Svetlana Mirrai "Eight mystical stories"

His search has become the largest and most numerous inВ history. People gathered from all over the country who were not indifferent toВ the fate ofВ aВ ten-year-old child and the grief ofВ his parents.

All social networks were full ofВ announcements about the missing schoolboy, which had aВ photo ofВ aВ smiling Igor.

Television, radio, billboards inВ elevators ofВ houses and public buildings shouted for help inВ finding aВ child.

The Ministry ofВ Emergency Situations and special purpose search teams, the police and the military, ordinary volunteer citizens, meter byВ meter, examined all the surroundings, basements, abandoned structures and hunting lodges, divers searched the bottom ofВ the nearest reservoir, where, ironically, Igor and his father were fishing just before his disappearance, but the search did not yield any results.

No traces ofВ the missing boy, except for the bicycle left inВ the hut, were found.

The basket of mushrooms found there belonged to another person. Even a specially trained dog lost Igor’s trail as soon as he was in the forest.

On the tenth day ofВ the search, aВ criminal case was opened inВ the case ofВ the disappearance. The hope ofВ finding the missing child was fading everyВ day.

Grief-stricken parents turned toВ magicians and psychics. Those, all as one, inВ spite ofВ everything that was happening, insisted that Igor was alive.

One day, on the thirteenth day after the disappearance, the Belarusian side reported about some child who secretly crossed the border on aВ passing road train, climbing into the salon at aВ gas station and hiding under aВ blanket inВ aВ sleeping place. After he was discovered byВ aВ surprised Belarusian driver, the boy ran away at the nearest stop, fearing that he would be handed over toВ the police station.

This event gave aВ fragile hope toВ find Igor, who allegedly could escape from home inВ this way, although there was no reason toВ escape.

When the driver of the road train was shown a photo of the missing boy, he dispelled the parents’ last hope of ever seeing their ten-year-old son alive.

As soon as Igor turned off the path into the thick ofВ the forest, it became dark abruptly, as if it was late evening or aВ thundercloud had come, and aВ downpour was going toВ start. He looked up at theВ sky.

It was dark, but the clouds weren’t too thick to cast such a shadow on the ground. He remembered how they had told him about the solar eclipse in class, only the sun was not visible behind the treetops now. The boy was a little scared, and was about to return home, but the sky cleared up again and it became light in the forest as before.

– I’ll tell the guys how I saw the solar eclipse – he thought, and walked forward into the forest.

– They probably saw him too, and were also scared, but it’s much scarier in the forest!

Igor has never seen so many porcini mushrooms inВ one place inВ his life. After walking very close, he found aВ clearing completely strewn with boletus.

At first, he rushed toВ cut them and put them inВ aВ basket, then decided toВ take aВ memorable photo toВ show the forest miracle toВ mom and dad. He also praised himself for putting several large cellophane bags like В«T-shirtВ» from the store inВ the pockets ofВ his jeans, because each ofВ them could fit aВ whole bucket ofВ mushrooms.

– Wow! Oh, the guys should come here!

There were big trees growing around, and they had very small ones near the stadium!

Looking into the В«alienВ» hut, he certainly did not find aВ bicycle. There were only broken bottles, cigarette butts and some old worn sofa with the same kind ofВ coffee table.

After standing for aВ while, coming out ofВ the stupor that had seized him, he decided toВ go toВ the village, which was visible nearby, and resembled his native village.

– Probably came out from the other side of the forest – he thought.

– How could I get so lost? You need to ask someone what kind of village it is, and how to get to your own.

Igor suddenly remembered about the phone, but immediately did not dare toВ call his parents.

He was not used toВ complaining, but he was always used toВ getting out ofВ difficult situations himself, although this case was somehow exceptional.

«I’ll call you later when I find out where I am,» he thought.

Approaching the village, Igor saw aВ man inВ his thirties. He decided toВ ask him where heВ was.

– Excuse me, please!

– Yes, baby?

– Uncle, please tell me where I am. I got lost in the forest.

Igor noticed how the young man’s face turned pale and his eyes widened in surprise.

– M-boy. What’s your name? – suddenly, stammering, he asked.

– Igor. And what?

– Igor … – the man thoughtfully cupped the lower part of his face with his palm, and, looking down, asked:

– Aren’t you Igor Zorin by any chance?

– Yes. And how do you know?

The man took out aВ paper handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the drops ofВ sweat that appeared on his forehead.

– Uncle! Are you ill?

– No, Igor.

– So what kind of village is this? What is it called?

– Igor. Listen to me, don’t be scared.

Igor was already scared. He didn’t understand what this man wanted from him. He only asked where he was.

В«How does this man know my name?В» He was wary.

– I’m going home! – Igor blurted out, and rushed back to the forest.

His mother had always taught him not toВ talk toВ strangers.

– Igor! Wait! Don’t be afraid of me! This village is Zaustino, and Dimka is your friend, only already an adult! I’m Dima Ivanov! Honestly!

