"Without Wings": an excerpt from Natalia Kondratenko's collection of short stories

We are reading an excerpt from Natalia Kondratenko's collection of short stories "Without Wings" together with the LITavytsia creative association and are pleased to add this book to our library (whereCrimean Tatar Families by Yevhenia Henova,Nonfictional Stories of the Odesa Tram by Dmytro Zhdanov, andSomething by Andriy Hayetskyi have already found their place).

Fairy-tale and unusual creatures live next to us, helping us in the war against the eternal enemy and teaching us to coexist in a world full of surprises, difficulties and happy moments. Is it possible to change the course of events if you want to help your closest people? How do you become strong if the whole world is against you? How do you find your wings and fly into the sky? How to believe in something that does not exist? Carpathian dragons, well watermen, wise witches, modern house witches, and brave werewolves - all of these are on the pages of the Odesa writer's fantasy stories. And, of course, about the mystical Odesa and its true guardians.

The book contains stories that have won various literary contests. It is addressed to anyone interested in contemporary Ukrainian fantasy.

Illustration to the story "Ghostly Sentinels" by Yulia Pidmohina

The Phantom Sentinels

Two hundred years ago

The waves bossed the deck as if they were in their native sea element. It was impossible to see anything in the pitch black.

- "We're not far from the shore, we should be able to see the ship's lights by now," Vasyl tried to reassure his brothers.

As the eldest, he was used to being responsible for them. He convinced them to join the crew to earn money for a few trips. The first two trips were successful, so the brothers agreed to the last one, even though the old navigator Thomas, who had long since settled on the warm Odesa shore, warned of dangerous autumn winds.

- "Look, look," Ivan, the youngest, shouted at the top of his lungs, "there are lights on the shore!

- "It can't be, we couldn't have gotten to the port so fast," Mykola objected.

- "The wind must have blown us to the side, who can tell in this black blizzard?" Ivan did not calm down. He shouted louder, so that everyone could hear him: "Land! We can orient ourselves by the lights!

There were happy shouts all around, tired people wanted to be on a solid surface after several hours of uninterrupted storm.

The lights were clearly seen from the wheelhouse, and the ship began to turn toward the light, toward the shore. The waves added to the progress, and in half an hour it became clear that there was a high promontory ahead, with a fire burning at its top. The next wave shoved the ship forward, and the ship slid the keel over one of the huge boulders that were abundant here. The wave went away, and the ship remained standing like a needle-pinned butterfly. The terrible crack was the last thing the men remembered before they were covered in black, cold water.

Our days

Borys stood by the fountain on Teatralna Square and waited for his sister to finish the tour. But today, there was a tourist who was curious about how many times the Opera House had burned down, where the ancient necropolis was located, and how to recognize Masonic symbols. The guy started to get annoyed because he was in a hurry. Finally, Maya finished answering questions and said goodbye to the group.

- "Why are you in a bad mood?" she hugged her brother, and without waiting for an answer, changed the subject: "Look how the sun is reflected in the water drops! Hold the rainbow!

Maya pulled Borys by the hand to the colorful splashes of cool water. The boy smiled, and his sister could always sense his mood.

- "So, what happened? Tell me," the girl asked seriously as they sat on a bench in an Istanbul park.
After his parents died, Borys's younger sister, whom he always listened to, became the head of the family. Maya tucked her right leg under her as she always did when she was concentrating.

- "Have you seen the news today?" Boris answered with a question.

After all, in their hometown, it had long been a source of jokes. But his sister was not laughing. She took a drag on her e-cigarette and continued:

- "There's been news like this every day lately. "I take it you mean the 'all sorts of concerns' of European politicians about the army of thousands on our borders? Only the lazy don't talk about it. Have you decided to join the sofa analysts?

- This is not funny, Maya! You know very well that we are not protected from the sea, and Odesa has always been a tasty morsel. Here on the shore, there are plenty of people waiting for ships with tricolor flags to come in.

The girl instantly pulled herself together and looked at her brother carefully.

- "We went through this eight years ago. Remember how we stood up together against the alien Chthon and those who supported them.

- I'm afraid we won't be able to do it with cobblestones now. And there will be many more deaths.

- Do you know something, brother? Tell me, please. I feel that it's not the official news that worries you," Maya looked thoughtfully at the port cranes and the red-headed lighthouse candle.

- "Myron called me today. Next week I have to perform the ritual of the Guardians...

- "But that's good!" Maya jumped up and down on the bench, "You've been dreaming about this - to become the youngest Guardian in the history of our city. Didn't you?

- Yes, I did... But you can't imagine where they want to put me! I dreamed of the Vorontsov Lighthouse or at least the Bolshoi Fountain Lighthouse. In a pinch, any fire tower would do for me. And they want to lock me in that box on the roof!

- "They want to make you the Keeper of the Lighthouse?" Maya asked thoughtfully.

- Yes! Yes! They want to not only tear me away from the sea, but also make me live among ordinary people! To walk the same street with them every day, to climb the same stairs, to live with their emotions and losses. Did I study for so many years and work in the Guardians' library to bury myself in the attic of an old house, keeping the light on in its upper window?

- Borya, but the Keeper of the Creation Lighthouse, Mark Karlovich, is alive and well. Why did they suddenly decide to replace him?" Unlike her brother, Maya always tried to find the cause of the problem rather than hysterical about the consequences. No wonder she was considered the best analyst among the Guardians.

- Mark Karlovich is being sent to Zhevakhova Mountain with the others...

- This is interesting," the girl said.

Сергій Лозовський