Something's wrong!

Seryozha felt a strange sensation the moment he cracked the door to his room.

Stopping in the center of the nursery, he immediately took in all the changes that had taken place there. First, the ultra-modern airplane models he and his dad had spent two years building were gone. Second, the collectible set of vintage toy cars was gone from the wall shelf. Third, the magnificent railroad set his grandfather had given him for his birthday was gone from the floor, complete with switches, signals, bridges, linemen's booths, freight and passenger trains. There was nothing!... In the drawers of the built-in closet where old toys were usually kept, not a speck remained!

"Of course, Mom punished me! She was upset that I had to make my bed again, and she hid everything!" Seryozha thought sadly. "So what should I do now?"

 The question was, of course, rhetorical, and Seryozha knew the answer perfectly well. He simply needed to go to his mother and apologize, promising to always be neat and clean up after himself from now on. It was nothing serious, just a little embarrassing.

Seryozha headed to the kitchen, looking sad. He wasn't afraid of his mother; she was easy-going and quickly forgave him. He was a bit afraid of his father, though; he himself had always strictly followed the principle: "Do what you have to do conscientiously; living as a human being isn't difficult!"—and he'd taught Seryozha this rule. Therefore, before his father arrived, he urgently needed to make peace with his mother. He really didn't want to upset his father, especially since tomorrow, Saturday, they were planning to go to a football game with him...

"And today is Friday, and besides, it's the thirteenth!" Seryozha sighed silently. He didn't really believe in any omens, but then, he'd never overslept in the morning before. "Even the Mazda got a flat tire when Mom was driving me to school. Everything's been going wrong since early morning!" Seryozha continued to reason, while his mind was spinning: "Something's wrong!.. Something's wrong!.."

Seryozha's eyes widened in surprise when he entered the kitchen.

This was definitely not right!

No, the kitchen was still their old kitchen, beautifully furnished, modern, and technologically sophisticated. But Mom!.. Instead of preparing dinner, she rushed from one cabinet to another, opening and slamming doors, a look of genuine amazement on her face. She groaned in dismay, looking at the completely empty shelves. And so it went—round and round.

"No cup, no spoon! What's going on, son?.."

The refrigerator was also empty; not even the smell of food lingered in it. The dishwasher, toaster, and oven were sparkling with pristine cleanliness.

"I don't understand!" Mom suddenly stopped and rubbed her temples. "Where did everything go? There are no dishes, no food... nothing! Half an hour ago, when I came back from the service station and then went to pick you up, everything was there. I even put the dough for the pies... where is it?..."

Mom looked so miserable and distraught that Seryozha wanted to hug her tightly and comfort her.

"Oh, my mom!"

"Son!" Mom gently pulled him close. "Oh, my God, baby, what's going on? Maybe we're just sleeping and will wake up soon?"

"And all my toys are gone!" Seryozha confided, sobbing.

"Toys?" " Mom asked thoughtfully, then suddenly tensed. "Shh... do you hear?" The sound of a key turning in the lock was heard.

"Daddy's here!" Seryozha exclaimed joyfully, trying to free himself from Mom's grasp.

"Quiet, son, quiet! I think it's a stranger!"

There was quiet conversation in the hallway.

"Those are thieves! Call the police, Mom!"

"Looks like we're out of touch, dear!"

Seryozha turned around abruptly. The cordless phone was gone from the windowsill. But he and Mom were no longer alone in the kitchen. The first to enter was a small, fussy man in a rumpled gray suit, carrying a black oilcloth folder under his arm. Round glasses perched on his hooked nose, a welcoming smile played across his thin lips, and he carried himself in a manner that seemed almost possessive.

"Please, gentlemen, come in! I suggest we begin our inspection in the kitchen, then we'll move on to the living room, then the study and library. On the second floor, as I've already told you, there are three bedrooms with bathrooms and a nursery. But first, please come this way!" Stepping aside, Glasses let the man and woman who had arrived with him go ahead. The couple looked around the room with interest, paying no attention to Seryozha's mother, frozen in bewilderment, or to Seryozha, who was blinking his eyes in fear.

 Meanwhile, the fussy Four-Eyes continued to rant:

"Exclusive dining room furniture... appliances from the world's best brands... a granite sink... come here, I'll show you how the garbage disposal works..."

Seryozha didn't even have time to scream before Four-Eyes jumped up to him and his mother so quickly and suddenly... passed right through them, like someone passing through empty space..."