The Waltz with no End

Без названия, Часть 1

Three months ago Jofranka and Tamash were happy. Jofranka did not come down with the illness, and they could do so many things together: walk up and down the hills, dance at the village feasts, chat and laugh.

Every day seemed to be filled with the sunshine, because Jofranka was sure: after the hard work at the vineyard she will meet Tamash. They will look at the dusk — as hot as their love. The crimson rays will light up the steeples of a far castle. But why should Jofranka think about the castle, if the hut of Tamash the forester is big enough? When they get married, there will be lots of space.

One month ago they still were happy. Despite the fact Jofranka lied on the bed almost all the time, despite the fact she coughed out blood more and more often, they hoped for the miracle. And if there is no miracle, before she sets up her everlasting rest Jofranka would be able to look at her beloved groom. Tamash every day went to her house, sat near her bed, whispered tender words. His attention allowed Jofranka forget about the near end and think only about their happy days, which will never repeat.

A week ago everything changed. Tamash did not come to her. Jofranka thought him to be too busy, because soon the price Albert will haunt in the forest, so the forester will have lots of business. The next day Jofranka also spent with her old mother, and then, finally, Tamash arrived.

He brought a little bouquet: pale violet balls of flowers were jiggling on their stems, while Tamash was putting it in the glass. But Jofranka did not look at the flowers — she was concentrated on the groom's face.

How has he changed! The flush disappeared, dark circles under his eyes were enormous, he looked gaun.

"What's happened?" — Jofranka asked.

"Caught a cold," — he said shortly, touching his necktie.

It looked that Tamash made himself to stay with Jofranka. Very few times he looked at her, and did not he take her palm.

"It's nice outdoors, isn't it?" — Jofranka tried to get him to talk.

"Too sunny," — he answered.

She coughed, closing her mouth with the handkerchief. And when the cough stopped, and she moved her hand away, Tamash looked only on the scarlet drops.

Not much time spent he with Jofranka, but perhaps it was not bad. He was distancing from Jofranka's cot as the evening sun was shining it, and strangely, pitiful smiled, showing his sharp white teeth, when she asked if she could help him somehow.

That was the last their meeting. "Why did he leave me? — Jofranka thought, looking at the withered flowers. —Maybe he is so ill that he just can't come?" She asked her mother to visit Tamash and when the old lady just returned Jofranka said impatiently:

"What?"

"Vanished," — the mother answered. — "Nobody saw him".

Jofranka bursted into tears. He forgot her, he left the village so as to never remember about her! What did she do wrongly? How spited him? Or perhaps he was bored to wait impossible things and decided to start a new happier life?

She grieved not long. Jofranka, exhausted from the disease, fainted. The swoon was alternating with the sleep and short moments of awakening. There was Tamash in her dreams — as he was three months ago. They walked in a vineyard and butterflies flew around them. "Look, Jofranka, — he said, — they are waltzing, and we could dance so!"

The breath — it looked like a death rattle — made her to come round. The round yellowish moon filled the room with its cold light, and at the foot of her bed, where it was still dark, Jofranka saw a silhouette. It was totally black, and only its eyes were red as the embers.

"Jofranka, honey," — she heard such a familiar voice.

"Tamash?" — she asked, raising her head.

"We will never meet again," — he continued. — "I've turned into the Nosferatu, and I'm dangerous to you".

Tamash never seemed to be so scary. He was walking around her cot, coming near her. He was grinning, and she could see his fangs. Jofranka grabbed the garlic flowers, so Tamash slid sideways.

"Farewell, Jofranka," — and he leaked the crack in the window frame.

If it was a dream, Jofranka did not know. As every villager, she believed in vampires, but she never thought herself to see one of them. Moreover, because of the fever, everything in the room looked like the delirium. Just recently the chair seemed to be alive: it was shaking and stomping its leg. She could not ponder it: Jofranka fell asleep again — forever.

***

With great difficulty she opened her eyes. The moon still was big and bright. Not the room it was shining on, but the crosses on graves — the new ones and the old rickety others. Jofranka was not alone. The hundreds of girls wearing white rippling frocks surrounded her. They might had no weight — so gracefully they were running between the tombs, jumping and almost hovering in the air. Probably they actually could fly, because they had wings — as the butterflies do. The skirts were sometimes rising, and it was possible to see the girls' legs — not the human ones, but goat.

Jofranka looked at herself. She was wearing the same dress, which was closing her legs with hooves. She got up from the gravestone and jumped — she managed to fly. That meant that she is one of them, Wilis.

As the white cloud Wilis soared, rounding in the frenetic dance. And Jofranka danced with them, weightless, almost airy.

She was healthy again — as she used to be three months ago — but she never will be happy again. For all eternity she was separated from Tamash. If she met him, she would not be able to withstand the nature and will kill him while dancing. And if he really became a vampire, he probably left the village and will not come back. She lost herself in the motion, and she flied in the black sky as rapidly as a white swallow.

Suddenly the dance stopped for a while: Wilis noticed a young man plodding at the graveyard. His figure, his gait — everything was familiar to Jofranka. She ran headlong to him, not having a powerful to stop and to prevent Tamash from the doom.

"Run, Tamash!" — cried Jofranka. — "You can't be here!"

"Jofranka, run!" — he answered, rushing to her. — "I'm dangerous to you, stand away!"

Cautions were futile: Jofranka and Tamash got close, held hands. His red eyes were looking at her face so intently, that Jofranka's wings started to shiver. Cold, lifeless fingers of Tamash were squeezing the similar Jofranka's fingers, but never his palm seemed to be so warm and gentle.

He was kissing her passionately, biting her lips with his sharp teeth. She was making him to whirl in the rampant waltz — quicker and quicker, higher and higher.

They will be together for ever, because they both are immortal. Jofranka and Tamash will always be happy.