«Leaving?» The creaky voice of the elderly neighbor, Granny Masha, made Elizaveta startle. She almost dropped her apartment keys!
«Good morning, Maria Filippovna,» the young woman said with a nervous smile, «yes, I’ve decided there’s no point in letting the kids languish in the city over summer. We’re going to the relatives, until the first of September!»
It was half-true, half-lie. Because Elizaveta really did take her children—twelve-year-old Verochka and eight-year-old Lesha—and bought train tickets to the very backwoods, to a district center from where they still had to travel two hours by bus to the village of Kaban. The lie was that the family, which had been orphaned six months ago, had no relatives there to spend the summer with. At Mikhail’s funeral, Elizaveta’s in-laws told her—they had never approved of their son’s marriage to her and did not consider her offspring their grandchildren, so she shouldn’t expect anything!
Elizaveta didn’t expect anything. Since six years ago, when Mikhail left her for a mistress (who was also the daughter of the CEO at the company where he worked), she practically received and expected nothing from him. Yes, he paid some alimony, but she seriously suspected his salary was under-reported.
Meet his son and daughter, celebrate the holidays with the children, care about them when Lesha was hospitalized with hepatitis and Vera had a broken leg from learning to skate? No chance! No, her ex-husband showed complete indifference to the woman he once swore his love to and to the children he had so persuaded her to have.
Amid all this, Elizaveta was quite surprised by the fact that her ex-husband had mentioned her in his will! And he left her a house. Well, a real estate object in the village of Kaban. Besides that… Well, there was nothing else at the time of Mikhail’s death—rich once due to connections with his mistress, at forty, he had suddenly developed a passion for gambling, then came alcoholism, the mistress left him, followed by an early heart attack and that was it! By the way, Mikhail left nothing to his parents except personal belongings. And against this background, when they met Elizaveta at the notary’s office, they verbally abused her, claiming she had always been after his money and now, she was taking the last of it!
«You are mistaken,» she responded reservedly, «I haven’t even spoken or seen Mikhail in recent years. So I can’t say why he did this. Perhaps his conscience woke up… But I will not decline the inheritance, sorry. For the sake of the children!»
And now it was time to see this mysterious property, which seemed to have been built back in the fifties. Elizaveta didn’t expect to find anything good there! But she had to go. With the children. And as soon as possible!
Once Elizaveta heard a theory that people often replicate their parents’ paths in their own destinies. And it seemed to be just her case! Her father had also left them. Then her mother struggled, forgetting about herself, just to raise her daughter… But died, never having met her grandchildren. She had neglected her cancer. This, by the way, was a little fear of Elizaveta’s—that the same would happen to her and thus she visited doctors four times a year just in case.
And actually, Elizaveta had a decent profession—she was an accountant, but at some point, about two years ago, life suddenly became so hard that she succumbed and got into debts. First, there were credit cards, then various small firms that issued loans in fifteen minutes… And it all ended predictably—ruined credit history, calls to her workplace… The boss said—this disgrace is not needed, write a resignation letter! And then one day, they knocked on her door—debt collectors.
And yes, Elizaveta knew that theoretically, these people had no right to be rude, threaten, and intimidate! Only she clearly got some particularly lawless collectors and decided it was better to spend the summer somewhere away with the children. And by autumn… Well, Elizaveta really hoped that the money from selling the remote house would just be enough to pay off all the debts. And then they would start living well! Then everything would be okay!
And finally, they were there. Only it turned out that the house was not in the village itself but at a considerable distance from it. And this news was delivered to Elizaveta by Fedor—a man they met on the bus. He was the only person who got off with them in the village of Kaban, and then the bus turned around and went back—the village of Kaban was the final stop.
«You mean,» Fedor, coughing, scratched the back of his head and glanced at the children, «with the kids, to live in that house? You what, some kind of… Scholar? Or psychic?»
«Sorry… What are you talking about?» Elizaveta was puzzled, «why did you think I am a scholar or… psychic? Actually,» she added, not letting him answer, «my husband just willed this house to me…»
«Oh, I just said that, sorry,» the strange fellow passenger sheepishly muttered, «your husband, I see… The city guy with the mustache, right?»
«I think so,» nodded Elizaveta. Her husband indeed always wore a mustache as far as she remembered.
«What did he die from?»
«Heart attack.»
«Look at that! And he wasn’t even old… My condolences to you, as a widow!» he sighed heavily, digging into his jacket pocket and pulling out a handful of candies, «and to the kids, too, as orphans, I suppose…»
«Thank you,» said Lesha, taking the candies. He immediately counted half for his sister, «but we are not sad anymore. Dad didn’t need us anyway…»
«Lesha! What are you saying?! Stop that,» Elizaveta hissed at him and blushed deeply—she couldn’t stand complaining to strangers. And she taught the children the same, «so, you say, the house is far?»
«Just walk through the village,» Fedor gestured, describing the path, «and then, there will be a small birch grove. There’s a sea of wild strawberries there in season! You go around it, and you’ll see a road. Follow it! And there, at the very edge, it will be, that house… Oh, what am I saying!» he waved his hand and without asking, picked up both heavy travel bags, «let me help! It’s getting dark already… And you, if you go alone, sorry, will get there at a snail’s pace…»
And actually, Elizaveta was used to handling all her problems alone. But right now, she felt so broken, so tired… She was literally at a crossroads in life! So she agreed. And they slowly moved forward.
Along the way, when they encountered locals, Fedor nodded to them, saying, yes, he’s back, checked his back in the city, will tell everything later… And a couple of times he introduced his companion—saying, this is the owner of that very house, the widow of the man who used to own it! And what was suspicious—whenever people heard about this, they looked at Elizaveta… very strangely! And one grandmother they met even spat under her feet and muttered:
«They’ve completely lost their minds! They don’t even spare the children…»
«Fedor,» Elizaveta addressed her unexpected helper when they had left the village, passed the birch grove, and a dark spot of the house loomed ahead, «please explain to me, what is going on? Why does it seem… In general, why did everyone look at us like that?»
Fedor clicked his tongue. Then he sighed. Looked at Elizaveta very attentively. And finally, answered.
