Case closed

INT. DAY – POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM

The rain hits the only window in the room with ferocity. Nothing can be seen outside because of a heavy haze.

The camera moves away from the window and settles on a corner, watching the center of the room. There’s a large table and two chairs, a pasty white guy is seating in one of them. No one sits in the other chair.

The man lays his head on the table, apparently crying but there are no tears on his face. The door to the outside opens. It’s a policeman. He’s very tall, black and carries a gun on his belt.

DETECTIVE MARKO

You sure were difficult to pick up, Vince.

 The detective sits on the empty chair. He grabs a pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket, pulls one out and offers it to Vince.

DETECTIVE MARKO

Wake up, man.

 Vince raises his head. His eyes are red. He looks pale and desperate. He grabs the cigarette. Marko pulls out a lighter from the cigarette pack and lights Vince’s smoke. He inhales once and clearly enjoys the taste of it.

DETECTIVE MARKO

Now, where’s the girl?

Her dad’s here, Vince.

Vince looks at the door, nervous. Marko sits back on his chair, crossing his arms and looking straight at Vince, who looks like a trapped mouse.

DETECTIVE MARKO

We know everything, Vince. We know what you did to them.

To her. We just need you to help us find her.

But Vince doesn’t seem to mind the presence of the detective. He suddenly stands up and walks towards the window. He stays there, looking at the rain, not saying a word.

Marko’s fingers start playing with the cigarette pack.

DETECTIVE MARKO

Did you know her dad is congressman Walters?

The one whose face is all over town, seeking reelection?

(For a second, he waits for an answer)

He’s calm right now. If he gets mad, you’re fried.

But Vince keeps looking out the window. The drops of water hit the glass hard but the man doesn’t seem startled or annoyed. He just looks at the rain in the most peaceful way.

Then, he starts mumbling.

DETECTIVE MARKO

What’s that?

Marko stands up from his chair and walks towards Vince, who’s still talking under his breath.

The men are separated then by a few meters but Marko does not understand what Vince is saying. He mumbles as if he was repeating things to himself, not to really talk with anyone.

DETECTIVE MARKO

Hey! Stop it! You’re dyin’, dumbass!

Don’t you wanna save your ass?

 Vince remains unresponsive. He keeps repeating, mumbling. His cigarette is consuming itself on his hand.

Detective Marko closes his fists, ready to be harder on Vince than he was authorized to. But he refrains. A muted sound enters the room from outside.

DETECTIVE MARKO

I can make them see you’re not well.

You don’t have to die, Vince.

Vince then turns around and looks at Marko straight in the eye. He smiles softly. He walks one step towards the detective. He then reaches out with one hand, caressing Marko on the cheek.

VINCE

But I do have to die. You know that.

 Marko looks scared. He cannot move away from Vince. He stares at the criminal, but does not seem to know what to do next.

VINCE

And she will have to die too.

You also know that.

 His hand caresses Marko further, feeling his three-day stubble. His smile grows, making his face look weirdly deformed. If he looked pale and lanky before, he now looks insane.

VINCE

Tell the congressman to make the arrangements.

Vince pulls back his hand. Marko seems to be able to move now. He turns around suddenly towards the door but it opens before he can reach it. A woman stands there, dripping water.

OFFICER GARCIA

Sorry to interrupt, sir.

DETECTIVE MARKO

(Looking back at Vince)

It’s ok. What is it?

OFFICER GARCIA

Sir, it’s the congressman.

Marko turns his attention to her, his eyes wide open.

OFFICER GARCIA

He said he was going for a coffee.

But some officers saw him running towards the street,

without his coat.

Vince chuckles. Marko looks at him again but his face goes back to Garcia in a second.

DETECTIVE MARKO

What happened?

OFFICER GARCIA

(Nervous)

We went after him. He seemed out of his mind.

He didn’t look before crossing and…

Marko understands. Vince starts laughing, first slowly but then faster and louder. The detective seems to be losing his patience.

OFFICER GARCIA

We found this on him.

(She pulls out a cellphone from her coat)

It’s…

Marko takes the cellphone without asking. He looks at it and sees something he would have wanted not to see.

On the screen, a live feed is still ongoing. The camera is apparently under water and, for a moment, you cannot see much.

Then, a head tilts forward and it becomes noticeable. It’s the face of a young woman. She’s clearly dead, having turned purple already.

Garcia takes the cellphone back, saying something about evidence. Marko’s head turns. He walks towards the chair and drops there. He grabs his head, it hurts. Vince’s laughter is loud.

VINCE

I had to do it Marko.

You knew. You always knew.

