My name is raven. Im also called suffering. And war and death.

Really, I dont understand

why I deserve such negative associations.
In Japan Im red and Im a symbol of the sun and a messenger of the gods. Here, though, Im
black, like the slag heap outside a mine on which nothing will grow. Black. And Im never on
good terms with the sunno, the sun chases me away. I cant stand its rays, and I have to
hide. It wont turn me to stone, but it will reduce me to ashes. The sun is bad.
And there are no godsnot a single one. I dont say this lightly. Ive been everywhereand I
am simultaneously nowhereso I know it for a fact. Neither up on high, nor down below, is
anyone waiting for you. Nobody is responsible for your fateonly me. Suffering and solace,
all at the same time.
I come when the mind is asleep. Sure, there are some people who dont really sleep, who
never fully withdraw from events. Theyre consciousanalyzing, counting, assessing
twenty-four hours a day. Thats fine with me. Sometimes I can butt in between those
calculations. One moment of inattention, of longer thought, is enough for me to enter their
awareness and to subordinate it to my ownthe clarity of their thinking is pretty close to
madness. Apart from the ones who are occupied with calculating, the other people who dont
sleep are those who love and are loved. This love fuels them, forces them onward, compels
them to analyze situations and make the choices that will allow them to keep loving, to keep
displaying their love. You simply wont make certain choices when youre in lovefor
example, you wont choose suicide or escape. If somebodys in love, they shut their door to
me. I wont visit themtheres no place for me there.
But there are also people who dont know love. People think that theyre born with love, but
thats a myth. Youre born into pain, a pain so big that it horrifies even me, although Ive seen
wars upon warsremember, Im rumored to follow the trail of dead that stretch out behind
the worlds armies. Thats yet another superstition about mewhen I want corpses, I can
arrange for them all on my own. But thats not our topicwe were talking about love. You
have to learn how to love.
How does it work? Its very straightforwardwell, usually straightforward. You give love
and you get lovejust like that. You give a scrap, a tiny piece. A shred, a sliver, a molecule.
Even without water itll grow, this love about which you talk, and dream, and sing, and write.
By the way: I hate writers, all of them, good and bad, with Poe at the top of the pile. I

dissociate myself from that poem absolutely, and my caw doesnt in the least resemble
nevermore.
Anyway, this matter with love is really quite trivial. You give, you getthats it. Easy? Easy.
An exchange, something for something, from hand to hand, from one heart to another
whatever image you prefer. But amongst you there are blockheads. Blockheads who dont
understand. They cant learn to love no matter how much love they receive. They are blind,
handicapped. They will never learn. These are my candidates for friends. These dummies,
with their stiff hands and their cold mouths that no kiss will warm. My dummies, the toys
with which Ill play until I get bored. And I get bored quickly.
The ones who crave love all the time are a little bit less boring. They saw love out there once,
touched it for a little while, and then had the bubble pop. Soapy, it shimmered with all the
colors of the rainbow, only to disappear silently after a brief moment. I love that metaphor. I
overuse it, but its so good and it works with almost any situation. Your life is a bubble, a
balloon that will pop and youll be gone.
But lets come back, lets hurry back, to the subject of the ones whove had love, but had it
taken away from them. Just like that. The ones whose love disappeared, who open their
mouths to shout, to call it back. Who cry, even though crying doesnt help. The bubble has
exploded and nothing will put it back together. The only option is to search for a new love
somewhere else. It isnt so rare so that your expedition cant succeed. But there are many who
wont find it anyway. The ones who were loved and now arentand who want so
desperately to be loved again. They are interesting, very interesting, to me.
I offer myself to them, and theyre so hungry for love that they welcome me.
Humansyoure so funny! Its so easy to delude you. The most intelligent animal on this
planet, Homo sapiens is nonetheless utterly, simply stupid. Or maybe not so much stupid as
blind. Its the sunthis sun is blinding you. The sun is the problem, I think. It shines straight
into your eyes, causes this giddiness, this desire, the craving for love. Not necessarily with
romantic lovepurely platonic love will work. Youre like wanderers in the desert, crawling
towards a mirage because there might be water there. Aqua vita. Love is the drink of life to
you, and you will follow its mirage everywhere, everywhere.
And I willingly take you there. At your service. Because its funny. I like games.

Get to the point! you say. Enough chatting, enough showing the off your erudition, citing
symbolism and mythology. You want concrete information: whats this game, what are the
rules? Tell me! Unfortunately, with me nothing is specific. Everything is muddy, like pond
water. Everything is an element in a game for which I determine the rules on the fly.
I am raven, Apollos prophetic bird, punished by him for the fact that I told the truth. I told
the truth! That was our game, me and him. I was more insightful than my master and I knew
what his lover deserved. I told him that, very straightforwardly, very precisely. He killed her.
And he turned me from white to black. I dont care about the color, though, provided that I
have someone to play with, the way I played with the very gods at the beginning.
Then I switched to mortals. Gods are very inconsistent. For example: they arent here and yet
they arethey dont exist and yet they do. Am I expressing myself clearly?
Peopleapart from the fact that theyre very fond of love and covet it, their Holy Grailalso
adore predictions. Explaining that the future doesnt exist, so theres really nothing to predict,
makes no sense to people. You want it, you want to know whats coming. What on Earth for?
If something is waiting for you, its not going to get bored and go away. And besides, theres
nothing waiting, because as I said theres no such thing as the future. But you demand an
answer from me anyway, a hint about which path you should choose. You think itll make
you feel better, so I give you hints. Theyre unusually colorful, real fireworksand just as
worthless as fireworks. Darkness surrounds you, then something flashes brightly for a
moment, and afterward the darkness seems even darker than before. Better not to look into the
light. Your eyes ache. First from the light and then from darkness.
Weve talked about so many things so far, serious matters, the very things that make you
human, and yet we seem to be pretty much where we started. What can I say? Im not a
diplomat. Love? We talked about it. The future? We covered that. But I think that its possible
to get at something simpler, like you simplify a polynomial. I am searching, searching. Im
searching for the word, Im searching for the key, Im looking for this nominative case. And I
have itI always find what I want, always. In contrast to younine times out of ten you
cant find what youre looking for. Nine times out of ten the thing you pick wont be the one
you need. And that one time someone gets it right? It doesnt matterthat guys nuts. We
dont need madmen. Good night and sweet dreams to him.

