - replied the father.

- But they are worth it! - said the dark-skinned girl. - Especially the cake!

- Well, anyway, you kids will have fun on your own, while we and your parents will be at the restaurant.

- Oswald, Mike! - the girl called out to her brother and his friend as she jumped out of the car. - Let's go quickly, the show is about to start!

- No way, I'd rather go with Mike to Pirate's Cove. Mike says there's a pirate ship there.

- Yes! There's really a pirate ship with all the stuff! It's way cooler than the theater hall.

- Wow! Can we join you after the show?

- Yeah, sure, - Oswald replied, already walking into the theater.

The girls ran after them.

The bells rang out, and moments later, a very tall animatronic wheeled onto the stage. Bells were attached to his brown boots, on twisted noses, and also on the ends of ribbons wound around his wrist. He moved very smoothly and was heavily decorated: fluffy red pompoms on each of the six rays on his head, red pants with suspenders in vertical yellow stripes, widening towards the bottom, with barely visible stars on them that disappeared as soon as the robot emerged into the light. A collar was worn around the robot's neck. The robot turned his head and raised one hand to greet the children in the audience. The bells rang out again. The children began to clap and cheer. The sun tilted its head again and surveyed the room with its white, irisless eyes, accentuated by winged liner.