Eury is up on the roof. I don’t know what’s going on, but she’s by herself. Nothing else matters until I see her. The dumb red color makes it difficult to find the right exit out of this cavernous room.
“How do I get to the roof?” I ask the statuesque server who looks like a robot. There ain’t nothing real about her. Nothing.
“It’s off-limits,” she says with this deadness in her tone like she’s reading from a script. “You are not allowed up there.”
“The fuck I’m not.”
“You heard her.” A bouncer appears out of nowhere.
“Get out of my way.”
He blocks the path to Eury. I don’t know if Ato got to her or not. This bouncer will get out of my way, or I will tear this club down. If I have to take this table and bash it across his chest, I’ll do it. My hands form a fist. This guy is twice my size. I’m still going to plow through him with everything I got. “I’m telling you right now, I’m going up.”
Before I throw the first punch, Melaina shows up.
“A guy just pinched my ass,” she says to the bouncer.
The bouncer doesn’t react, but Melaina does.
“Are you going to just stand there? Do something or I’m going to take this bottle and cut his face.”
Melaina points to a group of sloppy clubgoers. As if living up to the stereotype, one of the guys grabs another girl’s ass. The girl turns and slaps him. He laughs. Within seconds, the bouncer barrels toward him and lifts him by the shoulders. Melaina tilts her head to the steps while the bouncer and the guy scuffle on the floor. I give her a nod and take to the stairs.
CHAPTER 20
Eury
Flashes of lightning streak across the sky. My heart pounds so loudly. Ato must be near.
Please, Pheus. Please come.
“It cost so much money to have this atrium built,” Sileno says. “I told them I didn’t care. I wanted this place to outdo the clubs in the city. You can see why it was important. I have many people to impress.”
Sileno’s hooves make an eerie clip-clop only horses should make. He walks toward the bar. I grab a half-empty bottle of wine. I’ll break it over his head. He won’t touch me. I’ll kill him before he does.
“There you are,” he says.
I stand, holding the bottle firmly.
“Get away from me.”
Sileno’s eyes are as red as the club where Pheus now sings an encore. Can’t Pheus tell I need him? Can’t he sense my desperation?
“What’s this about?” Sileno says. “I only came here to make sure you were okay. My job is to assure my guests are well taken care of.”
I move away from the bar. The stairs are just past the pool. Maybe I can get to the exit before Sileno reaches me. There’s another flash of lightning. Ato wouldn’t let Sileno hurt me. He wouldn’t. So here I am hoping Ato will save me from Sileno. A choice between two devils.
Sileno lunges. I raise the bottle, but he doesn’t stop. I hit him with everything I’ve got, right on the head. The bottle shatters into pieces. He slumps to the floor. There’s wine and blood everywhere, but I have no time to waste. I must get to Pheus.
“Eury.”
Ato floats down from the sky. His feet barely touch the deck. His eyes are not yet black coals. Ato radiates light as if he’s being charged by the moon. I shake my head. This is not real. This is a nightmare I can’t wake up from.
Sileno groans on the floor beside me.
“It’s time, Eury,” Ato says.
“No one is taking me,” I say. “Not Sileno and not you.”
The broken glass makes the floor slippery and slick. With each step I feel untethered, but I have to get to the stairs.
My phone goes off. It must be Pheus. I can’t respond.
Por dios, Pheus, find me.
“Pheus will do the same to you,” Ato says. “Don’t you see how little he cares? The only thing he loves is fame.”
I shake my head.
“Why, Ato? You once said you loved me. This isn’t what love is,” I say. “You are like Sileno here, a monster only wanting to own me like I’m some toy. Please let me go.”
The steps I take are tiny, each one accompanied by a crunch. Glass embeds into my heels.
Pheus. Come quick.
“You won’t have to worry about Sileno or your mother or the hurricanes anymore,” Ato says. “There will be an abundance of time in el Inframundo. I promise.”
