Such a familiar happiness...

The dark bowl of the taiga saw her off with its clawed paws, pulled her hair, teared down her hat, riped up her coat; but she continued to run. To run and don't look back. She knows! She knows everything! She knows about that evening! She knows that she has lost someone dear again… again… Again and again she is forced to say goodbye to those she needs… this is what happened now… The small cemetery was on the edge of the village, wrapped in the endless embrace of the forest. Hidden behind the branches of pines and spruces, it was completely ordinary, until recently. Modest, sometimes lopsided, monuments stood in silence. A long time ago, winter came and covered forgotten artificial flowers in snow. Silence and peace reigned there. Polina was at the funeral. She cried uncontrollably and could not look at his dead body. Today she decided to visit him, her prince, who never saved her. Polina walked between the rows of graves, looking for the one she needed. In her hands she held a modest bouquet of artificial flowers. She so wanted to see him again, alive and unharmed, but this was not destined to happen. And then, row by row, she found his tombstone. The inscription on it read:       Petrov Anton Borisovich                                                                         1987 - 1999 Polina still couldn’t believe her eyes. How?! How?! This can't be true! No! How can her Anton be dead?! But, unfortunately, it's true. As soon as she saw his face on a tombstone, so empty and lifeless face, Polina burst into sobs: — No! No-o-o! Anton! This can't be true! It just can't! She sobbed and screamed. And realizing that all this was useless, she could not stop, because Anton was no longer there, her ray of hope in the impenetrable darkness of life in the village. Heart was beating like crazy, she was trembling from the realization of what was happening, and her obsessive thoughts became more and more powerful and proper. A rustling sound was heard in the depths of the forest. Polina fell silent and turned around. "Who is this?! Wild animals?!" — she thought. The girl was filled with fear. What if it's a wolf?! It’s easy to meet such one in the taiga. Polina did not take her eyes off the place where the rustling was heard. — Damn! Piece of shit! — “wolf” suddenly spoke up. This was Roma's voice. His mother pawned precious jewelry and her last savings so that her son would absolve. Unwise action. Whole people of village began to fear him. The adults forbade the children to approach him and talk, and told them to immediately run away, but Polina had nowhere to run, she was taken by surprise. — Polina?! — he shouted when he saw the girl. She just couldn't stop looking at the killer with fright. — Polina! Please! — Roma did not stop screaming, but Polina was silent. She, with horror of understanding who it is, looked at him, covering her mouth with her hands. He ran closer: — Polina! Sorry! Sorry! It's my fault! Sorry! I… I… Tears streamed down his cheeks. He realized what he had done. Realized what does this mean for the Petrov family, and most importantly — for Polina. He heard her cry, he understood everything. The girl started blubbing again: — It’s you… — she saying almost in a whisper. Then she raised her voice to a scream: — It's you! It was you who killed my happiness! It's you! You! YOU! You are guilty! You ruined my life! It would be better if you died! She screamed and sobbed intermittently. — It's you! YOU KILLED HIM! Roma didn't know what to do. There is no point in calming her down — she's still afraid of him. Roma could not stop the tears. Yes, he is a man, but it was unbearable to look at the torment of Polina, and the rest of the village, too. This all rankled him from the inside. Polina no longer cursed him, but, leaning on the monument, quietly sobbed and muttered: — Why… Anton… my love… why-y-y… Roma looked at this with horror. What has he done? He has ruined lives! Watching Polina cry over Anton’s monument was unbearably painful. Feeling of pain caused by Polina’s suffering. It hurts because of the awareness of own guilt. Very painful! He took one cigarette from the pack and lit it. He gave the rest of the pack to Anton. Rising from the snow, he began to slowly move away towards the forest, blowing out round puffs of smoke. And Polina was again left alone with her happiness, which no longer existed, but such a familiar happiness…