You need to believe that your life has some meaning. Thats the thing! Alpha and omega? I
dont know, I stay away from Christian symbolism, although I admit its interesting. I say that
unwillingly, very reluctantlygenerally speaking all organized worship disgusts me. Alpha
and omega. Allah, Buddhawho do you still have in your pantheon? Fuck it, theyre
nonsense, but useful nonsense. You desire them in order to believe that your life has meaning.
Without that belief, the suicides rate would soar. But if theres a god of some kind and he has
appointed you, or exiled you, whateverif he has some plan for you (and since hes a god,
that plan must be important)then your existence is likewise important. It makes a difference,
its what the universe is all about. Excuse me, I just have to laugh. Its funny, this kind of
thinkingits a good joke.
There s no meaning, no purpose in your existencenothing like that. Nothing. Youre a
protein which, with time, will break down into dust. And worms will gobble the pieces down.
So much for the whole subject.
Dont chase me awayits not my fault that lifes this way. I simply have the courage to say
it and a willingness to say it bluntly. Theres nothing special about you. No meaning. No
purpose. No influence. You affect nothing. No changeyoure not an agent of change.
Youre an object.
I dont know why I tell you any of this. I shouldnt. Firstly, itll have no effect. Youll remain
convinced that youre the navel of the universehowever large or small you are, it
nevertheless revolves around you. Secondly: the belief in meaning, and the demand for it, are
good for me. I can plant the idea and youll gorge yourself on it until youre nauseated. I only
have to pretend that theres some activity, some behavior or act thatif you do itwill alter
the world. The world will change. Fortunes favor will come to youfame, you people love
fame. The world will be better. Itll be perfect. Your pursuit of the good is touching to me
and youre ready to behave like such bastards to achieve it! I apologize for my uncivil tongue.
Im actually not sure that I even have a tongue, although if I didnt I wouldnt caw. Probably.
With me nothing is certain.
My name is raven.
Am I real?
I dont know.

Free Preview

Absolute Sunset
Kata Mlek
ISBN 978-1-927967-56-0
Produced by IndieBookLauncher.com
www.IndieBookLauncher.com
Editing: Nassau Hedron
Cover Design: Saul Bottcher
Interior Design and Typesetting: Saul Bottcher
The body text of this book is set in Caslon by Adobe. Chapter numbers are set in Bell
Gothic Black.
Notice of Rights
All text copyright 2015 Kata Mlek, all rights reserved.
Absolute Sunset is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events are either a product of the
authors imagination or are used fictitiously.
Also Available
EPUB edition, ISBN 978-1-927967-57-7
Kindle edition, ISBN 978-1-927967-58-4

CONTENTS
1: Good Evening ...........................1 22: Her and Not Her.....................127
2: Look at the Sun and Forget ........7 23: The Funeral .............................131
3: A Torrent .................................15 24: Silent Murderer.......................133
4: Beneath the Surface....................21

25: A Dream Book ........................141

5: A Dull, Late Morning.................25

26: Guests, Guests .........................149

6: A Ball of Tears .............................33

27: A New Friend..........................153

7: The Bottom of the Bottle ...........37 28: Time to Go ..............................157

8: A Brother .....................................41 29: The Circus ...............................159
9: I Dont Want You ........................47 30: The Journey of a Lifetime ......163
10: Keep The Child Safe .................51 31: Didnt I Mention .....................167
11: Baptism ......................................55

32: Dead Silence............................171

12: Love is Blind..............................65

33: Im Normal ..............................183

13: A Blue Balloon ..........................71

34: Home, Sweet Home................191

14: With a Lover .............................73 35: A Way of Life ..........................199

15: Sometimes Im a Father ...........81 36: Board Any Train .....................211
16: Last Journey ..............................85

37: The Comeback ........................217

17: There Will Be No Dinner ........93 38: A Happy Ending .....................221

18: Prison .........................................97

My Final Conclusion ....................223

19: Disappear From My Life .......107 How to Get The Book .................21
20: Half Orphan ............................113 About Me ....................................23
21: My Raven, My Friend ............117 My Other Books .........................27

1
HankaGood Evening
Good evening. The raven bowed politely. His black eye glittered like a lump
of coal, as sorrowful and barren as the slag heap outside a mine.
Good evening! Hanka answered, equally politely. She sat down and
smoothed the collar of her pyjamaspink, with broderie anglaise. The holes,
hemmed with thick thread, formed a nice, flowery pattern. It was unusual
and much too elegant for pyjamas.
Howre things going? the bird asked chattily, taking a few steps along
the bed frame. He held it tightly to keep from falling, scratching the pinewood a bit with his claws.
Okay, nothing special, Hanka sniffed, putting a small pillow on her
head. Perched there, it resembled the pointed hat of a clown puppet.
Oh well, life, the usual, the raven said, making meaningless small talk
for no reason that Hanka could see. He scraped his bill against the edge of
the headboard several times, then jumped down onto the duvet, flapping
his wings to keep his balance on the bumps as he came closer to Hanka. He
jumped up to her shoulder and rooted in her hair with his bill. Finding an
elastic band, he caught it firmly and pulled it from her ponytail. He liked
hair accessories, especially colourful hair bands.
For a moment he was silent, busily tearing the rubber to pieces. When
he finished, he raked up the fragments with his claws and jumped back to
the headboard. He took a few steps to the left and a few to the right. Then
he shook his head and stretched his wings wide, so that the feathers spread,

