The ghosts of mandrake. Fantasy

Philip dialed the number.

No one answered the phone for a long time, but they still picked up the phone.

«Hello,» a man’s voice said into the phone and fell silent.

– Hello, are you a sorcerer?

There was a slight silence on that wire, then it was interrupted by a deep sigh and the voice continued.

– I have a name, young man, just like you.

– I’m sorry, I was probably tactless just now. My name is Philip, my grandmother is seriously ill. They called an ambulance yesterday, but I didn’t give my grandmother to them. And your neighbor Natasha gave me your phone number last night.

«My name is Celestine. I’m a witcher, I did the right thing by calling me. Describe everything in detail now?

Philip, in a low voice, sometimes even turning to a whisper, began to describe the condition of his grandmother.

Soon Celestine interrupted him:

– I’ll make a decoction for Grandma now and I’ll be there in three hours.

Exactly three hours later, the doorbell rang.

On the threshold, as it seemed to Philip, there was a beautiful woman with long hair.

The boy froze in surprise, silently examining his guest. But the witcher broke the silence first.

– So I came, Philip, in three hours as promised.

The witcher’s voice was male, exactly the same as on the phone.

– Come in, – said Philip and let the guest into the apartment.

The boy looked at Celestin in surprise and somehow incredulously, so the witcher understood the situation, and in order to destroy the young man’s doubts, he said:

– There is one rule that will definitely be useful to you and not once. Looks are very deceptive. And as for me, my appearance is always different. Sometimes I’m even… um… an insect.

– Are you kidding? Philip asked incredulously.

– I’m not a simple person, I have huge magical abilities, you can’t even imagine how strong a sorcerer I am, – answered mysteriously Celestine.

«I wish I had that kind of strength,» the boy said dreamily.

Celestin’s smile appeared briefly on his face and soon disappeared.

– Well, my friend, shall we proceed to the magic ritual? «What’s the matter?» the witcher asked.

Philip wanted to answer that he should start, but a quiet grandmother’s voice was heard from the room.

– Philip, my boy, are you at home?

– Y-s-s grandmother, you must not know anything, – Philip took Celestine by the hand and led him to his room. – Stay here for now.

The boy left the witcher alone for a while and went to his grandmother.

«Granddaughters, you’ve done your homework, because you have to go to school tomorrow,» she said softly

– Don’t worry, Grandma, everything is fine. Can I go to my room now?

– Go, honey, go, and I’ll take a nap for now.

Philip found the witcher in his room, looking at a painting that depicted a castle and a girl with a candelabra in her hands and burning candles.

– You draw beautifully, you are a very talented young man, I want to tell you, – Celestin said without even turning his head in his direction.

– And how did you know that I drew it?

– Who did you invite to your place? The Witcher! But you doubt his abilities yourself. Why is that? I know for a fact that this is your job,“ he said. „Now let’s get down to business. Since your grandmother is not sleeping right now, I will not be able to perform this magic ritual at the moment. Therefore, I give you this vessel, in which there is a decoction.

«What am I supposed to do with him?» Philip asked, confused.

– You have to do everything yourself.

– I’m not a witcher. «That’s why I won’t be able to do magic,» Philip said softly so that his grandmother wouldn’t hear him.

«You don’t have to do magic. I brought a decoction, you will lightly apply it on your wrists, forehead, smear your temples and add two drops of tea, compote, jelly to the drink. But I crushed this bag of herbs and roots, and you put a pinch in a metal saucer, hold it over a burning candle and walk around the apartment, but not for more than a minute.

– What if it’s longer?

– Don’t do that, there is a mandrake root added.

Philip did not understand what kind of root it was, he was not interested in it at all and he did not ask anything else.

– Well, how much will I owe for your work?

– And in return, I will only ask for a picture, I need it, which is hanging on the wall in your room.

«Take whatever you want, but not her,» the boy said.

– Since she is so dear to you, then draw me a similar one.

«I’ll try, – Philip said.

At that moment their eyes met, and Philip realized how strong and domineering the witcher’s character was.

– I’ll go, if you need my help, call. «And don’t forget I’ll be waiting for the painting,» Celestine said, hiding behind the front door.

Her voice came from Grandma’s room again: