Buch lesen: «Vodoroten»

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ISBN 978-5-0055-8885-2

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Prologue

A cozy place by the river. A couple in love is kissing sweetly. A long-running cloud did not frighten young hearts. A hot summer day was softened by a wet wind creating ripples on the water. An unexpected clap of thunder forced the couple in love to break away from such an important occupation. Large raindrops created circles on the water. – Lets run! The girl grabbed the guy by the hand and dragged him with all her strength towards the village. Her clockwork eyes forced her to obey and carried her away. This time the guy resisted and dragged the girl with him to a nearby tree. – You, what. Is it possible to hide under a tree during a thunderstorm? We need to run home urgently. This thundercloud will get us soaked to the skin. The guy looked, smiling at the cute girl, whose face was covered with freckles.

– So what. Let him wet. The guy answered with a kind smile. He was amused by the naivety and docility of the girl. Varya hesitantly let go of her hand in the hope that the guy would follow her. Gena did not move from his place, continuing to stand under the tree.

– What are you doing? You cannot do that. Let us go home. The rain broke out with such force that drops of water dripped from the tips of Varya’s long braids. The sundress stuck to the body, hugging the piquant figure of the girl. Lush breasts and hips attracted the person’s attention. Varya could not help noticing this and no longer knew where to run, hide under a tree with Gena, or run home and dry her hair despite the downpour.

– «You’re wet anyway!» Come here! Varya took a few uncertain steps and jumped under a fluffy umbrella made of thin birch branches with fluffy leaves. The foliage created protection, preventing large raindrops from passing, forcing them to gently flow down their thin leaves.

– What a madman you are. You know I have to be home. Parents will be worried.

– «You’ll have another home soon. It is time to break away from the custody of parents.

– «I’m not eighteen yet. The girl said jokingly.

– This formality will pass with time. The guy answered with the same joke.

The downpour abruptly stopped as well as it started. The air smelled of ozone. A not so wet guy came out from under a fluffy umbrella, the birch branches that touched him sprinkled his clothes. My hands were covered with goosebumps. Without giving any sign that it was not pleasant to him, Gena took off his slates and stepped on the wet grass. – It smells like ozone. What are you going to do? The girl asked with a puzzled look.

– Swim! After a thunderstorm, the water is warm. Do you want to come with me?

– Of course not. You know I cannot swim. Gena resolutely stripped down to his underpants and jumped into the water. Varya stood on the shore with a pleading look and waited impatiently for him to come up. Looking at the smooth surface of the water, she tugged at the edge of the wet dress trying to wring it out. – Where are you? The girl screamed painfully. There was silence in response. Varya was covered with goosebumps, wiping her tears; she wanted to call for help. Wet hands grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the pond. Braking with her feet and screaming loudly, the girl resisted.

– Okay. Yours took it. Stand and freeze. Gena made a second dive upside down. Varya, with dirty feet from the traces of dew left behind, was putting herself in order. Wet hair highlighted a bright red color. The glimpses of the sun dispelled the cold that had come. Varya no longer waited imploringly, looking at the water. She firmly knew that her fiancé would come up and definitely make himself felt. Having loosened her braids, standing next to the removed shorts and T-shirts, the girl was waiting for the return of her almost husband. A wet green sundress and wavy hair emphasized her Russian beauty. The sun hid behind the newly arrived clouds. A clap of thunder hit with such force, the earth shook, car alarms could be heard from afar. The clouds were gathering into a funnel. Varya looked around in expectation that Gena would definitely scare her by jumping out of the bushes. The reeds rustling in the wind broke the silence.

– Where are you? Varya spoke loudly with irritation in her voice. In response, silence and the rustling of dry branches of reeds sounded. Taking Gena’s things in her hand, she resolutely walked into the houses that were visible. – I will remember you. Walk around the village in your underpants. The enraged Varya grumbled, but a chill crept into her soul. The inner calmness did not allow us to go forward. Moving a few steps away from the river, Varya concentrated on the birch tree under which they had been hiding a few minutes ago. – Come out. Let us go home. I am freezing. The girl was calling her boyfriend in a firm and resolute tone. The guy didn’t respond. – It is not funny to me. I am leaving. The wind shook the drops from the trees. The reeds were leaning towards the water. Ripples ran on the transparent surface of the water, creating an incomprehensible pattern. Not believing in the disappearance of the Genes, the girl hesitated in place. Not daring to go without him, she really did not know what to do anymore. It has been about ten to fifteen minutes since Gena disappeared. Not wanting to realize what had happened, Varya, with her legs bent and tears flowing, wandered to the village. Her hoarse voice was calling for help. But no one heard her. Only they knew this abandoned place. Hoping that at least someone would hear her, Varya continued to call for help. The roofs of the houses gave hope for timely assistance. Only silence said that – EVERYTHING. It is over. Tears flooded the girl’s face. Not seeing the corpse, but not seeing Gena alive, Varya did not want to take the pain of loss into her soul. To the right of the landing, the noise of a car engine and the voices of people could be heard. – Help me! Varya shouted with the last of her strength. And headed in the direction from which the sounds came.

– What happened? Not seeing the interlocutor, the girl realized by the voice that it was a young man.

– Drowned! Varya stretched out in response and sat down on her knees sobbing. The girl’s face was smeared with dirt. Wiping her tears with her hands, she smeared dirt on her cheeks. Three guys and two girls came running to her cry.

– Who drowned? Where? When? The company asked questions. Varya only dimly heard voices, it seemed to her that there were blurry spots in front of her, and she no longer knew who and what to answer. Her strength was leaving her. A young company with dirty bare feet and hands quickly figured out which direction to move in. Varya only heard the splash of water and the roll call. – Did you find it?

– No. Water splashing again. Varya sat motionless on her knees, hoping that Gena would return.

– He always came back. She whispered with a blue trembling lip. As a result, the roll call ended.

– I found it! Gena’s body lay motionless. The guys pumped out the water and looked at each other. – The guy was lucky. Zippy! Varya could not believe her ears. From the shock experienced, the head did not work, the body did not obey. – Get the first aid kit; he has a huge wound on his leg. As if, there was no infection. The wound actually turned out to be deep, usually after such a small scar remains, blood oozed out of it.

– Blood will wash away all germs!

– Don’t be smart. It was getting dark. The moon has risen. The full moon hung so close; from afar, it seemed that it was clinging to the roof of the house.

– Girl, get in the car. We will take you home. Do not be afraid. Varya had nothing to fear anymore. More precisely, she was not afraid to get into the car, she was afraid to go home. The car managed to be pushed out of the rut, the crowded back seat made itself felt. Barely budging from the spot, the car slowly crawled along the landing. Varya was shaking so much, as if she was drowning herself and was taken out of the ice hole. Fellow travelers walked behind, accompanying the car as an honorary guard.

Bursting into tears on the chest of Gena’s mother, Varya could not explain anything. The fellow travelers had no choice but to explain everything themselves— – The main thing is that he remained alive. Varya sighed with relief. It was a hard night. After the horror, both families did not sleep. Gena was breathing heavily, and you could say he was dozing. He was not asleep, but he was not awake either. The dog howled at the moon all night, until dawn, catching up with horror and anguish. – A full moon is a bad sign.

– Don’t say anything. And so, not everything is good. The July night was tiring with its heat. In addition to the horror experienced, everyone wanted to drink from the heat. Gena was just suffocating. His mother was wetting his face with water.

– I should have taken him to the hospital right away. She said reproachfully. Look at him.

– He was normal. It was he who got sick the night before. Let us take him right now. Mother ran around the house collecting things and documents. My father was preparing the car. Going to Gena’s bed to help him get up, the parents discovered that their son was missing.

The whole village of Goreloe took part in the search for Gena. No one remained indifferent. Police and volunteers were scouring everywhere. No one could understand where and how the barely standing man disappeared. There was no limit to the grief of the parents. My mother tore her hair; my father was constantly going somewhere and returning in the evening.

The village of Goreloe is a nice provincial village. This is one of the prosperous villages of the Tambov region. Its territory stretches for several kilometers along the main road. As a rule, there were no emergencies in this village, as well as any criminal showdowns.

The Tsna River itself is a river in the Tambov and Ryazan regions of Russia, a left tributary of the Moksha (Volga basin). The length of the river is 451 km; the catchment area is 21,500 km2. It is formed by the confluence of the White Ples and Wet Peak rivers. This is a calm flat river, heavily regulated by dams, navigable in places from Tambov itself. There are five dams with locks from Tambov to Morshansk. The first is in the village of Tambov Forestry. The second one is near the village of Goreloe.

