Bridge for the Dead over the Sanzu River

INTRODUCTION. SANZU RIVER
A pleasant voice, taking for the soul, gently persuaded and prophesied:
"The Sanzu River has overflowed! The grief of the people has caused the Sanzu River to become full and seething. You, the one who is reading this now, try not to hurt those who are nearby, for the next ninety days, for no one is eternal, and you do not know what has prepared for you fate.
May the sun be above your head, and become the sun for someone at least once in these ninety days, or better yet, be the sun every day and may the road across the Sanzu River pass you by in the near future! "
The IT department of the waterfront across the Sanzu River broadcast this text every ninety minutes. The voice penetrated into the hidden depths of everyone who heard these words. The text was inaudible for the deaf at heart, those who were open to the world received this message in the form of sounds of nature. It was raining, the wind was blowing, the fog was dropping, the river was noisy.
  The IT staff at the Sanzu Riverfront had many ways to convey information to those who could hear without creating too much hype.
The Sanzu River really overflowed and the waterfront attendants were knocked off their feet to prevent flooding.
There were wars on earth, and this year they were especially bloody. The pain and tears of people poured into the river, and the river obediently accepted the suffering of people.
There have been wars on earth in all ages, but with the development of science and technology, the art of war has also developed to destroy entire nations.
Ghosts, apparitions, gods, heroes, villains, all those Sanzu Riverfront attendants were in turmoil right now. The waters of the river were steadily filling up and rising higher and higher! A catastrophe could happen if the main war, which claimed one human life after another, did not stop.
SANZU RIVER BANK
According to Buddhist philosophy, the human soul experiences rebirth until it has passed its entire path.
Before continuing my story, I want to tell you a little about the Sanzu River. The Sanzu River served those who died and went to a better world. There were three ways to cross the Sanzu River: by bridge, ford, or swim across it. People who crossed the river in comfort and tranquility were very worthy people during their lifetime. Those who forded across the river, uniformly throughout their lives, sinned and did good deeds. I want to dwell in more detail on those who were forced to swim across the Sanzu River. Those who were forced to be transported to the next world in this way were sinners. These people committed such bad deeds during their lifetime that now they had to pay for their sins. All the wealth that they accumulated during their lifetime remained there, in the real world, but here, near the crossing, the soul of such a person was in huge stains of sin that could not be washed away or erased by anything. Sinners went swimming, but the waters of the Sanzu River are a dangerous place. The waters of the river boiled and rolled menacingly. However, this was not the danger that met the sinners who sailed. Something more terrible was waiting for them in the water. The waters of the river were teeming with ferocious dragons. The dragons had teeth like sharpened daggers, and their breath burned like hot steam. No matter how hard the sinner tries, how fast he swims, he could not avoid meeting the dragon. Those sinners who were overtaken by the dragon were doomed. The dragon wrapped its tail around its victim, and dragged it to the bottom with it. There, at the bottom of the Sanzu River, there were caves where dragons lived. So, the dragon took his prey and, together with it, sank to the bottom of the Sanzu River. Maybe you think that the sinner, having sank down with the dragon to the bottom of the river, was dying?
  No.
We have already agreed that this earthly life is fleeting, and the soul lives, undergoing one after another rebirth, until all rebirths are over. As soon as the dragon took with him a living soul, which still had the form of a human body, to the bottom of the river, the soul began to take on its own form. Here, at the bottom of the river, it no longer made sense for the human soul to pretend, only here the sins of a person were exposed. The dragon carried the soul with him. The dragon caves were a dark place. The dragons did not need to see, their vision in the dark was replaced by their five senses. So, here, in complete darkness, the dragon punished the soul of the sinner minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. The unfortunate soul screamed and strained, but no one was in a hurry to help her. The dragon tore off piece by piece from the soul with its teeth. The torture was sophisticated and varied. So, the dragon burned the unfortunate soul with steam, tore off pieces after pieces, slashed with claws sharp as daggers. However, every day the sinner had exactly nine minutes to take a breath and remember why he ended up in this hell. If sinners who sin during their lifetime knew, felt and believed what happens to such souls after death, they would probably be corrected during their lifetime and begin to live differently.
But this rarely happens!
  The nature of man is such that he does not listen to other people's advice, he prefers to go through his sinful path himself and sin again and again.
The dragons especially hated those peoplewho abused the weak during their lifetime.
Sinners who abused children, defenseless women and the elderly were especially punished by dragons.
The dragons could not be fooled. They easily read all the sins and vile deeds from the souls.
However, sometimes sinners managed to escape punishment. Such a person could swim across the river, but having reached the other side, he, however, like all souls, lost his memory and joined the ranks of the staff of the Sanzu River. However, these were isolated cases. I will deal with such people in more detail in later chapters. The sinners who swam across the Sanzu River and managed to escape the dragon's teeth were marked with the spot of the god. However, in the memory of the manager of the Sanzu River Embankment, there were only two such cases during his entire time at this place.
SANZU RIVER CUSTOMS POST
As I said in the introduction, in order for the Sanzu River crossings to work smoothly and smoothly, the Sanzu Riverfront had a large maintenance staff, even its own IT department. There is a small theme park on the approaches to the Sanzu River embankment. A person who came to such a park could see all nine circles of hell that a sinner goes through. However, since the park was Asian, the circles of hell were made with an eye to the east.
The IT department is located on the territory of the park in the main administrative building. The main function of the IT department was small announcements, which sounded with a certain frequency under the arches of the park. These announcements were heard by all visitors. Unlike those announcements that were disguised as the noise of nature and which were heard only by people tuned in to this wave, the announcements that sounded under the arches of the park were heard by everyone. The park staff, like the rest of the staff at the Sanzu Riverfront, had a clear purpose. Their task was to convey to the guests who came to the park the main idea:
"Do not sin, and your life now and after death will be beautiful"
That is, in this park it was clearly shown what awaits a person after death, depending on what lifestyle he led during his lifetime. Of course, there were ordinary carousels in the park, various themed quests, you could even celebrate your birthday here, but I have already voiced the main theme and idea of ;;this park to you. Terrifying figures are located throughout the park. There was a special pavilion where one could see what happens to a person after death if he caused pain to others during his lifetime. However, such parks were not new. Many countries in Asia have such parks: in Thailand, China, Korea, Japan and so on. However, the park near the riverfront of the Sanzu River was certainly special and I will return to this park in the pages of our history from time to time.
Of course, ordinary people did not even suspect that the beautiful embankment, which could be accessed directly from the park, was the Sanzu River embankment. People saw before them an ordinary river. However, ordinary human eyes could not see the afterlife bridge. The bridge for people is located a little further. I want to clarify, the human river was not wide and not very deep, except for the bridge, it was possible to cross this river on small river buses made in the shape of a dragon, or on a cable car in the cabin of the trailer. Now you know about as much about the Sanzu River Park as I do now. My brain, the brain of the author of this book, will learn what I do not know now, in the process of writing the book with you.
I wrote it rather confusingly, but I will not correct it.
We pass to the customs post.
The dead man, who found himself in front of the palace of the customs post, did not know what was ahead of him. The man, of course, did not know how he would cross the Sanzu River, wade, swim, or cross the bridge. There was also a fourth way to cross the Sanzu River. The fourth way of crossing was for special people! For those who cross the river in this way, a special boat with a carrier was prepared. In European mythology, the carrier Charon transported dead people across the river Styx. Here, on the Sanzu River, there was also such a service, but it was provided, as I said, to special people.
However, we will talk about these people later, now my task is to give you a complete picture and tell you about the customs post of the Sanzu River embankment, about the theme park, and also tell a little about the manager, who had a huge responsibility for the smooth operation of the Sanzu River customs post.
The manager was a man, but he was, as you understand, a special man. Firstly, this person had to have good organizational skills, he had to get along well with both the world of the living and the other world. He had a huge team under him. Apart from the manager, there was not a single living person here, but ghosts, villains, heroes - all who were people during their lifetime, being here all twenty-four hours a day side by side, sometimes quarreled with each other. However, there is nothing special about this, because these creatures were once people, and evenhaving turned into the undead, they had some qualities of people, some microscopic particles of memories of their past. That is, among themselves, they behaved simply like a team of people who were forced to meet every day and perform certain functions. The manager had a huge responsibility, however, I have already said this. Among other things, the manager had to deal with living people. Every day he signed some documents, very often he had to go to official offices and so on, he kept financial records for the theme park, paid taxes, etc. . The manager has already written reports to his superiors many times that he needs an assistant, and preferably even two, from among living people, but so far there has been no response to his reports.
So, back to the customs post, or rather, to the customs palace. The customs palace was divided into sectors. There was a bathhouse where the dead people, if desired, could wash themselves and be cleansed of minor sins, there was a hotel where the deceased person could rest before setting off on his last journey, but this was not necessary. Some dead people went to the customs post immediately, and some needed time to think and rest. Well, and, of course, the main hall here was the customs post.
To make the transition easy, male customs officers appeared before the women, and, accordingly, beautiful girls appeared before the men - customs officers of the underworld. As you understand, passports were not needed here, the deceased were asked to put their hand to the glass separating the customs officer from the one who was ready to cross over to the other side now. People put their palms on, and the customs officer read the full information about his life from the palm of a person with a scanner. Immediately, information from the scanner entered the afterlife computer, and a ticket was issued to the person. According to this coupon, he went to the transition that was indicated on the ticket. Sometimes a deceased person had to wait in line and listen carefully to the announcements that sounded under the vaults of the customs palace. If a person was absent-minded and for some reason did not hear that his turn had come up, then the manager of the hall approached him. This year, as the war raged on earth, and the coronavirus epidemic continued, people who died had to wait a long time for their turn. Here, in the customs palace, time certainly did not have such power as in the outside world, but still, those who died still had a clear idea of time. The built-in clock, which was supposed to stop after death, was still ticking and counting the time for some people, and therefore, if they had to wait a long time, people began to get nervous and turn to the hall managers. If a person began to get nervous, then he was sent to the rest room. There, a person could watch a movie, listen to music, or even play computer games. The computer of the afterlife already knew all his preferences in advance, since by attaching a scanner to a person’s hand, the customs officer gave the computer access to every piece of the deceased’s memories. As a result of this, people now could listen to exactly the music that they loved during their lifetime, watch all the films that they wanted to watch for a long time and even, as I said, play their favorite computer games. When the turn of this man approached, he, rested, appeared where the stewards were waiting for him to see him on his last journey. The stewards treated all people equally, it did not matter to them who was in front of them - a sinner or a saint. The administrators did not now have the task of dividing people into good and bad. This will be handled by other officials who have been waiting for people at the end of each crossing. The customs hall stewards, as I have already said, treated all people equally, even, I can clarify, they treated people with a certain tenderness, caution and compassion. Because the person who found himself here, in the customs hall, was still full of memories, pain and anxieties. And the task of the administrators of the customs hall was to ensure that people reached their crossing without losses and tears.
So, the person safely passed from the customs hall to his transition. Well, it's kind of like at the airport, when people go through the passages to the plane. If we follow this analogy, then at certain transition points, employees in uniform were waiting for the deceased people and supervised the whole way from point A to point B.
In general, here, in the customs hall, order reigned.
It could not have been otherwise. The people who found themselves in this place were still full of rebellious thoughts, memories, pain, fear, and the task of the manager of the hall was to lead these people to where they were already expected.
And so the man approached the goal for which he was prepared from the very moment he entered the customs palace.
The man was met by an old man and an old woman. These two, for many centuries, performed the same functions and were quite stubborn.
The manager spoke to them many times and asked them to keep up with the times and change their clothes to more modern ones, but the old man and the old woman did not want to change, andBefore a frightened person, they pestered in their centuries-old appearance.
The old woman took off the man's shirt, the old man hung this shirt on a scale tree to measure the man's sins and decide exactly how he would cross the Sanzu River, in accordance with his sins. You ask, why then do you need a computer if the old people worked the old fashioned way? The fact is that the old people were distrustful, and all the time they double-checked the decision of the main computer, although the main business of the old people was to identify sinners.
INCIDENT AT SANZU RIVER CUSTOMS POST
The morning started with trouble. When the manager entered his office, he saw that his computer had burned down. This has happened over and over again. As soon as they began to get angry up there, in the transcendental spheres, the manager's computer turned out to be charred. The lightning that struck the computer burned it over and over again. The manager was philosophical about such blows. Of course, the first time it happened and he didn't have time to save important information, he was damn hurt. But then he began to save all the information that had accumulated during the day on a USB flash drive, and every evening he disconnected it from the computer. Of course, this was a rather troublesome business, but there was no other way out. The manager never knew at what point thunder and lightning would turn his computer into a piece of burnt plastic. The burnt computer was a signal that something was wrong in his afterlife kingdom and the authorities were angry. Each time the computer was struck by lightning, the manager called the warehouse manager and the computer was replaced. However, while the computer was being changed, the manager, of course, did not sit still. As I said, the lightning strike was a signal that something was wrong on the Sanzu River embankment. Workers and maintenance personnel also understood perfectly well what a lightning strike on the manager's computer meant. And so now, when the manager went on an inspection, each of the workers was especially attentive and careful. The steward walked around his entire afterlife kingdom in three hours, but to his surprise, there was nothing to complain about. Everything was in perfect order. Sitting on a bench and immersed in thoughts, the manager nevertheless did not forget to watch those around him. Something was wrong. The lightning that hit the computer was so strong that it also burned down the manager's desk. And this was a signal that the top was angry in earnest. Not that the manager was afraid, he knew that he was an indispensable person for this job, but still he was unpleasant. And anxious. The manager did not know where to go and where to look for that person, or rather, not a person, but a ghost, because of which his computer and table were damaged. However, he did not have to wait long. The watch he had on his hand started beeping. The manager took out his phone. That's right, a message came to the phone. The underworld computer pretty quickly figured out the one who was causing the Sanzu Riverfront Underworld Realm to be on their toes right now. The manager read the message and clutched his head. Everything was very bad. The service personnel of the kingdom, as I said, consisted of the deceased people who used to live on this earth. On what basis the supreme authorities chose who would serve in the kingdom, and who should go to where the rebirth takes place, the manager did not know, and he did not care. He worked with those who were provided to him by the supreme authorities and easily found a common language with everyone. In general, I will not pull the cat by the tail, but I will explain what happened. One of the customs hall workers, a man, suddenly regained his memories when he saw a woman walking through customs. The woman had once been his lover. You can't say she was a bad person, but she wasn't particularly good either. However, I must have given this woman the wrong description. The woman was a bad person, she was very bad. During her lifetime, many people died because of her. I will not go into details now, but I will only say that the customs officer who suddenly regained his memory also died because of this woman. However, his death was unintentional. That evening, he was not the target of this woman, but it turned out that it was she who killed him. When the woman realized what she had done, she screamed and cried, and tried to bring her lover back to life, but the man died. And now he suddenly recognized this woman. And not only learned, but immediately remembered everything. I even remembered that this woman did not kill him on purpose. He remembered her screams and tears, at the moment when she realized that she was left alone. All these thoughts, memories, grief of loss - all this flashed quickly through the man's head and he instantly made a decision. The ghost-man understood what lay ahead for this woman. She was terrified. Probably, a dragon is already circling in the waters of the Sanzu River, which was awakened from a short sleep by the signal of the afterlife computer. The dragon was already ready to capture the sinner and take her to his cave. However, the dragon did not wait for its prey, because the man-the ghost quickly made a decision and immediately put it into practice. The customs officer changed the ticket. It was almost impossible, and yet the operation could be done. And now the manager was forced to correct what the ghost customs officer had done. The customs officer has not yet been punished. It was the height of the working day. There was no one to replace the customs officer. The dragon was sent back to sleep. And the woman, however, the decision on the woman, which was made by the manager, I will announce at the end of the chapter. Everything was calm in the customs hall, everyone tried to control himself so as not to create disorder, but whispers flew and stung the guilty customs officer like bees. The man knew that he would be punished and punished very seriously. However, he didn’t care much now, he thought about the woman and realized that he had only made her worse. Yes, there was something worse than torture in an underwater cave, but I won’t talk about it now. A decision had to be made quickly. The manager was forced to apologize to the woman. He explained to her that there was an overlay, the computer issued the wrong ticket. The woman was escorted to the hotel and even allocated a suite. Of course, the manager was not to blame for the situation, but the man knew that he was responsible for everyone here, and if something out of the ordinary happened, then it was he, the manager, who overlooked it.
LOOP TIME
First loop
I ended the last chapter on the fact that the customs officer, who wanted to help his wife, realized that he had only made it worse. Now, when everything was revealed, he realized that his idea was doomed to failure from the very beginning. But, unfortunately, he realized it too late. From the moment he saw his wife walking through the customs hall and suddenly remembered everything, he stopped being aware of what he was doing. Emotions, ordinary human emotions, suddenly overwhelmed him and confused all thoughts. Now the customs officer smiled learnedly at those who stood on the other side of the customs booth and mechanically performed their duties. Glancing at his watch, he saw that his shift was coming to an end. The customs officer took off his uniform and changed into casual clothes. Before leaving his workplace, he smoothed out the crease in his jacket and ruefully thought that he would probably never wear those clothes again.
After that, he gave up his place to the shift and left the customs palace. The customs officer expected that he would immediately be picked up by white hands and taken to the manager's office, but nothing of the kind happened. He hesitated a little, and then opened the door of the customs palace and went outside. His path lay in the direction of the park. The sun was setting and the Sanzu River was beautifully lit. Of course, you understand that the people who walked along the human river did not see the customs officer, but he saw them. Of course, he did not see them as people see each other, he saw only the souls of these people. But, since these were the souls of living people, and the path of these people had not yet been completed, the customs officer could not distinguish who, after death, would go over the bridge, and who would try to swim across the Sanzu River. Near the IT department, which, as I said, was in the park, there was a small area that people did not go into. It’s not that there was a fence or some kind of fence, it’s just that people subconsciously understood that they weren’t allowed to go there. This was the territory for ghosts. After a hard day's work, the ghosts could rest in this area. There was a garden, and this place was a favorite resting place for those who worked a whole shift. The garden was fragrant, flowering plants from all over the world were collected here. Some plants have a calming effect. Since the ghosts, as I said, sometimes behaved quite emotionally, this garden was invented precisely so that they could rest here. A visit to this garden could be equated with a session of psychotherapy. But the ghosts weren't human, and a therapist wouldn't have helped them.
There were several cafes in the garden where you could get a light snack, as well as coffee. As you understand, the ghosts did not need all this, and yet they needed it. The ghostly coffee with the ghostly croissant was as soothing as the ghostly music that blared from the loudspeakers that were located at the four corners of the garden.
A camellia blossomed on the western corner of the garden, the customs officer sat on a bench near a flowering bush and simply tried to immerse himself in the aroma of the departing evening, but he did not succeed. After sitting on a bench for about two hours, he went to where singing fountains beckoned with ghostly happiness. But today it was quite crowded here, and the customs officer could not be near a large crowd of people. Too much energy came from people, the waves of this energy crossed and were carried away into the sky, but part of the energy still settled on the ground. Each ghost treated human energy in its own way, but our hero began to have a headache when he accidentally fell into the epicenter of the intersection of human energies.
But this problem was easily solved, the customs officer simply moved away from people and his headache gradually disappeared. The sun has set, embankmentthe Sanzu River gradually emptied. Sighing, the customs officer slowly wandered to the place where he spent his nights. I specifically marked the rest with the words spent the night, because the ghosts do not sleep.
But ghosts, like everything living and not living on Earth, needed rest. The park was surrounded by a ring of small houses, and it was in these houses that the staff of the Sanzu River spent all their nights and rare weekends. The customs officer entered his house and mechanically wanted to turn on the light, but then he remembered that he had not been a man for a long time and he did not need the light. However, there was a light in the house and, if desired, it could even be turned on. The ceiling chandelier and the lights on either side of the bed were as ghostly as coffee and a croissant in a haunted cafe. But for the customs officer, the lamps were real. If he wanted to, he could turn them on, but he didn't want to. Sitting on the bed, the customs officer thought, he did not understand why the manager was slow and did not call him to the disciplinary commission. The ghost man thought that the expectation of punishment was harder than the punishment itself. He would rather get his punishment and disappear. Because the customs officer understood that his offense was so serious and disgusting that he would not be forgiven.
However, when morning came, the customs officer realized that for some reason the punishment was being postponed today, because he received numbers on his phone. These numbers indicated the number of the customs post where he would work today, and the exact time by which he should start work. The customs officer had another hour before work. The ghost man decided to use this hour to find the manager and talk to him. However, the grand lady manager did not let the customs officer into the manager's office. She simply advised the customs officer to go and mind his own business. But the male ghost was not going to give up so easily, he told the grand lady that he would not budge until the manager spoke to him. The grand lady had to enter into a dialogue with a ghost man. She didn't like it terribly, but there was no way out. Apparently, the customs officer really won't budge until the manager talks to him.
The lady steward insisted on her own, the customs officer was also not going to give in. The lady in charge was flustered. We have already talked about the fact that sometimes the ghosts working on the Sanzu River embankment were overwhelmed with emotions. Emotions were like greetings from that life, where the ghosts, being people, left. The lady manager during her lifetime was the secretary of the president of one company, which is why, when the question arose that the manager needed a secretary, the choice fell on the lady manager who had died at that moment. Those who gave instructions to the manager did not like such obvious decisions. Usually ghosts worked in positions completely opposite to those they occupied in life, but the case of the lady manager was special, and therefore it was she who was now working as an assistant to the manager. And yet her appointment was wrong. It was more logical to give her a job that was not as responsible and nervous as it is now. However, there was nothing more to be done. The appointment, which was given by those who controlled the manager, could not be changed. So, the manager lady began to get nervous, for some reason she began to leaf through the calendar, and toss the sheets of the calendar back and forth. The customs officer followed the work of the lady's fingers with his eyes and suddenly realized that the woman, leafing through the sheets of the calendar, stubbornly stops at the same date. Having made a note on this sheet of the calendar, the lady manager looked up at the customs officer.
"Very well," she said, "the manager will see you the day after tomorrow." It will be July 9th. Will it suit you if you meet him at 9 am?
- Excuse me, - the customs officer rubbed his eyes, - you are confusing something. The ninth of July was yesterday.
- I'm not confusing anything, - the grand lady again began to show too much emotion, - today is the seventh of July, tomorrow the eighth, and naturally, the day after tomorrow is the ninth.
“But,” the customs officer tried to interrupt the lady, “probably you are looking in the wrong direction. Do you have an old calendar?
- Sir, how are you, - the woman checked the list, - here, I found it. Sir, B 199, have you changed your mind about meeting with the manager? So tell me, and do not fool me.
The calendar is new, the date is accurate, and my nerves are not iron! Today is the seventh, the day after tomorrow the ninth. And point. And this is non-negotiable. Are you clear?
-Yes, - the customs officer was forced to agree.
“In that case,” the lady sighed, “why are you still here?” Come the day after tomorrow.
Second loop
The day when the customs officer again took up his post was a mirror image of the previous one. The man could have sworn that yesterday he had already issued coupons to those people who were now walking one by one. Having received their ticket, people checked the numbers on the scoreboard and moved on. Time moved towards noon. The customs officer remembered that yesterday afternoon, at 12:45 to be exact, he saw his ex-wife walking towards his customs post. There were 15 minutes left until X-hour and now the man was very nervous. He convinced himself that his memory was somehow misleading him. What he remembered nowOh, it just didn't happen. Yesterday was a big holiday. A large number of vacationers accumulated on the embankment of the Sanzu River and, probably, the energy that came from these people had a negative effect on the customs officer, and therefore, it now seemed to him that something out of the ordinary had really happened yesterday. The man looked at his watch again and took a breath, it was 12:45 on the clock. However, it turned out that the joy of the customs officer was premature. Looking up from his watch, he saw a woman standing on the other side of his customs booth. When the eyes of the customs officer and his wife met, the man saw her eyes widen. And yet the situation was a little different, not the same as yesterday. Yes, in front of the customs officer was his ex-wife. Yes, the customs officer recognized her, but only yesterday he recognized her, and she never recognized him. Now the man saw that the woman standing behind the glass of the customs booth perfectly understands who exactly should give her a ticket! Maybe due to the fact that almost the same thing happened yesterday or for some other reason, but the man did not react so sharply to the situation today. Of course he recognized his wife! Feelings flooded over him and almost crushed him like an avalanche, but this time the customs officer quickly came to his senses. As I said, he was in great pain, but he managed to restrain himself and pretended not to recognize the woman. He placed the coupon in the glass chute and pushed it. However, the woman apparently was not going to take a coupon, she just stood and looked at the customs officer. The man held on with all his might, it even seemed to him that a little more tears would flow from his eyes. Although, of course, this could not happen, because ghosts do not cry. The customs officer lowered his head, hoping that by the time he raised it again, this woman would have already taken her ticket and gone to where she was expected. However, time passed, and the woman was not going to budge. A line gradually formed behind the woman. The customs officer couldn't do anything. According to the rules of the customs palace, he had no right to contact those who came for the ticket. The only thing he could do was repeat the same words over and over. To those who approached his post, the customs officer offered to put his hand to the glass of the customs booth.
