The bus exhaled a long hiss as it stopped at the edge of the quiet village, and Olesya stepped down into the cold drizzle, one hand resting protectively over her pregnant belly. The driver gave her a look filled with quiet sympathy before the doors shut and the bus disappeared into the gray distance. Alone, she walked through the nearly deserted streets, the sound of rain tapping against her umbrella blending with the ache in her chest. Memories of Andrey followed her with every step—his laughter, his rough hands, the warmth in the way he said her name, as if it meant something no one else could understand.
Before him, her life had been nothing but survival—an orphanage, long nights of work, and a future that felt small and heavy. Then Andrey had appeared, steady and kind, seeing her in a way no one ever had. Their love grew quietly, built on shared exhaustion and stolen moments of happiness. When she told him about the baby, his joy had been immediate, overwhelming. He wanted a future, a family, something real. But fear held her back from meeting his parents, and he went alone, promising to return in days. He never did. The truth came later, sharp and merciless—he had been attacked near a station and didn’t survive. Still, part of her refused to let go, clinging to him even as she walked toward his grave.
At the cemetery, grief overtook her completely. She collapsed beside the fresh earth, clutching flowers as tears poured out uncontrollably. Time blurred until the cold began to seep deep into her bones, forcing her to move. Disoriented and weak, she realized her phone was gone. Desperate for shelter, she stumbled into a nearby mausoleum, whispering to herself that she only needed a moment to rest. Then, suddenly, a sharp buzzing broke the silence—a phone, not hers, vibrating on the stone floor. She answered, her voice barely steady, speaking to a stranger who claimed he had lost it there.
Her strength faded quickly as the call continued, her vision narrowing into shadows. The phone slipped from her trembling hand, clattering softly against the stone. The stranger’s voice echoed faintly, distant and unreachable. And then, without warning, everything went dark, leaving only silence in the cold, empty mausoleum. READ MORE BELOW
