Vodoroten

It was already light enough when the transparent Gene made a stop. Coming out of the water, he did not understand where he was. – Here I got carried away. To his surprise, it was slightly warmer on this earth than on Tambov. – Where am I? The transparent man was spinning awkwardly, spreading his arms. Accordingly, no one saw or heard him. There was no time for bait and Gene fearlessly jumped into the water. This time he swam much slower, so he did not feel the cold and most importantly, this swimmer did not know where he was swimming. His speed was 40 miles per hour. The total travel time was about eighteen hours. Deciding to make a stop and understand where he is transparent, the guy waited for the night. The night was his only and irreplaceable friend. Hunger made itself felt and plunging into cold water, the guy started hunting. Raw fish was not to his taste. He resorted to this food in case of emergency. For some reason, this mutant did not lose its taste qualities and secretly ate food from his beloved and extremely rarely in his parents’ house. He did not need food as often as an ordinary person. Food was a source of energy for him, if we say in ordinary language, food is a battery. When the battery ran out, a new one was needed, since the old one could not be replaced, because it simply did not exist. Unlike an ordinary person, the «new» Gene did not go to the toilet, he did not need it. All the supplies were spent on energy consumption. And of course the most important thing is that our hero in his past life loved to eat very much, and he transferred the taste qualities to a new life. Gene loved a protein product – cutlets, fish, which is not a little important, and so maybe something else for the assortment. Sweets were completely excluded from his diet. His diet could be attributed to the family of predatory fish. After finishing a couple of crucians, Gena went back to the shore.

The companion night and the mystical luminary moon accompanied their lonely mutant to the city. Having reached the nearest settlement in plav, Gena realized that this was a city. When he came ashore, he realized that this was the central Embankment. – Where am I? His appearance could lead to a cardiac arrest of any person except Varya. Thanks to his ability to dissolve, Gena could avoid a collision with anyone. The embankment of an unknown city captivated a young guy with its nocturnal beauty. Gena walked slowly, forgetting about the subzero temperature. Gradually, his body began to stiffen. – Oh, shit. That is what I needed. In order not to freeze, he started running. If you take it on camera, then from the outside it looked like a photomontage, or fiction. Although it was. The «new» Gene is fantastic. It is something that could not exist, but it existed. Gena himself did not believe in his existence until one of the beautiful days for him, he made his way to his home to refresh himself and looked at himself in the mirror. His appearance made him accept reality and believe in himself. – I exist. He told himself. Considering that he could not speak. In fact, the Gene belonged to the fish family. He could not live without water, even though he did not have gills. He could not talk, only think and think. And of course he learned to eat raw fish. Having reached the nearest cafe, Gena was looking for a way to get into it. Of course, he found it – it was a sewer. Life forced him, and Gene disappeared into the sewer manhole.

Fortunately, the Genes cafe worked all year round. It was clean, cozy and warm inside. Quickly warming up, he also took a quick shower. After a shower, he replenished his wasted reserves and stretched out quite warm at the battery. Dawn crept through the windows, saying that it was morning. – Morning, it would be better not to come. Where to now? Now you need to understand where I am. Gena walked around the entire building, got to the menu and examined all the available documentation; he realized that he was in Ryazan. – Ryazan is cool. Gena, in his position, no longer thought about the future. Considering himself a mutant, he assumed that he would live forever. From the moment of transformation, he no longer counted down the time. His only not that binding, rather commitment was Varya. He considered himself guilty before her. Without listening to her, he brought himself to such a state and crossed out her life. The only thing he could do for her was to take care of her future, protect her from danger, help her erase herself as the past and allow her to become happy.

