There... - Rain, When it rains, Sixty seconds until the end of the world, Exodus.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


               (c) Roman Savchenko.
  Pzhev.
Rain

     It had been raining for about a week.  Water
the whip lashed the trees, the ground, flooded
everything around...
     It's impossible to leave the house - all around
slush, cold and heaps of wild
wind of leaves.   Although occasionally
I had to run to the barn for firewood, but
it was real torture.
     The sky is covered with a continuous gray veil.
What a pathetic sight - wet and
trees tousled by the wind outside the window.
     It's good that at the beginning of autumn I patched up
old, and therefore full of holes and crumbling,
roof.  But even despite this, my home
looks like an ancient wreck, I
I’m still surprised how it can withstand this
strong wind...
     This week I re-read almost all
your Library. There's absolutely nothing to do
especially in such a God-forgotten and
civilization place. If it rains
a few more days, then I'll just sleep...

                   ***

     The light blinked small and small, then
the red-hot thread of the spiral turned red and
suddenly went completely dark. The room reigned
darkness.
   - Amazing!  Now I don't even have
light. I put aside the book, which was just
I read this moment on quite interesting
place, stood up and went to the window. Not visiblenothing, only occasionally in the reflections of lightning
the barn loomed.  This second lightning
hit the standing
a tree nearby and, splitting it in two,
set it on fire.  Soaked to the last
leaf, it flared up like a match.  A
rain, as if seeing a fire and solving it
extinguish, poured out even stronger.
    I walked away from the window and managed to reach
the middle of the room, like a door, unable to stand
powerful wind, flew off its hinges and
crashed right in front of me. B room
icy air and a whole sea of water rushed in.
I was instantly wet.
     And then a strange feeling came over me.
I ran through my fingertips
electric tremors and hair slowly
began to rise, my vision became blurred
and... A bright
a lightning strike and I was engulfed in blue
radiance.
     No Pain, cramps or anything else. I
still stood in the middle of the room and looked
on your hands, sparkling and sparkling in
darkness. My eyes became even more cloudy. More and I
lost consciousness...

                   ***

     I am everywhere... I fill everything around... I
I'm falling in heavy drops, I'm flying into
gusts of wind, and evaporate from the ground and
I spread across it in puddles... I have strength
thousand tons of water...
     I opened my eyes and saw everything... Yes, yes
- EVERYTHING. And most of what I saw
- it's me. I -Rain.
     My body was cut by lightning, but this
I didn’t feel it at all.  I looked
from top to bottom and saw a flimsy hut,
ready to fall apart under the next stream
wind, I looked up and didn’t see any
skylight - the whole sky is closed by my weightless
body.
     I am omnipotent! And... I'm dying. I felt
not at ease. Gradually became through me
the moon was shining through, and the lightning became less and less frequent
cut me open   Feeling of heaviness... I
I'm dying!  I was torn with incredible force
down and before I fell, I managed
die...

                   ***

     Opening my eyes I saw myself,
lying in a puddle of water. The floor is flooded, the walls are
divorced, next to it lies torn from its hinges
door.  But the water is not cold, it is alive and
I enjoy her touch.   me
I felt sick... I tried to get up and couldn’t -
I was swayed from side to side, and then
pulled down and spread across the floor. I
completely powerless.  Only now I
noticed stripes running all over the body under
oBurnt clothes from chest to feet.
     And only then did I remember everything...
Power... Lightning... Your last
flight to the ground and your Death...
     I turned my head and looked out the window -
the moon was shining in the clear sky...

                   ***
                                  04.07.99

__________________________________________

 (c) Evgeny Borisov.
                               Staritsa.

           When it rains...

