El trato de Halloween
Un pacto con la oscuridad.
Llevaban una semana con el alboroto de Halloween, las casas decoradas, parecían cementerios con lápidas abiertas, un sin de brujas qué más que miedos provocaba risas, un espantapájaros en el jardín de enfrente, plagado de pajaritos comiendo su paja. Telarañas, calabazas ya medio podridas, las moscas revoloteaban, saliendo de los cuencos de sus ojos.
En casa mi familia hablaba de disfraces y caramelos, siendo sincera no me gusta esta festividad, no soy una antipática, pero lo mío es más navideño que esto. Ya siendo el 31 de octubre, estaban todos enajenados y alterados por la ingesta de grandes cantidades de azúcar. Un tazón de caramelos en formas de ojos, labios y hasta ratones, los veía y me provocaba náuseas.
Daban las ocho de la noche y mi familia salió en el recorrido, llevaban a mis hermanos pequeños, un zombie, que arrastraba la pierna pidiendo “cerebro” y el otro un pirata fantasma, la cara pintada al punto de parecer que se estaba pudriendo.
Me quedé en casa, mi misión era dar los caramelos a “las espectrales apariciones” esas que llegan a tu casa con su frase sinigual ”truco o trato ”, me senté escuchando música, con un sombrero de bruja y una verruga en la punta de la nariz.
Sentía a la lejos el jolgorio de las risas infantiles, esas risas de ultratumba, quizás cuanto las habían practicado para entrar en personaje. Tocaron a la puerta, abrí con el tazón en mis manos, delante de mí había dos brujas con verrugas en sus narices, una momia a la cual solo se le veían sus ojitos, un hombre lobo qué más que miedo daba ternura, al unísono replicaron –”TRUCO O TRATO”– los engendros me amenazaron con huevos, así que dije “trato”.
Abrieron sus bolsitas y deposité, ojos, bocas y ratones, y unas cuantas paletas ácidas.
Desfilaron a cada dos por tres, tocaban a la puerta, repetían la frase aprendida, me enseñaban los huevos y ofrecía caramelos, ya casi se estaba quedando vacío, solo restaban unas cuantas paletas ácidas, dos ratones grises y un ojo. Esa era mi señal de que al fin acababa halloween.
Observé el reloj y eran casi las doce ,me levanté de la silla, me quité el sombrero y la verruga, los deje justo al lado del casi vacío tazón. Agarré una paleta ácida y me la metí a la boca, estaba deliciosa, una paleta de fresa qué explotaba entregándome un delicioso placer.
Tuve la intención de ir a mi habitación y ver alguna película, tenía varias series sin terminar, mis padres tenían llaves, así que entrarían solos, de seguro en medio de los gritos de mis hermanos con su botín de caramelos, justo estaba en eso cuando tocaron a la puerta, era raro ya que hacía bastante no escuchaba a más niños en el vecindario.
Fui a la puerta y me puse el sombrero de bruja, esta vez la nariz sin verruga, abrí la puerta y allí frente a mi estaba Santa Claus y uno de sus renos, me asombre ante tal nivel de creación, el reno era despampanante, tome el tazón y sentí culpa de quedara tan poco, –”disculpen niños, queda muy poco”– les dije aun con la paleta en mi boca.
Ellos solo me miraban sin decir nada, la bolsa roja de Santa se veía abultada, el reno traía algo en su hocico, parecía una pulsera o algo similar, Santa me observaba con una mirada penetrante, una que calaba los huesos, les acerque el tazón para que tomarán los caramelos, son embargo al hacerlo Santa sujetó mi mano.
Su mano estaba tan fría qué quemaba mi propia mano, el reno resoplaba como si estuviese furioso, de pronto Santa me abalanzó hacia él y quedé pegada, justo rostro frente a rostro, respiro en mi cara y su aliento alcoholizado llegó como una bocanada a mi nariz. Me petrifique en ese instante, tartamudeaba intentando decir que amaba la navidad, buscando que me soltara.
Sin soltarme inclinó su bolsa hacia mí, dentro parecía una carnicería, logre ver orejas, manos, pies, trozos de carne y piel y al fondo se lograban apreciar dos cabezas, me repetía que todo era falso, tan falso como lo era todo en la noche de Halloween. Santa musitó con una voz ronca “truco o trato”, temblando susurre “trato” y esbozo una siniestra sonrisa, de pronto sentí un ardor en la pierna, el reno me había mordido, veía un hilo de sangre qué bajaba hasta mi pie.
En ese momento me soltó y riendo dijo “nos vemos el próximo año, recuerda que escogiste un trato”, avanzaron en medio de la calle y desaparecieron al instante en que parpadee.
Mis padres llegaron cerca de las dos de la mañana, me encontraron escondida tras el sillón, mi pierna ensangrentada con una extraña mordida, orinada y muda por el terror, mis padres habían llegado alterados ya que en el barrio en medio de que los niños pedían caramelos un par de criminales desquiciados habían cercenado a varios vecinos del barrio.
Las cabezas y partes en el saco eran reales y me salve diciendo trato, ¿pero cuál será ese trato? Mi pierna aún duele y de tanto en tanto el frío sepulcral en mi mano se expande por mi cuerpo, como si aquel maníaco me estuviese sosteniendo.
