2.

Joseph closed his eyes and opened them moments later.

--OK, I hope it won't take long.

Carlos swallowed his saliva. He watched his friend bend his head and hide it between his legs.

--Shit, shit, shit -he whispered-. I have to tell the others.

»Hey, check your back, it's urgent.

He had written the message and sent it to one of his friends. The same message he sent to four other people; writing fast and sometimes what he was writing didn't make any sense. The first person he sent asked why he had to look at his back. Carlos didn't have the words to describe that; as he could, he wrote:

»Something is wrong with Joseph, it has to do witj that time wr went to the river. Hr feels very bad; he os very bad. Just look at your back snd tell me if you see anything strange.

The second person to whom he sent the message in the same way asked what for, and Carlos answered in the same way as the first, without giving many details. His friend Erik, the first person, responded the next minute. He told him that there was nothing strange about him, everything was in order, and asked him again why he wanted him to see his back. He answered:

»Forr nothing, I was afraid pf one thing, bur I was wrong. Bye.

In the same way he answered his other friends.

They replied that there was nothing strange about his back, everything was in order. With that, Carlos was calm; nobody had anything of Joseph's. He put away his cell phone and walked at high speed to his friend, who was not seen breathing.

--Brother, are you okay? -he asked, touching his arm.

--Yes -he replied in a tired voice.

--How nice. Hey, do me a favor, let's get up and go to a hospital. At this point I told the doctor about what was happening to you and he told me to go immediately to a hospital because there is medical equipment there that can treat whatever you have. Help me get you up, okay?

Joseph looked his friend in the eyes, tired and somewhat dead, and nodded. He placed his face in the direction of the ground, where his cheeks swelled; it seemed that he wanted to vomit but only burped at that moment. He swallowed his saliva. He inhaled deeply, with pain every time he breathed. On the other hand, Carlos waited for his friend to start moving so he could take action too. He waited, but his friend gave no sign that he would try to get up.

--Joseph, are you going to get up?

--Yes -he answered, nodding-. I'm just a little tired, that's all; I feel something sucking the energy out of me every minute. I think I'm going to die any minute.

Carlos gave a shy smile.

--Don't say that; stop joking around. Come on, let's get up! We need to get you to a hospital right away.

Carlos looked at the front door after hearing knocking on it. From the way they pounded on the wood it seemed they were desperate for the door to open. He looked back at Joseph and asked in his face if he was expecting anyone. He didn't want to ask the question. He walked away from his friend a little, keeping his attention on him. He turned around and jumped to the door. He had a strange fear inside himself as he opened the door. As soon as he did, he saw a man of his own height, with hundreds of gray hairs in his sparse hair and along his cheeks. He was wearing a blue robe that reached his ankles, which camouflaged the pajamas that made him look fat. He was wearing black slippers that looked like these were a shoe size smaller than he usually wears. Carlos looked at him from top to bottom and stopped his gaze on the man's closed hand extended to the door. Maybe he wanted to knock on the door again and he opened it at that moment.

--Good evening -said the Lord.

Joseph looked back at the door where he could barely see the silhouette of his friend.

--Good evening -Carlos answered, nervously.

--I'm Josh Parker, the owner of the building; I want to know what's going on here.

--Carlos -Joseph whispered, but his voice wasn't loud enough for his friend to hear in the middle of his conversation with Mr. Parker.

--Hum…. Wait, it's not what it sounds like.

--Then what is it? Look kid, I don't know who you are. The neighbors said that you screamed and that they saw a mysterious boy pass by this hallway and enter the room. Tell me who you are? Or I'll call the police right now.

--Wait! I told you it's not...

--Carlos! -shouted Joseph at the top of his lungs.

He looked back. Josh walked over and looked at the inside of the room through the space on Carlos' shoulder. He saw Joseph standing a little away from the door, hands on his knees and... panting instead of breathing.

--What's going on here? -Josh asked.