With each word, his face mutates. He is the little boy I first met in front of my house. He changes again, and he is a bit older. The face of the boy who spent hours with me exploring the rivers. He shifts again and his eyes are black, the same face that appeared to me right before he directed a hurricane to rip the walls off my house.
I take another step closer to the door. I sense Pheus will be here soon. I just need a little more time.
“I belong here. I’m not meant to be with you, Ato. Can’t you understand?”
“Do you remember when we first heard the song ‘Adore’?”
The sound system plays the song on cue. Ato didn’t even lift a finger to make this happen.
“We decided Prince was probably not of this world. Remember?” he says. “We built a shrine to celebrate him. I will do the same for you.”
“You don’t have a right,” I say. “You are a parasite. Thousands died because of your jealousy. My home destroyed because of a fantasy you’ve created. There is no us. There never will be.”
I hear a rush of footsteps. Pheus is coming. I move. Ato inches closer to me. I slip but get up as quickly as I can. I try my best to move lightly. If I make a run for it, I will surely fall and that will give Ato the break he needs to reach me. How will he do it? How will he escort me to el Inframundo? Will he kill me simply with a touch?
The door slams open.
Pheus. Mi amor. Mi vida. He’s here.
“No,” Ato says. “It’s too late.”
He’s wrong. I am leaving this roof with Pheus. These devils will not get in my way.
“Eury!” Pheus yells.
If I run with force, I can reach Pheus. He is so close. Pheus will protect me from this hungry spirit. He sees Ato, truly sees him. There is no doubt. Pheus sees my tormentor, and in return, I taste freedom.
The glass scattered on the floor is my enemy. There is a blinding light coming from the sky. Another flash of lightning followed by rain. I can’t see clearly. It’s okay. Pheus is right there. If I go to him, I will be safe. Ato will be a distant dream, a nightmare. I will forever banish him from my life.
I make a run for it, but I can’t hold my balance. I start to fall. The floor comes rushing toward me. A hard chrome edge lines the pool. It is shiny enough to catch my reflection, to mirror back my face of horror. Time slows down, a trick to show me how I will end. It is as slow as a heartbeat.
Pheus screams my name. My beautiful Pheus.
I can’t stop this infinite fall. There’s no way to brace myself. I will hit the side of this pool. What a way to end, with Pheus only an arm’s length away, my chance of salvation closed off forever.
The edge of the pool rushes toward me.
“Pheus!” I scream.
CHAPTER 21
Pheus
The stairs are endless. My phone still hasn’t turned on. I’m out of breath, but I keep going. The neon sign reads This Way to the Estigio Pool. I try pushing open the big black door, but it doesn’t budge. I press my ear to the door. Voices sound muffled. I can barely make out Eury.
“I’m here, Eury!” I pound the door with my fists.
I can’t tell if she hears me. I push against the frame using all my strength, but it only cracks open an inch. It’s not enough. I make a running start, and the impact hurts my shoulders. I do it again. One more push.
“Eury! I’m right here!” I yell into the opening. Eury stands there, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her whole body shakes. She talks to someone. Is it Ato? I’m going to tear him apart.
“Get the
fuck away from her,” I shout.
One more push.
The door finally gives.
“Eury!”
I catch her tiny smile, a recognition of how I finally found her. A body lies slumped on the floor, and a few feet away is Ato. The boy I saw from the other day. He, too, has a smile, a sinister one. A strange glow emanates from him.
Ato looks over to me.
“It’s too late,” he says.
For a split second, his eyes become orbs of black. Eury was right. He is not from this world. I try not to lose it. How do I get to Eury? How can I protect her from this thing?
“I got you, Eury,” I say. “He’s not going to hurt you.”
Lightning strikes. A blinding flash. Seconds pass slowly as we wait to hear the thunder that never materializes. Instead I hear a familiar song playing on the speakers.
Eury makes a break for it. She runs toward me. I’m waiting for her, my arms ready to take her away from this demon.
Her shoes are slippery. The floor is slick with something wet and red. She runs diagonally, but her feet fail her. She keeps losing her balance. I run to meet her halfway. I’m not going to catch her in time.