The information that he is now in Ryazan prompted Gena to think, why he should not have some fun. His transparent appearance allowed him to do this. Gena decided to take full advantage of the situation. With the arrival of the staff, Gena was able to get out into the street through the back door. There was swearing in the cafe – why were the walls and floors wet in the shower, and where did the meat go? Gena listened to this altercation with satisfaction, although he had no choice but to remain satisfied with his work. When he went outside, he was faced with the cold. Studying his new body, Gena realized that the cold is his enemy. Hot water also had a negative effect on his body, it dissolved, one might even say killed his molecules. After freezing, the Gene could restore its body, return to its original state, but there is no hot water after that. He was dying. Gena did not know about it. He considered himself immortal and was proud of it. When he went out into the street, he did not see a single passerby, and this suited him well. When he reached the intersection, he went out into a crowded street, thinking that this would help him. Taking the form of a liquid heap, it spread out over the snow playing with colors, shimmering from blue to purple. It was easy to do in the cold. Having reached the nearest clothing store, Gena realized that the day was not his companion; it would not be possible to get inside and try on outfits. In the same way, but at an accelerated pace, he rolled to the Embankment and jumped into the water right from a running start. The locals saw this picture, but did not dare to assert what they saw because no one understood anything. Water is his home. Gena did not come up for a long time to calm the panic. The audience dispersed, referring to the vision and someone to the space aliens. Gena basked, despite the cold, waiting for the night. As soon as it got dark, he went in search of a supermarket. In his case, it was the best way out. Auchan pleased his eyes and welcomed him warmly. It was not difficult for him to hide among the clothes; it was exactly what he needed.

As night fell, the lights went out in the store. The darkness did not frighten him, but on the contrary pleased him. Gena felt like a king in the night. He could afford anything. At least that is what he thought. Having tasted the best products, Gena began to try on outfits. Having selected everything he needed, he began to think how he could take it all out of the store. The clothes prevented the descent through the sewer hole. After spending the night in the warehouse and taking a shower from time to time, Gena waited for the morning. Finally, he realized that he had no choice but to act on the breach and just steal these things. Hiding a bag of things at the main entrance, he waited for the guard to open the store. Having opened the central curtain, the guard and the cashier opened the remaining cash registers. The first impatient customers entered the store. While the staff was lifting the curtains, Gena took a bag of things and ran headlong from the supermarket. Gene ran fast, as well as swam. This speed came to him from the moment of mutation. After running a huge distance, he scared everyone who saw him. Although there were few of them, but Gena was able to light himself up. Auchan workers could not understand what had happened. After drawing conclusions, they realized that something transparent had stolen a package with something from them. Only the night video could annoy Gene. The video clearly shows a transparent man running around the store with glowing crystals inside that look like a small salute or a mini octopus. This video has fallen into the hands of the police. Gena did not know about it.

Gene ran out of the store faster than the wind. When he reached the nearest city trash, he dressed, put on shoes, and covered his face with a bandana. Fortunately, for him, he came across glasses that the cashier left at the checkout. Hat and sneakers. Gene was made up in full, though not for long. After wandering around the city, he realized that he needed a pond. The lack of water was equivalent to a lack of oxygen, although in fact this mutant had no gills. Gena himself did not know why he had such a need for water. Exactly five months have passed since his mutation, but Gena did not understand what happened to him. He has not yet realized that he is no longer human; perhaps he just hoped that over time he would return to normal life. The city dumpster served as a shelter for him. After spending some time there, Gena went in search of a reservoir. In his difficult situation, even swimming in the pond was not easy. Not the right time of year and not the right terrain. Having gone to the outskirts of the Embankment of the street, Gena hid his things and jumped into the water. Not a long swim in the icy water brought him to his senses. About five o’clock in the evening, the Queen of the night came into her own. The darkness warmed the body, which was not yet clear to the mutant. It seemed to him that no one could see or hear him. At his own risk, he still ventured into a night bar, though without a penny to his soul, but he still came in.