The customs officer knew the character of his wife, her character was like a time bomb. As it turned out, the woman's silence was only the calm before the storm. Suddenly, the woman came out of her stupor and started banging her fist on the glass separating her from the customs officer and shouting something.
Everything happened at the customs post. I have already said that those who came here were still full of all sorts of emotions, such as anger, joy, pain.
That is why the glass separating the customs officer from everyone who stood outside the customs booth was bulletproof. Also, for security reasons, the customs officers did not hear what people were saying to them. That is, the voice of the customs officer, coming from the amplifier, people heard, but there was no return answer. Sometimes it was very inconvenient. Here, in the customs palace, people of different ages came. Sometimes, if a person died very old, he might not even hear the voice of the customs officer coming from the amplifier. In principle, once in the customs palace, the deceased person should have already heard and seen everything as young, because the memory of the past should have already left him, but, as I have said several times, this did not always happen. And, therefore, because of the habits that did not want to let people go, it seemed to people that they still did not see and hear well. Although, once in the customs palace, everything in these people should have already changed. I repeat, sometimes people did not hear what the customs officer was saying to them and asked again, but the customs officer could not hear in response what people were saying and it was very inconvenient. The only thing he could do was to repeat the same text over and over again that people need to put their palm on the glass. So, back to the man's ex-wife. Suddenly going off the rails, the woman began banging her fist on the glass and screaming something. The people who were standing behind her moved away in fright. However, this did not last long, several people ran to the customs officer's booth. Excuse me, I made a slip of the tongue again, of course, it was not people who were running, it was ghosts, that is, those who were guarding the customs post. But I think you won't mind if I call them people in some cases. So, the guards in the amount of four people ran to the booth, where the customs officer was sitting in a daze. The ghost man didn't know what to do. All his thoughts and feelings were now with this woman. Even in death, she remained as passionate and unbridled as before, as in life. Finally, the guards reached the customs post. The head of security went into the customs booth, his subordinates began to persuade the woman, and then took her away. The frightened people who had previously stood behind the woman were taken to another customs post. The head of security was very unhappy. He did not even listen to the objections of the male customs officer. Soon it was quiet again in the customs booth. Like yesterday, the customs officer againthreatened with a disciplinary commission.
The situation was different, and the outcome was expected to be the same.
Third loop
Needless to say, when early in the morning our hero, the customs officer, glanced at the calendar, the ninth day was on the calendar. The customs officer did not forget anything, the previous two days, with their time loops, fit perfectly in his head with the fact that today is still the ninth day. Of course, the man was just a ghost who worked as an employee for the supreme deity, who in turn oversaw the customs palace and the passage of the dead across the Sanzu River, but the customs officer did not believe in coincidences. Of course, he understood that the current situation with his work in the customs palace did not fit into the system of the universe and his ideas about the laws of the surrounding world. However, I want to tell you that his work in the customs palace was strictly regulated and obeyed the laws, which every Monday the manager announced over and over again at the planning meeting. Those who worked in the customs palace did not work for nothing. Each year their work was read out and entered into a common computer. Everyone who worked here had their reasons. Someone wanted to clear karma, someone wanted to interrupt the wave of rebirths, and someone wanted to be born in the next life in the image that he himself invented. To fulfill their desire, each ghost had to work in the customs palace, as you understand, a certain amount of time. For the fulfillment of each desire there was a time limit. So, we have already found out that our customs officer was a realist and did not believe in miracles. And now he was faced with a dilemma, he had to understand what he was doing wrong, and find the path that would satisfy the supreme deity. Our hero understood that it was he, the supreme deity, who controlled this whole situation. Here, in the customs palace, nothing could be hidden. As you remember, in one of the chapters of our story, it was the supreme deity who sent lightning, which incinerated the manager's computer. This lightning was a signal that something was wrong in the customs kingdom. It was the day of that first time loop. Then the customs officer changed the coupon, but this misconduct was not followed by punishment.
The second day of the time loop was not a gift either, and although the customs officer refrained from taking decisive action when meeting with his ex-wife, he still remained guilty. The head of security accused the customs officers of the fact that it was because of his wrong actions that the incident occurred and the queue gathered. The customs officer tried to object, but the head of security did not even listen to him. The head of security was annoyed, and, having threatened the customs officer that the ghost customs officer would have to state all his excuses to the disciplinary commission, he left.
The customs officer suspected that at exactly 12:45, as on the first day and the second, his wife would again be standing near the customs booth. And this, the third time, the customs officer had to choose the right path.
If you know the laws of the theatrical world, then you know that the gun that hangs on the wall in the first act must fire during the entire play, and preferably at the climax. Otherwise, it makes no sense to hang this gun on the wall. What do you think, who in this situation, figuratively speaking, was this gun that hangs on the wall? I will not intrigue you for a long time, and I will say that the protagonist, who will have to move our story further, was the grand lady, the manager's manager.
I have already told you briefly the history of the Grande Dame. According to the laws of the afterlife, the grand lady had to work in a different position in the customs palace. But, I didn’t tell you why the grand lady was a special person and when distributing work, the supreme deity took into account the wishes of the grand lady.
I think that all of us, when we are still small, are inspired that we will be rewarded for good behavior, and punished for bad behavior. These are the laws of the universe, which in general terms operate in the real world and in the afterlife. However, alas, this does not always happen. So, the story of the grand lady. The woman was so devoted to her boss that she shielded him with herself when the unfairly dismissed worker came to sort things out with the employer. So, the lady manager died instead of her boss. This was not a very typical case and the supreme deity became interested in this story. If this story had a romantic background, then everything would be clear and banal. Many secretaries love their bosses. But this case was not of that category. The grand lady simply respected the boss and admired his integrity and truthfulness.
When, when choosing a place of work in the customs palace, the grand lady was offered several options, she without any hesitation chose the place of manager at the manager.
I already told you that it wasn't supposed to be like that. Ghosts were supposed to work in a different field than they did in life. But the supreme deity sometimes liked to joke, and break the laws that she herself had once decreed.
So, the grand lady began to work as a manager for the manager, or, ifspeak simply, secretary.
However, like all other ghosts, she did not remember her past life, and her choice was not the choice of consciousness, but of the subconscious.
In general, I sum up. For a good deed that the lady did in real life, she received the award that she herself chose.
It was nine in the morning on the ninth when the customs officer opened the door to the waiting room.
As he suspected, the Grand Dame did not remember him. There was the same dialogue that was the day before yesterday. That is, the lady secretary insisted that today was the seventh day, and the customs officer tried to convince her. However, his attempts came to nothing. Like last time, the lady opened the calendar sheet and made a note. After that, she invited the customs officer to come the day after tomorrow at nine in the morning. The day before yesterday, when the conversation was over, the customs officer had no choice but to open the door and leave the waiting room. But now the customs officer was in despair. He wished that the time loops would finally end. Each loop brought him mental anguish. He didn't want to go through this situation anymore and didn't want to see the face of the woman he loved so much in his past life.
Instead of leaving after the conversation was over, the customs officer walked over to a scarlet, plush chair, of which there were many in the waiting room, and sat down in it.
The secretary was puzzled.
She hinted that it was time for the customs officer to go where the main computer had assigned him today. But the ghost man was not going to leave. He said he would wait for the manager. It was unheard of! The lady secretary was confused. She informed the customs officer that the manager was not in the office now, he was supposed to return only by noon. However, the customs officer did not care. According to his plan, he had to play for time. The customs officer was going to rise from this chair only after one in the afternoon.
The lady secretary disagreed.
She said that the customs officer would interfere with her work and suggested that he leave the office and wait in the corridor, along which stood the same scarlet, plush chairs. However, the customs officer said that he would not budge until the manager came and received him. The situation has reached an impasse. Finally, exactly at noon and one minute, the door creaked and the manager entered the waiting room. How the conversation with the manager ended, I will tell you in the next chapter.
BLACK REAPER OF THE SANZU RIVER
As I wrote in the last chapter, exactly at noon and one minute the door creaked, and the manager came into the waiting room. The customs officer got up from his seat to greet the manager, but immediately hesitated and tried to hide behind the back of the chair that was in front of him. The fact is that someone followed the manager. That someone was the Black Reaper. The customs officer remembered this Black Reaper well. It was this messenger of death, this guide who accompanied the customs officer on his last journey. Actually, according to the rules, the customs officer was not supposed to remember the guide, but what happened the day before yesterday opened the memories not only of the moment of his death, but also of what happened after. The customs officer knew that the Black Reaper must never understand that he was recognized. So after catching his breath, the customs officer straightened up, took a deep breath and got up from his seat to say hello. The manager smiled at the customs officer and turned inquiringly to the lady secretary. While the lady secretary was explaining to the chief why the customs officer was here, the ghost man tried his best to pretend that he did not recognize the messenger of death. However, it looks like he didn't do it well. At some point, he looked up and stumbled upon the attentive gaze of the Black Reaper. The customs officer bowed once more, that was all he could do now to hide his confusion. Finally, the manager ended the conversation with the grand lady. At that moment, a signal sounded and the conductor informed the manager that he had received a message. The matter was urgent and therefore it was decided to continue the conversation a little later. Finally, the door behind the Black Reaper slammed shut. The customs officer suddenly felt that his heart was beating like crazy in his chest, and his forehead was covered with perspiration. Although, as you and I know, all these signs of excitement could only seem to the male ghost. Finally, the manager invited the customs officer to his office. However, the conversation did not take place. Upon entering the office, the manager discovered that this time, not only the computer with the table burned down from a lightning strike, but also a bookcase with books and a chair were charred. Seeing all this, the manager staggered and helplessly looked around the office. At that moment, the customs officer realized that the conversation would not take place today. The manager apologized and told the ghost man that, since the conversation did not take place through his fault, and the customs officer was late and did not come to the workplace on time, he might not go to work today. Leaving the office with the ghost man, the manager ordered the secretary to appoint the customs officer another day for the meeting, and also asked the grand lady to invite the supply manager so that again, for the third time this week, they would replace the furniture in the office. The case took a strange turn, but the ghost man had no choice but to bowto the manager, as well as to the secretary, and go out. Leaving the administrative building, the customs officer took a few steps towards the place where his house was located, but did not have time to go far. The black reaper stood right in the middle of the road and blocked the way. The ghostly man looked up, and this time the look of the customs officer confirmed all the worst suspicions of the herald of death.
-Do you remember? - The black reaper came close to the customs officer and touched his chin.
The ghost man did not answer, everything was clear without words.
However, the conductor needed confirmation of his guess, and the customs officer did not want to help him with this.
So they stood, invisible to people, but very visible to ghosts. Luckily, it was now the height of the day's work, and the encounter between the Black Reaper and the male ghost did not become the subject of gossip between the Sanzu River attendants. The conversation between those who were never to meet again in this life was seen from the window only by the secretary, but this lady was not one of the talkative ones. For a while, she pondered whether it was worth talking about what she saw to the boss, that is, the manager, but, on reflection, she decided that what she saw was none of her business. Therefore, when the manager returned, she did not say anything. But in vain. If she had shared what she saw and her guesses with her boss, then our story would have turned in a completely different direction.
- Do you remember? the Black Reaper asked again, and this time the ghostly man had to admit that he really did remember. Raising his eyes to the herald of death, he smiled uncertainly and nodded his head in the affirmative. However, the Black Reaper was again not satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.
- I need you to confirm with your voice whether you remember or not. Now I will turn on the voice recorder on the phone. My superiors, you know, are very distrustful. So please confirm that you remember me.
The black reaper brought the phone with the voice recorder turned on directly to the ghost's mouth.
- Yes, - the customs officer coughed, but then he still managed to finish the sentence, - I remember our meeting.
-Good, - the conductor turned off the phone and looked up at the customs officer again. - in this case, if you do not mind, I will now perform a ritual, after which your memory of earthly life will disappear, and this will happen now forever. You do not mind?
The customs officer nodded his head, but immediately remembered that the Black Reaper needed voice confirmation.
Yes, sir, I don't mind. What happened is very embarrassing to me. The events of the last three days, the memories of the past, have made me very unhappy and prevent me from working.
“Very well,” the death messenger finally smiled, “I am very glad that you realize this. Somehow I thought you'd fight back and cling to the memories. Once again, I am very glad that you are ready to cooperate.
- Yes, - the customs officer smiled pitifully, - the memories brought me only pain.
- Good good! The black reaper raised his hand. "If you agree, let's perform the oblivion ritual now." My office is on the other side of this administration building. Follow me.
In less than ten minutes, the ghost man and guide were in place. The office of the Black Reaper was a mirror image of the manager's office, but it was clear that this office had long been inhabited. There were real, not ghostly, flowers on the windows that were looked after. In general, there were many signs that the owner of the cabinet loves this place and looks after it. While the preparations were going on, the customs officer drank the tea of oblivion, which the Black Reaper poured for him.
When everything was ready, the messenger of death opened the red box and took out the seal. The black reaper was not sure of the correctness of what he was doing. The last time he had already put a seal on the crook of the elbow of this man-ghost. The case was unique, but still the Black Reaper understood that he needed to act. Having warmed up the seal, the conductor ordered the customs officer to come and sit on the chair of oblivion. After that, all that remained was to apply the seal. However, the Black Reaper hesitated. It was not clear what he was waiting for. Minutes passed after minutes, and the herald of death still stood. Finally he woke up. The seal was almost cold, and so it was necessary to act quickly. Sighing heavily, the Black Reaper raised his hand and applied the seal to the forehead of the male ghost. It seemed like it could have ended there, however, meeting the attentive gaze of the customs officer, the conductor turned cold. Nothing succeeded! The seal did not leave an imprint and the customs officer did not forget anything. The reaper's head spun. Approximately the same thing happened that happened half an hour earlier with the customs officer. The black reaper suddenly felt his heart pounding, and sweat covered his forehead. On reflection, he decided that the failure befell him due to the fact that he hesitated for a long time before applying the seal to the forehead of the customs officer. After warming up the seal a second time, he no longer hesitated. The seal has been attached. However, the imprint did not appear this time either. The messenger of death was agitated in earnest. Emotions overwhelmed him. It was so unusual for him and quite unpleasant. The black reaper asked permission from the male ghost and applied the seal a third time. But this time it didn't work either.The Reaper was forced to admit defeat.
The oblivion tea that the ghost man drank was bubbling unpleasantly in his stomach, but oblivion did not come. The tea was supposed to serve as an additive to the imprint of the seal, but it turned out to be the only ingredient that now stirred up the customs officer's stomach. The herald of death wanted to say something, but suddenly there was a sound in the room. A message has arrived. The conductor was forced to say goodbye to the customs officer. The Black Reaper's lunch break was over and it was time to get back to work.
Soon the customs officer was again standing in the street. He did not understand what to do now and how to live!
In parting, the messenger of death promised that he would figure out how to help the customs officer, but it was not clear when this would happen and whether it would happen at all.
YENGHON, THE CARRIER OF THE DEAD Across the Sanzu River
My story is moving forward, but now I want to remind you of where my story began. So, the customs palace, where the dead arrived, had its own hotel, or rather a hotel, its own IT department, as well as a theme park. The task of the IT department was to impress people who had a sensitive heart and heard what people usually do not hear, that the waters of the Sanzu River are overflowing, and the patience of the deity is not unlimited. If humanity continues to create viruses in its laboratories and does not stop the war, the waters of the Sanzu River will completely overflow and a global catastrophe awaits humanity. Every ninety minutes, visitors to the park and just people walking along the river heard these messages.
Those people who had a sensitive heart and subtle extrasensory hearing received a message that was transmitted by the IT department of the Sanzu river embankment in the form of wind sounds, rain sounds, spring drops and January blizzards. For people who do not have extrasensory hearing, these were just the sounds of nature. Children under the age of five were especially sensitive to such sounds. In fact, all children had such hearing, but over time they lost it. However, there were children who, even having entered the time of youth and having matured, remained just as sensitive and their ears heard what was inaccessible to an ordinary person. Often this was the merit of the parents of such children. If the parents were patient, listened to the thoughts and words of the children and, most importantly, believed them, and sometimes even developed this super ability of children, then the child remained the same sensitive even when he entered the time of growing up. However, these qualities in children developed in different conditions. Sometimes it was just a matter of genetics. That is, super hearing was inherited.
But let's get back to our hero.
When the customs officer went to his shift, no one even reminded him of the dramatic events that took place in three time loops. Moreover, no one even remembered that yesterday the customs officer did not come to work at all. Minutes passed after minutes, turned into hours, and finally the customs officer calmed down completely. The ghost man believed that the troubles were over. However, the customs officer did not like the fact that his memory did not want to be covered with ripples of oblivion.
After the shift, the ghost man decided to take a walk along the river. As I already wrote, for ghosts it was the Sanzu River, and for ordinary people it was an ordinary river. The Sanzu River attendants had different opinions about the fact that the Sanzu River embankment is not only owned by ghosts, but ordinary people walk along it. Someone liked the neighborhood of people, someone even enjoyed the waves of energy that come from people, but our customs officer could not stand large crowds of people. From a large amount of human energy, his head began to hurt. However, today the customs officer could not just leave. Anxiety hung like a dark cloud in the air. Something strange was happening, it was like approaching rain and a thunderstorm. It was noon, passers-by were walking along the paths along the river, there were a lot of them. Today was not Sunday, but it was a holiday. The holiday, which traditionally took place on these hot days, gathered a large number of tourists. It was really hot. The human river beckoned vacationers to swim in its waters, but this was not accepted here. You could swim further. Where the river made a sharp turn, a large lake naturally turned out, and in this lake you could swim. Moreover, the waters of the lake were considered healing, as was the lake clay. People bathed here at any time of the year, but especially many people were here on holidays. As I already wrote, today was just such a holiday. There were so many people that it seemed that the whole city is here today. The lake was huge, the area around the lake was well maintained, there were exercise machines and playgrounds, and therefore nothing prevented people from relaxing and enjoying swimming, relaxing and sun. The customs officer had almost passed his 10,000 steps when he suddenly heard a noise. Something happened near the lake. Yes, I forgot to tell you, after the memory returned to the customs officer, the ability to see people also returned to him. Previously, he saw people simply as moving spots, that is, he saw not the people themselves, but the souls of people. Now, vrFrom time to time, ordinary human vision returned to him. If you think that the customs officer was happy about this circumstance, then you are mistaken. The ghost man longed for the time when his sight was that of a ghost and his memory was blocked. The customs officer approached the place where there was an unusual crowd of people and noise was heard. Crying, shouting and the indignant hum of many voices broke through the noise.
The children were crying. This circumstance forced the customs officer to tense up and pass through the crowd. His head was no longer just aching, but bursting with pain. The children's crying had a strange effect on the ghost, the customs officer knew that if he strained his memory, he would remember why this was happening. But the ghost man didn't want that. He tried his best to block the memories.
But back to the kids. There were many children on the lake. They were of different ages, but there were especially many very young children of three, four and five years old. And it was these children that made the adults who came to the lake to relax today fall into a stupor. The children stretched out along the lake, held hands and began to chant: “People, stop the war, the waters of the Sanzu River have overflowed! People, take care of each other, the waters of the Sanzu River have overflowed! People, be kind to each other, do not kill each other! Otherwise, a catastrophe will come to the world "
When the parents came to their senses, each tried to pull their child out of the round dance in which the children lined up, but the broken circle was immediately restored, and the child, torn out of the circle, lost consciousness.
The customs officer grabbed his head! He quickly realized what had happened. As I said, the children perfectly heard the text that every ninety minutes was broadcast to the outside world by the main computer from the IT department. There has been a breakdown. Probably, at some point, the power of suggestion gained incredible power and the children, who at all times were the conductors of all the supernatural, suddenly began to broadcast messages to the outside world, which they heard only thanks to the main computer of the Sanzu River IT Department. The customs officer was about to run to where the IT department was, but he immediately remembered that his abilities were abnormal for ghosts. In desperation, he wrung his hands. The heart, which the customs officer did not have, suddenly ached. It got even darker. The sun disappeared behind the clouds, and the Black Reapers began to gather towards the lake. Children who were pulled out of the circle by their parents began to die. There were more and more black reapers and the customs officer realized that even those children who were standing in a circle and were still alive would soon die. It was necessary to do something, but what exactly, the customs officer could not figure out! In the crowd of Black Reapers, a familiar face flashed, it was the same Black Reaper who yesterday tried to return the customs officer to the zone of oblivion. The black reaper also seemed to recognize the customs officer, but pretended to see him for the first time.
Finally, the customs officer figured out how he could help in this situation. The ghost man had an acquaintance, the same ghost as him, this acquaintance just worked in the IT department. During their lifetime, these people did not know each other, but only because their houses were nearby. That is, they became neighbors. The customs officer usually had breakfast in a cafe that was next to his house, and his neighbor also came there for breakfast. The acquaintance was capped, but the neighbors recognized each other in the face and greeted each other. The customs officer even knew the name of his neighbor. Rather, he knew its serial number, the ghosts did not have names as such, there were only serial numbers with a number. The customs officer's neighbor's name was Bin 28, but with your permission, I'll just call him Bin. So, the customs officer ran to the place where, as he knew, his neighbor was now having dinner. However, when the customs officer ran to the cafe, he did not find a neighbor there. The waiter said that his neighbor received a message on the phone and he ran away somewhere in a hurry. The ghost man was upset.
There was no point in returning to the embankment, and the ghost customs officer trudged home. Turning on the TV, he discovered that a strike was brewing in the world of ghosts. As I already wrote, due to the fact that there were wars in the world and the coronavirus raged, people began to die much more often. The Yonghon, the transporters of souls, worked overtime. However, the overtime work did not stop, and the soul carriers decided to go on strike. Recent events, the mass death of children due to an error in the main computer, have completely spoiled the relationship between the carriers of souls and their superiors. A general strike was called. The soul carriers demanded that their number be increased. If this requirement is met, then the Yonghons will have time to rest. Then there was a report, the correspondent interviewed one of the Yonghons. Yonghon, stammering and embarrassed, told the ghostly viewers that the transport of souls would not resume until the Yonghons' demands were met. The plot ended, but another incident was immediately presented to the attention of the audience. One of the hardened sinners, a very bad person, but for some reason marked with the stain of a god, swam across the Sanzu River. The dragons did not dare to touch this man. Moreover, afterAfter the river was crossed, the sinner did not appear at the rally point. He went to the yellow region, which was no longer under the jurisdiction of the Sanzu River Customs Palace. It was unheard of! However, the correspondent hinted that this incident is connected with the mass death of children. The investigation continued and the correspondent promised that as soon as permission was given, the audience would know everything! The customs officer peered, his native customs was on the screen, however, due to the large accumulation of deceased souls, riots broke out in the customs hall. Turning over a glass of coffee and leaving the TV on, the customs officer ran out of the house into the street. He was already running to the customs palace when a message came to his phone. A general levy has been announced. Strengthened measures helped and order was restored in the customs hall. However, another message immediately came, the manager was attacked, he was seriously injured and unconscious, almost dying.
After working the night shift, the customs officer went to rest in his house. His path lay past the administrative building. What was his surprise when the ghost man saw that the manager was safe and sound and was heading to his place of work. The customs officer could not believe his eyes. However, when the customs officer returned home, he found that the TV was turned off, the glass intended for coffee was washed and stood on a stand above the sink, and the ninth date was again on the calendar. Sitting in his chair, the customs officer groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. A new cycle of time loops has begun.
CATASTROPHE.
Weepers for the Dead at the Sanzu River
The soul carriers transported special people across the river. In one of the chapters I touched on this topic, but I promised to tell you more about it later.
Soul transporters transported by boat, in comfort and peace, innocently murdered people. People who died a natural death crossed, as I said, the river ford, and also over the bridge, or they were dragged into their caves by ferocious dragons. And since a war raged on the earth, on a scale that was not in the entire world history of wars, there were many innocent people killed on the battlefield, and, just like that, in their homes. It was wrong, it was a crime against nature, against the very universe. With each such incident, the deity became more and more angry. The book of life, which had been lovingly replenished with new red dots when children were born, was now filled with more and more white dots. Red is life, white is death! And these white dots became more and more and more. The deity protected people as best they could, but people clogged their auditory channels with hatred and a thirst for power and stopped hearing the divine voice.
