NEFERTARY
El juego ha comenzado (Parte II)
After an hour and a half of driving, I've arrived. I don't even bother putting a foot outside the car. It's already 10:37 a.m., and apparently, there's no sign of the people I don't want to run into right now.
I take a deep breath. The damn car door shouldn't scare you, Nefertary, although opening that door is showing me the dreadful reality: that he is dead. 'He's not dead yet, you know.'
Without thinking twice, I get out of the car, enter the cemetery, and go in search of his grave. I find it, exactly where Steven had told me. No one's around, which is better. Cemeteries are so silent and lonely they rarely have visitors.
— I think this is going to become my favorite place, don't you think? — I hate feeling tense —. Why hadn't I discovered it before? — 'He's not going to answer you, Nefertary.'
— There are things I don't understand, there have always been things I haven't understood. Then you came to clarify, to explain those things, although sometimes it ended up worse than before. I won't cry for you, my mourning hasn't started — I let out the breath I'd been holding in anger —. I will find the bastard who put you in this damn grave, far from me. You're not dead to me yet, you're just on a nasty business trip with no set date to return to the Gregorio Ibagon mansion — tears run down my cheeks, wetting them —. 'How much I hate this' — I don't want to lose myself, father, I don't want to feel this that I'm feeling, this that you're making me feel. I hate it, I hate being like this, and you have no idea how confused I am… — I wipe my tears —. You have no idea. You know? When I found out you were gone, I felt a huge emptiness that I'm filling with hate. This world is already shit enough. I will find the animal that did this to you, I'll find them, I'll torture them like you can't imagine, I'll make them wish they were in the fucking hell I live in — I pause to fill my lungs with air —. You're alive, until I come to terms, until I recognize you're dead. You're not getting away from me that easily, Mr. Ibagon.
" — If I die first, before you… — I break the silence in this room.
— Stop talking about things that won't happen, Nefertary — obviously this topic isn't of interest.
— It's just a saying — I say in my defense.
— Well, I don't want to talk about it, and it will never happen — he's annoyed.
— Sometimes you, Mr. Ibagon, aren't as mature as you seem.
— And sometimes you, Miss Ibagon, like to challenge me — now he's relaxed, I laugh at that.
— Why deny something that's true — I shrug.
— You won't stop until you say it, right? — I smile at him.
— Of course not. Your fate isn't sealed. If I were the first to die, what would you do?
— It's clear, I would look for your killer, do to them what they did to you, although… — he pauses — I know it wouldn't bring you back. You're the most sacred thing I have, father. What would you do?
— I would have no limits. Anyone who stopped me from finding your killer, whoever they are, I'd kill without hesitation. And whoever killed you… will have the worst hours of their life. My imagination would run wild.
— There's something else, say it — he commands.
— You will be alive until I accept it, until I acknowledge you're dead. You won't get away from me that easily, even if you're already dead — he just smiles at those words.
— Why don't you… just live your life and let me rest?
— Why don't you do the same?
— Because you're my daughter. Besides, I've already lived a long time, you… are just beginning, Nefertary. I fear you'll lose control of yourself — there's sadness in those words.
— You're my father, the only person who knows every imperfection, who accepts me as I am and doesn't ask for perfection, who doesn't have blinders on, the only one who really knows me, the only person who matters to me in this world. Why would I go on living as if nothing happened? — I breathe deeply.
— It's not your madness controlling you, it's your hate. Your anger, you never knew how to control it. I haven't been able to help you, everything I've done has been useless — disappointed in himself, 'you don't have to.'
— You've made me a better person, you've helped me, father — he laughs out loud.
— You're blind, Nefertary. You don't see it, you never will or maybe you do, but you ignore it. Reasoning with you, making you understand, is like trying to have a conversation with these walls, waiting for an answer that will never come — he gets up from his seat —. Have a great afternoon and don't come tonight, take the night off — he leaves. "
— Nefertary Ibagon — someone says behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.
