13

So they led me blindfolded. We left the knurled road, I walked, led by the hand of my aunt, constantly falling into the snow. My hand itched to rip that stupid blindfold off my eyes. I didn’t get the mystery of the moment at all and felt very stupid.

Soon I smelled a fire, but we all wandered and wandered. Finally, when I heard the crackling of logs, and, in addition to smoke, the intoxicating smell of herbs reached me, we stopped. No one was in a hurry to remove the bandage from me, my hand flew up to my face, but my aunt's light touch stopped it.

"Wait," she whispered. Then I lost the feeling of her presence beside me.

I could hear the soft creak of footsteps on the snow and the hiss of fire ahead. Then a wrinkled hand grabbed my hand tightly - it was Grandma Cooper - and led me forward. It was easier to go, apparently, the clearing was cleared of snow. She placed me very close to the fire, on the left side I felt the heat of the flame. For a few seconds I was left alone again, un