Erk and some kind of a book

Translator Kirill Ilyich Popov

© Innokenty Alekseevich Mamontov, 2018

© Kirill Ilyich Popov, translation, 2018

ISBN 978-5-4483-0067-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Devoted to my magic princess for helping me making all of this things up and to the wizard Erk…

Prologue

If I would suddenly disappear, if no one could find me, just now – I’m gone to nowhere. Perhaps, we could meet again. Oh! By the way, the true eternal love, it exists, like all of the things around.

You are not your body. You are the conscious, arrayed in your material body. Like you can control the substance of your own body, the same way you can control the matter of the universe. If your mind is already awake, you can rule the yet sleeping ones.

Everything surrounding you, everything happens to you, it is only inside your mind, it is only there.

A new friend

My name is Erk. When I was fourteen, I’ve met a very strange companion, so unusual for the human’s world. I don’t even have an idea, whether it’s he or she. It just suddenly showed up and started talking to me. May be, some other guy would be scared or decided, that is was just a mirage, but not me. My new friend, the only one to always accompany, to always guide me. It always listens to me, always can give me a piece of advice, it always supports me. It is always optimistic, telling me, that there is nothing impossible.

“All the ‘impossibilities’ are only your personal ‘impossibilities’, you are creating them with your own hands” – told it.

I figured out, who was my new friend, when it talked to me for the first time one sunny may afternoon.

That was the Death. And the same night it appeared in front of me. Death wasn’t similar the way people usually portray it. It was completely another. It was like two rotating hollow cylinder contiguous to each other, the white and the black one. To make it easier for me to perceive this creature, on the top of the cylinders there were images, looked like some human faces, they constantly appeared and vanished. Those cylinders shined white from the inside.

Beginning not from the beginning

Well, I studied in a parochial school for two years, and almost each day I spent in the corridor. Of course, I studied in the state school, too, but, in that particular period I’ve met a new friend. I learned from him a lot: how to become happy, how not to make yourself any problems, how to get rid of the things, usually discomforting people.

The meeting

One day, in July, I took my bike and drove to the garden near the forest, outside the city, like I always did. I took the “Practical magic” by Papus in order to try raise some goats or other creatures.

When I reached my destination, I prepared a few woods to set a fire. As it started to dark and many mosquitoes came, I lighted a little oven, standing outside the house. The house resembled a barn, but it was quite cozy, mats were laid on the floor, tea and candies were on the table and there were bunk bed, made of long and wide wood boards.

The Moon was bright, the stars were shining. Sitting by the oven, I opened the book and started to read the Friday spell. As I finished, it started to be windy and the big grey clouds were floating in the night sky, but, in a minute the wind stopped and the clouds were gone. A strange creature were about ten meters from me. It was the Death. It approached me. At first, I was really scared. But suddenly, all of my fears disappeared, like someone calmed me down. The Death came to me, became a little smaller, so it looked like it is sitting with me by the fire.

I kept silence and stared on this unbelievable creature out of this world.

– “Make a tea, let’s talk about your, human life, about the vanity you live in”, – it suddenly told me.

I got up without saying a word, entered the house, and poured plenty of freshly brewed tea from the teapot, put three tablespoons of sugar and came back to the oven. The kettle with boiling water stood on the oven that is why it was so hot. I poured the water into a cup and gave it to Death. Then I put some little woods in the fire and got back to my seat.

I was attacked by hordes of mosquitoes. I started to drive them off and slapped myself, just where they sat down.

Damn mosquitoes! Wish they were gone, at least for tonight… – muttered I nervously.

Suddenly I spotted a hand of Death, it was like a human one, but it looked like a hologram, though, it seemed to me, if I would touch it, it would feel quite material. Death flicked two fingers and all the mosquitoes flew away at a blink.

Faces of Death were constantly changing, every time different eyes looked at me. I didn’t know what to do and what to say. I waited my night visitor to speak.

