As Long As I'm With You
Sergey Redkin
Короткий рассказ в трёх частях на английском с элементами драмы и научной фантастики. Специальная версия для изучающих язык. Более 150 сносок с переводом сложных слов и объяснениями интересных выражений и структур.Plot: Lizzy is a working young woman who has everything she needs – a good job and a man she loves. Her life changes dramatically when one peaceful morning turns into a dramatic chain of events that will take her to a different world and will force her to make some tough decisions. Will she be able to go through the ordeal and accomplish the mission that she was unexpectedly assigned for?.
Sergey Redkin
As Long As I'm With You
Chapter 1
We will figure this out
[1 - Мы разберемся с этим]
.
She could not believe what she was looking at. It was impossible[2 - невозможный, невероятный, невыполнимый]. How could this happen? Only an hour ago, everything was fine. She thought she was one of the happiest[3 - Степень сравнения прилагательного happy (счастливый, довольный, веселый):happy – happier – (the) happiest] women in the world. She had everything: a man who loved her, an excellent job, a bunch[4 - множество] of friends, and a cute car. She could not wait to wake up every morning and go spend her day with a big smile on her face. And now… Well, now she was not sure that her life would ever go back to what it was. No. Let us rephrase[5 - перефразировать]that. She was not sure that she had life anymore. How did this all happen?
It all began this morning when he told her that he was leaving her. Things went down the hill[6 - to go down the hill (выражение) – постепенно становиться хуже]afterwards[7 - впоследствии, потом, позже].
“You what?” she asked.
She was still having her first cup of the day and the words spilled out[8 - to spill out – выплескиваться] with some coffee.
He was standing near an open window. It was a bright day and it looked as if he had a halo over his head. What an irony!
“We can’t be together anymore,” he added and looked out of the window rather nervously.
“What are you looking out of the window for?” she tried to stay cool. “Is your new girlfriend waiting for you out there?”
Staying cool did not seem like an option.
“I’m sorry, but we have to end it today,” he said looking at her.
“What do you mean today?! What? Do you already have a breakup plan[9 - план расставания]? Or did you just decide[10 - решать, решаться, принимать решение] it while drinking your coffee?” she asked, barely controlling herself and slowly realizing that it was not a joke of some kind[11 - шутка какая-то].
“Listen. We’ll figure this out. Believe me, it’s for the best,” he said.
“Are you being serious now?[12 - Ты сейчас серьезно?]” she put her cup down on the kitchen table, suddenly[13 - вдруг, внезапно] realizing that she might throw it at him right about now[14 - вот прямо сейчас (Прим. авт.: Разница с right now в том, что больше похоже на very soon (очень скоро) ине так срочно, как right now (прямо сейчас). Выражение также имеет довольно неформальный оттенок,потому что в нём смешивается усиливающее слово (right) со словом, смягчающим интенсивность (about),что немного противоречит логике.)].
He opened his mouth and that was the exact[15 - точный (Прим. авт.: exact moment – тот самый момент)] moment when something cracked[16 - треснуло (о звуке)] loudly outside, and he fell on the floor with his head covered in blood. Then her phone started to ring.
***
She answered in a zombie mode, still not realizing what had just happened.
“You’d better[17 - Тебе лучше] leave now,” a female voice said on the other side of the line.
“Ah?” all she could master, with her eyes fixed on the motionless body on the floor.
“Go now or you’ll be lying next to him in a minute,” not a hint ofcompassion[18 - намёк на сострадание] in the voice.
“Who are you?” she was almost screaming.
“Don’t believe anyone. Run!” the same coolness[19 - хладнокровие, спокойствие].
Then the phone went dead.
She looked around her apartment. What was going on? She ran to him, still hoping it was a terrible prank[20 - шутка, выходка, проделка]. Nope. This was blood on her floor. And this was one dead man. Her man. Well, her ex-man. When she was about to check his pulse, just in case, she heard someone running in the corridor outside her door. She jumped up.
***
The morning street felt strange. How can these people go about their business when he is lying dead on the floor up there in their apartment? Where is she supposed to go now?[21 - Куда она теперь должна идти? (Прим. авт.: Выражение to be supposed to + глагол используется, когда по контексту от кого-то/ чего-то ожидается какое-то действие, т. е. кто-то/ что-то должен что-то сделать.)] Somehow, calling the police did not seem like a clever idea. But why? She did not do anything wrong. She just had a cup of coffee and her soon-to-be-proposing boyfriend was murdered just after breaking up with her. Should she call the police after all[22 - всё же (Прим. авт.: after all (дословно «после всего») используется со значением «несмотря на любые указания или ожидания обратного».)]? Perhaps, she should.