Carlos looked back, jumping slightly. His tongue was too tangled to give a concise explanation. He blinked several times, extended his hands to the man and was going to tell him once more that it was nothing he could be thinking about, but Joseph, his voice tired and his head bowed, intervened.

--Mr. Parker, it's a misunderstanding. It's nothing that.... could be weighing on him. -He lifted his head-. I... I shouted a moment ago, but...

He bent his head to breathe. Carlos looked at his friend, then at Josh.

--Sir, are you a doctor?

The man frowned and laughed slightly.

--Do you see me looking like one?

--No. Well, it was just a question; we need a doctor urgently.

--Why? -he asked with a scowl-. What's going on here?

Carlos went back to see his friend; now he felt worse than before. He looked back at Josh.

--You had to come in. You have to see this.

He rushed in. He wanted to touch his friend, but he knew that was a bad idea.

--God, what do you got, brother?

--What's wrong with him?

Carlos looked at Parker.

--Look at this, have you ever seen anything like this in your life?

He circled his friend and pointed to Joseph's back. You could tell at that moment that Josh Parker was very afraid of what he was going to look at. He walked at a slow pace to where Carlos was, nervous. He had the same reaction as Carlos when he first saw Joseph's back. Josh walked backwards, eyes wide open, breathing slowly and having difficulty swallowing saliva. He covered his mouth with his right hand while frowning at his forehead.

--Boy, what happened to you? -What happened to you?

--We also ask ourselves the same questions.

Josh made a gesture, as if to want to vomit. He walked sideways, never taking his eyes off the boy's back, where every time he breathed in the seeds were sticking out.

--Have you called a doctor yet?

--Yes -Carlos nodded-. But... -he looked back at his friend-. Yes, I've already called, but they are going to take a while to come. I think we should go to a hospital, the nearest one, so that the doctors can see him.

--Yes, that's what you should do. -He continued walking sideways-. I'm going to call an ambulance right now, I won't be long.

He turned around and ran to the door with great vigor. He bumped into the door frame and then hit the wall opposite. He looked back at Carlos in terror and walked down a short hallway to the right.

--What happened in there? -asked a lady in her pajamas, in one of the doors of that hallway.

Parker stopped, his face a little pale, and looked at Mrs. Rodriguez.

--I thought I had seen everything in my life, but I was wrong -he said.

--What do you mean? -Mrs. Rodriguez asked with a scowl.

--What's wrong, Mom? -asked a boy behind the lady.

--Nothing, son. Don't worry about it.

Parker could barely see the boy. He stopped looking at the lady's face.

-A doctor must be called at once. A doctor! The police! The fire department! Pest control! Anyone, but come quickly!

Parker saw a boy of great stature behind the lady, perhaps he was about twenty-five years old.

--To the police! -What for?

--Go to sleep, son; it's nothing.

--I heard the screams too. Those came from Joseph's apartment. -He looked at Mr. Parker. Is he all right?

--No! -he said, shaking his head-. He's not all right. Call an ambulance, right now.

He reached into his pockets desperately.

--What's wrong with him, sir?

--I need a cigarette. -He looked her in the eye-. Call an ambulance, right now!

He looked to the right and without saying a word, ran in that direction towards some stairs.

--What's wrong with that man? He looked very scared. It seems that he saw a dead man.

Mrs. Rodriguez looked to the left and then looked at her son.

--We have to call an ambulance. Also the police. Run!

Carlos was walking back and forth, his hands shaking, watching his friend sitting on the furniture with his head down.

-Do you feel all right, friend? -he said in a nervous voice.

Joseph shook his head.

--I'm very cold.

--What?

He walked over. Carlos put his hands on his forehead and then on his cheeks.

--Joseph, you're boiling. And... you're shaking.

--I'm very cold.

--Come on. -He grabbed him by the hands-. We have to go to a hospital right now. Walk.

--Josh said he was going to call for help. He must be on his way. I want to wait here, I'm so cold and my bones hurt.

--What? -He put his hands on his head-. You're in bad shape, my friend. We have to get you to a hospital right away.

