When they realized that the search radius was expanding by kilometers, one of the neighbors connected the police. The search continued all night. Closer to dawn it was clear that something very serious had happened to the boy. No one answered the call, the tracks got confused, and people lost their feet.
– My God! Help us find our son! – the desperate mother prayed.
Her husband tried to calm her down, although a heavy weight of loss hung on his soul.
– We will definitely find him! Do you hear! I promise you! We will not give up. We’ll connect everyone, and we’ll find them!
It was the ninth day of the search, and it was already clear that Igor could hardly be found alive.
His search has become the largest and most numerous in history. People gathered from all over the country who were not indifferent to the fate of a ten-year-old child and the grief of his parents.
All social networks were full of announcements about the missing schoolboy, which had a photo of a smiling Igor.
Television, radio, billboards in elevators of houses and public buildings shouted for help in finding a child.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations and special purpose search teams, the police and the military, ordinary volunteer citizens, meter by meter, examined all the surroundings, basements, abandoned structures and hunting lodges, divers searched the bottom of the nearest reservoir, where, ironically, Igor and his father were fishing just before his disappearance, but the search did not yield any results.
No traces of the missing boy, except for the bicycle left in the hut, were found.
The basket of mushrooms found there belonged to another person. Even a specially trained dog lost Igor’s trail as soon as he was in the forest.
On the tenth day of the search, a criminal case was opened in the case of the disappearance. The hope of finding the missing child was fading every day.
Grief-stricken parents turned to magicians and psychics. Those, all as one, in spite of everything that was happening, insisted that Igor was alive.
One day, on the thirteenth day after the disappearance, the Belarusian side reported about some child who secretly crossed the border on a passing road train, climbing into the salon at a gas station and hiding under a blanket in a sleeping place. After he was discovered by a surprised Belarusian driver, the boy ran away at the nearest stop, fearing that he would be handed over to the police station.
This event gave a fragile hope to find Igor, who allegedly could escape from home in this way, although there was no reason to escape.
When the driver of the road train was shown a photo of the missing boy, he dispelled the parents’ last hope of ever seeing their ten-year-old son alive.
As soon as Igor turned off the path into the thick of the forest, it became dark abruptly, as if it was late evening or a thundercloud had come, and a downpour was going to start. He looked up at the sky.
It was dark, but the clouds weren’t too thick to cast such a shadow on the ground. He remembered how they had told him about the solar eclipse in class, only the sun was not visible behind the treetops now. The boy was a little scared, and was about to return home, but the sky cleared up again and it became light in the forest as before.
– I’ll tell the guys how I saw the solar eclipse – he thought, and walked forward into the forest.
– They probably saw him too, and were also scared, but it’s much scarier in the forest!
Igor has never seen so many porcini mushrooms in one place in his life. After walking very close, he found a clearing completely strewn with boletus.
At first, he rushed to cut them and put them in a basket, then decided to take a memorable photo to show the forest miracle to mom and dad. He also praised himself for putting several large cellophane bags like «T-shirt» from the store in the pockets of his jeans, because each of them could fit a whole bucket of mushrooms.
– Wow! Oh, the guys should come here!
There were big trees growing around, and they had very small ones near the stadium!
Looking into the «alien» hut, he certainly did not find a bicycle. There were only broken bottles, cigarette butts and some old worn sofa with the same kind of coffee table.
After standing for a while, coming out of the stupor that had seized him, he decided to go to the village, which was visible nearby, and resembled his native village.
– Probably came out from the other side of the forest – he thought.
– How could I get so lost? You need to ask someone what kind of village it is, and how to get to your own.
Igor suddenly remembered about the phone, but immediately did not dare to call his parents.
He was not used to complaining, but he was always used to getting out of difficult situations himself, although this case was somehow exceptional.
«I’ll call you later when I find out where I am,» he thought.
Approaching the village, Igor saw a man in his thirties. He decided to ask him where he was.
– Excuse me, please!
– Yes, baby?
– Uncle, please tell me where I am. I got lost in the forest.
Igor noticed how the young man’s face turned pale and his eyes widened in surprise.
– M-boy. What’s your name? – suddenly, stammering, he asked.
– Igor. And what?
– Igor … – the man thoughtfully cupped the lower part of his face with his palm, and, looking down, asked:
– Aren’t you Igor Zorin by any chance?
– Yes. And how do you know?
The man took out a paper handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the drops of sweat that appeared on his forehead.
– Uncle! Are you ill?
– No, Igor.
– So what kind of village is this? What is it called?
– Igor. Listen to me, don’t be scared.
Igor was already scared. He didn’t understand what this man wanted from him. He only asked where he was.
«How does this man know my name?» He was wary.
– I’m going home! – Igor blurted out, and rushed back to the forest.
His mother had always taught him not to talk to strangers.
– Igor! Wait! Don’t be afraid of me! This village is Zaustino, and Dimka is your friend, only already an adult! I’m Dima Ivanov! Honestly!
Igor was completely scared, and ran even faster, but he was very tired, so he could not run far.
The uncle grabbed him and hugged him, hugging him like a native.
– Don’t be afraid, baby! Better tell me where you’ve been.
Uncle Dema’s voice was soothing, and his grip was not very strong.
– Uncle! Let me go home. My mom is waiting for me. I promised to be back before dark.
– Igor! Don’t be afraid of me. Let’s go. I’ll take you to your father. Just don’t be scared. I got overexcited myself.
The student decided not to resist, but to call for help if they meet someone on the way.
The road ran along a street that seemed very familiar, but looked different.
There were low fences around the houses, which only fenced off the territory of the land