SHORT STORY THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
THE MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
Automatic traslation from the original story in Spanish. Not checked manually
When Carlos woke up on January 8th, as usual, he opened his phone to see if he had any messages. There was only one: a mysterious message.
It had been sent from a number he didn’t have in his contacts, and its content was truly strange: “Here is your personal and non-transferable invitation to a private party, where your emotions and senses will be heightened. We await you on February 17th at 6:30 p.m. Don’t miss it, or you will lose an opportunity to live unforgettable experiences.
If you decide to attend, you must go to the street named after the saint who founded the Catholic Church, to the number that represents the sign of Cancer. To enter, you will need to use the password ‘lupins’. Come with us. You won’t regret it.”
The young man almost deleted it, but curiosity got the better of him, and he began trying to decipher the convoluted message… After thinking for a while, he reached an unexpected conclusion: The party would be held on San Pedro Street (named after the founder of the Christian church), number 69 (the number associated with the zodiac sign of Cancer). He thought the clue “lupins” might be related to “pussy” the common name in Spain for these legumes.
“That’s it,” he said to himself, “it’s an erotic party…” From that moment on, he began to wonder whether or not it would be wise to go… That night, after working all day and watching the news on TV, as always full of catastrophes, he finally decided to risk going to the little party in question. “A little fun never hurt anyone,” he thought.
When the appointed day arrived, he asked to leave work a little early. Upon arriving home, he showered, groomed himself, and put on his best clothes—the ones he wore for special occasions. He couldn’t help but feel a certain excitement when he thought about one of the phrases in the mysterious message: “Your emotions and senses will be heightened.”
Overcome with emotion, he left the house and got on his motorcycle. Quickly, hoping his deductions had been correct, he headed to 69 San Pedro Street.
Upon arriving at the address, he stopped his motorcycle on the sidewalk and looked up to locate the number of the establishment he was going to. It was close; in fact, he had parked in front of number 53. He made his way toward the coveted den.
When he reached the door, a young woman of about 20, dressed in a witch costume, looked at him strangely. He hesitated, unsure whether to say lupin beans or chochos, and opted for the former, saying in a trembling voice, “Lupins…”
The beautiful young woman, even more bewildered, let him in… Carlos, trembling, entered the establishment. Suddenly, laughter and children’s voices startled him… He couldn’t imagine a party like this with children present… that might be unacceptable to his way of understanding such things…
Nevertheless, he went in. The sight paralyzed him: a bunch of costumed boys and girls were celebrating a Carnival party, under the amused gaze of many parents, also in costume, who were enjoying watching them in the midst of their revelry…
Suddenly, an adult’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers: “Now, kids, it’s time for you to choose one of us to paint their face…”
The children, overjoyed, turned their gazes toward the group of parents, among whom, obviously, stood out the only person not in costume… and that’s how Carlos was chosen by the children… He didn’t dare refuse… after a while, his face was covered in every colour imaginable, and he, in the end, was having a blast, seeing the children’s joy… He felt his emotions and senses heightened, though not for the reasons he had imagined…
The Mysterious Message – Short stories series – Copyright ©Montserrat Valls and Juan Genovés