– They did not say anything. And I didn’t feel anything. It is possible that nothing happened. Our meeting with Mara was not the last.
– How not the last?
– All the most interesting things will be ahead. My friend looked at me with surprise. We went out into the corridor to walk and smoke, although it was forbidden. But everyone who could not do without cigarettes did it. – My friends will install a fence and a monument tomorrow. And the passage for the living to the world of the dead will be closed. When I crossed the threshold of the apartment, I did not know what to say to my friends. I did not know if it was true or not. Alternatively, I am actually frozen and lost. To be honest, remembering those events, I remember that I was tired. I am tired of running around the cemetery, the underworld and thinking is it true or not.
– And we wanted to go look for you. Just don’t know where? In the cemetery? On the other hand, to hell! These words were uttered with such a laugh that I was not pleased. From their ridicule, I realized that it was all true.
– We were lucky. Our souls were not cleaned up.
– Don’t get excited ahead of time. First, you need to close the passage, and then rejoice.
– That is right.
They were saying these words, and IВ flopped down on the sofa and closed my eyes. The warmth relaxed my body, and IВ fell asleep inВ aВ sitting position. My hands and face were burning, my head hurt terribly, maybe from the cold, or maybe from nervous overexertion. IВ slept inВ this position for several hours. When IВ woke up, IВ came toВ my friends inВ the kitchen.
– Tell me how it is in hell without us!
– I would not be so happy if I were you. Remember how you got there. You were sitting here laughing, and the kitchen was covered with ice.
– He is right. Get it over with. It will be calmer this way. There was silence in the kitchen. – I hope this was your last visit to your grandmother.
– Grandma is no more. I managed to save her soul.
– Tell me, how did you do it? What was there without us? I told my friends everything that happened. About how the ghosts tried to help me, how I was an ice statue. And about how our ghost friend took my grandmother’s place. – Yes, your grandmother was lucky. God rest her soul.
– Don’t say that.
– Why?
– «I don’t even know where she is anymore. In Paradise or relocated. And how to remember her now after what I saw.
– Yes, a difficult question.
– «I’ll talk to my sister about that. She should know.
– What now?
– «I don’t know. I need to talk to my sister.
At that time, I still did not understand what had happened. And most importantly, I understood that I had nothing to do here. I did everything I could and everything that was required of me. All I had to do was get on a plane and fly home. But I didn’t want to do it, and I couldn’t tell my sister or my friends about it. She held me, Mara. Her gaze burned my soul with cold. I was ready to do anything just to see her again. It was my dream.
IВ told my sister everything, she listened toВ me attentively, IВ listened toВ lectures about how IВ put my life and the lives ofВ friends inВ danger. She earnestly asked me toВ come back as soon as possible. It was dangerous for me toВ stay here. She did not need my friends, and IВ was the cause ofВ all the troubles. IВ understood this and did not argue with her. AВ plane ticket was taken. For tomorrow. History repeated itself.
– The main thing is that nothing happens during these days!
– Do not collect troubles on our heads. He will fly away, and you and I will stay.
– Don’t swear! It is over.
– It is not yet known. I saw one of my friends nervous. Moreover, his depression was transmitted to me. – What did your sister say?
– You are not in any danger. All the danger is on me. However, do not provoke an angry goddess.
I fell silent. My friend listened to me attentively. – So why these scars on the face.
– I do not want to talk about them now. It is a scary story. Maybe a little later. We returned to the ward. Everything in the ward was gloomy and dim. I did not feel well and I did not have the strength to speak. It seemed to me that I had spent an eternity in this ward, which would never end, without knowing why. These three nights spent here in conversation with a stranger passed like a flash, I did not want to part with him and therefore did not want tomorrow to come. Tomorrow he will be gone, I thought, and a pain pierced my heart. I closed my eyes remembering what I had already told and strained my memory to remember what was left to relive.
My friend Vladimir was such aВ good person. He never got into my soul, but he saw what was going on inside me. He understood the person and could pick up the keys toВ him. IВ liked that trait inВ him. He is also ready toВ come toВ the rescue at any moment, go toВ investigate, stand up for protection. He reminded me ofВ my friend from the underworld, who was always there until my last minute there, he even sacrificed himself, realizing that he would die anyway. This is true friendship.
