Бесплатный фрагмент - The Witch’s House

PARALLEL WORLDS

This story happened on December 31 on New Year’s Eve. When many people are waiting for something unusual and fabulous. But I didn’t expect anything at all, I wanted to rest and only peace of mind, because I was very tired of work and endless fuss. Instead, I got this incredible and mysterious story.

My mother-in-law was supposed to come to our house any minute. My wife and son Vanka and I were running, doing holiday preparations before her arrival.

— Anton, can you imagine,» my wife said, looking at me wistfully.

— What happened Lenochka?

— Mom is almost on the threshold, and we forgot about the bread with you, and the store is about to close. Go, honey. Hurry up, she’ll be here soon.

«You’re always taking care of your mom. Take it and tell her to come in and buy bread, she’ll still walk by,» I said angrily.

— Anton is an old mother and I will not ask her about what you can easily do! Well, what’s wrong with that, because I love my mother so much.

I waved my hand so as not to quarrel again and quickly left the house.

On the street, snow covered everything around. The blizzard was such that nothing could be seen. Slowly I got to the nearest store. I threw two loaves into my bag, paid for them and went home.

When I left the store I was very surprised because there was almost no snow and it was slippery. The boys were standing in front of the store and kicking a ball, trying to play football.

— Uncle, come quickly, can’t you see we’re playing! they shouted at me.

— That’s what kind of disrespectful young people went, — I replied.

And they looked so viciously and continued to play.

«After all, how strange I’ve never met these guys in my yard,» I thought, «maybe they came from another yard, who knows.»

I went into the entrance, got up and rang the doorbell, happily waiting for the steps of my wife or Vanya, I really wanted to sit down at the table as soon as possible. Because my stomach has already started to rumble slowly. But there was silence and no one came to the door.

Strange, I thought, and called again. But no one came to open it.

— My wife is probably busy, — I tried to find an excuse for the situation and took hold of the door handle trying to open it, to my surprise she immediately succumbed.

But I definitely remembered that my wife had closed the door behind me.

To my surprise, there was absolutely no smell of festive food in the apartment, and my son was not visible. There was some unpleasant smell very similar to fumes.

«Is anyone here?» I asked, walking around the rooms.

The furniture in the apartment was old and broken. I realized that the apartment is completely different from mine.

I must have got the wrong floor. I went out on the landing again and looked at the door. The apartment number was definitely mine.

«Strange. After all, Lena couldn’t move out in ten minutes of my absence. It turns out that this is my apartment. But, then how to understand all this?»

I went into another room, which had been my son’s for several years, but now it was simply unrecognizable, it was not a nursery. And in general, there were no traces in the apartment that a child lives here at all.

There was a woman sitting in the room, and it was with great difficulty that I recognized the familiar features of my wife. She was sitting on the bed with her legs tucked under her. The face looked very swollen.

— Lena, what’s wrong with you? I asked, confused.

— What do you want from me and why did you come to me at all?

— Lena, what’s wrong with you, because I only left the apartment for ten minutes. Where are our things? Where’s the son?

— Everything changed in my life five years ago when my mother died.

— How did the mother-in-law die?

— What kind of mother-in-law is he to you? We’ve been divorced for four years. And which son are you talking about now? We have no children.

— God, where am I? What’s happening to me?

— Go away. And I don’t want to see you. I’m waiting for Igor now, he should be here any minute.

— I’m leaving Len. I’m leaving… It’s not you. That is, you, but not that one. And this is not my life,» I shouted and walked quickly out of this terrible apartment.

When I went outside, I began to walk around the yard and think what could have happened. And then I remembered that once somewhere I read about parallel worlds and the fact that they can intersect with each other.

— Should there be a point of return? Where is she? I shouted so loudly that the birds were alarmed and took to the air.

— Uncle, well, you’re definitely peek-a-boo! One of the boys who were in the yard shouted.

— Well, I’ll ask you now! I’ll teach you how to talk to adults! — I couldn’t stand it anymore and went at them with my fists.

— Boys, let’s run! they shouted and scattered in different directions.

— Here are the brats, — I said out loud and my gaze fell on the store.

— So that’s the point of return! I exclaimed joyfully.

When I went into the store, I was ready to kiss everyone who was there from my guess.

After walking through it a little, I went outside again. I did not buy bread again, I had it since the last purchase.

When I came out, the blizzard that was in my real life was gone again.

«So what if there is no snow, I just stopped walking, think about it and went back to my house.»

There were no boys in the yard. I went to the entrance, went up to my floor and rang the doorbell.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

«I’m finally home.»

The door was opened by the same Lena, who was not my wife.

— Have you come again? «Are you doing something more often?» she said warily, peering into my face.

— Lena, let the conversation go, — I replied.

— Well, come on in, but quickly. I’m waiting for Igor. And he won’t stand on ceremony with you.

I went into the kitchen. There were empty beer bottles and trash on the table.

«What you wanted to say, say it and leave,» she said, sitting down dryly on a stool.

— Tell me, what year is it now? I asked suddenly.

I really wondered what was happening to me. Maybe I got into the future?