    This was a strange place.  In appearance -
nothing special. Small valley. Ivnyak
grows thick on the slopes, and trees
young people are standing.  There is a small river at the bottom
flows. A causeway bridge was thrown across it.
And the road from one slope slides onto a bridge
and climbs up another slope.
    Such places on our long
There are no bumpy roads, as they say
numbers." But this valley...
    This was the first time I heard about this valley.
from old drivers when I first arrived
to work.  There is such a joke in our
car fleet.   Someone will return
long-haul flight, he is greeted: “Well, how
did you go?  How is the asphalt in the valley?" I,
Of course, he asked what kind of valley this was. Yes
yes, they answered me as in St. Petersburg
drive along a valley for such and such a kilometer...
In short, you will see for yourself.
    My first long-distance flight turned out to be
Intrigued, I saw this valley.
I was even disappointed at first.  Valley like
valley  A river, like a river.  About a hundred
I've already passed these. I passed this one too. Only
about an hour later, when I ran into
especially the bumpy section of the road before me
It dawned on me that my KamAZ was driving in that valley
surprisingly smooth, completely without
shaking.
    OnOn the way back I slowed down
descent and inspected the road surface. Neither
one ear.  Smooth asphalt, like
table cover.  Yes, not just smooth, but
pristinely smooth and clean, as if only
that from under the skating rink.  I remembered myself
answer to a joke.  "How's the asphalt in
valley?" - “Yes, everything is the same.”
    At first I thought that the road to
the valley is often repaired, but it is not there
have been renovated since construction. How
they laid asphalt there, so it’s like this
still lies unworn and even
does not become covered with dust.
    I didn't believe it then.
    Well, a year... Well, two asphalt on the road
smooth.   Then the pancakes appear.
Vyshcher These pancakes turn into pits and
cracks.  And there it’s not far from the ears...
I had already been turning the steering wheel for five years, and
the asphalt in the valley was still as smooth
and clean, as if they put it in yesterday.
    And I also noticed.  Have you ever gone to
overtime flight, bad mood,
you get angry, send your forgetfulness to hell
boss, my eyes are sticking together and I have no strength. How
crossed the bridge in that valley - right away
My soul becomes calmer, my thoughts are evil
disappear, strength increases and sleep more
doesn't work... Or a grouchy fellow traveler
Gotcha.  He grumbles, complains about life, everything
everyone is to blame. But only the front wheels
on the bridge - he immediately stops. sittingis silent
and kind light in the eyes... What if
The swearing talker met, so he
mid-sentence interrupted his next
A raunchy anecdote and then sat for a long time like
knocked down.   Such are the miracles in that
valley are happening.
    But what happened a year ago...
I don't tell anyone about this
    And this is how it was.  Misha, my friend,
got into an accident.  All that was barely broken
They brought him alive to the Hospital.  Doctors
They said that they themselves don’t know whether Misha will die
or not.  I wanted a vacation at my own expense
I decided to sit with a friend, but it didn’t work out.
An urgent flight has appeared, and send except
There was no one for me.
    I'm not eating myself. I can hardly see the road.
The hands themselves, as they should, turn the steering wheel,
and I only think about Misha. I remembered everything...
How we met in first grade. How to
during the summer holidays we walked together whole
