Chapter 3: Meeting in an alley

Swallowing, Wilvert made his way inside. The concierge, wearing a ridiculous cap and jabot, sat hunched over on a small stool just outside the door. His goofy, dusty appearance made him laugh, so it took a lot of effort not to stretch his lips into a wry grin.

- Show me... papers..." the concierge said languidly, stretching out his hand in a demanding gesture.

Confused, Wilvert patted his pockets and took a letter out of the inner pocket, which was actually a hole between the lining and the inner fabric of the coat, and handed it to the man. Licking his finger, the concierge deftly unfolded the paper and ran through the text. Chomping his mouth as if savoring the words, he finally handed the letter back to Wilvert and glanced at the door.

- You may... pass.

Trying to ignore the man's strange behavior, Wilvert walked into the town hall, shrinking like an iron spring. Inside, he was greeted by an enormous hall, its walls decorated with cold granite columns protruding from the walls. The columns were adorned with cast iron flowers and animals wrapped around the granite monoliths. Farther up, Wilvert saw a beautiful wide marble staircase leading to the second floor and branching elegantly somewhere between the floors. The steps were covered with a soft looking velvet brown carpet. It was pressed against the stairs by special rods embedded in the staircase.

"To keep the carpet from moving off apparently."

Off to the side of the stairs was a long reception desk, behind which stood several admin girls. As he approached them, Wilvert adjusted his glasses and smiled sweetly and said hello:

- Good afternoon. - Hiding his nervousness, he said hello. - Can you tell me where I need to go with this letter? - Wilvert asked and handed the paper to one of the girls.

After a glance at the text, the receptionist showed him to the second floor and gave him the number of the office he needed to go to.

It was hard to call the place where the boy was sent a study. It was a spacious room with many desks. One employee sat at each of them. Visitors chose any free table and decided their business. Following the example of the others, Wilvert sat down at the first available desk and held out a crumpled letter. The clerk carefully took the paper and, having familiarized himself with the contents, got up from the table, asking Wilvert to wait a little. In about fifteen minutes the clerk returned with a leather folder in his hands.

- Mr. Stewart, this folder contains your new capital documents. You will have to make your own citizenship passport, employee passport, and medical directory, but there are instructions on how to do so inside. You are now an officially registered resident of Clorwood, you can buy a home here, and you can get hired. - The clerk explained, showing each document in the folder as he spoke. - With a capital passport, you become a natural person. With this passport you can get a job and buy real estate in any city within our country. Do you have any questions?

The dazed Wilvert nodded, hardly understanding the information he was receiving.

- I... I don't think I have any questions..." Wilvert answered slowly.

- Then sign this receipt. Then you will be a full citizen of Clorwood.

Without reading, Wilvert found the signature line and put a sprawling signature.

"Wilvert Stewart."

***

It was already evening when Wilvert sat at a table in some cheap bar, sipping a beer for a couple of copper coins. His mind was still in prostration. The guy was frankly lost in thought trying to realize the gravity of the situation he had gotten himself into.

"I've gotten into another world... It really is another world, because this doesn't look like a prank at all. But how? I just went to sleep in the dorm, and then I woke up already here. What am I supposed to do now? How do I go back?"

The young man's scowling face, hidden behind bangs and round, large glasses, suddenly softened. A worm of doubt flashed through his mind.

"Do I need to go back? This world looks very interesting..."

But then he pulled himself back. Of course he wants to go back home! His family's there! He goes to a good university, has a student dorm room. After all, his home world gives him some assurance that Wilvert won't starve to death somewhere in the alleys of poor neighborhoods. But here? He didn't know what the Wilvert Stewart who had been here before him knew how to do. Sighing, Wilvert finished his beer in a gulp and stood up from the table. He had to find a place to sleep and then think about the situation. There were a few silver coins left in his pocket. Frankly speaking, the guy didn't know if he had enough money for a hotel. It was quiet on the street. Somewhere in the back of the streets, dogs were barking. There were lanterns on the sidewalks, which had already been lit. They dimly lit the street, which seemed to be devoured by darkness. The sky was cloudy. There was no moon in sight. Tucking his scarf around his neck, Wilvert walked forward, looking for something that looked like a bed-and-breakfast in the darkness of the streets. Compared to the bar, which was noisy enough, the streets were frozen.

"It's so cold..." - Wilvert thought with a sniffle, tucking his hands under his arms. His coat didn't help the cold at all.

Suddenly something behind him rumbled and rumbled. A heavy, wheezing breath sounded behind him, tickling his shoulder blades. Goosebumps ran down Wilvert's back, his heart dropping somewhere in his stomach with fear. Turning around slowly, he saw something towering over him. It was a huge caterpillar with a thin ringed neck, on which hung a shaggy head with a woman's face and sagging skin. The eyes were stitched together and covered with a yellowish crust of pus. The mouth was wide open with crooked rotten human teeth sticking out of it. There was no tongue. Instead, Wilwert stared, eyes watering from the stench, at a writhing scolopendra with human fingers instead of legs. Its black hair was tangled and clock hands covered in blood-soaked blood protruded from it. The caterpillar's legs were human arms and legs. Somewhere on its chitin protruded human faces. Their expressions were full of agony and fear. Between the rings of the body, like cream between biscuits, were copper gears implanted in the creature's body. The head came close to Wilvert's face and "tongue" swept across the boy's cheek. Wilvert felt as if he had forgotten how to breathe. He felt slippery cold fingers crawling across his face. They made their way into his mouth through tightly compressed lips, tried to touch his eyes and "lick" his ears with their touches. Frozen with fear and disgust, Wilvert didn't know where to twitch. Suddenly a realization arose in his mind.

"I'm going to die. This thing is going to eat me, and I'm going to become part of its collection of faces..."

Hypnotizing its victim, the caterpillar arched out, rising higher and higher, crawling out from behind the street corner. Wilvert couldn't tear his gaze away from the monster's face, unable to feel his body from the icy terror that pierced through his body. He was completely covered by the shadow of the monster's carcass. The light from the lanterns could no longer reach him. The creature opened its maw wider, tearing its body into six ribbons, each covered in spikes. In the center of the "flower" was a sinister female face with a huge fanged mouth. Opening its mouth wide, the caterpillar lunged forward, ready to grab Wilvert with the ribbons and devour him.