--My body hurts so much, I feel like I'm going to faint. I don't have the strength to walk all the way down.

Carlos put his hands on his waist.

--Okay, let's wait for help, but let's go to your room so you can go to bed.

There was silence.

--Joseph?

--Ok, Ok, I'm coming.

He put his hand on the edge of the furniture and tried to get up. If it hadn't been for Carlos being there at that moment, Joseph would have fallen to the floor. For no reason at all, Carlos felt that his friend's body was very heavy, heavier than you would expect from a skinny boy.

--Come on, walk, buddy; this way.

Joseph was dragging his feet; he didn't have enough strength to move his legs well. Carlos suppressed the urge to vomit at this point. When he was near his friend, a smell of wet skin and wet clothes fogged his nose. He pursed his mouth the moment he felt his friend was about to fall to the floor.

--Please help me! -he shouted, anguished.

--I just don't have much strength anymore.

--Ash! Don't say that, get some strength to walk somewhere; I can't help you all the way.

In that place, Carlos could observe in great detail the oedematous skin on his back, he could see the seeds clearly and noticed how those wanted to come out at the moment Joseph was breathing. His heart was pounding as he looked at the giant follicle on the right side of his back; it looked like it was going to burst at any moment... He noticed something, something that made him open his eyes as much as possible. He stopped and said:

--Wait!

--What is it?

--Can you stand for a moment?

--What? -he said, puckering his face.

--I'm going to let go, so get some strength from somewhere to stand up, okay?

His friend nodded. Slowly Carlos took his hands off his friend's arms and took a few steps back. Joseph staggered as soon as his friend let go. Carlos approached to catch his friend before he fell straight to the ground, but Joseph was able to stay on his feet.

--You tell me if you need help.

Joseph nodded. His stomach tightened and his cheeks swelled; it looked like he wanted to vomit.

--Are you okay?

--Yes.

--Okay, just stay right there. Tell me if you need help or if you're going to pass out, okay?

He walked over to his friend's back, biting his nails. He didn't want to have that image near his eyes again, but he didn't have another one. He closed his eyes when he was facing Joseph's back. He opened his eyes and paid attention to the follicle. He took a step forward and put his face behind his friend's back. The smell of wet skin made he want to vomit again. A second ago he had noticed movement in the area he was observing. He has no idea if what he observed was a product of his imagination or was a real event. He frowned his mouth and forehead as soon as he was near that giant follicle filled with a white substance. He frowned. He had noticed movement again. It was... as if there was something inside the skin, in the middle of that white substance, shaking the follicle like a balloon. He blinked several times and came even closer to the fleshy, sebum-filled pimple (perhaps that is the best description of the follicle). At first, and before, I noticed it as a normal grain with a surprising size, but after paying attention to it, I noticed that this white substance, tallow, had a shape. He put his face away for a second and then brought it back closer.

--What's going on, Carlos?

--No, nothing, just relax. Stand up for a moment more, please.

--I'll try.

Carlos swallowed his saliva, filling himself with more disgust. From the position he was in he knew that the white substance had a shape, he saw it move and shake inside the follicle, but he couldn't find any shape.

«What is that? -he thought-. Why didn't you take a bath, my friend? Why? He's right, it's all my fault; it's my fault that he has those... things on his back. I wish I could turn back time.»

--What's wrong, Carlos? Is there something wrong with my back? Tell me.

--No! -He surrounded his friend and stopped face to face with him-. Don't get upset. Breathe. -He inhaled and motioned to Joseph to do the same. He breathed out and gestured for Joseph to do the same-. Alright. There is nothing to worry about. Soon a doctor will come to help you.

--Yes, you are right; it will be a short time before this is over.

--Hey… -He scratched his head, pursing his mouth-. I want to ask you… another favor.

Joseph frowned, a little intimidated.

--What?

--Don't be scared, my friend.

-Tell me what you want to ask me.

-Let's see, you haven't relaxed. Breathe. -He inhaled.

