To this I added another cause a bottle of vodka, прихваченную from home, but grandma still shook her head roll:
-Oh, not enough штой-eh!
...Guests gathered quite a lot, but mostly old people, old women. There were several pairs of years to thirty-five to forty, and anyone younger. I thought sadly that evening promises nothing interesting.
All visit greeted with Pelageya as though he had not seen her for a very long time. No vid I this morning, I had the impression that they came from afar on a great and important holiday.
I soon tired of standing in the vestibule at the door and like a fool shake hands with each incoming like I know him for three hundred years. Almost all I had to also be presented and particularly curious answer pesky questions, for example, to whom I прихожусь Pelagiya Пантелеевне. But I persisted, secretly hoping that among the guests will Alena, and the evening will not be for me permanently lost. But she did not come.
Finally the guests were seated quickly and without equivocation took at first for the health of the mistress of the house", and then without any pause and a second award for her guest. I asked "Пантелеихи":
-And what is in us all guests such old?
-And who are younger-t byst? "Replied Pelageya.
-Yes, I'm here girl one Vidal: Alena...
-Ah, — cunningly сощурилась "Пантелеиха," so it's nothing to do with older? Small it yet.
-Well, I get bored. Some old people around. And talk not with whom. Here there is the youth?
-Yes girls heels. Boys two-three, Yes those who left, someone in the army took.
-So, where are those who have? — I was surprised.
-Yes how much I know, my dear! Here. Who come and come.
Guests meanwhile more and more were intoxicated, fewer asked me questions, and the stronger they leaned have another drink. I was surprised that people aged so much drink. For me it was strange. I hardly drank a glass of the vodka. Village vodka is not recognized, and leaned on the moonshine Pelagia. Many brought with a bottle of "hazy moonlight".
On the street, it was already dark. I said Pelagia that I wanted to take a walk and went out of the people crowded hut. His heart was sad. Now I realized that he was in the boondocks. And instead of running away from одолевавшей me in the city of sadness, found even more.
The street was cool. Village street was unusually dark after the city. Here because there was no street lights on poles, and just above the head, in all its glory lies a vast starry sky. It was so close and tangible that it took my breath away. I suddenly felt something unreal its proximity. It seemed to lend a hand up and she is immersed in a vast ocean of intergalactic bottomless emptiness, so close, that I suddenly was not enough oxygen, which shattered all at once in space. The stars were countless, they were not there, above, and here next to me, provincial village street. Sky fell to the earth, all sprinkled with silver smallest star dust.
Barely cope with the suddenly gripped me a strange feeling, I made cautiously first step, though in the void, and went to the fence. Here I saw unexpectedly Alyona. I barely discerned her in the darkness descended on the street space. She stood, leaning on a low fence, and watched the Windows of the house "Пантелеихи", whence came недружное singing pretty tipsy guests. It was clear that she is bored.
-Are you there what to do? "I asked her.
She shivered with fright because not noticed my approach, and answered, with a shrug:
-Stand.
-And what?
"Oh, look, how to have fun.
"You ain't seen nothing!
"Then listen. Leave me alone! She said to me by the arm.
I came up nearer and stood on the other side of the fence in front of her.
-Bored here! — I complained girl to start a conversation.
"And I you about this morning spoke of? — Like she greeted me my observations. — Here with boredom under the bull if you try!
-What? — I was amazed to such an expression.
-Oh, nothing... Boring in General.
-Listen, Alenka, and you're here, what, one? Well, I mean the young. And then all the guests, as the selection — old old woman Yes!
-Yes-well this is such a village! She had already thrown. Here with young people in General nobody left. As only eighteen turns — as the wind blows away! The nearest available — in Most Василиху. Well, this is, basically, girls get married there. And guys, so the further served: who in the district centre, and who in the area...
-Funny picture you drew! — I jumped over the fence and was next to the girl. — Go for a walk.
"Come, " she agreed and we walked next, treading cautiously in almost pitch darkness.
Home villages hardly were allocated with the roofs against the background of ghostly silvery haze heaven, cobweb the myriads of dust filled the void of space. And he, space, was nearby, here, with us, on this street, in this God-forsaken village. Nowhere to be seen was the lights. Only in one of the houses that was in the vicinity of the "Пантелеихи", in the boxes had a little yellowish-green, some ghostly light. I remembered that day, Alena casual mentioned some "ведьмячке"that lived here.
