In the train car traveling from Novy Urengoy to Moscow, the air was heavy, saturated with the smells of fried food and unventilated space. Valeriy, a man of average height with a square jaw and tired eyes covered with a murky film of sleepless nights, absently wiped the foggy window with his palm. Three months … Read more
Alexei stepped into a small grocery shop to buy some coffee and a snack for tea. The day had gone off the rails from the very morning: his alarm hadn’t gone off at the appointed time, his phone battery had died, and a nasty autumn drizzle pattered outside. He felt that nothing was going according … Read more
Marina sank wearily onto the edge of a chair, absentmindedly rubbing her aching lower back. Outside the window, the October evening was slowly fading, painting the kitchen in warm shades of orange. The day had been particularly exhausting: little Dima woke up with a fever, older daughter Katya was preparing for a geometry test, and … Read more
— Oh, really?! Let him try it! If he so much as lays a finger on me, he’ll be the one sent packing for a couple of years. And you— I’ll throw you out right now so I don’t have to look at that shriveled face of yours. — “How many times have I told … Read more
Ivan met Alena at a volunteer center. However, he wasn’t there to help the disadvantaged, but to look for a girlfriend for a relationship. A friend persuaded him to this odd action. «If a girl volunteers and carries heavy bags of food for elderly strangers on her own, she will do everything and even more … Read more
Marina’s chest tightened, and her palms became sweaty when Kostya announced: — Today we’re going to my mom’s. We’ll tell her about the wedding. She hesitated for a long time, choosing her outfit. It sounds silly, but it’s true. She tried on, it seems, everything. The blue dress was too formal. Jeans were too casual. … Read more
After the divorce, Sergey did not trust women. His first wife turned out not to be the most honest girl, and almost immediately after buying a luxury apartment, she filed for divorce and for a division of property. It turned out that she had prepared documents and provided proof that she had a fairly high … Read more
Ivan walked along the embankment, pulling the collar of his old coat tightly around him. The cold wind ruffled his graying hair. In his mind, gloomy thoughts buzzed like pesky flies. The past, it seemed, had built a wall around him, and he could neither sigh nor break free. Twenty years ago, he was a … Read more
Friends and colleagues condemned me, calling my actions abnormal, but I don’t care. To me, those who mistreat animals aren’t even human. How can one betray one’s friends? And a dog—my beloved Plushka—is my dearest friend, and I would never trade her for anyone. Plushka is a beautiful, reddish Spitz whom my mother adored. She … Read more
— What did you say? — Anna froze, feeling an icy numbness deep within her. Sergey stood at the door, tightly gripping a bunch of keys. His usually lively face was now set in a mask of irritation. «— I can’t live like this any longer,» he repeated in a tone devoid of emotion. «Neither … Read more