CHAPTER 25

Slowly I crawl across the ground, I struggle to put my distance, but that simple instinctive gesture makes the beast throw its jaw at me. A scream tears my lungs leaving footprints on my vocal cords, I put my hands in front of my body for protection. Something grabs my shoulders, throws me away from the bars that allow the beast to just stick its head out, thank heaven.

__ You shouldn't be here __ his thick voice thunders. I give him a disoriented look at his prominent height and muscular level of admiration, that's what my eyes find when he opens __. If I don't get there in time, that demon would have ripped his face off.

__ I didn't ... no ... I knew ... __ This stuttering thing is becoming an ugly habit __. Thanks.

__ No one should be around here. The last one who did not obey, ended up with the pieces of his hand inside his mouth __. He nods at the animal, which silently just looks at us running its tongue over its teeth. I suppose savoring himself for what could have been his food.

__ I was just looking for a quiet place __. I lean against the wall when I stand up, but first I make sure that there are no bars on it that would give another animal a chance to rip the gash out of me.

__ You are prohibited from leaving the mansion __. Raise your eyebrows in a clear question.

__ Well, I was not shot when leaving ... I think that counts as a permit.

The brunette gives me a look that thinks I'm crazy. I think I'm not leaving a good opinion of my mental state lately. I would award it to the confinement, but that would be lying. My survival instinct is suicidal, it's about time I accepted it.

__ It will only be a while ... I will not give you problems __. At this point it's the best I can do, if I don't want to end up tied to the bed for the rest of my days.

He seems to weigh it for a moment, he looks me carefully up and down __. Okay, but I'll be close __. He turns around, takes a few steps forward, and stops __. Don't do anything crazy or Esteffan will kick me for doing my job. A, and stay away from the animal.

Will Esteffan kick him? Esteffan, the little piece of intelligence in my head clicks on the __ act. You are Triatos __. The brunette looks at me over his shoulder with a knowing smile.

__ Let me know when you want to leave, I will accompany you to the mansion __. Without further ado, he disappears into the barn leaving me alone with a subway beast something that is still staring at me.

__ If he's hot, even I want to give him a bite __. The animal looks at me strangely before turning around and entering the shadow of its jail den.

I go to a corner, letting myself fall to the ground, I take the dusty book out of my sash. I pass the sleeve of my jacket over it, leaving it as clean as possible, flipping through to its third page where the story begins.

I even pay attention to the weather, not at least until the raindrops make their fall, they hit the ceiling with their peculiar sound. I have already read more than fifty pages by this time. The animal is still hidden in the gloom, at least it no longer looks at me in an intimidating way shouting a clearing: I am going to kill you and eat you and not exactly in that order.

I stop looking at the cage and continue reading, it doesn't take long for Triatos to appear saying that he has to take me back. At least I've had a good dose of freedom, one that I haven't felt for a long time. So I get up smoothly as I promised and I keep up with him towards the mansion.

I even have to be a fortune teller to know what to expect when I see a penguin, a chubby cook, and a cynical girl idly waiting for me at the service entrance.

God have mercy on my ears.

__ This is an outrage, it is simply outrageous __. I go into the kitchen, letting go of the door, hoping it will slam in his face. But it doesn't happen, Esteffan stops her just in time.

__ Do not play the offended pretty girl, you know well that you have asked for it.

The penguin enters right behind me in pursuit, like he's been doing all damn morning. It is worse than my shadow. I pout and look at Matilda with pity, fluttering my lashes in her direction for support.

__ Don't even look at me __. He turns his body turning his back to me on purpose, that makes clear his opinion on the subject __. You've earned it handsomely after the little act you put on yesterday.

__ It's not fair that that's why now I have to have them glued to my soles every second __. I pick up a greasy slotted spoon and point at the penguin scowling __. He followed me to the bathroom, stood guard until I finished. So no one can concentrate.

Matilda's even her dress vibrates because of the laugh she holds back. Damn stalkers.

