A Lucid Dream - страница 4

Maya replied with a gentle smile. "Now go on, hurry."

Already standing at the door, Ruslan turned back and said:

"I love you very much, Mama. Take care of yourself."

"I love you too, my son," Maya answered, but her heart tightened with worry.

Ruslan hurried out. They were waiting for him at Rimma’s house.

"Why are you late?" Rimma asked with mild reproach. "I was starting to think you weren’t coming."

"Sorry, I got held up a little."

"Well, come on, I’ll introduce you to my friends!"

Rimma introduced Ruslan to her guests, and at the end, she led him to her boyfriend—Ibrahim.

Ruslan was unpleasantly surprised. His mood darkened noticeably. He didn’t immediately process what Ibrahim was asking him and only remembered the gift when the question was repeated.

"Ah, yes, this is for you, Rimma—a small gift from my mother and me."

"What a beautiful bracelet! Ruslan, thank you so much for such a wonderful gift!" Rimma exclaimed enthusiastically and kissed him on the cheek.

The bracelet was shaped like a snake with an emerald eye.

A wave of jealousy swept over Ibrahim, and taking advantage of the moment when Rimma went to get dessert, he decided to humiliate Ruslan. Sticking out his foot, he made him stumble and fall.

"Oops, sorry, didn’t see you," he smirked, watching the embarrassed young man.

Ruslan turned pale, his lips trembling with hurt, but he said nothing. He simply got up and walked out. Inside, he burned with humiliation.

When Rimma returned, she immediately noticed that Ruslan was missing.

"Where’s Ruslan?" she asked Ibrahim.

"Looks like he left," he replied indifferently.

But Rimma didn’t believe him. A suspicion arose in her soul, and she firmly decided to find out what had happened.

Meanwhile, deeply wounded by Ibrahim’s actions, Ruslan returned home. He couldn’t shake the memory of his rival’s mocking voice. His soul ached, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he saw his mother.

Quietly climbing the stairs, he carefully opened the door to her room.

Inside, there was a deafening silence.

For the first time in his life, he felt no presence of his mother.

"Mama?" he called. Silence.

He stepped forward and called louder. But the only response was emptiness.

His heart clenched with a terrible premonition.

On trembling legs, he made his way to the bed, reached out his hands, and touched her hand…