06/05/2025
A single father rescues two twin girls who fell through the ice on a lake. Some time later, five black SUVs pull up to his house… The frost cut his face like a thousand icy blades. The wind bit beneath his jacket, soaked with sweat and covered in snow, as if mocking his thin defense. Nikolai Parfenov stood at the edge of the Round Lake near Moscow, as if rooted to the ground. He was trembling not from the cold. He was shaken by a memory. One moment. An instant that turned his life upside down. Before that, he was just a single father. Tired, worn out, barely keeping afloat. Sunken eyes, hands calloused from hard work, a heart heavy as lead. Debts piled up, his salary dwindled, the fridge emptied again. But his daughter kept waiting—believing the morning would be better. That Sunday was supposed to be a break. A promised walk in the park, a walk across the lake. The snow was ankle-deep, but was that an obstacle for a child? Maryana walked beside him, clutching his hand as if it was her only support in the world. Two years had passed since her mother’s death, and Nikolai had become everything to her: mother, father, friend, guardian. But his strength was running out. And it showed—in every breath, in every step, in how sometimes he couldn’t hear her questions. They had almost passed the lake when he heard laughter. Light, clear, almost carefree. Two girls, twins, a little younger than Maryana, were playing at the very edge of the ice. Running, laughing, unaware of the danger. Something inside him broke. He opened his mouth to shout, to warn—but then… A crack. Clear, terrible, like a gunshot. The ice beneath them gave way. A scream rang out—sharp, full of terror—and then the water swallowed them. Silence, filled only with muffled bubbling. Nikolai didn’t even realize when he dropped his backpack. Didn’t notice when he ran. His thoughts shut off—only instinct and impulse remained: there were children there. They were drowning. Like my Maryana. He threw himself into the water without hesitation. Jumped into the black, icy abyss where time stopped and air ceased to exist. The cold struck like thousands of needles, piercing to the bone. His body began to refuse to obey, but he swam. Swam toward them. The first girl struggled on the surface, her blue lips trembling, eyes wide with fear. He pushed her upward, toward salvation, and someone’s hands were already pulling her onto the ice. But the second… where was she? A pink hat flickered below, disappearing into the darkness. He dived deeper, his arms burning but searching, feeling. His fingers grabbed clothing—and he pulled. With the last drops of strength, he pushed the child out. As for himself… he felt himself falling into the darkness... Continued in the comments