A Lucid Dream - страница 2

he said, then immediately turned to Rimma. "You look exhausted. Maybe we could take a walk?"

"Sorry, Ibrahim, but I can’t leave Ruslan alone," she whispered.

"Go, it’s okay," Ruslan suddenly said.

Rimma turned to him in surprise and exclaimed with relief:

"You spoke! I was so worried about you! But if you think I’m going to leave you, you’re wrong."

Ruslan gave a faint smile.

"Thank you, Rimma. For everything you’ve done for me. But go, you need to rest. And so do I…"

"Alright," Rimma agreed, "but on one condition—you have to eat something."

Ruslan nodded. He was eager to be alone.

The three of them had dinner together, during which Ibrahim apologized to Ruslan and expressed his condolences. Afterward, Ruslan obediently drank the calming herbal tea Rimma had prepared. Then, saying his goodbyes, he went up to his bedroom.

He couldn’t sleep for a long time. Thoughts of his mother, his loss, and his own fate tormented him. The more he thought, the clearer it became—without his parents, his life had lost all meaning. Besides, he was blind, helpless. Who needed him? What was his purpose? Why was he given so many trials?

Midnight was approaching. Darkness thickened outside the window, and the house was silent, broken only by the steady ticking of the clock. Ruslan lay there, listening to the cold silence—cold, like his soul.

Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced his eyes. Ruslan screamed and collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony. The pain was so unbearable that he couldn’t even cry out anymore—he could only roll on the floor, clutching his head. Then, abruptly, everything went still. He gasped for breath, and with difficulty, he opened his eyes.

He froze.

He could see.

The room appeared before him in every detail. Ruslan looked around in confusion, unable to believe what was happening. Joy, fear, and disbelief swirled inside him. But then, dizziness struck, his body weakened, and he lost consciousness.

At dawn, Ruslan woke up in his bed. Everything was as it had been before. Darkness once again enveloped him. With bitterness, he realized that it had only been a dream. His attempts to recall the events of the previous night were interrupted by Rimma—she had come to check on him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"Thank you, I’m fine. But you know, I had a strange dream…"

Ruslan described everything in detail. Rimma listened, her eyes wide, a shiver running down her spine.

"Ruslan, that’s impossible! You described your room in complete detail!" she exclaimed.

"Really?!" Ruslan was astonished.

"Yes! But you’ve never seen it before, have you?"

Ruslan sighed heavily and gave a wry smile.

"Of course not. I’ve been blind since birth."

"Exactly… So how could you see something you’ve never seen before?" Rimma whispered in bewilderment.

"Think—when did it happen?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Right after you and Ibrahim left," Ruslan replied.

Rimma fell into deep thought, then suddenly said:

"I want to figure this out. Do you mind if I come over at midnight?"

Ruslan nodded. He wanted to understand what was happening to him, too. He waited for the night with both anticipation and anxiety. But, without realizing it, he fell asleep—exhausted by everything that had happened.

He woke up as dusk was settling outside. Feeling hungry, he quickly ate a sandwich and went up to his parents' room. Pressing his cheek against his mother’s pillow, he tried to soothe the pain of his loss. Suddenly, a noise came from downstairs.