Augusto felt a sensation that someone was watching them. He turned his head to the side, scanning the stretch of pine forest, but saw nothing. Elisa noticed her husband looking toward the woods and asked what was wrong. The doctor replied it was nothing, that he was just admiring the trees and how beautiful they were. He didn't want to worry his wife and son unnecessarily.
Shortly after afternoon coffee, Elisa called her husband to come inside; she needed help preparing dinner. Augusto called to his son and said:
— Champ, let's go inside and help with dinner. You can stay out here and play, but be careful near the cliff and don't go into the forest. We don't know what kind of animals might be in there...
The boy nodded and went back to running across the property, the dog close behind.
Elisa sighed when she entered the kitchen. Although the sink and counters were installed, she imagined there wouldn't be any pots or plates or cutlery available. After checking everywhere, she confirmed her suspicion.
— There are no pots to cook with — she said —, no knives or plates either. I think there's still time to go to the Center and find something to use until our things arrive.
Augusto offered to go, but when he did, she declined.
— I'll go myself. Stay here and clean what needs cleaning. I believe I'll be back in less than half an hour.
Still hesitant, the doctor agreed.
Elisa gave her husband a loving look and, finally, said:
— I expect everything to be spotless when I get back, Mr. Vianna.
He laughed.
— Yes, ma'am, commander.
Elisa spent the whole drive to the town center going over what had happened that afternoon, in front of the church. As much as she didn't want to go there again, she knew she had to. She lived in that town now and couldn't lock herself inside because of fear. Besides, her son wasn't with her at the moment, so nothing could happen to him. Thinking that made her feel calmer.
She parked the car at the beginning of the main street. She'd walk to the supermarket and take the chance to look at some store windows.
She passed by a bakery. Everything inside looked delicious — chocolate cakes, jellybeans, ice cream. All things Augusto wouldn't approve of her bringing home. Well, marrying a doctor had its downsides too.
She was almost at the supermarket — where she expected to find some plates and pots for sale, at least in São Paulo she would have — when an old woman suddenly appeared in front of her:
— You all need to leave, ma'am. You need to, need to. This place isn't of God. Do you hear me? Take your lovely boy and the doctor and go while you still can. Once they get to you, nothing will make them let go. Not prayers, not spells. Nothing! This town doesn't belong to God anymore. You need to leave. Need to, need to! — The woman grabbed Elisa by the arms and started shaking her. — YOU NEED TO GO BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Strings of saliva flew from the old woman's mouth, and Elisa could see her dentures shifting from side to side, ready to pop out of that vile mouth.
She broke free from the woman and ran toward the market. She was shaking, her heart pounding in her chest. What was that?
There were people on the street, all staring wide-eyed at the scene. When she entered the supermarket, Elisa ran right into a man who seemed to be the store owner. He softened the collision, steadying her by the shoulders.
— Don't pay attention to that one.
Elisa focused on the shopkeeper's face with wide, tearful eyes. She opened her mouth, but couldn't get her voice to come out.
The man went on:
— She lost her mind after her son disappeared. He was a good boy. No one knows if he's alive or not. She just snapped, and now she goes around saying these crazy things.
Still scared and angry, Elisa took in his words and tried to find some justification for the old woman's paranoia. After all, she'd go crazy too if Rob vanished without a trace.
— How long... — Elisa's voice choked, she cleared her throat, swallowed hard, and continued. — How long has her son been missing?
He moved behind the counter.
— A long time, ma'am. He vanished when he was about five. Or was it four? I don't quite remember.
She nodded and asked if he had what she needed for dinner. Luckily, he did. She grabbed everything and returned to her car as quickly as possible, scanning her surroundings. She didn't want to run into that woman again.
The drive home was even harder than the drive to the market. Knowing that woman had lost a child became a kind of torment for her too. Elisa was a mother, and mothers feel for each other's pain when it comes to their children. No matter how much time passes, children are irreplaceable.
When she got home, she told Augusto what had happened:
— What if it happens to Rob? I couldn't bear it. We came here thinking it would be safer. What if something happens to him? What if they take him too?
The doctor, who was holding a rag used to clean the sink and counters, set it aside and walked toward his wife.
— But that was a long time ago, Elisa. From what you told me, it sounds like the woman has some kind of disorder. She was probably just having an episode, that's all.
The problem was, he didn't believe what he was saying. It was just a justification to mask his real concerns. In his mind, he still linked all the strange things about that town to the people who had forced him to move. Of course he had thought about leaving, but that was impossible. He knew that. Those people would make their lives hell, and he didn't know why.
His words didn't seem to calm her. She looked at him, tears running down her face, and said:
— Still, what if it happens? Let's go, please! I feel like there's something strange here and that we're in danger.
Augusto hugged her, and she began to cry.
— It's okay, dear. Everything will be fine, and nothing bad will happen to our boy. I promise. Unfortunately, we can't leave. The house in São Paulo is already sold, and I couldn't get a job anywhere else.
She looked at him for a few seconds. She knew he was right. They were cornered in a strange town, surrounded by strange people. She stayed in his arms for a few more minutes, until her crying eased.
— I know — she said, pulling away from Augusto. — I'm better. Let's make dinner. It'll be dark soon, and you and Rob have to wake up early. — She kissed her husband and went to the kitchen.
It was already dark when Rob went in to take a shower. Bóris was upstairs by the bathroom door, waiting for his companion to get ready and come down for dinner. His head rested on his front paws, enjoying the sound of water running inside, when a few knocks on the front door made him lift it, eyes alert toward the stairs. It seemed only his canine hearing had caught someone calling. Then, a few seconds later, more knocking came. Louder this time.
Augusto walked to the door. It was odd for someone to knock at that hour — they barely knew anyone yet.
The fright was inevitable when he opened it.
— Good evening, Mr. Vianna. So good to see you again.
It was the man from São Paulo, the one who had given him the card. Or was it? The man in front of him now had grayish hair, and a huge beard, but the smile, the eyes... It was the man from São Paulo, he was sure of it. But how? Augusto froze, staring at the man. How had his beard grown so much in so little time?
The man waited for Augusto to process what was happening, then finally said:
— Aren't you going to invite me for dinner? I'm starving, and I believe we have some things to discuss about your first day at the hospital tomorrow, and Rob's first day at his new school.
The doctor, without saying a word, stepped away from the door, almost mechanically, giving space for the man to enter. He extended a hand to Augusto and said:
— My name is Benjamin Mendonça, but you can call me Ben.