Chronicles of the Coast, or Solveigs Song
Realistic Fantasy
Larisa Sugatova
© Larisa Sugatova, 2023
ISBN 978-5-0059-3761-2
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
(Part One)
We are all broken. And it is in the places of fractures
we are often the strongest. E. Hemingway
Prologue
Dark mountain ranges protruded behind me. The sun illuminated them with that soft evening light that was about to leave this world, giving way to twilight. The first stars were already visible in the high sky, I stared into the distance for a long time. From up here, the view was beautiful, touching the innermost strings of my soul. The smooth, sunny road on the dark blue sea shone with its bright brilliance, and I thought about how I was waiting for Danny, like Solveig for her Per Gunt. Only Danny hadnt been driven away; hed been forced into the abode. And I am guilty of that, though unwittingly. Where are you now, Danny? How I long to hold you, to look into your gray-blue eyes and see in them the reflection of my feelings. Are we destined to meet again? Im back, Im here. But youre not here Youve gone far away. Will we ever see each other again? Thats what I thought, standing with my back to the high mountains, when suddenly a quiet voice, like the rustling of the wind, pulled me out of my deep reverie. I shuddered. It wasnt just a word. It was my name: Fox
I turned back around, and my legs stopped responding. I thought I was going to fall off the cliff, but I didnt. Strong arms picked me up, and all I could whisper, barely audible: Danny. Yes, it was him. The one Id dreamed about on long, sleepless nights, the one whose smile with the little scar above his upper lip had so often kept me awake, and whose sly, squinting eyes beckoned me into the unknown. My arms wrapped around his neck. My breath stopped, my heart almost stopped, and everything around me became unimportant. My Lisa! he said in a hoarse, broken voice. Ive been waiting for you! I exhaled. We stood in each others arms for a long time, and the embrace was warm and so long-awaited, it seemed like an eternity now our friend.
Chapter 1 Im Going to the End of the World
Life doesnt stand still, everything flows, everything changes. It would seem so simple, a river of time flowing. But sometimes something unexpected happens that we never thought it would.
People have always strived for the unknown. I, too, wanted to go on a distant journey. When the opportunity arose, I really hoped that it would be exciting and enjoyable.
Construction detachment was to be my summer practice. I transferred to the second year of the paramedic department and in the near future I planned to tie my life to work in the ambulance service. The choice between working for a month in the admissions office of our college or going to the cold Sea of Okhotsk to harvest fish for two months was almost obvious to me.
Some vague doubts tormented me, but I did not listen to them, and I decided to go halfway across the country to the Far East. I should have wondered if it was necessary to leave my family and home and go to the ends of the earth.
I wanted to see the world, I tried to think so, although there was a more compelling reason. I didnt know how things would turn out at the time.
At the end of July I packed my simple luggage a small bag with things and went to the regional center, where I studied at the place of our meeting. There we got on a bus and drove to the next town, where the airport we needed was located.
At first the streets of our city floated by the bus windows, then large wide fields, birch woods, sometimes alternating with small towns and villages. In Novosibirsk, at the airport, we were pleased to see a large plane. It is much more pleasant to fly on such an airplane than on a small one. After a few hours during our connecting flight we were able to relax and have a snack. A couple of hours later the plane was waiting for us again.
A few hours of flight and finally the clouds disappeared, then there were little boxes of what looked like toy houses, the plane shook a lot, and my ears perked up occasionally. The long-awaited landing.
In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk we found an unpleasant grey sky and drizzle. We left the warm, dry plane and immediately felt the full brunt of the wet and dampness all around us.
The air, filled with moisture, seemed to envelop us in watery dust, turning now into a dense fog, now into rain. From the airport in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk we took the bus to a local hotel.
For a few days we had to wait for the boat, as it turned out, it sailed twice a week to the island we needed to get to. The three days passed pretty quickly. Walks around the small town brightened up our wait.
We arrived at the seaport in the morning. The warm rays of sunshine warmed everything around us. They were a surprise after the constant shallow, cold rain. A bright yet translucent light flooded the pier. It was an unimaginably beautiful sight. The turquoise-colored light came from the water and was striking in its splendor, the hint of green in it adding to the mystery. Apparently so much green hovered in the air because of the sun reflecting off the sea water. Fat seagulls were loudly shouting over each other like bazaar vendors. We had to wait half a day to board the ship.
During the wait everyone managed to get burnt under the scorching rays of the sun. My clothes were sticking to my chest and back, and my stomach was rumbling. The girls and I were propped up in the corner of the building by the water, which was also green with a faint whiff of mud. I leaned my back against the wall, hoping to get some coolness from the concrete slab, but it didnt help much. My short, dark blue shorts, tight around the hips, and the white T-shirt allowed some of the breeze to blow. These are my favorite shorts. My father brought them back for me from a business trip when he went to Belarus. A white T-shirt in the heat was the best thing I could choose from my poor closet to wear in this heat.
A light breeze occasionally brought a little relief, pleasantly cooling my bare neck, arms, and legs. I gathered my soft blond hair into a ponytail the morning before we took the bus to the port.
Girl! Hey! I turned around and saw a strange-looking guy from our troop smiling at me. Embarrassed, I smiled back, nodded and looked questioningly at my traveling companion Lena. She shrugged her shoulders:
I dont know him. I think hes from Polytechnic.
A few students walked by, chewing pies as they went. The smell of food hit my nose, aggravated my hunger, and my mouth filled with saliva.
I suggest we run out for pies, girls, I looked questioningly at my new friends. We discounted and sent messengers. In ten minutes the delicious pastries were melting in the mouth of each of us. We were very hungry, and the pies were delicious.
Finally the boarding was announced. A buzz of excitement swept through everyone. Half-asleep, soaked from the heat, we stepped onto the ship. I felt that my life was somehow incomprehensibly changing. Something had happened, though nothing had changed around me. The sun was still shining brightly, and the glitter of the water hurt my eyes a little. With relief and joy we went to our cabin. With one of the girls we had stuck together all the way from the point of departure. She was one of the girls I became friends with, Lena from Polytechnic. We were joined by two other girls from another department at my college. We get acquainted, Alla and another Lena. They are midwives. It doesnt take us very long to swim. They say it wont take more than a day, tomorrow well already be there.