Vodoroten

Vodoroten
Tsvetana Alekhina

A young guy on the eve of a wedding, while bathing in a thunderstorm, undergoes a mutation. He is recognized as missing. Once in the biochemical laboratory, the main character is tortured, since the composition of his body weight arouses scientific interest. Will the mutant be able to survive and regain his human form?

Vodoroten

Tsvetana Alekhina

© Tsvetana Alekhina, 2021

ISBN 978-5-0055-8885-2

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Prologue

A cozy place by the river. A couple in love is kissing sweetly. A long-running cloud did not frighten young hearts. A hot summer day was softened by a wet wind creating ripples on the water. An unexpected clap of thunder forced the couple in love to break away from such an important occupation. Large raindrops created circles on the water. – Lets run! The girl grabbed the guy by the hand and dragged him with all her strength towards the village. Her clockwork eyes forced her to obey and carried her away. This time the guy resisted and dragged the girl with him to a nearby tree. – You, what. Is it possible to hide under a tree during a thunderstorm? We need to run home urgently. This thundercloud will get us soaked to the skin. The guy looked, smiling at the cute girl, whose face was covered with freckles.

– So what. Let him wet. The guy answered with a kind smile. He was amused by the naivety and docility of the girl. Varya hesitantly let go of her hand in the hope that the guy would follow her. Gena did not move from his place, continuing to stand under the tree.

– What are you doing? You cannot do that. Let us go home. The rain broke out with such force that drops of water dripped from the tips of Varya’s long braids. The sundress stuck to the body, hugging the piquant figure of the girl. Lush breasts and hips attracted the person’s attention. Varya could not help noticing this and no longer knew where to run, hide under a tree with Gena, or run home and dry her hair despite the downpour.

– «You’re wet anyway!» Come here! Varya took a few uncertain steps and jumped under a fluffy umbrella made of thin birch branches with fluffy leaves. The foliage created protection, preventing large raindrops from passing, forcing them to gently flow down their thin leaves.

– What a madman you are. You know I have to be home. Parents will be worried.

– «You’ll have another home soon. It is time to break away from the custody of parents.

– «I’m not eighteen yet. The girl said jokingly.

– This formality will pass with time. The guy answered with the same joke.

The downpour abruptly stopped as well as it started. The air smelled of ozone. A not so wet guy came out from under a fluffy umbrella, the birch branches that touched him sprinkled his clothes. My hands were covered with goosebumps. Without giving any sign that it was not pleasant to him, Gena took off his slates and stepped on the wet grass. – It smells like ozone. What are you going to do? The girl asked with a puzzled look.

– Swim! After a thunderstorm, the water is warm. Do you want to come with me?

– Of course not. You know I cannot swim. Gena resolutely stripped down to his underpants and jumped into the water. Varya stood on the shore with a pleading look and waited impatiently for him to come up. Looking at the smooth surface of the water, she tugged at the edge of the wet dress trying to wring it out. – Where are you? The girl screamed painfully. There was silence in response. Varya was covered with goosebumps, wiping her tears; she wanted to call for help. Wet hands grabbed her from behind and dragged her to the pond. Braking with her feet and screaming loudly, the girl resisted.

– Okay. Yours took it. Stand and freeze. Gena made a second dive upside down. Varya, with dirty feet from the traces of dew left behind, was putting herself in order. Wet hair highlighted a bright red color. The glimpses of the sun dispelled the cold that had come. Varya no longer waited imploringly, looking at the water. She firmly knew that her fiancé would come up and definitely make himself felt. Having loosened her braids, standing next to the removed shorts and T-shirts, the girl was waiting for the return of her almost husband. A wet green sundress and wavy hair emphasized her Russian beauty. The sun hid behind the newly arrived clouds. A clap of thunder hit with such force, the earth shook, car alarms could be heard from afar. The clouds were gathering into a funnel. Varya looked around in expectation that Gena would definitely scare her by jumping out of the bushes. The reeds rustling in the wind broke the silence.