Marko looks at him, his eyes a bit watery. He looks at Vince laughing but doesn’t seem to have the same power and stability than before. He looks lost, confused even.

Two policemen enter the room and pull Vince out of it. Marko looks how the man is dragged out, how he’s still laughing. Finally, a tear runs down Marko’s face. The men leave and he’s alone with that tear.

The rain punches hard on the glass.

Rebeldes (Parte 1)

   Todo el lugar era un caos. Había explosiones sin cesar y gritos que trataban de romper el muro de ruido que la batalla había armado en ese otrora hermoso campo. Era increíble pensar que hasta hacía muy poco, pasto de un verde intenso crecía allí. Un pasto que los granjeros veían apropiado para sus rebaños, pues era una tierra de todos y la naturaleza se había encargado de que el lugar fuera casi como un santuario para la vida silvestre. Lamentablemente, el paraíso no duró para siempre.

 La mayoría de los combatientes portaban un uniforme blanco que, por alguna extraña razón, no se manchaba con nada. Algunos decían que tenía propiedades mágicas, producto de las alianzas formadas durante la guerra. Muchos seres oscuros y peligrosos habían surgido de las entrañas del mundo y algunos de ellos estaban allí, en la mitad del campo de batalla. Algunos eran monstruos horribles que podían quebrar un cuerpo en dos con sus mandíbulas y otros eran seres que se veían más normales pero que tenían habilidades particulares.

 Escondidos detrás de una duna de tierra negra, Al y Chris esperaban el momento justo para su ataque. Ellos estaban del lado contrarios de las tropas de blanco. Vestían ropa común y corriente pero también tenían sus haces bajo la manga. Sin embargo, sus superiores les habían recordado que no podían usar nada de lo que sabían antes de tiempo, para evitar que el enemigo los tomara pronto como objetivo de sus ataques. La idea era pasar desapercibidos hasta el momento adecuado.

 Habían estado escuchando las explosiones por un buen rato, habiendo aparecido en el lugar justo antes de que las tropas blancas decidieran atacar, aunque los rebeldes vestidos de ropa común estaban listos para la embestida. Eran menos numerosos pero más difícil de atrapar por su gran agilidad, una cualidad que habían obtenido tras años de correr por entre las calles de las ciudades dominadas por los Blancos. Tenían que aprender a robar para sobrevivir en el mundo.

 Chris miró a Al y asintió. Al hizo lo mismo y desapareció de golpe. No corriendo ni volando ni haciendo nada de lo que haría una persona común y corriente. Al tan solo había desaparecido y aparecido de pronto un kilometro al norte, desde donde tendría una perspectiva diferente de la batalla. Era un terreno algo escarpado, por lo que su visión sería perfecta. Los Blancos habían tomado la posición ventajosa. Con un golpe fuerte, podrían vencer a los rebeldes empujándolos al mar. Y por muy recursivos que fueran, no todos sobrevivirían la caída al agua.

 Al de nuevo desapareció desde donde estaba y apareció al lado de Chris. Con una mirada, Chris supo que Al había confirmado lo que ya sabían. No solo que los Blancos tenían la clara ventaja en la batalla, sino que habían ignorado proteger uno de sus flancos por la soberbia misma que los sostenía en el mundo. Ese era el sitio para atacar y ellos dos eran el arma secreta de los rebeldes para cambiar el rumbo de las cosas en el mundo y por fin poder respirar en paz.

 Al y Chris se tomaron de la mano y esta vez los dos desaparecieron. Aparecieron casi al mismo tiempo detrás de unos arbustos. Cuando miraron por entre las hojas, los últimos soldados Blancos pasaban casi corriendo para unirse a la batalla. Para ellos habría grandes riquezas y recompensas si se unían a las peleas que su gobierno armaba contra minorías que no tenían como defenderse. Al menos no hasta ahora. Puesto que los rebeldes habían sacrificado muchas vidas por una victoria.

 Después de unos minutos, los dos hombres salieron de entre los arbustos. Se miraron una vez más y supieron que ese era el último momento que estarían juntos. Habían sido pareja en el grupo de infiltraciones por meses, reuniendo información de las tácticas militares de los Blancos y de ese preciso lugar alejado, a propósito, de grandes zonas habitadas que podrían haber sido afectadas con una batalla de semejantes proporciones. Eran jóvenes pero su conocimiento era vasto.

 Sus ojos se quedaron entrelazados unos segundos más. Entonces, Chris miró hacia la batalla y, sin dudarlo, corrió gritando con todas sus fuerzas. De repente, su cuerpo empezó a quemarse. Llamas cubrieron su cuerpo de un momento a otro e incluso fue capaz de elevarse del suelo y volar por encima del campo negro.  Y sus poderes no terminaban allí: desde la retaguardia, lanzó llamas de un intenso color amarillo hacia los Blancos. Los fue encerrando con cercas de llamas de dos metros.

