The Black Gazelle (standard:fairy tales, 2776 words)
Author: Boris Sudarushkin	Added: Jan 19 2015	Views/Reads: 2665/2217	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Young russian girl meets a guy from Finland on Russia-Finland border. Together they go to Lapland where Santa lives and miracles happen...

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

suspision at the fowler, pronounced slowly and calmly: -When I was a 
kid I was dreaming to visit Lapland and Santa. 

She was silent for a second and then suddenly (as if recollecting
something) continued: -Well...but all this is in the Past too...So, you 
say you  got lost and you crossed the border?! It's strange that 
borderguards did not catch you...I should tell my father that his 
subordinates work badly... 

-Subordinates of your father?- said Martin. -Is your father the Chief of
boderguards? 

-Exactly,- attested the girl. -My father is the colonel of Russian
borderguards...So you are lucky to  have   met me,  not him. 

With this words she cast a challenging glance at Martin and enjoyed the
impression she made... 

-Well,- murmured the young man, -it's not that I crossed the state
border between Finland and Russia...You see...Lapland is a fairytale 
part of Finland...So,I crossed the border between fairytale and 
reality. That's it. 

-Stop, stop, stop,- interrupted the girl. -You are saying that you are a
fairytale character?!- She burst into laughter and looked cunningly at 
the guy, -Maybe you are a fairytale prince, aren't you? 

-I am not a prince,- said Martin  resented, -but I can prove what I'm
saying. If you like  we can go to Lapland together,- he suddenly 
thought that Santa is against such things done without his permission  
and ended in a low voice, -Although it is not encouraged actually. 

But the words were pronounced and the girl was interested. -Why not?- 
she smiled, casting evaluating glances at the guy. - Tomorrow I'll  be 
here on the spot at the same time...And you take me to your Lapland, 
OK? 

-OK,- nodded Martin being  surprised by his own courage, -but what is
your name? 

-Masha,- answered the girl. 

Martin suddenly felt that there was something familiar in her face, but
did not pay attention to it. -Well,-  he  smiled, -see you tommorow 
then...Thanks for the directions. 

Ch. 3 

...In the evening of that very day no special events were scheduled in
Lapland residence of Santa Claus. 

Little hippo Boris, Martin, Dasha and Veronika were sitting at the round
table, having  some tea and watching TV. 

Veronika, who was now 12 years old and  much more experienced than her
5-year-old sister Dasha, broke the silence , -...I hope you understand 
that it is very dangerous to go so far away into the forest... And it's 
not only that you can cross the border from fairytale into reality but 
what is even more dangerous - you can be lost there in reality and 
incidentally get from Finland into Russia!...What if Russian 
borderguards arrested you for illegal crossing of the state 
border?!...And what if they start shooting and kill you!? 

-Oh!,- Little hippo  winked his round eyes in enormous bewilderment,
-didn't I warn you?, -he addressed his question to Martin as always 
mimicking in his funny hippo way: little eyebrows raised making 
wrinkles on his childish forehead... 

The student made a deep breath and said in a guilty voice: -I wanted so
much to take those photos of birds... 

-Well,- concluded little Dasha, -even your desire to become an
ornithologist does not cost the risk of being shot at the border. 

-That's very wise,- consented Veronika and looking at Martin added, -I
hope everybody got it. 

Little hippo took a plastic spoon from his MacDonalds collection and put
some sugar in his tea... 

Ch. 4 

The next day Martin left the residence only after convincing himself
that nobody followed him. He was going to cross the border again and  
meet Masha there... 

After about half an hour of walking the young man got to the yesterday
glade... 

There was silence around and no  traces of borderguards. It was too
early for the girl to come, so the young man sat down under the bush 
and started watching birds high in the branches of the trees... 

Ch. 5 

Martin had been sitting under the bush for about 20 minutes already when
he suddenly heard footsteps. 

The boy jumped to his feet and the same second saw Masha standing in
front of him. 

-Counting birds?,- smiled the girl instead of greetings. She wore  a
motorbike helmet,  T-shirt and blue jeans: -Surprised?- the girl took a 
little dry branch from the ground and playfully  lifted Martin's hat 
from his head. 