-Why in this house light? Who did not go to visit us? I inquired Alena.
-The witch lives here, — the будничному, without any frighten she said. Is it of no one in guests not walk.
-Why witch? — I was surprised.
-Because it is the most natural witch still quietly and calmly replied Alan. Her answer shocked me and at the same time, suddenly somehow interested.
-Is that possible? — I was surprised.
-Sometimes, " said Alain. It was clear that talk about her are just not interested.
"Hmm, never met.... And all the neighbors are? All the villagers?
-Yes does....Live. Nobody touches. And it does not disturb anybody... However, it happens sometimes. A-a-a-a — girl waved her hand.
She paused, and I did not ask her. So quietly talking we passed the whole village and were on горбатом bridge over the river. Somewhere down there in the dark, sometimes поплескиваясь and reminding of itself, occasionally cutting through the quiet murmur of the silence of the cosmos, spurted water. Starry sky reflected in it, because the river was capricious, мелководна and бурлива. The thought that around, on both sides of the road, there are boggy lowlands, and there is more, on her mound, stands thick, непролазный forest, вперившийся the tops of their stunted кряжистых, hard and reluctantly rising from the earth the trees in the starry void low sky, I suddenly there was an uncomfortable, it is not good for the soul. The places around were truly wild, uncomfortable, raw. Some original, hostile to human nature, wild animal spirit secret purpose in the tranquility of this impenetrable night. My whole body загуляли fat herds of large bumps.
-How do you live here? — Shivered from the chill of horror, поползшего on my back, I asked the girl.
-Yes now and live, " she sighed somewhere close by in the darkness. She seemed to know my thoughts. "I was born here, and me everything was familiar. Yes and others.... Actually, we have no visitors. All just leave.
I leaned on the railing of the bridge of poles, which immediately creaked. Alena followed my example. Railing creaked even stronger, threatening not sustain our weight.
-Collapse? I inquired the girl.
-Not collapse, " calmly replied she.
-What? — I became interested in.
-I think so...
I leaned closer to Alena and felt the warmth of her body. The air around was already cool, and one by one began to gather around us mosquitoes, increasingly brazen all the rage flew past his ear. I gently put my hand on a hip of the girls around her. I had not seen her, she was silent. Being in the excitement, I continued its offensive and tried to kiss her. But Alena was ahead of me, halfway stopping my mouth with his palm.
-Do not.
-Why?
-Just don't everything, " she faltered, " because I know...
What do you know?
-What will happen then.
"And what happens then? — I tried to break her resistance.
-Nothing.
-Well, if I like you?
-So what? Anyone you like you just kiss!
"But you don't!
-Yes beat you! I do not want! — Raised my voice girl, and the resistance it became more insistent. — No Ho-Chu!!!
I recoiled from it, convinced the last exclamation, распоровшим virgin silence of the night, in the futility of their intentions. For some time we stood in silence, then Alena spoke.
-But I wonder what time it is?
-Yes somewhere there midnight, I figured.
"Come then, " she suggested.
-Where?
"Come, I'll show you something.
She took my hand and pulled me out of the bridge away from the village, to the forest.
"Where are we? Puzzled I inquired.
-Do not ask! All now see.
I was curious and a little scary.
-But where are we?! There is the forest! I inquired.
-We go there and have...
The embankment of the road we headed for the woods. In the swamp and then it began to appear lights twinkling blue and green. Soon appeared on the background of the sky dark silhouettes of the trees on the edge. Alena kept pulling my hand. And I couldn't help being jealous of the bravery and courage with which she was travelling in the impenetrable darkness of the forest undergrowth, dragging me after him.
At the very edge of the woods, we turned right. Apparently, there was a road on which I paid no attention morning. Shortly ahead in the darkness began to loom some lights, and then I realized that the light is coming from a building standing in impassable thicket, where around, probably, a lot of all forest beasts. It is unclear to whom it here had to build.
The building was a squat long structure with many small square little Windows. We approached one of them. Alena looked inside, and then gave place to me:
-Look!