«Well, listen, here’s how it was… This house used to belong to one person. His name was Arkady. He was an astronomer. A professor! He bought it in the nineties. Thought it would be a dacha! But it didn’t work out. Then, as we understood, this Arkady was a debtor of your husband and sold him the house for next to nothing, because he had nothing to pay his debts with. Well, your husband took it, sorry, just out of greed! Because he himself never adapted it for anything, just let it sit as it was before him… Well, various people came here… And people looked like that because all of this is not good!»
«What’s not good?» Elizaveta frowned. She understood little from Fedor’s story, «you mean, with the house? Is it what… » she nervously chuckled, «like a haunted house? You know, from the outside—it looks like it! Neglected…»
«You’re quick-witted,» Fedor smiled, «well, how to tell you… Actually, there are no problems with the house itself. It’s just… The place itself is the issue!»
«The village?» asked Elizaveta.
«I’d say, our surroundings. They… are not good. In the sense… People see various things here.»
«What do they see?» Unable to hold back, Lesha joined the conversation, «ghosts?»
«Don’t talk nonsense,» his sister sternly told him, «ghosts don’t exist!»
«No, I personally haven’t heard about ghosts,» Fedor replied.
They reached the place. The house was brick, sturdy-looking… But neglected. And the plot in front of it was unkempt… And the fence was rather poor.
«That’s it,» Fedor set the bags on the porch, «settle in happily, as they say!» and he was ready to leave.
«Thank you for helping,» said Lisa, and then, unable to hold back, called out to him, «wait! So what’s really going on? What’s with this house?»
«Well, I told you,» Fedor turned around from about ten meters away, «the house itself is not the issue! It’s just… It’s in the epicenter! It’s… I mean… Anomalous zone here, that’s the issue! UFOs fly around, that’s what! And the house… It’s of most interest to them, so to speak!»
«Things could have been worse,» thought Elizaveta as they entered the house. Yes, this little house definitely needed repairs! There were wooden, creaky floors, dusty windows barely letting in any sunlight, but overall, if everything was fixed up… If only there was money for it, Elizaveta sadly smiled—she couldn’t even imagine how she would gather funds to prepare the kids for school, let alone think about renovations! Without them, she knew for sure—realtors and potential buyers would start seriously knocking down the price! Well, she sighed, something will come up, you can at least clean and clear everything with your own effort… And now, it was also necessary to figure out how exactly to live here in the coming months.
Elizaveta, leaving the luggage in the hallway, decided to head to the kitchen first… And there she was greeted by a big surprise! Because there she found a new refrigerator, a gas stove, a microwave, and a kitchen processor, other small appliances, plus—the sink and plumbing were in excellent condition.
«Strange,» muttered Liza, frowning.
Fedor, their fellow traveler, had said that neither her late husband nor the previous owner really used the house. But what then was all this new and not cheap equipment doing here? It was disconnected—as if the owners had been long absent, but still…
«Mom!» Lesha burst into the kitchen, «guess what I found!»
«Mom, there’s some weird room,» added his sister who peeked in with him.
What else was off with this house?! Frowning, Elizaveta followed the children. The house had only one floor. Her son opened a door to a room and… Elizaveta got chills!
But not because the windows here were boarded up from the inside. Rather, because it all looked like a set from some Hollywood movie about maniacs or crazy cultists!
Firstly, the wooden floor here was painted and covered with strange symbols and numbers… The walls and even… the ceiling were painted in a similarly disturbing manner! And there were also many photographs and drawings, blueprints on the walls… Elizaveta, continuing to frown, peered in… Flying saucers?! Photographs of vague silhouettes with large heads? Newspaper clippings, including in foreign languages… And all of this was not chaotically hung but clearly… according to some scheme or system! Everywhere were multicolored buttons, and between certain photographs, crimson threads were stretched—as if connecting them.
Liza gasped—she almost tripped over wires stretched across the floor—they connected some strange, bulky equipment, unclear what it was intended for.
«Wow, mom! Look at this creepiness!» Lesha pulled her hand excitedly, and she, as they say, at her peril, shifted her gaze.
There were clippings from some magazines with headlines like, «Chupacabra goes wild!», «The Grays are abducting people for experiments!» and frames from some videos. Apparently, from horror movies, vividly depicting all this terror…
Elizaveta got chills—it took her a split second to understand—all these compositions were created by some psycho! Was it her husband?! Or that previous owner? Fedor said that he was a ufologist… Liza didn’t know much about these scientists, but she always thought them oddballs—because, really, how can adults seriously believe in all this nonsense?!
«Children, let’s go,» she said, «we shouldn’t touch or look at anything here!» she added sternly when they hesitated.
Just think! Even her sensible, such a smart girl Vera, seemed to have an unhealthy curiosity about the contents of this room.
Finally, she pulled the children out of the room, slammed the door, and decided that perhaps, she should put a lock on it… No need for her kids to interact with all this paranormal stuff! They might start having nightmares…
«Let’s go to the kitchen,» she told them, as if there hadn’t been a frightening discovery five minutes ago, «I’ll make some sandwiches. You were all seasick on the road, hardly ate anything!»
After the children had eaten, Elizaveta gave each of them a book—a children’s book, so they would read and develop culturally. Then, when the son and daughter had read the assigned number of pages and recounted their brief contents, she put them to bed. And for today, Elizaveta decided, it was better for them all to sleep in one room. Tomorrow she would choose a room for the children’s room—there were a total of three rooms here. And also, she thought, as she was falling asleep, maybe she should change the locks in the house just in case? You never know…
Ordinarily, Elizaveta did not dream. At most, some particularly stressful moment from the previous day would play over in her mind, for example, she might long see in a dream standing in line at the cashier, while the cashier—tries to return the money for a yogurt scanned twice… But today was different.
Today, Elizaveta suddenly saw herself standing in a meadow behind the village of Kaban. It was a clear and warm summer night. But her feet were cold because she was barefoot. And she also suddenly discovered that she was dressed in a white wedding gown.
