– That old woman who shamanila by the fire, whom you saw for the first time. It is your grandmother. Mara made her house cleaner, she, she…
Then my dream ended and IВ woke up. IВ fell silent. My story is over. My interlocutor listened toВ me attentively, without interrupting. IВ was always alarmed byВ the fact that my interlocutor was looking at me very carefully. He wanted toВ say something and was silent. The strangest thing was that he believed me. Does he really believe that too? IВ did not doze off for long. After dinner, we walked down the corridor with him and got ready for bed. As soon as we lay down inВ bed, Vova asked me toВ continue my story.
IВ woke up sweating and shaking violently. ToВ my surprise, IВ immediately got my bearings where IВ was, and immediately remembered about the plane ticket. IВ realized that IВ was inВ hell; IВ was transported from hell toВ hell. My hell was that IВ needed toВ get there urgently, and IВ did not know how. Friends came into the room and brought me good news. It turns out that IВ had aВ fever all night, and they called an ambulance for me. The doctor gave me an injection, and IВ slept until morning. They handed over my ticket without me, and they decided toВ keep me until my recovery. That was the best news forВ me.
IВ called my sister and told her everything. Everything is as it was. ToВ my surprise, she believed me, and together we thought about how IВ could get there. There was very little time left. As soon as the trolls cross the bridge, there will be no access, and IВ will not be able toВ get toВ the holiday. My sister told me that Mara would celebrate the holiday inВ her ice palaces.
– What is the reason for this holiday?
– Mara Madder is a sign of winter; it comes into its own on 25 November. Her time is winter. In addition, her rights end with the arrival of spring, when they burn the effigy of winter. She is afraid of the sun. Today is the day of winter; it comes into its own.
– What do you and I need to do to help our grandmother?
– I do not know myself. Can somehow appease her. To perform the rite.
– I think I also made her angry at something. In addition, I, too, will have to be punished. Only I am still alive.
– Don’t worry, brother, I will think of something. Keep me posted on everything that is going on. I mentally said goodbye to my sister and came to my friends in the kitchen.
IВ drank aВ cup ofВ coffee, the fever increased. The clock showed exactly seven inВ the morning. IВ calculated the time zone. My thoughts were inВ hell. IВ wonder if there is aВ time zone there, and what is the countdown there.
– What are you thinking about?
– How can he think of anything in this state? Let us give him medicine instead.
– What is it?
– What the doctor ordered while you were sleeping.
AВ friend brought me medicine, and IВ drank it. IВ have not eaten for more than aВ day, and IВ did not feel like it. IВ wanted toВ smoke, but IВ did not have the strength toВ go out on the balcony or the landing. My friend took aВ step toВ meet me, and opened the window.
– Smoke. He said. In addition, he got a cigarette for himself and me. A friend sitting over a cup of coffee laughed at us.
– That is what your grandmother’s fairy tales have brought you to. They even started smoking indoors. Are you not afraid that the Snow Queen will fly in here now and take you away! I was standing, and subconsciously waiting for this moment when she would fly through the window. I needed it. We finished our cigarettes in silence, the medicine began to take effect, and a friend went to the window to close it. As soon as he closed it and we sat down at the table, the kitchen began to be covered with ice. Despite the open door to the corridor, only the kitchen room was covered with ice. Ice covered everything: curtains, windows, chandelier, and every little thing that was in this room. It happened quickly enough; I was already ready for it and was not particularly afraid. My two friends had a hard time, and I was afraid for them and their lives, too. The ice continued to crackle, and its thickness reached a large size.
– What the hell! My friend dropped the cup from his hands, and it froze in the air along with the spilled liquid. I noticed one of them had a trembling lower lip. However, I could not say a word to them. For a moment everything froze, we all froze, an abyss opened up in front of us and we fell into it. We landed in a clearing where I once drank a miraculous drink. The pot was empty. Looking around, I did not see anyone. I was looking for the inhabitants of this world to continue my journey. I completely forgot about my friends, but I should have thought about them.
