On the day of Masha's death, it seemed that even nature had gone mad with grief.

“Dear citizens!  Due to the worsening weather conditions, it is not recommended to go outside!  From 20.00 to 00.00 on December 31 in Moscow, the wind is expected to increase to 20 m/s, snow, sleet ... "- an electronic voice was broadcasting lonely between the lifeless streets.

Once upon a time, people considered the unsightly entrances of five-story buildings to be ugly, but now the Dark Towers have come in their place.  Absolutely everyone disliked the identical buildings forming impenetrable labyrinths with the onset of twilight.  If the khrushchyovkas reminded the lost past, then the "dark towers" were the frightening future of mankind, an extra symbol of its inevitability.

If wishes were truly fulfilled on the New Year, then Mary would raze them to the ground.  Pulverized, burned, scattered to the wind, erased all mention of lifeless buildings, from which the light disappeared at night.

- Mash, well, we'll go already!  Nothing will happen to your Pasha!  Lida murmured, and tightened her grip on the impressive bottle of champagne.

Maria's friend on New Year's Eve chose the image of the Snow Maiden, however, quite exotic.  Thanks to the diodes, Lida's fur coat shimmered with all shades of blue, and her lips shone with lime color.  This, along with her endless tattoos of Chinese dragons, made the fabulous look insane.

“I’ll still stand and catch up with you,” Masha muttered, for which she was kissed by her friend on both cheeks.

"He'll be a fool if he doesn't come!"  - Lida shouted drunk before she and the company disappeared into the elevator.

Maria felt ridiculous in the middle of a damp corridor in a short dress with a fur coat thrown over it.  Now she had to revel in carefree fun, and not wait for Him in the midst of an impending snowstorm.  Why did he agree to come?

Glancing at her smartwatch, Maria pursed her lips.  Her patience was running out.

Many would be surprised, because Mashenka always smiled no worse than a Hollywood star and never cried.  But no one knew her.  Although the tears did not come, their ghostly trail was hidden somewhere in the depths of the girl's clear blue eyes.

A large storm warning flashed on the stationary screen.  The bright red inscription only made her doubts more entrenched.

"Last Time and All"

A light touch on the touch button and the door swung open easily.  Before the cold wind howled into the entrance, the beauty fluttered out on her thin heels.

The squeaky loudspeaker did not think to stop - "Medical bots and scanners can work intermittently due to frost ..." - broadcast an impressive drone, swaying in gusts of wind.

This phrase brought a faint smile to her face.

Like other inventions, her cybernetic eye was not designed for Mother Russia's extreme temperatures.  The implant almost immediately began to emit an unpleasant squeak, warning of hypothermia.

The snow was already falling in large flakes, filling the air more and more.  There was not a soul around, and if there was, then behind the white veil would have gone unnoticed.  In addition, Mary's eye actually began to see worse.  Before her got out another proposal to contact the service, which she safely ignored, despite the fact that it closed the right side of the review.

Slowly, the girl slid down the steel door, as if admitting her own defeat.

For Masha, her life was undoubtedly ideal.  To be an excellent student that spends time with a great guy and wonderful friends.  She truly deserved this fate.  It all belonged to Masha... but not entirely.  And Pasha's attitude spoke of this.

In confirmation, the dark towers loomed over her more and more.  And God forbid that they ever fall, so that her loneliness finally comes to its logical conclusion.  If only they would finally collapse with her.  And it's true.  If wishes really came true on the New Year, she would wish death.

A loud screech made her flinch.  And her heart sank at the sight of a huge Santa Claus soaring in the sky.  It was projected by two Chinese drones that could barely cope with the gusts of wind.  Because of this, the music in their speakers was greatly distorted ... In the performance of this terrifying orchestra, a cheerful Christmas carol became frightening.  The student was horrified by the unsightly creation of the half-educated designer.  A slanting, disproportionately drawn hologram looked at the lonely girl with frank madness.

Her stomach churned with a laugh so loud that it echoed over and over the deserted streets until it merged with the distant horns of the cars and the sirens of the ambulances.  “The Administration of the City of Moscow wishes you a Happy New Year!  Ho-ho,” Santa’s hologram murmured and flew on to frighten the inhabitants of Moscow.

Masha watched the hologram for some more time, when she felt someone else's breath behind her back.  The snow crunched under his feet, and the man took another step toward her.

— Pasha?  She turned hopefully and something heavy landed on her neck.  A blow of incredible force knocked the girl to the snow.  Drops of blood-red splattered across the impeccably white drifts.

Even a glimpse of the stranger sparkled with anger.  His distraught eyes were simply incinerated.  Before Masha raised her head, he hit her again.  The girl's spine made a disgusting screech.

One two three four.  On the rise sounded muffled blows.  Armature easily broke everything that was inside - instantly, almost imperceptibly.  So ruthlessly only children break houses from cards.  But instead of cards there was Masha.

With the last of his strength, the victim miraculously grabbed the floor of his coat.  The black fabric was too soft for the killer's robes, as were her palms for ruthless force.

- Why…

“It will all be over soon…” a torn voice answered.

This time the blow fell on the forehead.

The porches lined the street in one endless dark corridor.  Jingle Bells sounded muffled in the distance.