2
forming a web. He stood extended like that for a moment, then abruptly
snapped back into his usual pose with a flap.
So, what? Shall we peck? he asked eventually.
No, please, dont peck at me, Hanka begged. My nails are clean! she
stretched out her hand as proof.
Ears? The raven didnt give up.
I washed them yesterday.
And nose?
I havent got a runny nose.
Nothing to be pecked up?
Absolutely nothing! Hanka rested her hand on her heart.
Then shall we take wing? the bird asked.
Yes, Hanka agreed.
And they did. They flew for a long time, so long that Hanka became
cold, her back covered with goose pimples. She began to sneeze. Finally they
saw water below.
Well stop here, said the raven, descending. Hanka followed as if she
were attached to him by an invisible leash.
The bird landed by the side of a small decorative pool that looked as if it
might be home to koi. It was rectangular, with walls that were slippery with
algae and rough with barnacles. Here and there, the white tiles glistered in
the cloudy water. Hanka didnt like it at all.
I want to fly farther! she said, going into a sulk and stamping her bare
feet.
Its not your decision, the bird said, cutting off her protests. He flapped
his wings and took to the air briefly, pecking her firmly on the head. A bead
of blood appeared in her hair. Hanka understood: no buts.
She sat down beside the pool. She felt like crying. The place where the
bird had pecked her smarted, and she bent over the mercury surface to see
whether the wound was still bleeding. The sky was reflected in the water as
if it were a mirror.
In spite of the shimmer, she glimpsed fish near the bottom of the pool.
They were as large as burdock leaves and moved slowly, arching their bodies.
Their scales gleamed in the sun.

3
Oh, those are rays! She was delighted at the sight and forgot about the
peck on her head. Stingrays, in fact. I saw some once on TV. Stingrays! she
announced proudly, and the raven nodded.
Right, he confirmed, dipping his bill beneath the surface of the water
to drink.
Agata will never believe me if I tell her! Hanka leapt up and ran along
the edge of the pool. Real stingrays! she crowed. The fish mostly milled
around in the depths, once in a while sneaking up to a point just under the
surface.
Would you like to touch them? the bird asked politely, even gently.
Hanka went on the alert. The ingratiating tone in his voice was usually a bad
omen.
No, its dangerous! she jumped away from the edge and wrapped her
arms around herself. Do you see those spines? she pointed at the ribbonlike tail of a ray swimming nearby. Those are no decoration, theyre a deadly weapon, venomous. The poison kills slowly and painfully. Thats what they
said on TV, on the Discovery channel.
Im afraid that you have to face the risk, my dear, the raven said, suddenly changing tone. You must catch them!
How? Hanka looked around for a javelin or a trident, but saw nothing at all. Emptiness surrounded her. Not a desert, just the lack of anything.
How am I supposed to catch the rays with nothing? she wondered. The raven,
however, wasnt bothered by the lack of equipment.
You will catch them by hand. Theres an old fishermans technique
called noodling, he suggested. Put your hand in the water. They like hands.
A ray will grab your fingers, and then you pull your hand out and the ray
comes with it. Go on! The bird hissed like a snake and puffed up his feathers.
For a moment Hanka felt defiance rising up in her. She wanted to grab
that wispy neck and bend it like a straw. The delicate spine of the bird would
snap and she would have a nice, satisfying corpse instead of the raven. The
impulse disappeared almost immediately, though. She wasnt supposed to
disobey. The choice was obvious: fish or be pecked. Not an ordinary peck,
like when he cleaned her, but something serious: drawing blood, down to

4
the bone. Just imagining it, Hanka got so scared that she momentarily needed to pee. It would be better to take her chances with the rays.
She sighed heavily and rolled her sleeves up to her shoulders. Her
messy hair tickled her face as she kneeled and leaned toward the water. She
brushed it away with her shoulder and put her hand into the pool cautiouslyat first just a little, then up to the elbow. The water was tepid, neither cold
nor warm. Strange. It horrified Hanka even more than icy cold or boiling
heat would have done.
The fish spotted her immediately. They began to circulate more and
more quickly, rising from the bottom toward the bait. Careful but greedy,
they came closer and closer. She could see their bulging eyes, watery and
slimy, like egg white. Once in a while a pale belly would flash past. Hanka
began to cry.
The first stingrays firm bite drew blood from her hand. Red rings dispersed in the water and after a while another fish came, attracted by the
meaty smell. Hanka screamed and tore her hand out of water. But the ray
didnt let go, holding on grimly with sharp, hooked teeth. Still attached,
it flailed in the air above her head, only letting go when Hanka slapped it
against the edge of the pool. For a moment the ray flapped against the flagstones, then finally flopped over and lay still, reminding Hanka of a wet jelly
ear mushroom. She vomited on a nearby bush.
Well, well! the raven cawed, jumping toward the dead stingray. He
pecked out the fishy eyes and gobbled them down with gusto. The only
other treats he consumed with such relish were the bone-dry scabs that he
peeled back from Hankas pale calves and the dirt from under her nails. She
watched him, disgusted, clenching her wrist. The blood was clotting slowly.
The raven pecked at a little bit of the vomit and shook himself in distaste. It
didnt appeal to him.
Is that enough? Hanka asked, hoping the bird was full.
No. I want more! the raven demanded. Hand in the water, now!
Hanka eventually caught four more fish, the third one gnawing a fair
bit on her forearm. But the bird was still unsatisfied.