The mourners, who did not obey anyone, even a deity, wept for every innocently killed person. Nothing could stop this crying. The tears of the mourners flowed into the Sanzu River, and the river gradually overflowed. Once, at the time of the great flood, people were also deaf, and it all ended with the fact that there were no right or wrong. After the Sanzu River then overflowed, there were no saints or sinners left on earth. Only a small handful of people survived. Only those who lived high in the mountains and lived by their labor survived. Those who had no overlord had no overseers. Those who lived in a community and respected each other. But there were few such communities. People who lived high in the mountains relied only on themselves, they did not exploit anyone, did not force anyone to work for themselves. However, it was so long ago that even the deity began to forget about it. The book of the life of people of that period stood on a shelf in the library, in the 999 palace. The deity rarely visited this palace. These were stories of bygone days, and the deity loved everything new, just born.
Today it was raining, the customs officer looked out the window with longing and thought that the morning was coming too slowly. Today, the ghost man did not even want to deceive himself and pretend to be asleep. The night ticked for hours for living people and was silent for those who died, but what was the night for such as our customs officer? The night for those who served in the customs palace at the Sanzu River was nausea and endless dizziness. That's how the customs officer would describe his nights if he could actually experience nausea and dizziness. Sometimes the ghost man forced himself to fall into a kind of oblivion, which was equated with sleep, but today he could not even bring himself to go to the bed. And so, hour after hour, he sat near the window and looked at the raindrops that flowed down the glass.
Finally the customs officer gave in. The children who, through the fault of the main computer, suffered on the lake stirred up in him memories of his own child, of his own daughter. The customs officer did not know how many years he had been working here. The computer recorded everything, but gave out the final result only when the time for serving at customs expired. Probably, his daughter is already quite an adult, maybe she already has her own children, whom the customs officer will never see.
In such moments, which inevitably came for every ghost, the ghosts were looking for an outlet for emotions, just like people! Someone wrote music, someone wrote poetry, andhe drew pictures. But the creativity of ghosts is fleeting. Ninety minutes later, there was no trace of their works, and therefore, in order to preserve what they had created, the ghosts sent their works to the outside world, to those who had sensitive ears. People in many ways picked up clues with their internal radars and created great works of art. Our customs officer, unfortunately, did not possess such talents, and he did not need them until now. Longing and nausea came to him only now, or rather, a few days ago, when he remembered everything and got into a time loop that never ended.
In the morning, the customs officer received a reminder on the phone from the secretary of the manager that at 9 am on the 9th, the manager was waiting for him, as agreed, in his office. The shift of the customs officer began at noon and therefore nothing prevented him from meeting with the manager. The only depressing thing was that the ninth number did not end in any way. The morning was sunny, and the customs officer decided not to think about anything, but simply to tell the manager about the events of the last days. However, when the customs officer arrived, the manager was not in the office. The secretary reported that an assistant had been sent to the manager! The steward had waited so long for a man to be sent to help him that he now lost his head with joy. From the stream of words that the secretary stunned him, the customs officer understood only one thing, the meeting with the manager would not take place today, which means that the time loop will probably go on and on! He had already turned around to leave the secretary's office, when the door creaked and the manager and his new assistant, or rather, assistant, entered the reception room. A girl was sent to help the manager! Seeing the customs officer, the manager smiled and told the secretary to reschedule the meeting, if the customs officer of course did not mind. The customs officer didn't mind, he was so disoriented and shaken that he could only shake his head. The ghost man first saw the girl's soul, then something familiar flashed across her expression, and then the girl smiled at the manager. The customs officer staggered! In front of the ghost man was his daughter. The girl looked to be twenty-eight or thirty years old. Looking at her, the customs officer realized that not much time had passed since his death. The girl did not have time to see the customs officer, at that time she was looking at something on the phone.
The ghost man stepped out into the street.
The blues and nausea are gone. He walked and smiled!
FLYER FROM THE WORLD OF GHOSTS
  Interview with Sandra - Assistant Manager for "Sanzu River Customs Palace News"
-Sandra, when you got your second sight, how did you feel?
- Second sight is when you see ghosts? Do you mean it?
Yes, of course, that's exactly what I mean. Although, here by the Sanzu River we are all ghosts! That is why, to be precise and not to confuse those who work on the Sanzu River with those who simply hang around people's dwellings, not wanting to leave after death, we are called customs officers.
- Yes, I'm sorry, the manager already told me about it, but I just forgot.
Didn't mean to offend you.
- What are you, no offense.
-OK then. I answer your question.
The first time I saw a ghost was after my mother killed my father. On that stormy night, our uncle, my father's cousin, was visiting us. Mom knew that if the uncle died, then his father should become his heir. Our family was not in poverty, but my mother was always not enough. Mom was a restless and greedy person. She loved only two people in the world - her father and me. It always seemed to her that we were living a life not worthy of us. Her father tried to convince her, but it was useless. As I later found out, before getting married, my mother was a contract killer. However, she did not quit this job even after marriage. Of course, my dad didn't know. Papa's cousin was supposed to die that night. But my mother did not know that my father and cousin had switched bedrooms. The cousin was a fat man and dad decided that the guest would sleep in his room on the first floor, while he went to sleep in the guest room on the second floor. On that fateful night, the men talked and drank alcohol until midnight, and only after the cousin passed out, dad decided that it was time to end the feast. After dragging his cousin to his bed, dad got to the guest room and fell asleep. Mom came home later, around two o'clock in the morning and decided to immediately put her plan into action. Everything was thought out. The death of the cousin was supposed to look like he died from natural causes. Cousin smoked a lot, and it must have looked like he fell asleep with a lit cigarette. But, as you know, instead of a cousin, dad died. I woke up early in the morning. Mom screamed, bending over dad. Dad was still conscious, although his body was burned beyond recognition. The worst thing about all this was that, tormented by terrible pain, he was still trying to calm his mother. And then... He died. I saw it all. Cousin called the police. While the police were driving, through my tears I saw that a cloud had separated from the body of my father. Then this cloud took on solid forms. Dad was lying on the floor, but the same dad stood at a distance and looked at mom, who was shaking in sobs.Then he smiled at me and held out his hands. I wanted to rush to him, but then a man in a black hat appeared next to dad and took dad away.
-What a sad story. Sympathize with you!
- Everything is in the past.
- As far as I know, Mr. Manager has long submitted memos that he needs a human assistant, but there was no answer. And we were surprised when we learned that his request was finally granted. How did you hear about this vacancy?
My mother died in prison nine days ago. I visited her several times a year, but did not know that she was sick. She didn't tell me anything because she was afraid to upset me. After the death of my father, I was her only precious person.
So, after they called me and told me this terrible news, I began to see something that I had not seen since childhood. I started seeing ghosts. However, I was not afraid. I was hoping to see Mom or Dad again. Three days ago I was walking down the street, there was a strong wind. Suddenly, a flyer flew right into my hands. I tried to shake it off, but it seemed to stick to me. Curiosity got the better of me and I read what was written. It was a job posting. Everything suited me, and I decided to call right there. As soon as I made my decision, the flyer unhooked from me and fell to the ground. At that moment I already called and could not catch the flyer, the wind carried it away. But, in general, I no longer needed the leaflet, it did its job. I was invited for an interview. However, as I later found out, the question about me was resolved at the very moment when I called. The fact is that the leaflet I read was not from the real world, but from your world, the world of ghosts. I was the perfect candidate, I was human, but I saw ghosts and I wasn't afraid of them.
-Our interview is coming to an end. Miss Sandra, it's time to take a photo. Sit right here. Now our friendly team of ghost customs officers will recognize you even on the street thanks to this photo. Smile!
THE BRIDE IS A SNAIL. THE SANZU RIVER FLOWED
The working day was coming to an end when the grand lady approached the boss and decided to clarify something.
- I made an appointment for the customs officer tomorrow morning, is everything still valid?
- In principle, yes, - the manager laughed, - but I wonder what this ghost man wants to talk to me about so important? You do not know?
- No, - the lady secretary doubted whether it was worth sharing with her boss what she saw in the window. The manager heard a hint of doubt in the secretary's voice and looked up at her. At that moment the lady secretary made up her mind. She came close to the boss's desk and spoke
- On the day when the meeting did not take place, I saw from the window how this customs officer was talking about something with the Black Reaper on the street. Their conversation was quite emotional!
The smile immediately vanished from the manager's face. Unlike the lady secretary, he immediately understood what was happening.
Remember, in one of the chapters I talked about theatrical laws? The fact that if in the first act the gun hangs on the wall, in the climax it must fire. I even revealed to you a secret that this, so to speak, gun, was supposed to be a lady secretary. And so it happened.
Fate could have turned differently if the grand lady had decided to remain silent, but fortunately for the manager, the lady secretary nevertheless decided to share her observations. What the manager found out changed the course of events. By the way, the lady secretary saved the manager's life. Half an hour later, when the manager would return home, he would be attacked. This was the last loop of the time loop, and in this loop the manager would have died. However, without knowing it herself, the lady secretary this time, just like in real life, saved her boss. I think now you understand the providence of God? Do you understand why the deity sent the grand lady to this workplace?
Soon the door behind the manager slammed shut. There was silence in the secretary's office.
And at that moment, something happened that was so feared and what they warned about. The waters of the Sanzu River overflowed and a flood began. It was not only the mythical river that overflowed. The flood was supposed to start wherever there was a large accumulation of water! Rivers, lakes, oceans, seas, small and large bodies of water - all these water natural reservoirs were closely associated with the mythical Sanzu River. Our earth looks so small from space! Next to other galaxies, it is just tiny. And once upon a time life was born on this tiny earth! But time passed and this gift of the universe was less and less appreciated by people living on earth. When the war began, people living far from the theater of operations thought something like this: “My home is far away, it doesn’t concern me that for nine years civilians have been dying under heavy shelling! I don't care that children, old people, women die far away from me, torn to shreds! It's far away, on the other side of the world! So what do I care about this war? My family is with me! In safety! "
Such thoughts are just a delusion!
Everything in our world is interconnected!
Invisible wires bind us all together and one by one in esingle whole!
Remember I mentioned the nasty man who was marked with the stain of a god? This man swam across the Sanzu River without hindrance and went to the yellow land. The man I'm talking about sinned a lot and severely during his lifetime. He drank, stole, rioted and caused a lot of trouble to others, but one day this happened: in front of his eyes, a car hit a woman and disappeared. It was late in the evening, it was raining, the streets were empty. The man was angry that evening, there was no money for a drink, and they did not give him a loan. Life was disgusting. Suddenly he heard a scream. Turning his head, the man saw the car that hit the woman disappear around the corner. No one was in a hurry to help the woman, the street, as I said, was empty. Cursing himself and the disgusting life of the villainess, the man nevertheless approached the victim. The man did not have a mobile phone, he had drunk it away for a long time and he could not call the rescue service. The woman was unconscious. She was lying on the pavement and a pool of blood was spreading under her head. The man took off his shirt, tore it open, and pulled the woman's head over. A long time ago, he saw in some movie that this is how you should treat the wounded. After that, he put the woman on her back and carried her. The nearest hospital was a few kilometers away. The man managed to save the woman. Moreover, he waited until the operation was over and the doctor would tell him the result. After that, the man had no choice but to leave. The woman's relatives then looked for a savior, but unfortunately they did not find it.
A stain of the woman's blood was left on the man's shoulder, but he didn't even notice it.
The woman whom the man saved was his wife in the life before last. She was a snail bride. Now this story has become a legend, a fairy tale, but these events actually happened. So the events that were in fact, but turned into a legend. The man was poor, and lived hoping only for his work. One day he found a water snail in the mud. He wiped it off and put it in a jar of water. The snail turned into a beautiful girl and secretly cooked and cleaned in the poor man's house. When the young man discovered the truth, he did not let the girl go. He burned her shell. The snail turned out to be beautiful, and they lived happily, but one day the rich man saw it and stole it. The rich man killed her husband, the woman did not survive her husband by much, and she soon died.
Here is such a story!
Having gone to the yellow land, the man cleared his karma, moreover, he cleared the karma of the woman he saved, and now, in the next birth, they will find each other and finally live happily!
But this, so to speak, digression from the topic. I hope you understand my point.
So the flood began on earth. The waters of the Sanzu River finally overflowed. The river rose so high that it flooded the customs palace up to the third floor. When the water reaches the ninth floor, a worldwide flood will begin. All over the world, all the water from rivers, seas and oceans will overflow.
VIRUS IN THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD OF THE SANZU RIVER
The previous chapter ended with the flood of which the signs warned began. Of course, it didn't matter to the ghosts whether to go to the customs post by land or by water, but still it was not right. And quite uncomfortable. Therefore, it was decided to move all the equipment of the customs post to the ninth floor. The manager really hoped that the flood would not cause much damage, and the river level was about to drop. The manager himself, as you understand, since he was a man, could not enter the customs palace, just like his deputy. All orders were given by phone. Our hero, a customs officer, was very upset by this circumstance. It was for today that the detour of the customs palace was scheduled. It was today that the manager was supposed to introduce his deputy to those who regulate the life of the customs palace on the Sanzu River, but because of the flood, the acquaintance was postponed. The customs officer's daughter's name was Sandra. The customs officer really hoped to see his daughter's face even for a minute. For the sake of such an occasion, he dressed up in a new uniform, and was very worried. But due to the flood, Sandra's meeting with the staff of the customs palace was decided to be postponed to another date. The customs officer was upset when he learned that he would not see his daughter today.
However, what is destined to happen will definitely happen. As soon as the shift of the customs officer ended, he received a message on his phone. The message was from the manager's secretary. The customs officer was ordered not to leave the aisles of the customs palace after work. Moreover, the secretary gave the customs officer the information that after the end of the shift, an escort would come to the customs officer, who would escort him to the office of the manager. The customs officer did not understand anything, he went over in his head all the flaws that he had made at his workplace, but he could not remember anything so criminal. His only mistake, as you remember, was the story with his late wife, but from a conversation with the manager, the customs officer realized that only he remembers this story.
There was nothing to do, as soon as the shift was over, the ghost man changed clothes and went into the waiting room to waitbe an escort.
When the customs officer was in the secretary's waiting room, the grand lady looked at him strangely and said that the customs officer was waiting for the manager in her office. The customs officer entered the manager's office and immediately saw that a couple - the boss and his subordinate were sitting next to each other almost side by side and something search on the computer. When the customs officer entered, the manager raised his head and smiled at the newcomer. Sandra, the deputy manager, did not immediately take her eyes off the computer screen, but when she did, the duty smile immediately flew off her face. As you remember, Sandra got this job because she saw ghosts. She saw her father immediately, saw and immediately recognized.
-Dad? Dad! the girl screamed, is that you? Dad, I knew, I believed that I would see you! Do you know that I see ghosts again? Dad, if I hug you, will my hands feel nothing?
The customs officer just stood there and was silent, he completely forgot that the character of his daughter is exactly like that. Sandra has always been an open, excitable and emotional girl.
Now that many years have passed and Sandra has grown up, her character has hardly changed.
Sandra came close to her father, but at that moment the manager finally came out of his stupor.
- Sandra, - the manager got up, took a few steps and tried to push the girl away from her father, - Please step back a few steps!
“But, Mr. Manager, you probably didn’t understand,” the girl laughed, “this is my father!” He didn't change at all, so I recognized him right away!
- Yes, of course, I believe you, - the manager tried to take the girl by the hand, - but in no case should you contact the ghosts. When you took office, you signed a contract, there was such a clause, remember?
- Yes, I remember, - the girl removed the manager's hand, - Of course, I remember. But, it's my father!
- Well, I believe you, but, nevertheless, you must not violate the terms of the contract. Moreover, it can be dangerous for you!
“But this is my father,” Sandra repeated. “My father has always been a very good man. I don't think he changed after death. Dad, why are you silent?
- Sandra, I, - the customs officer suddenly fell silent, the emotions that swept over him sealed his mouth, - yes, I'm your dad!
- Well, you see, - the girl laughed happily, - I told you that my dad could not harm anyone during his lifetime, and even more so he cannot harm me now!
At this time, the door creaked and another hero of our story entered the office. You have already met him in the pages of my book. A tall figure, a pale face, a black hat that made this creature invisible to people - yes, it was the Black Reaper who entered the office.
Sandra has already met the Black Reapers. Upon taking office, she was introduced to all members of the black reaper clan. Then it seemed to her that this Black Reaper was similar to the others, and therefore Sandra recognized him now only by the white hairpin of an unusual shape on the black mourning robe.
The time for emotions has passed, Sandra realized this as soon as the manager spoke to the Black Reaper.
Soon all four: one creature, one ghost and two people, sat down at the negotiating table. During the conversation, Sandra only smiled happily, looking at her father, but did not try to break into the conversation.
The conversation lasted a long time, the manager, the Black Reaper, and the customs officer himself, tried to understand what happened such that the memory suddenly returned to the customs officer and he recognized the Black Reaper. During this conversation, Sandra learned that her mother came to the customs palace to cross the Sanzu River. Whether she successfully crossed it, or whether her soul is in the lair of the river dragon, of course, no one could tell the girl about this. Even the Black Reaper and the manager himself did not know about this. All that Sandra learned from this conversation is that her fragile hope of seeing her mother again, of course, will not come true. But, next to Sandra was now her father, and the girl did not care at all whether he was a ghost or a person. Her dad was next to her, and that said it all. The conversation went on and on, finally the manager said that now everything was clear to him! Mosaic formed into one picture!
As the customs officer expected, it was the death of his wife and her arrival at the customs palace that was the impetus that returned the memory of the customs officer, and the Black Reaper during the conversation told the manager about his attempts to return the customs officer to his former state again.
And also that he didn't succeed.
The people at the table were talking peacefully until lightning struck. This was the first time that the manager saw with his own eyes how lightning burned something in his office.
Sandra was frightened and even screamed, the other three, those who were sitting at the table with the girl, also did not remain indifferent. Even the Black Reaper and the Ghost Man were frightened, not to mention the steward himself. The steward decided that the supreme deity was angry with him, because all their attempts to figure out how to return the customs officer to their previous state were unsuccessful, but the steward did not imagine that much more trouble awaited him. ManagersY and Sandra rushed to put out the curtains, which took the lightning strike, and at that time the secretary ran into the manager's office and whispered something in the manager's ear. The man was taken aback. I will not intrigue you for a long time and will tell you what so excited the manager. The fact is that in the customs palace, after the departure of the customs officer, a complete doomsday began. What happened earlier with the customs officer, I'm talking about the sudden acquisition of memory, how the virus spread through the customs palace. Not only the dead who came to the customs palace and awaited their fate, but also the customs workers suddenly regained their memory. What was happening was like a virus! Memory returned not gradually, in jerks, but completely, like a lightning strike. By the way, regarding lightning, having received a message from the secretary, the manager realized that the supreme deity had sent lightning not because he was angry because of the customs officer, but because the virus was raging in the customs palace. Something had to be done, but the manager did not yet know what exactly. In any case, it was dangerous to be in the office now, and the manager said that the meeting was over. Everyone started to disperse.
Suddenly, the Black Reaper, who was already on his way to the front door, let out some kind of exclamation and stopped. His poor face seemed even more pale.
He turned sharply to Sandra, who was following him and nearly ran into him.
“Olivia, my love,” said the Black Reaper, holding out his hands to the girl, “you have returned to me!” Do you remember me?
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF NINETY-NINE GHOSTS
The last chapter ended with the fact that the Black Reaper suddenly gained a memory and recognized Sandra, his former beloved Olivia, in the assistant manager. At the question of the Black Reaper, Sandra shook her head and wanted to object, but she was interrupted by a cry.
So, the manager, along with Sandra, the Black Reaper and the customs officer, had already left the office door to the street when the Grand Dame caught up with them. The lady was so frightened that she did not even begin to whisper new information in the ear of the manager, but said everything out loud in a breathless voice.
- Mr. Manager, wait, I just got a message!
The steward stopped, and, of course, the three who left with him also stopped.
-What else happened? - the manager tried to speak as calmly as possible so as not to escalate the panic that was rushing like a red cloud around him.
“The fact is,” the Grand Lady stammered, trying to find words more precisely, “this is what happened ... Ninety-nine workers disappeared from the customs palace. Just now, these ghosts were at the workplace and suddenly, quite unexpectedly, they disappeared.
“But,” the manager wanted to object and already turned his head towards the Grand Dame, but at that moment a man ran into him from the side. However, the man immediately apologized.
Our five heroes, who had just left the office, looked at the strange man and screamed at the same time.
- No, it can't be!
The man who accidentally stumbled upon the manager was also frightened. But he was scared for a different reason. This man had never seen ghosts, and now standing in front of him were: the Black Reaper, the ghost customs officer, the ghostly secretary Grand Dame, and two people who could see ghosts. You and I have already understood why the unexpected guest got scared when he saw our warm company, but you don’t know why those who scared the unexpected guest were scared.
So, in front of the unexpected guest, since I have not yet given him a name, he will still be called an unexpected guest with us, stood: the manager, his assistant Sandra, the secretary of the manager, or as we also call her - the Grande Dame, the Black Reaper, whose function here, in the customs palace by the Sanzu River, was to escort the dead to their destination, and, of course, our main character was here, the one from whom our story began. I'm talking about the customs officer. However, now this story was rushing at breakneck speed in an unknown direction.
But, let's go back to the moment when our five, who had just left the office building, were stopped by a scream from the secretary. As I said, while the secretary was sharing new information with the manager, a young man swooped down on the manager. The young man whom I have so far referred to as an unexpected guest is already ready to accept his name. I named the young man Eo.
So, a young man named Eo woke up some time ago in a hospital bed. And here I ask all the heroes to stop. Or rather, they are already standing, frozen in a silent picture.
The supreme deity thoughtfully tapped his pen on a sheet of paper. It did not yet know in which direction to turn the plot, and so that the main characters of the story would not interfere with him with their emotions and screams, it simply ordered them to stop.
However, after three minutes, our heroes have already come to their senses.
The supreme deity made a decision.
And now nothing could be changed.
So, back to our heroes. The hero of our story, I repeat, his name was Eo, got scared because he saw three ghosts in front of him. Two people and three ghosts were also frightened, because they suddenly saw in front of themy Eo. Whoops!
The moment of truth has finally arrived! It's time to open your eyes. Yes, yes, I will tell you why our five heroes were afraid. If for the rest of humanity a young man named Eo looked just like a young man of twenty-eight years of age, then our five main characters easily and at lightning speed saw the true essence of Eo.
And that's why.
Eo, as I said, suddenly came to his senses in a hospital bed. He was previously a human, then after an accident he fell into a coma and became a ghost, and then this ghost was torn into ninety-nine pieces. Each piece has turned into a separate, independent ghost. But the flood returned Eo's memory and the ghosts again merged into a single consciousness. And the young man first came to his senses in the hospital, and then hurried to the manager. However, all ninety-nine ghosts remained the essence of the young male Eo. It is these ninety-nine entities that our five main characters have now seen. These were the ghosts that suddenly disappeared from the workplace in the customs hall of the Sanzu River. There was a hospital not far from the manager's office, it was from there that the young man Eo left when he suddenly came to his senses. He dragged the dropper behind him.
- Excuse me, please, - the unexpected guest said, - I did not want to scare you, but it seems that you are exactly the one to whom I was going. If I'm not mistaken, are you the manager of the Sanzu River Customs Palace?
- Yes, - the manager came to his senses, - but I do not have the honor to know you!
- My name is Eo, I am that second assistant, about which you asked the supreme deity. I still think badly, only half an hour ago I finally came to my senses in the hospital ward and immediately hurried to you. Why are you silent?
The manager exchanged glances with those who had left the office with him. Strange events that took place around suddenly rallied five of our heroes.
The manager and the four who were standing nearby now understood perfectly well what was happening. A young man named Eo was on the verge of life and death for about nine months. He got into a car accident. The body of a young man lay motionless for many days, but his spirit, soul, or, as philosophers say, the mental body, at some point separated from the physical body and began to live its own life. Moreover, for some reason, the young man's mental body split into ninety-nine ghostly bodies. These ninety-nine ghostly bodies began to live independently, ceased to recognize each other, and did not even suspect that they were the essence of one person. And now, in front of the frightened man, there were five who, in turn, were also puzzled and, to some extent, frightened.
- Excuse me, - the young man assessed the pause in his own way, - I must have come late and you no longer need a worker?
- No, you came on time and exactly where you needed to come, - the manager had already completely calmed down and spoke in a firm and calm voice.
