Chapter 1. Madame Glykeria

This strange story began one nice Tuesday afternoon. Sunny, Richelle and I were going to the canteen to have lunch with the guys, when Mary Horsety, our classmate, came up to us.

'Girls, we need to talk,' she said. 'I have news about Andrew.'

'What news?' I asked impatiently. Andrew Craven, our history teacher, was one of my favorite teachers.

'Not here,' objected Horsety, or just Horse as we called her behind her back. 'There are too many ears here. Let's go outside.' She raced downstairs. We looked at each other and walked after her.

Horse dragged us to the big tree behind the school building and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her shoulder bag.

'Come on, Mary,' Richelle exclaimed impatiently. 'Speak!'

Mary lit the cigarette and glanced at us.

'Andrew's love affair with Ms Mewn is over,' she whispered.

'What?' I flung up my hands.

'Ms Mewn walked out of him yesterday,' Horse leisurely exhaling the smoke. 'A friend of my mother's, who lives next door, saw Stephanie throw her bags into her car.'

'Poor Mr Craven,' I sighed.

'Never mind,' Horse obviously had another opinion. 'He deserves a better girlfriend.'

Sunny and I looked at each other. Mary Horsety has been in love with Mr Craven since he started working in Raven Hill High and now her eyes were sparkling with hope and passion.

Andrew Craven was 34 years old pretty guy. He was youngish, slender, wore long hair and cool jeans. Besides, he had a motorbike and was just a cool man. Everyone liked him, both teachers and kids.

He dated with Stephanie Mewn, our mathematics teacher. All kids at school, especially girls, watched this romance. Me included, of course. And now it looked as if their love was over.

'It's not our business, isn't it?' Sunny said flatly. 'Everyone has problems from time to time. They'll sort out their relationship.'

'I wish you were right,' I sighed.

'Well, it's my chance,' Horse snorted. 'And I'm not going to lose it.'

Sunny and I looked at each other again.

'And what are you going to do?' Richelle enquired.

'I have an idea,' Horse grinned. 'I heard about the woman, who lives in Violet Street. She calls herself a clairvoyant. As far as I know lots of people in Raven Hill have been there to have their fortune told.'

'So?' Sunny asked with her usual calmness.

'So I'm going to see this woman,' Horse replied, looking at us meaningfully. 'I want to ask for her advice what I should do to make Mr Craven love me.'

Sunny gave a sort of snort. Horse cast a dirty look upon her and shrugged her shoulders.

'I can try, can I?' she snapped.

'Sure,' I nodded. 'Go then.'

Horse hesitated for a moment. 'Let's go there together,' she suggested.

Now I understood why she told us her plans. She was afraid to go on her own to the fortune-teller.

'Together?' Richelle seemed to think.

I smiled to myself. There was a hard time in her relationship with Nick. Several days ago Richelle came to my place in tears and said that she'd quarreled with Nick because, as she put it, "he didn't understand". It meant that her sister's boyfriend invited Tiffany and Richelle to his birthday party. She didn't say anything to Nick and spent a nice evening with her sister's friends. When I asked her why she hadn't told Nick about the party, she shrugged and said that Nick should understand that he'd better appreciate her, because there are a lot of other guys, who want to be with her. But Nick wasn't impressed for obvious reasons. Next day we heard his own version. He said he doesn't like that his girlfriend goes to parties with other guys. He didn't run after her, as Richelle probably expected. Now Richelle wished she hand't gone to that party and wanted to make up with him. I hoped they'd sort it out, I was so happy for them. Besides I knew that Richelle didn't want to part with Nick. And I couldn't help noticing that since their quarrel Nick had been quieter and nastier than usual. But none of them wanted to be first to give in and beg pardon.

Richelle realized that it was her fault, though. And she also realized that it wouldn't take long time for Nick to find a new girlfriend. I think that was why when Horsety asked us to come with her, Richelle became interested in it. Obviously she wanted to ask this fortune-teller woman to help her.

'I'd like to go,' she said, examining her fingernails and trying not to look very interested.

'Well, I'm out of it,' Sunny snorted. She didn't believe in such things.

Richelle nudged at me and gave me a meaningful look.

'I can't go, Richelle,' I sighed. 'I'd love to, but I can't. I have to go to a job interview. By the way, you're also supposed to be there.'

She pouted. 'It isn't necessary for me to be there,' she mumbled. 'You'll tell me later. I'll go,' she turned to Horse.

'Great,' Mary beamed at her. 'We'll go there straight after school. You girls,' she looked at us, 'don't tell the others, please. No one should know about it.'

'Sure,' Sunny and I nodded.