Today was my last night with a friend. In the morning, he will be gone, and that night I told him about my last night in Norilsk. – The ticket was bought. It remains to survive the night. Everything was the same as last time. I had a bad feeling. I was shaking from the inside. The fear did not leave me. And despite these fears, I didn’t want to leave. I was thinking of an action plan to stay for a few days and see her again. I did not lose hope that maybe she would still want to see me herself, to take revenge on me for what I had done. But no, I felt that there was no and I would have to look for her myself.
My mind was telling me what would happen if you got to her. You are going to stay there forever. I understood that. And what happens if I don’t see her again? It will be the pain of the blow. I am the one who is going to be healed for all eternity. I am going to live like hell because I did not get there again and did not see her. The only way to get there is to go right now to the cemetery to that yet unnamed grave and wait for the dimension between the worlds to come. Then I will not be able to do it anymore. I no longer thought about my sister, about tickets, about myself. The only thing I was sorry for was that I did not have time to say goodbye to my sister, knowing that I would not see her again. But I didn’t have time to think. I waited until my friends were asleep, dressed warmly and left the apartment.
CHAPTERВ 3
It was aВ polar night outside. My face felt cold, IВ inhaled the cold air and felt my lungs wheezing. This climate was not good for me and from the constant swinging through the icy air it made itself felt, IВ got the flu and felt bad. IВ visually remembered the route along which we were driving with friends byВ car. It was not so close. IВ was discouraged and continued on my way hoping toВ find aВ passing car. After walking aВ few blocks, IВ turned onto the next street and walked along the night windows. Flakes ofВ snow were slowly falling on my head, and IВ took it as aВ sign from above, it gave me hope that IВ had aВ chance toВ see her again.
It was time for dinner; it was our last dinner with aВ neighbor. We shared aВ meal with him inВ aВ friendly way, sitting pleasantly inВ the common dining room. There was aВ deathly silence inВ the ward. He was packing his things, IВ sat and stared at one point and did not break the silence.
– What are you thinking about?
– That everything will end soon. I will return to my circles, and everything will be as if nothing ever happened.
– How is that so? This cannot be happening. After what you have been through, everything will be different for you.
– How? Explain?
– Your life will change. Worldview, environment.
– And it seems to me that the opposite is true. The friends who went through hell with me will stay here, you are also here, the person to whom I opened my soul, and my friend is a ghost, about whom I cannot tell anyone, has already disappeared forever. It hurts.
– Well, the past always hurts. Therefore, it is not worth remembering, and coming back. And we, your friends, we will meet again. We will come to you ourselves. In addition, do not think about bringing, you still have your whole life ahead of you. This relic needs to be experienced and it will become easier.
My friend calmed me down. We went out toВ smoke, leaving the door open. AВ blizzard howled outside the window. That howl did not affect me so much anymore. IВ was thinking more about going home. IВ wanted toВ leave here tomorrow with Vova, IВ was afraid toВ be alone. The sudden slam ofВ the door made me jump.
– What is wrong with you?
– Nothing.
– «I can see you’re scared.
– «I don’t know what came over me. I looked out into the corridor and saw that the door to our room was closed. – Who closed it?
– A draft.
– Why is there a draft here? They do not open the windows at this time of year. Especially here, in this department. My friend looked at me warily. He did not say anything. I noticed that he himself was not at ease.
– Let’s go from here. We returned to the ward. Strong tea helped me to relax, and I forgot myself a little. Night was falling, and we got ready for bed. Everything went as usual, today we did not turn off the lights, but decided to spend the night without sleeping, and this was our last conversation, my last story about how I found myself alone with her.
IВ walked along aВ deserted street straining my ears toВ hear the sound ofВ aВ passing car. The weakness inВ my body from the flu took away my strength, my legs gave way, and IВ no longer had the strength toВ walk. Fortunately, for me, IВ saw the headlights, the engine died down muted. IВ looked around and saw aВ taxi. IВ was lucky. IВ came closer and asked if he was busy.