“That’s good,” the unexpected guest took a breath, “otherwise I ...
Suddenly, the young man's gaze caught on Sandra. Looking at the girl, Eo turned pale and even staggered.
“My God,” he shouted, “Lee Yu Mi, is that you? Finally I found you! Don't you recognize me? It's me, Eo!
Why are you silent? You couldn't forget me! Three centuries ago, we swore eternal love with you, and promised, before committing suicide, be sure to find each other in other rebirths! Lee Yu Mi, why are you silent? You couldn't forget me!
Sandra stood opposite the strange young man and only blinked her eyes. This was the second time the girl was called by a different name. If you read the last chapter, then remember that the Black Reaper also suddenly gained a memory and called Sandra by a false name. The black reaper believed that in front of him was his beloved Olivia.
But it turned out that this was not all the shocks that awaited the girl this morning. Now, at this second, another person claimed to know Sandra. But, unfortunately, this person also called her by another name, a name that sounded like music, but was completely alien to Sandra. An unexpected guest called Sandra by the name of Lee Yu Mi.
- Wait, - the manager finally decided to intervene in a situation that smacked of madness, - you came to get a job with me as a second assistant, do I understand correctly? Let's focus on this. And about Sandra, or whatever you call her, Lee Yu Mi... My assistant is already leaving, she has a lot to do. We usually solve all personal matters after work. The manager nodded to Sandra, the girl correctly understood his nod, she turned around to go back to the office, but did not have time to go far.
Screams were heard, several people in white coats ran from the hospital.
I have already said that Eo suddenly woke up after nine months of coma. After he regained consciousness, he was disconnected from the central life support apparatus, this was no longer required, and transferred to another ward. This morning the young man woke up, suddenly jumped up, and rushed in the direction of the manager's office. Fortunately, as I said, the office managerhe was near the hospital. And the medical staff easily discovered the loss. Seeing the people in white coats, the young man wanted to say something, but suddenly changed his mind. Running up to Sandra, he hugged her and said
- Lee Yu Mi, swear to me that in this incarnation we will not part! If you do not give me this oath, then my soul will disappear forever without any hope of rebirth.
- I, - Sandra tried to move away from Eo, - let me go!
- I'll let you go if you swear!
Do you just need to take an oath? And you let me go? -Sandra trustingly looked into the eyes of Eo.
- No, - shouted the manager, the Black Reaper and Sandra's father, - do not give him such an oath!
Sandra tried to say something, but it was already useless to answer. Eo, a young man who escaped from the hospital, lost consciousness and fell.
OUT OF THE CYCLE. MAN-SKELETAL-MAN
Back at home, Sandra dusted off her father's portrait and smiled contentedly. The thought that her dad had not gone to the edge of oblivion, and she would see him tomorrow, warmed the girl. And she was also flattered that she had several gentlemen at once. Sandra was a prominent girl, everything was with her, but she had no luck with gentlemen. Why this happened, the girl did not know, but she was very upset.
But now... Sandra liked the Black Reaper, and Eo was a handsome young man, it even seemed to her that she was beginning to remember her previous incarnations, that is, those times when she was Li Yu Mi and Olivia. However... Some thought came to the girl's mind, but she did not have time to think it out. The phone rang sharply, and Sandra flinched. Despite the fact that now it was late, very late evening, the manager asked Sandra to come to the office, Eo was already there, they were just waiting for her.
The Sanzu River was in a fever again. The flood issue resolved itself, but not in the way that the manager would like. The water from the river suddenly left. The bottom is exposed. Dragon caves are visible. There was an earthquake on the earth. You can say, well, what does the waters of the sacred Sanzu care about events that occur in reality? Unfortunately, everything is connected. Reality and myth grow into each other, but by the way, I have already spoken about this more than once on the pages of this book, I will not repeat myself. A terrible earthquake that destroyed cities in several countries caused a disturbance in the waters that feed the earth. Tsunami, shallowing, floods - all this horror, accompanied by shaking of the earth, also touched the Sanzu River. The sinners that dragons usually waited for could now fear nothing and boldly walk through the space that until recently was the water surface of the Sanzu River. All the border troops, which were based near the afterlife river, were alerted.
The meeting was slow. Eo devoured Sandra with his eyes, and the girl, who would have been glad to flirt, suddenly felt terrible sleepiness. She struggled to fight, but her sleep overcame her. Sandra fell asleep right on the chair. The manager managed to catch the girl, otherwise she would have fallen from the chair. Eo looked jealously at the manager and held out his hands to Sandra, when suddenly the girl opened her eyes.
"I'm fine," Sandra pushed the manager's hand away, "go on, dear!" But, by the way ... Something is wrong! Why are you in my house? Who you are? I was celebrating my birthday with my family and I fainted. Where are my relatives? Where is my fianc;? Who you are? Stay away, I have a knife!
-I'm here! Lee Yu Mi, I'm Eo, don't you recognize me?
-My name is Olivia and I don't know you! Call my fiance!
God, what is this?
The girl's face turned pale, she began to age. After she expired, and her body turned into a skeleton, the reverse process suddenly began. Fifteen minutes later, the girl was the same. But that was not all, the cycle of death and rebirth was repeated endlessly. This happened four times, on the fifth time something changed, the time between death and rebirth began to stretch. Now it took the girl twenty minutes to come to life, then thirty.
Suddenly, Eo could not stand it, at the moment when Sandra became a man again, he ran up to her and pulled her to him, and then kissed her. But this did not solve anything, after some time Eo again had a skeleton in his hands. At that moment, the Black Reaper ran into the office, whom the manager called a long time ago by phone. As you understand, the reaper now has more work to do, and therefore he could only come now.
At that moment, Sandra regained her human form. Seeing the reaper, she held out her hands. Time, which stretched out like an elastic band, gave the reaper the opportunity to stop a new round of the cycle. The Reaper kissed Sandra lightly.
Sandra returned kiss for kiss, and then... No, Sandra didn't die anymore. She remained human, but completely forgot about what she was doing here. She did not recognize her father, who arrived a few minutes later. Sandra was afraid to move away from the reaper, clung to him and looked into his eyes. The black reaper was pleased, which cannot be said about the rest of those present here.
GHOST MOMMA.
Let's get out of the manager's office and I'll introduce you a little to the inhabitants of a small town.yes, which was on the bank of the river. Accordingly, the town was also not very far from the mythical Sanzu River. The city was not big, but still not small. Everything happened in this city, there were happy events, and there were out of the ordinary. Well, like this, for example ...
Everything happened very quickly. A black car pulled up. The door opened, and a man approached the nurse, who was reading a book on a bench and mechanically rocking the carriage, and asked about something. The woman raised her hand to show the direction and lost consciousness. When she came to, she found herself lying in the grass behind the bench she had been sitting on before the man approached her. Moaning and holding her head, she slowly approached the carriage. It was very quiet. So quiet that the woman's heart skipped a beat. Still hoping for something, she leaned over the carriage. At some point, she thought that everything was in order. She even heard the baby's soft, sleepy sniffling. But the saving obsession immediately melted away as soon as she saw Claudia's favorite rattle under the stroller. The carriage was hopelessly empty. Mechanically brushing off the rattle and straightening the lace pillow that had slipped to its side, the nanny set off on wobbly legs to the mansion, where they were looking forward to kissing, feeding, bathing and putting the baby to bed. When there were a few steps left to the mansion, the woman realized that she could not stand it any longer. The bubble of silence, which grew larger and larger in her head, pressed on her ears and eyes, threatening to blow her head. The gates of the mansion were already beginning to slide aside as the woman covered her ears and screamed at the top of her lungs.
At this time, a black car was already driving through the gates of an old house, almost a castle, which was now supposed to become a temporary home for little Claudia. The house was uninhabited, but on the second floor the baby was given a crib, which was found somewhere in the basement. The bed was old but in good condition. This made the kidnappers very happy. They were very afraid that the neighbors would pay attention to the strange fuss in the non-residential building.
Neighbor houses did not stand right next to the castle house. Rich people don't live close to each other. Next to each house there were huge lawns, almost fields, but still ...
The kidnappers were very afraid that their carefully planned kidnapping would not fail because of someone's overly attentive eyes. Moreover, in the basement they found not only a crib, but also other pieces of furniture, probably intended for a nursery. However, the kidnappers didn't need anything else. They weren't going to furnish the nursery. A crib, that's all they needed at the moment. One of the kidnappers hinted at buying at least a mattress and bed linen for the baby, but was stopped by the contemptuous look of the girl, who was clearly in charge, although she was three heads shorter than the other two members of the gang. But, despite this, the men were clearly afraid of their chieftain. The crib was in good condition, but still stood for a number of years in the basement and accumulated enough dust in itself, so when one of the kidnappers placed the small one right on the wooden bottom of the crib, dust rose. And the baby started sneezing. She sneezed harder and harder, and then burst into tears. The kidnapper took her in his arms and stood bewildered near the bed, not knowing what to do next. But Claudia continued to cry, she blushed terribly, then turned pale, then began to be covered with spots. Moisture leaked out of the small spout.
There was a pause. Finally, the chieftain, looking at the men with hatred, went to look for water and rags. Water was found quickly. Strange as it may seem, but the bathroom in the house - the castle was in a fairly good condition, but the angry woman, no matter how she looked, could not find the rags. Returning back to the nursery even more furious, she looked withering eyes at the men. Finally deciding that it was useless to wait for their help, she tore the baby from the hands of the man. He, not expecting such decisive action, was frightened and dropped a warm bag. The girl fell and probably hit hard, because she screamed briefly and immediately fell silent. Silence hung, and in this silence it became clearly audible how, somewhere near the abductors, some woman cried out sadly and indignantly. Both men shuddered as if on cue, but the dwarf did not even move her ear.
- Thank God! she grumbled.
Zlyuka tore the flannelette blanket in which Claudia was wrapped, unwrapped the girl, pulling out the bottom diaper from under her, turned her nose in displeasure and went to the bathroom with this diaper. Returning, she wiped the dust and dirt from the crib with a wet diaper and, spreading the girl's blanket on the bottom of the crib, casually threw the baby as an inanimate object. Looking with satisfaction at her handiwork, she spoke.
"What would you do without me!"
And threw a wet and dirty diaper next to the crib.
Suddenly, although the windows were tightly and long closed, a very strong draft blew through the room. So strong that one of the kidnappers could barely stay on his feet, and ClaudyI woke up and cried. The atamansha again became very irritated.
- Well, that's it, it's time to call the parents of this squeaky. I think they are already ripe!
One of the men tried clumsily to wrap the naked baby in the remaining diaper, but was stopped by the woman's impatient squeal.
"Nothing will happen to her during the half hour we'll be away!"
Unfortunately, I do not know what demands the abductors wanted to put forward. Because the parents did not wait for any news about their girl. No call, no letter.
It wasn't long before the marked lane, where the pre-selected pay phone stood, when the car's brakes failed. Only the kidnapper who treated the baby with sympathy survived, but, unfortunately, he could not tell anyone anything, because as a result of the accident he lost his memory.
  LOST
Meanwhile, the little girl was gradually freezing. She had already stopped crying, there was less and less strength left in her small body. Especially since she was hungry
They had to feed her after the walk. But the kidnappers did not even think that the baby might be hungry. Exhausted from crying, the girl fell asleep. Several times she sobbed ruefully in her sleep, her wet cheeks visibly pale. Suddenly a gust of wind swirled the dust of many years around the crib. The circle narrowed more and more, and suddenly the dust particles thickened, and a female silhouette became visible. The silhouette began to bend over the crib and stretched out his arms, as if he intended to take the baby in his arms, when suddenly the girl began to sneeze again. The silhouette recoiled in fright and wrung its arms. The girl sneezed harder and harder, then whimpered weakly. A ball of dust twitched in fright and, whirling wildly, instantly flew across the room and stopped at the front door.
Claudia continued to sneeze. A drop of blood appeared from a small nose. The ghost, and it was precisely the ghost of a woman, was in despair. The ghost woman was once a mother too, and the little girl in need of help reminded the ghost of those times. When she was human. The ghost once again tried to help and ... Oh, miracle, he succeeded! This happened at the moment when the memory returned to all the ghosts and they suddenly gained supernatural powers. The ghost woman began to act. Without wasting a minute, the dust clot turned into a kind of vacuum cleaner. In the blink of an eye, all the dust was collected in one place. The slam of the door, and there was neither silhouette nor dust in the room.
But this could no longer help the little girl. She swallowed the dust and began to choke. The door opened again, and a woman's silhouette appeared in the room. The same one, but only framed by the smallest droplets of water. The girl was breathing harder and harder. The silhouette leaned over the crib and held out its arms. Droplets rolled down her outstretched arms, and soon Claudia was wrapped in a diaper of the smallest droplets of water. The coughing did not stop immediately, but gradually her chest stopped shaking, and the little doll opened her eyes. The baby looked like two and a half or three months old, and she already knew how to do a lot. For example, smile and hum. Now she hasn't wobbled. On an empty stomach, you can't talk much in your baby language. But smile...
Yes, as much as you want! And it doesn't matter who is standing in front of you, a living woman or a ghost.
Wrapping the baby in a cocoon of water, the silhouette turned into a woman. Of course, into an inanimate woman, you could see through her, as you can see the river bottom through the water, but still she acquired some volumes and proportions, albeit very transparent ones.
Meanwhile, the water was completely absorbed into the girl's naked body, the girl grunted with satisfaction and peed herself. As time went. The ghost woman stood near the crib and did not take her eyes off the baby, and she, finally realizing that no one was running to change her wet for dry, began to show signs of impatience again. The whimpering turned first to a cry, then to a roar. The woman tried to pick up the baby in her arms, but of course, she did not succeed. The inanimate cannot help the living. Even with all the desire! The girl was crying, the woman was pacing back and forth without touching the floor and wringing her hands in despair. By evening, the meager autumn sun had completely left the room and the room became quite cold. The house was not heated, as it was uninhabited.
Night shadows crawled into the house, and the girl wept, then fell asleep again. The ghostly woman was not in the room. Finally the door creaked and she appeared. She was followed by two dogs. One dog carried a bundle in its teeth, in which a bottle of food was wrapped, the other a blanket. Probably, there was no baby blanket, and therefore the dog dragged a huge blanket behind him, part of which dragged along the ground. At the woman's silent command, one of the dogs jumped into the crib and placed the bottle next to Claudia's mouth. The hungry girl, feeling the smell of milk, not only cried, but screamed, but she could not reach the bottle with a pacifier. At almost three months old, she could only toss and turn on the spot, but not crawl at all. The girl was screaming, the woman again began wringing her transparent hands, and the dog with the blanket suddenly howled, for which he wasimmediately punished by the woman's angry gaze. The look was sobering. The dog immediately remembered his duties, whimpered and pulled the blanket closer to the bed. But that was all she could do. Naturally, she could not lift the blanket and cover the baby with it. Meanwhile, the little one did not calm down. The smell of milk, food that was so close and so inaccessible, made her scream more and more. Apparently the woman again ordered something to the dog that delivered the bottle. The dog pushed the bottle directly to the hungry baby's mouth, but apparently he did not calculate his strength and the nipple went deep into the baby's throat, the girl choked and began to choke again, which time during this short day. The dogs howled in two voices, but the woman paid no attention to this. But in vain. The dogs howled so loudly and funerally that someone was not too lazy to open the gate, go through a piece of land overgrown with grass in front of the castle and, cursing loudly, throw a stone at the window of the nursery. The glass shattered, letting the evening dampness into the room, and the woman shuddered and, leaning over the baby, suddenly pulled the bottle with the pacifier out of her mouth. However, the bottle immediately fell out of transparent hands, but that was enough. The baby stopped panting and turning blue, but then she screamed again. The main goal remained unattained. The girl was left hungry. The girl screamed, and the vandal who had broken the window fled as fast as he could. He imagined it was a ghost screaming. There have been vague rumors about the house for a long time. Not that it was given the status of a haunted house, no! But still, something happened there. What and when, the residents of neighboring houses did not remember very clearly. Or maybe they didn't know at all. But... No, don't think, someone lived in this house all the time, or rather, tried to live. People bought a house, put things in order. Bought new furniture. True, they never had time to import it. Something happened, mostly happy. Winning, inheritance and so on. In general, so happy that people were blown away by the wind from a wretched house (it immediately began to seem like that to them against the backdrop of fallen wealth). People left for big cities, overseas countries, and the “For Sale!” sign appeared again on the gates of the house. For those who bought a castle house in order to live far from the city, in nature, there were their decoys.
The house was bought and immediately sold. A significant role in this was played by the ghost woman, who was now standing in front of the crib.
Claudia was very small, but that doesn't mean she was brainless. Rather the opposite. Having understood that crying for some reason today does not affect adults, she decided to change tactics. Looking straight into the woman's eyes, the baby began to gurgle and gurgle, and then even smiled. However, without receiving a return smile and words of adoration, she almost burst into tears again. Well, who will understand these big and caring giants. The woman standing near the crib, instead of smiling back at Claudia, suddenly began to silently cry.
Transparent tears rolled down her face and disappeared to no one knows where.
Meanwhile, the girl was pretty tired of the forced diet, and she began to cry again.
In the autumn silence, the sound from the broken window came from far, far away. The dogs, having decided that it was enough for the little one to scream solo, decided to join. The trio sounded amazing. So amazing that one of the not very close neighbors was about to come running. Every once in a while, a voice would come forward. Either the little girl drowned out the dog's howl with her roar, then the dogs joined forces and ... All this time the woman stood still, only from time to time her eyes anxiously ran from the crib to the broken window. Finally, she seemed to have made up her mind. And... Disappeared from the room. However, she immediately reappeared and, giving an inaudible order to the dogs, disappeared again. The dogs immediately fell silent and jumped into the crib one by one. The baby whimpered a little more, and fell asleep, warmed on both sides by dog bodies. And the room fell silent for a moment. Not more than an hour passed, when suddenly the sound of an approaching car was heard from the street, the door slammed and shuffling steps were heard. For a while, the footsteps died away, as if the person walking towards the castle house was very old and needed a rest. So, resting and resuming their path again, someone was steadily approaching the front door. The girl was asleep, but the dogs had long since woken up and were sitting near the door leading out of the nursery, their ears raised warily. One of them tried to yelp, but then fell silent as she heard Claudia shift and whimper in her sleep. The front door slammed and there was silence again. The dogs got even more excited. The guest who entered the house moved in a strange rhythm, two or four steps, and silence for about five minutes, but still moved. When there were a few steps left to the nursery, the dogs could not stand it and barked at the top of their voices. The girl, of course, instantly woke up and raised a cry. The steps stopped, and the ghostly mistress of the house reappeared in the room. The dogs immediately calmed down and happily wagged their tails. With a baby, things were not so simple. She was not at all reassured by the appearance inremember a woman. On the contrary, when she saw that someone had appeared in the room to whom one could complain about hunger and cold, she began to wail even louder. In the meantime, the stranger, who had reached the nursery with such difficulty, turned the knob on the door and finally entered. It was one of the kidnappers. The one that survived the accident. His appearance was terrible. He moved like a zombie, and in fact he was now. The ghost woman moved his arms and legs. Not a single emotion was reflected on his face when he clumsily swaddled the baby, fed her from a bottle, covered her with a blanket. On these simple actions, he apparently expended the last of his strength. The ghost woman's order caught him when the nurse had just left the room, putting him on a drip after the operation. Clumsily pulling out the needle and somehow stopping the blood, he moved away from the ward, urged on by the order. Already leaving the hospital, he fell and got up only after the mistress of the castle had to make some mental efforts. It was clear that he could not reach the castle house on foot. The woman had to make sure that the wounded man could leave in the first empty car he could hobble to. And now here he is. Obeying the order, the man carefully put the bottle into the girl's mouth and held it until the girl was full, and after the girl was full, he covered her with a blanket. When the hostess tried to force him to replace the broken glass with something else, he simply fell before reaching the window. The mistress of the castle shook her head reproachfully, but there was nothing to do, this night the nursery would be open to all autumn winds. However, the girl was full and covered. And autumn fogs, and bad weather, were not terrible for her, especially since the dog duo had already taken their place on two sides of the sleeping one. But what to do with the wounded? The man was breathing heavily and hoarsely. If left in this state, and even under a broken window, he may not last until the morning. An hour has passed. Then another. The woman did not take any action, but did not leave the room either. Suddenly there was the sound of a car pulling up, and the room was lit up by flashes of a police flasher. A little later, the sound of a door being opened was heard, and the hall on the first floor was filled with the noise of voices. The voices belonged to two or three people.
They were arguing about something. The dogs that guarded the baby's sleep woke up a long time ago, but did not try to make a voice, obeying the woman's gaze, the baby woke up too. Even the wounded man began to show some signs of life, apparently hearing the voices of people through his delusional state.
Suddenly, one of the men whistled, and silence fell for a while in the hall on the first floor. And then he said, lowering his voice a little.
“I don't know about the baby or what else Mr. Greg heard screaming, but it's absolutely certain that a bleeding man walked through here just recently.
And these drops of blood lead to the second floor. Let me...
— No, Steve, I don't like all this. Let me call for reinforcements, said the voice belonging to the second man.
- Nonsense. What if there's nothing up there? A lot of people will come here and make fun of us. As last time. And Ellie... Ellie, what's the matter with you? What are you listening to?
For example, I can't hear anything! Ellie...
- Quiet, - a woman's voice was heard, - I really heard the whimpering of a baby!
But so quiet ... Here again! Can't you hear?
- I can not hear. - said the man, who was called Steve, - Yes, what is there to guess! Let's go up to the second floor and everything will become clear. And you, Phil, if you decide to be careful, stay here. If anything, we will whistle for you, and you will rush to call for reinforcements.
And so they did. One of the men remained below. And the woman and the man began to climb the stairs. They managed to take only a few steps up, when the steps creaked menacingly, and dust fell down from above.
“You do what you want, but I won’t go any further. Call the brigade. Let them reinforce the ladder, and then…” the woman said, going back down.
- Well, Ellie, I did not expect this from you! I still understand when Phill is being cautious, but you... Well, - seeing that the woman went down the stairs and approached Phill, Steve summed up - continue to tremble with fear! I'll go alone then. Saying this, Steve briskly ran up a few more steps. It seemed that the corridor of the second floor was within easy reach, when the stairs suddenly crumbled into separate planks and dust. The railing on the right side collapsed, and the left ones stood as if nothing had happened. This saved Steve. He held on to the baluster and yelled in a bad voice that Phill would call the rescuers. The same rescuers whose help he had so proudly refused a few minutes ago. There was a commotion. Steve yelled. Ellie encouraged. Phil yelled into the radio. And behind all this noise, no one heard how a little girl burst into tears, frightened by the noise, dogs barked, and the wounded man who came to his senses groaned. However, by the time the rescuers arrived and removed the daredevil Steve from above, it had long been quiet on the second floor. When the rescue team, having dealt with Steve's problem, reached the nursery, they were met only by one of the dogs, and a barely audible moaning woundenny. There was no one else in the nursery. The house creaked dangerously. And so the rescuers did not meddle in the rest of the rooms. Wrapping the wounded man in the blanket that was left in the crib, and grabbing a dirty diaper, they began to descend. The dog did not follow them. However, the absence of the dog was discovered already when they were on the ground. One of the rescuers volunteered to return for the dog, but was stopped by tiles that suddenly fell from the roof. The wind got stronger. The old house began to groan and sway dangerously. The wounded man screamed and began to escape from the hands of the rescuers, then went limp and lost consciousness. Rescuers waved their hand and decided to get out for good and healthy before it's too late. As soon as the noise of the engines subsided in the distance, everything calmed down. The wind calmed down, the house stopped swaying, and in the silence that followed, the cry of the baby and the whining of the dogs were heard again.
The ways of the Lord are inscrutable, and therefore there is nothing surprising in the fact that less than two days have passed, as the wounded and taken just in case by the rescuers diaper, were identified by the inconsolable nanny. The millstones of justice grind very slowly, but in this case, the fact that the girl's family was not just rich, but very rich, played a role. The diaper was very easy to identify. Even in the state in which she was found under the crib, she held her gaze. When Claudia was two months old, the best photographer was invited. The results of his labors were now applied to the diaper, and next to each photograph was the name of the girl, written in huge letters. However, not only the diaper was designed this way, but also all the rest of the girl's underwear. The fantasy of rich people has no limits! But, unfortunately, the investigation did not advance further than the identification of the diaper. The wounded man was unconscious. And in the short moments of enlightenment, he carried all sorts of nonsense about dogs, transparent women, old houses.