«Lesha? Vera?» she suddenly realized she was without her children. And even in a dream, she experienced that terrible, perhaps familiar to every mother, fear—losing her child, «Lesha! Vera!» she shouted into the night void, and then…
Something rustled overhead, Elizaveta looked up and immediately squinted—bright lights blinded her! And right above her, slowly spinning, hovered a huge flying saucer… Then it smoothly descended and froze, three meters above the ground… A door opened in it. And in the blinding glow coming from inside, Elizaveta made out a tall, slender male silhouette.
«Where are my children?» picking up the hem of her dress, she rushed to the UFO, «what have you done with them?! Are they now chupacabras?» the poor mother burst into tears, «give me back my children! Better take me instead of them to Mars!»
And when she uttered the last words, she suddenly heard her children’s laughter… Then the UFO emitted a blindingly bright beam of light that, catching Elizaveta, lifted her, like a feather, into the air and carried her closer to the flying saucer… Then she woke up.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly and birds were chirping. It was just a dream… Some crazy dream! Elizaveta smiled broadly—how great it was to wake up in the real world!
She and the children had breakfast—she opened a package of long-life milk and poured out cereal for everyone—cornflakes. Then she tinkered with connecting the stove and refrigerator to the electricity and it seemed, everything worked fine.
«I’m going to the store,» said Liza to the children.
They looked gloomy. Because they also wanted to go to the store and generally—to look around the village! But mom told them to do an important task—stay home and sweep all the dust, wash all the floors… She handed them all the necessary tools for this responsible task—mops, rags, a broom, and a couple of buckets.
And here it’s quite alright, Elizaveta thought, walking through the village. She encountered several abandoned yards, but the inhabited ones were mostly neat and well-maintained.
There was only one shop, called «At Toma’s». And behind the counter was the owner herself—Tamara. She was a voluptuous, smiling, welcoming woman, her head adorned with an old-fashioned lace cap, and her neck draped with three rows of large amber beads. She warmly smiled at Elizaveta and said that she, as a newcomer—would make a discount for her now! But she was very surprised and seemed—even upset, when she found out that Elizaveta with the children had not come to visit someone local, but had settled in the house…
«In That Very House?!» emphasizing each word significantly, Toma asked again, «you too, one of them?»
«What about these ‘them’ everyone’s talking about?» Liza frowned, «no! I’m not a scientist, not a psychic, and I certainly don’t believe in flying saucers!» she realized it came out a bit rudely, «sorry,» she added, «yesterday Fedor already scared me… Told all sorts of things! And you don’t know, » she decided to cautiously try to find out, clarify what was troubling her, «besides my husband and that previous owner, did someone else live here?»
«He did,» replied Tamara and looked at her very strangely, «Alexander lived here. Spent last summer with us. And decided to come back here for a month or two.»
«Who is Alexander?» Elizaveta frowned, «what do you mean, decided to come back? But the house is mine now!»
Toma coughed. She asked Elizaveta to wait a minute—there were people in line waiting. They, the other inhabitants of Kaban village, listened to the conversation with live interest.
«He might not even know,» said a man with a red beard from the queue, addressing Liza, «he hardly interacts with us! And we only recently found out that the previous owner of the house had passed away. This Alexander, when he comes, he barely says ‘hello’ and then that’s it! He goes into the house and wanders in the forest or somewhere else… Keeps to himself… And we don’t intrude! Who knows, you get involved with him and the next thing you know, you’re being dragged off by wandering lights when you go mushroom picking!»
«Oh, would you be quiet!» joined in a lady in a floral dress, «Sasha is a very decent young man! Last year, he helped find my goat, Daisy. Well, he doesn’t really like other people… But that’s just his character! Besides,» she added dreamily, «his wife is lucky. He won’t be hanging out with the guys fishing or in the garage, he’ll be a homebody… Oh, if I were twenty years younger…»
Elizaveta was completely confused. Who was this Alexander?! And in what sense was he planning to live here again?! No, she didn’t need neighbors, especially not some unknown man!
«Do you know when this Alexander is supposed to arrive?» Elizaveta asked pitifully, «or maybe, does anyone know his phone number?»
«I have his phone number,» replied the same red-haired villager, «last year I explained to him where to buy the necessary parts in the city… His equipment for hunting aliens was breaking down! Maybe it would be easier for you to speak with him directly? I saw him this morning when I was taking my mother-in-law to the city. He was driving. Said he had returned and would go into the house… You know how my mother-in-law has that awful hernia? Well, she went to see a professor, what’s his name? Before that, she was treating it with a very effective herbal mix, by the way! You see…»
«You saw him this morning?» Elizaveta was startled, «how is he going into the house?!»
She quickly pieced together the time when she had left the house herself, leaving the children alone… The children! Elizaveta gasped and rushed out of the store.
«Wait!» called out Tamara, «you forgot your groceries! And your change!»
But Elizaveta wasn’t listening. Every fiber of her maternal being was desperate to get back to her children! And whatever people said… She wasn’t going to let any strange unknown man, especially one who apparently owned those frightening artworks… In any case, she wasn’t going to let him stay in her house!
By the time Elizaveta reached the house, she could barely breathe, and it felt like her heart might just stop from the exertion! But she saw no parked car and felt slightly relieved. The woman flew up the creaky porch, flung open the door…
«Lesha! Vera!» she called out into the empty-seeming house.
«Mom! We’re in the kitchen!» she heard her son’s cheerful voice.
Elizaveta sighed with relief—apparently, the kids had decided to snack again, perhaps on the remaining cookies, and apparently, this Alexander hadn’t made it to the house yet. Maybe he had run into Fedor who told him that the new owner had arrived and he had no business being there anymore. But just before reaching the kitchen, Liza caught the enticing aroma of food. She frowned. Because, generally, her children didn’t know how to cook. She simply didn’t trust them with it—to avoid burns and wastage. But when she entered the kitchen, she almost fell over… Because there was an unfamiliar man there!
Their eyes met. A startled Elizaveta clutched at her heart, and he—stood with a frying pan in hand, on which eggs still sizzled. Was this Alexander?! Actually, she had imagined him differently. Dark, perhaps with a scruffy beard, a scientist with a mad sparkle in his eyes, gloomy and unhinged… In short, the kind of guy you’d recommend seeing a psychiatrist! But right now, Elizaveta saw a young man, probably even a bit younger than her… He had blonde hair and gray eyes, dressed in worn jeans and a simple white T-shirt.
