Tsvetana Alekhina - Vodoroten

After a few sips of beer, Gena felt something incomprehensible. His body began to swell. His clothes were bursting at the seams, and there was nothing he could do about it. Before he could run out into the street, his body burst. Splashes scattered around the establishment. The eyewitnesses sitting nearby saw everything in detail. For some reason, most were not afraid of what they saw, claiming that it was cool! – It was fun, the visitors said. After the explosion of the body, the molecules gathered like a magnet into one big pile. Glowing sparks created a bright effect. The mouthguards admired this spectacle like a Christmas tree. The bravest dared to touch this miracle. The shrillest huddled in a corner, and the most indifferent filmed sitting on the camera from the phone as a large hybrid pile grows. The incomprehensible glowing pile turned into a transparent person. Looking around, the Gene turned into a piece of dough and with jumping movements poured into the slightly open doorway. The crowd of spectators froze. The administrator called the police. Of course, the police had already recorded the second paranormal phenomenon in the city, but they could not do anything, since it was impossible to catch the jumping dough. After questioning all the witnesses and taking the video, the police went crazy from what they saw.

Gene once again jumped out into the street and ran in an unknown direction. For the first time in his five months of existence, he experienced fear. After making a stop, he panicked and looked out the windows of houses in search of a place to sleep. – Sewage system, empty apartment, pipes. How best to get into the apartment and which one. Coming closer to the new building, he carefully peered into each window. The way through the manhole was not easy. Climbing into one of the apartments, he realized that he did not belong here. A large family ran around the house with noise and shouting, and the head of the family used the toilet, the sound of the toilet lid slamming echoed. Not an easy journey through the pipes continued. After getting out on dry land and opening the door, Gene stumbled upon a pensioner. Fortunately, for him, she did not notice the water inhabitant in her bathroom. His body was in need of reinforcements, and he went to the kitchen at his own risk. Slamming the refrigerator door, Gena violated his secret presence; Grandma was walking down the corridor. Without having time to push the cutlet into himself, this time Gena chose the way through the water tap, this way was certainly cleaner, unlike the sewer. The fallen cutlet, water stains from the legs horrified my grandmother. The poor woman decided that this was the tricks of a brownie and ran to a neighbor for advice. – Oh, you know, I have seen this on TV recently. We do not know who is running around Ryazan. He steals groceries from the store. It looks like he came to refresh himself with you.

– How am I going to spend the night alone? It seems to me that this is a brownie.

– Not a brownie, but a water one.

– What is the difference? This is an evil force.

– Spend the night at my place today, and tomorrow we will see.

Meanwhile, Gena found what he was looking for. A lonely apartment, a lonely woman. No one lived in this apartment, and the refrigerator was filled with food. The first thing he did was replenish his wasted energy reserves. The host turned out to be a skillful cook, Gena liked her potions. Having tried all sorts of different snacks, the vodoroten arranged a tour in a one-room apartment. The apartment was like a museum. Numerous figurines brought from different countries were tastefully arranged on shelves and empty corners. Paintings in the underground style also hung each in its place and fit into the interior. – It is clear why she is so lonely, Gena thought. She is not up to the economy. But, the refrigerator, filled with food, said the opposite and Gena made a second visit. Licking his transparent fingers, the «water» looked at the photos of the landlady of the apartment. – And she is nothing. In the photos, the young woman was actually depicted everywhere alone. Clothes and toiletries said the same thing. The absence of a man smelled everywhere. The heat drowned the transparent mass of the body. Gene watched the drops drip from his biceps. Reluctantly getting up, he went to the bathroom and took an icy shower. The ice shower acted on him like a charge of power. The night spent in this apartment was the only night when Gena rested for the first time and felt safe.

December was approaching. The cold was getting worse. In many regions, the ground was covered with snow. Tambov and Tambov districts were among them. The prolonged absence of Gena suppressed Varya’s state of mind. The girl called her friend at every opportunity, but the friend did not appear. Over time, Varya began to think that all these phenomena and visions were actually a figment of her imagination. Studying was easy for Varya. Relationships with friends and teachers were friendly. Varya had no conflicts with anyone. With the disappearance of Gena, her relationship with Dasha improved; there was no more talk about horror stories and all sorts of dead souls. – What are your plans for the New Year? Varya shrugged her shoulders in response.

– Maybe here in Tambov?

– Together?

– Well, why together. We will invite our own. We will prepare some food. It will be fun. Let us go to the city Christmas tree.

– As an option. Varya answered indifferently.

– A colossal answer. The word colossally entered into circulation in this company from the very moment Varya first uttered it. The guy who laughed at her dragged this word all over the neighborhood. – Does that mean yes? Varya was silent. – Think about it. There is still time.

For Varya, the New Year in her new company was the only option. Since the village of Goreloe scared her. During these three months of living in Tambov, Varya went home only twice. And both times she saw Gena walking around their unfinished house. His external image from afar resembled a ghost, or a dead soul. Anyway, Varya saw him, and believed that his place was there in their house. —Why doesn’t he come to me anymore?» He probably thinks I betrayed him. Our house. Our love, by his departure to Tambov. For Varya, the very return to Goreloe was painful. After all, not long ago she was preparing to become the wife of such a young and enviable groom. It remained to wait for her coming of age and submit an application. That was the only barrier. Now, it is unclear what happened. They were separated not by another, not by death, not by a quarrel. The rain separated them. – It is the rain’s fault. He is the one who separated us. If not for the bathing, nothing would have happened. Varya sorted herself out by comparing the facts. In fact, it was. After the second dive, Gena had to be pulled out of the water in a half-dead state, after which he simply disappeared. Gena disappeared not as a drowned corpse, but as a walking corpse. This story surprised many.

Varya was reviewing this story and thinking about her future. – What will happen next? Where will I go after training? Will I return to Goreloe or will I stay in Tambov? Suddenly Gena will come back. We will get married, just as if we dreamed. Everything will be fine. After all, he has not yet been declared missing. And if he doesn’t come back. What then will be? Do I have to marry someone else? Varya scrolled through her thoughts in her head. These daily torments exhausted her. She did not show it. Outwardly, she was smart and calm. And beautiful in addition. Thanks to these moral torments, Varya did not notice the cavalier, who did not take his eyes off her.

Time passed. Gene lived in a cozy apartment for a couple of days. I came to my senses, gained strength and began to plot a winter route for myself. First, he needed to understand who he was. And how long he will stay in this state. Then where and in which direction he should move. His assistant turned out to be a laptop sitting on the kitchen table. Remembering the day when this gene mutation occurred, he clearly remembered that when he was lying in bed, he was overcome by a feeling of thirst. His mother brought him water, but the water did not quench his thirst. His whole body wanted to drink. Every muscle. Every cell. Gena felt like a vampire who did not have enough blood, only water was blood. An irresistible desire made him get out of bed, go and dive into the river. Gene did not go. His legs carried him with lightning speed. His parents did not have time to stop him; he was already far from home. Gena did not remember how he ended up in the water. The river became his home. Gena did not remember how long he had been in the water. But he clearly remembered how he came out of it, and when he saw his transparent hands, he wanted to howl at the moon, but he did not hear his voice. An inner voice howled louder than a dog’s howl. Looking at his body, he did not believe it was him. Gena believed that he had not yet come out of a coma after drowning, and his body was a terrible dream. Trying to wake up, he dived and went ashore. The water pushed him out like a piece of plastic. Gena’s body was weightless. – What happened?