Oh, Diman, great, what are you doing? - A hefty paw of my old friend, Oleg, fell on my shoulder. And all this happened so unexpectedly that I even jumped.
- Are you completely cut off from your chtoli? - Turning around, I looked somewhat unfriendly at my friend, who was smiling in all thirty-two teeth as if nothing had happened. Yeah, it wasn't such a moose who slapped him on the shoulder. Here it is necessary to explain my displeasure and dwell in more detail on the appearance of my friend. Imagine a two-meter bulwark wider across you. A kind of hero from fairy tales. The only difference from the fairy-tale characters was the absolute reality of Oleg. However, despite his appearance, he was a good friend and person. - How many times to repeat, do not sneak up like that.
- Come on, as if you did not hear me. - Oleg grinned again. But I really didn't hear him; if I wanted to, he could move quite quietly, despite his size.
- So what did you want? - I grunted with displeasure, glancing briefly at the clock. There were still forty minutes left until the end of the working day.
- Come on, you'll be distracted for a little while, otherwise you're sitting in your iron friend buried. - Oleg benignly burst out laughing, nodding towards the monitor.
- I actually have a job. - I answered in a sanctimonious tone, intending to bury myself in the monitor again.
- Come on, work. Otherwise I don't know that you will stare at your pictures again!
- Well ... - I was noticeably embarrassed, especially since he was absolutely right, I was going to return not to work, but to reading the manga interrupted by Oleg's appearance. - Okay, you opened me, Holmes. So what did you want?
- That's how I love you! This is how I praise you! He smiled contentedly and sat down on the edge of the table. - Listen, what are you doing today? Any plans?
- I? Yes, in general, nothing, but what?
- Listen, let's go to Katka today, will we fill up? - Oleg began to broadcast with enthusiasm, but I immediately cut him off.
- Why would we go to your sister today? - It's not that I didn't want to go to visit my ex-girlfriend, whom I still loved, but like that from the bay of flounder. And since we parted at her request, I experienced a fair amount of awkwardness in her presence.
- Yes, we'll look at the new khakhal. - Oleg waved him off lightly. My face was stretched out, to go to Katya in order to admire her new boyfriend? No, thank you.
- I will not go. - I answered dryly and turned to the computer.
- Wait, Dimon. Her boyfriend is a complete jerk. He is carried away by all sorts of nonsense like Shambhala and the transmigration of souls. He will arrange a magic session today. So I want to put him in a puddle and show my sister what kind of imbecile she got in touch with.
- You say to put in a puddle? - I immediately cheered up and turned back to my friend. - What did you not say right away! I'm with you! When?
- Yes, after work and let's go, run into the store, we will stock up on her. - Oleg got up from the table. - So be, I'll drop by for you, don't disappear anywhere.
- Oleg, Oleg, stop! - I quickly spoke to the back of the departing guy. - Will we be alone?
- No, what are you. - He grimaced. - It will be full of Katerina's girlfriends who want to see real magic.
The last words he uttered in a parody of someone. Eh, it looks like they already got him with this magic-shmag, that's why he wants to put his sister's boyfriend in a puddle. We'll have to help, otherwise what else do we need friends for?
The rest of the working day flew by unnoticed, especially since the work was thrown in and I did not manage to read the manga. Yes, it was a manga, not some pictures there. However, Oleg still called her stupid pictures. I did not argue with him, as he wants to, he calls that, there are no comrades for the taste and color. Yes, and now I read this manga more out of inertia, after all, I started reading at school. This is a matter of principle, you need to finish.
So imperceptibly the working day came to an end, and I hurried to the exit, where Oleg was already waiting for me.
- Well, shall we show this grief sorcerer the lights of the Holy Inquisition? - With a conspiratorial wink at me, Oleg went to the bus stop. I lit a cigarette and went after him. Stupid habit. I'm talking about smoking, but I can't quit, although I started smoking just a year ago, when Oleg's sister parted ways.
At the bus stop, we cheerfully sorted out all the bones of this grief to the sorcerer, while we waited for the minibus, then jumped to the Inquisition, then to the cinema, then to the games. In general, the road to the apartment where Katya lived flew by unnoticed. Having bought on the way, we were already climbing the staircase, when Oleg, slightly embarrassed, said.
- I didn't tell Katya that you would come, but she would still be glad. I'm sure.
- Yeah. - Shut up, an uninvited guest to the former you still miss. Whisper.
- Come on, don't drift, everything will be fine. Let's go. - Oleg stopped in front of one of the apartments and pressed the bell button. An unfamiliar melody was heard, apparently Katya changed the doorbell.
