In the darkness

Sasha woke up in her bed. The girl got up and went to the kitchen. The parents sat there and cried bitterly. - Mom… dad… what happened? - Do not you know? Your brother and sister are dead! — her mother cried. - I know. But now everything will be different. We shouldn’t be upset. The whole world is starting a new life, — Lex whispered. - You’re probably right. Now our life will never be the same, — her father said hesitantly. Mom stood up and smiled at her daughter. The father also stood up. They approached her and hugged her tightly. Together they went out into the street and joined the stream of people going to the main square to choose a new ruler. And despite the fact that Sasha did not know everything that happened, she guessed that now everything would be fine… Sasha woke up on the couch in an unfamiliar house. She immediately jumped up, but when she saw her classmates, she calmed down. They were still sleeping. Lex began to remember that conversation. We had a party. We are at Masha’s house. It’s Monday. When everyone wakes up and has had breakfast, it will be time to go home. Sasha lay in bed for another half hour until the girls began to wake up one by one. Stretching, Masha said: - Well, let’s go have breakfast. - Yeah, let’s do it, — said Vika. The girls got up, made their beds and wandered into the kitchen. Cooking did not take long, and after twenty minutes the friends were sitting at a large table, eating pancakes with jam and washing them down with aromatic coffee. - You know, Sash, I just can’t understand how in a few days you turned from a gray mouse into the life of the party? — Alena exclaimed. — I’ve known you for a long time, you’ve always been so unsociable! - I do not know. I guess I became an adult and realized that I couldn’t cope without friends, — Lex answered. - But will you always be like this now? — Katya clarified. - Necessarily! — said Sasha. Having finished breakfast and washed the dishes, the girls went home. Still, having friends is great! Now Eric. I wonder if he kept his appearance like me, or changed it? If it looks any different, I’ll never find it! After all, how many Erics are there in the world? Yes, a lot! It looks like he ended up in another country with that name! What if he also has a different name? Well, there is no hope of finding him. Unless he finds me himself… Which is unlikely. OK. We need to take a break. Should I call Lesha? Meanwhile, the girl had already entered the apartment and changed clothes. Unlocking her phone, she dialed her friend. He answered almost immediately. - Hello, Sasha! - Hello! I was thinking, let’s go for a walk together. - Oh, great. I wanted to suggest the same thing. When we meet? It’s already 10, we can do it after lunch… - At 14:00? - Come on. Whatever suits you. In the park? - Agree. See you! - Bye! There were still four hours left before the meeting. Sasha spent time on Instagram, cooked herself lunch and ate. There was half an hour left. Putting on a white skirt and a blue T-shirt, Lex left the house. Maybe start dating Lesha? He’s really cool. And we are the same age. Perhaps we should offer it to him. What about Eric? Well, I already realized that I would never find him. So I shouldn’t stay single just because I have feelings for him. Besides, it’s not a fact that he likes me. A blue-eyed brunette in a black T-shirt and jeans was already waiting for her in the park. Sasha looked at him and her heart sank. Something about him seemed strange and so familiar… The guy also widened his eyes, stood up and approached his friend. - Sasha? - Eric?