days. How we went on hikes overnight. How
They went to Makhno to study as drivers.
How after Makhno they joined the army. B Afghan
hit.  We traveled in one column. Burnt
our cars more than once.  Bullets him and me
clawed.  Yes, apparently this is fate - they returned
both.   AND BOTH WORK IN THE MOTOR FACILITY
let's go...
    I was afraid of losing a friend, but worse than that
I was afraid of the uncertainty, whether Misha would die or
no... That's when I found out for sure how
a person's soul can get sick... Came to
place.    Unloaded.    Loaded.And
Back... I'm on my way. The soul groans and only one thing
there is a desire inside me that Misha would be alive
remained.
    As if someone shook me by the
shoulder I just drove around almost nothing
I didn’t see and suddenly woke up... It’s a clear day
There was not a single cloud in the sky. I see, towards the valley
I’m approaching, the descent will begin soon. I'm vying
on the descent and shudder at what I saw.
Something like a transparent pillar above
bridge.  And all this glitters in the sun,
plays like a rainbow so brightly it hurts
eyes. For a few seconds I sat there like a blockhead.
wooden staring at this incomprehensible
phenomenon.   Then he came to his senses and hit
brakes.  Not far from the bridge is my KamAZ
stopped.  I jumped out of the cab and got closer
came up.
    It was raining over the bridge.  Not in heaven
AboutBlock. A stream of water poured out as if from
out of nowhere at a height of fifty meters and
fell down onto the bridge, and only onto the bridge.
Countless drops of water played in the sun
light like tiny Diamonds, and all
the air around was shining like a rainbow. I looked
down onto the bridge.  There was asphalt on the bridge
completely dry.    No water drops
they broke when falling, did not melt, and so
remained in the form of balls, like mercury on
glass   It felt like it was on asphalt
scattered pearls roll in a stream.
    How long did I stand and look - no
I remember.   Again, as if by my shouldershook.  I climbed into *aBina and moved
"KAMAZ" forward, straight into the rain.
The sparkling stream spread apart,
letting the car pass, and disappeared as soon as
The cabin reached the end of the bridge.  And that's it...
As if there was nothing at all... Only
peace remained in my soul.  Neither grief nor
joy, no surprise, no anxiety - only
peace. Ringing peace. "It's okay. Everything
okay..." something whispered to me...
    Without entering the vehicle fleet, I go straight to
I went to the hospital. Misha came to his senses. Doctor
said that he would get out.
 A year has passed since then. Misha again, how
and I, the steering wheel is turning.  Still the same
merry fellow.  And me after meeting that rain
I began to notice something unusual about myself. Here,
Let's say I meet a person and immediately
I feel his mood. Of course no thoughts
I read, but I feel when a person is telling the truth
says and when he lies.  And if he’s lying, then
why joke, brag or deceive...
    That's how it is now.  He took a fellow traveler.
I feel her grief. Exactly like
me a year ago It was...
    It shook me by the shoulder. I look - to
We are approaching the valley.  It’s like she’s here too
I woke up. He looks forward in surprise. Me too
I look ahead but I'm not surprised, I'm quiet
I rejoice at the beauty I saw again.
    It's raining over the bridge.
    I drive the KamAZ forward and cross the bridge.
The rain disappears.
    - What was that?  - she asks,
whenThe KamAZ started shaking on its ears again.
 - Rain... - I answer and feel peace
in her soul. "It's okay. Everything's fine." -
He's already whispering something to her...


