"Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Past the Size of Dreaming" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hoffman Nina Kiriki)

away from all the things that hurt. тАЬNathan!тАЭ He roared it through all the screams around him, and heard
his own tenor voice crying in this wilderness.
тАЬYes?тАЭ
NathanтАЩs voice! He focused all his energy on it. тАЬNathan!тАЭ
тАЬWhat is it? WhoтАЩs calling?тАЭ
A rope of sound! Julio used each word as a knot, pulled himself closer to the origin of the voice.
Coherent sound that cut through the chaos. тАЬNathan?тАЭ
тАЬWhat? WhoтАЩs there?тАЭ
 Julio pulled and plunged, skidded out of wherever he was into another place.
All the screams and biting stopped. He hung suspended in a new, warmer darkness. тАЬNathan.тАЭ he
said again, his voice clear and pure and burnished as he had never heard it. For a moment he lost himself
in the sound of his own voice.
тАЬJulio? Is that you?тАЭ Julio heard fear in NathanтАЩs voice, minor notes in a question key.
тАЬNate? Where am I? I canтАЩt see.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre at my house,тАЭ said the ghost, his voice beautiful but thinned with apprehension. тАЬWhat
happened to you?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know. IтАФтАЭ Julio reached out and felt NathanтАЩs face. тАЬOh, God. YouтАЩre here.тАЭ He sensed
the cool skin, felt an eyelash brush against the tip of his finger, touched nose, lips.
тАЬJulio,тАЭ Nathan said. Julio felt the lips move under his fingertips as the ghost spoke. тАЬWhat are you
doing?тАЭ
тАЬIтАФтАЭ What was he doing? The ghost wasnтАЩt tangible. How could Julio touch him? тАЬIтАЩm sorry!
IтАЩmтАФI wasтАФit was so horrible!тАЭ He shifted, moved forward, leaned against the ghost and hugged him,
unsure how it was happening, needing to touch something safe. тАЬIтАЩm sorry, IтАЩm sorry,тАЭ he murmured,
holding tight, his hands pressing the cool woven cotton of the back of NathanтАЩs shirt, his cheek against
NathanтАЩs shoulder, the ghostтАЩs body hard and cold in his embrace, but solid as any other person Julio
had ever hugged. тАЬI was so scared. IтАЩm sorry. I canтАЩtтАФтАЭ He couldnтАЩt get himself to let go. What if the
other place snatched him back?
What if he was forcing Nathan to endure something Nathan couldnтАЩt stand? Julio couldnтАЩt let go.
Panic made him hold tighter.
тАЬItтАЩs all right.тАЭ Nathan said, his voice almost calm.
An anchor against that dark chaotic sea, Nathan stood quiet in his embrace.
At last Julio relaxed enough to release his friend. тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ he said again.
тАЬItтАЩs all right,тАЭ Nathan repeated, stronger this time. тАЬCan you tell me what happened?тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know. Why canтАЩt I see?тАЭ Julio reached out, brushed NathanтАЩs chest, reached farther and
touched a wall. The wallpaper felt alive and powdery beneath his fingertip, and then he felt a startling flow
of energy beneath it, a question, a greeting, a warmth. He pushed deeper into it, and it closed around his
hand like warm water. тАЬWhat is this?тАЭ Julio moved to the wall and pressed into it, and through it.
Welcoming warmth all around him, like a hot bath, and the soothing music of lullabies. тАЬHello?тАЭ he said.
тАЬHello, Boy,тАЭ said the house.
тАЬWhere am I?тАЭ
тАЬIn my wall.тАЭ
тАЬWhat? How?тАЭ He reached farther, felt his hand leave the haven of the house.
тАЬThatтАЩs the air outside.тАЭ
тАЬHouse. I donтАЩt understand.тАЭ
тАЬHang on to yourself, Julio. YouтАЩre a ghost.тАЭ
Julio curled up inside himself. A ghost! No. CouldnтАЩt be.
Could it? How else could he have hugged Nathan?
If he were dead, at least it was a comfortable death. House was so much better than the other place!
ButтАФ
тАЬHouse,тАЭ he whispered.