LITMIR.BIZ

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felt myself like out of place – he muttered, sipping his beer again – I could rule the whole world…

      – Oh my god! Enough! You're saying bullshit. I don't even want to listen. Go to sleep. Tomorrow you'll sober up and then we'll talk.

      The next morning, Dima went to work closer to lunch. He is really no longer worked in “Vega Technologies”, as well as many other physics scientists. He just had to go to the HR department, sign the papers about dismissal by his own will, and collect the payment. It shouldn't have taken long time, just about two or three hours. Therefore Katya was waiting for him at home not later than four o'clock in the afternoon. But he didn't come. Not this day, not the next. Katya announced a wanted list.

      Soon it became known that he did not come to work that day. As a result of interviews with the villagers, it was established that some man, around eleven o'clock in the morning, went in the direction of the forest. An active search began. But after six months, they were discontinued. The official report, which was issued to Katya when the case was closed, was marked “missing person”.

      Very soon Alice noticed her mother's deep thought and hurried to ask her what she is thinking about:

      – Mom, are you okay? You look so pensive – Alice asked with a smile.

      – Yes, everything is fine baby. I just remembered something. Well, never mind. By the way, I have a present for you. Wait a second, I'll be right back.

      Katya left the room, and in a minute later returned with a parcel in her hand.

      – Mom, are you kidding?! – with a full mouth, Alice mumbled, and after chewing continued – We are not so rich. How can you afford this gift?

      – Calm down, I didn't spend any money and it's not really my gift.

      Alice looked at her mother questioningly, waiting for her to continue.

      – You know, when my grandmother died…

      – Mom, please don't! – Alice cut her off – Don't talk about grandmother now.

      – No darling, just listen. I know how much you loved her and she loved you the same. So, when she was dying she gave me this – she picked up the bundle from her lap and slowly began to unfold an old, dusty rag – She made me promise that I would give it to you on your eighteenth birthday.

      Alice saw an old wooden box, covered with copper. The lid was engraved with a design of two spread wide wings. The border was stamped with symbols which is look like letters in some unknown language. Also, there was a hole for the key, but most of all Alice was interested in the verse that was written on the bottom of the box.

      “Just light and wings in right position,”

      “Will tell the truth about that,”

      “Where does the sleeping Ont still keeping,”

      “An oldest secret for all time”

      After turning the box several times her hands, Alice asked:

      – What about a key?

      – I wouldn't mind opening it by myself and take a look what's inside, but your grandmother didn't give me anything else. And to exactly the same question about the key, she said: "Just give it to Alice”

      – Hmmm – the girl mumbled and stood up – Okay, Mom, thank you for the treat. I'll go sit outside and explore my unusual gift, maybe find a way how to open it – she said.

      – Yes, of course, darling.

      The mother noticed Alice`s eyes light up when she picked up the box. Her daughter always has been attracted to various old things, myths about fantastic creatures from other worlds, and so on. Alice, without exaggeration, was taken deep inside into the Fantasy books stories. And every time, every new story Alice experienced by herself, like it was in reality. She had probably read more than five dozen books by now, and if the room of the average girl of eighteen years was a room with soft toys and beautiful posters of movie characters, then Alice's room it was books, books, books.

      Chapter 2

      – Grandma, Grandma, take a look I found it! – Alice exclaimed.

      – Well, let me see – grandmother said, coming closer – Well done baby, this is White mushroom. Carefully cut off the leg and put it in the basket.

      – Yes, of course.

      Little by little, their baskets were filled with mushrooms and gradually they went deeper into the forest. Anyone who didn't know the area well enough could easily get lost in such a big forest, but not Alice's grandmother. She knew this forest as well as if it were her second home.

      Shortly, they came to a small glade. In the center of it was a massive oak tree. The massive trunk of this tree couldn`t be wrap around even by ten people. The branches going very high up and the crowns fell ten meters away so they touched the firs and larches growing nearby. Alice exclaimed again:

      – Grandma, take a look! Wow! What a huge tree! I've never seen like this before.

      – Yes, baby, I know. But it's not only a big tree.

      – Really? – Alice looked inquiringly.

      – Yes my dear. This is the oldest oak tree in our forest. He is the master of the forest. In ancient legends, they are also called Onts.

      – Onts? Hmmm – Alice drawled thoughtfully – And how do you know so much?

      – Well honey, I'm already old, I've lived a lot and seen a lot. That's why I know.

      – Onts. Hmm. I like it! – The girl smiled – Just like in my favorite fairy tale about Eraqel.

      – That's right, my dear.

      ***

      When Alice woke up, she immediately grabbed the box which was right next to her bedside table and began to study that short verse again. The girl realized that the dream she had was not an accident. And the mighty oak tree which still stands in the woods near their village is most likely the same “sleeping Ont” who keeps the secret. That was a secret she had to solve.

      Being an absolutely diligent student, Alice never skipped classes at the university. She always did all her home tasks and actively answered questions in the classroom. But not today. Today, she had completely forgotten about everything in the world. Quickly jumping into her jeans, putting on a jumper and jacket, Alice put a bun in her mouth and ran into the woods.

      Many years have passed when Alice last time was in this forest. And even more since that days when she and her grandmother went here to collect mushrooms and berries. So she had to spend at least two hours before she came to the glade with the oak tree.

      The first thing which caught her eyes were the leaves. It was fall, the end of September. Deciduous trees actively yellowed and dropped the leaves, but not that ancient giant. The leaves were rich green color, like it was not September but May, and it wasn`t even going to indulge for a long winter sleep. It seemed it will stand here all winter, spreading it`s mighty green branches, in the middle of the snowy desert.

      Alice sat down on the grass a few meters away from the tree and began to learn that verse again. Now she was interested in the first line. What kind of light? What kind of wings? And what is the “right position”? What does the author mean by the word “right position”? The right position regarding to what? How can all this things point to the truth?

      Because of long and hard thinking Alice began to feel a little headache. She put the box aside and lay down on the grass. The sun disappeared behind the clouds. “Oh, come on… I don`t need a rain now! Well, Grandma… you left me such a hard puzzle” – the girl thought to herself.

      After a while, the sun came out again, but still it was a little dark around the oak. It`s crowns were so curly so they almost didn`t let the light in. Alice continued to think about the puzzle and realized – she had only one “wings” which the verse was talking about. Those which were engraved on the box. She got up to take a look on them again, and the next moment she saw something what made her

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