— Get lost, I'm not in the mood for interviews — I answer grumpily.
— Sorry to disappoint you, I'm not a reporter looking for an exclusive interview — I turn to look at him. He has a faded smile on his face —. I just wanted to offer my condolences.
— What are you doing here, Mathias? — I don't want anyone's pity.
— My mother's grave is here too — I look back at the grave and fall silent —. Actually, I also wanted to… apologize to you for how I treated you at school, I didn't know that...
— Does it still hurt? — I interrupt him —. Does her death still hurt?
— Not as much as before. I can understand what you're going through, Nefertary — I stay quiet —. And if you need to talk to someone, to vent, you can count on me — this is ridiculous.
— Do you know me, Mathias? What do you want from me? — I can imagine his confused face right now.
— I don't understand what you mean — I turn to confront him.
— Do you know who I really am? What I did to get your damn attention? If you know the path you're getting into? Why you did what you did at the party? That's what I want to know — I don't look away as I say every one of those words, 'I have to get out of this now,' he takes a few seconds to answer.
— I know you're the typical perfect girl, spoiled by her parents, the popular one at school… that's what I know from others. But when I first saw you, you were defending a girl from another who was humiliating her in the cafeteria. Maybe the others turned a blind eye to how that girl changed your attitude when she called you "daddy's girl." The kind and sweet girl was gone. Your stance changed, maybe I wasn't close enough to see you holding back from doing something. You intimidated her because then she just left… like… like the roles had switched — he breathes deeply —. At the party I wanted to prove that you only self-control, that you weren't yourself. Maybe I took a risk, although my suspicions were right in the end. It was stupid, I know. But torturing my mind so much, I also remembered that you're that girl who walks through a very dangerous German neighborhood — of course, that's why it seemed familiar, if this isn't our first meeting.
— You're very impulsive. You don't know me at all. It's better you stay away from me, Ludwig.
— Not before knowing what ties you up from being yourself? The girl you pretend to be in society and then the one at the party… Who are you really, Nefertary Ibagon? — I can't answer his questions; it would expose me more than I already have —. You're not like the rest — of course not —. You're like a box of unpredictable surprises, there are so many things that make you a mystery.
— That's a lot of questions, Mathias — I answer cautiously.
— Just two — that's the problem.
— Maybe everything has an explanation, but I won't tell you. Although… do you still have that crazy idea of "releasing the monster"? If yes, I'll let you in and if not, we'll be strangers.
— Let me in where exactly? — 'you're very curious'
— Into my life. All your questions will be answered, but — nothing is that simple.
— But what?
— Are you willing to release the monster, Mathias Ludwig? — 'just give up'
— Yes, I'm willing to release the real Nefertary Ibagon — Do you like challenges too?
— Why?
— I have a feeling you're the worst kind of hypocrite. Also, it's stupid that people idolize you like you're a goddess when you're a person hiding something, pretending to be someone you're not. I want to take that blindfold off people's eyes.
— Do you owe those people something? Have they asked you to show them the monster?
— No, I just want to set you free — 'then it's something personal beyond just liberation, maybe injustice?' I close the distance between us, standing just a few centimeters away.
— Welcome to my world, Ludwig — I drag his last name —. I hope your attitude doesn't change at all. I won't be responsible for anything and when you want to blame me, I'll remind you I let you choose. You wanted the complicated, so you are and will be the one to blame — I kiss his cheek —. I won't take care of your misfortunes — I leave the place, leaving him with doubts, 'more than he already has.'
This will be fun like you have no idea. Will you live or die, Mathias? It will be interesting to see if a simple person survives my world.
I take my phone out of my bag.
~ Stevens, do you have the rats yet?
~ We only have the girl, we're in the process of capturing the other one, Miss — he answers on the other side of the line.
~ I'm on my way, I'll arrive in three hours. When I get there, I'll start with her, and when I'm done I hope to have everything ready, move your fucking ass — I hang up and proceed to call Nat, who takes a while to answer.
~ You never notify anything, as always — I don't care.