--Tell me what it is.

Carlos looked to the side.

--You have something stuck in that giant pimple.

--What?

He glanced back at his back at great speed.

--Where?

He turned in a circle, his head turned back.

--Where is it? What is it?

--Easy does it, friend. -He grabbed his arms and stopped him-. Just calm down. Breathe. -He inhaled and his friend did the same. He exhaled and Joseph did the same-. Okay, don't worry, it's not bad. Maybe I'm wrong. -He swallowed saliva-. It seems to me that something is inside that pimple and it's moving. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong. I'm telling you this so you won't be surprised later.

--But what is it? -he shouted.

--I don't know, I can't find any resemblance to anything I've seen before.

Joseph took a deep breath.

--Carlos, you're not hiding anything from me?

--Of course not, I am sincere.

--Look again! Maybe you were wrong.

--Yes, right now.

It was real. The moment he turned his attention to that place, he saw the white substance move to the sides of the grain, as if it wanted to escape.

--Don't you feel anything?

--No, nothing, why?

--It's just that this thing is moving. You don't feel anything?

He heard Joseph's shrieks.

--No.

Carlos frowned as he brought his face closer to the point. He brought the index finger of his right hand closer to the point, remembering not to touch it. He saw something sticking out of the follicle, other than a small white doughy mass. It was... it looked very much like a hair, a very thick one.

«What is this?»

--What's wrong, man?

--Hum… Uh... you don't have any hair on your back, do you?

-Of course not, look with your own eyes, I don't have any on my back. -Why are you asking me that?

Carlos swallowed his spit.

--For no reason... Well, you've got something here, I'm going to take it out.

--It's-It's okay, go on.

He put his thumb to his index finger and surrounded the thick hair. Something inside himself told him not to. His heart beat faster. He bent his head down to breathe. He puffed up his cheeks and deflated them. He puckered his mouth while squeezing the thick hair tightly. In his mind he counted backwards from number 3... 2... 1... Without wasting any time, he pulled that hair tightly. It was not difficult to pull it out, it was like pulling a plant out of a muddy field; in fact, it was like pulling out a plant. As he pulled the thick hair out of the grain, a thread of concentrated blood formed and followed the same trajectory that Carlos was pulling the hair. Joseph fell to the ground with his face, convulsing and...

--Aggg! -he shouted louder than before.

Carlos opened his eyes so wide that it looked like these were going to come out of their sockets. He looked at the hair in the middle of his trembling fingers, it looked like a short root with its branches and was full of concentrated, dark-colored blood. He dropped the hair, horrified and full of disgust. He looked back at his friend, who was screaming and howling, rolling on the floor. His hands shook as soon as he paid attention to the granule. That area... was changing color. He saw how around the white substance there were red spots that later became purple. That area was already very purple, as if it had been hit.

--Aggg! -grumbled his friend, jumping on the ground.

He put his hands on his head.

--Forgive me, my friend; forgive me.

--Aggg!

Joseph moved and stood on his side. His face was purple and there were many veins on his neck and face sticking out. He coughed at that moment. A lot of saliva came out of Joseph's mouth as he was panting. He stood up slowly and in a lot of pain.

--Friend, are you okay?

He walked over to him.

--Let go of me! -he shouted-. Don't touch me. Don't touch me.

--I didn't know, forgive me.

He touched his arm.

--Don't touch me, please. My back hurts so much, I feel like my skin is being cut from the inside. -He paused for a breath-. Are the doctors coming? -he whispered.

--Right now, just hold on.

Carlos looked back. The granule was a purple flesh stain. He covered his mouth with his hand. He noticed that something moved in that place and... For a moment Carlos saw that the thing inside tried to get out; he saw how the granule inflated and how something was sticking out inside the grain.

--Oh God, Joseph. You've got something in that grain. It's going to come out any minute.

--What?

He looked back, but it was no use, he couldn't see the bean.

--What is it, Carlos? Tell me!

--I don't know. But it's going to pop up any minute.