– Sit down. I heard the nervous voice of the taxi driver. The car door slammed, and we drove off. We arrived at the address I indicated, and the taxi sped off at breakneck speed in the opposite direction. I was alone again, only this time in the cemetery.
IВ was waiting for IВ do not know what, realizing that if IВ take aВ step now, it will be impossible toВ cancel this action. Why am IВ doing this? IВ asked myself this question without knowing the answer toВ it. After standing for aВ minute, IВ took aВ decisive step. As soon as my foot set foot on the territory ofВ the cemetery, IВ immediately felt that IВ was already mechanically not here. Although inВ fact IВ was still at the entrance, but my intuition suggested something else. IВ could smell Navi. It scared me, but IВ was not afraid. The very fact that IВ have already spoken here means that my soul is already there.
Grave, I purposefully headed to the unmarked grave, deciding that it was no longer worth going to my grandmother’s grave. The cemetery itself is a creepy place, but at night, especially in the north, it is much scarier here. I remembered all the scary pictures from horror movies, and realized that it was scary to walk through a cemetery at night. Although if you put aside fears, the only thing I was afraid of was getting lost and not finding that grave.
That night was the worst nightmare of my life. Nothing can scare me anymore, after what I went through last night. This whole world of Navi, ball, and Sabbath, it’s not that compared to what I experienced. I roughly remembered the route and stuck to it. I was sure that I was going the right way, and I even met familiar graves. I did not notice how the cemetery was enveloped in darkness. It was a black fog. Perhaps this is because it was a polar night outside. Stopping for a second, I looked around and realized that I did not understand where I was going. Nothing was visible. The cemetery was shrouded in black haze and its appearance was similar to medieval times. Everything was so old, not well groomed, abandoned, and snowdrifts disappeared from under my feet. I immediately realized that she was somewhere nearby. It made me happy, because that is exactly what I wanted.
Modern cemetery fences have disappeared, there was none at all? IВ realized that IВ would not find that grave anymore, and IВ did not need it anymore. IВ was found and so. Not knowing what toВ do next, IВ set off, IВ was wondering where IВ was. OfВ course IВ was afraid, but the more IВ was afraid, the more IВ was stuck inВ this black world. IВ came here voluntarily, against my reason. InВ addition, IВ had nothing left toВ lose. After walking through several graves, IВ realized that IВ could not get away from here. IВ lost my bearings. There was no inscription with aВ name on any ofВ the tombstones. It was hopeless. IВ decided toВ go back toВ where IВ came from, maybe it would be better this way, IВ thought. Feeling my pockets with my hands, IВ found neither documents nor money. This was the final sign that IВ was already inВ another dimension.
– What is next? I asked aloud.
– «This cemetery will be your grave. I heard an angry voice.
– I am already dead thanks to you.
The fog abruptly dissipated, aВ strong snowstorm caught me, and IВ was circling inВ the air. Then she abruptly threw me away, and IВ hit my head on aВ stone obelisk. IВ barely got up and waited for further attacks.
– What is next? She did not show her face. Although I have already seen him several times.
Then the most terrible thing began. The cemetery has adopted the summer season. The uprising ofВ the dead has begun. Coffins were lifted from the graves, the lid ofВ the coffin was opened, some long-buried dead coffin crumbled, and they got out ofВ it. They got up and came out ofВ the coffin like zombies. They were all wearing aВ white shirt toВ their feet; their deadness was emphasized byВ the color ofВ their skin and the dip ofВ their eyes and dark circles under their eyes. They did it all at the same time, coffins jumped out ofВ the graves, the lid ofВ the coffin flapped and fell toВ the ground, and IВ involuntarily shuddered. Their thin, nasty and bony fingers were disgusting. This whole picture came up so suddenly that IВ did not expectВ it.
