Confession of a Ghost. F.M. Dostoevsky award. Playing Another Reality. Alexandra Kryuchkova

Many of them belong to some clan. Mafiosi, for example. Plenty of useful contacts, connections, acquaintances. A quick mind is combined with cunning and cruelty, a desire to subjugate and suppress others. Duplicity and cunning, vanity, demonstrative disdain for enemies. Such people can wait for years without any murderous actions when their enemies themselves go to Heaven.”

      “Stop, deceiver!” I exclaimed. “This is not about me!”

      “A true warlock!” Pluto flashed his eyes and smiled. “It’s about me, that is, about the people you’ll be crossing paths in Sphere No. 5.”

      “Will I fall in love with clan mafiosi?”

      “Why not? In House No.5, I’m at a symbolic culmination, my Magic-Death-Sex-Big Capital energy is to be worked out in the Love-Creativity-Children Sphere. You can descend to the level of violent passions or create. Since I’m evil and strike your Sun, don’t expect mutual love. I’m a tank, either it is driving over you, or you move as a tank over those around you.”

      “Evil Pluto is dangerous,” said the Guardian. “His energy will destroy you from the inside if you don’t pour it out into the world. He is a guest of Venus, and she loves arts. Direct your energy into creation of something, and your masterpieces will touch the masses. Pluto gives not only power over the masses, but fertility as well, multiplying everything on his way, exponentially.”

      “Will I fall in love with a certain type of persons?”

      “With Pluto despots and magicians,” Pluto nodded. “You’ll feel and attract men with a strong Pluto and the House of Death, Magic, Sex, Big Capital, such as murderers, mafia, sorcerers, sexual maniacs.”

      “My Saturn is responsible for House No. 8, not you!”

      “Officially, House No. 8 and the Sign of Scorpio are mine, Pluto’s. However, any planet can become a carrier of my energies, being appointed responsible for my Sphere of Interests. Your personality is Pluto in the hands and rings of Saturn. You are not Pluto in my pure form, you have my qualities. I’m in your House No. 5, that means fatal love with Pluto people, Pluto children, Plutonic creative works. They all will be stronger than you and like me, a magician-hypnotist who sets you on the verge of Life and Death.”

      “Pluto with features of Venus?” I supposed.

      “Yes, those who love beauty and art, something luxurious, or engaged in love magic – Pluto is magic, Venus means love. There are many options. You have Venus in House of Status, so your Pluto is a status one. The theme of creativity will be related to Pluto and Venus.”

      “Death, Magic and Love?”

      “Yes, darling. I’m the Lord of the Kingdom of the Dead.”

      “What about my children?”

      “Geniuses children, here is Uranus next to me, but don’t forget that I hurt your Sun, being evil. Problems with children. Your child will start poisoning your earthly body while still in the womb, putting you on the brink of Death. One day, there will be a complete break in ties or the loss of children, their death. However, neither children nor lovers driving over you as tanks can kill you, since your Sun, I’m in opposition with, is stronger than me, Pluto, and it’s not me in charge of your Death.”

      “What are your friends among other planets?” I asked darkly.

      “We are not friends with Mars, thus inclining your men to violence, power, extremism, aggression, criminal inclinations, cruelty. At the same time, we give you an iron will. We get along with Neptune, it’s a direct path to art and to the stage. Pluto is a chic player and actor, and the connection with Neptune means freedom of speech, rich imagination and clairvoyance, the ability to penetrate the Heavenly Spheres. Possessing my magical power and attraction to Another Reality, you’ll come to Neptune the Key Keeper, and he’ll open the door to the Subtle World for you.”

      “So will I be able to come here during my incarnation?”

      “You will, if you want,” Pluto winked at me.

      “What area of my life are you in charge of?”

      “House No. 6, Health and earthly Work, Servicing, everything that distracts from spiritual development.”

      “Will my work be related to Death and Magic?”

      “Or to the subjects of Sphere No. 5. You’ll serve your Plutos, work for them. You’ll love your work, diving your heart and soul into it, treat projects as if they were your own children, working real miracles, but…”

      Suddenly, Pluto stopped talking and magically pierced me with his gaze.

      “The Grape Picker!” I remembered horrified.

      Vindemiatrix instantly appeared in front of us. She grinned haughtily, taking Pluto by the arm, and silently led him away.

      Library of the Universe

      “Listen, Guardian, why are there so many incarnated here?” I asked thoughtfully in the Reading Room, examining those around me.

      “They are looking for Knowledge, hints, advice, and someone get here subconsciously. You’ll be able to come to the Library too. In a dream, for example.”

      “Will I be aware of reality in dreams?”

      “With such passport not only in dreams!”

      The book opened at the page with the story “Coffee”. A woman married by convenience committed a double murder, having poisoned herself and her husband’s mistress, who, not having yet realized her sudden death, tried in vain to shout to her beloved man.

      “He doesn’t hear us, but life after death exists indeed.”

      Love

      Moscow

      I got into the room with my things through the window and found on the windowsill a rosary with a silver cross engraved with St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Yes, I remembered, there was a prayer on the reverse side. I bought two pairs of rosaries on Athos, with the Wonderworker for my son, and the second one with Scales … for whom? An alarm clock on the windowsill with frozen hands. How many years before? When did the Time stop there? There were icons on the wall, including the Prayer for the Chalice. Why had I closed them?

      “Hello, Alice,” Ray appeared on a bag of things.

      “Hello,” I sighed sadly. “Why can’t you give me a hint? You’ve been living in the Astral World for a long time, and it’s only the 10^th day for me!”

      “Look at the icon of the Stairs. The angels are silently praying aside. The devils are dragging to Hell. As you understand, I’m far from an angel, but you are much more profitable for me in Paradise! No one will make the choice for you. Isn’t it your decision not to remember? Think about the deadline!”

      “Why until the 40^th day? On the 40^th day, is it either to Hell or to Heaven?”

      “No, you can be stuck here for years, but to finish the matter, you have time only until the 40^th. What’s the difference between 40 days before and after? You’ve known it very well since childhood.”

      “Since childhood? Why did I have to think about death as a child?” I almost cried from impotence, and Ray hugged me and abruptly turned me around to face the bookcase with photo albums on the bottom shelf, but all my mental attempts to pull out at least one …

      “Who is easy without a body?” Ray chuckled. “There may be no other way out of here. Scan from a distance!”

      “Ah!” I exclaimed from insight, recognizing bags with things in one of the pictures. “Until the 40^th day, you can’t touch any stuff of the dead! There, in those bags, the things of the deceased were gathered, I don’t remember who he was, but I remember