__________________________________________

 (c) Sergey Fedin

     SIXTY SECONDS TO THE END OF THE WORLD



            We are all just dreams of the Lord...

                                     Poet



   Somewhere on the fifth circle "all around a hundred
lo remind me of some fantastic
aquarium.  The air in the pub was thick with
frozen cigarette smoke, drunken
ricks of visitors and the indescribable Bouquet
that smells, and in this purple fog
someone's swollen muzzles slowly floated by,
Quickly, wriggling like eels, they rushed
waiters, pushing trays of tipsy
neck space. I was sitting in the very center
blurring world, trying in vain to co-
refocus.  This man's face, outside
suddenly appeared in front of me, I was amazed
me precisely because of its clarity. And yet,
of course, the eyes. Something was melting in them
otherworldly Madness, sobering and
fascinating at the same time. From now on
you, I remember everything down to the smallest detail.
   - Can't I interfere?  - The voice was muffled and
slightly hoarse, coming as if from heaven
lift it up  And right there (I didn’t even have time to answer)
tit) the stranger's nervous face distorted
into a terriblesatanic grimace, wild eyes
flared up and he rasped:
   - There are two hours left until midnight! - He
laughed ominously. I'm numb from the scary
unknown premonitions and could not utter
not a word.  But the stranger's face is like
the suddenly calmed sea has already returned
into familiar shapes.  He smiled and
looked at me questioningly. I'll remember
nilsya.
   - Yes, yes, sit down.
   He slowly sank down onto the crushed
chair, carelessly brushing a small
dusty vase with wilted flowers. Os-
pegs splashed in all directions completely
Soundless in the general noise, on the wrinkled people
tics, someone’s heavy but-
ha.
   - I want to see your face Without vulgarities
obstacles.  Moreover, this is the face of Bu-
the last child he will look into
life on our lousy planet.
   -Are you crazy? - I haven’t lost on-
hope.
   And again his face seemed to crack, and
in the features distorted by a spasm -
I read the verdict.
   - How convenient it would be for all of you.
- He grinned, his face was calm again -
nom.  “But I’m not crazy,” he hesitated.
lil, as!s weighing my soul invisibly
on our scales.  - I'm a genius. But the genius
ness and madness are so similar and identical
are abnormal for the average person, for they conclude -
in violation of the usual axioms. Difference
in choice.
   - Which axioms did you violate?
   - WellWell, I'll explain, but I'll be brief:
We all have little time. I hold this world
by the throat, and the agony has already begun... So
here. Have you ever thought about dreams?
Yes, yes, about the most banal earthly dreams and
About their secondary materiality? You are about
paid attention to what is always obvious or
are implicitly present in your dreams and appear
you are the main character there, more alive and
real than everyone else? And this is not surprising
important: after all, your double reflects pain
the largest part of the uninhibited area of the cortex
brain. And always, mind you, he
moved closer to me, his feverish whisper
the sweat pressed on me almost physically. - And
always, mind you, this ghostly world is
dreams dies, instantly disappears
whines as soon as your double is threatened
death.  Remember how many times you woke up
fell, falling into an abyss in a dream, or from
that someone is strangling you and so on.
For these pathetic and inferior shadows,
inhabiting your dreams, these semi-material
The end of the pale copies of people is coming
light, as soon as one of them, the most "re-
alny", dies, and at the same moment wakes up
you worry, his prototype, super being
compared to him... - He's somehow strange
twitched, long crooked fingers tearing
shirt collar zeros. - And then one day, it
It was scary for a long time - I was still studying at university
university - it occurred to me: what,
if all ourthe world is just a dream, nightmare
the dream of some higher being. Remember:
"Then the world seemed to me like a dream and poetry
Deities;  colorful smoke in front of my eyes
disgruntled deity?
   - Yes, yes, I think it’s Nietzsche, - pro-
I whispered.
   - Absolutely right.  I see that it's not
I was wrong about you.  - And again a terrible splash
devilish fire on the stranger's face
for a moment the Abyss of his soul veiled. - OB
Many people thought of Kat, and I could go for a long time.
talk about the history and origins of this theory
supermaterialism;  let's call it that, because
if it is true, and it is true, then Genesis
of this sleeping Deity More materially,
supermaterial, in relation to ours
life, our world.  So, I could
talk for a long time about this theory and its philosophies
sophistic aspects, but we, I repeat, ma-
lo time.
   So, many people thought about this, but only
I moved on. I thought: if everything is okay...
each other is just a dream of the unknown higher
creatures, then perhaps he walks among us
his insignificant double, who, however,
less, “more real” than all of us. And then I re-
I wanted to find him to settle the score with this
hated by me, vile world - oh! at
I have reasons to hate him, - with
this nightmare of the Divine; call it
however, it can be whatever you like. I'm twenty years old
I searched for him for twenty painful years; how
and where, it’s no longer time to tell. - Here
his voice trembled and stopped.
   - ButI finally found it! You will hear!
I found it! And only remained until midnight
hour
   The stranger's face shone incomprehensibly to me
crazy light. He is strange, unnatural
