Time Jumps. The Paradigm of Immortality. Vladimir Baranchikov

Will you deign to proceed?

      Daria casually, without hesitation, threw off her robe and, looking in the mirror, straightened her hair and critically examined herself. Satisfied, she took an elegant red dress with a low neckline out of the closet, barely got into it and asked Peter to fasten the zipper on the back. She touched up her lips, turned her head back and forth, smoothed out non-existent folds of clothing, once again looked sternly at her reflection and said:

      – I’m ready!

      At the table, after the first toast for the word with the letter “L”, they lit up, and the moment of discussing serious topics crept up – yesterday there was no time for this. Looking at her classic, chiseled face, he asked:

      – Tell me, where does the beauty come from?

      – Mom is from Vologda, and dad is from Tver…

      – Sorry, maybe I’ll ask an impolite question, if you don’t want to, don’t answer. Married?

      – Was…

      – Where’s the ex?

      – In the jail Crosses.

      – Visiting?

      – About once a month.

      – How long will he…?

      – I don’t know. The investigation is there. He said that he had submitted a petition.

      – Well, and the children?

      – We didn’t have time to start it.

      – And how did you end up here in the village?

      – It’s a long story. It’s better to splash one more, or I’ll take it and cry…

      – I’m sorry, I’m not just asking. I like you, I really like you, as if I’ve been looking for you all my life. Come on, here’s to you!

      – For us, – Daria cast a close look at the cognac in the glass playing with multicolored lights, as if in a magic crystal she saw a secret prediction, her fate and stretched out an elegant, thin hand to Peter. – For us!

      Resolutely, in one gulp, she drank a scalding, tart drink and, with a cute, feminine wince, gracefully bit into a piece of lemon. The strength of the alcohol took her breath away and tears came out. Carefully, trying not to damage the mascara, she dabbed her eyelashes with a napkin and cooed sweetly:

      – Do you mind if I eat a little? I didn’t have time to have breakfast…

      – That’s great, otherwise I was worried: maybe it’s tasteless? – Peter perked up, seeing that the interlocutor is coming back to normal. – Let’s do this: you eat, and I talk.

      – Come on, – Dasha raised her eyes and fixed her hypnotic gaze on him, – where did you fall from, Kalinkin?

      CHAPTER 6. CONFESSION

      Peter took a deep drag on his cigarette, then carefully squeezed Dasha’s fragile wrist with his fingers, as if he was afraid of losing it, and began to tell about the strange find and his recent adventures. From time to time he stopped, catching his breath and choosing the right words, and looked at her – an unearthly, fatal woman, without whom he could no longer imagine his life. Daria listened attentively without interrupting, but the emotions that overwhelmed her were clearly reflected on her face: the pink skin of her face turned pale, then turned purple, her breathing changed its rhythm, her eyes expressed the whole palette of emotions: from delight to anger, from surprise to fright. Even watching her pleased and amazed, and the spontaneity of the expression of feelings was captivating: the sincerity and naivety of the child was clearly manifested in her. When the monologue came to the end, Peter took a deep breath and added almost plaintively:

      – Dasha, I still don’t understand a lot myself. Help me figure this out…

      Daria did not answer immediately. Her face lost its serenity, suddenly became thoughtful and serious. She gently released her hand, wanting to remain free, unfettered by anything. For a few seconds in complete silence, she stared at one point, pondering the decision, then she took the bottle and resolutely splashed alcohol into the glasses, after which she said in a low, muffled voice, wearily:

      – Petya, your choice has already been made, you are the master of your magic machine, and you are its slave. I believe you and am ready to help in any situation. I hope I’ve already helped you in some way, – she smiled a little slyly. – But now I’m not ready to give a definitive answer. And therefore, let’s leave everything as it is for now. Isn’t that enough for today?

      – Dasha, it’s so much that neither my soul nor my mind can contain it all, – Peter sincerely exclaimed, resolutely took the poured amber drink from the table, almost spilling it, and carefully put the glass into her warm fingers, squeezing them with his palm. – Let’s drink to the holiday that is with us today.

      Daria moved closer to him, stroked his coarse hair and said:

      – So be it!

      Soon they will get to know each other again, discovering previously unknown feelings and sensations, the taste of sweetness, the tenderness of intercourse, the pain of attraction and the aroma of fire.

      Dasha’s cell phone rang with a nasty chirp at nine in the morning. It seemed that the devil’s hammers were pounding insistently in Peter’s ears, preventing him from falling into a blissful sleep again. A new day was beginning, but he could not clearly reconstruct the events of the last few hours. He only remembered that in the twilight their bodies were intertwined, then repelled from each other, simple words suddenly acquired the significance of eternal truths, semantic accents shifted, sharpening the senses. Fragments of dreams and memories flowed into a jumble of sounds and images in which it was no longer possible to distinguish reality from fantasy. Wanting to free himself from the shackles of Morpheus, Kalinkin threw off the blanket and abruptly stood up, unceremoniously showing his beloved’s naked body to two budgies in a cage. The parrots immediately perked up, clicked and whistled, vying with each other to express their admiration for the picture that opened before them, like true connoisseurs of the nude style.

      – It’s good that they covered the cage with a rag before going to bed: they would have seen something else, – Peter thought ironically, trying to calm his headache.

      In the falling morning light, Daria really looked damn tempting, like an awakening Aurora. The ideal of female beauty suddenly showed signs of life and moaned softly, mentally begging the sky for mercy – she didn’t want to wake up after a stormy night. Like it or not, it’s time to come to your senses and brush your feathers…

      At night, Peter, like a true gentleman, solemnly declared:

      – I agree with your choice in advance. Decide!

      – With anyone?

      – Of course!

      – Well, what do you think: in the future or the past? – Daria still didn’t want to go against his wishes. But Peter confirmed the original: decide for yourself!

      Sleepless and slightly intoxicated, they did not approach, but gently floated to the door of the store, just in time for the opening of the local miracle shop. Daria was the first to pass, and Peter, after briefly trampling on the street, joined the crowd of customers and crossed the threshold of the trading floor. Their plan in theory was simple: to sneak unnoticed into the warehouse, close the door of the barrel, press the cherished button and fly away from here to this