A special person was sitting next to the wounded man, who wrote down everything word for word, but so far there was no mention of the girl. Even in the most hazy delusional memories, the wounded man did not name a single name of his dead accomplices and did not mention the kidnapped baby. A week has passed since the kidnapping, and still there were no results. The girl's father, alone and together with Phill and Ellie, made several trips to that house, but his research did not advance beyond the ground floor hall. Ellie doubted she heard the baby's cry. One day, about a week later, a woman drove up to the old mansion. It was the girl's mother. She secretly left the house, having previously added sleeping pills to the nurse's tea. The half-crazed woman knew that if her husband found out that she was here, he would take all measures so that she would never leave the house alone again. This family had its own difficulties that could not be eliminated even with very large amounts of money. The woman timidly entered the house and felt that she was about to fall. It took too much effort for her to get out of the house and get here. Sitting down on the floor and panting, she looked around. The house did not tremble or crumble. Everything was quiet. But, nevertheless, there was still no access to the second floor. The floor was dirty for some reason slippery and the woman fell down. However, Irene, that was the name of the girl's mother, showed no emotion when she saw that she had slipped into the mud, losing consciousness. On the contrary, some thought related to this dirt flashed through her brain, and she tried her best to hold it in her fading consciousness. It was very difficult, thoughts rushed about without stopping and I really wanted to sleep. Feeling that her eyes were about to close, Irene began to beat her cheeks. Very much. It helped for a while. She was even able to get up and go where, for some reason, no one had yet guessed to poke her head. Into the basement. There was nothing left until the basement door when Irene realized that she was beginning to fall asleep again. And then she laughed! She thought the tea tasted strange. She gave the nurse tea with sleeping pills to drink, not knowing that she had already poured the same or almost the same powder into her cup! Laughter cheered up Irene for a while, she tried to remember something pleasant, but her thoughts again began to get confused. Then she began to pinch herself, but fell asleep, feeling the pain from the useless pinching on her arms. The awakening was difficult. I had a headache and was very nauseous. Irene thought she was still in the clinic. Her baby will not be born soon, and nausea will torment her and torment her. His head was splitting so that it was scary to open his eyes. And it was very cold. “I must have had an attack again,” the woman thought languidly, “and these are its consequences.” The woman tried to grope and pull the blanket over her, but nothing came of it. She opened her eyes in surprise, wondering where the medical staff, who usually listened and watched all her movements and desires, were. She opened her eyes all the way, but saw nothing. It was absolutely dark. Irene groped under her. She lay on the bed. Probably, Irene's parents had such a bed. True, they hardly slept on it without a mattress. The bare springs hurt my back. Still not understanding anythingthe tire began to rise. A hand slid over her flat stomach, and, instantly remembering everything, the woman screamed in despair. She's not at the clinic. Her daughter was already born and she was stolen. Turning awkwardly, she tried to get out of bed, but immediately screamed from a terrible headache. It seemed that this pain could not be extinguished by anything, but then it happened that Irene immediately forgot about the pain, although she did not think to retreat anywhere! The woman heard the cry of the baby. And not just some baby, but his own. She would never confuse this voice with any other. Her daughter was screaming! Stumbling in the darkness, Irene followed the voice. But then she stopped. The crying of the baby was joined by the barking of dogs. The woman was afraid and hated dogs since childhood. More than anything, Irene would like her husband to be here now and make a decision for her, or, at worst, she would not refuse to fall asleep again or faint. But her husband was not around, and she slept wonderfully, and, therefore, something had to be done. Having taken a few steps towards the screaming daughter, Irene stopped, and then again stepped back. She couldn't help herself! She loved her girl, but fear was stronger than love. It has always been so in everything. Any fear was stronger than any love! The woman decided that nothing would be done to Claudia while Irene got out of the house and called for help. People will drive out the nasty dogs, she will take her Claudia, and then ... Irene saw a flash in front of her and understood. that for quite a long time, about five minutes, hears a voice. Such a quiet voice. Quiet, but overshadowing Claudia's screams and barking dogs. Because the voice was in her head. The voice persistently urged her not to be afraid of anything and to go to Claudia. He assured that as soon as she found the strength to turn back to her daughter, the dogs would become silent and generally get out. Irene turned. And then the barking of the dogs stopped and someone, probably they, rushed past the woman. The door flew aside, the dogs jumped out into the street, daylight flashed, which, however, was immediately replaced by darkness, as the door automatically slammed behind the dogs. The dogs ran away, but Irene became even more frightened. There was someone else besides her and Claudia. And although this someone did not show hostility, it was still scary! Claudia calmed down and began to hum, calling out to her mother, in the way that very young children can do. Time has gone. Irene physically felt it flow past her. Finally, gathering all her strength, she went to Claudia. Despite the fact that the room was still dark, the woman began to see in the dark. But, this vision had nothing to do with ordinary vision. As if... As if she was looking through someone else's eyes. A few more steps and Claudia would have been in her arms, but at that moment the door swung open and, although the light blinded Irene, she knew who was standing in the daylight. She knew, but stubbornly pretended that nothing had happened. Stretching out her hands to the place where only a second ago Claudia lay and the ghostly woman stood, Irene shouted:
- Well, why, why did you come? I found her! And now because of you...
The man turned purple with anger and already raised his hand to strike, but then, apparently remembering that he had not come alone, lowered his hand and spoke in a soft voice.
“Irene, what are you doing to yourself?” Look at you, what you look like! Let's go home, they'll give you an injection, and you'll calm down!
"No, I know what you'll do first when we're alone!" You will beat me!
And then you will tell everyone that I had a seizure, and I fell!
“Irene, what are you…” the man began to say, but the woman interrupted him.
“My daughter was just here! And you came and frightened her, but I will run again and find her!
Apparently delighted that the woman was showing clear signs of insanity and that his wife could be safely sent to a clinic for the mentally ill, the man turned to his wife in an even sweeter, almost lisp voice.
- Let's go, my dear! You are not well! Let's go to!
Glancing back at the place where her baby lay a few minutes ago, the woman obediently went to the man. Her fuse dried up, and she again returned to her usual, submissive state.
The man carefully put the woman in the car. He said goodbye to the representatives of the authorities who got into another car and, moving a little to the side of the car where his wife was sitting, the man said to his assistant.
- Wipe the house off the face of the earth. Today!
The assistant began to babble something about the owners of the house, but Irene's husband only waved him off.
- Nonsense. Find owners, buy a house. And then destroy!
The last thing the woman saw as she drove away from the house was the silhouette of two dogs standing in the doorway. From a distance, they seemed not at all scary, and Irene mentally asked them to take care of her girl. And the dogs seemed to understand her, because they barked after her and wagged their tails in a friendly way.
The ghost woman has been studying all week. I learned to take material objects in my hands. She didn't do very well. Or rather, it didn't work at all. Once upon a time, in her earthly life, she was a sluggish, weak-willed creature, like Irene, but now, suddenly emerging from oblivion and notfully understanding why this happened, she studied. How funny it sounds in relation to a non-living person, but she had the meaning of life! A few years ago, a young man who lived next door tried to figure out the history of this abandoned house, delved into the archives, in the church book, but when the research was almost completed, a happy event happened, the young man fell in love. When the peak of love passed and the matter began to move towards the wedding, the young man realized it, but the records were gone. Either the maid threw them away, or he himself, somewhere, mechanically removed them. Then, after the wedding, the young people went on a honeymoon trip, then ... Then there were many more happy events, and only two years later the man decided to resume research, but the necessary documents were not found either in the mayor's office or in the church archives. There was a long investigation, but everything was unsuccessful. Something, of course, was deposited in the head of the prospector, but these were vague and scattered facts, although the man never complained from memory. The only thing he remembered well about the men was that the last mistress of the house was named Anna. There was also some strange story with the relatives of Anna's husband, with her husband himself, Anna's daughter - baby Olivia. Olivia was either kidnapped, or she herself was lost, and Anna was found murdered. The age of the daughter was rumored to be about eighteen years old, or maybe she was a baby eight months old. In general, there were many rumors, but which ones were true - it was unknown. What happened to the rest of the family was unknown. This was not reflected in the archives. But the date of their death was not given. There were only the dates of the death of Anna's husband. The young man sent a request to the central archive, but he received a very polite, but negative answer. All data on this family is in the department of the Federal Security Bureau. However, if the man is a relative, then some options are possible. The man was not related. And his investigations stalled before they even started. So, now you know that the ghost woman, who in earthly life was called Anna, has been trying with all her ghostly powers for two hundred years to prevent any interference in her affairs, be it the affairs of bygone days, as in the case of a young man, or cases related to the purchase of a house, to which, against her will, she was tied for so many years. The ghost woman was waiting for something. Decades passed after decades, and nothing changed for her. To some extent, it could even be called life. Yes, Anna lived, and her life did not end. She felt that life was flowing past her, but she felt somehow sluggish. She seemed to be sleeping. And then a little girl appeared and Anna woke up. All her thoughts and feelings sharpened. Anna became attached to the girl, but was ready to help Irene when she appeared in the house. She recognized herself in the weak-willed woman, as she was two hundred years ago, and was ready for anything, no matter what history would repeat, but the inertia was too strong, and Irene gave up. But this was only half the trouble, the whole trouble was that now danger threatened Anna's house. Anna could have prevented the catastrophe if she had first found those who now owned the house, because without the consent of the current owners, no one would dare to destroy the house. Anna could be transported, but for very short distances, and only at night, as was the case with a wounded kidnapper. During the day she was tied to the house with invisible ropes. And the owner, or rather the mistress of the house, lived very far away, on the other side of the country. Of course, with the current development of technology, distance was not an obstacle. One has only to pick up the phone to the girl's father... Anna realized that the house was worth nothing, and if they offered a good price for it, then... There was hope, but very little. The current mistress of the house was a distant, very distant relative of Anna. Anna had a sister a long time ago, a sister had a daughter. And this woman, on whom so much now depended, was the great-granddaughter or great-great-granddaughter of that daughter. So she was Anna's great-niece. Naturally, the woman who owned an absolutely useless house did not know about any relationship with Anna.
Today Claudia was capricious. This, despite the fact that she was fed, lay clean and warm. During the time that Anna spent with the baby, it was easier for her to take care of the girl herself. Of course, the dogs helped with all their canine strength, because Anna, as you already know, could not appear on the street during the day, but she learned to cope with feeding and caring for the girl herself. Until today, everything was wonderful, and then the invasion of uninvited guests, if I can say that about Claudia's mother and father, ruined everything. There were no reasons for frustration, but the girl became capricious. She was crying harder and harder. Neither the hundred-year-old rattles nor the lullaby helped. In addition, the window in the nursery was still broken and the visit of unexpected guests would not have to wait long. And then an idea came to Anna's head. She had no one to discuss it with, no one to point out to the phantom woman that the idea was not good, and therefore, as soon as thisand the idea arose in Anna's head, she immediately decided to bring it to life. She had just been standing in the nursery of the old house, and now she was in Irene's bedroom and handed her crying baby to the frightened woman. Seeing her mother, Claudia instantly calmed down, and Irene, on the contrary, became agitated and began to push her daughter away from her.
“Go away, get out,” she said, turning to Anna, “he explained everything to me. You only seem to me, and my girl, together with you, only seems. He explained to me that the wounded man came to his senses and told about everything. We concluded that Claudia would hardly have been able to endure the trials that her captors condemned her to, leaving the girl alone, half-dressed and hungry, in that house.
He said I made everything up. He promised that he would not beat me again if I promised that I would not remember my daughter. He said that we would still have children and ... Go away, I don't want to see you! I do not see you. Go away!
The woman began to fight in hysterics and scream. A nurse ran into the room and tried to give Irene an injection. She did not give up and fought in the hands of a nurse. Anna watched Irene struggle with sympathy and some disgust, and for a moment she forgot about Claudia. Until the girl reminded herself of herself. Holding out her hands to Irene, she hummed and laughed. The nurse threw the syringe on the floor and ran away screaming, while Irene, on the contrary, calmed down and said:
"Go away and don't come back!" I do not see you.
However, Anna decided to make another attempt, she raised her finger, and, unexpectedly, following this short movement, a rumble was heard in the depths of the house. Anna listened, this was not the effect she wanted. Yes, something…dangerous happened. The water that left the Sanzu River did not disappear completely, it was absorbed into the ground. But, as you know, nothing disappears without a trace. And the water was ready to come out. Baby Claudia's home was the first to be destroyed. Anna tensed even more, as if she was trying to hear something, and finally her efforts were crowned with success. What is this? Why are dangerous ghosts here? Four escaped ghosts drove all the soaked water under the house of Irene and Claudia. The ghosts, precisely those who had escaped the fate of being captured by dragons, now obeyed the strange call. They heard this call as soon as the world earthquake began. The world will never be the same again, not only people understood this, but ghosts also understood this. The ancient evil, enclosed in the bowels of the earth, woke up at the moment when the earth trembled. Evil took a quick look at the ground and directed the ghosts to where the water had accumulated. A little more and the irreparable would have happened, the water was supposed to destroy Irene's house. Anna saw all this with an inner eye and instantly made a decision. She leaned over to Claudia and whispered something to the baby. The baby looked up at the ghost mommy, and then an event unheard of in this century happened, the three-month-old baby clearly pronounced the word “Mom”. Irene shuddered. It was no longer possible to pretend that she was only imagining her daughter. She thought for a moment, then held out her hands. Anna gently lowered the baby into her mother's arms. At that moment, the house shook. However, evil was already powerless. Irene held her daughter in her arms, and the water went into the depths of the earth.
GHOST WOMAN
After Irene took her daughter in her arms, Anna distinctly heard a satisfied sigh. It was not even a sigh, but a rumble, and it came from the direction of the Sanzu River. However, when the fever subsided, Anna immediately forgot about the sound she heard. For some time she was still in the house, where the mother finally took her child in her arms. Anna's concern now was that Irene's husband and, accordingly, the girl's father did not arrange anything provocative. The ghost woman was afraid that her husband would still try to hide his wife in a psychiatric hospital and therefore whispered a few words into Irene's ear. The woman listened and nodded in satisfaction. Soon the whole house knew that Madame Irene had finally found her daughter. Servants came running, soon all the large relatives of Irene arrived on a call. When Claudia's father arrived home, he realized that his plan to put his wife in a psychiatric hospital had failed. He feigned languid delight at the fact that his daughter was found and went to his room. The ghost woman was not happy with the situation that had developed, but she understood that now the hands of the owner of the house were tied. What will happen next - time will tell. And over time, the ghost woman Anna was not in control. Evening came, Mrs. Irena did not allow the nurse to return to the house, she herself washed, fed and put her daughter to bed. Several times the husband looked into the nursery and tried to appeal to the mind of the woman. He said that it was indecent for people of his position and class to engage in feeding the child themselves. However, Irene, suddenly remembering her street youth, threw a few dirty words at her husband's address. Moreover, at some point, Irene came close to her husband and simply pushed him out of the nursery. The stunned man couldn't say anything. He, the heir of blue blood, would like to say something caustic about the wife of a commoner, but remembering her eyes burning with rage, he justcringed and decided to retreat temporarily. After that, the ghost woman realized that her time to leave this house had come. Mrs. Irene has become a real mistress, now this woman and mother of baby Claudia has become the mistress of her destiny.
Of course, it was all wonderful, but Anna was a little sad. Having returned the baby to her mother, she, a ghost woman, left a piece of her heart in this room. Entering the nursery to look at the little girl for the last time, Anna met the attentive gaze of Madame Irene. However, the woman immediately averted her eyes. There was a pause. Finally, laughing softly, she said
- I know you're here! At some point, it seemed to me that I saw you, and then I ... In general, I'm sorry for being so cowardly!
Old habits are not easy to break, but I will try! You gave me my daughter back and I will never be the same again. No one will ever force me to part with her again. There will be no nurses, nannies, governesses near my daughter. I will take care of her myself, and I will teach everything myself. That's the only way I can save my baby's life. I am the daughter of a noble but impoverished family. In my youth, I was quite attractive, and my husband fell in love with me. However, after the wedding, I increasingly caught his puzzled looks. It seemed that he could not understand what someone like me could do next to him, a descendant of such a famous family. When my daughter was born, it was immediately obvious that she looked like me, this fact terribly infuriated my husband. I tried to explain that children change, and it is likely that when Claudia is a year old or more, she will become like her father. However, my husband stopped listening to me, He hired a whole staff of nannies, nurses and governesses, and ordered me to limit communication with the child to three times a day. Allegedly, his mother did this when he was little. Surprisingly, I obeyed him. I don’t even know what played a role in this, my fear of being on the street with a newborn child, the fear of losing a prosperous life, or, rather, psychotropic substances that, at the insistence of my husband, were prescribed to me by a doctor, acted on me in this way. You know the result, the nanny did not watch over my baby and she was kidnapped. No, don't think, I don't like unfair words. At one time, before marriage, I also managed to work as a nanny. It's just that the nanny was strictly forbidden to walk in that park. Near our house there is a huge park area, which is protected by a fence, there is also a garden, there is even a playground where my baby will walk when she grows up. Park, garden, playground - all this territory is an annex to our house. It's safe here. After my daughter was kidnapped, the nanny was taken to the police station. At first she did not want to tell the truth, and then she was forced to tell everything. The nanny, a middle-aged lady, met a man younger than her on a dating site. This man turned her head. It was he who appointed her a date in that park and at that time. The nanny tried to refuse, citing the fact that she was not allowed to go beyond the fence of the estate. The man insisted, he said that he fell in love and wanted to quickly see the object of his adoration. The nanny was waiting for him in the park, of course, the woman melted from the words of love. Putting my baby in the carriage, she left the gate of the estate. The men were not there. The nanny waited for him for a long time, time passed, but he was not there. Then she took out a book. To calm down, she tried to go deeper into reading, but there was a kidnapping, as a result of which the nanny lost consciousness, and my baby was abandoned in an empty and dirty house. Whoever you were in a past life, I know and believe that the salvation of my daughter will be credited to you in heaven.
The last words of Irene spoke already into the void, Anna left. She didn't go far to her house. The ghost woman began to cry and suddenly remembered what she was hiding even from herself. She remembered her daughter, Olivia, remembered how she had lost her, and she also suddenly saw the moment of her death clearly to the smallest detail. I remembered the century that I spent in the house, to which I was tied with invisible threads. And now, the events that took place in the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River brought back her memory.
SCREAM OF THE GHOST WOMAN
Anna looked around the children's room again. Two hundred years ago, this room belonged to her daughter Olivia. Approaching one of the walls, the female ghost touched the wallpaper. Over two centuries, many layers of wallpaper had been pasted on this wall, but she knew that the very first layer was exactly the wallpaper that she, Anna, had chosen for her newborn daughter's children's room. Anna held out her hand, her hand easily passing through the layer of someone else's wallpaper. After all, you remember that Anna was a ghost, and there are no barriers for ghosts in the place to which they are attached. Of course, Anna could not rip off someone else's wallpaper to expose those that she had once chosen herself. But at least by touching the wallpaper that once adorned her daughter's room, Anna could remember even more clearly what the children's room looked like when the newborn Olivia was brought into it.
Looking around the room again, Anna sighed. Konechbut, for two centuries, she often went into this room, but the time spent in this house was now remembered by the ghost woman as a long, very long dream. The events of the past were like a blurry photograph for her, and only now this photograph has gained clarity. The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and leaned over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot. I did not just dwell on the drawing for wallpaper in such detail, this drawing will play its role in the further events of our story.
Anna once again looked at her hand, which was able to reach the first wallpaper on the wall and left the children's room. The house was large, once a friendly and loving family lived here. However, Anna had no desire now to walk around the rooms.
The ghost woman thought that now that she remembered everything, there was nothing holding her back in this house anymore. However, nothing happened. And that was the hardest. As soon as Anna imagined the next series of decades that she would spend tied to this house, she was overcome with anger. When Anna was human, she almost never gave free rein to her emotions. Her social position was of the kind where a woman is forced to restrain her emotions. Gradually it became a habit. Restraint was the queen in the society in which the woman was then forced to live. In her earthly life, she only once gave vent to anger. And now, two centuries later, she remembered that feeling, the feeling of being overwhelmed. Then, when she was a woman, wife and mother of Olivia, her anger was the only way out that helped her not to die. Now she simply hated the creator, that unknown force that imprisoned her in this house. The woman did not understand that she herself was the jailer for herself. However, all this was no longer important, Anna understood one thing, she did not want to be here anymore. Realizing this, she screamed. The scream of a ghost has great power. Not only animals can hear this cry, but also people. As I said, Anna's house stood apart. That is why no one was hurt by the woman's scream. However animals, all animals within a radius of 200 km. felt the shockwave of that scream.
The doomsday began in the city. Pets suddenly seem to have lost their minds. They rushed at their owners, maimed themselves, tried to destroy other people's animals, who were not lucky enough to be around at that moment. The consequences of the scream did not last long, about five minutes, but they did a lot of trouble. If Anna had known that her cry would have such terrible consequences, she would certainly have restrained herself, but the ghost woman did not even know about it. The scream ended in tears. And what is most surprising, he achieved his goal. Anna was heard. And the walls of the dungeon in which the ghost woman spent so many centuries collapsed. This is not a figurative turn of speech, Anna's house actually began to collapse. I already wrote that the scream of a ghost woman has tremendous power and this power was destructive. Soon the house turned into a chaotic heap of stones, furniture elements, boards - everything that a dwelling consists of, where many generations of people lived.
Anna stood on the ruins of the house and could not believe her eyes, she was free! And it didn't matter whether it was day or night, it didn't matter now. Slightly turning around, she easily caught the force of the magnet, which now pulled her towards him. That magnet was the customs palace of the Sanzu River. It was there that Anna's path lay. However, something was wrong. Anna was supposed to be escorted to the customs palace by a reaper, but this did not happen. Anna did not know the rules of the customs palace, did not know that without an escort she had no right to enter the distribution center for the dead. The ghost woman simply stepped over her past, I mean the ruins of the house, and went where the radiation was pulling her.
She didn't walk for long. However, time in the world of ghosts has its own length. It may well be that while she was flying through the air behind the radiation invisible to people, a week had passed in the human world, but it seemed to Anna that no more than three minutes had passed.
THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD DOES NOT OPEN ITS DOORS FOR EVERYONE
A ghost woman named Anna rushed with all her heart to the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River. However, when she reached the customs palace, it turned out that the sliding doors were unwilling to swing open in front of her. She tried to somehow push them apart, but of course she did not succeed. When the ghost woman got tired of standing just like that, she began to knock on the glass door. But again no one heard her. Having achieved no result, she decided to retreat for a while. The day was beautiful and sunny, and the ghost woman decided to take a walk along the banks of the Sanzu River. Anna did not feel cold and hungry, the only thing she could not overcome was her impatience. Now that freedom loomed ahead, Anna could no longerbut, for two centuries, she often went into this room, but the time spent in this house was now remembered by the ghost woman as a long, very long dream. The events of the past were like a blurry photograph for her, and only now this photograph has gained clarity. The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and leaned over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot. I did not just dwell on the drawing for wallpaper in such detail, this drawing will play its role in the further events of our story.
Anna once again looked at her hand, which was able to reach the first wallpaper on the wall and left the children's room. The house was large, once a friendly and loving family lived here. However, Anna had no desire now to walk around the rooms.
The ghost woman thought that now that she remembered everything, there was nothing holding her back in this house anymore. However, nothing happened. And that was the hardest. As soon as Anna imagined the next series of decades that she would spend tied to this house, she was overcome with anger. When Anna was human, she almost never gave free rein to her emotions. Her social position was of the kind where a woman is forced to restrain her emotions. Gradually it became a habit. Restraint was the queen in the society in which the woman was then forced to live. In her earthly life, she only once gave vent to anger. And now, two centuries later, she remembered that feeling, the feeling of being overwhelmed. Then, when she was a woman, wife and mother of Olivia, her anger was the only way out that helped her not to die. Now she simply hated the creator, that unknown force that imprisoned her in this house. The woman did not understand that she herself was the jailer for herself. However, all this was no longer important, Anna understood one thing, she did not want to be here anymore. Realizing this, she screamed. The scream of a ghost has great power. Not only animals can hear this cry, but also people. As I said, Anna's house stood apart. That is why no one was hurt by the woman's scream. However animals, all animals within a radius of 200 km. felt the shockwave of that scream.