After waiting until late in the evening, the door of the night bar opened and an incomprehensible guy entered it. Most of the guests who are waiting for something new and interesting have fixed their eyes on him. The same thing happened to the maintenance staff. Gena was not confused by this, on the contrary, it provoked. Sitting down at a table in the corner, he curiously tried to examine what was happening. The stolen glasses hindered him quite a lot, since they were intended for the visually impaired. Barely making it to the toilet and retiring in a booth, the strange guest took off his glasses. The too warm temperature of the institution adversely affected his condition. Gena did not want to leave, going to the sink and removing the handkerchief from his face, he washed his face. This procedure did not bring him to his senses. Realizing that he was melting, the mutant went outside. The cold air hardened him like steel, returning to the bar, he sat down at the same place. Curious visitors sat down at his table. – Hey, dude! Gena raised his palm approvingly. – How are you? In response, Gena shrugged his shoulders. – Are you dumb? A nod of approval. – It does not matter. Bring the beer over here. You are our friend now. The waiter, delighted with the new order, came running with a tray. – Meet our regular customer now. The girl needed a working smile. Gena, without taking off her gloves, showed that he needed a tube.

After a few sips of beer, Gena felt something incomprehensible. His body began to swell. His clothes were bursting at the seams, and there was nothing he could do about it. Before he could run out into the street, his body burst. Splashes scattered around the establishment. The eyewitnesses sitting nearby saw everything in detail. For some reason, most were not afraid of what they saw, claiming that it was cool! – It was fun, the visitors said. After the explosion of the body, the molecules gathered like a magnet into one big pile. Glowing sparks created a bright effect. The mouthguards admired this spectacle like a Christmas tree. The bravest dared to touch this miracle. The shrillest huddled in a corner, and the most indifferent filmed sitting on the camera from the phone as a large hybrid pile grows. The incomprehensible glowing pile turned into a transparent person. Looking around, the Gene turned into a piece of dough and with jumping movements poured into the slightly open doorway. The crowd of spectators froze. The administrator called the police. Of course, the police had already recorded the second paranormal phenomenon in the city, but they could not do anything, since it was impossible to catch the jumping dough. After questioning all the witnesses and taking the video, the police went crazy from what they saw.

Gene once again jumped out into the street and ran in an unknown direction. For the first time in his five months of existence, he experienced fear. After making a stop, he panicked and looked out the windows of houses in search of a place to sleep. – Sewage system, empty apartment, pipes. How best to get into the apartment and which one. Coming closer to the new building, he carefully peered into each window. The way through the manhole was not easy. Climbing into one of the apartments, he realized that he did not belong here. A large family ran around the house with noise and shouting, and the head of the family used the toilet, the sound of the toilet lid slamming echoed. Not an easy journey through the pipes continued. After getting out on dry land and opening the door, Gene stumbled upon a pensioner. Fortunately, for him, she did not notice the water inhabitant in her bathroom. His body was in need of reinforcements, and he went to the kitchen at his own risk. Slamming the refrigerator door, Gena violated his secret presence; Grandma was walking down the corridor. Without having time to push the cutlet into himself, this time Gena chose the way through the water tap, this way was certainly cleaner, unlike the sewer. The fallen cutlet, water stains from the legs horrified my grandmother. The poor woman decided that this was the tricks of a brownie and ran to a neighbor for advice. – Oh, you know, I have seen this on TV recently. We do not know who is running around Ryazan. He steals groceries from the store. It looks like he came to refresh himself with you.

– How am I going to spend the night alone? It seems to me that this is a brownie.

– Not a brownie, but a water one.

– What is the difference? This is an evil force.

– Spend the night at my place today, and tomorrow we will see.

Meanwhile, Gena found what he was looking for. A lonely apartment, a lonely woman. No one lived in this apartment, and the refrigerator was filled with food. The first thing he did was replenish his wasted energy reserves. The host turned out to be a skillful cook, Gena liked her potions. Having tried all sorts of different snacks, the vodoroten arranged a tour in a one-room apartment. The apartment was like a museum. Numerous figurines brought from different countries were tastefully arranged on shelves and empty corners. Paintings in the underground style also hung each in its place and fit into the interior. – It is clear why she is so lonely, Gena thought. She is not up to the economy. But, the refrigerator, filled with food, said the opposite and Gena made a second visit. Licking his transparent fingers, the «water» looked at the photos of the landlady of the apartment. – And she is nothing. In the photos, the young woman was actually depicted everywhere alone. Clothes and toiletries said the same thing. The absence of a man smelled everywhere. The heat drowned the transparent mass of the body. Gene watched the drops drip from his biceps. Reluctantly getting up, he went to the bathroom and took an icy shower. The ice shower acted on him like a charge of power. The night spent in this apartment was the only night when Gena rested for the first time and felt safe.