Through помутневшее glass I saw a stall, which was a few horses. The straw strewn floor stood a heavy massive stool, blackened with age. On the sat. It took me a woman. Her age, it was difficult to determine. At first I thought it was some kind of a gray-haired old woman, but then I saw that the woman is young. Beside her sat a large dog, but looking more closely, I was horrified, recognizing in it the wolf. The horse stood at attention in pens. A woman was sitting, bending over him forward so that her long black hair, giving a true gray hair fell forward and covered the face.
-What is it?! I asked, Alena, leaning from the window, moving involuntarily to a whisper.
-Stable, also in a whisper she said.
-And who was there?
-A neighbor of yours...
-What kind of neighbor?
-Ведьмячка.
-Ведьмячка? So she has a house lights are on!
The girl shrugged her shoulders.
-And what is she doing here? — I was amazed.
-As I say — ведьмячка. It better not mess with. Yes it is, no one links...
Together we throw yourself upon the window.
The woman continued to sit still, bowed her head. It was obvious that she does something at the bottom of the hands. Dog-wolf sat opposite, faithfully staring at her.
-What is she doing here? — I became very curious.
I don't know, uncertainly, " the girl said.
"But you knew she was here! Time led me here so knew, and not for the first time, perhaps, for her подглядываешь!
-Knew-knew! "Retorted the girl. — Yes, in the village everyone knows that she's here хаживает. It even watchman identified. I guess that's not so scary!
-Who were afraid?
-All. Why, it's not clear what it here roam. And was it scary. And the watchman appointed — it seems to be clear, what the hell, and that she is here at night need. Adults like, elderly people and children worse: eyes closed palms and think that all that fears fled, and they are not visible, hiding. But that's not the way! How was all, so there!.. Oh,look.
Alena grabbed one hand behind me, and the other in the mouth and in the glare from the window, I saw her eyes full of horror. I glanced out of the window and saw a fascinating to his horror picture.
"Ведьмячка already sat on a stool, and приплясывала and spun around him, dropping a hand. Wide sleeves of her dress fluttering black wings of a bird to fly up and fell down, трнепетали with sudden attempts to fly and movements. She seemed to really turn into a big black bird will fly. Hoisted into the air and flies away from the stables. Dog-wolf now sat, and arose, and, running on a wider circle of witches around counterclockwise, occasionally jumped up and looked at her with such a look as a sacrifice, if was going to throw himself at her and only waited a convenient moment.
On the walls of the stables, standing in her horses suddenly danced red nowhere suddenly came flashes, similar to the glow of the fire. At first, they were extremely subtle and weak, and you'd think a hallucination. But then, the longer danced witch, the more they became more distinct, were it more and more crimson colors. Soon you'd think a stable inside, all the lights, and the woman immediately почерневшем to the resin attire dancing in the flame of the fire.
Meanwhile dog-wolf, бегавшая around, was to see me sometimes very badly, though disappear from time to time for these bursts and eventually disappeared somewhere at all.
Watching all this, Alena suddenly gave a low cry. I myself was captured by such stupor, I have never experienced before in my life. If the blood rushed from all my organs and body parts or ceased to circulate through my body. As онемевает long and strongly bent in a joint member of the body, arm or leg, so just me, from head to toe, covered such numbness. And I was unable not to move, say something, say a word.
I felt like another moment, and the flame does not already flashed, and a solid crimson wall гудевшее in the stables, fall from the window of the us right in the face, cover against the stable wall, aches, загудит on them, will crack пожираемым tree. I even tried to draw back, as far as I allowed оцепеневшее horror body. But nothing happened, although the red impenetrable, like the flame wall has continued to dance inside, on the window.
Suddenly everything stopped. And instead of red flame inside there some sort of greenish-blue glow, smooth and illusory. There is almost nothing to be seen. Everything inside into a sort of purplish-iridescent black haze.
In one stall was visible some fuss and movement. Was not immediately clear what is happening there. But soon the sight that I considered there, put me in shock.
The witch was a horse standing in a stall. Propped on the back of her skirt, and she enjoyed his masculine flesh...
The companion of my all was stupefied, and in the uncertain light, going from the window, her face had turned a milky pale as paper мелованное the canvas from the deadening blue.