__ You made more than worth it, now, there you have the results.

__ That's not true __ I protest indignantly at such an accusation. She turns to me, raising an eyebrow with marked indifference to my protests and false allegations of innocence.

__ You went snooping in a restricted area knowing that it was restricted __. Emphasize the last word by repeating it by sin, the context of restricted __ is not clear to me. You went out knowing that you are not allowed, you ignored the alert of the guards pointing at you, you passed Esteffan when he interfered, you incited the guards to shoot you.

__ I ... __ but he won't let me finish. She raises the knife pointed in my direction as a warning not to even dare to interrupt her. Of course, the list is not over yet.

__ You challenged Mr. Mikael to give the order, you left waiting to be killed, you got into the cage of that animal from hell __. Well, theoretically I didn't get into it, I just got close to it, but I'm not going crazy or I'll end up with a stab wound. __ If it is not for Triatos, he will tear off the piece, you stayed there for hours and we with Jesus in our mouths, and as if that were not enough, you return very cheerful smiling from ear to ear __. All his arguments go out to wheelbarrow, causes him to have to take a great breath of air to revive his empty lungs __. You have a great impudence in wanting to play the victim.

What a blunder, and hearing it from his mouth with exact enumeration in order of shit sounds worse. There is no way to refute and invalidate absolutely anything. But staying quiet isn't one of my strengths, so my slippery tongue instinctively reacts before my mind processes.

__ Everything has an explanation __. Fence shit. When will I learn to shut my mouth? I don't think, ever, I need a brain mouth filter ASAP.

__ Yes? Well, tell us. Because we are eager to hear it __. Take a seat right in front of me, raise both eyebrows waiting for an explanation, which obviously does not exist. Esteffan joins him by placing the back of his hands under his chin, he looks at the sky in a clear plea for divided patience.

__ It's ... a good and ... and very logical __. Stammering to buy time is of little use when your vengeful mind is not cooperating. Even my neurons seem to be angry.

They both lean forward with a slight mockery painted on their lips, they look at each other in complicity before turning to me challenging me to say something. I really try, I rummage through every imaginative cavity that my brain has, but what I find are mental cobwebs, they are the product of the long absence of years in which my intelligence has not done something coherent.

__ I will come up with something ... and it will be very good __. They both snort, getting back to business and leaving me with my mediocre excuse.

The door is flung open, causing the air to enter, dragging with it the manly scent of his expensive __ cologne. Since when this is the meeting room __ it's even a question, his sarcasm is printed in every letter. He goes into the kitchen like a monkey in his jungle until he finds the refrigerator, takes a bottle and finishes it almost without breathing.

I think someone has not had a good night __. Esteffan opens her eyes in horror, she denies while looking at me like someone who warns of a cataclysm about to detonate if you just breathe.

I said it out loud.

There is no doubt about it when I see him throw a bad look at me. I really need that filter in the brain.

__ You shouldn't be here with them __ he growls, throws the cover and takes another __. This is not your place.

__ Well, I like being in your company __. Brutus, how dare you treat them like that, I won't allow it.

He swallows another big mouthful before lifting the bottle from his lips and raising a __ eyebrow. They don't need you to bother them with your presence __ it goes straight to my pride.

If it is an idiot, it means that my presence is not good for them __. Well, it doesn't seem to bother them __. Take that one.

__ Surely they are sorry to tell you __. Just like that, he leaves the way he entered, leaving me with rage at full boil __. Idiot __ is what I manage to reply before screaming in the middle of a tantrum.

__ Never in all my years have I seen such a thing, no one has managed to irritate him to the point of making him move into wanting to annoy him with wordiness __. The woman almost choking with laughter, runs her fingers over her face wiping the tears that run off like springs at my expense.

I only look at them badly when I see that the mockery is contagious. Esteffan had told me that he rarely comes down to the kitchen, but to be occasional, I have already encountered him too many times in a lapse of very short times, too short for my taste.