December was approaching. The cold was getting worse. In many regions, the ground was covered with snow. Tambov and Tambov districts were among them. The prolonged absence of Gena suppressed Varya’s state of mind. The girl called her friend at every opportunity, but the friend did not appear. Over time, Varya began to think that all these phenomena and visions were actually a figment of her imagination. Studying was easy for Varya. Relationships with friends and teachers were friendly. Varya had no conflicts with anyone. With the disappearance of Gena, her relationship with Dasha improved; there was no more talk about horror stories and all sorts of dead souls. – What are your plans for the New Year? Varya shrugged her shoulders in response.

– Maybe here in Tambov?

– Together?

– Well, why together. We will invite our own. We will prepare some food. It will be fun. Let us go to the city Christmas tree.

– As an option. Varya answered indifferently.

– A colossal answer. The word colossally entered into circulation in this company from the very moment Varya first uttered it. The guy who laughed at her dragged this word all over the neighborhood. – Does that mean yes? Varya was silent. – Think about it. There is still time.

For Varya, the New Year in her new company was the only option. Since the village of Goreloe scared her. During these three months of living in Tambov, Varya went home only twice. And both times she saw Gena walking around their unfinished house. His external image from afar resembled a ghost, or a dead soul. Anyway, Varya saw him, and believed that his place was there in their house. —Why doesn’t he come to me anymore?» He probably thinks I betrayed him. Our house. Our love, by his departure to Tambov. For Varya, the very return to Goreloe was painful. After all, not long ago she was preparing to become the wife of such a young and enviable groom. It remained to wait for her coming of age and submit an application. That was the only barrier. Now, it is unclear what happened. They were separated not by another, not by death, not by a quarrel. The rain separated them. – It is the rain’s fault. He is the one who separated us. If not for the bathing, nothing would have happened. Varya sorted herself out by comparing the facts. In fact, it was. After the second dive, Gena had to be pulled out of the water in a half-dead state, after which he simply disappeared. Gena disappeared not as a drowned corpse, but as a walking corpse. This story surprised many.

Varya was reviewing this story and thinking about her future. – What will happen next? Where will I go after training? Will I return to Goreloe or will I stay in Tambov? Suddenly Gena will come back. We will get married, just as if we dreamed. Everything will be fine. After all, he has not yet been declared missing. And if he doesn’t come back. What then will be? Do I have to marry someone else? Varya scrolled through her thoughts in her head. These daily torments exhausted her. She did not show it. Outwardly, she was smart and calm. And beautiful in addition. Thanks to these moral torments, Varya did not notice the cavalier, who did not take his eyes off her.

Time passed. Gene lived in a cozy apartment for a couple of days. I came to my senses, gained strength and began to plot a winter route for myself. First, he needed to understand who he was. And how long he will stay in this state. Then where and in which direction he should move. His assistant turned out to be a laptop sitting on the kitchen table. Remembering the day when this gene mutation occurred, he clearly remembered that when he was lying in bed, he was overcome by a feeling of thirst. His mother brought him water, but the water did not quench his thirst. His whole body wanted to drink. Every muscle. Every cell. Gena felt like a vampire who did not have enough blood, only water was blood. An irresistible desire made him get out of bed, go and dive into the river. Gene did not go. His legs carried him with lightning speed. His parents did not have time to stop him; he was already far from home. Gena did not remember how he ended up in the water. The river became his home. Gena did not remember how long he had been in the water. But he clearly remembered how he came out of it, and when he saw his transparent hands, he wanted to howl at the moon, but he did not hear his voice. An inner voice howled louder than a dog’s howl. Looking at his body, he did not believe it was him. Gena believed that he had not yet come out of a coma after drowning, and his body was a terrible dream. Trying to wake up, he dived and went ashore. The water pushed him out like a piece of plastic. Gena’s body was weightless. – What happened?

