© Yulia Poplavskaya, 2016

ISBN 978-5-4483-3487-0

Created with intellectual publishing system Ridero

Have you ever wondered at least once in a lifetime what happens with us after death? Where does the soul go? Where is it when we are asleep?

He couldn’t believe it. He put his elbows on the knees and hid his face in arms. The thought that she has gone was tearing Tien’s soul apart. “I won’t let you go, I just can’t do that” – her words were sounding in his head giving an awful ache. He was looking for her everywhere, even in the past and in the future. The impossible became possible for him. Millions of years have passed, but he was looking for her even that far away. Everything that used to mean something for him have lost its sense without her. He felt like they broke apart just a minute ago, but now this minute has become an eternity.

Chapter 1

It was a beautiful autumn, very bright and warm fall.

A Latin music was playing, and two perfectly built figures were dancing on the scene. The dance of passion was performed with an accurate grace. The people watching that dance were stunned by the charming aura of the couple. Leah was a professional dancer of bachata, salsa, rumba, cha-cha etc. She was a goddess of the scene in this huge and rich restaurant. She had a personal show with a handsome Afro-American Pedro. They danced there three times a week raising some good money for the show. Leah was a girl from a wealthy family. She had a great education. She also had a beautiful and an ultimately kind heart. Her father was working as a personal pilot of a local oligarch. He was an experienced and irreplaceable specialist on his plane. He spent a lot of time on his work, but his employer generously compensated overtime hours away from his family. Her mother was a housewife with a higher legal education, but she dedicated her life to her husband and their three children. The eldest was Adam, then Leah and their little sister Ely.

That evening Leah was having a dinner with one of her admirers. It often happened when a newcomer lost his head during seeing Leah dancing. Tourists admired her plastic figure and professional skill to reveal the exotics and sexuality of the dance. So Leah regularly received the invitations to share a dinner with the guests of the restaurant. The girl didn’t like to eat with the strangers, but she had to accept the invitations as most part of the guest were V.I.P. or the kids of some rich government workers.

At first glance Leah was a simple, soft, slim girl 24 years old, 170 cm in height. But it was just a first impression. After watching her for several minutes one can notice all the things that top-models are usually very proud to have or try to achieve with the help of professionals. Leah had a long dark blond hair reaching her waist that framed a pretty face in a form of a heart, bottomless gray eyes and full pink lips on dark skin. She had a slim and flexible figure. All that, paired with salsa or samba, made her extraordinarily charming on stage.

Everything seemed to be perfect, but it never happens in real life. Her worst nightmare were her dreams. As a child she often woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. She did not see the nightmares; she saw the life of other people and animals that existed millions of years ago. Many psychologists worked with her, but the dreams became more realistic with every year. Her circle of contacts was very limited, her peers were sure she’s inadequate having mental disorders. Different doctors had different diagnoses, but her parents rejected all the prescribed treatments. Leah’s mother woke up with her every night and tried to calm the girl down saying that were just her dreams. The girl graduated from school and university with the perfect marks. She often thought she’s going mad. Sometimes the drams seemed to be so realistic she couldn’t distinguish reality. Eventually Leah learned to accept her dreams and not to be afraid of them, and not to tell anyone about them, which was the most important thing.

After having a dinner with the admirer she listened to his promises to become the greatest dancer of all time and to replace Pedro on the scene, the tired girl went home.

She parked her car in the backyard and entered the house. Everybody was already asleep. The girl creeped in her room, had a shower and went to bed. Most of people usually like the unique condition of sleeping, but not Leah.

The cold wind and a smell of autumn leaves woke her up. The leaves were falling and dancing after the rain. “I fell asleep on a park bench” – decided Leah. “Oh, I’m having a lecture in the university in an hour!”

Leah didn’t consider Master’s degree program after her graduation, but later decided to continue studying because of her passion to the antique. During the lectures she often realized she knew much more than it was written in the books. On her opinion, the information was not always reliable. She wanted to learn more about the era of the past centuries and, like many of us, she had different dreams. Leah wanted to take part in archaeological excavations that were mandatory at her university. She dreamt that she finds something important and contributes to the discovery of the life of ancient people; she wanted to dig some mystery old pharaoh’s tomb that hid the era of the past millennia.

The theme of Ancient Egypt was her favorite. Her passion to the ancient world sometimes scared her family. She often told the stories about ancient people. Her stories were so realistic that they surprised the Egyptologists. Besides, Leah loved to collect old things. She was sure that each and every of these things had some great life story. She took the things in her arms, closed her eyes and made the suggestions about their origins, previous owners and its creator. She supposed those things to be some kind of chests of memories because they kept the spirit of our ancestors and their culture for centuries.

That’s why the girl kept lots of old things that seemed boring to the rest of her family. Her mom often grumbled at her that she drags home old paintings, lamps, candlesticks. Once she even brought the cauldron, saying that her friend of Arab origin gave it to her. The boy said that this cauldron belonged to his family a few hundred years ago.

What’s that? Have you find Alladin’s lamp this time? – Her elder brother Adam was laughing at her. He saw the cauldron on the kitchen table when Leah was showing it to their mother.

– Last time it was some rusty iron picture with some beetle and the sun, – sister Eli supported Adam.

– Leah was shining when she found that garbage, – Adam added.

– Yes, and I still admire it in my room, – proclaimed Leah. – You two are just unable to understand that the scarab beetle was a symbol of an ancient Egypt god Khepri. It’s one of the most important symbols of ancient Egypt, – explained Leah. – That picture is priceless, as well as this cauldron.