— Two thousand and twelve, and why are you asking me about this? New Year’s Eve today.

— That’s right. So you’re with Igor now? — I decided to clarify.

— And what about Anton, do you want to go back again? «What is it?» she asked in surprise. — Vedas, you were the first to leave me. I remembered Masha from your job, said that you would marry her and be happy. Did you break up with her or something?

— We broke up, — I blurted out automatically, because in my real life I didn’t know what kind of Masha I was, and by the way I was a faithful husband.

«Well, if they broke up, that’s another matter,» and she came close to me and wanted to hug me, but I pushed her away.

— Okay Lena, so we talked with you. I have to go,» and without paying any attention to her, he hurried to the exit.

I went out of the apartment into the entrance, completely discouraged because of this strange situation.

Only one thing was spinning in my head, I had to go to the store again and try to change everything.

This time I decided to do a similar action, that for the first time to take and buy bread, maybe because of this something will change, and I will again find myself in my life where I am loved and expected.

In the store, I took bread from the shelf, paid for it and left.

There was still no snowstorm on the street, and it was still slippery underfoot. I realized that I had not moved anywhere, but I was in this alien life that scared me, a completely different reality.

I wanted to howl loudly, as if I were a lone wolf in the midst of everything alien and hostile.

Suddenly an idea came to my mind. And what if…

And I ran happily to the entrance… now everything should work out.

I went up to my floor, rang the doorbell and waited for Lena to open it.

To my surprise, a drunk man opened the door. He stood on the threshold and looked at me appraisingly.

— Who are you? — he finally said, and I noticed how his palms began to clench and turn into fists.

I ignored him and pushed him away and entered the apartment.

— Lena… — I called.

In response, I heard a small noise in the kitchen.

I went there and found her at the table, holding her head with her hands, it looks like she was drunk too.

«Lena,» I began, «I’m sorry I left you. And I’m sorry for everything.

She looked at me, but didn’t say anything in response, and I continued:

— I’m sorry, I’m in front of you. And this is from me.

And he put the bread on the table, looked at her red and swollen face, turned around, and went to the front door. I was genuinely sorry for her.

Oddly enough, Igor was not in the corridor, and the way to the entrance was open for me.

When I came out of the entrance, my way lay back to the store, and the hope of getting out of this strange world that I did not understand did not fade at all.

When I got to the door of the store I whispered:

— Lord, please give me a chance, let me go home and I will change!

After that, I opened the door and entered the store. But before I could take a step, the saleswoman came up to me and said loudly.

— Man, the store is closing for the exit!

— How does it close like that? I said, startled.

— Man, we have a short day. Today is a holiday. We also want to sit with our loved ones at the festive table. Don’t you have a family too?

I lowered my head sadly and mumbled to myself.

— Of course there is.

And began to leave the store.

— Happy New Year, — the girl said cheerfully with a smile.

— Thank you and happy holidays to you! I replied.

With great difficulty, due to the strong wind, I opened the door and went outside.

The blizzard played out in earnest. But for me now the snow was the best gift of fate, because it means that I got back into my world.

— Did it really work out! I exclaimed joyfully and ran home waving the bag containing the bread.

Happy, I just flew up the stairs to my floor. And my joy knew no bounds.

Soon I went up to my floor, and saw a completely unfamiliar door, after a little hesitation I rang the bell.

My wife Lena opened the door, she was wearing a dress I didn’t recognize.

— Anton, you’ve finally come, otherwise I’ve been waiting for you. «I have an important conversation to have,» she said in a serious voice.

— What’s right for the New Year? And I thought we were going to rest. «And where is the mother — in-law?» — I asked, passing into the apartment.

The most interesting thing is that not only was the door unfamiliar, but all the furniture in the apartment too.

— Mom? I told you, she decided to stay with her neighbor to celebrate the New Year.

— How interesting, — I said with horror realizing that I was again not clear where, just not at home in my own world, — Honey, remind me, what year is it now?

— Are you kidding me? — she looked at me without understanding.

— Yes, what kind of jokes can there be, — I objected, — So what year is it?

— The outgoing two thousand and twelfth.

— That’s right, — I said.

— You surprised me, of course, that you don’t know a year, but I’m already used to your oddities. Let’s go to the kitchen, I’ve set the table, we’ll talk at the same time,» Lena said and pulled me by the hand.

— Let’s go, — I was very glad that food was waiting for me.

When I went into the kitchen, I was extremely surprised there were no festive salads on the table, there were no potatoes, traditional chicken baked in the oven. There were rolls, sushi and wasabi on my plate.

— You know I don’t like this kind of food.

— Since when did you stop loving them? Lena asked irritably and sat down at the table.

— And that there is definitely no other food? I asked, looking around.

— No, you let’s sit down and we’ll see off the old year.

I sat down and pulled a plate towards me, there were seven rolls and two sushi pieces in it.

— Economical,» I said, picked up a fork, stuck it on and dipped it in soy sauce.

— Well, what is delicious after all? she asked with a smile.

«Tolerable,» I replied, «So what did you want to talk to me about?»