– Where are we? What is happening? Listen, you are at home here! Explain.
– We are in hell with you! I said joyfully!
– What?
– Well, or to put it culturally in the realm of darkness. Moreover, I need to get to the party.
– What? Explain again?
– I do not know how to explain all this myself, but this is my second time here. In addition, today is a holiday for one of the Slavic goddesses, and I need to save my grandmother.
– I understand everything. Do not go on. It is just that you infected us with a virus, and the three of us went crazy. Now we will all come to our senses, and that is it. No more holidays.
– It makes sense. I also hold this point of view. It is just a glitch. It is necessary to listen less to fairy tales about goddesses.
My friends turned away from me and went inВ the opposite direction. IВ already knew where IВ was and realized that IВ needed toВ go inВ the opposite direction. IВ wanted toВ run after us, but stopped. They also got up, not knowing where toВ go. This place has become so scary and cold that IВ was scared myself. Winter was coming into its own, and it was palpable.
– What are you going to do?
– I will go further, I know where. I did not know what to do with them. Take them with you or leave them here. A spirit came for me.
– Hurry up. There is very little time.
– What should I do with them?
– Let them wait here. We will escort them back. Now run as hard as you can. I was running, and I forgot about fatigue. When I reached the bridge, I saw the trolls leaving. Stopping, I asked the spirit to tell me about my grandmother.
– Your grandmother once, in her youth, resorted to the help of the great goddess Mara. Nevertheless, later, she stopped honoring her, worshipping her, and did not fulfill her promise. The goddess was angry with her, and made her house cleaner. In addition, you incurred her wrath by behaving improperly at the cemetery and laughing at Mara herself. She heard everything.
– And from where do you know all this?
– Do not forget that I am dead, but clairvoyant. Now go.
– And how can I help my grandmother?
– You will find out for yourself. Go faster. A three-headed serpent guarded the bridge. He rose into the air and spread his wings. The horror took my breath away, and I felt myself losing strength. I ran across the bridge and felt my knees tremble, and the bridge was wobbling under my feet. As soon as I found myself on the other side, I saw emptiness. The plain stretched before me. I expected to see something more, something different. The plain was endless. I did not know where to go next and stood waiting.
After taking aВ few steps forward, IВ saw how the picture changed its screensaver. Everything was different here. It was like aВ well-maintained park that had prepared for winter. Everything was well cleaned here, the trees are well maintained, and there are even benches for relaxing. Street lamps illuminated the dark space. IВ went toВ wander around this park inВ the hope ofВ meeting at least someone inВ this dark world. IВ could not figure out where everyone had gone, because IВ was running with the trolls. How it all happened. Where should IВ look for them? Looking around, IВ realized that this park, like the plain, has neither beginning nor end. IВ walked along the asphalt path inВ the hope that it would lead me wherever.
The park turned into aВ forest inВ an instant. It was aВ green clearing, on which aВ house covered with moss stood among the trees. Here everything was deserted and abandoned, and no one seemed toВ live. IВ wanted toВ go toВ the house, but an invisible force pushed me away. IВ made another attempt and was thrown back again. IВ completely forgot about my fear, and that IВ am alive among the dead. IВ did not know who IВ was anymore.
IВ stood still and looked at the house. Suddenly everything went dark and another picture appeared inВ the dim light. It was like aВ billboard that changes the screensavers. AВ dark abandoned house appeared inВ front ofВ me. It looked like aВ haunted house, but no one seemed toВ live inВ it, as inВ the previous one. This picture was like aВ nightmare. Everything was dark and creepy here. Dark bony trees moved their bony branches. AВ palisade surrounded the house and skulls were planted on it through one. There was cold ground underfoot and not aВ drop ofВ greenery, unlike the previous house. This time IВ was scared, and IВ did not dare toВ step forward, but on the contrary stepped back and bumped into old rotten boards and fell. IВ was sitting waiting for someone toВ come out ofВ this house. However, there was aВ deathly silence and IВ got up. IВ am tired. IВ desperately wanted toВ stop this nightmare, but it dragged me in, and IВ did not know how toВ endВ it.
