Deer, come and drink from the lake,
Bear and Marten, also come.
Each of you should take your own path,
But I warn you, stranger, “never drink here!”
These lakes are not on the Google map.
We must have taken a wrong turn.
Should stay here tonight. Be ready to leave at first light.
Oh, just drink a bit of this fresh clear water!
I had a nightmare: a girl dressed in white.
What is it on the tent, fish scales?
It’s Vitya’s doing, though he doesn’t confess.
Hey, who’s driving? Okay, I’ll drive myself.
Who called you here, human pack?
Forget-me-flower I’ll pick from the bush,
Ensnare-ring I’ll take from the finger –
No one’s going to ever reveal this place to anyone.
Weird. The road’s blocked again. Yes, I’ve turned left!
Thought there was some light there.
We’ll take turns. Seva is the first.
Have Ann and Vitya come back yet?
Oh, thank you, friends, thank you Mavkas, water spirits,
I’ll put human bones here, in the furrow.
Hey, spirits of the forest and lake, hey, Strygs, blood-suckers,
Let those sleep forever who stay awake at night!
Lena, get up, leave it, for God’s sake!
Just run, run for your life!
There’s a village over the hill, and someone’s going to help.
We need to reach the field where there’s some light or else we’ll…
Get up, get up, Urka, the evil spirit of the field,
If you blow the torch off, the pain will recede.
Your eyes sparkle and your howling’s loud
Those who look back are your prey.
Tiles. Psychiatric ward.
They say it was me who killed them. Can’t remember at all.
At night, something comes to sit on my chest,
And I see wet footprints on the tiles in the morning.
Come and drink from my waters…
Deep lakes are my eye sockets,
Wide swamp is my bed.
But beware if you dare to wake me.
Alexey Tarasov is an author from Russia
(translated by
Sergey Gerasimov from Russian)
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