– Where are you? What are you? Why all this around? What is the point? Your great philosopher minds are trying to answer these questions. Others creatures of your kind live and listen to them. They agree to every single word, believe them and start trying to live just as they told to. Do not believe them! Do everything for yourself. You can listen to them, understand what they want to say. You can agree or not. But always have your own opinion. And you can always speak up your mind, if you have the desire to.

I made a sip of tea and asked the first thing that came to mind:

– What is love for our, as you said, creatures?

– Not many of you manage to grasp it. But I know two of your kind. After their met they became wizards. Probably, this is how do you describe such people in your fairytales, the ones, who can do anything.

Suddenly a cigar appeared in my friends hand, and it lit it.

– But smoking kills – I admitted.

Death sighed:

– Yes, it may kill you. You made up smoking and the harm from it yourself. Those of yours, who smokes, know that it harms them. And only those who have become wizards or magicians, I suppose that is how you call them, they did not receive any harm from smoking because they know it doesn’t exist. They do not doubt themselves and their abilities. Moreover, they, on the contrary, despite of all the general knowledges experience only healthy effects of this amazing process.

Then I finished my tea and the Death disappeared. Then, I was attacked by hordes of mosquitoes again. I tried to drive them away by thinking about it, but nothing happened. After sitting a little more, looking at the fire in the oven, I decided to go to sleep.

I could not sleep for a long time. I just kept thinking about having a conversation with my new friend. After lying probably for about a half an hour, I finally fell asleep with the idea of wizards and magic.

Blue Cat and Green Owl

It was a completely different world! Everything around was strange. It seems to be the same as

in the human’s world, maybe even made of the same material, but it was absolutely different, absolutely unusual.

The first unusual thing was that everything constantly changed its color: the trees, the sun, the sky and the ocean. Color changed in all of its aspects, in all the material things around, even in the small parts of the whole thing. For example, a tree might have leaves of different colors, the waves in the ocean might be of different colors, and after a little while the color changed.

*

I was lying on the sand under the warm sun. My legs were washed by cool refreshing waves from time to time. The sky played the rainbow of colors. The warm wind blew tender and smooth.

When I sat and looked behind, I saw a cat and an owl sitting under the palm tree. The Cat was blue and it was barely glowing with the green light. The Owl was green and, just like a cat, glowed a little, but not with green, with the blue light. They were sitting and reading a book, when I approached and asked:

– What should I do?

They looked at me, then looked at each other and then said:

– We do not know. Sit down with us, if you want.

I sat down beside them and asked:

– Where are we? What sea is this, what ocean it is in?

– We’re here, we’re just here where we like to be, – said Owl.

– And we do not know the name of this sea or ocean, we just like it, the ocean is magnificent without any names – said Cat.

For a few moments I was thinking about it, looking at the horizon, where sky and sea merge:

– And where shall I go now? – I asked.

Cat grabbed the basket, took out three cardboard cups, one he gave the Owl, and the other to me:

– Iced coffee. Better drink until the ice has melted.

Owl sipped coffee through a straw, and said:

– Go aimlessly, go where the your legs want to go. And never think where you are and which route to choose. Your heart will lead you just to the right place.

– Well, then I shall go – I replied with uncertainty.

– Just go and have no fears that you can get lost or you will come not in the place you wanted. Know it and be sure, you will come just to the right place, – said Cat. – Come to visit us tonight, if there is a wish to.

I started to go, without knowing where. There were many strange creatures around me, so many, and so different! There were creatures very similar to humans, and maybe were, it wasn’t clear. However they all seemed to be very friendly and cheerful. Some were laughing, some smiled to me, passing by, some were even winking or making a gesture that apparently meant greeting or saying “hi”, sometimes I could understand the language they spoke, sometimes I couldn’t.

Everything around was so amazing and interesting, but uncertain and mysterious at the same moment.