Martin felt uneasy, impressed and excited - so beautiful the girl was.
Trying to hide his embarrassment, he murmured: -You've appeared so 
suddenly... 

-I know every path here,- Masha looked directly in her new friend's
eyes, -but it's really a mystery for me how  you  have managed to cross 
the border again... 

-I  say,-  Martin shrugged his shoulders, -I am not from real Finland. I
am from fairytale Lapland where Santa lives. Your borderguards are not 
able to see fairytale characters, are they? 

-Well,- the girl did not seem to trust in those explanations, -Sometimes
I see fairytale nightdreams, too- With these words she looked 
attentively into Martin's eyes, -But what are you doing there in 
Lapland? 

-I'm taking pictures of birds. I'm gonna be an ornithologist after
graduating from the university... 

-It's more reasonable,- smiled Masha, -then I  can call you
"fowler"..."my fowler"... Masha suddenly took the boy under his hand 
and said: -OK. Let's go...Let's go to your Lapland. 

Ch. 6 

...Our friends were slowly walking towards the Finnish border when
something very strange  started... 

There was a moment when Martin turned his eyes away from Masha and
looked in the opposite direction. And the same second something strange 
 happened...He was about  to tell  something to Masha , but...saw 
nobody nearby!... 

The girl just disappeared...Martin stoped dead . 

-Why aren't we going farther?,-  he suddenly heard Masha's voice and saw
the girl  looking at him as if nothing had happened. 

-Where did  you disappear a second ago?- Martin tried to touch Masha's
hand as if checking whether it was  her. 

- Me?...I have not disappeared,-  the girl shrugged. -We got to this
tree and then you just stoped and started to look around... 

-Correct,- agreed Martin, -but near that tree I had already lost you
from my sight...Couldn't you please stand over there again...I just 
want to check... 

Masha  shrugged her shoulders again and went towards the tree. 

Suddenly she staggered a bit and...disappeared!!!...But at the same
second the Black Gazelle, slender and beautiful, appeared beside the 
tree instead of the girl!  She was graceful and young. The boy was 
absolutely sure that such kind of animal never lived here. He knew how 
the Northern deer looked like but that was something different... 

The Black Gazelle made two more steps ahead, stopped and looked back at
startled Martin. 

-So...What next?- asked the Gazelle in Masha's voice as if nothing had
happened. 

-L-l-look...at...at...at yourself!- the boy was even unable to pronounce
words correctly. 

The Gazelle lowered her eyes, looked at her legs and...rushed back in
horror! 

-What's that?! What was that?!- real Masha in her ordinary body nearly
fell down into scared Martin's chest a second later. 

-Well...,- the boy was trying to look confident, -you just...slow
down...don't be afraid...I think  now I understand everything... 

-What? What's up?- repeated Masha inpassionately. 

-It looks like you can't cross the border into fairytale in your usual
appearance... the real border seems to be there. I mean not 
Finland-Russia border but the real border between Reality and Fairytale 
Lapland, you see? 

-Oh, by gosh,- whispered the girl, -so you told me the
truth...So...so...,- she grabbed Martin's hand, -Let's go...Let's go to 
your Lapland. 

Martin smiled...Hand in hand they crossed the Border. 

Ch. 7 

Martin and Black Gazelle were slowly walking along the forest road. It
was already late at night but the sun was still high in the sky. There 
were no nights in the North in the summer... 

-It's late,- said Black Gazelle, -I should go back home. 

-Why?- asked Martin. He stood  face to face with Gazelle and touched her
neck. -Wouldn't you like to stay here in Lapland? 

Gazelle was silently looking straight at him. So close was she that the
boy saw the pores of her black skin around her lips and his own 
reflection in her eyes. 

-I'd  like, - she lowered her head and whispered, -I'd like, but...what
about my parents?...They'll be worried...You know...,- she took a pause 
for a second, -I'll come tomorrow. I should think about all this... 

-I'll introduce you to Little hippo, Dasha and Veronika. They are my
best friends,- said Martin. -And of course you'll see Santa. 

Gazelle smiled sadly: -My fowler...my dear, dear fowler...Of course I'll
be happy to  become their friend. But...now I must go. 

Martin knelt and gently hugged the black neck of the animal. 

-It's OK,- pronounced Masha with her lips only, -...my fowler...my dear
fowler. 

