Sasha Sobakin

It all started with the smell of cotton candy in the hallway. On Friday evening, I found a crimson envelope under the door. Inside was a heavy card with gold lettering: "Jester-trainer Sasha Sobakin is waiting for you. The show will change your life. Seat number one, front row." The vacant lot behind the old factory had been transformed. A giant black-and-white tent had sprung up there. I walked inside, my heart pounding. The huge hall was completely empty, only a spotlight glowed over one chair. As soon as I sat down, the lights went out and a crazy circus march began. Sasha Sobakin ran into the arena. The image of the mad jester from the haunted house was terrifying: long, tousled white hair stuck out from under his cap, a black glove covered half his face, and a mad grin was visible through his fingers. Twelve royal poodles raced after him. They formed pyramids and leaped over the green fire. Sasha controlled them with the waves of his dark-gloved hands. During the final bow, this eerie jester removed his hand from his face, looked straight at me, and winked conspiratorially, while black, painted tears streamed down his cheeks. A flash of smoke—and everything disappeared. I was left sitting on a rusty beam in the middle of an empty, night-time wasteland. After the circus, I walked down the night street, the mad march still thundering in my ears. One step, another—and suddenly, behind me, I heard a barely perceptible, crystal ringing. So quietly, little brass bells collide. I turned around abruptly. No one was there. Only the old willow swayed its branches. I quickened my pace, but the feeling of someone else's gaze burned. In the reflection of the glass, right behind me, a silhouette emerged from the shadow of the tree. Tousled white hair, a jester's cap, and a black glove covering his face. Sasha Sobakin stood a few meters away. His crazy, crying jester makeup shimmered ominously in the dim light, and the frozen grin of a haunted house entertainer showed through his slender fingers. As soon as I blinked, the reflection distorted. Bells jingled a little further away, and Sasha disappeared into the night again, continuing his silent surveillance. I went home and quickly closed the door. I collapsed on the bed and fell asleep.