5
More, more! he cawed and wheezed, pecking at Hankas ankles, and
she went back to catching the fish. The raven promised that when he was full
hed stop stabbing at her and they would go home.
Now the rays were less cautious. Their gills moved quickly, as if they
were panting with excitement. The blood must have blunted their instincts.
They werent afraid of coming close to the surface, which churned with
waves stirred up by their covetous bodies. It was an underwater orgy. Hanka,
numbed by pain, didnt care. Hell eat and well go home, hell eat and well
fly away, she repeated to herself, clenching her teeth.
The next fish struck the moment she dipped her fingers into the water.
Ouch! Hanka cried when she felt the teeth of the stingray cut her to
the bone.
She immediately tried to get up and drag the fish ashore, but the ray
was huge and held powerfully to her hand. Hanka couldnt even stand up.
Unlike the other fish, this one refused to give up and let her go. Instead, it began to drag her into the water. Dangling its tail and beating its fins, it pulled
Hanka toward the pool.
Help me! she cried, but the raven watched indifferently. Hanka tried
to yank herself backward, but she slipped and tumbled into the swimming
pool.
Water immediately flooded her lungs and the pressure in her head was
overwhelming, but at least it was easier to fight the stingray once she was in
the pool. Hanka kicked it firmly and the fish let her hand go. She managed
to surface for a second.
Help me get out! she called out to the bird. She tried to climb up the
poolside, but it was covered in algae and slippery as a sheet of melting ice.
No, the raven replied.
Please, help me! Hanka kept trying to get out of the pool, but the
stingrays were biting her legs, holding her there.
Get into the water and catch them! The bird pecked Hanka on the
head. Stunned, she slipped away from the edge and went down, where the
fish took care of her. They tore her pyjamas off, poking her with their tails,
gnawing at the soft parts of her thighs and belly. Hanka screamed and water
poured into her mouth. From time to time she managed to get her head

6
above the surface and catch her breath. In the moments when she was above
the water, she could hear the raven repeating a nonsensical rhyme:
Deep water reaches silent ears
Belowsurpriseare lurking fears
Youll never leave these depths of green
Because you cant avoid the sting.
The raven went through the rhyme over and over again. Whenever
Hanka managed to approach the edge of the pool, he would jump forward
and push her back into the water. She ran out of breath and the fish never
paused, stabbing her and nibbling at her from every direction. Ill try one last
time, she decided and pushed off from the bottom of the pool with her legs.
It worked. Her head burst through the surface abruptly, like a buoy surfacing.
Dad, dad! Hanka cried out and sank again.

2
JanuszLook at the Sun and Forget
Damn it, shes howling again! muttered Sabina, who was sleeping on the
left. Her breath smelled of digested dry wine. Traces of Oui Oui perfume,
which she thought was chic, still clung to her dirty hair. She preferred to
simply spray her braid with it, rather than actually wash the hair. She turned
onto her other side and hid her head under a pillow. Her unbuttoned nightdress revealed a flabby breast. Nothing interesting there. Janusz felt like going out on the balcony to breathe some fresh air and clear the sight and the
smell of her from his mind.
Dad, dad! The cry came suddenly from the other room, and he realized what had actually woken him up. He threw back the stale duvet, which
fell to the floor with a sound like a snort, and sprang to his feet. Stumbling
over his flat slippers, he ran to Hankas room. His daughters voice was so
urgent that his mouth went dry. He took a sharp turn by the wardrobe, skidding on the beaten rug, and in a few more strides reached her bed.
She sat with her eyes wide open, probably unaware that she had woken. Her small hands clenched repeatedly, as if catching at something in
her dream. Sweaty pyjamas stuck to her skinny back like a cape soaked in a
downpour. Janusz felt a lump in his throat.
Calm down, calm down, he whispered as he sat down beside her.
Quiet. He hugged her shaking body and smoothed down her messy hair.
Hanka was so slightsmall even for seven years old, but smart. Blood
of his blood! She had always woken up in the night like this, calling Janusz,

8
having terrible dreams that she couldnt describe. Each time he came to her
she would whimper and sob, then slowly fall asleep in his arms. Sometimes
he sat with her until dawn, unable to bear to put her back to bed. It was a
time for them to be on their own. The birds would begin to sing outside the
window at dawn, enthusiastically rushing to start the day for no obvious
reason.
As usual, Janusz looked at the dying light of the street lamps outside
and whispered calming mantras. In the distance he could see the pit shafts
wrapped in fog and smog, bleak and hopeless. Red lights flashed at the tops
of the chimneys, as if it were the sex district. The neighbours miniature pinscher barked squeakily, keenly, on the stairs.
Fuck! Hush him up! Janusz heard Sabinas voice coming from the
bedroom and he shook his head. So pathetic.
Once, Sabina had lost her temper with the dog, which had been barking
right under her window, and had thrown a cake tray at it. Then two fistfuls
of nuts. Janusz had to go and ask forgiveness for his wifes behaviour, as always. Hed often apologized for Sabina to their neighbours in the Tysiclecie
estate. She simply loved to yell angrily at people. Once someone had slapped
her. Shed been completely drunk and, to be honest, shed deserved it. Janusz
glanced toward the bedroom to see if his irritated wife was crawling out toward them. Silence. Good. He wasnt going back there.
Hed been married to Sabina for ten years now, and still didnt understand her. He could understand that she hated her dream being derailed, but
his wifes attitude toward Hanka astounded him. It seemed as if giving birth
to Hanka would be the first and the last thing Sabina ever did for her daughter. And she hadnt even wanted to do that. If shed had the choice, shed
have preferred to have an abortion. Janusz gave a heavy sigh. Sometimes he
thought all he did was let out damned sighs.
His own mother had always taken care of him, always been by his side
to feed him, to wash him, to change his clothes, to dress his scrapes and
bruises. An exemplary housewife. Sabina didnt bother with things like that,
despite the fact that she didnt have a job to take up her time. Apparently,
women differed from each other. Well, such is life. Janusz hugged his daughter even more firmly.

9
What did you dream about? he asked gently, kissing Hankas cold
cheek.
Spikes. I was in the water, and there were spikes everywhere. Fish were
stinging me. And there was a raven. He didnt want to help me. I was afraid.
I called out, but nobody came to help me. I was swimming in the pool and I
couldnt get out. Water, waterI couldnt breathe! They bit my hands! They
stung me! Hanka burst into tears.
Dont worry, its just a dream, Janusz assured her. It wasnt the first
time that shed told him about the raven. Everyone has his or her own recurring nightmare, and clearly Hanka had her bird. Youll look at the sun in the
morning and itll help you forget. Youll forget.
Hanka calmed down slowly. Her body became slack and her breath
became even, like the ticking of a clock. Janusz gently laid her on the bed
and stretched himself out on the floor. He was a bit sleepy. He stared at the
cracked ceiling, emptiness crossing his mind. There was nothing really to
think about.
Sleep my darling, youll forget with some help from the sun, he murmured to sleeping Hanka, then closed his eyes.

