Endless fields, high trees and old historical houses and buildings were moving fast in a window being thoughtfully watched by mademuaselle X who was on the train going to Mortpassion*. The train slowlly stopped and after a couple of minutes loud voices could be heard in her sleeper car and their approaching made her feel sort of freaky. Their easily noticeable funny mood could indicate that their owners had consumed some hot drinks earlier. Eventually the misterious sounds stopped and three strangers in military uniform showed up in her wagon cabin** door opening.
- Oh, hey. Who do we have here? What a woman! - said the first one that appeared in the door and who was well-built.
- Hello, - responded mademuaselle turning her head towards the men and visually inspecting each one with curiosity from head to floor.
One by one the guys got inside. The one who spoke first sat in front of her, but turned his face to window - he was not interested in the girl. The second promptly climbed to the "upper deck" and immediately fell asleep. The third, though, from the very beginning decided to get closer to the unknown girl - it was clear because of his sharp look straight in the slightly scared mademuaselle's eyes, but at the last minute he turned and sat at his friend's bed looking shy.
***
It darkened fast; late evening outside. The young men have already got accomodated themselves to a female presence and kept talking discussing various topics playing cards that is a typical fun when travelling by train. As for the girl she was excitedly reading another piece of fiction by an author she didn't know. It was annoingly noisy in their compartment, however it didn't bother m-lle X unlike many other passengers so unexpectedly (and probably not so unexpectedly for somebody else) a car attendant came over and pointed the young men it out.
By the 1 am the guys having fun finally calmed down and went to sleep. As for mademuaselle X she couldn't sleep. She was lying in darkness and thinking about things important for her. Suddenly she heard and then slightly opening her tired brown eyes saw through her eyelashes net that one man got down from his bed that was right above her. When he got illuminated by streaming moonlight she understood that it was the number three guy. The man was slowly approaching an unfamiliar girl, first touching her blanket ends, then her legs.
- What are you doing? - girl whispered
- Oh, so you don't sleep, - he got shy
- No, i don't sleep - she said more quietly already
Now growing confidentiality could be felt in the man. He put his body close against the fragile girl and started hugging his partner with the love and the gentleness that never exist between strangers placing both her and himself into an amazing world.
The next day mademuaselle woke up completelly alone. Seemed like there were no any soldiers at all before and the window showed the same view: fastly moving endless fields, high trees and old buildings.
Feb. 16, 2019
Zina Parizheva
translation by Peak Mount
* - Mortpassion is a fictious place or a town which name is made up by two words "mort" and "passion" that are "death" and "passion" correspondly in French.
** - That is a four beds cabin type with no utilities.