The Harvest of Souls

CHAPTER 11

ÁSTUR

08.01.8462 - 3:20 AM

The yellow house was in one of the quietest and most remote neighborhoods of Ástur, a place with few low-rise buildings, a region full of trees scattered along the sidewalks, and houses with flower gardens. The sun was still far from rising when the phone rang on Marta's bedside table, which made the woman in her early seventies startle awake, her mussed blonde hair plastered to her crumpled face as she answered the phone.

"Mom, it's me," Marta was even more worried when she heard her daughter's soft voice on the other end of the line. "It's everything alright, ok? But I'm going to Ástur."

"Mila. What happened?" Marta sat on the bed and turned on the lamp, right next to the phone.

"Mom, no biggie, just meet me at Anna's house. I'm going with Richard and the rest of the guys."

"What guys, Mila?" Marta's tone was irritated

"Mom, we're going to Anna's house."

"Anna Auer?"

"Yes"

"Mila, what happened? Are you okay?"

Marta got out of bed, already fully awake. Just like her, who was a prodigy economist responsible for the economy of Asturias, Anna Auer was one of the most influential women on Ástur, competent and brilliant. Anna has won several awards in the health area throughout her career. She is known as the medical scientist who helped revolutionize the kingdom's health system. Today Anna was responsible for controlling the Health Department of Asturias but still acted as a doctor in crisis cases at Richard's request. This information ran through Marta's mind quickly, making her even more restless.

"Mother, I'm fine, but meet me there. We will arrive in about an hour."

"Mila, again: what the hell is happening?" Marta was already furious and screaming.

"Mom, calm down. I already told you, meet me there, and I'll explain everything. OK? I need to rest. I'm hanging up."

"Mila," Marta heard a click on the other end of the line and got even angrier.

The blonde woman then began to take off her nightgown, went to the closet, feeling the cool breeze of the summer dawn. She chose a plain white shirt and put it on, then opting for a gray blazer to wear over it. She looked at herself in the mirror, her blond hair tousled, her face still crumpled from the sheets.

Fifteen minutes later, Marta closed the wooden gate in front of her house and walked down the damp street towards the subway station. Half an hour and two transfers later, Marta left at the "Curado – Aguiar" station. On the opposite side of the street, there was a house on the corner, alone among the tall glass buildings in the modern city center.

The house was made of wood and stone, three stories high. It was slender, with a small orange four-story tower just around the corner. Although the day hadn't even dawned, several people were already walking on the streets in that region of downtown Ástur. Some were picking fruits from the various trees scattered on all sides of the street, chewing a blackberry, cherry, or acerola in the way to their business. Marta waved her hand as she approached the street, and cars in both directions stopped. She crossed to the other side of the street and knocked on the door of the house made of stone and wood.

It didn't take two seconds for the door to be opened by a tall, corpulent black woman wearing a floral dress and a purple turban through which black, gold, and silver braids came out.

"Marta, come in," she said with a sweet and delicate voice, which for first-time sailors could seem completely out of step with Anna's imposing figure. "Richard told me you would becoming."