Читать книгу The vanished village - Markus Seidel - Страница 6

We had played for at least two hours when Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ looked at us both and spoke in a serious voice:

"Max and Tom, I have something to tell you now. You must have asked yourselves why you are here, with me, in this house. ...you and the other children." I nodded. Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ made a mysterious face: "I will now tell you what this is all about." She took a short break and looked out of the window; I had the feeling that she was far away at that moment, thinking somewhere else. Then she continued: "I'll tell you about the vanished village."

The vanished village - what was that?

"In the vanished village," Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ continued, "87 people lived, there were 27 houses. One day the first house disappeared and nobody knew what had happened to it. Suddenly there was an empty spot where it had stood. And then one house after another disappeared. One of the last houses left is this one, the house we are now in."

"What do you mean they're gone?" I asked. "Where did they go?"

"I cannot tell you that," replied Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ. "They simply disappeared. One only knows: they are gone."

"And the residents? Where are they?", I asked.

"Most of them have disappeared, along with their homes. The others soon moved away, fearing they would disappear just like the first inhabitants. They packed their things and moved away."

A shiver ran down my spine. It sounded so incredible, like a fairy tale, like a made-up story. Could it really be true?

"Where are all these children from?" I asked her. "Are they from the village too?"

Mrs. SCHIMPERGLANZ nodded: "Yes, that's how it is. So is Tom. They are well, they miss nothing. They are with me too!" Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ laughed. "Right, Tom?" He smiled and nodded eagerly.

I still felt sorry for Tom and the other children. Did they really not miss their parents? I thought of Mum and Dad, but to my amazement I still didn't feel the slightest bit homesick; it was as if there was no such thing in this house, as if everything was fine here.

Then again I thought: what if everything is a fake, if Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ is playing a trick on us and yet is up to no good? What if everything she says is not true? But in the same moment this thought had already evaporated again, like smoke in the wind. Suddenly there was a strange noise coming from somewhere, it was like a loud draught, the shutters were rattling a little bit, I think. Tom and I drove together and looked anxiously at Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ, who remained calm.

"Children, don't be afraid, nothing will happen to you as long as I'm with you."

"What was that?" we asked her.

"One of the last houses has just disappeared. That's what it sounds like when it happens."

"And what happens if the house we are in disappears as well?" I asked her.

"That won't happen for the time being," said Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ. "Don't worry. But we must do something!" She looked at us again very insistently. "For if, in the end, this house also disappears, then all is lost. We must prevent that. You have to stop it."

"But how is that possible? What can we do?" Tom looked at her in disbelief.

She smiled. "Believe it or not, you're the only ones who can do anything about it."

"We? Why can't you do it yourself?" I asked her.

"No, I can't do this. Just take my word for it."

Tom and I remained silent and looked at her in amazement.

"How did we even get here?" I asked. "I mean, I was hiding in a shed in our backyard, and when I went back out, I was here."

"And I was under my bed, because I wanted to get something from there," Tom said, "and when I crawled out again, I was suddenly somewhere else."

Mrs SCHIMPERGLANZ laughed and clapped her hands enthusiastically: "Yes, crazy, isn't it? That was me!"

"You?" Tom asked. "How did you do that?"

"One little trick, and it worked."

"So what happens now? What can we do?", Tom asked.

"First of all, let me show you the house." Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ stood up and took us by the hand. "What do we start with?" she asked. "Below or above? Basement or attic?"

"Top floor!" Tom and I shouted at the same time. Not that I was particularly keen to see the attic, but I wanted to avoid the cellar as much as possible. I guess Tom saw it the same way I did.

"Very well," said Mrs. SCHIMPERGLANZ, "as you wish. Well then, off to the attic!"

I honestly wasn't feeling well when we went upstairs. Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ went ahead, Tom and I followed her, and I noticed that I was tickling all over, tingling all over my body. What on earth was that? Once I looked briefly at Tom, who was walking behind me, I saw him scratching his head, he probably had that tingle too.

"Here we are," Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ finally said. "Children, I now wish you good luck. I'll go back downstairs now, if you don't mind. But I will be back."

"Wait," I shouted, "you wanted to show us the house!" But too late, Frau SCHIMPERGLANZ had already disappeared.

I felt a little anxious now that she was gone. And why did she wish us good luck?

"It's pretty dark here, isn't it?" I said. "Isn't there a light switch somewhere?" Only a sparse light came through the small skylight. Tom and I searched the wall, eventually I found a switch and pressed it. But nothing happened, the only lamp hanging from the ceiling had no bulb. But then I found a flashlight. And luckily, it even worked.