Pablo Chapter 8 | The beginning

Translation to English: Theofilos Tourzaridis
Editing and Proofreading: Cleopatra Strati
Illustration: ancalove2001

Black darkness has spread over the village. Even the few street lights cannot illuminate this night. Residents have locked themselves in their homes waiting for the eclipse to come to its end. Pablo moves slowly and steadily. He knows where they all are hiding and it’s time for them to pay. The first part of the deal has been completed. The dead miners went to the Other Side, after spending 25 years in hell because of the crimes of their bosses. Pablo knows that the three criminals are hiding in the Mayor’s house with their families. Anyone who saw him on the street would see a man and not the transformed monster. Except for the guilty ones who would see him as exactly it is.

He enters the Mayor’s house where he listens to the silence. His heavy footsteps echo on the floors, the walls; everywhere. Everyone holds their breath. The Mayor’s daughter hugs her newborn baby. But the baby wakes up and cries. Pablo hears it and starts searching the floor for an entrance. He’s about to break the floor until he remembers that Martha told him at some point in their chats about a lever in the Mayor’s library. Pablo rummages through the books, tossing some to the floor. He finally finds the lever. The crypt entrance opens and Pablo descends the steps.

“Our end is here.”

These were the Mayor’s final words.

~~~~~

The next day Martha wakes up early as usual. After feeding the animals in the yard, she makes her way to the Church. On the kitchen table, she finds a note from Pablo. He informed her that he has found a ride into town, leaving her the rest of his lodging money in a sealed envelope. She decided to open the envelope and read it after Church.

She slowly descends the hill that leads to the center of the village. She goes in front of the Mayor’s house, and she sees the front door open. She hesitates at first but decides to go inside. Her gaze wanders around the place, looking for some members of the family. Everything looks tidy except for a few books from the library that was on the floor. She calls out in the stillness of the morning. She hears a baby whimpering. Martha makes the sign of the cross and quickly opens the vault, using the bookcase lever. She lights up an oil lamp and she goes down the stairs. Mold, dust, and a strange smell lingered in the air. In front of her, she sees three corpses; the Mayor, the Doctor, and the Priest that are lying, headless, on the ground; next to them are their wives and children in the same condition. Martha vomits where she stands and as she raises her head to wipe her mouth, she hears the baby’s cries. She looks carefully around with the oil lamp and among the severed heads of the victims, she sees the baby wrapped in his blanket. She lights up his face to see if he’s okay. The baby seems happy that someone has found him and stops crying. Martha takes the baby in her arms. He comes out of the crypt, locks it with the lever, and goes to her inn.

~~~~~

The baby sleeps peacefully in his crib. Martha decides to open the envelope. She finds Pablo’s note inside the file, along with documents proving the guilt of the Mayor, the Doctor, and the Priest; these documents must be handed over to the police. Pablo explains to her how her husband, Axel, lost his life. He begs her to take care of the baby. They must leave the village, both, she and the baby. Martha sighs and makes the sign of the cross. She leaves the letter and hugs the baby.

“Daniel, that’s your name from now on,” she tells him and kisses him lovingly on the forehead.

“What about going to Paris, to Axel’s cousin, what do you say?” she asks Daniel.

Daniel opens his blue eyes and smiles.

The End