Varya lived these days in fear. She was terrified of the dark, being alone, rain, thunderstorms, the sound of running water from the tap. Her mother thought it was a shock after the experience, and it would soon pass. Varya did not think so. She felt Gena’s presence in her house, and she was sure that it was so. The thunderclaps frightened her. She could not just hear that sound anymore. Pressing her palms to her ears and closing her eyes, the girl imagined that she was in another, safer place. Varya’s father believed that his daughter simply needed to change her place of residence. —You are exaggerating.

– She is not getting married anymore. This gene is not known where and with whom. Accordingly, she has nothing to do here. Let him go to Tambov. A change of friends and surroundings that is what she needs now. Not hiding in corners.

– Do you think so? Maybe you are right.

The wooden house, embedded in the ground, looked like an old mushroom, covered with foliage. Varya did not notice the old age of her house. All her thoughts were occupied with the impending marriage. Of course, she was not going to live in her parents’ house all her life. Her future husband’s house remained unfinished. Gena’s parents were building, trying to make it to the wedding. Varya looked out of the window at the uncovered roof of the ghost house standing opposite. Sometimes she saw Gena, through the unglazed windows. Believing that it was a figment of her imagination, the girl did not tell anyone about it. Varya’s parents’ house was so old that the smell of mold could be felt from the threshold. This smell permeated all the clothes in the house. I had to take things outside and ventilate in the wind or dry in the sun. One day Varya, as usual, was sitting on her bed and looking out the window at her unfinished house, so to speak. The boring smell of mold did not cause trouble. This was considered the norm. Varya did not notice how fumes began to emanate from the mold. Varya looked out the window trying to see Gena, but Gena did not appear. Dark green vapors fumigated the room. As soon as Varya saw this smoke, she immediately screamed. Her parents came running to her screeching. – What happened? Since the appearance of the parents, the green smoke has disappeared. Varya sat motionless with a frightened look. – I said it is not normal. The girl urgently needs to be sent from here to a more favorable place.

– Let’s wait for 1 September. And we’ll rent an apartment for her. It was decided that Varya would go to study hairdressing courses. It was the end of August. The gene never appeared. Varya’s condition remained unchanged; the girl was in deep depression. – We have to wait. It will pass soon. Father and mother could not find a common language. A superstitious father and a realistic mother looked at things differently. Two days later, Varya was taken to Tambov, to a comfortable apartment. The mother stayed with her for a couple of days so that the girl would not be so lonely. – When you find yourself a girlfriend, you will go for a walk with her.

– I am not going for a walk. I will never walk again. Varya looked like a zombie.

– You have eighteen-year-olds coming up. Go to a cafe. My mother was afraid to mention sitting at home with her friends. Varya said nothing. She did not even show interest in what she heard. Her mother’s predictions came true, Varya found a neighbor very quickly. Perhaps this was justified by the fear of being alone in the apartment. – You see! And a neighbor was found.

– It was not she who was found, but I found her. The mother did not object to the girl. Afraid to press the wrong button. After talking with a friend, Zinaida spent another night and went home. Varya practically did not go outside. Her depressive state continued throughout September. Varya spent the warmest days of autumn locked up. Her friend could not bear such imprisonment and often ran away to the street to have more fun.

– I am telling you, she sits on the couch all night.

– She is that sick.

– No. She is kind of a widow.

– When did I have time? She is not even eighteen yet.

– It will be soon.

Staying alone in the apartment, Varya left the lights on in all the rooms. The fear did not go away. The girl was afraid to look out the window, go into the bathroom. It seemed to her that Gennady was walking everywhere. Tired of her persecution, she sometimes just wanted to look at the beautiful view from the window. But as soon as I went to the window, Gena’s image was imprinted on the window like a self-portrait. The girl just had to use the bathroom, because there was a toilet there. Varya had to leave the door open, it helped to overcome fear. One day, the bathroom door slammed shut for unknown reasons, Varya felt sick from fear. She ran screaming into the room and sat down on the sofa. Varya interpreted all these incomprehensible phenomena as an accident, and a state of shock after experiencing memories. One day she was brushing her teeth, turning on the tap instead of water, evaporation came out of the gander. After dissolving, water droplets dripped from the mirror, and the folding body of Gena in underpants was clearly visible in the cracks. Varya threw down her toothbrush and ran out of the bathroom. – What happened? Another vision? A friend went into the bathroom. – Why did you let off so much steam? Do you wash yourself with boiling water? Opening the water, to the bewilderment of a friend, barely warm water poured out of the tap. – I do not understand anything. Okay, I am sorry.

