Forest ranger Ivan quietly walked along the path, listening to the familiar sounds of the forest: the rustling of leaves, the crackling of branches under the paws of a hare, the cries of magpies. It was a cool autumn morning. Ivan was headed to the southern part of the reserve, where he had recently noticed … Read more
Yegor stood on the threshold of his grandmother’s old house. In his hands, he held an envelope with his savings accumulated over the past few years. He had been saving money for a new laptop for work and a trip abroad; he had always dreamed of spending at least a week on tropical islands. But … Read more
Liza passed through the station every day on her way to work. The usual route, familiar faces, the hustle of early morning. But Liza had long stopped paying attention to the bustle. Her gaze always lingered on the same bench. He sat there. A homeless dog, who for some reason had chosen that particular spot. … Read more
Natalya slammed the door loudly. From the morning, she had a premonition that the day would not go well. Her 19-year-old daughter, Lusya, recently brought home a kitten named Musya, who managed to create a mess right on the bathroom mat. It was hard for Natalya to scold her daughter for this, as Lusya was … Read more
Rita’s phone vibrated in her hand. The voice of an unfamiliar woman, quiet but clear, echoed in the background. Just a second ago, she was expecting to hear her husband’s usual voice, but now this strange whisper was there instead. “Where are you?” she wanted to scream, but Rita gripped the phone tighter, held her … Read more
“Boryslav!” Borya flinched. He didn’t like being called by his full name. All his colleagues knew him as Borya and never addressed him formally. The person who called him that now must have been looking at his passport. Borya turned around. In the doorway stood Vera Igorevna, the accountant. She had only been at the … Read more
Look, she’s dragging that bag again! See how hard it is for her!” waitresses out on a smoke break laughed. One of them shouted: “Dishwasher! Baba Val, just don’t hurt yourself, leftovers are heavier than food!” The elderly woman looked back, smiled sadly, and, switching the hand holding the bag, headed towards the bus stop … Read more
Irina had just put her daughter, Alice, to bed a few minutes ago. She was about to lie down herself to enjoy the quiet of her cozy apartment. The soft light of the table lamp created a warm atmosphere in the living room, where the walls were adorned with landscape paintings and photographs of happy … Read more
Well, son, tell me, how’s the city?” the mother bustled about the stove, occasionally adding hot pies to the plate. Nikita smiled, looking at her gray hair. Always the same – forever moving, forever caring. Only now with more wrinkles and a slightly more bent back. “Slowly, Mom. We finally finished the renovation.” “And how … Read more
Pathetic! Hey, pathetic!” Sasha doesn’t turn around; he knows it’s Volodka from the fifth floor. It’s better not to respond. Maybe he’ll leave him alone. “Alexander!” Volodka persists. “Look how hardworking he is. It’s New Year’s Eve, and he’s still working. Right! Fools love work.” “Leave Sashenka alone! Why are you picking on him?” And … Read more