The doomsday began in the city. Pets suddenly seem to have lost their minds. They rushed at their owners, maimed themselves, tried to destroy other people's animals, who were not lucky enough to be around at that moment. The consequences of the scream did not last long, about five minutes, but they did a lot of trouble. If Anna had known that her cry would have such terrible consequences, she would certainly have restrained herself, but the ghost woman did not even know about it. The scream ended in tears. And what is most surprising, he achieved his goal. Anna was heard. And the walls of the dungeon in which the ghost woman spent so many centuries collapsed. This is not a figurative turn of speech, Anna's house actually began to collapse. I already wrote that the scream of a ghost woman has tremendous power and this power was destructive. Soon the house turned into a chaotic heap of stones, furniture elements, boards - everything that a dwelling consists of, where many generations of people lived.
Anna stood on the ruins of the house and could not believe her eyes, she was free! And it didn't matter whether it was day or night, it didn't matter now. Slightly turning around, she easily caught the force of the magnet, which now pulled her towards him. That magnet was the customs palace of the Sanzu River. It was there that Anna's path lay. However, something was wrong. Anna was supposed to be escorted to the customs palace by a reaper, but this did not happen. Anna did not know the rules of the customs palace, did not know that without an escort she had no right to enter the distribution center for the dead. The ghost woman simply stepped over her past, I mean the ruins of the house, and went where the radiation was pulling her.
She didn't walk for long. However, time in the world of ghosts has its own length. It may well be that while she was flying through the air behind the radiation invisible to people, a week had passed in the human world, but it seemed to Anna that no more than three minutes had passed.
THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD DOES NOT OPEN ITS DOORS FOR EVERYONE
A ghost woman named Anna rushed with all her heart to the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River. However, when she reached the customs palace, it turned out that the sliding doors were unwilling to swing open in front of her. She tried to somehow push them apart, but of course she did not succeed. When the ghost woman got tired of standing just like that, she began to knock on the glass door. But again no one heard her. Having achieved no result, she decided to retreat for a while. The day was beautiful and sunny, and the ghost woman decided to take a walk along the banks of the Sanzu River. Anna did not feel cold and hungry, the only thing she could not overcome was her impatience. Now that freedom loomed ahead, Anna could no longerbut, for two centuries, she often went into this room, but the time spent in this house was now remembered by the ghost woman as a long, very long dream. The events of the past were like a blurry photograph for her, and only now this photograph has gained clarity. The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and leaned over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot. I did not just dwell on the drawing for wallpaper in such detail, this drawing will play its role in the further events of our story.
Anna once again looked at her hand, which was able to reach the first wallpaper on the wall and left the children's room. The house was large, once a friendly and loving family lived here. However, Anna had no desire now to walk around the rooms.
The ghost woman thought that now that she remembered everything, there was nothing holding her back in this house anymore. However, nothing happened. And that was the hardest. As soon as Anna imagined the next series of decades that she would spend tied to this house, she was overcome with anger. When Anna was human, she almost never gave free rein to her emotions. Her social position was of the kind where a woman is forced to restrain her emotions. Gradually it became a habit. Restraint was the queen in the society in which the woman was then forced to live. In her earthly life, she only once gave vent to anger. And now, two centuries later, she remembered that feeling, the feeling of being overwhelmed. Then, when she was a woman, wife and mother of Olivia, her anger was the only way out that helped her not to die. Now she simply hated the creator, that unknown force that imprisoned her in this house. The woman did not understand that she herself was the jailer for herself. However, all this was no longer important, Anna understood one thing, she did not want to be here anymore. Realizing this, she screamed. The scream of a ghost has great power. Not only animals can hear this cry, but also people. As I said, Anna's house stood apart. That is why no one was hurt by the woman's scream. However animals, all animals within a radius of 200 km. felt the shockwave of that scream.
The doomsday began in the city. Pets suddenly seem to have lost their minds. They rushed at their owners, maimed themselves, tried to destroy other people's animals, who were not lucky enough to be around at that moment. The consequences of the scream did not last long, about five minutes, but they did a lot of trouble. If Anna had known that her cry would have such terrible consequences, she would certainly have restrained herself, but the ghost woman did not even know about it. The scream ended in tears. And what is most surprising, he achieved his goal. Anna was heard. And the walls of the dungeon in which the ghost woman spent so many centuries collapsed. This is not a figurative turn of speech, Anna's house actually began to collapse. I already wrote that the scream of a ghost woman has tremendous power and this power was destructive. Soon the house turned into a chaotic heap of stones, furniture elements, boards - everything that a dwelling consists of, where many generations of people lived.
Anna stood on the ruins of the house and could not believe her eyes, she was free! And it didn't matter whether it was day or night, it didn't matter now. Slightly turning around, she easily caught the force of the magnet, which now pulled her towards him. That magnet was the customs palace of the Sanzu River. It was there that Anna's path lay. However, something was wrong. Anna was supposed to be escorted to the customs palace by a reaper, but this did not happen. Anna did not know the rules of the customs palace, did not know that without an escort she had no right to enter the distribution center for the dead. The ghost woman simply stepped over her past, I mean the ruins of the house, and went where the radiation was pulling her.
She didn't walk for long. However, time in the world of ghosts has its own length. It may well be that while she was flying through the air behind the radiation invisible to people, a week had passed in the human world, but it seemed to Anna that no more than three minutes had passed.
THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD DOES NOT OPEN ITS DOORS FOR EVERYONE
A ghost woman named Anna rushed with all her heart to the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River. However, when she reached the customs palace, it turned out that the sliding doors were unwilling to swing open in front of her. She tried to somehow push them apart, but of course she did not succeed. When the ghost woman got tired of standing just like that, she began to knock on the glass door. But again no one heard her. Having achieved no result, she decided to retreat for a while. The day was beautiful and sunny, and the ghost woman decided to take a walk along the banks of the Sanzu River. Anna did not feel cold and hungry, the only thing she could not overcome was her impatience. Now that freedom loomed ahead, Anna could no longerbut, for two centuries, she often went into this room, but the time spent in this house was now remembered by the ghost woman as a long, very long dream. The events of the past were like a blurry photograph for her, and only now this photograph has gained clarity. The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and leaned over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot. I did not just dwell on the drawing for wallpaper in such detail, this drawing will play its role in the further events of our story.
Anna once again looked at her hand, which was able to reach the first wallpaper on the wall and left the children's room. The house was large, once a friendly and loving family lived here. However, Anna had no desire now to walk around the rooms.
The ghost woman thought that now that she remembered everything, there was nothing holding her back in this house anymore. However, nothing happened. And that was the hardest. As soon as Anna imagined the next series of decades that she would spend tied to this house, she was overcome with anger. When Anna was human, she almost never gave free rein to her emotions. Her social position was of the kind where a woman is forced to restrain her emotions. Gradually it became a habit. Restraint was the queen in the society in which the woman was then forced to live. In her earthly life, she only once gave vent to anger. And now, two centuries later, she remembered that feeling, the feeling of being overwhelmed. Then, when she was a woman, wife and mother of Olivia, her anger was the only way out that helped her not to die. Now she simply hated the creator, that unknown force that imprisoned her in this house. The woman did not understand that she herself was the jailer for herself. However, all this was no longer important, Anna understood one thing, she did not want to be here anymore. Realizing this, she screamed. The scream of a ghost has great power. Not only animals can hear this cry, but also people. As I said, Anna's house stood apart. That is why no one was hurt by the woman's scream. However animals, all animals within a radius of 200 km. felt the shockwave of that scream.
The doomsday began in the city. Pets suddenly seem to have lost their minds. They rushed at their owners, maimed themselves, tried to destroy other people's animals, who were not lucky enough to be around at that moment. The consequences of the scream did not last long, about five minutes, but they did a lot of trouble. If Anna had known that her cry would have such terrible consequences, she would certainly have restrained herself, but the ghost woman did not even know about it. The scream ended in tears. And what is most surprising, he achieved his goal. Anna was heard. And the walls of the dungeon in which the ghost woman spent so many centuries collapsed. This is not a figurative turn of speech, Anna's house actually began to collapse. I already wrote that the scream of a ghost woman has tremendous power and this power was destructive. Soon the house turned into a chaotic heap of stones, furniture elements, boards - everything that a dwelling consists of, where many generations of people lived.
Anna stood on the ruins of the house and could not believe her eyes, she was free! And it didn't matter whether it was day or night, it didn't matter now. Slightly turning around, she easily caught the force of the magnet, which now pulled her towards him. That magnet was the customs palace of the Sanzu River. It was there that Anna's path lay. However, something was wrong. Anna was supposed to be escorted to the customs palace by a reaper, but this did not happen. Anna did not know the rules of the customs palace, did not know that without an escort she had no right to enter the distribution center for the dead. The ghost woman simply stepped over her past, I mean the ruins of the house, and went where the radiation was pulling her.
She didn't walk for long. However, time in the world of ghosts has its own length. It may well be that while she was flying through the air behind the radiation invisible to people, a week had passed in the human world, but it seemed to Anna that no more than three minutes had passed.
THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD DOES NOT OPEN ITS DOORS FOR EVERYONE
A ghost woman named Anna rushed with all her heart to the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River. However, when she reached the customs palace, it turned out that the sliding doors were unwilling to swing open in front of her. She tried to somehow push them apart, but of course she did not succeed. When the ghost woman got tired of standing just like that, she began to knock on the glass door. But again no one heard her. Having achieved no result, she decided to retreat for a while. The day was beautiful and sunny, and the ghost woman decided to take a walk along the banks of the Sanzu River. Anna did not feel cold and hungry, the only thing she could not overcome was her impatience. Now that freedom loomed ahead, Anna could no longerbut, for two centuries, she often went into this room, but the time spent in this house was now remembered by the ghost woman as a long, very long dream. The events of the past were like a blurry photograph for her, and only now this photograph has gained clarity. The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and leaned over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot. I did not just dwell on the drawing for wallpaper in such detail, this drawing will play its role in the further events of our story.
Anna once again looked at her hand, which was able to reach the first wallpaper on the wall and left the children's room. The house was large, once a friendly and loving family lived here. However, Anna had no desire now to walk around the rooms.
The ghost woman thought that now that she remembered everything, there was nothing holding her back in this house anymore. However, nothing happened. And that was the hardest. As soon as Anna imagined the next series of decades that she would spend tied to this house, she was overcome with anger. When Anna was human, she almost never gave free rein to her emotions. Her social position was of the kind where a woman is forced to restrain her emotions. Gradually it became a habit. Restraint was the queen in the society in which the woman was then forced to live. In her earthly life, she only once gave vent to anger. And now, two centuries later, she remembered that feeling, the feeling of being overwhelmed. Then, when she was a woman, wife and mother of Olivia, her anger was the only way out that helped her not to die. Now she simply hated the creator, that unknown force that imprisoned her in this house. The woman did not understand that she herself was the jailer for herself. However, all this was no longer important, Anna understood one thing, she did not want to be here anymore. Realizing this, she screamed. The scream of a ghost has great power. Not only animals can hear this cry, but also people. As I said, Anna's house stood apart. That is why no one was hurt by the woman's scream. However animals, all animals within a radius of 200 km. felt the shockwave of that scream.
The doomsday began in the city. Pets suddenly seem to have lost their minds. They rushed at their owners, maimed themselves, tried to destroy other people's animals, who were not lucky enough to be around at that moment. The consequences of the scream did not last long, about five minutes, but they did a lot of trouble. If Anna had known that her cry would have such terrible consequences, she would certainly have restrained herself, but the ghost woman did not even know about it. The scream ended in tears. And what is most surprising, he achieved his goal. Anna was heard. And the walls of the dungeon in which the ghost woman spent so many centuries collapsed. This is not a figurative turn of speech, Anna's house actually began to collapse. I already wrote that the scream of a ghost woman has tremendous power and this power was destructive. Soon the house turned into a chaotic heap of stones, furniture elements, boards - everything that a dwelling consists of, where many generations of people lived.
Anna stood on the ruins of the house and could not believe her eyes, she was free! And it didn't matter whether it was day or night, it didn't matter now. Slightly turning around, she easily caught the force of the magnet, which now pulled her towards him. That magnet was the customs palace of the Sanzu River. It was there that Anna's path lay. However, something was wrong. Anna was supposed to be escorted to the customs palace by a reaper, but this did not happen. Anna did not know the rules of the customs palace, did not know that without an escort she had no right to enter the distribution center for the dead. The ghost woman simply stepped over her past, I mean the ruins of the house, and went where the radiation was pulling her.
She didn't walk for long. However, time in the world of ghosts has its own length. It may well be that while she was flying through the air behind the radiation invisible to people, a week had passed in the human world, but it seemed to Anna that no more than three minutes had passed.
THE PALACE FOR THE DEAD DOES NOT OPEN ITS DOORS FOR EVERYONE
A ghost woman named Anna rushed with all her heart to the customs palace for the dead on the Sanzu River. However, when she reached the customs palace, it turned out that the sliding doors were unwilling to swing open in front of her. She tried to somehow push them apart, but of course she did not succeed. When the ghost woman got tired of standing just like that, she began to knock on the glass door. But again no one heard her. Having achieved no result, she decided to retreat for a while. The day was beautiful and sunny, and the ghost woman decided to take a walk along the banks of the Sanzu River. Anna did not feel cold and hungry, the only thing she could not overcome was her impatience. Now, with freedom looming ahead, Anna could no longer hold back. Time passed, the Sanzu River embankment was deserted, the sun went down, evening came. Realizing that she was not expected anywhere, Anna, nevertheless, still hoped that the doors of the customs palace would open before her. The ghost woman again went to the customs palace, but everything was the same. No one was in a hurry to open the door for her. The night has come. The human clock counted down, boom-midnight, boom-three o'clock in the morning, boom-six o'clock in the morning. At last the morning came. It was still quiet near the customs palace. Anna was tired of standing just like that and she decided to look in the city for the same ghosts as her. Anna was sure that she would definitely find at least one unrequited soul. However, she suddenly found something else. Rounding the customs palace, Anna suddenly felt the power of another attraction. It turns out that there was another building on the embankment of the Sanzu River, which now attracted Anna to itself. Feeling the attraction, Anna relaxed and in a second she was standing near the door. With some hesitation, she pushed open the door. Fortunately, there were the most ordinary doors in front of her, doors that swung open in front of her at the first push.
Anna went into the reception room, the Grand lady tried to block the passage to the manager's office, but nothing could stop Anna. She was ready to bite, scratch and fight, just to end her protracted existence. Fortunately, there was no need to fight, the door to the manager's office swung open and two people and two ghosts came out. I mean the steward, Eo and the Black Reaper. Sandra was the last to leave the office. The issue that these four were discussing was not yet resolved, the manager was attracted by the noise that was in the reception room, and he decided to interrupt the meeting, the other three reached for him.
“Here,” the grand lady pointed to Anna, “this woman appeared without an appointment, and does not want to listen to me!” I repeated to her three times that you have a meeting now, and she ...
- Everything is in order, - the manager waved his hand in a conciliatory manner, - the meeting is almost over and I can receive the visitor. Excuse me, what's your name? What? Where are you looking?
Anna suddenly lost her hearing. She didn't hear what the manager was saying. Anna's head buzzed, and the room turned over. However, the woman's mouth spoke the name, and the girl who had followed the manager turned around.
- Olivia, my daughter! - Anna screamed, - is that you? My God! I found you!
GHOST ROOM
Sandra didn't flinch when an unfamiliar ghost woman called her Olivia, but she didn't dare to approach Anna either. Sandra was in bad shape. The personalities that now lived inside her fought all the time and tried to take over. Least of all won a person named Lee Yu Mi. This sweet, timid, oriental personality was afraid of everything and did not even try to defend her rights. Olivia, on the other hand, was a person with an Italian temperament. Olivia's explosive, fun-loving and driven personality was always trying to get the better of Sandra and Lee Yu Mi. Now the assistant manager felt like a whole person - Sandra, but she was not sure that this would be for a long time. The ghost who had made a mess in the manager's waiting room still called the girl Olivia. Anna, the ghost woman, insisted that Sandra was her daughter, Olivia, who disappeared many years ago. Hearing this, the Black Reaper approached Anna and asked to look into his eyes, and then turned to the manager and nodded. After that, the Reaper did an unprecedented act, he took Anna's hands in his palms, and after that he bowed to the ghost woman. However, for Sandra, the words of an unfamiliar woman still meant nothing.
The manager invited Anna into the office, everyone else pulled up there, even the grand lady came and stood at the door, she was interested to know the history of the troublemaker. However, the manager refused to listen to Anna's life story. Now something else was important, Anna was not on the list of the deceased, which is why she could not enter the customs palace for the dead. Still, after all, Anna spent two hundred years in her house in the form of an undead soul. The manager was in a small stupor, he did not know how to solve this inpoll now. However, with Anna it was necessary to resolve the issue quickly and radically. There was silence. Finally Sandra said
- Mr. Manager, what if...
- What? - in one voice asked the reaper, Eo and the manager
- I ... - the girl was embarrassed, - can I tell the manager in private? But... no, I can't...
Tears welled up in Sandra's eyes.
- But, Sandra, the decision must be made now, - the manager tried to insist, - tell me what you came up with!
- The thing is ... - the girl blushed, - no, I can't.
-Sandra, -the girl's father, who suddenly appeared and pressed the grand lady at the door, decided to be strict, -it's impossible, you're at work!
- But I ... - Sandra burst into tears, - I ...
-Enough! - Intervened Eo, - Don't you see that now before you is not Sandra, but Li Yu Mi.
“Lord, they’ve got a hell of a lot going on here,” the grand lady grumbled, returning to her seat, “and how do they distinguish these three Sandra personalities from each other?”
Meanwhile, the men watched with pity as the girl's three personalities struggled. Moreover, each of the three men rooted for the person he loved or respected. Sandra's father generally refused to accept the idea that two more ghosts live in his daughter, although he himself was a ghost.
Suddenly, Li Yu Mi stopped crying, the manager thought that Sandra had returned, but no, now Olivia took over.
- I know what needs to be done, - the girl laughed rather and cheerfully, - we need this woman ... - Olivia turned to Anna, - this woman ... Ma ... Mom? Mom, is that you? Mom, - Olivia sobbed as loudly as she laughed a few seconds ago, - Mom, why did you do this to me? You left me! Have you fallen out of love with me?
"No," the ghost woman screamed, "no, it's not me!" Your grandparents took you away from me! No, you must listen to me!
-Don't come near! -Olivia grabbed scissors from the table, -if you take another step, I'll stab myself! I'll pierce my throat, I'll gouge my eyes!
- But, Olivia, - Anna tried to take a step towards her daughter, - please, listen to me!
“Mistress Anna,” the reaper intervened, he spoke deliberately slowly and calmly to defuse the situation, “I would not recommend that you approach the girl now. Can't you see that Olivia isn't joking?
Olivia, my love, you need to rest!
“Mr. Reaper,” the girl laughed, “I’m not tired. The work day has just begun!
After these words, the manager and Sandra's father breathed a sigh of relief. Sandra is back!
- Continue your thought, - the manager said, - what did you come up with?
- Well, - Sandra nodded, - I think that Mrs. Anna should be settled in our hotel for the time being. If the customs palace is still closed to Mrs. Anna, then the hotel is the only way out. It is open to any ghost day and night. But, first, you need to take the ghost lady to the sauna, the one where there are hot baths. I don't think she's ever washed in two hundred years!
- Well done, daughter! - The customs officer clapped his hands, - you have always been smart with me!
SCALES FOR WEIGHING SINS
This was Sandra's third life. In her first life, she was Lee Yu Mi, a Korean beauty. In her second life, her name was Olivia. Olivia's mother, as you understand, was Anna. Now, in her third life, Sandra, like a moth to a flame, rushed to where she could get answers to the riddles that remained in her past lives. Until Sandra got a job as an assistant manager, everything was fine with her. Personalities from her previous lives took over her only in a dream. But even this was enough for Sandra to feel overwhelmed, tired and not getting enough sleep in the morning. However, if it were not for the cataclysm that happened in the customs palace on the Sanzu River, most likely the personalities from past lives would hardly have manifested themselves and taken over Sandra. Although... Anything is possible. Maybe Sandra was destined to face her past one on one one day.
Now Sandra was calm. The ghost woman issue was settled for a while and Sandra was pleased with herself. Lady Anna was escorted to the hotel, the Black Reaper went about his business, the customs officer and the manager talked briefly about something and also left. Sandra and Eo had a separate office. Returning to it, the girl and the young man immediately went deep into their work.
Moreover, for Sandra, as soon as she started working, the whole world ceased to exist, which could not be said about the second assistant manager. Eo couldn't concentrate today. The thought that his beloved Li Yu Mi was so close and yet so far tormented the young man and did not give him the opportunity to delve into the work, which by the way had accumulated a lot. Finally, even Sandra noticed that Eo was sitting and doing nothing. From the moment Sandra learned that there were two other personalities in her, and one of them was Eo's former lover, the ease in talking with the young man disappeared. However, today Sandra decided to overpower herself and asked Eo a question.
-What's happened? Are you unable to complete this table? Can help you?
-No. Everything is fine. The truth is, my numbers don't add up. One document says that 9 million people passed through the Sanzu River Bridge in January, and another document states that 8 million 999 thousand.
-And what? Call the statistics department and check! This is problem?
-No. Thisno problem. The problem is elsewhere...
-In what?
- Well, how should I say... We are colleagues, and I hope that we will work together for a long time!
-Yes, I hope so! But what is the problem then?
- You, Sandra, for some reason avoid me! And I would not want to have such a relationship between us! We are colleagues! Can we go to the bar together tonight?
“Eo, I don’t want to offend you, but you understand… The situation that has developed is rather unusual. These are my personalities... Oh, sorry, the bell! I need an urgent answer!
After the call, it turned out that Eo and Sandra urgently needed to visit one of the customs officers at home. The customs officer, it was a girl, didn't show up for work today. She did not answer calls. When Sandra and Eo approached the house where the customs girl lived, they immediately did not like the color of the frame on the windows. In all the houses, the color of the frames was the same - white, and only in this house the window frames were red. The color did not please, but disturbed!
The door was not locked. The customs girl didn't react when the manager's assistants entered the house.
She sat on the bed and looked at one point. Sandra followed the girl's gaze, but there was nothing on the wall where the girl was staring so intently. In front of the manager's assistants was an ordinary white wall.
- Katya, can you hear me? - Sandra touched the girl's shoulder, - What's wrong with you? Can I call a doctor from the medical sector?
However, the customs girl just shook her head.
Sandra looked at Eo, but he just shrugged.
However, Sandra was not used to backing down, she firmly knew that if there is a problem, then it needs to be solved.
“Katya,” she turned to the girl again, “you must tell me what happened to you? I, Sandra, the first assistant manager, next to me is Eo, the second assistant manager. We can't leave until we figure out what happened to you. If something serious happened to you, then we need to know how to help you. Please don't be silent!
“These evil old men,” the girl began to say, and suddenly burst into tears, “they told me that!” They cursed me and my future lives!
- Wait, Katya, - Eo entered the conversation, - Please explain calmly, who are these evil old people and what did they tell you?
- I... - the customs girl swallowed, but the lump in her throat still prevented her from speaking, - I work here, at the customs post, not very long ago. Just six months. When the disasters on the Sanzu River began, I suddenly remembered that I was not a very good person in life. This is probably why, when the question arose of where to go after death, there was a slight hitch. On the one hand, I led a far from righteous life, and on the other hand, I did nothing wrong to anyone. Therefore, it was suggested to me that while my matter was resolved, I would work for some time here at the customs palace for the dead by the Sanzu River. I agreed. My position is not very high. And the work is very simple. I work as an escort. However, I had no choice when I put my finger on the contract. In fact, I would like to accompany people who have left earthly life only to the bridge or to a special boat, but I still have to accompany people to the old man and old woman. As you know, these disgusting old man and old woman take off the shirts of dead people, and in order to weigh the sins, they put them on the scales. The Customs Palace's computer does the job perfectly on its own, without any weighing of the shirts. As soon as the deceased person takes the first steps in the customs palace, the computer already then gives a complete analysis. The second stage is when the deceased person, or rather his soul, comes to the customs booth. At this moment, the computer rechecks the data, analyzes it again, and gives the exact direction to the deceased person. The work of an old man and an old woman is rather a relic. But for some reason this couple considers themselves irreplaceable. The old man and the old woman consider themselves the ultimate truth. That day I accompanied two twins. They were five year old girls. The little ones were scared and held hands. In fact, according to the rules, it is not supposed to accompany two people at once. But the girls flatly refused to go to the old man and the old woman separately. By the time we got there, the computer had already issued a ticket. As expected, the children did not have time to sin, and after weighing, I had to accompany them to the boat. So I considered the visit to the old man and the old woman only a formality. However, what was my surprise when, after weighing the girls' shirts, the old man and the old woman pressed the red button. This meant, as you know, that the children were to be dragged to their lair by the dragons. I objected. I showed the old man and the old woman the coupon that the computer had given out. And she told them that a boat was waiting for the children at the pier. The old man turned purple, and the old woman began to scold. At this time, the crest of a dragon appeared from the water. I got excited. Hiding the girls behind my back, I told the old people that I would not give them to the dragon. The girls started crying. Suddenly the old woman pointed her finger at me, and then said that since I behave like this, dragons are not for girls, but for me. As soon as the due date of my internship in tcustoms palace, and the time will come to weigh my shirt again, I will be punished and the dragons will tear piece by piece from my soul for an eternity. My head went haywire after these words, I wanted to be rude to the old people, but fortunately I restrained myself. Turning around, I took the girls with me, and curses and promises flew after me that the next weighing of my shirt would definitely lead me to the lair of dragons. I took the girls to the boat, the boat set sail and the girls waved at me for a long time. Probably, now their souls have already been reborn, but I cannot calm down. As soon as I think about the fact that I have to go to work, my legs give way, and the angry voices of the old man and the old woman begin to sound in my ears.