~ How's everything over there?
~ No one knows you left the mansion. Your servants are very loyal — of course, the last one who couldn't keep her mouth shut is now without a hand and without fingers in case she tries to write.
~ What about her?
~ Well, I say she knows already, but she doesn't care much. If that was all, see you tonight. Enjoy your afternoon — she hangs up.
— I will enjoy it, without a doubt.
✧────── ༉───✦───༉ ─────✧
The best place to commit your crimes would be the forest, a cabin that at first glance looks completely normal, when in reality it's just a facade. No one would imagine that part of that cabin has a secret underground entrance that, eight meters below ground, as big as Jakob Park Stadium—the largest in Switzerland—there is a room—or, in more detailed terms, a vault—in the shape of a rectangle that has 26 rooms just for torture, alphabetically numbered, and another 14 for other uses, numbered with Roman numerals. With a total of 40 rooms, it's a whole criminal world.
— Good afternoon, miss.
— The report. Where is she? — 'Welcome to my sweet home.'
He hands it to me.
— There's the data on the girl. — I laugh.
— People who come here are no longer human beings but animals to be sacrificed, since they're a burden to this world. Let that be very clear. — I give him a crooked smile. That seems to bother him. 'New idiots.'
— Understood, miss. She's in room L. — The rooms are like those used to interrogate people when police capture them; you can see every person they're torturing. 'They don't see you, but you see them.' The hallway is white, not the same with the rooms, which stand out with a beautiful red color as decoration. In some of them there are corpses; in others, cleaning is going on.
— Open the door. — I tell one of my employees as we arrive at the room whose name doesn't matter at all.
— Miss, aren't you going to wear the mask? — he asks me.
— No. Unless I make a pact with Lucifer, which I doubt. — with that, he opens the door and I enter.
Tied by hands and feet with chains, sleeping peacefully on the floor… she's beautiful, no doubt. Too bad she got in my way. I take a seat in a chair in front of her at an appropriate distance.
— Do it now. — the man obeys the order and throws a bucket of cold water on her. The poor girl gets up like a frightened little animal from the ground, alert.
— You may leave now; I'll take care of it. — I tell the man, who obeys and leaves me alone with this parasite in front of me.
— Renet Nedelec… you even sound like you come from royalty with that name. — I say while reading the document.
— Who are you? — I stop reading the document. What a stupid question. If they're ever kidnapped, just tell the kidnapper: 'How do you torture to death?' Believe me, they'll be surprised by that question.
— Please, help me? My father has enough money, everything… whatever you want, he can give it to you, so… just ask for the amount you want. — her voice tries to control itself to not sound so desperate, but unfortunately it fails. Terror is clearly seen in her eyes. I've lost count of how many times I've heard those words.
— Tell me something, please. — she asks me, waiting for a response from my silence.
— Just look at me carefully, Renet. Do you think the way I'm dressed right now means I need your father's stupid money? — I pause —. You've made a big mistake… the worst one, I'd say.
— I don't understand. What mistake did I make? — how shameless, and she says it so innocently.
— Getting involved with a minor while you're older than him. Besides getting in my way, of course. — that beautiful combination of her green eyes and red hair… no one will see it anymore. 'Too bad, it reminded me of Christmas, which is as stupid as she is.'
— No… I don't remember meeting you. I think… you've mistaken me for someone else. — that makes me laugh.
— My dear Renet, I never make mistakes. Now, without wasting more time… shall we play? — her face is one of absolute confusion and terror —. Well, I suggest we play the wheel. You know what the game consists of, right? — I wait for her answer.
— No… I don't know what it consists of.
— Okay, then I'll tell you. — Taking time to answer someone in this condition makes her more nervous and fearful than she already is, so I do it. Both physical and mental torture will always be my games — The game consists of breaking all the bones in the limbs of a rat, avoiding killing it. Once completed, the rat is tied to a wheel which is spun until it causes its death.
— If I do it right… can I leave? — she asks scared.