IВ stood and waited for what would happen next. Silence won, and IВ went ahead. It was even scarier ahead; the picture changed its screensaver. There was aВ stone castle inВ front ofВ me. The fence ofВ this castle was also made ofВ aВ stockade, only aВ skull was impaled on each stake. The railings inВ this castle were made entirely ofВ skulls. It was dark enough and fog began toВ set in. Terror seized me and IВ wanted toВ run away from here. IВ began toВ miss my friends and even the spirit who initiated me into these secrets. The doors and windows were closed. It looks like no one lives inВ these houses, IВ thought toВ myself. IВ wonder what kind ofВ houses these are, and who lives inВ them? The castle was made ofВ stone, unlike the two previous houses. Skeletons stood at the entrance gate like two faithful guards. On the very edge ofВ the roof sat aВ black raven, and stared at me intently. This made me even more scared, IВ no longer wanted toВ continue on my way, IВ wanted toВ wake up as soon as possible, but IВ did not know how toВ do it. The mist enveloped the whole neighborhood, nothing was visible and IВ did not know where toВ go next. Clouds ofВ dark gray smoke obscured everything around. IВ began toВ look around. Someone suddenly touched my shoulder, and IВ flinched. It was my friend.
– We finally found you! It is a creepy place! What do you think? I was quite surprised to see them here.
– We have been looking for you for a long time. My friends came accompanied by my new ghost friend. – Your friend helped us find you. I was excited to see my friends. My fear disappeared and I wanted to continue on my way.
– We decided to go with you to the end. Did you hear that you are going to the party? I smiled cordially in response, as a sign of agreement.
– How did you find me?
– We ran after you across the bridge. The snake obviously did not like it, and we had to run as fast as we could. When we caught up with you, you suddenly disappeared and there was an empty meadow in front of us. Then we found ourselves in a clearing near a house covered with moss. It turns out that this is the house of Veles himself. He guards the vestibules of the Navi world and appears here occasionally.
– Where does such knowledge come from?
– It was your friend the ghost who enlightened us! Then the picture changed dramatically, and we saw an abandoned house. The picture is not pleasant. We wanted to go home so much. This is the home of Chernobog, the master of this world. It seems that the gods do not live in their homes, but live somewhere else. I wonder if there is a lot of badness here. How much longer do we have to walk?
– And who lives in this castle?
– This is the abode of Koshchei the immortal. This is Mara Marena’s husband. In addition, that abandoned house is the house of his father Chernobog. Koschei loves skulls and bones. He collects them and decorates his abode with them. Chernobog also has a son, Viy, but he does not go to the festival, and it is better not to see him. We have done the main way. Soon the ice palaces of Mary Madder will appear before us. Now all the main gods have gone to the festival, with the exception of some.
– How do we get to the holiday?
– They are waiting for you there. You were allowed to get here, but I do not even know about your friends. It is dangerous for them to stay here. They may not come back. I looked at them with regret. My conscience tormented me. I did not know how to help them anymore. My only goal was to save my late grandmother, and instead I dragged my friends with me. Now there are three of them.
– Let’s go further. The Spirit led us along, and we found ourselves on the edge of a cliff. The cliff was made of stone; there was an abyss under his feet. Stones rained down from the edge and fell into the abyss. On the other side of the cliff, ice Palaces could be seen. There was a huge distance between us. It seemed that this Hall was somewhere on the other side of the world, perhaps even in the sky.
– «These gods cannot live in heaven. They are terrified of the light. This is what kills them. They are inhabitants of darkness. They are darkness themselves. I looked at him, and he actually sees everyone through, despite the fact that he is transparent.
– How do we get there?
– It is complicated. I have never been able to do it myself. It started snowing, and light snowflakes were swirling in the air.
After making several passes from side toВ side, IВ noticed aВ transparent bridge. It was barely noticeable, made as if from water, barely frozen water.