- Who? - From behind the closed door came a ringing female voice.
- The Inquisition, came to the soul of the godless sorcerer! - Oleg began to broadcast in a stern voice, but could not resist, laughed and continued in a normal tone. - Open yours!
The door immediately flung open and we were allowed into the apartment, where the hostess chirped cheerfully began to tell that the magic session had already begun, there was no need to make noise and it would be better to go into the hall to see everything for ourselves. Protarakhtev all this, Kata flew into the hall, leaving us alone.
- Well, you were afraid. All the way! - Immediately my friend urged me on. Although, what can I complain about, she was really glad to see me. - Come on.
And we went. To the hall. And something was really going on there. All the fires were covered with night curtains, candles were burning everywhere, and in the middle there was a coffee table on which lay an old, battered book.
- Well, that's impressive. - A friend immediately asked me.
- There is some. - In response, I whispered. The scenery was not just suggestive, but showed that the person was at least prepared to show off.
- Look there, you see the book. - Oleg jabbed his finger towards the coffee table.
- Uh-huh.
- This is Igor's main value, he shakes over her like a chicken over an egg. Ready to blow away dust particles.
- What's wrong with her?
- Yes, nothing special, the book is like a book, just old and in Latin, and even half of the pages are missing.
- Ahh. - I spoke thoughtfully.
- I ask you not to interfere! - Suddenly there was a harsh voice. - Souls are a delicate instrument, and your bubbling knocks down concentration.
- Here he is always like that, something does not work out, and then he writes off to bubnezh. - Immediately Oleg nabbled, for which he received an irritated look from Igor, if this guy's name was Igor.
- For further actions I need a volunteer. - Several girls immediately stretched out their hand up, but Igor shook his head and said maliciously. - Male, unless of course you are afraid.
Oleg snuffled and ... imperceptibly pushed me forward. Not expecting this, I took a step forward by inertia.
- Fine, what's your name? - Igor immediately developed a vigorous activity. - Stand here, clear your mind of unnecessary thoughts, otherwise the ritual may fail and the spirits may not respond!
- And what kind of ritual is that? - I ventured to ask.
- Ritual of invoking spirits! Man bequeaths himself to the spirits, for which they endow him with a new essence and strength.
- But ... - I didn't want to bequeath anything to anyone, but catching Katya's enthusiastic glance immediately gave up. - What should be done?
- Here. - Igor handed me a package with a needle for a disposable syringe. "When I'm finished reading, stick your index finger and press it against the page.
I shrugged and opened the package. To inject myself so that I'm afraid of blood or what? Meanwhile Igor was broadcasting.
- Now I will call the spirits, but they may not respond! The spirits of a creature are not permanent and everything depends on the thoughts of a person. He nodded at me. What a bastard! After all, nothing will work, and then he will sadly say that the spirits did not like me. You bastard! - We begin!
-Igor, as if not noticing my hostile look, muttered some kind of nonsense and mumbled it for at least five minutes, I already got bored when he stopped talking and showed me with a sharp nod that it was time. I shrugged my shoulders and pricked my finger and, squeezing out a drop of blood, pressed the pad to the page and immediately removed my hand after admiring the bloody blot on the paper. At least somehow he messed up, ruined his favorite book ... But the bloody imprint, instead of behaving like an ordinary bloody imprint, suddenly spread into a complex pattern with curls, and then disappeared altogether.
- What is this? - I muttered in surprise. However, no one could answer me, because the great magician and sorcerer was amazed no less than me, and maybe more.
- This cannot be ... - Igor whispered in surprise, and this was the last thing I heard. The pain jerked his chest in the region of the heart and splashed darkness into his eyes.
I woke up in the middle of some kind of gray gloom. Wherever you looked, a heavy, dense fog hung, preventing you from seeing anything further than a couple of meters. A strange place, and most importantly, how did I get here? The last thing I remembered was the surprised eyes of the would-be sorcerer, and then nothing ...
- Egegey! Is there anybody here? - For quite a long time I have been stupidly wandering among this gray gloom, trying to see at least something and understand where I ended up, but, alas, to no avail. There was the same fog under my feet, and there was a feeling that there was no floor as such, and there was only this gray gloom. - Oo-oo-oo!
Having nothing to do, I began to behave as if I was lost in the forest, shouting loudly and calling for someone. Whom? I myself would like to know. Who would I meet, I didn't know, but wandering alone in the fog? Not a cheerful prospect, I already had chills on my spine the size of a fist crawling, somehow scary to wander in such a thick fog as jelly alone.