Gene mentally was transported back to the day he drowned. – Thunderstorm. Heavy rain. Varya. I dived. Surfaced. Another thunderstorm. Varya would not let me in. What a good girl she was! He dived again. The end. What happened? Before that, I remember the bandage on my leg. I may have cut off my leg. I would like to know how long I was under water. Maybe no more than ten minutes. Varya knows for sure. Gena was thinking how he could contact Varya. Social network! Gena easily went to his page. – Hello Varya. It is I Gena. Do not panic. Stay in touch. After writing this message, Gena waited for a response, continuing to surf the Internet. – How did I get here? Typing the name of his native river Tsna in which, he became a vodorotnem Gene began to dig further.

– Tsna flows into Moksha, Moksha flows into Oka. Accordingly, I am now in Ryazan. The Oka flows into the Volga. Gena continued to rapidly type information. – Volga – Caspian Sea. The Arctic, Scythian Ocean. Well, I cannot live in the heat.

– Gena is you. Seeing Varya In contact, the Gene crystals shone brighter than usual.

– Yes, I am. I cannot talk. And I can’t write for a long time either. Describe to me exactly the day when I was taken out of the water. Did I have a wound on my leg?

– Strong. A bandage was applied. They have been looking for you for about half an hour.

– I thought less.

– What happened to you?

– I do not know. I want to find out.

– Why did you disappear?

– I cannot be in the cold and in the heat, too.

– Where are you now?

– In Ryazan.

– I will do it later. Varya suddenly disappeared. Dasha came. Gena continued to surf the Internet reading articles related to rain, thunderstorms and lightning. – Maybe I was struck by lightning and I became like this? An article related to radioactive elements aroused his interest. – This is what we need. Straining his memory, Gena tried to remember the moment when he went under the water. – How could I? What happened? I’m a great swimmer. Where did this cut come from? Gena was right, he was a great swimmer. The bleeding wound appeared after the first bath, only Gena did not feel it. Gene usually dived upside down. During the second jump, having gone down with his head, he felt a lump of mucus in both hands. This slime enveloped his body, mixing with his blood. Opening his eyes, he saw purple crystals flying at him from the bottom. The slime prevented him from surfacing, pulling him to the bottom and enveloping his body. The bottom was clearly visible, crystals illuminated it, and the mucus formed a funnel mixed with his blood particles, and pulled him to himself. Gena resisted as much as he could and passed out. Leaning back on the back of the kitchen corner, covering his face with his hand where his eyes are. He partially recalled what had happened and plunged into thought. Gena remembered that day as a farewell to Varya. In fact, it was the last day of his human life, and he spent it with his beloved and only girlfriend. Varya’s words brought him back to reality.

– It smells like ozone.

– Ozone. Be it not okay. Gena continued to search for articles. It took him the whole night. – In short – ozone belongs to some mysterious gas – which was later called «smelling», i.e. ozone. Why don’t I smell?

Another characteristic feature of ozone is its ability to change its color and consistency depending on temperature and pressure. In natural conditions, ozone has a pale purple color. When the pressure increases, this gas turns blue. At a temperature of -111.9° C, ozone condenses into an unstable liquid of a dark blue hue. At -192.5° C, O3 turns into solid dark purple, almost black, crystals.

This article horrified Gena. – In short, I am a mutant. Having looked through the information further, Gene realized that he was practically immortal.

It has been proved that ozone in the atmosphere can destroy both nitrogen and hydrogen compounds (for example, ammonia and methane) and chlorine compounds (chlorofluorocarbons – freons). Freons are used in refrigeration units, air conditioners, solvents; aerosol cans/sprays and fire extinguishers.

– In short, only a plus temperature and alcohol can kill me! Although I am not very friendly with the cold either. Dawn came. Gena dozed off in a sitting position. The sound of the door key brought him to his feet. Looking for a way to hide, he formed a pile and crawled under the kitchen corner. Footsteps sounded like the director’s footsteps in the apartment. Seeing nothing but women’s legs, Gena strained his ears.

– What did I say! Someone broke into the apartment. The computer is turned on. Apparently, the girl was talking on the phone. – The police. I’ll call у now.

