Arseniy Sergeevich Popov

Ice Cream with a Trick

In a small town, surrounded by greenery and dense forests, lives a boy named Anton Shastun.

He has curly hair like fluffy clouds, and eyes the color of a dense forest - deep, green, with a sparkle of curiosity.

Anton loves to walk along the outskirts of the city, collect pine cones and watch birds. He is sociable, but cautious—and his intuition does not fail him.

An ice cream van appears on the streets of the town from time to time. At the wheel—Arseniy Popov. At first glance, he seems like an ordinary ice cream vendor: smiling, offering children treats, sometimes even handing out free cones of colorful ice cream. But those who look more closely notice something strange: Arseniy's gaze is cold and tenacious, his smile never reaches his eyes, and the van smells not only of vanilla but also of something metallic and unsettling.

Arseniy had his eye on Anton for a long time. He needs a “son” - obedient, with a lively mind and trusting eyes.

He thinks Anton would be perfect: “He’s so curly, his eyes are like a forest, as if enchanted. He’ll help me, and I’ll teach him… everything.”