IВ did not know where toВ run. And there was nowhere toВ go, there was aВ cemetery all around, the black sun and IВ was left alone with aВ horde ofВ the dead. For aВ second IВ thought she was just scaring me. But when they all came at me and began toВ pull their hands towards me, IВ realized that this was not aВ joke. IВ was not afraid toВ die, but not at the hands ofВ zombies. It was disgusting for me. IВ wanted toВ die fighting with her, for her, with her. ToВ die inВ her arms. IВ was ready toВ go for it. The horde ofВ the dead disgusted me and IВ wanted toВ get rid ofВ them. IВ did not have anything that could save me. No daylight, no crowing ofВ roosters, only aВ miracle, it remained toВ hope for aВ miracle.
IВ crossed my fingers for luck and began toВ run, IВ ran as fast as IВ could, forgetting about my illness and indisposition. The dead were running after me, but not as fast as IВ was. It surprised me. IВ stopped and looked around. IВ was surrounded from all sides. All the dead have risen.
– It is yours. I heard a ruthless voice. I forgot about being a gentleman and shouted,
– come out one on one. The earth shook. There was silence. I heard one of the coffin lids fall. Mara appeared before me.
– How dare you compete with me? This time her appearance was scary. She looked like a witch from Viya. – What are you going to do to me? I stood there like a boy. I had nothing to say in response. She glared at me angrily and without saying anything, disappeared into thin air.
It is over. The dead left, they lay down inВ their coffins covering themselves with aВ lid and the coffin itself disappeared. All this happened inВ aВ matter ofВ minutes. When closing the lid, it slammed as well as when opening; IВ did not have time toВ watch what was happening. And IВ was left alone again and waited for my fate.
The picture changed the screensaver again, and IВ ended up where IВ was originally, only for some reason knee-deep inВ aВ snowdrift. My phone was at my place along with the money and documents. For aВ minute, it seemed toВ me that Mara had left me alone. IВ decided that she could not scare me and she was not interested inВ me anymore. It was dark at night. IВ turned on the flashlight on my phone and started shining. My hands were red and shaking from the cold. IВ decided toВ find that grave at all costs and get into the world ofВ Navi. IВ was shining aВ flashlight around trying toВ figure out where IВ was. There were fences and graves all around, deathly silence. It seemed toВ me that the slightest sound could scare me. But nothing broke the silence. The wind and snow intensified and for me it was already aВ sign. During these days spent here, IВ began toВ consider the wind and snow as something paranormal. If IВ had not seen it with my own eyes, IВ would never have believed it. IВ went inВ aВ direction that seemed familiar toВ me. Having illuminated the familiar nameless cross with aВ flashlight, IВ took aВ decisive step towards it and fell into aВ snowdrift.
IВ was up toВ my waist inВ aВ snowdrift. Then IВ began toВ sink even deeper and IВ was sucked in. IВ woke up inВ complete darkness and cramped. IВ began toВ feel around, trying toВ figure out where IВ was. IВ did not understand right away. It was hard for me toВ breathe, and then there was not enough oxygen at all. IВ could not stand it and started calling for help. However, no one came toВ help. IВ realized that IВ was inВ aВ wooden coffin. IВ experienced aВ terrible horror, being there, aВ lump rose toВ my throat and tears ofВ resentment choked me. IВ was helpless again. And no one heard me again. Mara, she played with me like some kind ofВ kitten. IВ was her entertainment. Every time IВ was left in, aВ hopeless situation and she laughed, gave me oxygen, and then blocked it again. IВ thought it would never end. Moreover, when it was all over, IВ was looking for an excuse toВ repeat it again.
This stay inВ the coffin humiliated me, and IВ lost interest inВ this woman. IВ wanted toВ get home as soon as possible before it was too late. IВ felt myself and felt the phone and everything else. The battery was running out, probably from the cold. IВ turned on the flashlight. It gave me more strength. If the phone is here, then IВ am here. IВ had an incentive, if IВ am here, then IВ need toВ run away from here, and IВ decided toВ get out so that it would not become. IВ was wondering where am I? InВ the grave or on the surface? My mind was sound and IВ was happy about it. IВ started knocking with my hands and feet, and realized that the coffin lid was not firmly closed. IВ began toВ knock with all my might and threw it off. IВ sat down and caught my breath. Then IВ quickly got out ofВ this horror. Grave was inВ aВ freshly dug grave, inВ the same cemetery, and next toВ the same unmarked grave.