– Where are you? Varya spoke loudly with irritation in her voice. In response, silence and the rustling of dry branches of reeds sounded. Taking Gena’s things in her hand, she resolutely walked into the houses that were visible. – I will remember you. Walk around the village in your underpants. The enraged Varya grumbled, but a chill crept into her soul. The inner calmness did not allow us to go forward. Moving a few steps away from the river, Varya concentrated on the birch tree under which they had been hiding a few minutes ago. – Come out. Let us go home. I am freezing. The girl was calling her boyfriend in a firm and resolute tone. The guy didn’t respond. – It is not funny to me. I am leaving. The wind shook the drops from the trees. The reeds were leaning towards the water. Ripples ran on the transparent surface of the water, creating an incomprehensible pattern. Not believing in the disappearance of the Genes, the girl hesitated in place. Not daring to go without him, she really did not know what to do anymore. It has been about ten to fifteen minutes since Gena disappeared. Not wanting to realize what had happened, Varya, with her legs bent and tears flowing, wandered to the village. Her hoarse voice was calling for help. But no one heard her. Only they knew this abandoned place. Hoping that at least someone would hear her, Varya continued to call for help. The roofs of the houses gave hope for timely assistance. Only silence said that – EVERYTHING. It is over. Tears flooded the girl’s face. Not seeing the corpse, but not seeing Gena alive, Varya did not want to take the pain of loss into her soul. To the right of the landing, the noise of a car engine and the voices of people could be heard. – Help me! Varya shouted with the last of her strength. And headed in the direction from which the sounds came.

– What happened? Not seeing the interlocutor, the girl realized by the voice that it was a young man.

– Drowned! Varya stretched out in response and sat down on her knees sobbing. The girl’s face was smeared with dirt. Wiping her tears with her hands, she smeared dirt on her cheeks. Three guys and two girls came running to her cry.

– Who drowned? Where? When? The company asked questions. Varya only dimly heard voices, it seemed to her that there were blurry spots in front of her, and she no longer knew who and what to answer. Her strength was leaving her. A young company with dirty bare feet and hands quickly figured out which direction to move in. Varya only heard the splash of water and the roll call. – Did you find it?

– No. Water splashing again. Varya sat motionless on her knees, hoping that Gena would return.

– He always came back. She whispered with a blue trembling lip. As a result, the roll call ended.

– I found it! Gena’s body lay motionless. The guys pumped out the water and looked at each other. – The guy was lucky. Zippy! Varya could not believe her ears. From the shock experienced, the head did not work, the body did not obey. – Get the first aid kit; he has a huge wound on his leg. As if, there was no infection. The wound actually turned out to be deep, usually after such a small scar remains, blood oozed out of it.

– Blood will wash away all germs!

– Don’t be smart. It was getting dark. The moon has risen. The full moon hung so close; from afar, it seemed that it was clinging to the roof of the house.

– Girl, get in the car. We will take you home. Do not be afraid. Varya had nothing to fear anymore. More precisely, she was not afraid to get into the car, she was afraid to go home. The car managed to be pushed out of the rut, the crowded back seat made itself felt. Barely budging from the spot, the car slowly crawled along the landing. Varya was shaking so much, as if she was drowning herself and was taken out of the ice hole. Fellow travelers walked behind, accompanying the car as an honorary guard.

Bursting into tears on the chest of Gena’s mother, Varya could not explain anything. The fellow travelers had no choice but to explain everything themselves— – The main thing is that he remained alive. Varya sighed with relief. It was a hard night. After the horror, both families did not sleep. Gena was breathing heavily, and you could say he was dozing. He was not asleep, but he was not awake either. The dog howled at the moon all night, until dawn, catching up with horror and anguish. – A full moon is a bad sign.

– Don’t say anything. And so, not everything is good. The July night was tiring with its heat. In addition to the horror experienced, everyone wanted to drink from the heat. Gena was just suffocating. His mother was wetting his face with water.

– I should have taken him to the hospital right away. She said reproachfully. Look at him.

– He was normal. It was he who got sick the night before. Let us take him right now. Mother ran around the house collecting things and documents. My father was preparing the car. Going to Gena’s bed to help him get up, the parents discovered that their son was missing.

The whole village of Goreloe took part in the search for Gena. No one remained indifferent. Police and volunteers were scouring everywhere. No one could understand where and how the barely standing man disappeared. There was no limit to the grief of the parents. My mother tore her hair; my father was constantly going somewhere and returning in the evening.