As always, Janusz was the one to prepare breakfast for Hanka and himself. He put a bowl of cereal in front of her. Without milk. She hated milk
she would sometimes vomit at just the smell of it. He slurped his coffee. It
was as sour as pickle juice. The shops only sold rubbish these daysshit and
rubbish. Maybe if they could afford Jacobs instead of Fuego it wouldnt be so
acidicthe acidosis of poverty. Janusz shrugged and scolded himself for his
pessimism. Sometimes he was fed up with his own behaviour.
Did you sleep well? he asked his daughter, pretending that he didnt
remember her night terrors. He forced himself to smile, then realized that he
actually did feel like smiling. And why not? Against all odds!
Yes, dad, Hanka replied, crunching her food mercilessly and spilling
cereal everywhere. Janusz reached for the broom to sweep it upif Sabina
stepped on crumbs, thered be a row. And Sabina would use Hanka as her
punching bag.

10
Did you dream about anything? he mumbled, crawling under his
daughters chair.
No, nothing at all. Why? Hanka was swinging her legs.
No reason. Did you look out the window this morning? The weather
looks fine, doesnt it?
Yeah. I looked. The magpie was sitting on the rowan. The branch almost broke! She laughed.
Well. Great, Janusz said, pouring the breadcrumbs into the trashcan.
He put the dustpan back carefully. Even though Sabina didnt clean, she hated chaos. And she had an exceptional memoryevery single thing had its
place. He finished off his coffee and took a bite from a slice of stale bread.
Then he decided there was nothing more to say and threw a kaiser roll with
cheese into his briefcase.
Well, Ive got to go! He smiled at his daughter and stood.
Hanka dug gloomily in the crack of the table with her nail. She moved
slowly, and dirty fat rolled up from between the tiles, black and sticky. She
hunched as though she were ducking a blow. Sabina often pummelled
her, hitting her and calling her a moron. Janusz felt suffocated by a single
thought: that in the morning his wife would undoubtedly wake up mad and
target Hanka. But he had to go.
He slowly put on his jacket and bent down for his briefcase. When he
straightened up, he saw that Hanka was half standing, half hanging loosely
from the kitchen doorframe, watching him.
Bye! he whispered, and she waved to him and went to her room. In all
likelihood shed sit there for a while, until nine or so, when Sabina would get
up and send her to school. But for him it really was time to go!
He went out into the corridor and for a moment fought with the temptation to slam the door as hard as he could. Hard enough to make the plaster
fall from the walls and to wake up the sleeping harpy. Shed jump out of the
bedding as though shed been scalded, and then her headache would begin
to torture her. Good! Still, he managed to resist the urge and closed the door
carefully. As long as Sabina was sleeping, Hanka would have peace and quiet.
Maybe his wife would wake up in decent shape for once.

11
Janusz ran down the stairs, his feet gliding over the edges of the steps.
He was neither sliding nor quite walking, like when hed been fifteen and
rushing toward friends waiting downstairs. That was all that was left to him
of his youth, this silly rush down the stairs.
He hurried through the metal door, which closed with a squeak. He
didnt look back, just headed toward the bus stop, fighting with the wind all
the way. By the time he reached the passage between the blocks of flats, the
fine weather of the early morning hours was over. The once-blue sky clouded
over and it started raining. Not hard, but even a downpour would have been
better than this, if only because it would be less persistent. Sometimes it
seemed to Janusz that it rained exclusively for him. As soon as he went outside, rain would appear out of nowhere.
The drops left grey streaks on his jacket. Rain in Katowice looked as if
something foul had been dissolved in itnot like the crystal clear water that
Januszs mother had used to wash her hair so long ago. Its the healthiest
way to get a beautiful braid! she would laugh, with her breasts rocking to
the side as she soaked her hair in a bucket.
Obviously, he didnt have an umbrella. And, as usual, hed gone out
wearing loafers, which got soaked in the first few steps. Damn it! Another
day in damp footwear. Another wonderful day.
People crowded beneath the roof of the bus stop, repeatedly stepping
on each others feet and apologising, bumping each other with bags and files.
They seethed in the plastic shelter, grey and a little shaggy, like moths in a jar.
Janusz somehow managed to shelter under the roof while he waited.
The steam wafting above the crowd smelled of potatoes and cabbage. So
typical of Silesiathat smell was literally everywhere. He raised his collar
and pressed his nose into it. Since Sabina rarely cooked, the fabric hadnt yet
picked up the odour of stewed meat and beets.
A pack of stray dogs ran across the field behind the stop. They barked
at each other, rushing after a piece of rubbish driven by the wind. A few of
them limped. They often attacked people, mainly kids and old ladies, but
they were intimidated by the crowd at the bus stop, running past while casting a few bleary-eyed looks at the waiting people.

12
Surprisingly, the bus came on time. Full. The passengers, flattened
against the windows, could barely breathe. Janusz jumped onto the step and
leaned inward. The door closed with a hiss, and he was immediately shoved
back by the crowd and pressed against the window pane. If the door opened
suddenly, he would undoubtedly fall into the street. His skull would crack,
his blood would stream. They would rob him of his briefcase and wallet and
then call the police. He couldnt decide whether he wanted it to happen or
feared it.
The stink of dirty clothes nauseated him. Why wash your clothes every
day? Theyll get dirty at work anyhow. Janusz jumped out of the bus every
time it stopped in order to let passengers out and to let new ones in. Then he
crammed back inside, going last just so he could enjoy the fresh air as long as
possible. It might not have been bracing and crystalline, but at least it didnt
make him retch. In the end, exhausted from jumping in and out and pushing
into the crowd, he got off the bus two stops early.
His mine appeared at the end of the roada straight road, built just
for his unit. Once a great power, the lska mine had become a bottomless
money pit. Old, creased photographs of the opening and other important
events hung on the walls of the cloakroom. It was hard to believe that such
things had ever happened here, that someone had actually gotten some record-breaking results.
Today, in a time when the expression black gold provoked nothing
but laughter, the miners, longing for an early, generous retirement, werent
mining very much. Even if theyd wanted to do more, they didnt have the
equipment. They went down the mine because it was something their grandfathers and fathers had done. For glory. For tradition. Janusz was an accountant, though, not an actual miner. A mediocre pencil-pusher in a small
department, just ten people all together. Sabina despised his job. If you were
tough, youd go down! she would say, mocking him.
In the past, when the miners position had been better, hed been satisfied at his job. No risk, reliable profits, and access to the mining shops! But
now? He did mundane chores: stamping bills, printing chits. Waiting for
retirement. Thank God he could retire early! Then he would start his own
accounting office and take his work home. Or hed simply work from home!

