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Rita turned off the engine and looked at the country house through the windshield. Nothing seemed to have changed—the same blue roof, the same birches around the perimeter of the plot, the same gate her father had once painted green. The only odd thing was that the veranda light was on. Maybe the neighbors? Except…the … Read more

“Eh, Anya, you’re rushing into marriage for nothing! You couldn’t wait for me… And you yourself once promised: when I grow up—we’ll get married. Fine then, I don’t wish you anything good! I even hope nothing works out for you—you’ll split up as soon as possible! Better yet—let him just die, and Anya will be … Read more

For most people, a cemetery is a place of farewell, grief, an ending. For Lyonya it had become something like home. Not in the literal sense: he had no roof over his head, unless you counted the weathered granite crypt he crawled into only in the harshest frosts. But in spirit, in his soul, he … Read more

Karina came back from work at seven on the dot, as usual. The August heat was easing, but the apartment was still stuffy. She kicked off her shoes by the door and headed to the bedroom to change. It had been a hard day—the travel agency where Karina worked as a manager was swamped with … Read more

The air outside was cool and damp, saturated with the smell of approaching rain, but inside the luxurious car a different atmosphere reigned—a mix of heat from the warmed leather seats and the subtle, dense scent of Alexander’s cologne. Elena sat beside him, clutching her purse on her knees, feeling a dread swell in her … Read more

Irina was washing the dishes after dinner in her three-room apartment. She had been married for four years, lived with Oleg in the city center, and worked as an accountant at a medical clinic. Her husband was a driver for a transport company; the pay was decent, and life seemed to be on track. Seemed—because … Read more

Natalya was standing at the stove, stirring the soup, when she heard a familiar little cough behind her. Valentina Yegorovna walked into the kitchen with her particular gait—slow and stately, like a general inspecting his domain. “You’ve overcooked the potatoes again,” the mother-in-law peered into the pot over her daughter-in-law’s shoulder. “Is that how you … Read more

“Sveta, well, are you ready for the big day?” Dima’s voice, full of unabashed boyish excitement, burst into the apartment’s monotone rhythm. Sveta didn’t turn around. She kept running the searing iron along the sleeve of his shirt, smoothing the tiniest crease with methodical diligence. The air in the room was warm and smelled of … Read more

The heat was unbearable, even for late May. The sun, like a baker gone mad, scorched from the sky, branding the earth with red-hot iron. The air above the asphalt quivered like a frying pan. Dust kicked up by the occasional car hung suspended, slowly settling on the leaves of the poplars lining the road … Read more

SMS from the bank arrived at 7:15 a.m. “Debit transaction in the amount of…” I swiped the notification away without opening it. Dima often transferred money for building materials for the dacha. I was used to it. The second came a minute later. The third—while I was filling the kettle. The phone vibrated without stopping, … Read more