I began to wonder:

“They all live here and they’re just like me, they do not know how they got here? If they live here, how do they live, and where?”

I walked around a very strange city. It was similar to my own they were houses, shops and cafes around.

I imagined the house where I live here. Then I thought with regret that I have no home in this place, I just have nowhere to go. I sat on a bench in the shade of a large strange tree, and began to drink my cold coffee. It was delicious, refreshing me after walking under the sun. I leaned on the tree, and observed the world around.

Soon I noticed Cat with Owl and two other creatures with them, looked like like scarecrows approached me. They were talking and laughing. They saw me, stopped and Cat, still smiling, immediately introduced us to each other:

– Oh! This is Erk and they are Funny Scarecrows.

The cat, smiling even wider, looked at Owl and said to her:

– Hmm!

– Hmm… Nice to meet you – I said softly.

One of the Scarecrows said:

– We are a bit in a hurry, going to the protest meeting against the pink colour. We do not want the leaves or the waves to be pink, even for a moment. This is not right! And we want to invite you with us.

– I like the pink slips on trees! – Said the Owl cheerfully. – Thank you, we will go to do business.

– Goodbye then! If you want come to drink fruit juices, in the evening! – Said Funny Scarecrow and fled away.

– Well, we must go, – said Cat.

– I’m sorry – I said them, turning a bit upset. – I have nowhere to go, I don’t have a home here…

– Try to imagine you do, imagine there it is, what it looks like inside and out, – said Owl.

– Yes, imagine the house not the one where you want to live, the house where you are leaving right now, – said Cat.

– Hmm… I see. But I do not know if it is really here, and if so, where is it – I questioned my new friends.

– That is why you are sad now, – answered Owl. – You imagined everything, but you had some doubts. Be sure and know: the house exists, go home, and don’t worry about it. Just come to dinner In the evening, I’m sure, you’ll have no wish to cook something today, I suppose you’ve got a lot of questions to ask.

They gave me a bizarre bottle with tasty drink and gone.

I finished my coffee, put the cup in the trash bin, looked like a small robot, and walked straight ahead, without even thinking where.

Feelings and senses

Slowly walking through the winding streets, I thought:

“I just have to be sure that I have a house where I live here. Hmm… I have to! When it is necessary to do something – I don’t want to do it. And you know, why? Because you have to! So it is not necessary to be confident about the house. Then what? Strange… Seriously, it is strange… How?..”

Then I stopped, opened the bottle with a drink and sipped:

“Hmm, tastes good! It looks like an orange strawberry juice: a bit salty, but with the small sweet strawberry pieces”.

Then I went back and tried to imagine the house again:

“If I succeed, it’s good, if not – not bad, too. There is no need to be sure. Good or bad – is it necessary? Everything is easy, everything is fine! What is good probably will be awesome. Oh, what a nonsense is it! I feel great right now. And here, not even knowing where exactly, I’m fine. And if I’m fine now, then I have a house I live in. My cozy home, it is making me feel good, not sad.”

Suddenly I started to see my house in my mind. I saw it from all the sides, imagined I enter the front door, felt like I was lying on the couch. I passed into the kitchen and felt the smell of delicious cakes. I went out on the terrace and felt the ocean breeze. I went into the back yard: they were large and small bushes with strange fruits and berries. Under a beautiful canopy stood a table and four chairs: they were all different, decorated with bows, as though they were a fairytale princess, decorating them. I sat down and felt like I poured some tea and drank it, I felt the tea flavor and taste.

Then I took a sip of juice and thought about other matters.

“Hmm… Why had I imagined that the chairs were decorated by some princess? – A thought came to my mind. – Aw, come on! Let it be as it is! I know it will be good as it is now,” – I smiled to myself, thinking about going the right way to my home.

I walked with confidence, knowing where I was going, and did not allow myself to think, that I’m walking the wrong way. Suddenly I recalled the meeting with the Scarecrows, not the exact moment of meeting them, but the thing, that Cat knows my name, I had no idea, how could he, we hadn’t had any introduction.

