CHAPTER FIVEThe awoken brain manifested the time-tested hangover maxim: the sleep of an alcoholic is sound, but brief. Sound. But brief.
Sasha opened his left eye. Yes, it was still dark out.
“In-som-ni-a,” whispered Sasha, pronouncing the word syllable by syllable.
He woke up in his bed.
On the floor two mattresses were spread out. On the mattresses, covered with a blanket, lay Venka and Lyosha. Sasha could not see their faces.
“And Negative? Where was he? Did he go home…? Yes, he went.”
Sasha turned to the wall, pulled the blanket over his head. He did not want to get up. But to fall asleep again was not possible.
His eyes, under closed lids, felt uncomfortable. They wanted to open up and look around.
Sasha moved his head from under the blanket and saw the wallpaper, blurry in th