he was smiling, and muddy tears were flowing down his cheeks.
tears.  Suddenly his voice became more pro-
astonishingly dry, eyes dull:
   - This man turned out to be a Buddhist mo-
nakha and quite an old man. When I approached
to his reed hut in the Himalayas, he
immediately left her and, without asking anything,
and lowering his eyes, he followed me. Only
once with curiosity and sadness he looked at
me.  You should have seen his eyes! "His eyes
- underground lakes, abandoned royal black-
togas..." - The stranger's voice completely died down,
and all of him somehow shriveled and faded: how-
the air was let out of him.
   - And now this old man is sitting in my
kennel and exactly at midnight he will die: in his
mug, when we drank water, There was poison. And
the whole world, everything, everything around - from the very
ice bugs to the Empire State Building,
from an insignificant clerk to a king, will disappear,
“like a dream, like morning fog,” he vilely
but he grinned and laughed:
   - There is half an hour left until midnight. Half an hour
until the end of the world.
   Only here did I truly feel everything
the nightmare of the situation. I suddenly shuddered
he realized that everything he heard was not
Paranoid delirium, not feverish fantasy
alcoholic, but reality. My forehead was covered with death -
extremely cold and stickythen, growls chalk-
they were trembling.  I was absolutely, monstrously
sober Funeral bells were ringing in my heart
cola, painfully echoing in the small
A pale vein at the temple. Through the unnatural
the vein-clear distance of the sick with instinct
words slowly filtered through consciousness
nakomets said (I’m almost used to
these instant changes) businesslike and slightly
in a tired tone:
   - Don’t you want to look at this?
unique old man, the root of life on Earth
le, her materialized amulet, and at the same time on
him and,” he grinned and spread his arms,
- our agony? DIE on stage
together with the main character and the entire theater in
the last act - isn't this happiness for
true viewer?  I live here very much
Close,” he added after a painful
pauses - at a distance of a hundred heartbeats.
   He rose from the table and made a
hand gesture. Without feeling your own
la, I slowly stood up and, weightless, found
I honestly followed him. It was all the same to me already
but...  I just really pinched my left shoe and...
something thought that tomorrow's date
tion is cancelled... The pub is still there
a drunken fog swirled somewhere in the corner
a fight broke out at the next table
wanted to come up with a new joke...
   He lived really close. When we
climbed up the cluttered and smelly staircase -
on the fifth floor of an old brick building
ma and stopped in front of the shabby door
yu,crossed out diagonally illegible
the inscription, I fell into a kind of stupor.
My legs refused to go further, I was
Close to fainting. That's probably how I feel...
says he is condemned to execution before
the door behind which an electric
chair  Brought me out of my stupor
the mocking voice of my guide:
   - Well, we have ascended to this world wide
scaffold  As you can see, he is short and shabby.
gan. Come in, don't be afraid. We'll all disappear
No Pain. After all, we are just dreaming. - And he with
pushed the door forcefully.
   In a shabby closet with a small dusty
there was nothing, but Absolutely nothing
what kind of furniture.  Only in the center of the room
stood an antique chair, magnificently carved
work (I also automatically thought that it was
to whom I give a place in the museum) and on it, looking
he sat staring at me, completely gray-haired
an old man with an impenetrable and bright face
ancient sage. On his face, Serenity-
sad and sad at the same time, nothing
my appearance was reflected.  It seemed he
has known me for a long time and I just ran out
for cigarettes.  Next to his surroundings
married halo withered figure familiar
outlines and objects looked flat,
Pale and Lifeless scenery. B
eyes emitting unknown energy, from-
Mysterious and distant worlds were revealed.
   - Look, look at him, unfortunate one,
- whispered hotly in my earunfamiliar
metz. - There is exactly one minute left until midnight -
chickpeas  One minute to repent - he has already
shouted in Crazy delight and intoxication.
   - The whole world, like a pigeon egg, is in mine
palms, and the verdict has already been pronounced. The earth is already
cracked and... - He suddenly twitched, his face
wrinkled with a spider's paw of laughter and immediately
went out.  He swayed, from his mouth neo-
flakes of bloody foam burst out expectantly and,
stretching out his cramped hands to the mountains
lu of the old man (he didn’t even move, he
took one wrong step, screamed wildly
and fell.  I looked at his body in horror.
The stranger was dead.
   Somewhere on the square it was twelve o'clock. I
looked at the old man. He smiled quietly,
got up and went to the exit. He's right at the door
Turned around.
K - I replaced the glasses, - slowly
he said. - Let's not wake up Buddha. Him
I have a good dream.
   The door slammed shut.
   I was shocked. Thoughts were confused and wandering
in a heated head. With difficulty I
dragged himself to the window. Through the cloudy glass
a gloomy black street is visible, timidly
broadcast by a dim lantern.  Walked on the street
rain. Without breaking the roads, straight through the puddles
An old man was walking in the clothes of a Buddhist monk. I
looked at his lonely one melting in the darkness
figure and lips salty from flowing tears
I repeated:
   - Let's not wake up Buddha. He's dreaming
good sleep.  He has very good dreams
dream.

