I hate days like this. It’s terribly cold outside, and it gets dark much faster. Some people say that autumn is beautiful. Leaves fall from the trees, covering the damp earth with a rainbow quilt. However, for me, autumn is associated with only one thing - death. Plants die, and animals hide in tight corners, peacefully falling asleep. They probably don’t feel like watching everything around them slowly fade away. I envy them, I would like to close my eyes and not have to worry about anything too. Rain runs down my face. Water drips from strands of long blond hair, joining their companions. Together they flow down the paths, washing away all the dirt. Raindrops are never alone, there are billions of them, and each one has brothers and sisters. The bright lights of passing cars force me to keep squinting. I take step after step, watching the gusty wind tug at the bare branches of the trees. I take a deep breath before stepping into the dark forest separating me from home. Almost no one

Tonight, I finally managed to fall asleep without much trouble. I admit that, to some extent, the thought of showing up in the evening to a house full of people, more than half of whom I probably don’t know, doesn’t bother me much anymore. The image of a merciless murderer with burning hands doesn’t constantly visit my mind. I stand behind the counter in the café and nervously look around the premises. I fear that I will be forced to meet the mysterious stranger again. I’m clinging to the hope that he won’t keep his word and won’t come back today. “I don’t believe my eyes!” I hear Anna’s excited voice and immediately know what she is talking about. And it was supposed to be so beautiful, damn it. In my spirit, I thank God and all the saints that I didn’t call the police yesterday. That would have only been a shame! Failure all along the line. “He really came, Alex!” Anna jerks me by the arm, nodding in the direction of the boy, who is just taking a seat at the same table as yesterd

At this hour, and in this total desolation, not a single car is visible, except ours. A thick fog is spreading around, and it’s slowly starting to rain. What can I say, perfect driving weather, especially since I took my license two years ago, didn’t own a car and haven’t sat behind the wheel since then, so, as if to put it… I’m a bit out of practice. Anna wriggles in her seat as if she had pin-worms. She’s babbling like a possessed man, and I’m beginning to suspect that she presumably doesn’t know what she’s talking about herself. She snaps her long, blood-red painted nails, which makes me incredibly nervous. A little more and I swear I’ll burn her in that disheveled head! How much more can you do! My dad always said: “If you can’t drink, don’t drink.” One glance at Anna is enough to know that she doesn’t stick to this rule. When we reach the traffic lights, I stop the car, cause bad luck would have it that the red light has just come on. I take a deep breath and watch the wipers swi