So after lessons, Richelle slipped out of school with Horse. Tom, Elmo, Nick, Sunny and I went to the woman, who wanted us to look after her little child. The interview was successful and the woman was very nice. Her four-year-old daughter also was a nice girl, but all the same, we decided to come in pairs.

Of course the guys asked about Richelle, but Sunny and I just shrugged and didn't tell them anything.

After the interview we went to the Pen office with Elmo. We'd been sitting in the back room, drinking coffee, nibbling cookies and chattering when the door threw open and Richelle stormed into the room.

'Where have you been?' Nick drawled, looking at her steadily.

'Ooh, it's…amazing!' Richelle gasped. 'You won't believe what I'll tell you!'

'What happened, Richelle?' I asked impatiently. I really wanted to know what that woman said to her.

'By the way,' Nick drawled. 'It's becoming a habit for you to go somewhere without saying to anyone.'

Tom gave a muffled laugh. Richelle glared at Nick.

'I couldn't. Horse asked not to tell anyone,' she snapped.

'Since when have you been a friend of Horse's?' Tom laughed.

'Listen to me, will you?' Richelle glared at us. 'So, Horse and I went to this woman. Her house was quite plain and a little shabby, but the inside of the building was really spooky. When we rang the doorbell, a tall, plump woman, dressed all in black opened the door. She asked to call her Madame Glykeria. She led us to the workroom and told us to sit down on chairs. Then Horse got straight to the point. She said that she's in love with a man and wants him to be with her. Madame Glykeria demanded a photo of the man. Horse didn't tell me anything about the photo,' she wrinkled her eyebrows. 'I was so upset when I heard that the photo was necessary.'

'Richelle, for heaven's sake!' Sunny rolled her eyes.

'Why did you worry about the photo?' Nick asked suspiciously.

'Forget about the photo,' I put in, noticing that Richelle blushed. 'What happened next?'

'So, Madame Glykeria stared at the photo of Mr Craven and said that it's a difficult case. Then she closed her eyes and started rocking from side to side, whispering something. She grabbed the crystal ball and put her hands on it. But at that moment Horse said that the furniture and all magic things were cheap and that it was probably a mistake to go there. Madame Glykeria gave her a dirty look and said in injured tone that all magic things are ancient, they belonged to her great-grandmother, Madame Olga. Horse began to argue with her. I could see that Madame Glykeria was getting angry. I asked Horse to stop arguing, but she didn't listen. And then…then…'

'What?' Tom yelled, stirring on his chair impatiently.

'Then the light started fading and I saw a green hairless head, which was flying around the room. The head was shrieking something in a sinister voice. And I couldn't even move,' she melodramatically pressed her hand to her chest and looked down. 'It was awful,' she whispered.

She sighed heavily. 'Then this green head shrieked again,' she went on, 'and dived straight at me. I think I fainted because the next thing I remember was the light room and Madame Glykeria, sitting at her desk, smiling kindly at me.'

'Richelle,' I said softly. 'People such Madame Glykeria are always a bit of a fraud, you know. You shouldn't believe in everything she shows you.'

'Well, I believe,' Richelle snapped. 'And if you were there you also would.'

I glanced at the others helplessly. Sunny rolled her eyes, Elmo and Tom smiled politely. Nick was looking at her with his usual superior look.

'Also there was a bear!' Richelle exclaimed almost in tears.

'Bear?' Sunny raised her eyebrows.

'Not real bear,' Richelle explained. 'It was the old, stuffed bear, which suddenly became alive. It raised its head and looked at us.'

'Richelle, there was an engine or something like that inside this stuffed bear,' Sunny snorted. 'Glykeria pressed the button somewhere under her desk and made the bear move. That's all. I wonder why this bear didn't sing a song for you!'

Richelle opened her mouth to argue, but I quickly interfered.

'What did she said to Horse?' I asked.

'She gave her a pack of love powder,' Richelle muttered.

'Love powder?' Elmo scowled. 'What's this?'

'She told Horse to put this powder into a beverage and make her love drink it.'

'You mean that Mary's going to make Mr Craven drink a love potion?' I started to worry.

Richelle nodded gravely.

'I doubt she'll be successful,' Elmo grinned.

'All the same it sounds very interesting,' Tom exclaimed. 'I want to see this place and the green head and the stuffed bear with my own eyes.'

He grabbed his jacket and raced to the door. 'Let's go there!' he yelled.

'Why?' demanded Nick.

'What why?' Tom looked back over his shoulder, puzzled.

'Why do we have to go there?' Nick asked.

'To see this woman,' Tom explained.

'Why?' Nick enquired again.

'Well, it's interesting! If not for you, at least for me,' Tom shrugged.