Confidence and knowing

A strange cloud-like creature stopped me on the way a and said:

– Hello, human!. I know you don’t need to expand your luminosity, it’s already of the highest level, and I won’t do it, but I think, you definitely cannot not refuse to do it, this is such a fun and enjoyable process.

Cloud kindly invited me to enter a beautiful door, made of the looking glass. In fact, was curious. I admitted that I would like to try, even though I had no idea what he is talking about.

Inside, I saw a table with a lot of different fruits and a large bottle with a wide neck.

– Look, human, you can make the juice using any fruit. Just put a fruit in a bottle, close it for a few moments, and your beverage is ready! It can expand your luminosity, – said a smiling Cloud.

I approached the table and chose three fruits. I did not know how do they taste, so my choice was based on their appearance. The first was like a green ball, the second looked like a pink star and the third looked like a strawberry, but it was blue.

I put fruits in a bottle, closed it and asked Cloud:

– Can I take a bottle with me?

– For sure! You have to! – replied Cloud cheerfully.

I thanked him and said goodbye.

I walked out the door, a dark blue the man came to me, actually, he fled to me on the some kind of machine, flying above the ground.

– Where are you going? – he asked me.

– There – I answered pointing in the direction I walked.

– Jump in! I’ll give you a flight! – He said and winked me.

I jumped into his flying machine without any hesitation.

It was very nice. Slightly humid warm air filled with a variety of pleasant smells was blowing right in my face. The machine, he drove, called NK689, it was written on the steering wheel. It also had the wheels, which were instantly folded when the machine took off. The dark blue man turned on the music, sounded similar to the African ukulele and pushed the accelerator.

– What’s in the bottle? – The man asked.

– I don’t know yet. It is the drink that expands the luminosity. Although it makes no sense to expand mine. This is what they told me in the luminosity expanding house. By the way, you do not know what is the luminosity?

– I do. Which world are you from?

– The human’s one.

The dark blue man smiled and continued:

– People do not even know how to expand the luminosity, how to get pleasure from this process. But you did it, as far as I see. And if this drink is prepared by a human… I am ready to offer you this flying machine instead of this bottle and all its contents. Works for you?

My eyes lifted up in a surprise.

– Your luminosity is at the maximum level and it could be expanded by its own. You have no need to do it. All in all, you can do one more bottle a thousand moments later.

– Ok, that’s great! – I happily responded.

As soon as I said it, we stopped near the small bright house on a quiet street. Unbelievable! The house looked almost like I imagined it to be. All the details I imagined were present in this beautiful house. A small two-storey house, the second floor was a loft with a circular window. Nearby there were trees like palms with very large leaves, which had a large and cool shade. A front yard was separated from the street by a beautiful carved green fence, the height of about a meter.

– Here we are! – Said the dark blue man. – I take the bottle and the NK689 is yours! – He ran away, waving goodbye to me.

“Wow!” – I thought, becoming confused more and more, having no idea what to do next. Everything I needed was entirely at my disposal.

“That’s the confidence in what you’re doing and knowing that you’ll do it anyway,” – I said to myself. I became really happy, and, to my surprise, really hungry.

Suddenly someone shouted:

– Hello neighbor!

I looked around and saw three funny creatures, looked like tomatoes the front of the house across the street. They smiled and waved to me. Two tomatoes were large and one small.

“Probably, the parents and their child” – I thought.

– Hello! – I replied and nodded my head.

– We’d love to invite you for a dinner tonight, but we’re leaving for a fishing trip. Come for breakfast tomorrow morning! Today, we will come too late, you’re probably going to sleep that time, – said one of the biggest tomatoes and they went home.

I decided to go into the house and examine every corner. My happiness and my joy knew no bounds – the confidence, knowledge and intent really worked! No doubt needed at all!

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