«Good afternoon,» he was the first to break the silence, «I suppose you’re Elizaveta?»
She nodded. Removed her hand from her heart. And looked around… The kitchen had been tidied up! There was a noticeable cleanliness. A table covered with a checkered linen tablecloth and in the middle, a vase with wildflowers. Cutlery set for four. The intoxicating aroma of freshly brewed coffee…
«Mom! Sasha is baking buns, with raisins!» Lesha, grabbing her hand, pulled her towards the table, «imagine, I mixed the dough!»
«Mom, why are you silent?» Vera frowned. She was setting the forks by the plates, «that’s rude, mom!»
«Good afternoon,» Elizaveta finally managed to say, «sorry, just I… You…»
«I’m afraid I’m to blame,» Alexander shook his head, setting down the frying pan with sausage and vegetables in the center of the table on a hot pad, «I just barged into your home and started taking charge… But I have an excuse! First, I was hungry, and secondly, your children here were attempting to cook semolina porridge… Nearly burned everything! I had to intervene.»
«Semolina porridge?!» Elizaveta was surprised, «why?!»
«Because they weren’t full from the cereal, and the cookies ran out,» grumbled Lesha, «and you take forever as always when you go to the store!»
«So I decided to combine utility with a good deed,» shrugged Alexander,
«And made breakfast… for everyone!» Elizaveta finished for him.
«And made breakfast for everyone,» he repeated, looking into her eyes.
«And baked buns?!»
«What’s so strange about that? It’s a quick no-yeast dough…»
«Mom! Just sit down and eat breakfast, then we can talk!» Vera hurried her.
And Elizaveta complied. Suddenly she realized that she too hadn’t been full from the cereal and was terribly hungry! Maybe, she thought, it was the fresh air having its effect? While they ate, Alexander explained again.
It turned out, by the way, that his car was there—just parked on the opposite side of the house entrance. And yes, Alexander literally just before this return to Kaban village hadn’t known that the house’s owner, with whom he had a rental agreement, had passed away! He expressed condolences regarding the demise of Elizaveta’s former husband. And then he added something…
It turned out that no, Alexander was not planning to leave the house!
«You see, I’ve already paid the rent. For the weeks I will live here and for those I was absent… I know it sounds strange, but I just didn’t want anyone else to be here!»
Elizaveta nodded. She didn’t know whether he said that accidentally or deliberately… But the hint was clear! Only, despite the delicious breakfast (and the buns were indeed excellent!) she wasn’t about to give in.
«I think I can reimburse you for the losses. I mean, return what you paid for the rent.»
«Why?» Alexander squinted, «I’m not planning to leave. The house is big! I don’t think you would be in my way… And your children,» he turned a stern look on Lesha and Vera, «seem to be quite well-behaved individuals.»
«We are well-behaved and good!» piped Lesha, «is it true that you have a telescope in your car?»
«True,» Alexander replied and mentioned the make, some technical specifications.
Elizaveta knew nothing about it! But her son—loved stars, liked reading and watching about space, and constantly begged for a telescope… Only it was just not affordable for them!
«Wow! How cool! Can I look through it?» the boy asked pleadingly.
«Every night if you want,» shrugged Alexander, «if, of course, your mom lets me stay…» with those words he shot a sly look at Elizaveta, «I’m ready to pay extra for the inconvenience caused. And I can cook breakfast at least three times a week. I have no bad habits. Won’t bring women over. If necessary, I can provide a certificate from a psychiatrist—I recently got examined to get permission to visit a scientific laboratory in Brazil. But believe me, I swear on my health, I really need to stay in this house until the end of the summer!»
«To watch UFOs?» Elizaveta blurted out in a tone that made it clear—if you answer yes, guy, then it’s clear with you—you’re crazy! And no matter how insanely charming you seem and whatever certificates you have.
«To watch UFOs,» Alexander seriously replied, «and also to write a book about them. And scientific articles.»
«I see,» nodded Elizaveta, «well, alright… Stay!» she added with a condescending smile.
And thought to herself that it was a pity that such a charming man… Was into such nonsense! No, she wasn’t considering him for herself, not at all! She had decided to give up on her personal life since her husband left her. Burned once, enough, now she had to take care of her children! But still… It would take some resistance on her part to stop… Fancying this Alexander… Because they definitely couldn’t have anything in common! They wouldn’t even become friends!
Generally, Elizaveta was capable of impulsive decisions. But! That was, as she thought, long in the past, in foolish youth… And what now? She let a stranger into her home, succumbing to persuasions, well, because he needed it? Seduced by money? What about the safety of her children, and her own—purely feminine safety, did you think about that, she called herself? No matter how educated this Alexander seemed (he had a doctorate in astronomy, something about black holes…). No matter how well he cooked, and those raisin buns were… As she pondered that evening tossing and turning before sleep, you’re over thirty, you’re a mother, so you’re not to be bought by raisin buns or a manly smile!
And still, Elizaveta wasn’t going to drive Alexander away. Let him live, she decided, and there’s nothing to be afraid of, no matter what hobby a person has… Though personally, she thought that a man should be involved in serious business in life, not chasing after all that fantasy stuff. Where did he get the money for these follies?!
However, as she understood from a conversation with him that took place today, Alexander did have well-to-do parents—they supported him partially financially. And he really did write scientific articles on astronomy, taught somewhere, delivered lectures all around the world…
It was Alexander, by the way, who had outfitted the kitchen with modern appliances—though he lived there only occasionally, he, you see, was accustomed to comfort! Only Liza couldn’t understand that. Because she would have pasted wallpaper in the house and added some new soft furniture for comfort. Well, anyway… What do I care, she thought, already falling asleep, about other people’s money?
When autumn comes, I’ll be able to sell the house by then and have my own money! And if this Alexander needs to come here next year, he can deal with the new owners of this real estate property then.