13
Hed buy the neatest school bag ever for Hanka, and some coloured felt-tip
pens. Hed be able to save a little money for her university!
Janusz, his mind fixed on his glowing future, realized that hed already
reached the gate. He kicked it, but without much force.
Im coming, sir, Im coming! a bumbling voice answered on the other
side.
After a moment, the gate opened. Not proudly, not wide open, but timidly, as if it were the gate of a beleaguered fortress. Janusz slipped inside.
Behind him the metal wing thumped loudly shut.

14

3
HankaA Torrent
A few days later, Hanka woke very early. She felt well-rested and alert. The
raven hadnt come to her that night. Shed told him she wouldnt be able to
meet him because of the fishing trip with Dad. The raven had promised not
to appear so that Hanka could get enough sleep, and hed kept his word. He
wasnt that bad.
The leaves of the rowan tree rustled outside the window. It was really
something, the rowan. In an urban estate like Tysiclecie, which had once
been fancy but which hadnt aged well, nobody really cared about trees. But
Hanka had her own rowan, right outside her window. In autumn the trees
branches were covered in orange fruit, and Hanka was the first one to see
them. They actually kind of belonged to her. She was the one to decide who
might pick them and how manythere were always more children who
wanted to pick the fruit than there was fruit to go around.
She sat down on the bed and stuck her head out the windowjust a
little bit, but enough to take a look outside. The rowans fruit had already
begun to appear, but they were still pale. It was only Julythere was time.
She lay down again and waited for the sun to climb above the roofs and heat
up the asphalt paths. Only then, feeling the oppressive summer atmosphere,
did she get up.
She headed to the kitchen. The tabletop, covered with greenish tiles,
was pleasantly cool. The kitchen, facing west, hadnt yet been heated up to
the point where it felt like an oven. Hanka took a knife out of the drawer,

16
sat down on a chair, and started digging dirt out from between the tilesas
usual. She waited for her parents to get up.
Janusz was the first to appear. He drank a glass of water in a hurry and
disappeared into the bathroom. Soon after, she learned why. Her mother,
looking battered, leaned out of the bedroom.
Hanka remembered when Sabina had been pretty. Even fairly recently
her mother had been beautiful. Her red, shiny hair would be tied in a braided bun, or shed curl it, or just let it fall loose to her waist. Two pairs of high
heels had stood in the wardrobe, one black and one silver, ready to go for a
walk at any moment. Where were they now? What had happened to those
shoes? All that remained was a pair of worn, ugly carpet slippers. Hanka was
pretty sure that Sabina had worn green and blue eye shadow once upon a
time. Even purple. It wasnt that long ago, maybe two years back. Or three.
Back when Sabina had still made an effort, when she still cared, if only about
her own appearance.
Todays Sabina had nothing in common with that earlier incarnation.
Sometimes it was hard to believe that this woman, with a cigarette always
dangling between her lips, was the same person as the one in the old photographs with the serrated edges. Hanka sometimes looked through them,
taking care not to be caught. Sabina didnt like the photos. Once, when shed
caught her daughter going through the albums, shed torn several of the photos into pieces, then cried, howling into her pillow. So secrecy was essential, or else soon there wouldnt be a single souvenir of Sabinas beauty! Her
mothers fury would turn them into dust.
Impossible, the girl thought, comparing todays Sabina with the younger
one. Where did the bits of clumped lipstick at the corners of her lips come
from? And the fierce expression? Hanka couldnt accept that the mother
in the photos was gone, the one with the cream-coloured retro dress and
shining, polished nails. Hanka missed her. And sometimes she was simply
ashamed of what she had become.
While Hanka sat wondering whether a bebok hadnt perhaps kidnapped that long-ago version of her mother and put todays Sabina here in
her placesomething that every child knows the Silesian devils sometimes
doSabina was struggling with breakfast. The bread kept moving on the

17
cutting board. She tried to cut it into slices with shaking hands, but the pieces looked as if theyd been made with a chainsaw. It was better not to say
anything, though. In the end Sabina hurled some sandwiches onto the table.
They were nothing like the ones in the magazines, with cucumber, tomato
and radish. Hanka would have really loved a sandwich like that, but her
mother never made anything of the kind. Bread, butter, cold meat, jam, or
cheese curdsnothing sophisticated.
You must have lost your fucking ass! Sabina said harshly when Hanka
asked her to sprinkle the cheese curds with chives. Hanka had eaten sandwiches like that next door, at her friend Agatas, and they tasted really good.
Hanka chewed slowly, trying to swallow the pieces without the benefit
of tea since Sabina hadnt served anything to drink today. She could hardly
get the bread down, but it was better not to complain.
Im not your housemaid! Sabina would hiss at her in response to even
a minor request. Better to say nothing.
Fortunately, Janusz appeared a moment later. He came out of the bathroom dressed in old track pants and a T-shirt. He smelled of Nivea cream
and some kind of aftershave. He didnt actually shave, but he used it as a
perfume because he knew that Hanka liked the smell.
Oh, you have nothing to drink! He came over to Hanka and put the
kettle on the gas. Coffee? he turned to Sabina, but she just snorted. He
shrugged his shoulders and prepared two teas. His wife, perhaps offended by
the sight of them, left for the living room.
Thanks! Hanka muttered to her father, and he smiled in response.
Drink up and well go. Mum probably didnt get enough sleep, he
laughed and wiggled his eyebrows. Hanka snorted, but immediately went
quiet, stopped by a warning gesture from her father. It wasnt wise to provoke Sabinashe hated being mocked. They quickly packed a bottle of water and two apples into a plastic bag. The fishing tackle was waiting in the
hall, where Janusz had put it the previous evening. They put their sneakers
on and left. Sabina didnt bother to say goodbye.
As soon as they were downstairs, Hanka started to chatter. She felt better as she disappeared from Sabinas view. Sorry, from mums view. Being with
her father was good. Hanka laughed and told him incredible stories. She