She looked for her phone, but … Oh no! She left it on the kitchen table. All her contacts. She doesn’t remember any numbers by heart. Who does? Are there still payphones on the streets these days? Who should she call even if she finds one?
“Don’t scream,” the same cool voice from the call, but … behind her.
She stopped in disbelief[23 - в неверии].
“Keep walking,” a slight push on the back.
She complied[24 - подчинилась (прошедшая форма глагола comply)]. A decision triggered[25 - инициировано, вызвано ((прошедшая форма глагола trigger)] by her survival mechanism[26 - механизм выживания] rather than her brain.
“Who are you?” she asked quietly.
“In a minute,” the stranger said. “Turn right here.” another slight push on the back.
They walked in a quiet alley. A few moms with baby strollers[27 - детские коляски] and senior citizens sitting on benches.
“Here’s good,” the stranger said when they reached an empty bench. “Sit down.”
“May I turn?” she asked sitting down.
“If you want,” the stranger said.
She did.
Perhaps, it is not a good comparison, but what she saw shocked her almost as much as the death of her boyfriend.
***
She was looking at herself. Well, she was looking at a young woman who looked exactly like her, as if they were identical twins in different outfits.
“Yes, I know,” the stranger said. “It took quite a bit of time for me to understand this.[28 - Мне потребовалось некоторое время, чтобы понять это.]”
“Are you …?” she began.
“You?” the stranger guessed. “Yes. I am you.”
“From the future?” the only guess she could venture[29 - решиться, осмелиться].
“Not really,” the other she said. “I’m your other copy.”
“My other copy?”
“Yes. Some of us come with a back-up copy, but they never tell us that,” the other she said as if it was common knowledge[30 - всем известный факт, общеизвестно].
“Who are they?” she was confused.
“They,” the other she shrugged[31 - пожала плечами]. “The ones who make and control us. And now they are trying to erase[32 - стирать, подчищать, вычеркивать] us for some reason.”
What?!
“I haven’t done anything illegal. What is happening?” she said.
“Listen, we don’t have much time, so let’s get the hell out of here first and then we can properly catch up[33 - наверстать упущенное, обменяться свежей информацией],” the other she said looking around.
“But I don’t understand …” she started.
“No talk. Let’s go,” the other she said quickly and stood up.
The stranger extended[34 - протянула (прошедшая форма глагола extend)] her hand and … her head exploded[35 - взорвалась (прошедшая форма глагола explode)] like a watermelon.
***
Two dead people in one morning might seem like nothing on the global scale of things but seeing your other copy getting shot in front of you could make anyone go insane[36 - безумный, душевнобольной, ненормальный].
Is that what it was?
She was going crazy and was seeing things that weren’t there? Nope. The mums are screaming, and the grandmas are trying to run away. There was definitely some shooting just now. Is she the next target?
The other she said that they are trying to erase them. Click. The brain started to work again.
It took her a couple of minutes to get into the endless stream[37 - бесконечный поток] of people hurrying to their work. She stopped by the curb[38 - обочина] to catch her breath when a car tires screeched[39 - завизжали (прошедшая форма глагола screech)] next to her, and the passenger door opened.
“Get in fast,” the driver yelled.
What next?
Will it ever end?
Why does this voice sound so familiar?
“Come on, Lizzy. We don’t have much time!” he sounded agitated[40 - взволнованный, возбужденный].
He knows her name!
***
She gaped[41 - уставилась, пялилась] at him. It was him. Her man. But how could that be?
“I know,” he said without taking his eyes off the road. “It took me awhile to understand this, but I’m not who you think I am.”
“You’re his copy,” it dawned on her[42 - её осенило, до неё дошло].
He nodded.
She couldn’t stop looking at him.
“He was trying to make you leave the apartment this morning. To save you,” he said. “He just needed a bit more time.”
What?! He knew?!
“We found him first and told him everything.” he said. “He thought we were from the future,” he added with a sad smile.
He kept quiet for a while. Only the sound of the accelerating[43 - ускоряющийся] engine.
