It was my bad luck to be the oldest of the three siblings. That meant, among other things, that I always had the worst rooms left on cleaning days. As well as today.
"Here, Sophie, the rag. And don't forget the feather duster!" said my mother to me and handed me the rag.
Meanwhile, I had my brother hand me a bucket of water upstairs.
I took the bucket and climbed the remaining steps. Now I was in the attic.
I put my hands on my hips and sighed.
"Well then, to work!"
All of our suitcases and boxes and unnecessary furniture were brought here. Accordingly, there was pure disorder here. To make matters worse, the room was dusty and full of spiders.
I pulled myself together and dipped the rag in the lukewarm water. After overcoming my disgust, I sat down and wiped a dresser. But immediately new dust fell on it. I looked up. A small, black spider sat on a cobweb and watched me motionlessly. I shuddered in disgust at the thought of wiping them off up there. Then it occurred to me that I had completely forgotten the feather duster, so I headed for the door. But before I even reached it, it suddenly fell shut with all my might. I stopped, confused, and looked around. I thought it was the draft, but there was no window here. I shook my head and moved again.
I grabbed the doorknob and pushed, but the door appeared to be locked.
"Sophie" whispered a voice suddenly drawn out.
I winced, startled, and turned around with a jerk. But there was no one.
"Who's there?!" I called resolutely.
"Sophie" the voice dragged out my name again.
"Jake?" I wanted to know "Oh, Jake, if this is another one of your and Marley's pranks, you can experience something!" I warned my brothers.
"Sophie, you finally came," said the voice.
"Guys! This is not funny!"
I was getting really angry.
"I waited a long time for you"
I screwed up my mouth and tried to open the door again.
Then I heard voices:
"Marley! Can you move the shelf, please?" I clearly heard Jake calling.
"Do it yourself!" Marley called back.
I froze. Who are those two down there, then who is here?
"I am not afraid of you!" I said softly and that was also true. Strangely enough, I wasn't afraid.
"Why should you?" answered the voice. "Only children fear me"
"Who are you?" I asked "where are you?"
"Do not you recognize me?" It asked offended.
"I don't believe in you! So why should I recognize you then?" was my answer.
"Well, then you should quickly start believing for the very simple reason: I'm here!" said the thing amused. "Sit on the floor, Sophie, I don't want to look up at you! My throat is already sore!I looked at the ground and saw a goblin. For some reason I wasn't scared, just a little surprised. He had fiery red hair that stuck up and a potato nose. His little green button eyes eyed me angrily. He was dressed in a kind of doll shirt and a tartan skirt. A miniature book hung on his belt.
I sat down next to him and he immediately stood up in front of me with his arms crossed.
"Oh, Sophie!" he sighed theatrically "What should I do with you ?!"
"Let out, maybe," I suggested, pointing to the door.
"I hardly think so!" he replied. "Do you really not recognize me?"
I eyed him and finally shrugged.
"I'm sorry"
He hung his head
"I've been protecting her since she was a baby! For 17 years and she doesn't remember me!" he exclaimed desperately. "I'm your boogeyman!"
I frowned and cut him off before he could wallow in self-pity any more.
"Wait, wait! Aren't boogeyman angry and hide under the children's beds to scare them?"
"Correct!" he was happy that I showed interest "I did that too when you were a kid! Then at some point you just stopped believing in me and my powers got weaker and weaker and finally I did nothing more than protect you from other boogeyman ! "
I looked at him doubtfully and tried to remember if I had ever seen him under my bed. No, I didn't and I didn't hear anything either. What a weak boogeyman, I thought.
"What a heartless girl!" he replied sadly "I can read your mind, child, I'm a demon!"
I rolled my eyes
"Okay, you demon, what about now? Why did you decide to show yourself to me?" I wanted to know.
"You know, Sophie, I'm really disappointed in you!" he said "I have strengthened you all your life and prepared you to grow up, knowing for sure that you will stop believing in me anyway. I have done my job, but apparently I overdid it! You are too strong, Sophie! "
"That's good! Why should that be bad?" I contradicted him.
"Quite simply, you are no longer afraid of anything, you are not interested in others, you think you are better than others and you have just become heartless!"
I didn't understand.
"Well, maybe you are right. But for that I am brave, take care of my life and don't interfere in anything!"
He sighed.
"You don't let yourself talk to, Sophie. It's not always good. When was the last time you played with your younger brothers?"
