good night my name is vicente a 35-year-old man and i live in a small town in the interior of alagas a place where tradition and folklore are still intertwined with everyday life for safety reasons and out of respect for those involved i prefer not to reveal the name of the city or the farm where the events i'm about to narrate took place my family is large and close-knit with strong bonds that keep us together despite the hardships and challenges of life in the certoone my father a strong and hardworking man with skin tanned by the
sun and hands calloused from hard work dedicates his life as a foreman on a cattle farm taking care of the animals with care and knowledge as if they were his own children my sister's talented seamstresses with agile and creative hands transform simple fabrics into works of art and every day they gather at my parents house to work share stories and strengthen family ties a safe haven amidst life's turmoil as the land is large and fertile a gift from nature my father with his generous heart and ancestral wisdom gave each of them a piece of land
to build their own homes a home for their families a refuge of love and unity i'm married to my childhood friend a love that blossomed in the simplicity of the cert and together we decided to live with my parents where we find support joy and the strength of tradition i'm retired due to a birth defect in my right leg which prevents me from walking and standing for long periods a limitation that taught me to value inner strength and find beauty in the simplicity of life despite my disability i've always been active and felt useful helping
with household chores and raising animals a passion that connects me with nature and brings me inner peace at that time i had two horses loyal and intelligent companions some soft and curious rabbits and cackling and productive hens which i raised to sell a small business that gave me pride and livelihood a way to contribute to my family and the community every morning as the sun rose on the horizon and painted the sky with vibrant colors i took an old but sturdy cart and went to a vacant lot near my father's farm to cut fresh grass
a nutritious food for my animals a ritual that connected me with the land and brought me inner peace one night my father came home from work with a worried expression his face marked by tension and his body tired as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders my mother always attentive and perceptive with a look that saw beyond appearances noticed that something was wrong and asked what had happened my father in a grave and measured voice told her that a newborn calf a fragile and defenseless creature had been attacked by a strange
creature a cruel and unknown predator that roamed the farm the farm's watchmen experienced and brave men accustomed to the dangers of rural life were frightened and described the creature as a monkey with a wolf's head a hybrid and terrifying being that defied logic and reason an old employee a wise connoisseur of the region's legends and mysteries said it could be a werewolf a legendary creature that haunted the nights a being that transformed into a wolf on full moon nights the farm owner a rational and skeptical man attached to facts and science didn't believe the story
attributing the attack to a wild animal a common predator looking for food the next day while i was cutting grass in the vacant lot a quiet and familiar place i saw a dirty and strange man near the pond an oasis of water amidst the dry vegetation he looked at me with a frightening piercing and threatening gaze as if he could read my thoughts and intentions and fled into the dense forest disappearing among the trees like a shadow a ghost that vanishes into the darkness at night my father lit a huge bonfire in the backyard a
ritual of protection against the evil that roamed the region a beacon of hope in the darkness saying that the creature had attacked some pigs on the farm leaving a trail of blood and destruction a grim warning of the danger that was approaching weeks dragged on tense and filled with expectation as we kept the bonfire burning every night a beacon of hope in the darkness that seemed to swallow us we reinforced the doors and windows of the house turning it into a makeshift fortress against the danger that roamed the region an invisible predator that watched us
from the shadows my father a cautious and experienced man with the wisdom of his ancestors running through his veins accompanied me to the vacant lot to cut grass protecting me from the dangers of the forest a place where wild nature and ancestral mysteries met a labyrinth of trees and shadows that hid dark secrets one sunday a co-orker of my father a wise man and storyteller with an endless repertoire of legends and tales from the certain came to lunch at our house bringing with him a little relief and hope we talked about the creature trying to
understand its nature and motives seeking answers in the legends and traditions of the region and my father insisted on keeping the bonfire and the dogs loose in the backyard as a precaution a safety measure to protect our family and animals a shield against the evil that was approaching a warning that we were not defenseless the next day my father came home from work nervous his face pale and his voice trembling as if he had seen a ghost and told us that more animals had been attacked on the farm a cruel and inexplicable massacre an act
of violence that defied human understanding the farm owner finally convinced of the seriousness of the situation hired night watchmen armed and vigilant men ready to defend the farm against the unknown predator and no one left the house at night turning the community into a ghostly and silent place a stage for fear and apprehension where the silence was broken only by the distant howls of the creature the tension grew every day like a shadow that lengthened with the fall of night the night watchmen experienced and brave men accustomed to the dangers of rural life reported disturbing
encounters with the creature a being that defied logic and reason one of them with his voice choked with fear described a man who turned into a werewolf before their eyes a grotesque spectacle that made him question his own sanity the sounds of the creature animalistic growls and howls echoed through the night disturbing sleep and fueling the fear that spread throughout the community with each new report the certainty that it was not a common animal grew stronger and the fear of the unknown became increasingly palpable the creature moved with supernatural agility and strength jumping fences and
disappearing into the forest with impressive speed leaving a trail of destruction and terror wherever it went the community once peaceful and united turned into a place of fear and distrust where every shadow hit a potential danger the events of those dark nights changed my family's routine forever the bonfires once a symbol of union and warmth became a constant necessity a shield against the evil that roamed the region the farm owner finally convinced of the creature's existence began to light bonfires on his land a sign that fear had settled in everyone's hearts the attacks on animals
ceased but the creature's howls continued to echo through the night a constant reminder that danger still lurked in the shadows life went on but normaly was never the same again only my family kept the bonfires burning an act of resistance against the fear that imprisoned us when firewood became scarce my father bought charcoal a longerlasting fuel to ensure that the fire did not go out a symbol of our determination to face the unknown my sister's husband's strong and brave men helped in the search for firewood and the maintenance of the bonfires a gesture of solidarity
and protection even after the reports stopped and the creature disappeared fear persisted like an invisible scar that marked us forever to this day there is not a single night that i do not wake up at the slightest noise and i see my father already an old and tired man walking around the house in the early morning vigilant and attentive the experience transformed us taught us to value safety and distrust the shadows a burden we will carry forever i do not wish this experience on anyone for living with fear is worse than any prison a sentence
of loneliness and apprehension