 Los soldados Blancos estaban aterrorizados. Nunca habían sido testigos de algo semejante. Sabían que había gente con poderes extraños, ellos mismo habiendo negociado con algunos de ellos para aprovechar sus poderes en el campo de batalla y en la vida diaria para intimidar al que necesitaran hacer pensar dos veces sobre sus acciones. Pero ese hombre en llamas era algo completamente distinto. No solo su poder era intenso en todo el sentido de la palabra, su sola silueta en el cielo nublado era suficiente para hacer correr a cualquiera, antes de morir calcinado.

 Al también se había unido a la batalla, tratando de ayudar a los rebeldes empujados hacia el mar a retomar terreno. Usando su poder de transportación instantánea, podía golpear a varios soldados separados por varios metros, casi al mismo tiempo. Su velocidad y la ferocidad de Chris habían sido las armas secretas de los rebeldes. Y parecía que la estrategia estaba funcionando a las mil maravillas, puesto que los Blancos parecían querer retirarse pero no podían por los muros de llamas.

 Los dos jóvenes estaban seguros de haber hecho lo correcto al proponer semejante ataque. Sus superiores habrían preferido esperar un poco más de tiempo para irse de cabeza contra los Blancos, pero Al y Chris los convencieron de que un ataque frontal y definitivo era la mejor idea, sobre todo porque evitaría la muerte de muchos otros que estaban siendo masacrados o torturados en las ciudades, solo por haber robado una pieza de pan o por querer evitar el servicio militar obligatorio.

 Los rebeldes tenían ganado el día. O casi. De la nada, más soldados Blancos y más bestias salidas del infierno mismo aparecieron para enfrentar a los rebeldes. Una de ellas tenía un aspecto parecido a un murciélago gigante. Fue ella quién atacó con magia negra al hombre en llamas y lo tumbó del suelo, cayendo a tierra con un golpe seco. Allí, se enfrentó a soldados Blancos a puño limpio. Mantuvo su posición un rato pero ellos eran muchos más y sus llamas se habían apagado por el esfuerzo.

 La murciélago bajó de los cielos y lo golpeó una y otra vez. Chris quiso usar su poder pero no podía, estaba exhausto. La criatura lo apretó contra el suelo y rió, de la manera más espeluznante posible. Dijo algo en un idioma extraño y uno de los soldados le pasó una delgada espada. La criatura blandió la espada y, por un segundo, todo parecía terminar. Sin embargo, Al había visto a Chris caer del cielo y había corrido hacia su compañero. Como pudo, se movió como bólido entre el enemigo.

 Apenas estuvo detrás de la criatura, se agachó de golpe y tomó a Chris por uno de sus tobillos. La espalda cayó con fuerza pero en el suelo no había nadie a quien matar. La criatura había perdido a su presa pero tenía muchos otros rebeldes que aplastar. Los Blancos ganaban, de nuevo.

 En un lugar lejano, sin caminos ni gente, aparecieron los dos rebeldes apenas respirando. Chris estaba todavía de espaldas, esperando sentir la espada penetrando su cuerpo. Pero entonces sintió algo en un pie y vio que era Al, herido de gravedad justo antes de transportarlo a un sitio seguro.

Being wild

      As he went down on me, I started looking up at the ceiling. I had been drinking quite a lot and then, he had rolled a marihuana cigarette in seconds and we had smoked it together while laughing about people that we had met in our pasts. We shared a lot and we knew it but, for the night, we had decided to remember certain things and not the whole picture. We hadn’t discussed it with so many words but it was clear to both of us the moment he had stepped in my apartment that night.

 It felt nice what he was doing and, I have to say, he looked better than ever. He had recently entered a gym and the results were already showing. Granted, he might never become an Olympic athlete or nothing like that, but he did look amazing, just like I remembered him from the past, or even better. Back then; he was tall but very skinny, with a beautiful body that had virtually no curves. I never complained then because our relationship was based on love and he had been my first love.

 This time around, however, as I closed my eyes out of pleasure, I knew that everything we did was simply based on lust. That love that had united us so many years ago had been dead for almost as long as we had been apart one from the other. We had lived a lot and we hadn’t spoken much through the years, only following each other on Facebook and such social networks where you can take a peak on the lives of others, almost always just to have something to regret.

