Irina Nemchinova - Dana’s Phoenix. ArtHouse

Cover designer Irina Nemchinova

© Irina Nemchinova, 2022

© Irina Nemchinova, cover design, 2022

ISBN 978-5-0055-8374-1

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

I run in the dark and think of only one thing. I’d like to make it! I’ve got to make it!

I’m breathing loudly. The heart beats so fast and so hard that you can barely hear your steps. I’d like to calm down. It’s dark everywhere. I’m running along the railroad. So it’s all good. I’ll make it and run in the right direction. The air is burning. The cool autumn air seems hot. Just a little more. It’s so empty.

What time is it? Very close. The light is near. It’s cool. And getting calmer.

Dana ran to the first train stop to catch the train. The girl noticed a small bench under a nondescript canopy. My legs were tired, that I would like to sit on it. On the contrary, can be a hundred meters away, you can see the railway building. Maybe a cash register. Inconspicuous station, apparently, some kind of village. There’s no name. At least you can’t see it anywhere. There is a noise of the trees behind. It looks like a forest.

Finally, the shortness of breath has passed. Looking through the darkness of the environment around, she turned her eyes to the shoes. Running shoes seem dirty. I’d like to wipe it, but can’t do it. So she shaked her feet to brush off the dust. She muttered to herself: – Time is not money, time is priceless. There is a man nearby whom Dana did not notice at first, but his face is still difficult to see in the dark. Stranger: I think the concept of «priceless» person will never be able to understand. And it is on my list of endless concepts that the human mind will probably never fully understand. «Infinity» is there and «time» is also Dana: You were not. Have you just emerged from the woods? Stranger: Why. I’ve been waiting for the train for a long time. It’s dark, you didn’t notice. I saw you running. Dana leaned forward, but the face of a stranger is still difficult to examine. He’s hiding it in the shadows.

The girl felt uncomfortable. She also felt a little creepy because of a calm, indifferent voice, so she couldn’t find out how old a stranger is. I do not want to ask something, but to continue the conversation is exciting: – Well, I see, you have thought enough about this topic. For reasons which are not clear to me, I think I understand you. Maybe it’s because of he doesn’t let go of one feeling. I thought I’d missed the train, but actually I’d overtake him while I was running. Understand?

This thought seemed to the girl so strange that she could hardly bring words what she wanted to say to a stranger. A deep muffled voice. It feels like asking a question insecurely.

Stranger: Yes, it’s a strange feeling. Before you said that, I hadn’t felt it. Even more she felt goosebumps ran through the body because of his answer. The strangeness of all that was happening grew, as the pause in the conversation. Dana exclaimed sharply: Where is this train? Stranger: You seemed so afraid to be late that you had more than a time.

The girl’s body shrouded itself. Her legs have crossed, and hands have hugged her torso. And the neck pulls the head to the shoulders. But only the eyes are looking into the distance. The underpass became visible in the fifty meters. The girl noticed him only now. A man came out of there. And despite the darkness, she was able to see his silhouette. He was a guy up to 185cm tall and about 30 years old, as Dana is. Smooth posture, strong body. Seems like he’s got a broad bone and Oval face. The girl seemed cool outside. But the guy was walking right at her in a T-shirt and shorts. There was a sense of attraction. The girl didn’t notice how she involuntarily stood up and took a step towards.

The sound of the train behind her sounded sharply. Dana turned around and saw that the stranger was standing still. Some guy walked by and turned to the woods. Dana never considered it. Everything looks so slowly, that it’s hard to say anything about. Strange feelings are overwhelming and it’s unclear to what to do with them. She wants to panic, but there is no point in it. After all, there is nothing special happens, in fact. At least, it seems so.

Stranger: Dana, we know each other! Dark silhouette with an creepy and calm voice no longer causes fear, so the girl did not understand how she defiantly to answered.

Dana: You’re still standing here! Show up yourself, at least. Anyway, what’s your name? Stranger: Have you seen him too?

Now it’s scary again. What this question means? The sound of the train is approaching. You can’t see it. But he’s already yelling. Wagons without a light rush passed by.

Dana: What does that mean?

Stranger: It means that you really wanted to be on this train, that he’s leaving you at the moment. You have to choose: stay and find out who I am or leave.

Wagons loud pass, one by one. The one thing that she could do is shouting. And to make a choice.

Dana: How am I going to leave?

Stranger: I’m standing near the call button. You may just say «stop» and I’ll do this. You’ll have time to get on the train. There is one thought on Dana’s head in yhe moment: «What does all this mean?». The voice inside suggests that all this could be a lie. And what she have to do next to this person?

Dana: Stop! – she made a decision. It seemed that the monologue in her head lasted forever. The train is slowing down. The wagons passed by one by one, so she couldn’t count it’s number. The penultimate carriage stalled in front of her. The doors were open in front of the girl. She looked around and noticed that the last wagon was dark, as the street around. Goosebumps ran through the skin and the girl quickly ran into the train.

The lighting inside was muted and strange colored.It reminds her when she look at a burning candle made of red wax. She looked around: what if the lamps didn’t shine at all? But it’s a lamp. What an unusual plafonds it have, perhaps it is old. The open compartment was quite noisy. Someone was playing cards, someone was playing musical improvised instruments. Someone even get managed to abstract and was reading a book. Someone was sleeping or maybe just was sitting with his eyes closed, because the specific light directly presses on the eyes.

Dana went forward a little more and decided to sit next to a woman with a child. The girl was about five years old. And she was seemed to be really asleep, unlike her mother, who was solving crossword puzzles. A man and a young man sat opposite. They were a little laughing. The man was joking to his friend. As soon as Dana settled down as the man switched to her: —

Did you run away from love?

Dana was not confused so she answered with a very firm voice:

– Is this a question or a statement?

The man stopped smiling:

– How do you want to accept this offer?

At this moment, the woman next to her took her stopped to solve the crossword puzzles and looked Dana in the eye:

– I’m sorry if my husband offended you. He’s a joker, but he doesn’t give up words in vain. Somehow, he can read people. He can help you. I’ll tell you more, you’re lucky to be our fellow traveler.

The girl was feeling uncomfortable of these words. She examined carefully each member of this family. People were looked pretty decent. But the clothes is not the judgment weapon. The face of the person can tell more. She was most interested in the appearance of a man.

Dana just wanted to look at him as she noticed his piercing look right in her eyes. It scared her. She dropped her eyes down immediately. And than she said in a soft voice,