– Correspondence! I have not deleted my page. Gena was panicking. The girl was dialing the police. Gene had no choice but to protect Varya with an attack. By this time, Gena’s body was limp from the heat and could no longer be so physically strong. – I will try to scare her. Gena stood in front of the landlady of the apartment at full height and walked towards her with a decisive step. Accordingly, the girl screamed and ran out. Gena did not hesitate to lock the door behind her. With a quick movement, he deleted all the tabs and his page. The door lock opened again. The last tab was closed. Gene flushed into the sink.

– Don’t worry. I am with you and I believe you. A man’s voice soothed her. – The police are coming now. At his own risk, having received a cold portion of air, Gena returned to understand what was being planned against him. The police came as an armed gang.

– «Where is he?»

– I do not know. He closed the door behind me and stayed here. The police were examining the house. From what they saw, they realized that this creature likes warmth and food.

– They are wrong. I do not like heat. Gene hovered in the kitchen drainpipe, expecting every second that water would pour on him at any moment.

– He used a laptop.

– What a clever monster. Each of the policemen had a gun at the ready. It was like dealing with a dangerous maniac.

– Tell me how dangerous is he?

– Just four days ago, he attacked your neighbor. The poor woman almost went crazy.

– And what did he do with it?

– He ate a cutlet.

– Are you laughing?

– Unfortunately, no. This creature has been walking around the city for about ten days. There were no attacks, but people are in fear. He also robbed Auchan, stole food and clothes. The young woman stood in fear as well as all the locals.

– Stay with me. A man’s voice calmed the landlady of the apartment. Gena was waiting for everyone to leave.

– I have restored the tabs!

– «Not that. The story dragged on for an hour. Gena felt himself falling apart. Fortunately, for him, no one used the kitchen faucet.

– Interesting pages. We are dealing with a mutant. In my opinion, this is not just a police matter.

– I underestimated her. It turns out she has a man. Gene thought, exhausted from the heat of the drainpipe.

– I found his social page.

– «Not that. Varya! A heart-rending silent scream rang out. Gena was flying down the drainpipe. Unable to remember himself from fear, he was already swimming against the current on the Oka. Here it is the right tributary of the Oka. The return route was already more or less known by its names. It was not far from Moksha to Tsna. – Consider me home. Gena did not make stops and reinforcements. All his thoughts were occupied with Varya.

– With the onset of December, the air temperature dropped significantly lower. The water was getting colder. A growth of ice could be seen from the shores. To his surprise, Gena did not feel the cold, or he simply had no time to feel it, he hurried to Varya, afraid not to make it before the police arrived.

December. The city was fully prepared for the New Year. In every park and square, near every ice palace, in every shopping center there was an elegant Christmas tree and pleased guests and residents of the city with its beauty. Performances were held in youth theaters. In the evening cafes, it was impossible to sit down; there were not enough free tables. Varya enjoyed the decoration of the city with all her appearance. Deep down, she was afraid to admit that she liked the hustle and bustle of the city and preparing for the holiday. Correspondence with Gena disturbed her peace. The girl was waiting for the next messages, but they did not arrive. Realizing that something had happened and Gena could not write, Varya patiently waited for him to act. Dasha’s pressure made her agree to meet the New Year in Tambov. Parents fully supported this idea. – That is right. Well done. Varya looked at her father in surprise. The father understood that the holiday with the family would turn into mourning, and the unfinished house under the windows would be an eternal grave that their daughter would forever mourn. In fact, it was. Varya did not know any other life. They had been friends with Gena since they were five years old. Varya not only did not know another life, she did not imagine another life. Just a few months ago, Varya did not even imagine that she would celebrate the New Year without Gena, with some little-known guys. If someone had told her about it, she would have considered it complete nonsense.

One thing is for sure that in one village on the outskirts of the city there lived two inseparable children who dreamed of getting married when they grew up, their love was childish, pure and immaculate. And just a few months before the wedding, each of them began life with a clean slate. Only for each one individually. Only love remained in the air and did not know where to hide.