— Of course. — I give her a gentle smile, which seems to calm her a bit.
— I don't know who sent you to play this stupid joke on me for sleeping with guys one or two years younger than me… or as you said a few minutes ago, underage boys. — she sighs —. For a moment I thought you were going to do something to me. — I'll regret ruining her peace and pathetic conclusion. 'No, of course not.'
— Could you free me from these chains? They hurt me.
— I think you haven't understood well, Renet.
— Yes, I have. This is just a joke Roset sent you to make me stop sleeping with younger boys, since she's the only one who knows. 'Yes, it's definitely her.' — Be happy, don't laugh. She's so stupid. — Where you only have to kill or torture a poor defenseless little animal, and whoever does it best wins.
— I don't know who this Roset is… and we won't torture a four-legged rat, but a two-legged one.
— What? — she says confused.
— The rat is you, my dear Renet. — I love how the little reddish color she had on her face is gone, leaving her paler than paper —. I see you don't… want to play that, hmm. There's also skin removal. Let me explain: it's based on the rat being tied — 'it can be feet or lying down' — so it can't move and then skin is cut strip by strip. The rat can die from blood loss, shock, infections, hypothermia, etc.
— Stop joking. — she starts to panic —. ROSET, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU'RE HIDING! I'VE LEARNED MY LESSON! — she quickly loses composure.
— Renet, my dear Renet.
— What!? — she says in panic.
— Today is your last breath and the last day you will live. — I give her a crooked smile.
— I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!
— Well, you better calm down and, back to the subject… those games I mentioned are my favorites, but I'll make an exception. — her eyes fill with hope.
— Wh… what exception? — how many more times will I see tears slide down my parasites' cheeks, 'it's fascinating to watch how it slides down the cheek to the chin.'
— You know, my dream, my big dream is to be a surgeon. A shame that, being the sole heir, I won't make it happen and I'll have to study another career to keep the companies running. — I take a deep breath and exhale — If we're going to play, sure. You'll be the patient, not a real rat. It'll be an open heart surgery, one of my favorites. I just can't promise you'll live, since the last four patients who played the operating room game with me didn't survive. — I fake sadness at the last part, while she can't process anything I've said. 'What a cowardly bitch.' — As you see, I can't do surgery like this with these expensive and elegant clothes, so I'm going to change. I promise I won't take more than 15 minutes. — As soon as I get up from the chair and turn my back, she starts screaming for help.
— Bring the toys for the game. — I tell the man outside the door, who just nods at my orders.
As I head to one of the main rooms to change, I read the document I left halfway through. 'I don't want to miss a single thing about that fucking bitch.'
— Burn this. If anyone not in this organization has it in their hands, believe me, I'll burn you alive for such a serious fault. — I tell the guard in the main room, who opens the door to let me in.
Here there are only my personal things. It's more like an office with a closet full of clothes, appropriate outfits for each game, and now, the one I'm interested in I'm looking at right now. I don't have all the time in the world, so I start undressing to put on that beautiful black surgeon outfit. I'd say it's my favorite color, if it weren't for turquoise, which makes me think I can be normal 'sometimes.'
— I told you I wouldn't take long, my dear Renet. — I say as I enter the room.
— FUCKING BITCH, LET ME GO ALREADY! — 'Don't stoop down, Nefertary.'
— Ohh, I think you've lost your manners. Maybe you don't like being on the operating table all… naked. — I say calmly — Well, here we go… do you want me to use the proper surgery tools or the informal ones, which are kitchen kni…
— SHUT UP, BITCH! I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING TO YOU, CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?! — I just mock her.