- Is there anybody here? - I once again began to tear my throat, trying to shout to someone, but in such a fog the sounds died out after a few meters, so all my efforts were completely useless, but at least they occupied me with something and gave me hope that Someone will hear me. - Oo-oo-oo!
- Human ... - A surprised voice rang out from behind me. "There's a man here!
I turned sharply, trying to see the speaker, but behind my back there was still the same gray fog, and there was not even a hint that there was someone else besides me and I did not fancy that voice.
- Who's here? - I shouted again, trying to draw attention to myself, and shivered slightly, still it was a little scared.
- Human! Che-che-man! - A many-voiced whisper suddenly fell upon me from all sides. He seemed to be coming from everywhere, from the fog itself. - What is a man doing here? Where does this man come from? How did you get here?
Voices sounded in unison, then split up and then the voices were superimposed on each other, turning their words into some unimaginable mess.
"There has been no man here for a long time, but I sense he made a contract with us. Concluded! Concluded! Concluded! - There was joy in the voice of the unknown. - For a long time no one bequeathed themselves to us, no one came in search of strength ... We have already forgotten ... Forgotten ... Forgotten! Forgot?! Miss you!
- Hey! What's going on here?! - I could not resist, took a step back and plopped on my ass and hiccuped with fear, and the fog seemed to move even closer.
- Human. I called the spirits, made a contract - The voice joyfully stated the facts. - Paid the price, fulfilled the condition! We will honor the agreement?
- Yes, we will! Let's do it! Let's give what we wanted! - Voices droned with joy, trying to shout down each other and a terrible cacophony reigned around. - Let him get what he wants!
The spirits howled happily, and it kicked me like a hoof in the chest. I gasped in pain and realized that I was flying somewhere down, faster and faster, my consciousness again began to float away somewhere ... Then a sharp jerk, and I opened my eyes in surprise, wheezing something from surprise.
- He woke up. - A joyful female voice rang out, and the hairy face of some old man appeared before my eyes and I lost consciousness with a clear conscience. The last thought was surprise at the appearance of this strange grandfather, he was very much like the grandfather from the films with Jackie Chan.
The next time I came to myself in the dark. I just felt like I was lying under the covers. And it was not clear where I was and what was wrong with me. But at least I had no more hallucinations about fog and voices. There was no old man who looked like the hero of the films with Jackie Chan, and I already completely thought that I had dreamed it all and I was lying in my blood at home until I tried to look around. I wish I hadn't! The room in which I ended up was completely unfamiliar to me, because I had no acquaintances who would make repairs in their house or apartment in the Sino-Japanese style. There was little light and the room was half-dark, but you could see the bare wooden walls decorated with some pictures, sliding doors with inserts of rice paper instead of glass.
Mom give birth to me back! Where I am? From the unknown, my mouth went dry and I felt just wild thirst. This was not enough yet. Where I could get water, I did not know. Although ... I caught sight of a small table, which stood on the floor, and on it was an earthen jug and the same earthen glass. Exactly what is needed! I was hoping there would be water, otherwise why leave a jug and a cup next to the bed?
Driven by thirst, I began to extricate myself from under the covers to get out of bed. What kind of bed is this? Some kind of mattress on the floor and a cushion under the head. In Japan, I found myself chtoli? What is minimalism?
Finally, I managed to get out from under the covers and I reached out a trembling hand to the table and stared in amazement at the slightly trembling fingers. Those weren't my fingers! Though I am not as healthy as Oleg, but my height was at least one hundred and eighty centimeters and these children's fingers could not be mine in any way! Yes, my palm is at least five times larger!
Blinking stupidly, I reached out with the other hand to poke her into the illusion that was in front of my eyes and howled in annoyance. The second hand was exactly the same. Children's palm, trembling fingers. Why are my fingers trembling? As if in response, I felt wild weakness, my joints were twisted and thirst awoke again, and even began to shake in a chill. I shouldn't have crawled out from under the covers.
But I was thirsty more and more. In the next few minutes, I did find some positives in such low beds. I didn't even have to get up. I was able to crawl to the table without getting up on trembling and breaking hands, and then I drank cool water from a jug for a long time, tilting it slightly. The jug was full and I was not sure if I could lift such a weight to pour water into the glass.
Having quenched my thirst, I crawled to bed, curled up there under the covers and feeling myself shaking in a chill. What happened with me? Where I am? I had no answer to these questions, and then I was overcome by a heavy dreamless sleep./p