The village of Goreloe is a nice provincial village. This is one of the prosperous villages of the Tambov region. Its territory stretches for several kilometers along the main road. As a rule, there were no emergencies in this village, as well as any criminal showdowns.

The Tsna River itself is a river in the Tambov and Ryazan regions of Russia, a left tributary of the Moksha (Volga basin). The length of the river is 451 km; the catchment area is 21,500 km2. It is formed by the confluence of the White Ples and Wet Peak rivers. This is a calm flat river, heavily regulated by dams, navigable in places from Tambov itself. There are five dams with locks from Tambov to Morshansk. The first is in the village of Tambov Forestry. The second one is near the village of Goreloe.

Varya lived these days in fear. She was terrified of the dark, being alone, rain, thunderstorms, the sound of running water from the tap. Her mother thought it was a shock after the experience, and it would soon pass. Varya did not think so. She felt Gena’s presence in her house, and she was sure that it was so. The thunderclaps frightened her. She could not just hear that sound anymore. Pressing her palms to her ears and closing her eyes, the girl imagined that she was in another, safer place. Varya’s father believed that his daughter simply needed to change her place of residence. —You are exaggerating.

– She is not getting married anymore. This gene is not known where and with whom. Accordingly, she has nothing to do here. Let him go to Tambov. A change of friends and surroundings that is what she needs now. Not hiding in corners.

– Do you think so? Maybe you are right.

The wooden house, embedded in the ground, looked like an old mushroom, covered with foliage. Varya did not notice the old age of her house. All her thoughts were occupied with the impending marriage. Of course, she was not going to live in her parents’ house all her life. Her future husband’s house remained unfinished. Gena’s parents were building, trying to make it to the wedding. Varya looked out of the window at the uncovered roof of the ghost house standing opposite. Sometimes she saw Gena, through the unglazed windows. Believing that it was a figment of her imagination, the girl did not tell anyone about it. Varya’s parents’ house was so old that the smell of mold could be felt from the threshold. This smell permeated all the clothes in the house. I had to take things outside and ventilate in the wind or dry in the sun. One day Varya, as usual, was sitting on her bed and looking out the window at her unfinished house, so to speak. The boring smell of mold did not cause trouble. This was considered the norm. Varya did not notice how fumes began to emanate from the mold. Varya looked out the window trying to see Gena, but Gena did not appear. Dark green vapors fumigated the room. As soon as Varya saw this smoke, she immediately screamed. Her parents came running to her screeching. – What happened? Since the appearance of the parents, the green smoke has disappeared. Varya sat motionless with a frightened look. – I said it is not normal. The girl urgently needs to be sent from here to a more favorable place.

– Let’s wait for 1 September. And we’ll rent an apartment for her. It was decided that Varya would go to study hairdressing courses. It was the end of August. The gene never appeared. Varya’s condition remained unchanged; the girl was in deep depression. – We have to wait. It will pass soon. Father and mother could not find a common language. A superstitious father and a realistic mother looked at things differently. Two days later, Varya was taken to Tambov, to a comfortable apartment. The mother stayed with her for a couple of days so that the girl would not be so lonely. – When you find yourself a girlfriend, you will go for a walk with her.

– I am not going for a walk. I will never walk again. Varya looked like a zombie.

– You have eighteen-year-olds coming up. Go to a cafe. My mother was afraid to mention sitting at home with her friends. Varya said nothing. She did not even show interest in what she heard. Her mother’s predictions came true, Varya found a neighbor very quickly. Perhaps this was justified by the fear of being alone in the apartment. – You see! And a neighbor was found.

– It was not she who was found, but I found her. The mother did not object to the girl. Afraid to press the wrong button. After talking with a friend, Zinaida spent another night and went home. Varya practically did not go outside. Her depressive state continued throughout September. Varya spent the warmest days of autumn locked up. Her friend could not bear such imprisonment and often ran away to the street to have more fun.

– I am telling you, she sits on the couch all night.

– She is that sick.

– No. She is kind of a widow.

– When did I have time? She is not even eighteen yet.

– It will be soon.