At nightfall I go to Rosa's room to see how she is, I stop to see if I can hear something but I only find silence, I give a soft knock on the door, again no one answers— Rosa? —A second knock that is not answered, I hold the doorknob, when trying to open it it turns out that it is locked— Rosa, open the door —a heat begins to run through my body, now I don't keep discretion in my knocks— Rosa I order you to open me right now! —I ram the door with my shoulder, but it's useless. I don't have the strength to tear it off its hinges— Open the door Rosa!
When I step back to ram her harder, the entrance opens.
— What is your problem? —She asks annoyingly— I'm trying to sleep.
I try to regain my composure— I just came to wish you good night.
— Yes? —Her tone of unconvinced indicates that my answer is not bought— I hope that the next time you knock on my door it will be to let me out —before I can answer, she closes the door.
I think about sending it to open it again, but this discussion will not lead to anything good, so I retire to my room, my wife is already in bed reading a book, she is not even disturbed by my entry, after changing into my pajamas, I go under of the covers, I glance at her but keep reading.
— Do not do that.
— Do what? She says as she turns to the next page.
I sit down and turn to her— This, you're ignoring me for having punished Rosa.
— What you did goes beyond punishment, you made her a prisoner in her own house —she continues without looking at me.
— What did you expect me to do? Let her go so she could tell everyone what was about to happen.
She puts the book down on her lap as she gives me an annoyed look— You could have given me a chance to get involved, instead of sending me to the kitchen like an employee.
I roll my eyes annoyed— What happened there were things that I had to solve, if I allowed you to help me it would make me look weak.
— So you prefer to look like a tyrant rather than weak, you will not be very different from the previous government.
— Do not compare with them, we will do things differently, everything will improve.
— What will you do if Rosa continues to oppose you? How far are you willing to go to keep things under control?
— I don't have to answer your questions —I lie with my back to him.
— The day will come when you will be forced to answer for each of your decisions and when that happens you will not be able to turn your back to resolve things.
I do not know if I could call sleeping what I did last night, rather it was a series of naps interrupted by dreams about executions, house raids, Animanos soldiers prowling the streets and in front of all this I was, making sure that each instruction was carried out as whole. Before I get up I take an aspirin out of the drawer and go to the bathroom in the room to be able to swallow it, when I return I can see that Natalia is already up, surely she must be helping with breakfast, after getting ready to go down to the second floor, but I can't find her in the kitchen or the dining room, I only see Carolina having breakfast. - Your mom? - She is having breakfast with Rosa and Sarita is watering the garden. Why are you looking for her? - What are you doing with it? I said no one could visit her. - I warned him, but he told me that no one could forbid him to see his daughter. I really want to go and put her in her place but in an hour and a little more I have to meet at the Recoleta psychiatric hospital for my transformation, I look for Sara to serve me breakfast, when I sit down at the table Carolina gets up.
— Your mom?
— She is having breakfast with Rosa, and Sarita is watering the garden. Why are you looking for her?
— What are you doing with it? I said no one could visit her.
— I warned him, but she told me that no one could forbid him to see her daughter.
I really want to go and put her in her place but in an hour and a little more I have to meet at the Recoleta psychiatric hospital for my transformation, I look for Sara to serve me breakfast, when I sit down at the table Carolina gets up.
— I'm going to work
—Have a good day, remember not to talk to anyone what I told you
—And lose my chance to run the country, I'm not stupid. At least my daughter understands how things are going to work.
After finishing eating I get in my car to travel to the Recoleta psychiatric hospital, the day after the government takeover the streets look empty and I understand the desolation of the place and the misunderstanding of the creatures that walk the streets, added to their high weapons, generates fear in people.
When I arrive at the agreed place I am received by a group of soldiers, one of them has a prominent jaw from which two fangs come out, from the size I deduce that it must be a wild boar, while the other is hunchbacked and his skin is of one color green, I give them my identity card, after verifying they allow me to enter.
A soldier escorts me down a long corridor that is full of doors with windows, the only thing that can be heard is our footsteps in the white place, when I look at one of the windows carefully I realize that Octavio is inside, the old man squirms and by reflex act I run towards the door, after taking the first step the soldier stretches his arm to hold me by the stomach.
Looking at the pores of his arm I can't help but let out a cry of terror, at first glance he looked like a normal person— What the hell are you? —I can't hide my fear.
— We soldiers have orders to keep our mix secret —noticing that I no longer intend to help the family leader frees me —it is forbidden to intervene in the transformation process, once he finishes converting we will see what to do with him.
— He says it like it's going to end badly.
- With all due respect, I have been supervising this process for years and in a few minutes I can know who will achieve it and who will not, I assure you that by the time the transformation is finished, judging by the texture of your skin I can deduce that it was mixed with a clam, but It will be more clam than human.
— How can they allow something like that to happen? Taking such risks should be prohibited.
— Then solve that when you run this country, I just follow orders.
I look at the window again, Octavio's eyes cry, I can feel his regret, it makes me shudder to the point that I look at the exit wanting to flee, the opening of a door takes me out of my thoughts.
— Enter here until they come to inject you.
— What guarantees me that I won't end up like him?
— I'm not a scientist, now come in.
What am I doing? I wonder as I enter the room, the padded walls are designed so as not to hurt yourself when you slam against them.
—What animal do you want?
— What? —my distraction prevents me from hearing clearly.
—What animal do you want to merge with? I have to inform him so they can bring the injection.
— A ... a lion.
Without answering my request he closes the door, my breathing quickens, my hands begin to sweat when the door closes I run towards her but she does not have a handle to open it from the inside, from the window I try to see something but I only manage to notice how The soldier walks away, I walk anxiously in circles, I run my hand over my head while I look at the roof lamp, I feel myself leaning against the wall, little by little I start to lose track of time, maybe I can still retract, when they open the door will negotiate with them, there must be another way to solve this.
By the time the door opens, three military personnel enter, personnel who, due to their white clothes, must be a doctor and the representative of the ANC.
— We will begin with his transformation - he signals to the soldiers to hold me, while the medical staff takes out a huge syringe - he informed me that he is worried about what might happen to him, believe us that he will be fine.
The three soldiers transform into ferocious beasts, which causes their physical strength to also increase, being totally immobilized they inject me in the neck, screams of terror escape from my mouth, I want to cry from panic and as soon as I feel the syringe in my Inside my eyes shed tears, this is crazy, the liquid feels cold when it enters, I want to shake myself but with the force that they support me it is impossible, when they take the injection everyone withdraws except for the representative of the ANC.
— This may be a somewhat disturbing journey, but I assure you all of us who become animanos discovered something new about ourselves during the process —after saying that, he closes the huge door.
Unable to get up I feel like the cold sensation of my neck begins to rise to my head, my eyes begin to see the textures of the wall in greater detail, I crawl on the ground, my arms feel the different terrain the words no longer come out of me , I regain the strength of my legs, I get up and when I look at the ground I see myself lying with my mouth open as if I were dead, but I'm still breathing.
— This is how you appreciate everything I did for you —when I turn around I see my decrepit father holding himself with a cane— it's time for you and I to talk about what you are doing.