Cказки Призраков. Tales of Ghosts. Премия им. Эдгара По / Edgar Poe Award (Билингва: Rus/Eng)

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«Yes, but no dates have been set yet.»

We sat down at the kitchen table. Marina silently offered to clink the cups. I didn’t resist.

«When are the negotiations supposed to be over?» she asked, taking her first sip and glancing at her watch.

«I don’t know, probably soon,» I answered and felt a sharp pain in my stomach, once again remembering the doctors’ advice to forget about such a wonderful drink.

«Vika, do you believe in life after death?» Marina suddenly asked and picked me up, as I was losing consciousness from pain.

The pain left me as abruptly as it had appeared. I got up from the floor and followed Marina into the living room. She stopped by the window.

«Now there is nothing to fear and lose,» she said without looking into my eyes. «Why did you need him?»

«I don’t know what to answer you…»

I knew what to answer her. I loved Vlad. Not for anything. And that’s why I didn’t care what status to be next to him. Did Vlad love me? A great question.

«God sees everything, Vika. He should have punished you both. You can’t imagine how much I hate you! However, God will forgive me for what I’ve done,» Marina began to sob like a kid.

«What have you done?» I got surprised and, from a bad feeling, I immediately turned to Vlad mentally, «Please, come here quickly! Your Marina is going to eat me now!»

«I know he wouldn’t leave you! Yes, I’ve never loved him, since it was a marriage of convenience, but he had no right! No right!!!»

«Calm down, please!» I didn’t know what to say in such cases.

«I couldn’t live like this! Could not! He had to lose us both!!!»

Suddenly we heard rushing footsteps on the stairs, and the front door slammed.

«Marina! Vika!» Vlad shouted out of breath, «are you there?»

Marina froze in silence, turning to the window, and I ran out into the corridor.

«It’s nice of you to come!» I exclaimed.

Vlad didn’t seem to hear me, heading for the kitchen quickly.

«We are here!» I shouted again. However, frozen at the ajar door, Vlad didn’t even turn around.

«Marina!!! No, you couldn’t!» he exclaimed without turning to me.

«God must forgive me!» she said coldly, approaching us.

I stood between them, trying in vain to figure out what had happened.