Cказки Призраков. Tales of Ghosts. Премия им. Эдгара По / Edgar Poe Award (Билингва: Rus/Eng)

Highly likely, that not bought pyramid, as I think now, was my subconscious protest as a refusal to admit that Katya knew something I didn’t, that during our shared life she had become more well-read and advanced in the Otherworld, she had grown a lot, overtaken me in many ways…

***

Returning to the hotel after a walk along the sea, we heard a sudden shout behind us and looked back. A man in a white T-shirt with the logo of a large travel company for some reason desperately waved his hands, looking at us point-blank.

«Have you forgotten about our night excursion?» he asked Katya.

«What do you mean?» she wondered.

«You bought it from me half an hour ago at the Sun Hotel!» the travel agent exclaimed and took out his notebook. «Here you are… Svetlana!»

«No, you are confusing something. I’m not Svetlana, I’m Katya!»

«Besides, my friend,» I felt like showing my importance, «we are from another hotel, and we are leaving tomorrow morning.

«Blimey! Sorry! It means the girl, settled in the Sun Hotel, is your exact copy!»

The man apologized again and left.

«A bad sign,» Katya said and became gloomy. «Copies are met shortly before the death of their original. Or beloved ones see the look-alikes of those who are about to die.»

«Come on! You haven’t seen Svetlana!»

However, it’s no use arguing with women. So, I decided…

…yes, it was my decision! – that’s the trouble! – that’s why I’m still replaying our trip in my head day by day… I decided to cheer her up! Instead of proceeding to the room to get our luggage ready for the trip, I suggested extending the last night of our vacation by attending an outdoor entertainment show.

That night, local dance groups made some performance on the territory of the hotel. Between dances, fakirs and other magicians demonstrated tricks, involving the tourists. Katya was clearly bored.

«Are you dreaming of Kailash?» I asked, barely restraining myself so as not to be sarcastic.

«Anyway, I need to get to it. They say whoever walks Kailash around 108 times will never come back on Earth! And I don’t want to incarnate anymore!»

I got angry… and… – yes, it was me again! – when the fakir started inviting those who wanted to get a portion of adrenaline before going to bed, I pushed Katya to the stage.

«Kailash will wait!» I said.