 But then, we reinitiated our relationship by talking at least once every two months and then more and more often. As the time passed, we realized we had grown to be very different people socially but very alike in everything that had to do with sex. Sometimes, we would chat online for hours, talking about what we would do together if we could and things like that. I didn’t mind at all, as I had vowed to be a single man for a long while. I was certain that kind of flirting wouldn’t amount to anything.

 Him, however, had a very different life going on. As we started talking, he wouldn’t say much about himself and would often prefer to talk about me or about the times we had been dating. But eventually, he had to confess that he was not only dating someone, but that he had been doing so for more than a couple of years. Furthermore, he hinted to me once that his partner had proposed to him with a ring and everything one would imagine, but that they had agreed on marrying after they were able to afford living together and everything that came with that.

 At first, I had decided to slowly pull away from that friendship of sorts we had developed. For a while, I couldn’t understand why someone that was almost married would talk to me like he did. Furthermore, it was outstanding to read how he described my body with a precision I would never imagine a surgeon to have, much less a boyfriend I had spent less than half a year with. It scared me but at the same time it felt very flattering, as no one else was telling me the things he said so often.

 Then, one day, he wrote to me on my cellphone one afternoon. It was a weekday and he just said “Hi”. I said the same thing and then we engaged on the typical conversation one has with any living person: we talked about what was going on with both our lives, what we were doing right then and there and, finally, the weather and such things most people don’t really care about. Then, after about fifteen minutes of filler, he finally said what he had been wanting to say for a while: “I’m alone in my house now…”

 I immediately understood what he meant with that. He clearly wanted me to drop by and have sex with him. In minutes, he confessed he had been thinking of me for some time and that he wanted to feel again what he had felt with me back in the day. He was very flattering, telling me a bunch of stuff I was very glad to read. He told me I had been the best lover he had ever had and that my body was ingrained in his memory forever. He said all the right words, in the right order.

 However, I was reluctant because I remembered his almost husband. And I have to confess something: I have not been an angel all my life. I have been known to go to bed with people that had previous engagements, me knowing about the whole thing. The difference this time was that I actually knew him and I had been in a relationship with him. Somehow, that changed it all and I had to lie in order not to meet him for sex. One part of me wanted to but my true soul gained the upper hand.

 Not that my decision changed anything. Especially not after, one night during a shopping spree with a friend, I stumbled upon my former boyfriend and his fiancée. We couldn’t just pretend we hadn’t run into each other, so we decided to shake hands and talked a little in the middle of the mall. I don’t know how, but I ended up chatting it up with his partner and I have to say I found him to be a very nice person. He wasn’t the type of man I had envisioned for my former lover, but he was undeniable a good person and I understood why that relationship had formed and had lived through the years.

 However, I had no idea why the guy wanted to cheat on that nice man. I didn’t understand it at all and didn’t understood either when he called me out of the blue in order to invite me to a “game night” at their place. According to my former boyfriend, it had been his fiancée’s idea. I struggled with the decision of whether to go or not but finally the decision was taken for me, when the fiancée himself called me on my cellphone and begged for my presence. After that, I couldn’t say no.

 The evening, I have to say, was pretty tame. They drank conservatively and their jokes were just like their level of general fun: just average. Other friends of theirs were there, thank God, so the evening passed without a hitch until my ex-lover pulled me aside on the kitchen, touched my genitals over the fabric of the pants I was wearing, and told to my ear that he really wanted to fuck around with me. When he realized nothing could happen there, he told me the story he had created for his almost husband.

 He hadn’t told him that I was a former lover or boyfriend. He told him we had gone to college together and that we had gone out several times together because of mutual friends. But his lies proved unnecessary, because his fiancée never asked anything. He was being a gracious host and a nice person overall, not drilling into people’s lives or anything like that. That made me feel even worse when I got home. So that’s why I’m staring at the ceiling right now, trying not to think a lot or feel much.

 When he came back to kiss me on the lips, I did it in a very distracted fashion. He had come in to my apartment out of nowhere, as his fiancée had left the city for a couple of days because of a death in the family. He was in mourning, who know where, as the love of his life was getting rid of all his clothes and my clothes as well. Yes, I felt guilt but then I realized, or told myself at least, that none of that was my doing. I wasn’t the one doing something wrong, or so I told myself.

 As I had sex with him, I tried to dedicate my senses to the moment. The marihuana kicked in right when it had to. I heard his moans and I felt the heart of his body very close to mine. And we spent hours doing the same thing, in different ways.

 When he left early the following day, I realized that I was one kind of person. And I have to tell everyone that I’m not ashamed of that. I am the person that fucks someone that wants it and I’m the person that does something knowing the consequences and ramifications it could have, if any.