18
didnt even notice where they were goingafter all, he was leading the way.
Sitting on the bus, she realised that she didnt remember the walk to the bus
stop or the moment when theyd boarded.
The trip wasnt long. On the way they passed meadows that were as flat
and featureless as a pancake, here and there decorated with a single tree. Just
like on postcards from Jura. Hanka wanted to stop by one of these solitary
trees someday, spread a blanket and fall asleep. Dream of nothing. Or eat
breakfast there. Maybe eventually shed be able to talk her father into it.
Were getting off soon, Janusz said, interrupting her thoughts as he
started gathering their things. As always, he checked that they hadnt left
anything on the bus. Hanka found it funny, given that all they had was one
net and a fishing rod. She snorted quietly, then politely waited by the door.
As soon as the bus stopped, she jumped out into the roadside dust,
which billowed up around her knees and settled on her socks. She glanced
at her father. Nothing. He hadnt even noticedhed never been bothered by
such things. Sabina would probably have whacked Hanka in the head.
They made their way through a forest. A few isolated clumps of wild
strawberries grew near the path. Hanka raced from one to another, picking
the red fruit cautiously and then savouring it. Nothing could equal fresh
wild strawberries. Even the smell couldnt be imitated. Sabina had bought
wild strawberry cream once and it stank.
You want some, daddy? Hanka shouted to Janusz, who was trailing a
little bit behind.
No, thanks. Wait by the turn because Im not keeping up! he laughed
and adjusted the bag with the fishing rod, jumping from side to side in a
funny way.
The river appeared as soon as they took the turn. Hanka rushed
through the waterside meadow, jumping over cowpats. From time to time
she stopped to pick a handful of sorrel and put it into her mouth. Sabina forbid her to eat unwashed leaves, afraid of tapeworms. But Sabina wasnt here.
Hanka actually felt a bit sorry that her mother had never come with her
and her father. She didnt know what she was missing, never seeing the spot
where they came to fish. It was near the bus stop, on a low, sandy bank. A
very deep bight was hidden under a tree that grew out over the water. Janusz

19
said it was two, or even three metres deep. Amongst the sunken roots, the
fish drowsed. They glistened between the mossy boughs, as crooked as the
fingers of the old ladies at church. It was enough to tempt the fish with good
baittheyd open their eyes and immediately take the hook.
Later, Janusz and Hanka would clean them and prepare them for cooking at home. Theyd cover them with breadcrumbs, fry them, and finally
eat them. Her mother had never even tried one of the barbel they caught!
Theyre toxic, stuffed with rubbish from the river. Everything is contaminated here! she would complain, refusing to take a bite. It made Hanka sad.
Probably Janusz too.
In the end, they reached the spot. Hanka lay down on the grass, and
Janusz peeked at the bottom of the bank, unfolding the equipment and casting with the fishing rod.
Can I have something to drink? Hanka asked. She was thirsty after
running crazily. She swallowed some water, then lay down again. Crickets
chirped around hershe stayed quiet so as not to startle the fish.
She was almost asleep when her father jumped to his feet.
Got a bite! he whispered and pulled on the rod. Hanka sat up straight.
Strong one! He looked happy, pulling back on the rod once more.
The fish tumbled over and came up to the surface. Hanka saw it had
green sides and a bright belly.
Pike! Dad, its a pike! She smiled broadly. Pikes were rare. And tasty.
Hanka especially liked them with onion. But they left their secret hiding
spots, covered with calamus, reluctantly. And they were fast and careful.
Like every predator, Janusz had explained to Hanka.
Janusz concentrated on the fish and Hanka, nervous and suddenly
hungry, took a walk along the shore. Her father would bring the pike in just
fine, so long as the line didnt get jammed.
Goddamn! he muttered annoyed. Its caught between the roots, he
put the fishing rod back on its stand and took his shirt off. Ill get in and get
it outmaybe Ill catch the fish, too.
He took off his shoes and unzipped his trousers. He placed them together in a neat little pile, then stood up, bent into a bow, his hands forming
an arrow, about to dive.

20
No! Hanka suddenly shouted, grabbing him by the elbow. Dont
dive!
Janusz smiled indulgently, patiently trying to explain.
Hania, he explained. Wait here and Ill get the fly line out, its expensive.
But Hanka wasnt giving up.
Dont dive! she howled and pulled back on her fathers shoulder. No,
no, dont dive, dont jump, do whatever, but dont jump in here! she yowled.
Hania, calm down. How am I going to get there otherwise? Its too
high and too steep to walk. Janusz took his daughter by the shoulders and
tried but failed to push her asideHanka put up a fierce resistance. Dont
jump into water you dont know! That was the rule. Shed been told the same
thing many times, and she could still remember the litany of possible disasters: spinal injury, paralysis, cuts. She held onto her father and screamed.
Hanka! Janusz was starting to get angry now. Stop it! his tone
brought the girl around a bit. Im going to dive! he said, then sat Hanka on
the grass and walked to the edge.

21

HOW TO GET THE BOOK

Want to know what happens next? You can buy the complete paperback or
e-book edition of Absolute Sunset from any of these vendors:

E-Book (Kindle+EPUB)
Please consider buying directly from www.KataMlek.comyoull get both
e-book formats (Kindle and EPUB) for the price of one, and Ill get a larger
share of the profits. Its a win-win!

E-Book (Kindle)
You can also buy the Kindle format e-book from Amazon.com, or any of
Amazons international websites.