***

Leah ran into the room and apologized for being late. She sat near her university friend Elena. An old, good-looking professor with sharp clever eyes behind the glasses did not ask her about the reasons for being late. He offered her to choose the question. The exam questions were compiled of all lectures and library books that the students had to read on their own during all course. They were written on paper sheets and lied on the table.

Question #13. Phylogeny and ontogeny in space and time

Answer. The process of evolution, in which genetic line branches off in time, and some branches may even change in the DNA and in an embryonic state, or simply die.

The answer came to Leah immediately. “I know the answer. I don’t remember I read anything about it. It must be something from psychological anthropology, but I am not sure”. Leah didn’t know why her answer was so sure. She felt like all that had already happened to her.

Probably each of you experienced something like that.

***

Coming out of the university, Leah with a friend decided to drink a latte in a coffee shop near the university. The pleasant atmosphere of the cozy coffee shops in the eastern style, smell of fresh ground coffee beans in the air and colorful autumn with swirling leaves of different colors in the windows of the glass made the girl’s mood beautiful. “Autumn… Why many do not like the fall? It is so beautiful in the beginning of October.”

So tell me, have you read all the books that our teacher gave us? – Elena interrupted her thoughts. – You answered the question very quickly, you didn’t even think about it for a second. I haven’t even understand my question, of course I couldn’t answer it. As a result I’ll have to retake the exam in a month. How did you do that?

“I really answered almost without thinking, – realized Leah. – I wasn’t even sure, but the professor nodded in approval, looked at the answers and didn’t even make any amendments”.

I didn’t read this information, Elena, or maybe I have read it long time ago. But I didn’t doubt answering, – Leah smiled to her friend.

Leah looked at the gold of nature behind the window glass and suddenly noticed a man. It was the first time she saw him. A man about 33 years old was an Asian, he had a very good proportioned face, dressed in a black coat on a black suite. He was thin and tall. The man stared at Leah and her friend, with his hands folded in his coat pockets. On the background of bright autumn nature this tall man in black seemed to Leah to be an epitome of male beauty of alien origin. His black eyes with a slight squint made her feel hot. His black hair was laid carelessly, the wind gently swept strands across his forehead.

Leah, Leah, your phone is ringing! – Elena tried to catch her eyes waving her hands. Leah felt like waking up, she grabbed her phone quickly. It was her mom calling:

– Honey…

– Everything swam before her eyes.

– Honey, buy aspirin, you felt sick yesterday, – whispered her mom.

– I’ll call you back, mommy.

How do I know it… What’s going on?

– Are you okay? – asked Elena. – You’re pale.

The girls finished their coffee and chatted about the library books and the themes they were going to study the next year. Leah was looking for someone who recently got her attention, but got a little bit disappointed – he wasn’t there.

Leah drove her mini cooper going back home. She felt déjà vu. “It is definitely happening not for the first time. Mom’s words, the answers on the faculty”, – she thought, approaching the house.

– Mom, I’m home.

– Leah, listen to my new song, – her little sister Eli jumped forward with a guitar in her hands.

– You’d better learn Mendelssohn’s march, you’re still playing it bad, – answered Leah going upstairs.

– But how did you know that? I’ve just played it to mom for the first time! – Eli pouted and went to her room.

Leah turned to her in a daze. “But I did know that she plays Mendelssohn not very good. How do I know this? What is happening to me today?”

Honey, how are you? I came to check your room.

– Mom, I feel much better. I’m going to sleep for some time, we have a performance in a restaurant tonight.

Leah drank aspirin and went to bed.

– Wake up! – Leah heard an unfamiliar female voice.

– Oh, mom, what time is it? How long did I sleep? I might be late. Pedro must be ringing all the time.

Jumping out of bed, Leah opened her eyes.

Where am I?

On a ship in the middle of the ocean, – answered the same unfamiliar female voice. I’m not your mom, and Pedro is not here. He must be lying somewhere in the same condition, maybe near the bar.

The same voice.

– Pull yourself together and drink less, my dear, – said sternly unknown lady with a teacher’s voice otherwise you’ll burn in the sun in a drunken state, and no one will wake you up as I did.

The fat lady in a shady hat and with a brightly painted lips went on fanning herself and murmuring something.

On a ship? – gasped Leah. – What ship? In the middle of what ocean? What’s going on? How did I get there?

Indeed, she was on a ship, lying in a couch on the top deck, in small shorts and a T-shirt. No one else was there because the sun stood high and it was very hot. Although Leah had a dark skin, her arms and legs became red and were slightly aching. Grabbing the head in her hands, she closed her eyes.

“I must be asleep. It’s not for real”. Leah always saw realistic dreams like this one. But she never took part herself. “Of course, it’s a dream. My family was planning to take a 10-days holiday, when dad’s boss will be in a clinic. We wanted to go to Mediterranean sea”, – Leah thought. “But why do I see myself in my dream? Is my disease getting worse?”

It’s a dream.

This time the voice wasn’t female, but also unfamiliar.

But it’s all for real, – she heard a pleasant male voice nearby. Leah opened her eyes and squinted to see who’s talking. She went numb.

You? Who are you? I saw you yesterday in the park near the coffee shop.

Male beauty embodiment looked straight at her.

My name is Tien.

Leah felt sick, she approached the rail side of the ship.