And the days of this strange cohabitation flew by! Elizaveta was embarrassed, by the way, that Alexander immediately decided to pay extra for the «inconvenient neighborhood».
Elizaveta went to a nearby farm and asked if there was any part-time work for the summer? They answered that there was—they needed a cleaner in the factory where they cleaned and packed vegetables. And she gladly took on this job! And she wasn’t worried about the children—Vera was old enough to watch over her brother. The schedule was convenient—come every day, no weekends, just for about four hours. So overall, she could relax in the fresh air and not foolishly live off her last savings, which Liza, as a single mother with a pile of debts, simply couldn’t afford!
And at the same time, she had already started looking for someone to buy the house… But at real estate agencies, when they learned it was located a bit far from the village, they immediately started lowering the supposed market price. Liza argued at first, but then agreed—it didn’t matter anymore, for how much to sell!
As for Alexander, contrary to all the doubts periodically visiting Liza, he turned out to be a perfectly decent person and a very good neighbor! More than once, when he cooked for himself, he treated her and the children.
Then, he often allowed Lesha to look through the telescope… And generally, Liza was surprised at how fascinatingly Alexander talked about comets, other galaxies, planets… If only he didn’t constantly veer from scientific topics to all these anti-scientific tales about aliens! However, even about UFOs, he managed to talk so vividly and convincingly that Liza caught herself a couple of times almost ready to believe it.
«So, you like traveling,» she said one day, «and where did you like it most?»
«You can find something beautiful in every place on Earth,» he replied, «but so far, I plan to look at the Great Barrier Reef a second time, there are so many sharks there, they are just magical creatures! And also, I think, I need to visit Iceland and Cape Horn…»
The conversation took place in the evening. They were all sitting in the living room, preparing to watch a movie—Alexander had brought a plasma TV from the city a few days earlier. Liza and the neighbor were sitting on the sofa, while the children were in the kitchen, busy with popcorn and drinks.
«Ready!» Lesha entered the room with a big bowl, his sister following him carrying a tray with glasses of homemade lemonade—Alexander had taught them how to make it.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and then went out. The television also turned off.
«Well, there,» Liza sighed, «I told you we shouldn’t have turned it on today, not with the storm!»
The bad weather had been raging since noon. But the weather forecast promised that the clouds would clear by morning…
«That means we just have to light some candles,» Alexander smiled, standing up, «we’ll create the right atmosphere… To tell scary stories!» he added in a purposely grim voice, winked at the children, and lighting his way with his smartphone, went for the candles—they were stored in the pantry.
Elizaveta shook her head—what a joker! But basically, indeed, a smart, serious man. And he wasn’t living off his parents, as she finally understood, he had achieved a lot by himself. But what she definitely didn’t like about him was that… Sometimes he would say such things to her! That is, nothing inappropriate was said, but Elizaveta understood—Alexander had a certain interest in her. But she was categorically against it!
«Mom, why are you so grumpy,» asked Lesha, putting the popcorn bowl on the table.
«What?» Liza was surprised and confused.
«Brother is asking why you sit next to Alexander as if he might bite you,» Vera explained, placing the lemonade next to the popcorn bowl, «you even sat at the opposite end of the sofa! Why? It’s clear he likes you…»
«What?!» Liza’s eyes widened, «Kids! You… What are you talking about…»
«Mom,» Vera became serious, «we’re not little anymore and we understand that you need not only to raise us but you can have a personal life too. And if something happens between you and Sasha… We wouldn’t mind!»
«And then I can look through the telescope all year round,» Lesha sighed dreamily.
Elizaveta was about to say that it was none of their, children’s business, and she also managed to think that no, she wouldn’t, because enough—she’d been burned once! But then thunder roared especially loud outside, and then… One of the windows just shattered into pieces!
The children and mother screamed in fright! Lesha jumped aside… And then a glowing orb of light flew through the window into the room…
Elizaveta had never experienced anything like it! It seemed to her that her entire being was paralyzed by a nightmarish, as deep as space, terror and at the same time—it was as if her heart was singing, so eager to reach out, to touch this glowing orb…
«Mom! Don’t!» her daughter’s voice reached her as if through a thickness of water, and then her hand suddenly burned with pain!
Liza gasped and blinked rapidly, finally averting her gaze from the glowing orb and realized that Alexander was standing next to her. He was holding her hand tightly, painfully, and holding her in place, while in front of them danced and sparkled with strange-colored sparks, that sphere, as if woven from the finest threads of starlight… Or was it dense, like a clump of lava? Liza couldn’t understand, she blinked frequently, and the orb—as if realizing it was no longer mesmerizing her—simply drifted away.
«It’s okay,» she discerned Alexander’s whisper, «it’s ball lightning. A natural phenomenon. It’s all okay! Just don’t be afraid. And don’t jerk around or try to touch it. It will go away on its own. Or disappear…»
Elizaveta found the strength to nod. And then she, Alexander, and Vera simply watched as in the pitch darkness, a sphere of light floated around the room, as if searching for something… And then the ball lightning simply left the way it came—from the window it flew out!
«Incredible,» Alexander exhaled, «what an idiot! I should have guessed that on such a night they might appear!»
«Who are they,» Liza frowned, finally her heart starting to beat at a normal pace.
«Unidentified flying objects,» Alexander answered seriously, «ball lightning is often a precursor to alien ships, and during such abnormal storms, it happens quite often! And here I am, was planning to watch a movie, instead of setting up the equipment!»
«Well, sorry!» Liza was offended, «you yourself suggested we have a home movie night! And now we’ve disturbed you… And why do you always bring everything back to your aliens? Sorry, but that’s just insane!»
«Firstly, I didn’t say you were disturbing me,» Alexander squinted, «and secondly, I really ask you—let’s respect each other! I just want to do my job well…»
«Job?» Liza scoffed mockingly. Generally, she never allowed herself such an attitude in dealing with the neighbor, but right now her nerves simply failed, «How can you call such nonsense a job? You hop around the world, looking for your aliens and speaking at conferences with other eccentrics! At your age, you should be settling down like a normal person, get a home, get married, have kids…»
«Well, sorry that you have to share a roof with such an unpleasant and crazy type!» Alexander was clearly offended, «and forgive me for living as I want, not taking an example from normal people… Like you!»