"I ..." I thought, "I don't know. But I got good grades for that!"
"Do you have friends, Sophie?"
"Naturally!" I exclaimed
"Oh yeah? When was the last time you talked to one of them on the phone? When was the last time you broke up with them?" he wanted to know.I looked down.
"When did you go shopping with your mother?"
I bit my lip and looked at him.
His gaze seemed to pierce me as he asked the last question.
"What did your first boyfriend, your first great love, tell you when he broke up?"
Ouch, that sat! My throat went dry and I had to swallow several times.
"He said," Boogeyman started, but I cut him off.
"It's okay! I got it!"
His clawed paw patted my knee.
"You see, little one! Why did you never take it to heart?"
I was silent
"I'm really sorry to have to do this to you now, but I have no other choice"
I looked up.
"What do you have to do?" I asked suspiciously and he sighed.
"I'm going to steal your heart from you now," he said.
Once again my strength made itself felt. I felt no fear, just confusion.
"Why?" I just wanted to know.
"Since you've always wanted to be heartless, I'll grant you your wish. This is the only way you can learn to appreciate what you have!"
"Am I going to die?"
"Of course not, Satan forbid!" he exclaimed and earned an uncomprehending look from me "I am responsible for you, I will not let you die!"
"But how...?" I started, but he was already explaining
"Look, I'm sending you into my world. You will like it there, honestly!" He promised "I will keep your heart safe for you for as long as possible, of course. I mean in case you come back ... Because you have to stay there for a year and you get a task. If you do it, you come back home and get yours Heart back, you are totally changed and everyone is happy! "
He eyed me closely.
"If not, I'll eat your heart!"
I looked at him in shock
"And you want to be my protector ?!" I exclaimed angrily.
He pouted.
"Well, listen, I'm only a demon and girls' hearts are my favorite dish!"
I laughed out loud at this impossible situation.
"Well, what kind of job? As soon as I understand it, I probably won't get out of here, will I?"
He smiled sadly
"So it is! You are sent into a kind of medieval world, only much more magical and the task is actually pretty straightforward considering that I will steal your heart from you."
"So I need to find a heart?" I asked carefully
"Right! A replacement heart has to be found! But this heart has to be given to you of your own free will. That means the person has to really, really love you, because they have to be aware that they will die as soon as you accept their heart and have it for it you only one year! "
"Aha, and what should all of this bring me?" I wanted to know
"Well ..." Boogie looked at me seriously "You will learn to appreciate what you have. Be it daily hygiene, friendship, family or love. I assure you, Sophie, you will come back changed."
I shrugged my shoulders.In all honesty, I didn't really care where I was sent or why. Nothing stops me here. And all of this is definitely just a dream anyway. But even if not, that's how it should be.
I straightened up.
"Good Boogie, I'm ready! How should I stand? Like this?" I spread my arms, “Or maybe like that?” I hugged them close to my body.
He looked at me in surprise.
"You have no more questions?"
"No" I shrugged my shoulders indifferently, but then one more thing occurred to me: "Oh no, wait, can I take anything from here?"
"It's not necessary at all! You will have everything you need to live - your cell phone is not of much use there anyway!"
I forgot that he could read minds. So I looked at him pleadingly and pretended to take something else with me.
"Oh, boogie, I wanted to take my history book with me! In case I can't handle something! Please!"
He sighed in annoyance. Then he snapped his fingers.
A book fell right on my head and I gave a startled scream.
"Here please!" Boogie grumbled "And now please stand up, press the book to your stomach and hold your breath!"
I followed his instructions, but when he raised his hands and started whispering something, I shouted:
"Wait!!"
He paused and gave me a punishing look.
"Is it going to hurt?" I asked uncertainly.
He rolled his eyes.
"You won't feel anything and now close your eyes and relax, please!"
I held my breath and closed my eyes.
I saw a bright light flash through my eyelids and the next moment it was hot around me.
I stood still.
"Now open your eyes, Sophie!"
I carefully did what I said and screamed.
I was floating in the air about five meters above the ground.
"So" began Boogie floating next to me, "Here's your heart"
He showed me a black little chest.
"And here is your new home!"
He spread his arms and grinned happily at me.
"Beautiful, is not it?"
I nodded. It was really a fairy tale landscape. It was green everywhere, only in the north a little further away, a wall stretched around a