Varya always slept facing the window. She liked the view from the window, and the always-shining lantern dispelled fear. Of course, the apartment was one-room, friends slept separately. Over time, they became friends, and Dasha managed to get something out of the depressed Varya. – Tell me, what do you see? What are you so afraid of?

– I know he did not leave. Something strange happened to him.

– How did you understand that?

– «I can see him. No one sees him except me.

– Honestly, you are scaring me. And he won’t come for me?

– Why? He does not need you.

– And you? Do I need you?

– I do not know. I do not know what these phenomena are. Maybe I am imagining it all. Maybe there is nothing.

– How do you see him?

– All these phenomena are connected with water. Most often, this happens when there are vapors. It appears in the form of dampness. Drops on the glass, damp mold, and fogged mirror.

– So your missing boyfriend is a molecule. After a short silence, Varya replied, «it seems that, yes. That’s the way it is.»

– You are scaring me. The friend looked askance at Varya. After these stories Dasha heard, it became creepy to be next to Varya in this apartment. Suggestion itself played a big role. From that moment on, Dasha also began to leave the door ajar when she washed in the bathroom and went to the toilet. And to stay alone for the night, without Varya, this was out of the question.

1. Rebirth

October came. Autumn turned out to be warm. A bright pattern of trees decorated the city. Early twilight enveloped the city; this did not prevent locals and students from taking walks along the embankment, or just strolling in parks and squares. In sparsely populated areas, as a rule, after dark, residents sit in their homes. The streets are dull and empty. Only occasionally does someone leave their house to get some fresh air or go to the neighbors.

The coast of Tsna plunged into an autumn dream. The smooth surface of the river reflected the bright moon, so that you could see the curly autumn foliage of the trees. A fallen leaf broke the dead peace. As soon as he touched the water, small ripples appeared. At the same moment, something very incomprehensible came out of the water. This something very incomprehensible came out so abruptly, leaving no drops behind. Standing up to its full height and stretching out, the creature looked at the moon. The autumn color of the moon passed through his transparent neon body. According to the biological description, it was a transparent person similar to a water molecule, having no sex, hair, eyelashes, and nails. One could even say that this person did not have eyes; there were depressions in this place that had the same transparent color of water and two glowing purple dots. Having a large consistency, this creature can be attributed to the male sex. Thanks to the moonlight, his body glowed with neon. The molecule walked confidently towards the village.

Varya celebrated her eighteenth birthday with her classmates in the class. Despite the persuasions of her friends and parents, Varya remained not old. – I am not up to it.

– Well, at least so. I thought our daughter would go into seclusion.

– Yes, you are right. It is good that she at least agreed to this.

In the evening Varya took a shower, forgetting about mourning for a moment. There were helium balloons hanging in the house. In the cut-off bottle, there was a bouquet of flowers, presented by classmates. Turning off the water and wrapping herself in a towel, Varya took a toothbrush and squeezed out the paste. After looking in the mirror, the girl took a few steps back and fell into the doorway left open. – What happened? Varya pointed to the mirror with tears in her eyes. The misted mirror displayed an inscription written with a finger – «happy birthday.»

– It is his handwriting. Seeing the obvious, the friend abruptly closed the bathroom door.

– «I’ve seen everything now. You cannot stay here. Get dressed, we are leaving.

– Where to? Think about it, how did he get here? Did I bring it in my bag?

– «You’re right. But you can’t stay here.

– You go, and I am staying. The friend did not know what to do better. Leave or stay. What she saw horrified her; there was no doubt that these marks on the mirror were not the work of Varya. The self-suggestion sown made itself felt, Dasha wanted to escape further from this horror. To relieve herself of responsibility, the girl called Varya’s mother. Zinaida arrived by taxi quickly enough.