That was a sharp jab. It clearly hit the fact that Elizaveta’s personal life hadn’t worked out, and things generally weren’t going well… And it was cruel! And she even wanted to hit Alexander!
«Enough, both of you!» their argument was interrupted by the girl’s voice, «are you not listening to what I’m saying?! Lesha is gone!»
«Gone?!» a shocked Liza jumped off the sofa, «Lesha, sonny!»
Meanwhile, outside, the storm was ending and the clouds were dispersing. And in the house, suddenly the lights came back on. And yes—her son was not in this room. And not in the kitchen either.
«I was so scared,» Vera sobbed, «I just remembered now… When that thing… When the ball lightning came in, he went to the window… Said that there was more… And then… He went out the door and said he went into the forest!»
Elizaveta nearly fainted from horror—her son was missing! And naturally, she decided to run and look for him immediately! Alexander said he would go with her.
«I won’t stay home alone!» Vera, wiping away tears, declared, «I’m scared alone!»
They didn’t take long to get ready—Alexander just grabbed flashlights for everyone. From the house to the forest was not far—about thirty steps, and the rain ended just in time—in the fresh mud, they could somehow discern tracks.
«We won’t find him… I’ve lost my son!» Elizaveta sobbed as they stepped under the gloomy, overwhelmingly raw-scented canopy of the forest.
«We’ll find him,» Alexander confidently said and pointed forward, «I’m a bit skilled in tracking and besides… See, where Lesha went, all the bushes are flattened? We’re searching in the right direction and I don’t think he went far! We just need to keep calling him!»
In these far from the best circumstances, but they switched to informal ‘you.’ And all three moved forward, occasionally calling out to the boy… Elizaveta had never been so scared in her life! But she again seemed to take herself in hand and repeated, like a mantra, under her breath, that everything would be alright, that they would definitely find her son, that everything would be alright…
«Mom! Mommy!»
Liza rushed forward—it was her son! Lesha was found in a tiny forest clearing. Covered in mud and grass, disheveled and confused, he threw himself into his mother’s arms and babbled about how scared he was, that he didn’t know how he ended up there, that he only remembers how a strange light, flying and twinkling orb, lured him away.
«It’s okay, son,» Elizaveta smiled at him through tears, «shall we go home now? It’s all over now, my dear…»
«Look! Up there!» Vera exclaimed and raised her hand, pointing for the adults and her brother.
Alexander threw back his head. So did Liza and her son. And they saw…
To Elizaveta, it seemed as if a cliff was floating above them… Or were the storm clouds just so low and dense? But then why wasn’t it raining anymore? And can clouds take the shape of a perfect triangle? Lights… Multicolored lights flashed and shimmered… I think, Liza thought, this is all just an illusion! These are stars… If you look at them for a long, long time, it may seem… That they change color… And then they were engulfed by a hum—low, vibrating sound, it seemed to come from everywhere and pierced through! Something flashed between the tree trunks—something glowing… Another one! It was them again—ball lightning! And a strange thought occurred to Elizaveta—as if they were like predatory animals, surrounding and watching, waiting for a moment to attack… She stretched out her hands to her children, drew them closer to her with a natural protective gesture… Her teeth chattered, her legs weakened…
Elizaveta out of the corner of her eye saw how Alexander, also captivated by the mysterious spectacle above them, took off some camera, tapped on it, tried to record, muttered something… When did he get ready? When they ran after her son, did he delay to grab his silly equipment, because he hoped to capture something spectacular?! And then a new sound hit their ears—thin, piercing, it resembled the howl of wind and the squeak of mice… A strange association arose—as if it were ultrasound, emitted by bats… Am I going mad? Elizaveta had time to think this, and then… Was that a comet flying by? But can a comet shine like that? And why is so much light pouring on them?! And then, a moment later, Liza realized—she was actually losing consciousness, just falling to the ground together with her children…
Waking up the next morning was difficult—after several hours on the wet, cold ground! Elizaveta woke up first, then roused the children, then Alexander. She struggled to remember how they had ended up there, what had happened?! Then the memories came… And rather—they crashed over her like a tsunami wave! Liza cried.
«Mom, why?» asked her son, «Mom, everything is okay!»
«What… Okay?!» through sobs, she responded, «I almost lost you yesterday!»
«Yeah, what a night!» Alexander, getting to his feet, rubbed his head—he had managed to scrape his forehead as he fell, «we need to return to the house, we’re all freezing…» he frowned. But then he suddenly beamed an insanely bright smile, «just think! We saw it! So, so… Where is it?!»
And he, ignoring the sobbing teenage girl nearby and how his mother looked at him, began to review the recording on the camera.
«You don’t care about anything else in the world, do you? Except for your aliens,» Liza spoke in a dull, but full of honest resentment voice, «you don’t care what happened to us, do you? All you care about is catching these… your… Martians!»
«Uh?» Alexander turned to her confusedly, «Liza! Sorry,» he smiled awkwardly, «I just didn’t think, just before… Yes, of course! Let’s go back to the house. We need to discuss everything! Compare our memories, write everything down… I think I’ll use a voice recorder—it creates the most accurate reports, because fresh memories…»
«Damn you!» Liza, jumping up to him, was about to slap him, but Alexander nimbly dodged and grabbed the enraged woman’s hand.
And she told him everything! About how, because of his silly tales, her clever son was lured into the forest by ball lightning! About how they inexplicably fainted yesterday…
«We just saw…» Alexander began, but Liza didn’t let him finish.
«I didn’t see anything!» she hissed, pointing a finger at him, Elizaveta, «and my children didn’t see anything either! And don’t involve my family in this, got it?! And we… And I’m fed up with all this! I had a normal life, everything was simple! And because of you…
They fell silent for a moment. Just looking intently at each other.
«It’s all because of you,» Liza finally burst out with despair, and turned sharply, «kids, let’s go! We’re leaving!»
«Where?» the brother and sister asked in unison.
«Mom, but everything is okay! Nothing scary really happened, we just encountered the unexplained…» Lesha began, but Liza hissed at him.