– Here it is. Look, the bridge. This is the transition to the ice Palaces. My friends came up to me briskly. – Who is the first? I asked happily. To my surprise, one of my friends took a decisive step. The bridge swayed. Despite our general fear, he continued on his way. We followed him. After taking a few steps, I looked back. Stones were falling from the cliff. Nothing could be seen from behind, everything was shrouded in darkness. Bony tree branches could be traced among the haze. The snowfall intensified and the wind began to blow. The bridge became lighter and more transparent and seemed about to melt.
– The main sign of Mary is frozen water. Said the spirit, flying over us. If the bridge melts, I will not be able to help you.
– And what will happen to us? We are already in hell! I tried to joke, but I was not laughing myself. The bridge melted, and we fell into the abyss.
We woke up inВ the cemetery, near an unmarked grave. Friends frantically looked around. IВ was laughing at them; IВ knew how they were feeling rightВ now.
– I hope we dreamed it. Alternatively, just a glitch. Come quickly from here. We walked from the cemetery at an accelerated pace. We were wearing the clothes in which we left the apartment. There was a heavy snowstorm outside. Almost nothing was visible.
– Let’s remember how we got here. I suggested it. We need to get back. At least for me.
– You need to. You come back. What did I forget there? It is too early for me. My friend was screaming furiously.
– You had fun when you laughed at her. I objected. Now you want to leave.
– Lets not quarrel. We need to remember everything from the very beginning. We were all laughing, and we all ended up in that place. Now we need to fix it all.
– I agree. I answered. One of the friends reluctantly agreed. – It all started with my grandmother’s grave. That is where I fell into the abyss for the first time. We need to find the grandmother’s grave.
We went through the cemetery inВ search ofВ aВ grave. Despite the severe frost and blizzard, we did not feel cold. We walked for about an hour and found ourselves inВ the same place near an abandoned grave.
– And then what? How long are we going to walk here?
– Stop whining. Go home alone. Vitka and I are staying. One of them abruptly headed for the exit. Although I did not know where the exit was anymore. His figure was receding, and because of the blizzard, he was no longer visible. After standing for a few seconds, we went back to search for the grave.
– I roughly remember where she is, this is where we found you the first time. We went in the direction of relying on the memory of a friend. When I reached the grave, I stepped over the fence. The grave was covered with snow, and I was standing almost knee-deep in snow.
– I wish Grandma would help us. I thought to myself. As soon as I thought about it, I immediately found myself on the other side of the cliff. I was standing on the edge and stones were falling from it as well as on the opposite side. The view from this cliff was the complete opposite of the other. It was like heaven and hell. The view of the ice Palaces was a beautiful sight. It was a white palace sprinkled with fine silver sand that stretched out on a beautiful ice island. The view of Nav was dim and gloomy. It looked like an abandoned shed overgrown with cobwebs, in which the windows were clogged and the light never penetrated there, although it really was. Even the air there was a gloomy color. It was always damp, cold and dark there. The mist enveloped the opposite shore and it was hard to see.
I stood and looked at Nav, and abruptly looked back from a touch on my shoulder. My friend was here too. – The meeting place cannot be changed! He said happily. – I repeated everything after myself and ended up here. Your grandmother helped. I smiled back. We turned to face the ice palace. It seemed to us that he was far enough away from us. His appearance was terribly beautiful. It was as if he was carved out of thin glass. A thin carved border gave a particularly refined look to this building. The steps were just as thin and it was scary to step on them.
We went forward in order to get closer to the palace, but the more we went forward, the further away from it we became. I stopped in exhaustion. – When will it all end?
– Soon. I looked around and saw my ghost friend, and next to him our friend who had left the cemetery.
– You have already done the main way. You are going the wrong way, so you are moving away. I will bring you to the end. Then I do not know what will happen. It seemed to me that the spirit sighed heavily, but he could not do it and I felt sorry for him. I saw the sadness in his eyes and did not dare ask what he was sad about.