– Do we have to do something about it? I will take you to a psychologist.

– Yeah. And take Dasha with you.

– You scared her with your horror stories. The man could not stand it, and was forced to leave his home in the middle of the night.

– It is still a long way to night.

– Okay. We will wait until morning. You will go to classes, and I will go in search of a psychologist. Yes, and we need to go to church, maybe it will help. Varya did not argue with her mother. Realizing that only she sees her delirium. Although Dasha saw the same thing. Only Varya did not know whether she believed her or not.

Varya was lying curled up. The windows were covered with thick curtains. – Of course you are scared. Look out the window all night. It is harmful. Varya listened to her mother’s lamentations in silence. With her arrival, the fear passed. The girl felt protected. With the arrival of night, the apartment was enveloped in darkness. Tightly closed curtains enhanced the effect of darkness. About two o’clock in the morning there was a bang of a loudly closed bathroom door. Zinaida abruptly jumped out of bed, Varya remained motionless, knowing whose handiwork it was. – What is it?

– It is a closed bathroom door.

– I closed it. I remember it perfectly.

– So I closed it badly. Varya replied in a calm tone.

– Yes, but to close it, you need to open it and close it with all you might. Zinaida reasoned.

– I know. Varya answered calmly.

– No. First, I go to church, then a psychologist. Varya grinned, but did not answer. The girl did not fall asleep after the door slam. Varya was not interested in the memorial service, and so on. The girl realized that this would not help. Her fiance does not want to leave her alone, and she decided to find out why. Going to church, a psychologist, to some extent made themselves felt. Dasha returned in the hope that the horror stories had stopped. Zinaida did not mention the horror story that she had to go through at night. – I hope this is a misunderstanding. She thought.

November was making itself felt. Early winter enveloped Tambov with a light snow fluff. Instead of early twilight, early night was falling on the city. – Let’s go for a walk.

– In this cold?

– You are funny. What a cold. It is fun outside. The first snow fell.

– And why not. The girls dressed and went outside. Their rented apartment was located on Internatsionalnaya Street not far from the railway station. On the parallel Krasnaya Street, a five-minute walk away, there was the Elite studio, where Varya and her friend studied hairdressing.

– Let’s go to the train station, there are ours.

– «Come on,» Varya said indifferently. Dasha managed to get Varya out for a walk for the first time in all these two months of their acquaintance. The evening at the closed fountain in a cozy company flew by unnoticed. In winter, the fountain did not work, but it continued to gather companies on its beautiful benches. Varya forgot herself, fear faded into the background.

– It is warm outside. The guy spoke, letting the vapors out with his mouth.

– Minus 1oC.

– It is warm.

Varya stood modestly, keeping to the side. No one pressed the girl, knowing her state of mind. Varya’s attention was fixated on large snowflakes. Too large flakes similar to feathers fell precisely between two large fir trees. – What did you see there? Varya pointed at the cereal with her eyes. – It is strange how it is. The first snowfall this year was fine and soft. Continuing to fall, he resembled a fine fluff.

– It is just an abnormal phenomenon. What are you inflating so much? The large flakes were left alone. The evening continued. Varya took her attention away from the snow for a minute. Looking again to make sure that it was just a weather phenomenon, Varya was amazed. The flakes flew apart in a spray of water. It was as if a large glass jar with water had broken. The molecules that fell on the snow quickly joined into one large pile, similar to a viscous liquid, transparent in color with glowing neon crystals. Varya did not advertise what she saw and continued to observe carefully. – Varya!

– Leave her alone. A man admires the first snow. What is the big deal?

The liquid was moving towards the fountain with funny jumping movements. It was like pouring from bucket to bucket. When she reached the fountain, she merged into the hole. – Colossal!

– What?

– No, well, admiring the first snow is colossal.

– Varya! Do not joke like that! The guys laughed heartily. They did not offend Varya. She was thinking of something else entirely. After standing a little longer, the company began to go home. One of the guys went to see the girls home. Having brought the girls to the entrance, he went home.

– We had a great walk. Dasha was undressing briskly, and rejoiced at the evening spent.

– Yes. I liked it too. It was fun.

– You will not get bored. You tell me what you saw there.

– Nothing special.