«It’s just swamps here. Vapors. Who knows what you breathed in… Lightning struck you so you imagined it! We all imagined it! And I don’t want to hear another word, got it?! Let’s go!»
And she, no longer listening to further objections. Simply dragged her children along with her. And the path out of the forest, by the way, was found quickly.
Then, about half an hour later, Alexander returned to the house. He didn’t speak to Elizaveta. Silently walked into his room and locked himself there.
She, meanwhile—packed her bags. Any way she could, just to get away faster! And then simply grabbed her children and, ignoring Vera’s attempts to talk «like adults,» ignoring the wailing of Lesha, who didn’t want to part with «Uncle Sasha, who became like a dad,» she simply left the house.
Powered by anger, as they say, she easily carried the bags. And what was incredibly lucky—she managed to catch the bus from Kaban to the district center just in time, where she only needed to catch a train to return to the city.
«No, no, and no again!» Elizaveta firmly told her son, «Alexander is no longer our friend. And we will not communicate with him. That’s it! And I’m not going to talk to him on the phone about anything… And if he shows up, then I… No, we’re not going to talk about this anymore!»
«Mom,» Lesha frowned, «why are you acting like a little kid? I just told you that Uncle Sasha called and asked me to tell you that he’s very sorry and would like to meet…»
«Enough!» Liza wagged her finger at her son, «zip it and go to your room—do your homework!»
«What homework?» the boy shrugged, «I haven’t even started first grade yet! Mom, are you sick, have you lost your mind?»
And indeed, it wasn’t long before one could go mad, Liza thought and sighed heavily.
«Sorry, kiddo, I got all mixed up… What I meant to say was—go to your room and read your math book. Or take your handwriting practice book. Or look at the animal atlas! In general, do something useful… And mom will figure everything out by herself!»
«I get it,» Lesha sulked. But he obeyed. He turned around and went to his room, «acting like a little kid… And you’re supposed to be the adult!»
The son left. The daughter was still playing outside with friends. Liza stood by the stove—to cook dinner. And at the same time, she realized, she needed to think about everything… It had been two weeks since she returned to the city. The real estate agency had listed the house for sale and promised that probably by spring, a buyer should be found. Liza had returned to work—there needed to be a way to live.
And naturally, she tried to forget everything that had happened! But not because it was somehow scary… To tell the truth, it wasn’t scary at all, and she had managed to completely dismiss the incident with the supposedly seen alien ship, accepting as a firm fact the version that she, having experienced stress from her son’s disappearance, had simply imagined everything. No, she tried to forget it all because she just wanted to erase Alexander from her life. He was an absolutely superfluous element in her life. Nothing could happen between them with this man! Because… Well, it was just so simple and clear—they were too different. And anyway, he was somewhat wrong, believed too much in his aliens… And just… And just Liza’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she thought of him! And she didn’t like it. Because she had firmly decided long ago—strong emotions and feelings are generally harmful. They make you think irrationally and you can… make mistakes! And she, as a mother of two kids—could not afford to make mistakes.
There was a knock at the door and Elizaveta went to open it. She knew it had to be Vera returning—she didn’t trust her daughter to carry her own key for fear she would lose it. And indeed it was her returning home. But not alone. With her stood two burly, grim-looking guys and a lady in a tasteless red suit.
«Mommy,» said Vera. Her daughter had a tear-stained face and looked frightened, «they’ve come for the debts…»
«Elizaveta Belkina, correct?» the lady in red addressed her, «we are from the debt collection agency. Your debt has been sold to us. Here are the documents!» and she waved some papers in front of Elizaveta’s nose but then, not giving her a chance to read them, quickly tucked them away in her purse, «we’ve come to assess your property!»
«What?» Elizaveta was bewildered, «what are you talking about…»
«You don’t want to do it the easy way, do not want to pay off debts!» the lady raised her voice almost to an annoying screech, «then we’ll have to sell your property! And I, as an agent of the agency, intend to conduct its appraisal!»
«And who, excuse me, are these?» Liza nodded towards the two tough-looking guys, resembling henchmen from the nineties.
«Security,» the lady pursed her thickly red-lipsticked lips, «debtors can be so inadequate! But you,» she tilted her head, sniffed, «are adequate? You don’t mind if we inspect your apartment? Our agency, by the way, accepts real estate in exchange for debts! Shall we enter? Enter?!»
She just pressured Liza, crowding her into the apartment. Vera, still standing in the hallway—blocked by the bulky figure of one of the guards, quietly began to cry.
«What are you doing?» Liza finally began to understand something, «my debts are not so large as to sell the apartment! What… Put that back!» she snatched a bronze statue from the lady’s hands, «and in general—leave! What is this? By what right…»
«Shut your mouth!» one of the men stepped forward and his paw landed on Elizaveta’s shoulder, «any cash? Gold, valuables? Let’s make this easy! Interest will start to accumulate. Your debt has been sold to us! It’s better to cooperate with us, don’t get angry!»
«Mommy! I’m scared!» Vera called from the hallway.
«Daughter!» Liza twisted free, rushed to her child.
And then she turned around—the shady people from the so-called agency that had bought her debt had entered the room where Lesha was preparing for school and the frightened child started calling for his mother. What was she to do?!
«Get out of my house!» Liza shouted, running back into the apartment with Vera, «you have no right…»
«Shut your mouth!» the shady guy attacked her, «what, took someone else’s money and don’t want to pay it back?! What, nothing to pay with?! Then you’ll work it off, trash!»
Elizaveta thought she was about to be hit… She squinted, simultaneously covering her daughter…
And the next moment, she opened her eyes in astonishment, because the shady guy, already trying to grab her by the neck, literally flew to the side!
«Sasha?» Elizaveta exhaled and she thought she might be dreaming entirely?!
Because somehow Alexander was now in her apartment. And he, her attacker, just pinned to the wall, immobilized him with some clever move, and said something quietly to him… Threw him aside! Another moment—and in Alexander’s grip was the second man, who had emerged from the room at the noise. He met the same fate.
And what was strange—both of them, looking at Alexander somewhat frightened, simply dashed out of the apartment!
