^{Photo by Tim Hüfner on Unsplash}

«No decía palabras,
acercaba tan sólo un cuerpo interrogante,
porque ignoraba que el deseo es una pregunta
cuya respuesta no existe».

«He said no words,
it approached only a questioning body,
because he did not know that desire is a question
whose answer does not exist».

— Luis Cernuda

E S P A Ñ O L

EXPERIMENTO

No estuve ahí para protegerlos. Me sentía inútil y despreciable por no captar las señales; aquellas que me advertían que paulatinamente perdía a mi familia y estaba dejando que eso pasara. Me encarcelaron porque creen que soy culpable de una brutalidad inenarrable; la cual causaría pesadillas a una persona común que nunca ha vivido esas circunstancias.

Casi no prestaba atención a mi alrededor, mi esposa también era una mujer ocupada y mi hijo era distante, todos llevábamos una relación diferente desde nuestros lados. Solo ocupábamos charlas en la mesa, pero con exiguas palabras, luego de terminar, simplemente dejábamos todo y volvíamos con nuestra rutina.

Yo me dedicaba a mi arte, en aquel entonces estaba realizando un proyecto muy grande con el cual me pagarían una gran suma de dinero. Romina; mi esposa, estaba cerrando un trato con un nuevo despacho de abogados, mientras que mi hijo; Rubén, practicaba con su guitarra para un nuevo toque musical que presentaría en una semana. Todo iba normal para nosotros, hasta que Rubén comenzó a enfermar fuertemente enganchado a su cama.

Le dimos medicamentos para la fiebre, pero esta no bajaba. Luego comenzó con una debilidad muscular que se extendía hasta sus pies. Un dolor de cabeza, que parecía atormentarlo hasta en sus pesadillas, fue la señal de que debíamos llamar a un médico a examinarlo. Los diagnósticos revelaron un bajo número de plaquetas y nutrientes en su organismo, ¿cómo era posible? No se pudo encontrar alguna enfermedad que lo estuviera causando.

El médico mandó un tratamiento aunado con suplementos ricos en vitaminas para mejorar la salud de Rubén, seguimos al pie de la letra sus indicaciones y gradualmente mi hijo parecía recuperarse. Yo continué con mi proyecto y en terminarlo de una vez por todas, Romina estuvo más pendiente en la recuperación de Rubén.

Me quedaba poco tiempo, pero me faltaba solo unos ajustes para terminarlo. Me desentendí de la salud de Rubén al enterarme de que mejoraba, y por ese motivo, no pude prevenir lo que ocurrió después. Pasó una noche, mientras terminaba los últimos trabajos de mi proyecto, escuché un gritó que parecía provenir del pasillo. Al asomarme solo veo un haz de luz saliendo del cuarto de Rubén. Vislumbro rápidamente y mis ojos se llenan de horror.

En el suelo, con las entrañas abiertas, se encontraba el cuerpo de Romania sobre un charco de sangre. Y a su lado estaba Rubén, mordisqueando su pecho, no tengo palabras para describir lo grotesco de la escena. Me miró fijamente y trató de acercarse mí, pero su cuerpo comenzó a descomponerse y a exponer heridas abiertas, hasta que finalmente murió.

Quedé petrificado por completo, mi mente no pensaba en nada más en el momento. El ruido fue tan perturbador que llamó la atención de los vecinos, tocaron a mi puerta, pero al darse cuenta que nadie saldría, llamaron a la policía. Podía escuchar los estruendosos golpes que las autoridades daban a mi puerta, pero yo; en mi estado de trance, no podía levantarme, ni siquiera moverme.

Finalmente entraron y subieron a la habitación. Hallaron la horrible escena y a mí junto a los cuerpos de mi familia. Me arrestaron, me atiborraron de preguntas que no pude contestar, y ante esta actitud se me condenó culpable por homicidio. Mi mente ha quedado dañada después de ese día; no volví a ser el mismo.

Esta mañana, recibí la carta de un biólogo que decía trabajar para el gobierno. En ella explicaba todo, incluso que al final de la noche me liberarían si accedía a trabajar con ellos. Todo ocurrió tan repentinamente, pero acepté su propuesta. Ahora mismo, espero a las personas responsables por la muerte de mi familia.

FIN

E N G L I S H

EXPERIMENT

I was not there to protect them. I felt useless and worthless for not picking up on the signs; the ones that warned me that I was gradually losing my family and I was letting it happen. I was imprisoned because they believe I am guilty of unspeakable brutality; which would cause nightmares to an ordinary person who has never lived through such circumstances.

I hardly paid attention to my surroundings, my wife was also a busy woman and my son was distant, we all carried a different relationship from our sides. We only engaged in small talk at the table, but with meager words, and after we finished, we would just drop everything and go back to our routine.

I was dedicated to my art, at that time I was doing a very big project with which I would be paid a large sum of money. Romina; my wife, was closing a deal with a new law firm, while my son; Ruben, was practicing with his guitar for a new musical piece that he would present in a week. Everything was going normal for us, until Ruben started to get very sick, hooked to his bed.

We gave him medicine for the fever, but it wouldn't go down. Then he began to have muscle weakness that extended to his feet. A headache, which seemed to torment him even in his nightmares, was the signal to call a doctor to examine him. Diagnostics revealed a low number of platelets and nutrients in his body, how was this possible? No disease could be found to be causing it.

The doctor ordered a treatment along with vitamin-rich supplements to improve Ruben's health, we followed his instructions to the letter and gradually my son seemed to recover. I continued with my project and to finish it once and for all, Romina was more focused on Ruben's recovery.

I had little time left, but I was just a few adjustments away from finishing it. I was disengaged from Ruben's health when I heard that he was getting better, and for that reason, I could not prevent what happened next. One night, while I was finishing the last works of my project, I heard a scream that seemed to come from the hallway. When I look out I only see a beam of light coming from Ruben's room. I glimpse quickly and my eyes fill with horror.

On the floor, with his entrails open, lay Romania's body in a pool of blood. And next to him was Ruben, nibbling on his chest, I have no words to describe the grotesqueness of the scene. He stared at me and tried to approach me, but his body began to decompose and expose open wounds, until he finally died.

I was completely petrified, my mind thinking of nothing else at the time. The noise was so disturbing that it got the attention of the neighbors, they knocked on my door, but realizing that no one would come out, they called the police. I could hear the thunderous knocking at my door, but I, in my trance-like state, could not get up or even move.

Finally they came in and went up to the room. They found the horrible scene and me next to the bodies of my family. I was arrested, I was peppered with questions that I could not answer, and in the face of this attitude I was convicted guilty of murder. My mind has been damaged after that day; I was never the same.

This morning, I received a letter from a biologist who claimed to work for the government. In it he explained everything, including that at the end of the night they would release me if I agreed to work with them. It all happened so suddenly, but I accepted his proposal. Right now, I am waiting for the people responsible for the death of my family.

THE END