– «This is your grave. I heard the words through hysterical laughter. The laughter was harsh, rude and mocking. My hatred for this woman grew more and more. There is no trace of my first impressions. I no longer felt for her what I felt for the first time. Those moments melted away. I ran to the exit, hoping to escape. But I forgot that Mara is a natural element herself.
My next test was that IВ ended up inВ the underworld with the devils. AВ blizzard picked me up and transported me toВ another dimension.
– This is your new world. Meet me. She said with malice. Your soul does not belong to you. Very soon, you will settle here for good.
IВ looked around me and saw that IВ was inВ hell. The devils rejoiced at the sight ofВ me. They danced. IВ had no joy from what IВ saw, IВ was tired, and my eyes went out. IВ wanted toВ fall through, disappear through the ground, but IВ was already underground. IВ started all this myself, and IВ regretted it very much. IВ realized that IВ could not get out. My only salvation was my friends, but IВ did not really count on them, they might not have time toВ save me. IВ saw my grave with my own eyes, and it was true.
– «But they saved you.»
– Yes, but for how long? I know I am already dead. My soul does not belong to me. She is there. I made this mess myself. There was a void in my eyes. I could smell death. I wanted peace, but I could no longer find it, knowing in advance, what awaits me after death.
My friend looked at me with bitterness inВ his eyes. The lights were on inВ our room, and it looked like aВ cell. InВ which two monks were sitting and one confessed sins toВ the other.
– Practice. Mara shouted. In addition, she left me alone with these demons.
IВ sat down on the ground and put my face inВ my hands. IВ understood that my situation was hopeless, those creatures like the ghost, the grandmother, and not all the others were no longer there. There is no one toВ save me anymore.
Moreover, I was waiting for my fate again. I wanted so much to see my ghost, who once took my grandmother’s place.
– Very soon, you will take this place. An angry voice shouted. She did not show herself, but she was always there. I remembered the words of my grandmother, «she will turn your whole soul inside out.» «Oh, and she’ll wear you out.» These words are etched in my memory. Now, after so many years, these words have come true.
I fell silent; it was about midnight on the clock. – There is still a whole night ahead.
– Yes, and you have something to tell me.
– That is for sure. We crept quietly down the corridor to smoke. I peeked through the half-open door so that the nurse on duty would not notice us.
– What are you looking for there?
– I am looking so that we will not be noticed.
– Calm down. We are not really needed here. Moreover, especially this sister. Another one will come tomorrow, that is another matter.
IВ looked out again and noticed how the lights went out inВ our ward. My face changed, and Vovan noticedВ it.
– What happened?
– The light went out.
– So he was not there. There is no light in the entire corridor.
– There is no light in our ward.
– So the light bulb burned out. Do not worry. This is not mysticism. You are just nervous overexertion. Today I will be discharged, and tomorrow I will come for you. I promise you. I will arrange with the doctor and take you away from here. The words of a friend calmed me down, and I myself believed that the light bulb had burned out.
We returned to the dark room and the lights came on again. – Don’t worry. It happens with light bulbs.
– «I know that. My friend was cheering me on. But I already knew she was here. She came to take my soul. – It is all over today. My friends will install a fence and a monument today. And the entrance will be closed.
– This is good news. Then you have nothing to worry about at all. I continued my story.
The devils were bothering me. InВ addition, IВ no longer paid attention toВ them. IВ did not care. Indifference set in. My flesh felt being underground, the air was heavy, IВ had aВ terrible headache, and the touch ofВ devils made me sick. IВ remembered how IВ once saved one ofВ them. IВ would not do that now. IВ stood up toВ my full height, looking with my eyes for at least the slightest clue, at least something that could help me. It was the same clearing and the oak, everything was the same, but there was not the same drink. IВ wondered if IВ could go back upstairs without him. IВ ran up toВ the oak tree, the devils were dragging me byВ the sleeve, and IВ was pushing them away. IВ hugged the oak tree tightly and with aВ feeling ofВ remorse for what IВ had done, IВ thought about returning home.
