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Angel in the Mad Men's Ward, Part 2.

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Obraz
Days passed. Majewski got to know the patients, the rules of the ward. He stood out a bit from the others. He spoke little, observing everyone with a strange sadness and seriousness. From the very first day, I noticed how easily he made contacts. He was unsure of himself, fascinated by people; interacting with them was something unusual for him. I watched him greet everyone after breakfast, without exception. He shook hands with the sly, mouthy Narutowicz, shook hands with the withdrawn Zieliński, and even greeted the Plants of our ward, with the people who were now mere blobs of tissue, capable only of chewing, digesting, and excreting. Even old Kukłacz proved interesting enough for Majewski to spend an entire morning with him, looking at yellowed military photos that probably dated back to World War II. If only I could focus on Michał Majewski, I would have deciphered him long ago. But my thoughts constantly circled his little princess, his pearl, his hope. It was Zosia who kept Maje...
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Three matches

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Obraz
Heavy air hung over my head and filled my lungs. The black sky only occasionally flashed with the orange-yellow glow of an explosion. I felt December of that year in my bones like never before. Perhaps it was because I'd spent it in Stalingrad. Accustomed to the warm winters of Bremerhaven, I hadn't expected such a frost. The German army's coats were too thin for this weather. So now, sitting with my head out of the trench, I was shivering like a frightened pig. My watch ended at three, so I was doomed to two more hours of solitary contemplation. I now longed for a warm bed. Although, to be honest, a sleeping bag on the cold ground would have been enough. It provided some warmth, and once I fell asleep, even artillery fire couldn't wake me. It was the end of the month, and rumors circulated that the war was drawing to a close. The Reich was winning. My joy is inexpressible, though uncertain, because no one told us, the rank-and-file soldiers, the truth. I was happy not ...
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.. A Bird Will Die, or a Requiem for Dreams

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Obraz
"And the Raven won't fly away at all, as if he were thinking of waiting years for Palladium's bust by the door, between two stone aisles. His eyes, gloomy as a devil's, gleam bloodily from beneath the lashes of a cloud; The lamplight casts his shadow from above across the room, And my soul, from that shadow that covered the chamber along, will never rise again!" (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven") The clatter of a tram passing over the Royal Bridge drowned out Mark's last words. "What did you say?" I asked . "I asked how long we've been standing here. " Karl glanced at his watch. "Over an hour. At least we're not getting wet," he replied, looking at the streams of rain flooding the city. We were standing under the bridge, so rain was not a threat. Which didn't change the fact that it was cold, especially after over an hour of waiting for Matthias. "Do we want to stand here like this?" "Marek said af...
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Angel in the Mad Men's Ward, Part 1

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Obraz
. I saw her for the first time about two weeks ago. I was sitting at my desk, cluttered with all sorts of documents, when I heard footsteps in the hallway. Through the glass, so carefully polished it was completely invisible, a tall, well-built man caught my eye. His face was etched with fear, or perhaps surprise; I didn't look at him for long. Holding his hand tightly, almost convulsively, was a girl of 14, maybe 15. She walked slowly, uncertainly, glancing around. The glassiness of her vivid green eyes mesmerized me. The world suddenly vanished, dissolved; there was nothing left but two leafy, shimmering dots, so delicate that I was afraid to move lest a chance gust of air transform them into bursting soap bubbles, yet so sure and strong that they had held me motionless for so many years. It seemed to me that time had stood still. Even though our gazes met for a split second, I could perfectly capture every detail of the green in her eyes. Completely unexpectedly, she stopped loo...
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Adventure on Mars

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Obraz
21.08 Oh my God! I'm going crazy! Where am I?! What am I doing here?! For God's sake! Maybe... I'll start from the beginning. First of all, my name is Julka, and... today I was going to start a diary. Of course, at first I wanted to write something about myself, but now there's no time for it. Something terrible happened—at least I think so. Although... I don't even know where I am, how I got here—I don't know anything at all anymore. And yet! I think I have a guess! Okay, Julka, start telling everything calmly and from the beginning. Like every girl my age, I love going to concerts. Today was supposed to be a wonderful event in my life, because my friend and I were going to a Black Eyed Peas concert. When we won these tickets, we were so excited. We were incredibly happy not only at the thought of seeing our beloved band perform, but also because we were going to... Houston!!! We spent the few days until the concert exploring the city. Today we decided to prepa...
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