Oh, what a frightened look! Whats so incomprehensible here? Here, take these matches. Keep in mind that their quantity is limited just one box, and I dont even know how youll manage with them, so dont waste them. Well, I guess Ill have to give you the backpack; its too big for me, but just right for you. It has a secret; figure it out, and you wont go astray. Heres a candle for the meantime; it should last you. My savior neatly packed this small load into the backpack, which was quite nice-looking. I couldnt distinguish the color in the semi-darkness again. He zipped it up and silently handed it to me.
Thats it, Ive fulfilled my duty. Its time for you to go. Youre on your own now. Before I could learn or ask anything more, I found myself in complete darkness again. I was afraid I wouldnt make it in time, and I was right. What a fool I am. Where do I go now? The candle. I need to light it. Its light didnt reach very far; I could see just over a meter ahead. It felt like I was in a corridor. There were walls on either side, but what lay ahead or behind was completely unclear.
Well, here goes nothing. Ill go there, or maybe there, my head turned from side to side. Making the wrong choice was daunting. What my inner voice suggested this time, and it was perplexed, despite our opinions always differing. Perhaps there was another me inside me, and indeed, more than once, it, meaning the second me, had pulled me out of trouble.
Well, I must go. The candlelight isnt eternal, although even in that I wasnt so sure anymore. Well decide, as they say, on the spot, depending on circumstances. And I went, right or left, who knows, depending on which side youre looking from. I walked slowly as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. The thickness of the corridor varied, in some places I could even see the ceiling above me.
Its a shame I didnt have a watch or a pencil to leave arrows on the wall. I saw it in some movie, to avoid getting lost. And as soon as I thought about it, there was a fork in the path ahead. Well, here we go, where do I go now? I dont even have coins to flip.
The darkness around me didnt scare me before, I dont even know why. After all, Ive always been a scaredy-cat, with my imagination sometimes not even the brightest light would help. I guess I understood that if I allowed myself to start being afraid even a little, I would be lost in my own fear in this empty dark place, alone with myself.
Suddenly, about a meter away from me, I heard the clink of a coin. And then all the fear and horror of the darkness came crashing down on me. Where did all my composure and reason go? All the terrifying monsters were ready to come out of my imagination and devour me, bit by bit, while smacking their lips sweetly, and then craft unsophisticated trinkets and amulets from my bones.
But I quickly pulled myself together and forbade myself from thinking about it and imagining all the details. As it turned out later, it was not in vain. Turning towards the sound, I realized where I needed to go. The decision came to me naturally, I just understood, that was all. I didnt even bother to see what had fallen into my hand, I just got up and went, taking a half glass of confidence with me.
After several more hours and about five more intersections, I was completely exhausted. My legs felt heavy, as if my path had been solely through sand or drifts. My head was searching for a spot on the walls to lean against. Hunger made itself known, painting various pictures of food in my imagination. Hey, whos there, and how are you? Maybe you could toss a couple of sandwiches my way? I sincerely hoped for another miracle as I looked around and waited for food to appear. But it was quiet, nothing fell. Of course, a coin wasnt a big deal, maybe you havent had time to prepare yet, so Ill wait, Im in no rush here, the candle has already burned a third. I found myself starting to talk to myself, feeling like someone was listening after all. Images of the biggest hot sandwiches with a variety of fillings filled my mind.
The visions were so vivid that I began to smell the food. Thats how hunger affects you. The scent grew stronger and was right nearby. I couldnt be mistaken: the smell of meat slices, thin rings of onion, and even a sprig of dill. Oddly enough, they never put dill in hamburgers, Ive never encountered it, but I love it so much. My hand instinctively reached for the backpack, and yes, the smell was coming from there. It took me exactly a second to pull out a huge sandwich and even take a bite. It was a real miracle; I had never eaten with such pleasure before. It was as if every bite transported you to the most blissful state imaginable, where nothing else mattered. Not realizing that I had already eaten more than half of it, I began to understand that this treat was exactly as I had imagined it. And you know, I wasnt even surprised anymore. What bothered me was that I still didnt understand how it all worked. Why hadnt the food appeared earlier, considering how hungry I had been for hours? Apparently, I still have to figure that out. The main thing is that I no longer feared hunger, and I even found the strength to continue, and, dare I say it, my mood became completely different.
With such enthusiasm, I rose to my feet, finishing the remnants of the pleasant snack, and continued on towards the unknown. The long corridors were beginning to tire me with their monotony. And the silence varied; sometimes it was so heavy that it felt like it was pressing on my ears, while other times, lost in thought, I barely noticed it. At other times, a ringing would appear in my ears, and it seemed to be coming from inside my head rather than from around me I could clearly understand that. If I found food, then perhaps I could try to find other things as well. I hope they dont have a limit on my requests. Lets see, a pencil, please, into the studio. So, lets check our spacious backpack; where are you hiding, my dear? Oh well, youre not there. Too bad. Whats wrong with the system? Maybe I should wait? Alright, Ill continue on for now. Maybe Ill ask for a durable flashlight while Im at it, because it looks like Ill be walking for a while longer.
Friends, did you hear the request? Could you at least respond to me somehow? Surely its possible. As soon as I said this, I immediately realized that I was being answered; I just needed to understand how to recognize and hear it. But why and how did I understand that just now? Wait a second. Let me try asking another question.
How much longer will I have to wander around here? It wasnt even a second before the answer formed in my head, as if I had answered it myself, but was it really so? I could wander here for the rest of my life if I dont understand all the principles that will lead me to the way out. So, there is a way out after all. My life isnt doomed to languish in these dark, silent corridors. Its not bad already. The main thing, I suppose, is not to be afraid, or else I might find a monster in my backpack.
Lets go back to the sandwich and think about what I did to make it appear. I really wanted it, imagined it, and almost felt it. Now, lets try with the pencil. I want a red wooden pencil. Here, I take it in my hands and use it to draw the first arrow in this mysterious place. It yields softly, and on the wall, theres a clear, bright trace of the red line. Well, thats enough; this isnt like summoning a sandwich. I dont have that much imagination for it. Lets check the loot. Ha, there! Im just a magician and a wizard; behold, our third find: a pencil!
In my short life, there werent many stationery items, and those that existed were quite basic, as manufacturing for them had greatly diminished. Most were destroyed by earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, which were becoming more and more frequent on our planet with each passing day.