Carlos was breathing heavily. He looked at his son, then at Lorena. Since the accident at school, everything had become unbearable. The doctor had said the cast should only be a little uncomfortable, nothing more. But Mateo wasn’t eating, wasn’t sleeping, he was trembling, sweating, and talking about “little legs” moving under his skin.
Rosa, the nanny who had worked in the house for years, watched from the hallway, her heart heavy. She had noticed something different. A strange smell in the room. It wasn’t sweat. It wasn’t old plaster. It was a sweet, heavy aroma, mixed with something sick.
As she went to change the sheet, she saw a small red ant crossing the pillow. It wasn’t going toward the floor. It walked straight to the opening in the cast and disappeared there.
“Mr. Carlos…” Rosa said, pale. “There’s something inside.”
Carlos let out a bitter laugh.
—She must be hiding candy. Clean it up well and don’t give her any more ideas.
Mateo looked at her with tears in his eyes.
—Nana… I’m not crazy.
That same night, Carlos took a belt and tied his son’s good wrist to the bed to stop him from hitting himself.
And Lorena smiled slightly, as if everything was going exactly as she had planned.
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