'Tom, there's no need to go there right now,' Elmo said reasonably. 'It's quite late. You can go there tomorrow.'

'I will,' Tom nodded.

Nick snorted, but didn't say anything.

'Tom, you must have an excuse if you want to go,' Elmo grinned. 'You can't go just to talk to her, can you?'

'Take a photo of a girl,' Richelle advised. 'You can say that you're in love with her, but she doesn't want to see you.'

'Rubbish,' Sunny snapped instantly. 'I reckon love relationship should be natural.'

'Good point,' Nick jeered. 'Why don't you explain it to Horse?'

I looked sideways at them. There they were, sitting and chattering about love. I don't want to admit it, but I was a little envious of Nick and Richelle. They seemed to be different. Happier, let's put it this way. Not lately, though. But all the same, I also wanted to fall in love with someone.

I looked at the boys. Nick, son of a rich, successful businessman, cool and good-looking guy. But he's not to my taste. He's too cool, good-looking and rich. I knew him very well, under mask of an ideal guy, he always wanted to seem, he was a stuck-up spoilt kid. Besides I knew that I'm not his type of girls either, he preferred to date with tall, beautiful girls like Richelle.

Elmo? I liked Elmo. Really. I reckon he's cute. He's short, shy and kind. But he was only friend for me, nothing more. I like to spend time with him. He doesn't joke all the time, like Tom, but he's so clever and knows so much things. He reads a lot and watches scientific programs. I can speak with him about the planet and nature, discuss news in the world.

Tom. He always acted like a clown, but it was only mask. He's clever and very lonely inside. Unlike Sunny, he took his parents' divorce hard and really missed his father, though he tried not to speak about it. I liked him. He's tall, funny and very kind. And he's always ready to help. But I knew exactly that he doesn't have feelings to me.

I sighed and tuned back into the conversation.

'I'll give you a photo,' Elmo was saying. He stood up and started to rummage in a drawer. Finally he found what he was looking for and put a photo on the table in front of us. It showed a man about thirty years old with very pale face and dark circles under his eyes.

'Cool guy!' Tom exclaimed admiringly. 'He's completely sick!'

'Who is it?' I asked.

'Victor O'Neil,' Elmo replied. 'Mrs O'Neil's ex-husband. Mrs O'Neil is a reporter in the Pen. He drank very much and sometimes took drugs. She left him one day and remarried another guy.'

'I hope her new husband treats her well,' I sighed. I was so sorry for this poor woman.

'Yeah,' Elmo nodded impatiently. 'But this man died soon after the divorce. That's why I thought of him. I wonder what this Glykeria will say about him. This guy was completely sick. Kidneys, heart, liver, everything was spoiled by alcohol and drugs.'

'I told you, he's completely sick!' Tom exclaimed smugly, running his arm through his hair in excitement.

'I'd say he's too sick,' Nick drawled. 'Even Moysten could understand it. I don't think it would be difficult for this Glykeria.'

'I know his deceases,' Elmo interrupted. 'That's the point. We'll see what Madame Glykeria says about him.'

Nick shrugged and stood up.

'I'm going home,' he announced. 'It's getting late.'

We all stood up and went outside. Elmo was with us. He decided to go home to do his homework. We were slowly wandering along the street, when someone called us.

'Teen Power Inc!'

We looked back and saw a pretty policewoman coming towards us. We knew this woman very well. It was constable Vortek.

'Hello,' she smiled. 'I hope you don't have news for me?'

'Not yet,' Sunny grinned back.

'I'm glad,' Greta sighed. 'Honestly. But I…' she hesitated, 'I need your help. I want to ask you…um…'

'What?' Nick asked curiously.

Greta hesitated for a moment and then pulled out two pictures from her briefcase.

'Who is it?' Tom grabbed the pictures instantly.

'For goodness sake!' Greta exclaimed. 'Can you be patient for once?'

'I can,' Tom confused.

'Then listen,' Greta went on. 'We've found out that someone distributes drugs called "Violet Fog" here in Raven Hill. We've been doing our best to catch them, but they're clever and just illusive! All what we managed to do by now is catch two sellers, but they refuse to say who their boss is. These,' she jabbed her finger at the pictures, 'are sellers. Anyway, I thought that you go to parties, movies and so on. You can hear something about the "Violet Fog" there. If you hear something, please tell me straightaway.'

'Sure,' Nick nodded smugly.

'But I forbid you to poke your noses into this case and investigate it,' Greta warned. 'I just want you to tell me if you hear something concerning it. Do you understand?'

We nodded.

Greta grabbed her pictures back, said goodbye and drove away. We also went home.