– «You don’t want to know that. You will see for yourself soon. We continued on our way and the palace began to approach. When we reached the steps, we stopped. The Spirit looked at me. – Go on alone. Maybe I will not see you again. With these words, he disappeared.
After standing for aВ while, we began toВ climb the elegant staircase. We walked as if enchanted; everyone was looking at the beauty ofВ the castle. From the inside, the castle was no less beautiful than from the outside. Everything here was made ofВ ice. Luxury was present inВ everything. The mistress ofВ the palace had aВ delicate and elegant taste. Thin and icy lace decorated the walls ofВ the palace, and thin and icy incisors were present wherever possible. The ceilings were undoubtedly high, they could almost be said not toВ exist. There were ice vaults decorated with snow patterns.
– That is what I understand the taste!
– Quiet. Do not draw attention. We passed, if we say it in our language, the foyer, and entered a narrow corridor. We spent so much time on the icy floor and did not feel the cold. After passing through a narrow corridor, we found ourselves at the entrance to the central hall. In front of us were trolls, and in front of them were the same dead souls and their escorts. Souls and devils were having a nice conversation about something; they were still holding skulls in their hands. The trolls stood idly apart from them.
– I wonder why the trolls are not in business.
– Do not attract attention. We were the last ones standing, and tried to hide behind a column. For some reason, these characters initially did not pay attention to us. The only inhabitant of this world who stared at me intently is my grandmother. I was looking for her with my eyes, but for some reason I did not see her anywhere.
– The most important thing is that we got here.
– That is for sure.
The doors opened, and souls and their accompanying persons began toВ slowly enter the hall. They came inВ aВ slow column, like on the Kalinov Bridge, inВ pairs. IВ stood on tiptoe toВ see something, but IВ could not. As we progressed, we also progressed, and became closer toВ the central hall. The column passed, the trolls remained, and they went inВ pairs. As soon as they passed, it was our turn and we froze. IВ did not dare toВ take the first step. IВ leaned against the doorway and began toВ carefully examine what was going on inside.
Inside there was aВ huge hall with massive columns that supported the arches ofВ the palace. The hall was huge and empty. The tall windows were covered with delicate lace patterns. There were four thrones inВ the hall. Two stood side byВ side, the other two were on the sides not far from each other.
The host ofВ the holiday was sitting next toВ her husband Koshchei. Her face was deathly pale and insanely beautiful. Her eyes were constantly changing color from bright blue toВ black. Her long hair ofВ aВ bright black color hung down toВ her waist, and aВ crown ofВ silver was decorated with precious stones.
Her husband never took his eyes off her. He was aВ thin, terribly scary and bony villain. His small eyes glowed with malice and greed. He greedily looked at everyone around him with his hateful gaze. Mara herself was very beautifully dressed for the holiday; she was wearing aВ beautiful festive dress. Her husband looked stingy enough for the holiday, and nothing seemed toВ connect the two people. AВ huge number ofВ skulls distinguished this villain. Even his throne was paved with skulls made ofВ ice. His crown was decorated with skulls. IВ realized that this villain is obsessed with turtles.
On Koshchei’s right hand was his father Chernobog. He was an old, decrepit old man, very unpleasant in appearance. He was wearing a black robe and I could not see his face.
On the right hand ofВ Mara was Velez. He was aВ pleasant old man, more like aВ forester. InВ appearance, he had no place inВ this company.
InВ the center ofВ the hall, there were souls one byВ one with little devils. They formed aВ circle. Trolls decorated the walls with their ridiculous appearance. IВ tried toВ find the old grandmother, but she did not catch myВ eye.
– Well, it turns out I came here for nothing?
– What do you want to say?
– «I don’t see her anywhere.
– Who?
– His late grandmother.
– «What does she look like?»
– When I saw her, she was an ugly old woman who was shamanizing by the fire. Her appearance is simply terrible.
– Let’s try to find her together. As far as I know, they can all change their image here, as they like.
