– You said she wouldn’t live long,” the young woman said nervously, crumpling a napkin in her hands.
– It’s only a matter of time. The diagnosis is fatal.
– I don’t want to see her.
The doctor looked at the young woman and realized that the baby was a mistake of her youth. But he continued:
– Your daughter is waiting for you.
– I don’t want to watch my baby die. Is there any hope?
– I don’t know. Maybe the little girl is holding on to see her own mother.
– I’ll be there one of these days. I will.
– Mom’s definitely coming?
– Yeah, you’ll see.
– I’m very glad.
The little girl was sitting by the window, looking out for her mother. Bald head. Pale skin. Eyes sunken and sad. There were many children like Julia here. They were waiting for their due date.
– Yulenka, it’s time for bed. Everybody’s asleep now,” said the nurse and stroked the girl’s bald skull.
– I am waiting for my mother.
– She will come for sure.
– All right, then.
The nurse gave her pills and put the girl to sleep.
Julia looked at the moon and called out for her mother. She wanted so badly to meet her. One meeting would take away all the pain and fear. Hot tears ran down her cheeks and her chest ached with pain. She wiped away her tears and said to herself: “If she promised, she’ll come.” The girl could not sleep a wink, looking at the scenery outside the window, until she saw a cat and an owl outside the window.
The cat asked her:
– Why aren’t you sleeping?
– Dreaming…
– Aren’t you even surprised that the cat is talking to you?
– I’m surprised you’re here, because nannies don’t let anyone in here.
– Are owls allowed in? – ♪ asked the owl ♪
– Owls aren’t allowed, either,” she mumbled.
– We want to help you,” the cat interfered in the conversation.
– How? No one can help me, except my mom.
– They don’t help here, but in the Fairy Tale…!
– What Fairy Tale? – The girl was astonished.
– About Ellie and Totoshka. There the girl got into Wonderland and found friends. We will make our own fairy tale. We’re friends, aren’t we? – Mumbled the cat.
– I have to wait for my mother.
– Julia, have you ever thought about what death is?
– Yes, it’s the morning I can’t wake up in.
– You’ll die soon, but you’ll live forever in the Fairy Tale,” said Owl.
– But I want to see my mother!
– Your mother will be glad if you come with us. Can you see the black bird? They call her Mistress Emptiness. She’ll come to you soon. You’d better come with us, it’s more interesting in the Fairy Tale.
– How can I tell my mother that I’m in the fairy tale now?
– We’ll write her a letter!
Julia went out into the corridor. It smelled of medicine and loneliness.
– How do you get to the Fairy Tale? – Julia asked the cat who was walking ahead of her.
– We have to go outside, and we’ll figure it out there.
– But we have no clothes on!
– Oh, not in time. Mistress Emptiness is here! – shouted the owl.
The girl felt sick when she saw the black figure.
– Maybe I can go to heaven? – Yulia asked.
– There is no heaven and hell. There is emptiness.
– I’ll stop her, and you take the girl! – shouted the cat to the owl.
– I want to believe in the Fairy Tale! I know how to get there. Follow me!” cried the girl.
– What did you have in mind?
– We need a train!
Julia ran to the wall, where there was a picture of a train with three cars. Animals looked out of all the windows and smiled. However, their smiles were grinning, with drool dripping from their mouths.
A sparrow, sitting in a half-empty carriage, called Julia to him. The girl turned around, looked at the approaching shadow, and jumped in.
– Stop, Julia!” shouted the nurse.
– Mommy! – cried Yulia, jumping down from the window
– Victor Stepanovich, we didn’t save her. She fell right on the rock!
– Calm down and wait for the police. Clean up on the spot and paint over that awful train near the window,” said the director.
– He always used to scare me…
– Go on, dearie. Today I’ll let you drink cognac in the workplace.
Julia the girl. Born in 2000. Date of death: December 6, 2006. Diagnosis: leukemia. Cause of death: jumped out the window. They found a note on the table: “Mom, everything’s okay, I’m in the Fairy Tale!”