              * K O H E C *_________________________________________

 (c) Victor POTAPOV


                  EXODUS

                 Story

   As always, the Sun suddenly flared up
tse, and EfBer rushed headlong to save
body cleft. Sitar and Buccleuch hesitation-
hung out at the Big Red Feeder and were
crushed by the Beast. Greed cost them
life.
   The world-shaking roar died down, and FBer
carefully poked his head out from behind the Big
stone  Looking around at the smooth White
the surface of the Plateau of feeders, above which
two huge bowls rose, he shuddered
collapsed when he saw the mutilated bodies of the snot
mennikov. Then he turned his gaze to the Monster
more For some time it remained inaccessible

visible, then it bent and stretched out -
this was one of his amazing and co-
cooking properties: at your own request
change the length and shape of the body. There was a fire
a crushing blow, and another body kaarya-
it fell with a thud onto the Feeder Plateau.
   AfBer pulled his head into the crevice,
having to watch the Beast. It is unhurried
Sha moved around the World, looking for
rare victim.  The monster stopped at
the center of the World, under the very Sun: it stood,
turning from side to side, but
no one else caught his eye. From-
giving a deafening roar, the monster stomped
away;  his steps shook the earth. Sunwent out.  For some time I still feel EfBer-
I felt the ground tremble, then everything became quiet:
The monster hid in the Adjacent Worlds, where
His tribe lived there.
   Now it will calm down for a long time, I thought
EfBer, the night of kaarytans has come. And time
him to set off on a journey to the Underworlds.
There, at the Center, scientists are tirelessly searching
a means of protection against bloodthirsty monsters.
From all sides from the Border Worlds,
similar to the World of EfBer, flock to them
stories about the life, habits, and morals of Monsters.
   Much was already known about them, and that’s all
no one could give an answer to the main
question: why these Senseless Killers?
what?!  What should Monsters and Kaarytans share?
Food?  The Kaarytans are not their rivals, they
satisfy their needs with crumbs,
which the Monsters don’t even notice. Vital
space?  Pointless - two tribes
They live in different worlds. Someone called Chu-
treasures are predators, but predators kill
necessity, for the sake of food, and the Monster
They don’t feed on kaarytans anymore. So why?
this disgusting massacre?! What evil is
acted by the Kaarytans that Monsters with such
with wild malice and tenacity they destroy them
people Indiscriminately, where are the children, where are the elderly,
where are the women?

   EfBer crossed the plain at the base
world and slipped into the gorge - one of those
what separated horizontal and vertical
ny plains.  The traveler climbed the
hind legs,leaned his middle ones on the sloping
slope, and grabbed its edge with his hands and
I looked for a long time at the dizzying heights.
There began an inverted horizontal
naya plain. It was located exactly above
the foundation of the World, but was wider and brighter
more by color.  In its center was placed
Sun;  now it was not shining, it was hanging in
the void is cold and transparent.
   B way!
   EfBer ran to the end of the gorge. Here
the border of his World lay. Ahead so far -
a familiar hill appeared. Traveler vzoB-
yelled at him.  Behind him another was hunched over,
even higher.  Black hole tunnel
gaped at its foot. For some time Ef-
Behr stood in front of his throat, moving the sensation
faces, then entered the dungeon.
   Tunnels, caves, abysses, gorges -
the traveler lost count of them. Streams
the air carried the musty smells of the Endless
labyrinths. Under your feet in slow waves
soft, coarse gray sand parted.