Este relato nació del miedo que tuve al recordar una noticia de boca en boca en mi barrio, se decía que varios años antes de que colocaran el alumbrado público, un par de hombres no tan altos se disfrazaron, esto para pasar desapercibidos y cometer sus delitos, en medio de los niños caminaban y mataron a dos personas. De ahí que me dio miedo y ahora siendo mamá no festejamos esta noche con mis hijas, jugamos en casa y comemos caramelos, pero en la noche de Halloween no se le abre la puerta a nadie.
🧛♂️ English 🐺
The Halloween treat.
A pact with darkness.
They had been a week with the fuss of Halloween, the houses decorated, they looked like cemeteries with open tombstones, a witches' house that more than fears provoked laughter, a scarecrow in the front yard plagued by birds eating their straw. Cobwebs, pumpkins already half rotten, flies fluttered, coming out of their eye sockets.
At home my family was talking about costumes and candy, to be honest I don't like this holiday, I'm not an unfriendly person, but my thing is more Christmas than this. Already being the 31st of October, they were all alienated and altered by the ingestion of large amounts of sugar. A bowl of candies in the shape of eyes, lips and even mice, I saw them and it made me nauseous.
It was eight o'clock at night and my family went out on the tour, they were carrying my little brothers, one a zombie, dragging his leg begging for "brains" and the other a ghost pirate, his face painted to the point of looking like he was rotting.
I stayed at home, my mission was to give the candy to "the spectral apparitions" those that come to your house with their unmatched phrase "trick or treat ", I sat listening to music, with a witch's hat and a wart on the tip of my nose.
I felt in the distance the jollity of children's laughter, those laughs from beyond the grave, perhaps how much they had practiced them to get into character. They knocked at the door, I opened with the bowl in my hands, in front of me there were two witches with warts on their noses, a mummy whose only eyes were visible, a werewolf that more than fear gave tenderness, in unison they replied - "TRICK OR TREAT"- the ghouls threatened me with eggs, so I said "deal".
They opened their little bags and I deposited eyes, mouths and mice, and a few sour popsicles.
They paraded every few minutes, knocked on the door, repeated the learned phrase, showed me the eggs and offered me candy, it was almost empty, there were only a few sour lollipops, two gray mice and an eye. That was my sign that Halloween was finally over.
I looked at the clock and it was almost twelve o'clock, I got up from my chair, took off my hat and wart, and left them right next to the almost empty bowl. I grabbed a sour popsicle and popped it in my mouth, it was delicious, a strawberry popsicle that exploded giving me a delicious pleasure.
I intended to go to my room and watch a movie, I had several unfinished series, my parents had keys, so they would enter alone, surely in the middle of the screams of my brothers with their candy booty, I was just in that when they knocked at the door, it was strange since I had not heard more children in the neighborhood for quite some time.
I went to the door and put on my witch hat, this time the nose without the wart, I opened the door and there in front of me was Santa Claus and one of his reindeer, I was amazed at such a level of creation, the reindeer was stunning, I took the bowl and felt guilty that there was so little left, - "excuse me children, there is very little left"- I told them still with the lollipop in my mouth.
They just looked at me without saying anything, Santa's red bag looked bulging, the reindeer had something on his snout, it looked like a bracelet or something similar, Santa was watching me with a penetrating look, one that pierced my bones, I brought the bowl closer to them so they could take the candy, however when Santa did it, he grabbed my hand.
His hand was so cold that it burned my own hand, the reindeer snorted as if he was furious, suddenly Santa rushed me towards him and I was glued, right face to face, he breathed on my face and his alcoholic breath came like a puff to my nose. I was petrified in that instant, stammering, trying to say that I loved Christmas, trying to get him to let go of me.
Without letting me go he leaned his bag towards me, inside it looked like a butcher shop, I could see ears, hands, feet, pieces of meat and skin and in the background I could see two heads, I kept repeating to myself that everything was fake, as fake as everything was on Halloween night. Santa mumbled in a hoarse voice "trick or treat", trembling I whispered "treat" and he smiled a sinister smile, suddenly I felt a burning in my leg, the reindeer had bitten me, I could see a trickle of blood running down to my foot.
At that moment he let go of me and laughing said "see you next year, remember you picked a deal", they advanced in the middle of the street and disappeared the instant I blinked.
My parents arrived around two o'clock in the morning, they found me hiding behind the couch, my leg bloodied with a strange bite, urinated and mute by terror, my parents had arrived altered since in the neighborhood in the middle of the children asking for candy a couple of deranged criminals had cut several neighbors in the neighborhood.
The heads and parts in the sack were real and I saved myself by saying deal, but what will that deal be? My leg still hurts and from time to time the sepulchral cold in my hand spreads through my body, as if that maniac was holding me.
This story was born from the fear I had when I remembered a piece of news from mouth to mouth in my neighborhood, it was said that several years before the street lighting was installed, a couple of not so tall men disguised themselves, this to go unnoticed and commit their crimes, in the middle of the children they walked and killed two people. From there I got scared and now being a mom we don't celebrate tonight with my daughters, we play at home and eat candy, but on Halloween night we don't open the door to anyone.
Esta es mi participación para la convocatoria ofrecida por 
This is my entry for the call for entries offered by