E-Book (EPUB)
You can also buy the EPUB format e-book from www.KoboBooks.com.

Paperback
You can buy the paperback edition from Amazon, Barnes&Noble,
ChaptersIndigo, and other booksellers worldwide.

22

ABOUT ME
I was born and raised in the south of Poland, but a big part of my family lives
in the US and Canada. As a child, I always assumed that my English-speaking uncles and aunts must feel terribly lost in Poland, since speaking Polish
is something of a superpower. So, I resolved early on to master Englishthe
first word I learned was teddy bear.
I began my writing career in 2012, after leaving the IT industry. Several of my books were published in Polish, and were all successful and wellreceived. In 2015, I made the decision to switch to self-publishing and start
my international career. This was a tough decision, but I assumed that since
I can say much more now in English than just teddy bear, I might succeed.
My first book published in English was Absolute Sunset. I still wonder
how I managed to complete this projectI think it was a matter of meeting
the right people at the right time. I have always been lucky to meet people
who are really committed to their work. When I saw my book on Amazon

24
for the first time, I took a selfie with my computer screen in the background.
I look at it almost every day. Working on Absolute Sunset was a lot of fun,
so I decided to go ahead with translating and publishing all of my books in
English.
And, of course, I continue to write. I am seriously considering switching to writing directly in English. Ill probably give it a try, and my editor will
likely go crazy. But I have a strong need to keep moving forward, to learn,
to develop, to try things that at first glance seem impossible to accomplish.
This is probably why I love CrossFit and distance running. Im short
and thin, but I can lift heavy weights and finish a marathon with a pretty
good time. Im training to run a 100-miler next year, and Ill probably also
try a triathlon, and maybe something more extreme, like skydivingI love
to push the limits. Even better, all of my family members are willing to join
me. Our motto is Coollets give it a try!
When I write I like to push the limits too. I dont stick to one genreI
like to mix them to achieve the effect I want. I dare to do that because I have
my lucky sweater that I always wear when I work, even in summer. It is blue
and very thick. Whenever I leave the lucky sweater on a sofa or chair, my dog
Rafa uses it as a blanket. He is a small pinscher and loves warmth, so most
of the year he suffers and shakesPoland is really cold. His favorite place at
home is the floor in front of the fireplace. He also likes to step on my notes
and sometimes drinks tea from my cup. And eats my chocolates. He is not
a good assistant.
On the whole, I am a professional dreamer. What I want is to be able to
write till the end of my life. And to win a few awards, of course. I think one
should always dream big, it does no harm, and maybe one day the dream
can be achieved. I am steadfastI will keep on doing my job and keep on
dreaming.

25
Dont forget, you can visit me online at www.katamlek.com, where you can
catch up with my latest news on my blog.
You can also find me on:
t
Facebook at www.facebook.com/KataMlek,
t
Twitter at twitter.com/KataMlek,
t
Instagram at instagram.com/katamlek, and
t
Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/katamlek.
Stop by and let me know what you think of Absolute Sunset!

26

MY OTHER BOOKS
ONE GOD

Miran Zielinski has had enough of ethics and laws getting in the way of
progress. Nothingnot governments, not the church, and certainly not
lesser mencan hold back Mirans vision for humankind: immortality.
Miran will need wealth, brilliance, and ruthlessness to achieve his goal.
Andreas can provide wealth, but must be paid in his own currency, and his
price is high. Satia has brilliance and ruthlessness to match Miran, but their
mix is volatile.
Opposed on all sides, Miran will not waver from his goal of immortality.
The question is not whether he will succeed, but who will be left alive when
he does.
Based on real-world developments in biology and genetics, this sci-fi thriller
rolls relentlessly through unexpected twists and continuous shifts of power,
leading to a tempting, disturbing, and altogether-too-likely vision of the future,
where one corporation gains almost total control over the world.
Already a hit in Polish, the English edition will be published in 2016.
For updates visit www.katamlek.com/one-god or follow my blog.

LALIKI

Before the wind comes, you can feel in the air that something is going to
happen. When it rolls down the hills and races between the slopes, even a
tiny spark is enough to start fights between neighbors. The people are on
edge, animals are skittish, and plants wither and die.
Who is responsible? The one who rides the wind and comes to Laliki village
to trouble its citizens.

28
Is it possible to get rid of the devil, along with other problems, such as
nymphs, talking animals, cursed ponds, never-ending forests, demons, and
of course stubborn guys from Laliki? Youll have to read the book to find out.
A collection of short stories and folklore. Available in Polish, with an English
edition coming in 2016.
For updates visit katamlek.com/laliki or follow my blog.

LONG DREAM OF FALLING

Artists make poor mates. For example, take Kata and Lukeshe a writer, he
a photographer. Both married to non-artists, both emotionally dependent
yet completely self-absorbed. Both completely devoted to their craft, their
escape from reality.
Reality: the artists bane, banished by drinking, cocaine, and one-night
stands. Reality: constantly present in the forms of their stable, boring
spouses, whom they simultaneously need and betray.
Will Kata and Luke change their ways? Or will they sacrifice everything that
makes a person whole, in exchange for the freedom every artist needs?
A burning hot novel that gives an intimate glimpse into the life and work of
a writer and photographer; full of real-world events; following the lives of
extraordinary people who think they are worthless.
For updates visit katamlek.com/long-dream-of-falling or follow my blog.

THE 9TH OF JULY

Who can say if love is right or wrong?

Andrzej loves her daughter, to the exclusion of everything else. Helena loves
her son, although he is far from being a good man. Renata loves her dog
Orionshe has nobody else, and when Orion is gone, she plans to leave this
world as well. Antonina loves the arts more than people. Daniela loves her
dead husband.

29
And Janusz... and Ela... and others... All of them ordinary people, trying
hard to love in the right way.
Full of humor and unexpected twists, this novel explores what our lives are
really about. Through the eyes of different characters, it asks a simple question:
are we all the same? Do we all need love to survive?
For updates visit katamlek.com/the-9th-of-july or follow my blog.