Delya narrowed her eyes, trying to focus her eyes. She’d lost her glasses somewhere, probably while running, one of those creepy creatures must have ripped them off as they stretched their hooked, withered hands towards her.
A distorted corridor, black as charred shadows, moved slowly back and forth. A damn photo. In front of her grew a creature that looked like a huge praying mantis.
Deliya yelled. Vision suddenly became clear and sharp.
— Do not be afraid, Delya, — the creature said, — I am The Transition Keeper, Saibkenhlov. The fact is that your baby, he got into such a photo …
Delya swallowed in fear.
— Which was burned along with a photography of the dead. And…
— No, Homar is dead?!
— No, not dead, of course, you can not die … there are worse things, your son is stuck in one of the dead worlds. There is no transition from there, so I can’t get him out of there.
— Can you take me there in? Or take me to the same photo that will be burned. Or … take me to my husband, I will tell him to burn some photography, and you will take me to it.
— Stop, Delya. Your husband is also lost. He went to the Soul Catcher.
Delya raised her hand to her face.
— I asked him don’t…
— But you’ve been unconscious for three months, he didn’t know what to do and went to the Catcher to take him to this world.
— Where is he now?
— Somewhere around here, he is looking for you.
— Can you find him?
— When he passes through the transition. I can’t find him either in the interworld or in worlds where there are no transitions.
Delya covered her face with her hands.
— Why did you even come up with this damn world of photography! Photography is just a piece of paper! Damn… — the woman got angry, — why can’t you just live, well, even among people, why do you have to invent these complexities, these hierarchies, worlds … why can’t you just live together?
Sahib sighed.
— People are afraid of other beings… they think that all Others are dangerous.
— Oh, yes, and so, of course, you are peaceful,- Delya spat out sarcastically, — you have a chief here, I don’t know, a demon, a king, what is it called? Is there a master plan, a master fortuneteller, a wise old man, a dangerous powerful outcast?
Delya suddenly remembered how her father, an engineer at a Soviet research institute, had told her that the laws of humanity apply to everyone. For all living things. And even for those who consider themself dead. So he taught her not to be afraid of scary tales. Ah, papa, if only you were here. But if her father had been around somewhere, there wouldn’t be such a mess.
— Yes, follow the black shadow, it will lead you to the All-Seeing One.
— I need to know something, some laws? Well, don’t turn your back on him or say certain words? Do you need to bring him a gift, cut something off yourself? — Delya asked in a businesslike and sarcastic tone.
That stupid childhood dream came true, she got into a fairy tale. How many times she dreamed of getting into the magical world and enduring a real test. Then she realized that the main tests are not in the magical worlds. But, apparently, someone or something has not forgotten her childhood desire. Now she will have to endure its execution. «Enjoy, Delya,» — she told herself bitterly.