— You're not the first, nor will you be the last to insult me and say this is a mistake, "that I have the wrong person." — I grab the photo on the table where the toys are and show it to her —. Do you recognize him? — before she didn't understand, now she can start putting the puzzle together with the missing piece, the damn bitch — You met him this week, a clandestine party in one of your cabins in the forest, daddy's gift at 18, right? — when hate starts to flow in the blood, fear disappears for a while in some people — Mathias Ludwig… he's handsome, only 17 years old. I have a doubt that's killing me… Is he… good in bed? — I leave the photo on the table. 'Now mute, stupid.' — He must be, since you couldn't control your moans that night. — she clenches her jaw and looks away —. You have to blame him. If he hadn't gotten involved in my life, I wouldn't care about what he did with his. At the party you were a fucking bitch; in the room, you were a total slut who confessed her number one hobby is sleeping with younger boys. — she mocks.
— Apparently, you don't have enough experience and you don't satisfy him in bed as much as I do… — I stab the knife into her right leg before finishing the sentence, 'which I grabbed in a quick movement fueled by rage.' She screams in pain.
— FUCKING CRAZY!
I approach her and grab her jaw roughly.
— I heard 33 minutes of your fucking moans of pleasure, it's only fair that now I hear those of pain, don't you think, useless parasite? — I release her jaw and pull out the knife from her leg. Doing that, her skin is stained with that fascinating wine-red color.
— Time to use the kitchen utensils.
— You'll pay for this, bastard. — she says between her teeth.
— I have to admit Ludwig doesn't have bad taste. It's a shame no other guy can appreciate your nakedness anymore. — I say trying to counter her provocations — Now, I need you not to move much since I don't want to damage other organs when I make the incision. — I slide the tip of the knife from her chest down to her navel, leaving a line of her own blood along the way —. If I were you, I wouldn't fear death; it's part of the life cycle. Don't make sudden movements; I'm not using anesthesia.
— HELP ME, PLEASE! — how pathetic.
I try to make the cut between her breasts, but this idiot makes it harder by moving so much.
— If you don't stop moving, you won't live half an hour.
— HELP, PLEASE, HELP ME! — I won't even waste my saliva on her.
I start making the incision, with her moving the whole time. 'I have to admit she has guts; another rat would have stayed still.'
The moment the knife pierces her skin, her blood starts staining her soft and beautiful pale flesh, giving life to her body, accompanied by sweet screams of pain. I slide the knife down to the end of the sternum bone, which I can see thanks to the large opening I made.
Well, my dear Renet, you survived the first step of this operation. —she looks at me with anger— I'm sorry to say I don't have good news for you. —I fake sadness— Now comes the hard part, where most of my patients almost die… or die.
— Bitch, you'll rot in hell.
— I'll make pacts with Lucifer, don't worry about that. —I give her a crooked smile— To get through this bone and reach your heart, I don't know whether to use a saw or an axe… I'd use the knife, but it would break before the bone. —I pretend to think about the decision, seeing her terrified face, knowing she'll die today, that she can't say goodbye to anyone, hating life or fate for being so unfair to her— The axe wins.
— I promise I won't tell anyone, please… let me live, let me go. —I take her pulse, it's a little weak.
I grab the axe next to the table and prepare to give two first chops right where the sternum bone is. This splashes blood on my face, which doesn't bother me at all and I ignore. I could feel the axe piercing the bone without any problem, enough to stop.
"— Mathiassss — she screams his name. I need to control myself before going in there and killing her, but her stupid moans are torture for me.
— I'd say you're insane, though that wouldn't be so offensive anymore — he makes one of his low comments that I don't care about — Woo, Mathias is amazing in bed, right? Maybe I could pro…
— Don't even think about it, Natacha. Erase that idea from your stupid head — I interrupt her.
— I didn't say anything, but the poor 'not so poor' girl is being given a fucking orgasm from… hell — I look at her — I mean, based on her moans — I roll my eyes — I've been here 17 minutes and I'm not staying any longer. I'll enjoy a party. Enjoy filling your soul with more hate… if you even have one. Goodbye — she leaves, leaving me alone.
Damn useless parasite, your days are numbered. You'll curse the day you decided to mess with Mathias Ludwig, I'll make you hate that day with your whole wretched being. "
My blood boils just remembering it. I increase the strength of the chops I keep giving her, knowing I'm shattering her heart. This also creates a huge pool of blood on her chest, whose blood starts staining the room with every chop I give her fucking corpse.