It was time to part... 

Martin sat down on the log watching how the Black Gazelle was slowly
going towards the border... 

At last she staggered as if disappearing in the air and at the same
moment he saw real Masha in her usual appearance: in jeans, T-shirt, 
and motorbike helmet in hand. 

-Hey!- she cried  waving her hand from the opposite side of the border,
-See you  tomorrow, OK?!! 

-I'll come with the hippo!- rejoiced Martin. -Be careful at the
border...Borderguards may shoot! 

The girl waved her hand again and disappeared in the bushes... 

Ch. 8 

The next day Martin (with a bunch of red roses) and Little hippo Boris
were sitting under  the tree and waiting for Masha to come. 

The fog descended  on both the forest and the bushes and the Russian
border was not  seen. Birds were singing high in the branches of the 
trees and a light wind was moving the high grass by the sides of the 
road. 

-What if she can't see us in the fog?- worried Little hippo. -I think it
was a mistake not  to  ask for Santa's permission for such actions. 
Maybe He could arrange your date with her ? 

Martin was going to answer something, but at this moment our friends
heard a voice: 

-Marti-in!!! Hello-o!!! Where are you-u?!!! 

-It  is her!- rejoiced the boy -She can't see us in the fog! I  am 
running  to her! 

Grabbing his roses, the young man rushed towards the border... 

Little hippo tried to follow him but was soon left far behind because
his feet were so short that he  couldn't just be that fast. Lifting his 
round kiddish eyebrows and wrinkling his adorable childish forehead, he 
was just murmuring: -Please, please...Do not hurry...Please...Wait for 
me... 

Running out of the forest on the border line, Martin immediately noticed
the graceful sillouhette of the Black Gazelle... 

She was standing just at the border...There was no green grass around,
only grey and decomposed hay and yellow (dead and dry) ferns preserved 
from the previous summer... 

-Hey!- cried the young man. -It's me!...Run here! Do not stand on the
border! We can be overheard by borderguards! 

The Black Gazelle turned her head. Having noticed Martin, she joyfully
nodded at him and went straight on...The drops of dew made her black 
skin glitter as if her body was  emanating light... 

...Many years later Martin still was  able to recollect every detail of
that minute: ...The fog was leaning at the ground and above it the slim 
figure of Gazelle was moving towards him as if painted in front of the 
forest with sparkling black paints...so black that it looked  deep dark 
blue... 

He was already able to see her big sad eyes... She nodded at him again
and... 

That very second he heard the gunshot! 

-Hands up over there!- heard the boy the Russian borderguard's shout. 

The Gazelle rushed towards Martin but at the same second one more shot
struck her... 

Like a flower cut by a scythe the girl fell down...but under the glance
of horrified  Martin, she (out of her last effort) got to her feet, 
crossed the border line and...fell down into  the ravine on Finnish 
side... 

Martin lost sight of her for a second and rushed towards the ravine. A
moment later he saw Masha in her jeans, T-shirt and with motorbike 
helmet, lying on the ground...Her  eyes  were still open and the hint 
of a smile was still playing on her pale lips. 

Throwing his roses on the ground the boy knelt and hugged his girl... 

-Fowler...my dear fowler,- whispered Masha. 

He was trying to find her pulse, but it was useless already...His glance
noticed how the roses, thrown all over the ground started to melt into 
pools of blood... 

...But even now one thought did not leave his mind: "Little hippo can
come here in a minute. He is too childish to see all this."... 

The wind started to take the fog away...Martin heard hippo's footsteps
on the road... 

-- 

-- 

Epilogue. 

...And what about the Black Gazelle?... 

She did not notice the moment when the sleep overcame her. She dreamed
as if she had jumped and flawn into the sky above our forest... 

And her flight was delightful and so long that she even stopped working
her legs and was just looking down where the trees and lakes and rivers 
were speeding back...And it was  neither  day nor night...There was no 
sun anywhere but she saw everything vividly...And  the sky was black 
and somewhere near the horizon she saw the end of our forest...and 
further ahead she saw the white sparkling of snow fields...and over 
there...in this white radiance behind the horizon she saw Lapland...And 
she tensed all her muscles to stream over there...And she already did 
not feel any pain when her feet touched the ground.... 

.


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