   “Research by specialists,” said
EfBeru head of the Council of Scientists Jasp, - Pri-
led us to a paradoxical conclusion: if
If it weren't for the Monsters, the kaarytans would never have become
Would they be reasonable? We all know that through
every few generations, when the number
The population is increasing, Pe-
Poison Earth period. This is the reaction of Miracle
visch - a mechanism unknown to us turns on
in their bodies, causing them to produce
produce a huge amount of poisonous powder
ka,which they scatter everywhere. And Peace
turns into a poisonous desert - inhale
powder is deadly, drink water
with which it is dissolved, eat food, sprinkle -
them too.
   Our ancestors had only one
move. In order to survive, you need to be fed -
n i t h o l o v u n a d p o h -
oh oh, stop inhaling poison. And those kaars-
the tans that survived were no longer walking at six,
like all animals, but only on four legs.
The forelimbs are freed for work
yes, and labor gave a powerful impetus to development
mind. The poison of the monsters turned out to be the decisive factor
torus in turning kaarytans into intelligent ones
creatures. Without even noticing it, our enemies
gi helped us to be born, but...
have not stopped being enemies... Fighting
them - giants - on equal terms we are pygmies
- not capable. And it’s unlikely that I’ll ever be able to
Let us counter force with force. What are you-
move?! We must invent
Monsters and poison them in the same way as
they are poisoning us. This is - unity -
new output
   - Until such time as the remedy Bu-
children were created, it was decided to evacuate the village
of the Border Worlds. Here in the Underground
New dwellings have already been prepared in the worlds,
food supplies have been secured. We are temporarily forced
retreat,” Jasp finished.
   This is the information fBer carried to his
fellow tribesmen.  They face the Exodus, the great
some migration of peoples.The lock clicked and the door opened
apartment, and a tanned young man
I placed two suitcases on the hallway floor.
His wife came in after him, narrowing her eyes.
I stood up and looked around.
   - Do you feel it? - she said and Brezgli-
she twitched her nose.
   The young man nodded. Spouses examined
rushed around. The apartment in which
they haven't been for a month and that's already 30 years
was waiting for a major overhaul, made
depressing impression.   O Peeled
paint, chipped corners, furniture, stained
married by flies that died by autumn and hung
sew on it and the lampshades. Stale air -
a mixture of smells that have not been aired for a long time
housing and garbage disposal odors.
   “Yes, devastation,” sighed the young woman.
woman putting bags on a chair. - Here
no matter how hard you try, the next day again
dirt.  Where does it come from? As if
climbs on its own or is pulled by a magnet.
   - Well, come on! - interrupted her irritably
husband  - Don't spoil the mood. Let's take it away from-
we clean, scrub.
   “Of course, we’ll take it,” the wife sighed.
ha.

   At night my husband was woken up by a scream. He ran to
kitchen - wife, pressing her fists to her chest,
sat in the middle of the room and looked around in fear.
las. They were busily scurrying about everywhere,
barking with brown backs, cockroaches. Their
It was visible and invisible.
   The Battle lasted for a week. By Saturday the spouse
gi sighed in relief: the territory was
cleared of vile thingsinsects
   On Sunday night my husband was woken up
new cry.  Rushing into the kitchen, he looked around
disappeared, everywhere was clean.
   - What's the matter?
   The wife, tearing her hand away from her breast, silently
pointed towards the garbage chute. Cockroaches
crawled out in single file from under the loose tiles
tiles and, running along the wall, disappeared
under the lid of the garbage chute. The exodus has begun.

              * K O H E C *

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