Igor was completely scared, and ran even faster, but he was very tired, so he could not runВ far.

The uncle grabbed him and hugged him, hugging him like aВ native.

– Don’t be afraid, baby! Better tell me where you’ve been.

Uncle Dema’s voice was soothing, and his grip was not very strong.

– Uncle! Let me go home. My mom is waiting for me. I promised to be back before dark.

– Igor! Don’t be afraid of me. Let’s go. I’ll take you to your father. Just don’t be scared. I got overexcited myself.

The student decided not toВ resist, but toВ call for help if they meet someone on theВ way.

The road ran along aВ street that seemed very familiar, but looked different.

There were low fences around the houses, which only fenced off the territory ofВ the land plot, and did not hide the entire yard.

There were no vegetable gardens inВ the courtyards, but only lawns, paths and flower beds. There was not aВ single gray slate roof on the houses.

They were made ofВ flexible multi-colored tiles, which pleased theВ eye.

As luck would have it, there was not aВ single passerby on the street. Everyone was sitting at home, from the windows ofВ which electric light was already pouring.

The boy and the stranger accompanying him approached the house, which really resembled the one inВ which Igor lived with his parents. Suddenly the front door opened and an elderly man appeared on the threshold.

He didn’t notice the guests right away, just picked up a package on the terrace, and was about to go back in, but Uncle Dima called out to him.

– Mikhail Ivanovich! Wait a minute.

– Who’s there? Dimka! Come on in! And who is this boy with you?

It was hard toВ see at dusk, and the electric lighting ofВ the street had not yet been turnedВ on.

– Mikhail Ivanovich! Your Igor is back! See. He’s alive and unharmed!

Grandfather was stunned byВ such aВ statement, but when his weak eyesight saw his son, who had disappeared twenty years ago, inВ an unfamiliar boy, he almost lost his strength and did not fall. Dmitry managed toВ catchВ him.

– Dad! Dad! What’s wrong with you? What happened? Why? Igor shouted, and felt that he was falling and losing consciousness.

An unknown elderly woman jumped out ofВ the house.

– Call an ambulance! Igor is back!

When Igor opened his eyes, he was again seized with anxiety.

– Are you awake? the voice asked.

The boy looked around. Apparently, he was inВ aВ hospital room. There was aВ nurse on duty nearby and another unknown elderly woman.

– Mom! Where are my mom and dad? Why am I in the hospital? I don’t have any pain,» Igor suddenly burst into tears.

– So! You stay with him, and I’ll get the doctor! – The nurse said, and left.

– Where’s my mom? Where’s my dad? Call them,» the worried boy continued to cry.

AВ doctor appeared inВ the room.

– Well, what are you, what are you? Now the nurse will give you a little injection, and you will calm down.

– No! What for? Call my mother! You are welcome.

The doctor looked inquiringly inВ the direction ofВ the elderly stranger.

– What are we going to do? Maybe you can tell him? We won’t be far away.

The woman nodded, and the medical staff retreated into the corridor.

– Igor! Dear! Your dad is in the same hospital, but he’s fine. Just nerves played out, and the pressure jumped. He’s coming to see you soon.

– And Mom?

– Baby! It just so happened that you got lost. This happened twenty years ago.

– I wasn’t lost! I went for mushrooms!

– The inexplicable has happened! When you didn’t come back, they were looking for you for a long time, all over the country! And yesterday you suddenly came out of the forest yourself, the way you were twenty years ago. The same age, the same clothes, shoes, everything, as in the police reports of that time. Look. The woman handed Igor an old yellowed page.

– Dad still has a printed sheet with a wanted notice and your photo! My name is Galina Petrovna, I now live with your father. I’ve been his wife for twelve years.

«Where’s my mom?»

«Unfortunately, she didn’t wait for your return,» Galina Petrovna said carefully.

– Why?

– When it was the anniversary after you disappeared, she had a stroke and died in intensive care.

Igor had not yet had time toВ realize everything that was happening, when his father appeared inВ the doorway. He has aged aВ lot.

The hair on his head became less frequent, and was completely white, and deep wrinkles lay on his face, but it was definitely hisВ dad.

– Son! My dear! How glad I am! – he showered his son with kisses, and tears of joy rolled from his eyes in streams.

– What a pity that your mother doesn’t see you!

Igor burst into tears again. It was a great shock for his child’s psyche. A doctor and a nurse appeared in the ward.

«How is he?» Maybe we’ll give you a shot after all? It won’t get any worse. Such a strong shock is dangerous for the child!

– Yes! It is necessary to give an injection to calm him down! – my father agreed.

The nurse administered aВ sedative and Dad continued toВ talk toВ hisВ son.

– Remember, we watched the movie «Back to the Future» with you. There the heroes traveled on a time machine! – the father soothed his son.

– I remember. But I didn’t have a time machine!