- Katya, - after a short pause, Sandra spoke again, - I want you to calm down. I listened to your version of what happened, but in order to get the full picture, I need to listen to the other side of the conflict. In the meantime, I'll go back to my office and re-enter your details into the computer. This is necessary in order to redirect you to another corridor. Now you will accompany people on other routes. After that, I will meet with the old people, this is necessary in order to collect complete information for the conflict commission, which will make its decision. Now I suggest you take a break, tomorrow morning you will receive information on your phone about exactly where the computer will direct you.
After the customs girl calmed down, Sandra and Eo left her house. Sandra had been sitting in her office for a long time, in front of the computer, but the story of the customs girl did not leave her head. After the computer confirmed that Katya's transfer request had been agreed and approved, Sandra suggested that Eo go to the customs palace after lunch break to hear the old people's version of the conflict with Katya.
The young man of course agreed.
Thanks to the interview, all the employees of the customs palace knew Sandra by sight and smiled at her as she walked in the direction of the river. No signs of trouble. Eo was saying something quietly to Sandra, when he suddenly found that she was not listening to him. The girl's gaze was riveted on two elderly people who were sitting on the river bank. The closer the boy and girl came to the old people, the more tense Sandra's face became. She seemed to be trying to remember something. Eo touched Sandra's hand.
- What's the matter? Is there something wrong?
- No, - Sandra looked away from the old people, - I'm probably still under the impression of Katya's story, and it suddenly seemed to me ... However, it's all empty. I need to calm down, I'm at work, and I must act accordingly. I definitely need to listen to the other side of the conflict.
Eo nodded. And now this moment has come, the assistants of the manager have reached the place where the old man and the old woman have been sitting for several centuries. Not far from here stood a small wooden house, it was in it that, after work, this couple rested.
Eo started the conversation first
-Hello! We are assistant managers. Our visit today is...
Eo did not have time to finish, because Sandra, or rather, her second incarnation, Olivia, suddenly took over and immediately flew off the coils
-Are you grandparents? Hateful couple! Remember me? I'm your granddaughter Olivia! You killed my mother! You destroyed my life! How dare you sit here and judge who lives and who doesn't? You sinners! Damn you!
Suddenly, Olivia grabbed something sharp from her bag and stuck it in the old woman's eye.
-Get it! This is for my mother, Anna!
  Then she went up to the old man and pushed him into the water.
-This is for me! And my ruined life!
  The old man floundered and tried to get up, but the girl walked towards him. Then she called out to Eo
-Press the red button!
However, the stunned young man shook his head.
“Well,” the girl laughed, “then I’ll do it myself!”
Jumping out of the water, she ran to the red button. Fortunately, Eo came to his senses and prevented the girl from making another rash act.
SANZU,STIX,LETA
The mythical Sanzu River was not the only river on earth through which the dead people went to an unknown land.
The Britons had the river Styx, the Slavs had the river Lethe, one can list endlessly and say that each nation had a river of oblivion with its own name, but I will not. In fact, there was only one river, but it connected all the peoples on earth. However, there were points of power on earth that attracted dead people to where their ancestors lived. It so happened that the town near the Sanzu River was the place where once, three hundred years ago, there lived a beautiful girl with an oriental appearance and her name was Li Yu Mi. I do not want to dwell on the moment of death of this girl, I want to talk about her life for now. Lee Yu Mi was the daughter of a wealthy Korean family. Li Yu Mi's parents once came to this city, and they stayed here. The young man Eo did not have Korean roots, the appearance of the young man was quite European. It just so happened that Lee Yu Mi and Eo fell in love with each other. The parents of the boy and girl were against this marriage. However, their love was so strong that nothing could separate them.
  A hundred years later, in the same city, in a large, friendly Italian
th family had another girl, who was named Olivia. But here's the bad luck, the girl was born with an oriental cut of the eyes and swarthy skin. Time passed, the girl grew up, Anna adored her daughter, but she saw that the baby did not look like either her mother or her father. As you understand, in those distant times it was not possible to conduct a genetic test for paternity. Whispers began to fly around the city, Anna was accused of being unfaithful to her husband. Anna's parents before the birth of baby Olivia were very popular people in the city. But the incomprehensible situation with the granddaughter has shaken their reputation. This happened at a time when Anna's husband was away. Anna's husband, Roberto, was a merchant, and often traveled on business to distant lands. Roberto knew the secret of his family and if he had not been away, he could have calmed public opinion. By the time the tragedy occurred, he had been away from home for about 5 years. The situation began to escalate on the day when the baby was 6 years old. On this day, Anna invited guests to her birthday party. However, no one came. Moreover, when Anna's father had an anniversary, and he arranged a dinner and a ball, only a few people came to him, and even then from among the common people. The city fathers and noble citizens did not come.
For Anna's parents, who above all valued their honor and loved to be in the spotlight, it was a disaster! As you understand, Anna could not defend herself, no one wanted to listen to her. The day of the election of the most popular citizen of the city was approaching. There was such a holiday in this city. There were three contenders. Since Anna's father was rich, donated a lot to the poor, was on a short footing with many noble people, and even had a common business with some, it was he who had every chance of winning. That would have happened, that is, everything went to this. However, the laurel wreath did not go to him this time, but to his sworn enemy. Anna's mother and father were beside themselves, they blamed Anna for everything. Morals in those days were cruel. Without a moment's hesitation, Anna's father decided to punish the daughter who had dishonored him. He believed that the cup of his patience had already run out. Even now, two centuries later, Anna remembered that day in great detail. The little girl was unwell then, and Anna had not slept properly for a week. At first, she considered the screams and noise that came to her from the street to be just her sick imagination, but the noise did not subside. Then a crowd of people broke into the house. Anna's servants were unable to do anything. When Anna's father came out of the crowd, the girl rushed to him, she decided that he had come to protect her. However, her father quickly dispelled her hope. The crowd burst into the nursery, Anna grabbed the baby and hugged her. But what could a weak, tired woman do against a crowd of brutalized men? The daughter was torn from her mother's arms. Anna screamed and fought to the last. Olivia was taken away. But that was not all. Four servants, on the orders of Anna's father, seized the woman and carried her into one of the rooms. There were no windows in this room, and the doors were walled up by order of the father. Anna is dead. Baby Olivia was sent out of sight to the village. There she lived with the mother of one of the servants. Six months passed, Roberto returned to the city. However, in the house that he loved so much, no one was waiting for him. The servants had gone, the house was empty. It took several days for Anna's parents to finally deign to give him an audience. Roberto was horrified when he found out what those damned old people had done to his family. By the way, I’ll say right away that the massacre that Anna’s father and mother arranged did not add to their popularity in any way. The townspeople began to shun these people and spat after them. The hope of the father and mother that popularity would return if Anna and Olivia disappeared from the eyes of the townspeople did not materialize. Roberto ordered to break open the doors of the room where his wife was immured, but of course Anna was dead. The inconsolable Roberto arranged a magnificent funeral, which was attended by almost all the inhabitants of the city. The only ones who were not in this crowd were Anna's parents. Roberto's next step was to find his daughter. Anna's parents flatly refused to tell Roberto where they sent their granddaughter. Despite everything, the old man and the old woman considered themselves right. By bribing the servants, Roberto found out where his daughter was. When he arrived in this village, Olivia was in a terrible state. The girl was hardly fed, she was mocked and mocked. Roberto took his daughter, but it took many more years before the girl even slightly forgot the terrible story of her childhood. The old people still believed that it was the birth of Olivia that ruined their lives and put an end to their popularity. Roberto respected Anna's parents and could not treat them cruelly, he endured their attacks and incomprehensible anger. But in one Roberto was firm, he forbade the old people to see his granddaughter. Meanwhile, the beautiful Olivia turned 16 years old, she had a fianc; - a fair-skinned handsome Pavlo, Pavlo was the son of a friend of Roberto, and his father was not opposed when Pavlo and Olivia announced that they wanted to get married. Olivia was a hot, fun and passionate girl, but sometimes she had bad days. This happened when spring was approaching, and the day was approaching when the girl's mother died. INthese days Roberto was especially attentive to his daughter. The wedding of Pavlo and Olivia was magnificent, rich and beautiful. The newlyweds came to congratulate all the nobility of the city. Surprisingly, grandparents also came, and Roberto did not dare to stop them. Everything was fine, but at some point, Olivia, who had drunk several glasses of wine, suddenly got up and asked the guests to be quiet.
- My dear father, dear parents of my fianc;, my beloved Pavlo, dear citizens, I thank you for coming, but the wedding will not continue until two people leave here. These people are murderers, they killed my mother, but they did not suffer any punishment. Here they are! Look at them! - and Olivia pointed to her grandparents, - Damned old people, why do you continue to sit here in this house where you committed the murder? Servants, drive these people out!
Roberto tried to stop his daughter, but she screamed and sent curses towards her grandfather and grandmother. The servants had no choice but to approach the old men. Anna's old father frowned, his face turned purple, he raised his hand and grunted angrily ...
At that moment, Sandra woke up. The dream was terrible, the girl was heavy at heart, and she was glad that this heavy and gloomy dream was finally over.
SANZU RIVER AND HOT DREAMS OF LOVE
Lee Yu Mi - one of the essences of Sandra, also made the girl cry at night. In one of the chapters, I already wrote that Li Yu Mi and her fianc; Eo passionately loved each other, their love bloomed in spite of everyone and everything. The parents of both lovers were against their relationship. Time passed, but nothing changed. Finally, Eo decided to take matters into his own hands, Li Yu Mi and Eo got married in secret. When, after the allotted time, the couple had a daughter, only lovers were happy with the baby. Li Yu Mi's parents did not recognize the wedding, and Eo's parents did not want an Asian girl for their daughter-in-law. The times were harsh, people lived according to the laws of their ancestors, and love was not considered an argument. According to Lee Yu Mi's parents, their daughter never married. Three months after the birth of the baby, who by the way lived in her father's house, Li Yu Mi ran to Eo in tears. In the homeland of Li Yu Mi, a rich groom was found and the girl's family decided to return home. Even the argument that the daughter is married and she has a child did not bother the girl's parents, as I have already said, they did not recognize church marriage. The Korean groom received a portrait of a girl as a gift and was fascinated by her beauty, he was so impressed that he even agreed to take the girl to his family along with her daughter. Naturally, this turn of events did not suit Eo. By this time, Eo's parents, with difficulty, but recognized their son's marriage, and the baby, Eo's daughter, grew up simply charming, and Eo's mother more and more often asked to bring her granddaughter from the children's room. Eo asked Li Yu Mi to leave his father's house, he reminded her that, by all God's laws, she was his wife and mother of his daughter, but the girl was desperately afraid of her parents and could not argue with them. Everything was shaky and incomprehensible. Just before leaving, the girl made up her mind and wanted to talk to her parents, but the result was that she was simply locked in the bedroom. Departure was scheduled for a few weeks later. For a whole week, Lee Yu Mi did not leave the house. Eo many times requested an audience with his wife's father, but the doors of Li Yu Mi's house remained closed to him. Finally, when two days remained before departure, the girl made up her mind. As soon as everyone in the house fell asleep, the girl decided to run away. Trusted maid Li Yu Mi had long ago prepared an escape route for her mistress, but the girl could not make up her mind. And now this moment has come. When Li Yu Mi was outside, she turned around for the last time, looked at her father's house, and without any hesitation directed her steps towards her husband's house. Soon, Li Yu Mi was already holding her daughter in her arms and, together with her husband, admired her beautiful face. It seemed that now everything would be fine, but the next day, guards knocked on the door of Eo's house. The head of the guard demanded that Li Yu Mi go with him, his task was to return the girl to her father's house. Li Yu Mi's father was friendly with the mayor, and, of course, the arguments that the girl's father brought were more weighty than anything Eo could say about this situation. Eo made a decision instantly, he foresaw the situation that happened now with Lee Yu Mi, and the decision was ripe for the lovers. In order to never part, Eo and Li Yu Mi decided to commit suicide. They knew they couldn't live apart. Their baby will remain under the care of Eo's mother, she was not in danger. While the servants were trying to stop the guards, Eo and Li Yu Mi sneaked out through the back doors. The horses were already waiting for them. In two hours they reached the limits of the old farm. Of course, the lovers understood that this was only a temporary respite, and that the guards would find them sooner or later. They did not sleep all night, and when dawn knocked on the windows, Eo filled the glasses. The fine wine of many years of aging was seasoned with a small drop of poison. This poison acted very slowly and painlessly. The man slowly fell asleep, never to wake up again. The guards found traces of the fugitives and a detachment was urgently sent to the old family farm, but it was too late. The lovers went to an unknown land, never letting go of each other's hands.
Sandra woke up crying. My heart was beating fast and it was hard to breathe.
Love, a huge and all-encompassing love that everyone dreams of, was with Sandra all night, and went to a foggy land. Sandra wanted the same kind of love, but of course she didn't want her love to end so tragically.
The Sanzu River has awakened the memories of those who lived a long time ago, but why does Sandra live all those lifetimes in a dream over and over again? Sandra wiped away her tears and went to the mirror. The girl stared at her reflection for a long time, but did not find any resemblance to Lee Yu Mi.
The work day has begun. Sandra sat at her desk and from time to time surreptitiously glanced at Eo. When their eyes met, Eo looked away. Olivia, who suddenly took possession of Sandra's body near the river and made an ugly scene with the old people, frightened Eo very much. The result of the attack was that the old people, who had not yet been touched by the virus that brings back memories, suddenly remembered everything. Horror, regret, hopelessness - all these feelings were reflected on the face of the old man when Eo got him out of the water. With the old woman, everything was more complicated, she remembered little, but her face resembled a mask, blood did not flow from her eye, but her eye was swollen. However, suddenly the memories returned to her. Eo called the manager, he called the Black Reaper. Soon the reaper was already in place. However, Sandra, or rather, Olivia in the body of Sandra, resisted and did not let herself be taken away.
Several days have passed. The manager had a long conversation with the old people. When the manager returned, he did not tell Sandra anything. However, the girl insisted. The manager first of all made sure that it was Sandra in front of him now, and no one dominated her, and only after that briefly informed the girl that the old people would not press charges. But, a problem arose, after the old people remembered everything and realized what they had done in the past, they declared that they could no longer be judges over sinners. The sins of the old man and the old woman were so heavy that even time could not wash them away. The old people asked the manager to give permission for them to leave. The manager agreed to their request and said that he would send the petition. However, if the old people leave, someone will have to take their place. Sandra reminded the manager that the old people's work is useless, they only double-check the computer, but the manager was adamant. He said that here, by the Sanzu River, nothing happens by chance. Everything must go its own way. Many, many centuries ago, the supreme deity signed the first contract with sinners who lost their memory, it was they who were to judge the same sinners as they were, and pass judgment. And this tradition should not have been broken, no matter what modern gadgets ruled people's lives. The day was moving towards noon, Sandra continued to secretly spy on Eo, it seemed incredible to her that it was Eo, this particular man she had seen in a dream. Sandra caught herself jealous of Lee Yu Mi. In order to experience such love, Sandra was ready, it seems, even for sacrifices.
Finally Eo couldn't take it anymore
- Sandra, what's the matter? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?
-No. Sorry. I just wanted to ask... The moment Olivia controlled me... Was I that disgusting?
- Oh... I wouldn't want to offend you! Well, how to say... You... Or rather, Olivia, she... She is so hot-tempered, so hot and unbridled! She just doesn't look like my meek Lee Yu Mi at all. What's wrong with you? Sorry!
Sandra ran out of the office. Her nerves were like bare wires today. She wanted Eo to praise and caress her, but... Sandra burst into tears, unable to contain herself any longer.
She didn't want Eo or the steward to see her in this condition, so she ran around the corner of the building. Squatting down, Sandra gave vent to tears, at that moment the Black Reaper saw her from the window.
-Sandra, -the black reaper bent over the girl, -what happened? Who offended you?
“I…” Sandra tried to say something, but choked. of course, sharp, you know, you can’t blame her for that! The old men who sit by the river...
- Sandra, - the reaper interrupted the girl, - Calm down, don't cry, I know everything. You remember that once I was the husband of this beautiful, unbridled Olivia, and like no one else I know her character. I would wipe away your tears, but I don't have that luxury, unfortunately I can't touch you.
I wish you a dream about what Olivia's life was like. And I hope that you will understand her character to the end.
- Excuse me, - Sandra sobbed, - I didn't want you to see it. I am tormented by such a life, I am brought to tears by memories that are not mine. I don't understand why this is for me?
- If you will, - the Black Reaper looked around, - then I would like to invite you to my office, yet it is not very convenient to talk here. I have some wesli about this.
- Yes, of course, - Sandra nodded, - I need to calm down, and the office of the Black Reaper is the best place for this. I heard you have oblivion tea, could you pour me a cup?
The black reaper, after Sandra entered his office, invited her to sit comfortably, and only after that he answered her last question.
- Madam Sandra, I cannot offer you this tea yet, this tea for those who have died. You are still alive! I understand that you are confused, probably sometimes you do not understand where your life is and where someone else's, but believe me, here, by the Sanzu River, nothing happens just like that.
- Yes, the manager told me about it, and, in precisely these words, but still ...
“The only thing I can promise you is that when your time comes, I will be the reaper who escorts you to the Sanzu River Customs Palace.” If until this moment your desire is not lost, then I will treat you to the tea of oblivion.
- Fine. I'll try to calm down. Well, tell me, now that I'm Sandra again, am I really unworthy of love? Lee Yu Mi's story and your love story with Olivia are so beautiful yet tragic, why doesn't love come to me?
-Oh, Mrs. Sandra, you should not say such things, you are beautiful, and love will surely come to you, however, you should not be equal to the history of those entities that live in you now.
Probably, with your inner vision, you have not yet watched the story of our love with Mrs. Olivia to the end. When this happens, you will understand that our love was beautiful, but the memory of it is painful. And it is better not to stir up the old, but to look to the future.
I, like no one else, understand what is happening to you! Probably, the blood of the meek beauty Li Yu Mi and the frantic Olivia flows in you, so your life has now turned into a terrible fairy tale. Of course, my guesses may be wrong, but all I can do now is try to reassure you, and repeat once again: here at the Sanzu River Customs Palace, nothing happens by chance, that is, just like that.
THE BLACK REAPER OF THE RIVER AND THE SOUL SOLD TO THE DEVIL
Let us return to the situation that prevailed now in the customs palace on the Sanzu River. It was calm here today. This was partly because Mrs. Anna, the ghost woman, made the right choice a few days ago. The moment baby Claudia was in her mother's arms, everything returned to normal in the customs palace on the Sanzu River. Yes, sometimes special children are born, whose life has the ability to turn events in the world like a lever. Baby Claudia was just such a child. If the ghost woman Anna had not intervened in the events, then the world would have been in for a final catastrophe. I already wrote in one of the chapters that the supreme deity treated everything new with awe and interest. This does not mean that if a person was old, then the deity lost interest in him, no, it was something else. We have already talked with you about the fact that even if a person dies, his soul does not disappear. The human body is like a dress for the soul, if the dress becomes unusable, then the soul can try on another dress. The soul has a choice, and it always has.
However, going through an endless process of rebirth, the soul acquired qualities that sometimes amazed even the supreme deity. I will give an analogy, the season is summer, but sunsets and sunrises at this time of the year are different. What is beautiful and ugly in the sunsets and dawns of summer time is not the merit of a deity; the deity is powerless over nature. In the same way, in the process of rebirth of souls, phenomena appear that baffle even the supreme deity. All children are born the same. When a child comes into the world, it takes time for him to become aware of what is happening around him and to become aware of himself in this world. The time it takes for a child to realize this is stretched in different directions. For someone, I mean little Claudia, three months is enough to understand that her mother is standing in front of her and say her name, but most often the process of awareness occurs at the right time. The whole problem is that, passing from incarnation to incarnation, the soul takes with it the experience of past rebirths. The child grows up, someone, even having lived a whole life, may not remember what happened to him in past lives, and someone suffers and does not understand why pictures from past centuries emerge and dominate the present.
In general, as I said, now everything was fine in the customs palace on the Sanzu River, the water left, the earth closed its wounds, and the customs workers returned to their previous state, because again everyone had forgotten. Even the old people, who were weighing their sins, suddenly calmed down, and, as before, continued to do their job. Everything returned to its place. And what was the surprise of the old people when they were called to the manager and informed that their application was approved and in a week a special car with a customs logo for the dead would come for them.
The manager explained to the old people that three days ago, during a personal conversation, the old people had informed him that they were ready to leave. The conversation took place in the presence of two witnesses.to her, who were ready to confirm that such a conversation had taken place and the petition had been sent. When the discouraged old men left, the manager called Eo and told Eo and Sandra to go to his office. However, his order was not carried out to the end. Only Eo came. The young man said that Sandra did not come to work today for some reason, her phone was switched off. Since the working day had just begun, Eo hoped that Sandra would still come. However, when it was noon, and Sandra was not there yet, they decided that someone needed to visit the girl at home. The secretary gave Eo the girl's address and he entered her address into his car's navigator. The girl still lived in the house that she inherited from her parents and was not going to change her place of residence. The iron fence enclosed the space on which the house stood, the gate, like the iron fence, was locked. The young man pressed the call button ten times, but nothing happened. The house stood apart, but Eo still found neighbors who were now at home. As the young man expected, the neighbors could do nothing to help him. Sandra lived alone and the neighbors didn't even know her phone number. Discouraged, Eo returned to Sandra's house. The young man stood for some time near the gate, and then decided that he needed to return. When Eo returned, the manager was not there, he went to the city on some business. Of course, one could wait for the manager and calmly report everything to him, but Eo could not do that. You remember that one of the incarnations of Sandra was Eo's beloved - Li Yu Mi. However, this was not even the point, the young man was simply worried about his colleague - Sandra. The manager's phone was busy, when the manager finally answered, it turned out that he was on his way to a neighboring city. However, something had to be done, the manager understood that the problem would not resolve itself. Sandra was a responsible girl, and if she did not come to work, then this was a signal that something was wrong with her. It could be assumed that Sandra, for example, went to a cafe with her friends and abused alcohol, and that is why she did not come today, but this was hardly believed. The situation was aggravated by the fact that, as you remember, two more personalities lived in Sandra, who from time to time took the girl up. The manager suspected that this situation had kept Sandra out of work today. But these were all assumptions, and to find out what really happened, you had to somehow get into Sandra's apartment. The young man offered the manager this option to resolve the problem, he had to go to the customs palace and contact the customs officer, Sandra's father, he probably had to remember the code on the gate. The manager liked this idea, but there was a problem, the pass key with which the young man could open the doors of the customs palace was still not ready, which is why the young man until now could only visit the customs palace with Sandra. All this time, the manager tried to ensure that as few people as possible knew about the problem with Sandra's personalities, and therefore it was now difficult to immediately make a decision. So, it was difficult for the manager to make a decision while driving and so he asked Eo to wait a bit. However, Eo was suddenly lucky, a reaper came to the manager on some business. The black reaper saw Eo sitting in the waiting room, there was no face on the young man. When the reaper was convinced that the steward was absent, he made up his mind and approached Eo. The Black Reaper did not like the assistant manager a little, Eo responded to the Black Reaper with the same, but now, when Sandra was supposedly in trouble, there was no time to sort things out. The Black Reaper's first impulse, after Eo told him about the problem, was to go to the customs palace and ask for help from the customs officer, but then the Black Reaper remembered that Sandra's father was the only one left with his past memory. The black reaper did not want his acquaintance with the customs officer to become the subject of gossip by other employees of the customs palace. After a short conversation, the Black Reaper and Eo came to a common decision. They needed to be together in Sandra's house and it needed to be done as quickly as possible. The Black Reaper had to ride in the same car with the assistant manager. When this strange couple arrived at Sandra's house, the assistant manager remained in the car. The black reaper, for whom there were no barriers, passed through the fence and the door of the house and was soon inside. The first thing he heard was loud groans and crying. After a little hesitation, the Black Reaper entered the room where the sounds were heard. Sandra was lying on the floor, she was unconscious, but she was moaning and crying, her eyeballs under her eyelids were turning violently. The black reaper could not help Sandra in any way, he was even slightly afraid to touch her. After some thought, he made a decision. I had to go back and tell the assistant manager that Sandra was seriously ill. Having made such a decision, the Black Reaper really wanted to leave Sandra's bedroom, but the girl suddenly touched the Black Reaper's legs, and then wrapped her arms around his legs. The black reaper did not have time to react, as he was dragged into Sandra's delirium.