— Yes, Anton, I wanted to. It’s like pulling out a bad tooth.

— Do you have a toothache?

— No, I’m speaking figuratively. Our relationship with you has reached an impasse. Do you understand?

— Well, go on.

— So here’s Anton. I want to file for divorce after the holidays.

— Have you thought about our son?

— What kind of son? Lena said in surprise, «We have a daughter, Natasha. And she knows it, she’s with Grandma now. Are you out of your mind at all? What’s the matter with you?

I decided not to continue the conversation anymore, left the table and went into the corridor.

— Wait, Anton, where are you going? Lena shouted after me.

«I’m sorry,» I said, «I have to leave now.

And without waiting for an answer, I abruptly opened the door and left the apartment.

A strong wind was blowing outside. I turned up my collar and went. There was nowhere to go, and I decided to go to the store to pull the door again, and to fully understand whether it was closed.

The door was locked. And that meant that the road to my world was closed to me. For a long time or not, I didn’t have an answer to this question at the moment.

— Happy New Year,“ a five — year-old girl shouted and ran up to me, „Uncle, happy New Year, I’m telling you.

— Happy New Year girl! — I smiled for the first time in a long time.

— And my name is Katyusha, here take a candy in honor of the holiday, — and the girl handed him a candy in a golden wrapper.

— Thank you, girl, you are so kind. Only here I have nothing to treat you with,» and I opened the package in front of her, in which the bread I had bought the day before lay alone.

«I don’t need anything from you,» the girl laughed.

Her mother came up to us, took her daughter by the hand, and they disappeared behind the house.

And I was walking down the street not knowing how to live and where to go now. I was tormented by a lack of understanding of the situation and not knowing how to get out of it.

Suddenly, my feet began to slide on something unstable and smooth, and at the last minute before falling, I realized that there was ice under my feet, which was lying unnoticed under the snow. My head started to hurt because I broke it and began to lose consciousness lying on the ice.

I woke up on the train. The man’s hand was on my shoulder, apparently he was waking me up.

«I’ve finally woken up,» he said in a pleased voice.

— Hello, I thought I was dreaming this whole nightmare, — I replied.

At first I took the man for a neighbor in the compartment.

— Will you wake up a cup of tea? He asked politely.

— Yes, you can. And where is my wife Lena?

— You wait with the questions, I’ll bring tea first, and then we’ll start the conversation.

And the man got out of the compartment.

The train suddenly rocked, and I decided to look out the window.

I opened the curtain a little, but to my great surprise, I saw nothing but white fog.

— You don’t have to look out the window, there’s nothing there, — said a fellow traveler who entered, he was holding two mugs of fragrant tea in his hands.

— And I already realized that there is only fog in the circle, — I replied.

— Alas, but we don’t have a beautiful landscape outside the window here, what can you do, dear friend, we are on the border of parallel worlds, — the man replied.

— So that’s how, and everything that happened to me means it’s not a dream, — and I even whistled from the information I received.

— Did you Anton want you to dream all this? The man asked with a grin.

— Well, yes. Yes, not one normal person would not want to be in my place!

— Maybe so. We call such people losers. But, fortunately, there are very few such cases, one in a million.

«What am I supposed to do now?» I asked sadly.

— To begin with, I will introduce myself to you, I am the border guard Kazimir. To get into your world, you will need to strain a little and remember everything down to the smallest detail. From A to Z, so to speak. Your fate will depend on your memories. You will have no more opportunity to return, you will stay in that world and you will live that life to the end. Remember about the presence of your double, too.

— And what do you need to remember right all your life? I asked in horror.

— No, just the last ten minutes. What they talked about, what they did, who was there…

We sat down comfortably, and I began to tell Kazimir my last moments that I spent in my world.

— I’m so sorry because my wife and I almost had a fight over bread. How could I start this pointless argument with her! I sighed, having finished my story.

— Perhaps you will have more time, and you will fix everything, — Kazimir said with a smile. — And now I will send you to your world, which you have described. Let’s say goodbye. Good luck to you Anton.

— Thank you, Casimir, — I said.

Everything that was around me disappeared, and instead I found myself in a hospital bed and my wife Lena was sitting right in front of me now, looking affectionately into my face.

— Anton, what a blessing that you woke up! And Vanka and I didn’t sleep all night long, we were on duty at your bed. Vanya was very worried, and now he was tired and went home to sleep.

— Lenochka, but how did he go? Probably not alone, but together with Grandma?

— No, Anton’s mom is at home with us, she cooks food. I’ve already warned her that you’ve woken up and maybe you’ll be discharged today. Why would they keep a healthy person in the hospital?

I touched my forehead, there was a huge bump on it, and there was a bandage on top of it on my head.

— Lenochka, how long have I been in the hospital?

— Two days without consciousness. Do you remember anything?

— Not really. Tell.

— We didn’t have bread at home and my mother was coming soon. Remember that?

— I remember Lenochka.

— You went to the store for bread.

— How can I not remember, I remember this, too, my dear.

My heart felt light and so joyful.