The Village
THE VILLAGE
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It was the afternoon of the first day of November.
The evening drizzle left the roofs of San Clemente, black and shining like a crow’s feathers. On the cobblestone path, the light of the streetlamps flickered with reluctance. The car stopped at the entrance to the village. From the back came a wiry man, wrapped in a dark coat and wearing rain boots. He was carrying a briefcase.
He looked at the empty street around him and headed up the road to the church square. There, a retinue of neighbors was waiting impatiently for him. Seeing him appear, the mayor, the priest, and two close friends went to welcome him, under the uncomfortable gaze of those who peeked behind the curtains in the adjoining houses.
Everyone had heard of him. He was Mr. Cosme, the doctor of San Miguel. Known for facing demons and spirits before those hopeless souls who were about to die. But this time, not only was he going to face something that went beyond the reasoning of many. He was the first doctor who dared to set foot in that cursed town, whose name people preferred not to pronounce, after the events that took place on All Saints’ Eve.