Eury falls, and I watch her head hit the side of the pool. There is a loud thunk, and her whole body drops into the water.
“Goodbye, Pheus,” the monster says.
No. Damn. No. No.
I jump into the pool and drag Eury out. A trail of blood trickles down and spreads across the water. Eury’s eyes are closed.
“Eury, wake up. Wake the fuck up.”
There is a gash across her forehead. Blood.
“Eury, I’m right here. Wake up.”
She’s not moving. Naw. Fuck this shit. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.
I scream for help. This can’t be happening. The song continues to play in the background, and I keep yelling for someone, anyone, to hear me. I check her heart. Her wrists. How is it I forget everything I’ve seen on those countless medical shows on TV?
Penelope and Aaron rush toward me.
“What happened?” Penelope asks. She grabs hold of my suit. Her nails dig deep into my chest. Aaron dials 911. The fire alarm has been pulled. More people are finding the roof. There is a circle of onlookers. Penelope keeps screaming. Aaron tries to calm her down.
Stop screaming, Penelope. This isn’t over.
I use the sleeve of my shirt to dry Eury’s face. The wail of an ambulance can be heard. They are coming. I lean over her.
“Please, Eury,” I beg. “Wake up. Eury, I’m right here next to you. This is not how it ends for us. I won’t let it end.”
I kiss her cold cheek.
Eury, wake up.
Eury.
CHAPTER 22
Eury
Darkness.
CHAPTER 23
Pheus
Everything is wrong. People ask me questions, but I don’t remember responding. Papo Sileno, the owner of the club, eventually wakes up. He said he blacked out and fell.
“I was drunk,” Sileno says.
He’s lying through his teeth. I store his lies in the back of my mind for later use. When he least expects it, I’m going to rain down on him because what happened to Eury most definitely is tied to him.
Eury is only a few feet away. She’s surrounded by paramedics. The bouncers have pushed everyone to the side to give them space. Penelope is hysterical, crying on Aaron, who holds her tight.
The cops ask me questions, and I tell them what I know. I don’t tell them everything. The name Ato never escapes my mouth. I don’t feel his presence. Ato is gone.
“What hospital?” I yell when the paramedics pull the gurney holding Eury. They respond with Lincoln. “Lincoln is too far. Take her to Lebanon.”
“There’s been a fire,” the paramedic says. “Lincoln is our best bet right now.”
“I’m going.”
“We’re not done yet.”
A cop places his hand on my shoulder. He looks like every other cop out here. His partner is the good cop. She tries to be understanding, but it’s an act. This is a play I’ve been dragged into to perform a part I never wanted. Eury is being taken away. Her face is covered with an oxygen mask. My crumbling heart is replaced with rage.
“We will text when we get there,” Aaron says while keeping Penelope upright.
I sit down in a lounge chair. The cop continues to grill me. They ask me again and again what happened, and I repeat my version. I’m at fault here somehow. That may be true. I was too full of myself, soaking up the adoration of the audience instead of keeping Eury safe.
“I need to go,” I say. The cops won’t allow it.
“Just a few more questions,” they say.
I check the time. It speeds so fast. An hour goes by, and these cops continue to talk in circles. A half hour more, and I waste away while Eury is in Lincoln Hospital. Eury’s going to be all right. She is. I won’t accept any other reality.
“Where’s my son?” Pops pushes through the crowd. He gets up in the cop’s face. “He’s a minor.”
When I see him, I start to bawl like the day I found out my parents were getting a divorce. I can barely breathe. The emotions pour out.
“I tried to get to her, Pops, I swear.” I can’t stop crying.
“My son is done here,” Pops says. “He’s done.”
The cop opens his mouth to say something but changes his mind. They let me go. I gather my stuff. Jaysen holds on to my guitar. I need to bounce and follow Eury. I run down the steps of the club. Pops follows close behind.
“Hold on!” Pops stops me from running out on the street. “Take a deep breath. We’ll hail a cab and get you there.”