– «You don’t look it. Do not tell me if you do not want to.

– You will sleep better. Varya thought to herself. The night became Varya’s best friend. It was at night that she could put her thoughts in order and get in touch with Gena. One thing she understood for sure was that these phenomena were not a figment of her imagination. A gene is something mystical, cosmic, or chemical. Just this. It had to be found out. Only how? Varya realized that Gena could not exist without water. So, in order to establish contact with him, you need to be near water. —What happened to him?» That night Varya wanted to go to the bathroom and establish contact with Gena. Dasha interfered with her plans. Varya knew that Dasha would not let her stay in the bathroom alone for such a long time with the water tap open. – I will try in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, Varya was looking for a way to get rid of her friend and come home earlier. Dasha, suspecting nothing, did not attach importance to Varya’s words and joined the company going to the pizzeria. – Maybe with us?

– Another time.

– «I knew it. Varya giggled. – That is better.

– What is wrong with her? She is changing.

– I noticed it too. Probably, mourning is passing.

Varya flew home like a tornado, not noticing passers-by and the traffic light signal. Casually taking off her shoes and without taking off her outerwear, she turned on the faucet. Warm water flowed in a rapid stream gradually feeding hot water. The long-awaited moment has come. Hot water heated the bathroom, the tiles and the mirror fogged up. Varya closed the door and, overcoming her fear, waited for the appearance of Gena. Shaking with fear and looking around, she waited for him to act. – Are you here? Gena are you here. The bathroom cracked as if shards of crystal had been poured into it. Varya was looking attentively at the bottom of the tub. Neon shards tried to come together into one, but it was difficult. The liquid was not viscous and tried to leak into the drain. Varya quickly plugged the drain and turned off the water. Three minutes later, a transparent statue in the shape of a man appeared in front of Varya. Neon crystals were not noticeable, the lighting interfered. The transparent man defiantly came out of the bathroom and pressed the switch. Closing the door behind him, he lit up the room. Varya was convulsively silent. She did not want to run away from fear, or the house of God to cast out a demon. Varya first of all wanted to believe in what she saw, to make sure that she had not gone mad, and of course to touch the mystical Gene standing next to her. Gena was the first to take her hand. Varya did not resist. «Is that really you?» The transparent statue nodded in agreement. The touch did not live up to its expectations. Varya was waiting for warmth. The hand was not icy, but it was not hot either. Not understanding his body temperature, Varya continued to study his essence. Seeing her hand through his, she entered the game. It was like a magnifying glass with dried flowers inserted inside, the dried flowers were purple crystals. – How did this happen? Gena shrugged his shoulders. The slam of the front door forced him to pour into the bathroom. Varya forgot to open the valve, but Gena did it himself. The sound of the switch, the harsh lighting hit my eyes.

– What are you doing here?

– You do not answer the phone. You are sitting in the toilet without a light.

– «I want to make sure I’m not afraid of the dark.»

– Good idea. Is that why you ran home?

– Yes.

– And how? Did it work?

– I think so. You scared me.

– I am sorry. Varya ran her eyes questioningly over the bottom of the bathroom. – What are you looking for?

– Nothing. I will see if it is clean. Can clean it.

– You had better go to the pizzeria, desperate homemaker.

The cold was getting worse. Since 15 November, the air temperature has dropped to minus 5oC. Students ran to classes without hats, pressing their shoulders. Varya and Dasha went to class slowly, proud of the fact that their apartment is five minutes from the place of study. At night, the cold was much more noticeable than during the day. In the village of Goreloe, local old-timers, preparing for the upcoming frosts, have long insulated their sheds and cellars. The water in the river became icy every day. In the early morning, the dried grass and tree branches were covered with frost. Bullfinches complemented such a charming autumn landscape. Bullfinches were not afraid of an incomprehensible creature looking at them. Perhaps they did not really understand who or what was looking at them. The huge molecule was beginning to realize that the impending climatic conditions were not suitable for him. It became more and more difficult to enter the water every time. The same thing happened on land, when his body was covered with frost for a long time, purple particles became colorless. A mystical being named Gena is faced with a serious problem. – You need to get out of here, but where? Diving into the water, he knew how to do it; a transparent creature with a speed of 80 miles per hour was rushing through the night.