In another place, also in the center of the city; Leticia Corréa, who was a young and pretty reporter, 24 years old, 165 cm. tall, brunette, long dark hair, the social reporter who had witnessed the first appearance of the countess of Malibrán during the macabre festival, now turned into a correspondent for the newscast, talked by long distance call with Guillermo Ochoa, one of the most famous conductors of the time, preparing the reports of the missing boys, which were already counted by the dozen in many cities near the Gulf of Mexico, the news tried to sensationalize the news by linking it to the return of the Countess, where they had already passed down all known versions of the legend.
- But we cannot assert that the Countess has to do with the missing boys, until we have proof. –Leticia says over the phone.
-If we have no proof to the contrary, we can assert whatever. –Memo Ochoa tells her. –You just present the list of the boys who are officially missing, and the viewers will do the rest.
At that the call was cut off and the fans turned off, the reporter tried to dial again, but when she did not hear the tone in the receiver, she understood that the line was dead, she turned around but what most caught her attention was the Surrounding silence, seeing the televisions in the office turned off and normally on, realized that there was a blackout, but the silence was much deeper.
Looked out the window and seeing the stopped cars, with their drivers making attempts to start them, while the sound of horns from many cars began to be heard, she understood that it was not a common blackout, but rather a blackout like the one that the Countess caused during the night of the macabre festival, without thinking twice, she grabbed her professional Nikon camera, her instant Polaroid, and, moved by a hunch, ran off hoping to find a taxi.
A few minutes before and a few blocks from there.
- But put on disco music that I like a lot too! –said the cheerful mulatto.
- Over here I have a cassette.
Says Érika putting it on the stereo Sanyo de la Caribe cassette player, and when she hit play she began to hear the rhythmic tune of Under pressure by Queen and David Bowie, as they moved along the bowlevard, the traffic was scarce and Romaia did not usually exceed the limit speed, much less when it was daytime since it was barely 4 in the afternoon.
A group of boys passed them on the left, with a red sports Ford Mustang Mach One, with sound equipment much more powerful than the that they brought in their Volkswagen Caribe, but the most curious thing is that when passing next to them, the shouts of the Count of Malibrán were heard, in a guttural voice edited with sound effects, between the chords of the beginning of the Thriller song by Michael Jackson,
- I want that cassette!
Romaia says accelerating a bit, to ask the driver of the red Mustang for the cassette.
- Surely those from Circus Electronic recorded the play, and released their own mix of the songs! –Pamela says. - There are the red Mustang!
But something strange was happening, because when they reached them, the boys no longer had their sound equipment playing, and they were stopped because their car wouldn't start.
- I'll change your cassette for mine, friend!
Erika tells him getting off the Caribe, and the boy just removed the cassette from his stereo, giving it to her in exchange and getting down at the same time, to open the hood of his car, Romaia's Caribe worked normally, but the mulatto Soledad and Pamela, started to notice something very strange.
- Get on quickly Roma! –Érika yells at her.
- What's wrong Érika? I was just going to ask for they phone number. –says Romaia.
- Let's go girl, get going and let's go straight to the mansion!
Soledad says with an accent of concern while continuously turning back; Romaia started dodging in zigzag some cars that had also broken down, during their journey on the streets of the bowlevard.
- What's happening, is there another blackout?
Asks Romaia when she sees the stranded cars, and even the turned off traffic lights.
-I'm afraid it's happening again. –Soledad says turning back. –And if you don't hurry it will catch up with us.
- Who will catch up or what?
Asks Romaia looking in the rear view mirrors of her car, to discover, scared, that an ancient horse-drawn carriage was fast approaching, and yet she sped up, saying.
- No old carriage is going to beat my Caribe! But; Where do I give it, or what do I do?
- Easy girl! Do not crash and go to the pension, but try not to get stuck with traffic, because I do not know how far I can face it, so try to get there and hopefully they have the gate open, because if it reaches us it will fill the floor with crocodiles, and we will not be able to get off, I can fight it, but the younger girls like you are around, the stronger I am.
People looked puzzled at the old carriage, moving on the streets of the bowlevard, both those who were in cars stopped on the streets, and those who walked along the boardwalk.
The engine of the Caribe roared attracting much more attention, because it was the only one motor, that was heard in the middle of that daytime blackout, the girl had to take alternate streets, to avoid the vehicular blockade on the bowlevard by the stopped cars, while the carriage followed her along the same route.
In the mansion, the girls had already warned Adelina of the blackout, because the televisions and lights had been turned off, and she went up to the terrace to see her arrive at the Caribe, with her girls and the friendly mulatto who was only pretending Help them, being there she realized that in front of her house, there were some cars with the hood raised, while his drivers checked their engines, and in the distance, she could make out the compact beige car that was zigzagging between the stranded cars, while an ancient horse-drawn carriage seemed to chase them.
- OPEN THE GATEEE, HURRY, UP, AND GET IN TO THE QUECO!
Adelina says leaning down the stairs, to which one of the servants obeyed her order, and Pamela Ballesteros went out in search of the dog.
- They shut themselves up immediately, because here comes the Countess running to the Caribe of Roma in her carriage!
Saying this, all the students and some of the boys, who had come to the girls' phone call, who had told them about the protection ritual that they were going to perform, went up to the wide terrace looking excited.
As the well-known Caribe approached some a few blocks down the curved bowlevard, followed by the old carriage, that they had already seen during the night of the macabre festival; Romaia honked her horn while dodging cars and people, those in front of the mansion, turned to where the compact car was approaching, upon hearing the cry of Adelina ordering the gate to open, some began to walk quickly and others to run, Caribe beige finally managed to enter the garage of the Román mansion, and just closing the gate, the horses pulling the carriage skidded to a stop in front of the house, to the expectation of passers-by, among which there were some tourists, who apparently had not yet they knew of the legend of the countess of Malibrán.