— Miss, Mr. Klaus Fischer, your first rat, is already waiting for you — Steven makes me stop and I look at him.
— Well done, Steven. In about 5 minutes I'll be with him — with that he leaves and I go back to Renet's body, a little calmer.
— Honestly, I got carried away by anger, my dear Renet, my sincere apologies. If your heart hadn't been shattered before, this time it is. This operation was a complete failure — I should have a painting made of this scene, it's spectacular, perfect.
I leave the room with the axe in my right hand, 'dramatic entrances are a must.'
— Here's your mask, it's in room G — I take the mask Steven offers me and put it on as we head to the room, ready for the show in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
— Call me names and make up all these stories
I would kill for a life that ain't boring
I'm lots of things but not sorry — I enter singing one of my favorite songs, 'how I love these terrified faces' — Mr. Klaus Fischer, how have they treated you? — I say cheerfully.
— Who are you? And what am I doing here? — he asks. He looks like an innocent old man, though if that were true he wouldn't be here.
— Who am I? Excellent question — I start pacing the room — I'm the one who decides if you live or die.
— I haven't done anything wrong, please… this must be a mistake — here we go again.
I stop pacing and look him straight in the eyes.
— Mr. Fischer, I've had a bad afternoon. The surgery I was performing didn't go as planned — I pause — So I kindly ask we stop asking and saying stupid, absurd things, and think about what we've done to end up here — he swallows hard — The first thing you need to know is that if I take this mask off, you'll be dead. As long as you have it on, you're safe. Second, answer every question honestly.
— You're making a mistake, but…
— SHUT UP! — does this old man not listen, or what? — Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, it just seems you didn't hear or understand what I said at the beginning. The report — Steven hands me the folder with his info — British, 63 years old, has lived here since he was 30 with his wife, who died last year. He has a 19-year-old granddaughter from a rape of his adopted daughter, who died in a car accident 5 years ago. His granddaughter is in her first year at university, studying biology. Is this true? — I ask.
— Yes… yes it's true — why do they always take so long to answer?
— Okay. Apparently you haven't been to jail. Why…? Forget it, I see why you were part of this — I look at him — Now, you know why you're here. I want names or identikits of people. You've only made one mistake in your entire life. Just cooperate and you'll get a second chance.
— I don't know what you're talking about — so this is how we're going to play.
— Fine, Mr. Fischer. You tried to act smart, I'll show you who's the crazy one here. Your best option was to cooperate and be good friends, you and I. You didn't want that, so we'll play, and I have the perfect game for you: the Chinese water torture. Shall I explain? — I wait for his answer, which doesn't come — Playing tough here is being hypocritical with cowardice — he just looks at me.
— This game consists of you lying on your back on a flat surface, tied by arms and legs. Above you, an IV drip will release small drops of water, usually on the forehead. The drop will fall every 5 seconds, always in the same spot. When everything is ready and working, the room will be darkened. Extra info for you, Klaus Fischer: a mask will be placed on your head, which you won't be able to move—not one centimeter to the right, left, up, or down. Besides the room being dark, your eyes will also be covered. It's not a physical game, but a psychological one — I pause to breathe — The first stage will last 14 hours. Someone will come in to see if you've decided to talk. If not, the second stage will last 24 hours. Someone will come again to see if you talk. If not, the third stage will last 37 hours, if you survive, of course. Since each stage resets from zero, that would total 75 hours. You won't be given food or water, unless you can drink the drops that fall on your forehead, which I doubt. You might live a few hours longer. A tip: confess in the first stage. When everything is ready for the game, take him to room Z.
I leave the room and take off the mask.
— An unfair dismissal, plus an illness with expensive treatment, economic problems start to arise… so we look for the easiest and most dangerous way out, don't you think, Steven?
— Yes, miss. The misfortune of the most vulnerable — he says resentfully.