Friday, October 28, 2016 (11/76)

— Me: Who's there?

The indistinct silhouette at the other end of the hallway becomes clearer as the flickering light of a porch flashlight draws nearer. The light dances on the cold walls of the administrative building, finally revealing the identity of the approaching figure. It's one of the security guards, Julio. His eyes are bloodshot, and his usually pale cheeks are now a deep red, almost frightening. His steps are unsteady, as if he's struggling to maintain his balance.

— Julio: Ah, my… my sister, it's you… hic?

— Me: Yes, it's just me, Julio. You gave me quite a scare!

Julio, barely able to stand straight, tries to pull himself together to look more professional, but he wobbles again. The situation is strange, and I start to feel a twinge of worry rising within me.

— Julio: Ah, I'm sorry, that… hic… wasn't my intention. I came to see who was here at such a late hour in the administrative building. I wanted… hic… I wanted to fight… fight like Julius Caesar!

He raises his fist proudly, as if holding an invisible sword, but his gesture lacks coordination, and he nearly loses his balance. His reference to Julius Caesar is as disordered as his state, and I can't help but smile at this surreal scene.

— Me: Ah yes, that's right, you've got a sharp eye.

— Julio: Ooh, don't flatter me, my sister. It's the technology doing all the work, you know.

— Me: Oh, what technology? I have to admit, I'm not really familiar…

— Julio: Actually, there are cameras and lighting with motion sen… sen…

He stops, desperately searching for the word, but his muddled mind can't find it. He frowns as if the term is just beyond his grasp.

— Julio: Aah, I can't quite remember the name.

— Me: It's okay. But I wonder, how did you get to level 0 so quickly?

Julio leans in a bit closer, his red eyes squinting as he looks at me with a conspiratorial expression.

— Julio: Aah, it's a secret. Don't tell anyone… hic… but there are emergency stairs!

— Me: Really? But where?

— Julio: You don't know? Haha! On every level, there's a door at the back. That's where the stairs are, from the ground floor up to level 3. Not bad, huh?

He laughs, a laugh that is both nervous and proud, as if he has just shared a state secret with me. His condition makes me uncomfortable, but I decide not to upset him.

— Me: Yes, that's clever. Well, I must go; I have an urgent call to make.

I start to walk away, relieved to be leaving this strange scene, but I barely reach the door when Julio's voice stops me in my tracks. He calls my name, his tone more urgent this time.

— Julio: Wait, wait, wait!

I turn around, my heart beating faster.

— Me: Yes, I'm listening?

— Julio: I need to know why you came to the administrative building alone in the middle of the night. It's… hic… my job, sorry my sister, it's the usual procedure, I need to note this down in the logbook…

His voice betrays a clumsy sincerity. Despite his pitiful state, he seems determined to do his duty.

— Me: Alright. Look, I had forgotten my phone on my desk, and I just realized it. It's my mother's birthday in a few hours, so I absolutely had to get my phone. You understand, it couldn't wait until tomorrow—it's my mother, after all.

Julio blinks, slowly absorbing my words, then nods gravely.

— Julio: Yes, I… I think that's understood. I'll go back to tell all the alert information to my colleague Alfredo. Have a good evening, my sister.

— Me: Thank you, and may the Lord protect you.

— Julio: Thank you, my sister.

As I'm about to leave for good, a thought crosses my mind. How could Alfredo have let Julio, in this state, go to check on what was happening alone? Just as I start to turn away, Julio calls out to me again.

— Julio: My sister, I have one last question…

— Me: Yes, I'm listening?

Julio steps forward a few paces, his voice lowering to almost a whisper, as if he's about to share the greatest of secrets.

— Julio: Do you think God forgives everything? Even a very great sin? Even a very great sin committed with full consciousness?

His question is heavy with meaning, and a wave of discomfort ripples through the air. His eyes search mine, and for the first time, I see the true fear within him. Something is eating away at him from the inside, something deep, something dark.

— Me: I can see that this sin is eating away at your mind… What kind of sin is it, that it makes you tremble just to mention it?

Julio seems on the verge of speaking, to unburden himself of the weight he carries, but at that precise moment, his colleague Alfredo emerges from the shadows. Unlike Julio, Alfredo appears perfectly fine, both physically and mentally. His gaze, however, is hard, piercing, almost intimidating.

— Alfredo: Good evening, my sister. Come on, Julio, I think you need to rest a bit.

— Me: Good evening…

I watch him take Julio away, a growing weight on my heart. This interruption has left me with a sense of unfinished business, as if an essential truth has slipped through my fingers. To be continued… because what just happened is not very clear. I hope to have an opportunity to speak with him tomorrow.