Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
"Better are two than one; because they have a better pay of their work. Because if they fall, the one will lift up his companion."
My name is Caliz.
People talk about envy and resentment as if they were horrible sins.
But why? Can't I envy the life of others?
I did not choose the life that touched me.
My mother abandoned me.
My father too.
And when I complain, they always say the same thing:
—At least you are still alive. That already is a blessing.
A blessing...
Now I am trapped here, together with other children.
I am thirteen years old.
My expiration date.
Because the small ones are adopted quickly.
The older ones not.
And if nobody adopts me, I will stay here more years.
An orphanage.
A "help center", as they like to call it.
They say with pride that they help children.
That they feed us.
That they educate us.
That they prepare us for life.
Lies.
On my plate I only see yellowish water with some potatoes floating.
Education?
A teacher does not come since two years ago.
All the money disappears in the pockets of those old bastards.
I see them smiling while their bellies grow.
I also smile.
Because someday I will leave from here.
I will have a house.
A bed.
A dignified life.
I swear.
The man who served the food spoke:
—Hey, girl. Always I see you eat little. It is good.
He raised his thumb.
—Young ladies must be delicate. You must look good so that they adopt you.
I looked at him and smiled.
—Thank you, ja, ja...
(Let that fat guy rot.)
Then I heard a voice.
—Hey, Caliz.
I turned the head.
It was that child again.
How was he called?
I did not remember.
—You are not going to eat that? —he asked with shyness— Could you give it to me?
I looked at my plate.
The truth was that I also did not want that disgusting thing.
I smiled.
A kind smile.
The same one I used when I wanted to hide what I really thought.
—Of course. You can eat it.
His eyes shined.
—Thank you very much!
—Good appetite.
I stood up from the table.
Then it happened.
—AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
A scream crossed the dining hall.
Everyone stayed still.
—MONSTERS!
—DEMONS!
—THEY ENTERED!
A man broke into the door.
It was the gatekeeper.
His arm had disappeared.
The blood fell to the floor like a red waterfall.
—HELP! HELP!
The whole dining hall stayed in silence.
My heart hit so strong that it hurt.
I knew I must run.
Pure human instinct.
I knew I must move.
But my legs did not respond.
The fear had nailed me to the floor.
No.
No.
No.
I have to live.
I have to live.
Move.
Move.
MOVE.
I felt a pull in my clothes.
I lowered the gaze.
It was the child.
He had tears in the eyes.
—Caliz... I have fear.
I observed him during one second.
Then I clenched my teeth.
—Let's go.
Around us the screams began.
I saw how the fat cook was split in two.
And before dying...
His gaze was directed toward me.
Tables overturned.
Children running.
People crying.
And beyond the windows...
I could only see blood.
And meat falling to the ground.
We started to run.
His hand was smaller than mine.
I held it with force while we ran.
Then, between the screams, the cries and the sound of tables falling, I heard a voice.
A terrifying voice.
—The children must return to their savior.
I stopped for an instant.
What demon...
—Correct... —continued the voice— I have envy. Why I cannot keep them myself?
A kind of electricity went through my back.
I felt the skin rise.
I did not look back.
I did not want to look back.
I kept running.
There was a bathroom near.
We could hide there.
That was the only thing that mattered.
We arrived breathing hard.
I pushed the door and we entered.
I closed it hard.
Only then I realized something.
The child was trembling.
Drops fell from his legs.
He had peed from fear.
He looked at me with eyes full of tears.
He was crying.
—Sorry...
—Sorry...
—Forgive me...
I clenched teeth.
—Shut up.
My voice sounded more hard than I intended.
—We will hide here.
The child covered his mouth with both hands.
Trying not to make noise.
Then that voice was heard again.
Closer.
Much closer.
—CHILDREN...
—COME TO ME.
The heart gave me a jump.
Something was walking in the corridor.
I heard its steps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Clac...k..
Clac...k
Clac..k.
And together with them...
The dragging of a chain.
Scraping the floor.
I never prayed.
Never.
Even though this place tried to force it for years.
Even though the sermons.
Even though the prayers before eating.
Even though the threats.
I never believed in anything.
But in that moment...
Damn it.
I had fear.
Much fear.
What do I do?
What do I do if it opens the door?
Hidden next to the toilet, we barely breathed.
The child kept covering his mouth to suffocate his sobs.
His small hand trembled in mine.
I looked at him.
So scared as me.
I looked at the child.
—Hey...
—What happens?
I swallowed saliva.
—Do you want to be my family?
His eyes opened.
Then he nodded.
Slowly.
—Yes.
We hugged.
With force.
Like if our small arms could stop the end of the world.
I do not need to pray.
I do not need to ask help.
I will get out of here.
I will protect him.
Everything will be fine.
It has to be.
Then it happened.
A loud crash shook the building.
The walls trembled.
The voice roared from the corridor.
—YOU...!
—DAMNED...!
Then came another hit.
A deafening crash.
And after that...
Silence.
A silence absolute.
Passed ten minutes.
Then fifteen.
And nothing happened.
—I will go out first.
I began to advance.
Crawling.
Dragging myself.
I peeked outside the bathroom.
The first thing I saw was blood.
I opened the door.
Nothing.
I stood up slowly.
And then...
Something fell in front of me.
A huge figure.
White.
Like a moth.
The wings folded behind its back.
Its skin was pale.
Its fingers ended in long sharp nails.
I could not move.
I could not breathe.
The creature raised an arm.
A finger went down slowly.
And it sunk into my abdomen.
The pain crossed me.
Even with pain, my legs did not fall and I remained standing.
The creature emitted a strange sound.
Click.
Click.
Click.
It spoke in an impossible language.
I did not understand anything.
Then it removed the finger.
The four wings opened.
Gigantic. Beautiful. Terrifying.
And it disappeared.
Without more.
As if it had never been there.
I fell to the ground breathing hard.
My hands searched desperately the wound.
Nothing.
There was no blood.
No holes.
No wounds.
Why?
That question crossed my mind.
But I removed it.
I will think later.
—Let's go.
We left the orphanage.
—I am free.
The words escaped from my mouth.
The child looked at me surprised.
—Are we?
He referred to the monsters.
Me, to my freedom ripped away.
—The important thing is that we are fine.
I answered.
We ran.
Through the grass.
Then the road.
Far away a man shouted:
—It is the end of times!
—We will pay for our sins!
—Caliz... is God angry with us?
I crouched.
—Climb.
—But I peed myself.
—And what? You are slow.
He climbed to my back.
We kept walking.
We needed a place to spend the night.
All houses were closed and could not be entered.
Then I saw a gate.
—Here.
It was closed.
It was tall.
And had metal points above.
Great.
Just what I needed.
I looked at the child.
—We will climb.
—By there?
—Do you see another option?
The child denied with head.
I started to climb.
The metal was cold.
My hands slipped.
When I reached above, I helped the child.
He trembled.
But he continued.
When passing over, one of the points cut my arm.
—Shit...
I felt burning immediately.
—Are you okay? —he asked.
—Yes.
I lied.
I jumped to the other side.
My feet hit the cement strongly.
My legs hurt.
Then I looked around.
And I saw it.
Blood.
Much blood.
Directed toward a room.
The child swallowed saliva.
—Here also they came.
I observed the house.
The room doors were closed.
There was no sound.
No people.
Only silence.
—Let's enter... —I hesitated in my decision.