«Here it is!!!» I suddenly felt something and took a step aside. «The Portal is here, isn’t it?»
The Guardian chuckled, but he had no time to answer, because the door to the room opened slightly, and the Cat appeared on the threshold.
«Meow?!» he said in surprise.
I left the room without writing anything to the Creator.
***
The Sinner stood embarrassed on the stage, as if in front of Christ. The hall was crowded with women. While the hero of the party was reciting poems, perceived as a divine revelation in advance, the women, in their dreams, already wrapped their arms around his neck and whispered all sorts of tenderness in his ears…
I returned to my table. Roman emerged from the crowd slyly smiling, and I heard his thoughts in my mind.
«How is your swamp doing, Alice? Did you throw away a lot of stuff?»
«Hello!»
Roman sat down next to me and held out his hand. I cautiously held out mine in response. He looked at me, stroking the lines on my palm and probably changing something in them.
«Tell me, Alice, is this a magic place?»
«Yes, sure.»
«Should it somehow stir up the reality of whoever comes in contact with it?»
«Yes. Why?»
«Do you still want to leave?»
I withdrew my hand with a thought, «How does he know why I am here?»
«In your previous novel, you have already left the world,» having read my thoughts, Roman answered in the same mental way. «So, hasn’t your reality changed?»
«What do you mean?» I asked to clarify.
«Maybe what… or maybe whom,» I heard in response.
«I hope your next home task is… to sin?» Roman grinned aloud, nodding at the Sinner. «By the way, what swamp is he from?»
«The task is to repent,» I sighed. «He works in a school.»
«Sinners work in schools. Indeed, where else would they work? Why didn’t I guess it myself! Why to repent, Alice? Do you think those people who hurt others, and you in particular, really repented?»
«Leave it.»
«But they hurt you! Even deadly. Which of them ended up asking for forgiveness? No one? Ah-ah-ah! It’s not fair, is it?»
«Up there…»
«In Heaven?» Roman grinned venomously, reminding me of Ray. «And what did they do there, in Heaven, for you, so clean and bright? Have your offenders been punished? Was the balance of the Forces restored? Maybe they changed your life for the better? What kind of repentance are we talking about? Your abusers got their share of highs and continue to get maximum of Life! And you are dreaming of Death!»
I abruptly got up from the table, but immediately collided with…
«It’s time to announce the Open Mic,» the Guardian said.
«Yes, give me a second,» I nodded and turned to Roman. «They will never become true magicians. Write it down in your notebook. Did you buy it for nothing?»
Task No. 3. FORGIVENESS
…Start remembering your life from the very beginning, where you remember it from. The first person that will come to your mind is most likely your mother…
Go over your personal history for each person with whom you have come in contact in life, from your acquaintance to its completion or to the present moment, if you are still in contact, try to remember everything…
Ask to forgive you for what:
* you remember, and you feel uneasy at heart,
* you don’t remember, or maybe you don’t even know, but a person might have been inadvertently offended by you…
You must mentally relive your life anew, with each of those who were sent to you from Above. There was nothing accidental even in fleeting people. They and you, and each of us, are Teacher and Student at the same time.
Ask everyone to forgive you preferably verbally, by calling or meeting, if these people are alive… or mentally… You can write a letter in your magic notebook as well.
At the end of the work, you will face the most difficult thing – to forgive each of them. To forgive and let go forever without any emotions, except gratitude, so that later, remembering the person, nothing would shudder in your soul or would respond with pain.
Otherwise, you won’t be able to become what you really are, the Magician.
***
Having returned home, I lit the candles and began to scroll through my life, checking myself for the task I had given to Roman that evening, whether anyone could make me feel uneasy on the edge of leaving.
«How u, my girl?» a message appeared on the phone.
«Thank you, I am okay.»
«I come 2 u. Want?»
«Right now?!»
«Want 2 see u. U? Yes or not? Tell true. I come. No know when but not problem 2 come. When can fly, I come. I see Internet – fly cancelled. Borders closed. All closed. I come & go coffee with u! Tell u want 2. Yes?»
4. Чёртова мельница
– Очередная колдунья пожалует к нам с «Чёртовой мельницей»? – раздался знакомый голос за спиной.
– Не угадал, – я обернулась и улыбнулась Стражу. – Сегодня в программе – болотные чертенята…
– Сразу несколько? И прямо с болот?.. Кофе?
– Ну, не несколько, один, зато самый главный – их Хозяин, но – да, с болота, и да, двойной эспрессо с молоком, – я присела за столик в кофейной части зала. – Болото настоящее, можешь не сомневаться. Мне перепала целая корзинка с клюквой. Автор несёт на себе зловещую печать Сатурна в XII, но, даже если ты не в курсе трактовок, не заморачивайся. А вот вероятность того, что перед нами – частичная реинкарнация раннего Блока, судя по стихам, существует. Кстати, наш «герой» спасает людей.
– На болоте? От болотных чертенят? – ухмыльнулся Страж, протягивая мне