He blows a loud whistle and a cab shows up in no time. I can barely figure out what to do with myself. He directs me to the back seat of the car.
Damn. I replay the scene in my head. How Eury fell and there was nothing I could do. I need to know she’s okay. This cab isn’t going fast enough.
“What happened, son?” Pops asks me again. I shake my head. How do I begin?
“Eury said there was this …” I hesitate. I can tell Pops anything. I know he won’t judge. If anyone believes in unexplainable things, it would be him. Yet, I still can’t formulate the sentences.
I punked out before. I can’t repeat my mistakes.
“Eury said a spirit followed her from Puerto Rico to Tampa to here,” I say. “I didn’t believe her at first, Pops. I doubted her. Shunned her even when I actually saw the spirit with my own eyes.”
My head hurts from this pain.
“¿Un espíritu?” Pops shakes his head. He goes quiet as he deciphers this revelation. “And you saw it?”
I turn to him. “Yes. It was a boy. I saw him. Barefoot. He was there on the roof. There was a flash, Eury fell, and the spirit was gone.”
“You sure it wasn’t a boy from around here?”
“I don’t know. No. He wasn’t from here. He wasn’t real,” I say. “Eury was scared. She kept saying he wanted to take her. He calls himself Ato.”
“Ato.” Pops repeats the name.
I pound on the driver’s window. Tell him to go faster.
“When she first told me about Ato, I thought it was PTSD from the hurricane. Dad, he was on the roof. He took her.”
“Okay,” he says with the most serious face. “Let me think.”
While Pops does that, my mind races, and I absentmindedly start to recall Lincoln Hospital’s history. Lincoln was first called “The Home for the Colored Aged,” a place where former slaves could find services in their old age. When the hospital relocated from Manhattan to the Bronx, they renamed it after the president. In the seventies, the Latino activist group the Young Lords took over the hospital, demanding better service for the community. Back then the doctors there were considered butchers. They still haven’t lived down that reputation.
There are 347 hospital beds in Lincoln. One of the beds is where Eury lies.
Pops alerts the driv
er to pull in front of the entrance of the hospital. He gets out first. “I’ll wait out here for you,” he says. “Got to make some calls.”
There’s so much anger in this building. I’m adding to it because every single person I ask about Eury gets my fury. No one gives me a straight answer. I keep being sent from one window manned by a disgruntled worker to another. This woman right now tells me I have to be a relative to see her.
“I’m her brother,” I lie. She reluctantly directs me to the third floor.
The waiting room is crowded. Every seat taken by Penelope’s family. Aaron tells me Eury’s mom is on her way.
“Has anyone seen her?”
He shakes his head. I can’t stay here. I need to see her myself. Once I do, I can work out how best to help her. I leave before anyone starts asking me questions about what happened.
The hallways are endless. Eury is on the floor where they hold those in critical condition. Making sure the coast is clear, I open the first door. I apologize to the body lying there. I go to the next room. I know this isn’t right, but I keep doing it. After the fourth try, I finally find her. Eury.
She’s hooked up to machines making eerie sounds. The room is cold. How can she find her way back when there is nothing here reminding her of where she belongs?
“I’m so sorry, Eury. I messed up.”
I lay my hand atop hers. Her fingers are swollen from the needle feeding into her vein. Someone has placed a rosary around each of her wrists. The rosaries are small, circular, with tiny beads and a dangling silver cross.
Where are you, Eury? Where did Ato take you?
“Sir, you are not allowed in here.” The nurse has a weary face. She’s had this argument before. Can’t she see I’m different?
“I just want to see her for a second,” I beg.
“No, sir. Don’t make me call security,” she says. “Let us do our job.”
“What’s wrong with her?” I ask the nurse.
“You’ll have to wait for the doctor, who will speak to her family.”
The nurse refuses to answer any more questions. She offers no details. Not a single thing. If Eury is connected to the machines, then she must still be alive. She’s not completely gone.
Never Look Back Page 13