- Pavlo, my love! Where have you been for so long? Me andRock you, the Black Reaper heard Sandra's voice.
However, the voice of the girl who spoke was still slightly different from Sandra's voice. This voice was louder, and the words were pronounced with a slight accent, which gave the speech an additional charm.
The black reaper looked at the speaker, yes, there was no doubt, his wife Olivia was in front of him. Olivia was sewing something, when the reaper looked closer, he saw that Olivia was probably sewing a doll for her newborn daughter.
However, looking at the doll again, the reaper turned cold.
- Olivia, dear, why did you sew this doll? Why does the doll have your grandmother's face?
“Pavlo,” Olivia shook her head slyly, “these are women’s affairs, don’t interfere in them!”
- But, my heart, nevertheless, answer me!
- Well, you know, I can't refuse you anything! If you want to reveal a secret, this doll is not the only one! Look, I made another one yesterday! Do you know who this doll looks like? On my damned grandfather!
But, my poor Olivia, why?
"Neither you nor your father want to punish those damned old people!" Therefore, I decided everything myself! I sold my soul to the devil!
YOUR SOUL IS WITH THE DEVIL? SANZU PALACE IS NOT FOR YOU
What does the expression "sell your soul to the devil" mean to you? For example, I understand it literally, there is a devil and there is a person who has one value left when he dies and goes to an unknown land - this is his soul. Everything that was valuable in earthly life, money, house, car, jewelry, even a beloved family - all this remains in the past and is quickly forgotten as soon as the Black Reaper takes the hand of a deceased person and the doors of the customs hall for the dead near the Sanzu River move apart and let inside. So, we have come to the conclusion that a person has the only value in life - his soul, only it remains with him when a person sets off on his last journey. The devil - the dark side of God, has long understood that there is an opportunity to annoy the creator by looking for and finding people all over the earth who are ready to sell the most valuable thing - their soul. Since I am fortunately still alive, then all my reasoning is a theory of pure water, but sometimes I hear the whisper of a black angel and a white angel. It is they who whisper stories to me that I write down in the morning so as not to forget. However, maybe these are not angels, but just my exorbitant imagination. So let's continue with our introduction. I want to say one more thing, a person who has sold his soul to the devil cannot enter the doors of the customs hall. A person who sold his soul to the devil is a bankrupt, and in business terms, no money - no service. I have already said that everything on our earth is interconnected, human life - hard or easy - is work, everyday work. If for some reason a person does not go to work, but manages the household, he still works. Communicating with family, with neighbors, sellers in stores and on the market, a person establishes connections, there is an exchange not only of money and information, there is an exchange of spiritual connections, the energy of life. This is work. When a man dies, he goes away for a big weekend. The escort, that is, the Black Reaper, leads him directly to the gates of the customs palace. And the ghosts that were once people, but did not want to leave with the Black Reaper, what to do with them, you ask? Yes, this is an interesting question and quite controversial. Despite all the predestination, the earthly man is a free man. At the birth of a child, the creator gives a canvas for embroidery, where the canvas is already ready, however, as you understand, this does not mean that one embroidery, that is, life, should be similar to another. Canvas is the postulates of God: do not kill, do not steal, do not covet your neighbor's wife, and probably her husband too! In order for peace to reign on earth, people must raise children adhering to this canvas, which the Lord God and nature gives them at birth, and otherwise the human will is free. Everyone is free to build his life as he wishes. However, since we do not live alone on earth, we must adhere to the laws that the Lord God draws on the canvas at birth. Back to ghosts. Who are ghosts, do you think? If you ask me, then I will say this, ghosts are people who, during their earthly life, did not complete all their affairs and remained on earth. When the time came, the Black Reaper was unable to escort the person who wished to remain a ghost. Yes, even in this case, the creator takes into account the will of man. So, this ghost lives on earth, neither alive nor dead for some time, but, in the end, the goal that he pursues is fulfilled and the ghost decides that he can already go to the customs palace, that is, something like this happens, what happened to Mrs. Anna. I will not retell this chapter, you can reread it. The only thing I will add on this matter is that the ghost woman, Mrs. Anna, was unable to enter the doors of the customs palace when she decided that all her deeds were done.
The last chapter ended with the Black Reaper, along with the assistant manager, driving up to Sandra's house. That day Sandra did not come to work, her phone was also turned off, so it was decided to go to her house as soon as possible.but rather. A few hours earlier, the assistant manager had already knocked on Sandra's house, but no one answered. Now, the Black Reaper came to the aid of the girl along with the assistant manager. Eo, assistant manager, was, if you remember, an unusual person, he spent some time in a coma, and while he was in this state, his soul was divided into 99 parts. After the young man came to his senses, the soul returned to him, but he still had a gift, he began to see ghosts. Therefore, the manager of the customs palace near the Sanzu River accepted him as a second assistant. The first assistant, as you remember, was Sandra. Of course, from the point of view of an ordinary person, the second assistant manager - Eo was an unusual person, he saw ghosts and could communicate with them. However, that's all, the second assistant manager did not have any other extraordinary qualities. Now that Sandra was supposedly in trouble, someone was needed who could literally walk through doors. Fortunately, such a person, or rather not a person, but a creature, was found. The black reaper, who was not indifferent to Sandra's fate, passed through the doors of the girl's house and entered her bedroom. Sandra was lying for some reason not on the bed, but on the floor. The girl was unconscious, she tossed and groaned. Sandra's eyeballs rolled wildly, and she screamed from time to time. Her voice rose to the ceiling, then dropped to a whisper. Sandra, or to be more precise now, one of her essences, laughed, then cried. The black reaper approached the girl and leaned over her to understand what the girl was talking about. Suddenly Sandra wrapped her arms around the reaper's legs. The Reaper did not even have time to think about anything, as he was dragged into the past.
The black reaper, as I already wrote, was in the past. Now the Black Reaper had a name, his name was Pavlo, Pavlo looked around, his wife Olivia, one of the essences of Sandra, was sitting near the window and making something. Pavlo smiled and looked tenderly at his wife. His dove Olivia was as beautiful as ever today, she sat in the rays of the sun that beat from the window. A few months ago, Olivia gave birth to a daughter, motherhood made Pavlo's wife even more beautiful. Everything was perfect with Olivia, face, voice, figure, eyes, everything was enough in this woman, but something was still missing. Pavlo's wife did not have peace and serenity in her eyes. Approaching Olivia, Pavlo asked what she was doing. The answer discouraged him, Olivia was engaged in the manufacture of magic dolls that had the face of grandparents. This woman, Olivia, was a wonderful person. She loved to laugh, joke, she was accommodating, she had a great sense of humor. The only thing in which Pavlo and Olivia could not find a common language was in relation to their grandparents. Pavlo, of course, knew the tragic story of his wife, all the inhabitants of the city knew this story, but he believed that the fate of Olivia's grandfather and grandmother should be left to God, revenge could not solve anything! So did Olivia's father, Roberto.
Olivia didn't argue with her husband, she just smiled slyly and shook her head. Pavlo relaxed, he thought that his wife was joking, but what she said later horrified him.
- Pavlo, dear, I love you very much, I had a beloved mother, but she was killed. Now I have only three people left on earth whom I love madly, my father, you and my daughter. For you, I'm ready to do anything. I don't want you to take revenge on your grandparents. You do not need to take this sin on your soul, I will do it. In fact, she already did. Three days ago I sold my soul to the devil.
- What are you saying? - Pavlo was covered with perspiration, - you can’t say this out loud! You will be burned at the stake like a witch! The age of the inquisitors is not over yet!
- Yes, I know, 15 years ago my grandfather was the head of the inquisitors!
But the story of my mother opened the eyes of the inhabitants of the city, and the Inquisition went underground.
- Yes, dear, now is a more modern age, but if someone finds out about what you said just now, the consequences will be unpredictable.
- I'm not afraid. Madame Teresa, the mistress of a magical salon, brought strange knowledge from her travels around the world. As she told me in secret, now she has Voodoo magic in her arsenal. That's what I told you when I said I sold my soul to the devil. Voodoo magic is a diabolical art.
- My God, - Pavlo took a breath, - you scared me so much! If you said that the devil is your friend Teresa, I wouldn't be so scared!
- Oh, dear, I'm not kidding, but if you want to take this news in this way, then please. Anything, as long as you don't worry!
I believe Teresa, her magic is very strong. Her knowledge is black smoke. I know that there are women in the city who have created a circle of followers of Madame Teresa. I do not belong to this circle, but I know that all these women are tied with black smoke and will not be able to betray Madame Teresa. These women were initiated by black smoke, and now Madame Teresa's magic has gained unprecedented dimensions and power!
-Olivia, my joy, please don't! Your grandfather and grandmother are very old, they will soon give an answer to the Almighty, do not try to administer lynching, do not be like them!
-It's late and nothing depends on me, and I don't want to change anything. There is a drop of black smoke in each thread from which the dolls are made. It remains only to drive needles into the heart of the dolls. Someday I will make up my mind and ... Oh!
-Olivia! My love! What's wrong with you, no, don't go, I don't want to!
The black reaper woke up. He sat on the floor in Sandra's bedroom. The girl was carried on a stretcher to the ambulance. Eo, without waiting for news from the Black Reaper, called the Ministry of Emergency Situations and an ambulance, and Sandra was taken to the hospital.
FINAL. PALACE FOR THE DEAD ON THE SANZU RIVER DISAPPEARED
Sandra was unconscious for about three days. The doctors did not understand anything, according to all indicators, the girl was absolutely healthy. However, the result was obvious, Sandra was unconscious. Three days later, an unfamiliar number popped up on the manager's phone. They called from the hospital. At that moment, when Sandra was registered in the hospital, the manager identified himself as her guardian. And now he got a call from there. The manager arrived immediately. Sandra came to her senses, but not for long. The manager was just talking about the news in the customs palace, when Sandra suddenly lost consciousness and started screaming that she was on fire. The manager pressed the panic button, and the doctors immediately came running. Sandra came to and lost consciousness again. This happened more than once or twice. The girl regained consciousness, then after a few minutes she stopped responding to others and lost consciousness. As soon as she lost consciousness, something began to happen to her. The entities that lived in the girl suffered and wept. The manager summoned the Black Reaper and his second assistant. The steward hoped that now, as well as when Sandra was between life and death, the embrace of the Black Reaper, or maybe the youth of Eo, would help her come to her senses. Sandra was screaming so desperately, writhing so in pain, that two men and one ghost had tears in their eyes. Time passed, and the girl did not get better.
In the intervals between two border states, she called either Eo or the Black Reaper.
“Eo,” arching at an unthinkable angle, she suddenly screamed without opening her eyes, and then fell again, “where is my daughter? What happened to her? We loved each other too much to think about what will become of her when we leave! Who carried it to the first communion? To whom did she tell, embarrassed and stammering, about the nascent first love? Who led her to the altar during the wedding? Why didn't we think about it when we decided to die? Eo, answer me! Are you here? I can't open my eyes!
“Lee Yu Mi,” Eo leaned over the bed, “we are together now, and this is the main thing!
-No. I came to say goodbye to you! There, in the unknown future, we will meet again, as we dreamed. Swear we won't make the mistakes of the past again! No matter how hard it is, we will stand and not die prematurely by our own hand. Swear!
- Lee Yu Mi, I swear! But you will not leave! -Eo shook his head negatively, - You promised then, my love...
However, the girl fell silent again and did not respond, no matter how Eo called her. A day later, she finally opened her eyes and asked the manager to call her father. The ghost customs officer came, took Sandra by the hand, she seemed to feel better, but then she again lost consciousness. This torment continued for another week. A week later, the girl suddenly raised her head from the pillow and asked for a drink. Men - two ghosts and two people immediately rushed to help her. But the water did not affect Sandra again as everyone expected. After drinking a few sips, Sandra looked at the Black Reaper and said
- Honey, I must be dying! I want to ask you, bring my mother to me, bring Anna to me. I undeservedly offended her last time, she did me nothing wrong, and I pushed her away.
Soon the ghost woman, Mrs. Anna, was already standing by Sandra's bed.
However, Sandra apparently used up the last of her strength on the request, and now she was getting worse every minute. Anna wrung her hands in desperation, and then... Remember, I wrote that the pattern of wallpaper in Olivia's children's room would play a role? And so it happened. I quote one of the chapters “The wallpaper that Anna once chose for her daughter's children's room had a simple, not even intricate pattern. The wallpaper depicted a little girl in a puffy, short dress, knee-high stockings, and red shoes. The girl held a carrot in her hands, and bent over a white, fluffy rabbit to treat him with a carrot.
Touching Sandra's hand, Anna tried to remind her daughter of this picture from her childhood. When Olivia fell asleep, she usually stroked the picture on the wallpaper. It helped, Anna's memory was transferred to her daughter and the girl opened her eyes
- Mom, - Sandra whispered, - I'm your daughter, do you recognize me? Forgive me if you can! I don't understand what is happening to me. And you know, Mom, I remembered something, I remembered the terrible moment of my death. Then I went to Madame Teresa for some advice, I had such a friend. To my shame, I want to repent to you, I sewed two dolls that would help me destroy my grandfather and grandmother. This magic is called voodoo magic. That day, Madame Teresa also had a few friends visiting. All these womenand the girls were followers of Madame Teresa. I was not a zealous admirer, and did not perform rituals along with her followers, but the trouble caught us all together. That evening my daughter was naughty. I couldn't put it down for a long time. My husband, Pavlo, was away, maybe that's why the baby was so capricious, she loved her father very much. After putting my daughter to bed and giving instructions to the nurse, I went to Madame Teresa. It was still not too late, the clock on the city hall struck only 10 times. Madame Teresa offered me a cup of tea, I refused, saying that I just ran in for a few minutes, but she insisted. Then her friends joined her. I was on good terms with all these women and girls. Some I knew well, and some I only bowed to from afar. We were talking over a cup of tea, the conversation lasted about an hour, when suddenly we all smelled burning at the same time. God, how painful, my body is a solid wound from burns! - the girl groaned, - No, I have to tell everything to the end! That evening I did not return home, I was burned alive along with Madame Teresa and her friends. Grandfather was the man who decided to shake up the old days and pulled on the inquisitor's cassock. Grandfather followed me to Madame Teresa's house and told his two friends, scumbags like him, that the time had come! His friends did not want to move from words to deeds, but he insisted. In the mouth of the grandfather it sounded like a witch hunt, in the eyes of the townspeople it was a murder. In addition to me and Madame Teresa, seven other women died that evening. Grandfather was proud of himself and pleased.
I can't tell anymore, it hurts me...! God, how it hurts!
Sandra sobbed.
- Olivia, my love! - the Black Reaper suddenly shouted, - I also remembered everything to the end! When I returned home and learned about the tragedy, my mind was confused. You, my dove, were pure before God, you never carried out your revenge. I was very sorry that I didn't listen to you. Your father was crying in unrelenting pain. Having lost his wife, he has now lost his daughter. Life has lost all meaning. Together with your father, we gathered the townspeople and staged lynching. We walled up the grandfather and grandmother in the room, that is, we did the same thing that they once did with their daughter. After that we set fire to the house. I don't know if those damned old people survived after that. The townspeople now bypassed this house. Revenge was complete. Again, it hurt and scared me to think that I didn't listen to you. I couldn't live anymore. But there was still a baby, our daughter. Six months have passed, but the pain in my soul has not subsided. I called Roberto, your father, and told him my decision. I left all my movable and immovable property to him and my daughter. I couldn't live without you anymore. Roberto begged me to change my mind, I refused him. Roberto asked me for mercy, he begged me to change. Like me, he did not want to live, We were both ready to die, but our baby remained. Finally, seeing my inflexibility, Roberto was forced to agree. He stayed and I killed myself. I went to where I thought you were waiting for me. However, suicides do not go to heaven and cannot be reunited with their loved ones. I walked and walked, the fog did not thin. I was tired of walking, and the road ahead still did not open. I walked for an eternity, but nothing changed. Then I prayed, I repented of my sin, I repented of all my sins and the just God heard me. The fog cleared and I found myself near the customs palace of the Sanzu River. However, this was not the end, I was offered to sign a contract. According to the contract, I became the Black Reaper. As soon as my ink signature on the contract dried up, the memory left me. But now... Olivia, now we can be together! Olivia! God, she's passed out again!
Time passed, and Sandra only got worse. Everyone was in despair. Finally, the manager had an idea and suggested to the customs officer and Mrs. Anna to take Sandra's hands in theirs. Surprisingly, it helped. The girl just fell asleep. Her breathing evened out and her face flushed. Sandra slept and slept. Anna and the customs officer did not leave her bed, the Black Reaper also remained nearby. Now that he remembered everything to the end, his term of service came to an end. The manager and his assistant were at work during the day, and in the evening they returned to the ward again. Sandra was asleep. One day, the second assistant manager - Eo, looking at the beautiful, calm face of Sandra, thoughtfully said
- What do you think, if everyone who is in the ward now takes Sandra by the hand, will she wake up?
Everyone liked the idea of a second assistant. Whether it worked out or not, no one knew, but there should be no harm from Eo's idea.
Mrs. Anna sat on the left side of the bed and the customs officer on the right, both holding Sandra's hand. The manager, the second assistant of Eo and the Black Reaper - each of the heroes of my story approached the sleeping Sandra and touched her hand. During these manipulations, Anna and the customs officer did not remove their hands from the hand of their daughter. The idea of Eo's assistant gave its result, but again a little not the one that everyone expected. Sandra really came into her own. Looking around the room, she
smiled at the manager and his assistant, and then asked
- Why am I here, have I been sick for a long time? Ah, I remembered! Perhaps this is the result of that accident? That red car hit me at the crossroads? And you are probably the driver of that car and the passenger. Why are you silent, gentlemen? Is my guess correct? Or maybe you know me?
Sandra forgot everything. It seemed to her that she was coming to her senses after the accident, which, by the way, actually happened a couple of years ago. The faces of the steward and his assistant brought no memory to her. And she never saw the customs officer, Anna, and the Black Reaper again. The last six months have fallen out of her memory. The ability to see dead people also disappeared. In front of the manager and Eo was an ordinary girl. This is how this unusual story almost ended. As you understand, the Black Reaper, Anna and the customs officer were happy for Sandra, because she returned to the world of the living and became an ordinary girl.
After some time, the Black Reaper, who several centuries ago bore the name of Pavlo and was the lover of the beautiful woman Olivia, left. Before leaving, he drank oblivion tea. He was sorry that he had not kept his promise, and that another Black Reaper would see Sandra off when her time came, but there was nothing to be done. The soul of the Black Reaper was ready to embark on a new journey. He looked around the office, watered the flowers, heated the seal, and left an imprint on his elbow.
My soul, my story, is already very, very, very ready to end, but not all mysteries have yet been solved.
Before getting into the car, the old people, who for so many centuries weighed other people's sins, suddenly remembered the moment of their death, their sin. Then, walled up in a room in retaliation for the murder, they suffocated from burning, but the saving death did not come. The fire ended, but the pungent smell confused the sense of smell of the townspeople for a long time. The old people weakened, the liberator death seemed to be in cahoots with the townspeople, she never came. Grandfather could no longer watch the suffering of his wife, he remembered the stiletto, which, just in case, he wore for many years in his boot when he went out into the street. With the consent of her husband, the wife killed herself, and then the old man committed suicide with the same stiletto. After that, each of the old people forgot everything, forgot for many centuries. And now... The car with the Sanzu River logo was moving slowly, and the memories were swarming more and more in the heads of the old people. Finally, the old man could not stand it, he jumped up and began to beat his head against the back of the car seat, and his wife began to tear her face apart. However, the driver of this special car did not even turn around, he had seen nothing like this during his work. The old men were raging in the back seat, and he calmly turned the steering wheel.
A week later, the manager summoned a customs officer and Mrs. Anna. This couple had a lot to talk about. That is why the manager suggested that Mrs. Anna and the customs officer take the place of the old people who were weighing the sins. It didn't look like the customs officer would ever forget the events that had taken place over the past six months. The case of Mrs. Anna was considered in the heavenly office, but most likely the result was not expected soon. During the time of duty near the bed of her daughter, Mrs. Anna and the customs officer became friends. They shared a common concern.
Time will pass, and the customs officer, together with Mrs. Anna, will leave for that land where all souls go. But for now, their work is the fate of sinners. By agreeing to this job, Anna and the customs officer swore to each other and to the manager that their judgment on sinners would only be fair.

The manager put an end to the document and sighed. It was his last hour of work. After this strange story happened with his assistant Sandra, something happened to him. The manager has lost his ability. It didn't happen gradually, it happened all at once. Yesterday he could communicate with his secretary, but today he simply did not see her at the workplace. Upon discovering this, the manager was very surprised, but decided that for some reason the secretary did not come to work today. Time did not wait, and the manager decided to go with an inspection to the customs palace for the dead. Imagine his surprise when the palace was not in place. He just didn't see it. It was only at that moment that the amazing truth finally opened his eyes. The manager realized that for some reason he was fired from this job. Returning to his office, the manager wrote a letter of resignation. This happened just in time, because in a second the manager only blinked his eyes and looked at his office in surprise. He did not understand why he was here, and there was no one to tell him about the past events. His assistant Eo lost his powers a few days ago. After Sandra had forgotten everything, it was Eo's turn. The young man, Eo, remembered only how he got to the hospital, all other events licked up like a cow with his tongue. And now it's the manager's turn. The young man did not know that he had already completed his lesson. The meeting with Sandra, Eo's second mate, the Black Reaper, Lady Anna, the customs officer, and the old men of the Sanzu River, was not accidental. Because, as you probablyRemember, here at the Sanzu River, nothing happens by accident.
P.S
It was spring. A beautiful girl named Sandra came to a store that sold new books. She knew that a certain writer, that is, I, had recently released a book. The story in the book vaguely reminded Sandra of something familiar and close. When Sandra read the summary of the book in the promotional booklet, it seemed to her that this story was familiar to her. I sat at the table and signed autographs. The book was released in a huge circulation, but was sold out in an hour. There was only one copy of the book left in the window, to which Sandra extended her hand, but she was ahead of her. The young man, whose face seemed vaguely familiar to Sandra, took the book first. The young man's name was Andy. Seeing Sandra's distress, he immediately gave the book to the girl. Sandra liked this gesture of the young man, and she returned the book to him. So they would have given the book to each other if they had not seen that the writer, that is, I was going to leave. Then Sandra had an idea. She really wanted to meet a young man, but did not know how to do it, and now she had an idea. She asked the young man for his name and came up to me. The writer, that is, I smiled and sat down. Soon the book was autographed, which was intended for two young people - Sandra and Andy. That was the name, as I said, of the young man. One book for two did not allow young people to part that evening. What will happen to them next, I do not know. But everything will probably be fine. You remember that the supreme deity gives only a canvas, and people do embroidery on this canvas themselves. Yeah, wait, you're probably curious to know who Andy is? Really curious? Alright I will say. Andy is the name of the former manager of the Sanzu River Customs Palace for the Dead.
Postscript 2
I suddenly remembered that one riddle remained unsolved. Remember Roberto, Olivia's father and Anna's husband? There was a secret in his family, and it was because of this secret that Roberto's daughter was born with an Asian eye shape. The fact is ... But, by the way, try to unravel Roberto's family secret for yourself. Well, if it doesn't work out, then contact me, I'll tell you.
Postscript 3
Our history began with the fact that the earth, nature was in danger. Ghosts, the customs officers of the palace for the dead, were horrified that the world was about to come to an end and it was inevitable. But suddenly a little girl three months old stopped the process of destruction. How many years do you think it will take people living on earth to start the process of destruction again, which will finally bring our planet to death?