«Who the hell are you?!» the last to leave the room was the lady in red, «yes, we are from the agency…»
«Oh, yes,» Alexander smirked, «I know where you’re from. And you really shouldn’t have come here!»
And no, Alexander did not hit the woman. He just grabbed her by the arm and shoved his smartphone in her face.
«So, do you need trouble?! This woman’s debts, to whom you’ve come, have already been paid off. Do you understand? And about how you behave, sorry, your bosses already know… I have someone who knows them well. And now you will have big problems. Got it?»
«What? How?» the lady in red blinked rapidly, confusedly, but apparently, it quickly dawned on her. Because she suddenly changed her expression, turned away from the smartphone, and smiling sweetly at Elizaveta, began to apologize for the inconvenience!
«Just leave, please, from my house,» Elizaveta said through nervous tremors.
The lady left. Alexander himself closed the door behind the collectors… or rather—shameless extortionists.
«Uncle Sasha! Uncle Sasha, you finally came!» Lesha, who had emerged frightened from the children’s room, simply rushed to him and hugged him, sobbing.
Elizaveta also couldn’t hold back and still hugging her daughter, also cried. And they all cried together. And Alexander—just silently for a while.
But then, fortunately, everyone gradually began to calm down… They went to the kitchen.
«Sit,» the unexpected guest ordered Liza and made tea himself.
«Thank you,» she replied, «thank you! For what you… Well… I should apologize! And I… You shouldn’t have! And what did you, by the way, say to that man? And how did you, I mean…»
«Elizaveta,» Alexander smiled gently at her, «calm down first, okay?»
Cups with saucers clinked on the table, and she, nodding, fell silent for a while. And then Alexander explained everything himself. He never thought that things between them were over! And yes, he connected some contacts to find out what problems Elizaveta was currently facing. And fortunately, he started solving them very timely! In particular—among the contacts of Alexander’s father was one person who knew the owner of the debt collection agency, so now heads were supposed to roll, figuratively speaking. And yes, Elizaveta’s debts were paid off. All of them.
«Oh,» was all she could say.
«If you start talking about paying it back, I will be seriously offended,» Alexander replied, «because that’s silly.»
«What’s silly?» Liza looked away confusedly, «paying back debts?»
«Expecting or demanding it from your own wife.»
Silence hung in the kitchen. Elizaveta wanted to pinch herself—was she asleep?!
«Sasha,» Lesha broke the silence, «are you asking our mom to marry you?»
«Exactly,» he answered, «but I’m terribly sorry that it turned out not very romantic! Because probably, all women want it to be like in the movies…»
«And it turned out like in the movies!» Vera boldly joined the conversation, «in bad movies there are cliches, but in good ones—the director makes everything original and so does the scriptwriter! So it’s not necessary to have a bouquet of roses and kneel with a ring! You saved her… And all of us from bad people, and now you’re asking her to marry you and… What does this mean,» suddenly Vera was shocked, «you… Will be our stepfather?!»
«Daddy, silly,» her brother corrected her, «I might be younger than you, but I definitely know—Uncle Sasha won’t make a stepfather, but the best dad in the world!»
Elizaveta felt like she was in a dream. She shifted her gaze from her son to her daughter and then to Alexander… Was all this really happening to her? And what was she… To do with all this?!
…Since the mysterious incident near the village of Kaban (which, unfortunately, could not be captured on camera, because it mysteriously stopped working right on the night they observed the UFO) just over six months had passed.
The house, inherited by Elizaveta from her late husband, had long been sold. As was her city apartment… It was sold due to the move.
Because Elizaveta agreed with Alexander that from now on, it would be more convenient for them to live in his house. In a large, suburban mansion. Where Elizaveta’s daughter and son now each had their own large room. And there also lived Alexander’s parents. And what was surprising—they wonderfully accepted Elizaveta! Immediately treated her warmly, like family… And never, not with a single word, hinted that she was an unsuitable match for their son.
And then of course, there was the wedding. Not too pompous, but beautiful. And at first, Elizaveta was categorically against a white dress, but Ekaterina—the future mother-in-law, persuaded her that she could choose such an option for the outfit. And in the end, they settled on a model made of silk in a noble shade of ivory. And it seemed, here it was—happiness! Just that… There was one important nuance in Elizaveta’s new family life.
«I don’t think our son will ever change his mind and lose interest in UFOs,» Nikolai—her father-in-law, once told Liza, «and then, dear, well, what do you dislike? It’s a completely harmless hobby! I would even say, such an unusual one… You have to be proud of such a husband!»
Elizaveta would have liked to agree with this! But… It slightly bothered her all the same. But she also loved Alexander very much and knew for sure that she would not try to change him. And then…
«Dear!» one morning at breakfast, her husband said, «pack your suitcase, we’re flying to Mexico!»
«To Mexico? How?» Liza frowned, «why?»
Alexander explained—there, scientists conducting some excavations recently found something resembling an ancient portal, or maybe a place where space ships landed, found some mysterious figurines… And there, too, strange lights were flying. Journalists from all over the world were already flocking there!
«Actually, the part of the site where excavations are conducted is somewhat classified from outsiders,» Alexander shared excitedly, «but I have a reliable person who can help us get in there!»
«Oh,» sighed Liza.
She lowered her gaze to the plate of appetizing pancakes—her husband had made them. She had been feeling nauseous… For several days now! And she knew the reason. And actually, she was planning to tell Alexander about it today. But, apparently, Liza sighed, it will have to wait. Maybe there will be a suitable moment in Mexico? Yes, probably…
«What’s the matter?» Alexander asked worriedly, «are you not flying with me?»
«I’m flying,» sighed Elizaveta, «of course, I’m flying! I love you…»
And she looked at him with loving eyes. The children sat at the table, buzzing with excitement about the upcoming adventure. And then Elizaveta thought that she was indeed happy. She had met the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life. Well, the fact that this life wouldn’t be very calm and orderly… Well, she was ready to accept that! And certainly, neither she nor the children would be bored! The main thing… To never allow even the thought that aliens, UFOs might exist. Because then all these searches for the truth by Alexander would be far from safe…
