Evoking the paranoid tension of Rosemary's Baby and the unnerving atmosphere of the cult horror film Jacob's Ladder, The Cracks in the Labyrinth is a disturbing psychological thriller set in present-day Caracas, where the government has devolved int...
On the other side of the wall of riot shields deployed by members of the Bolivarian National Guard, a contained river of protesters held signs with messages like, "Expression without repression" and "Censorship is dictatorship." Some wore the national flag like a cape; others had the Venezuelan tricolor (that had become synonymous with the Opposition) painted on their faces, while the rest were gagged as a symbol of dissent. A cacophony of ladles banging against empty pots, coming from the residential buildings in the distance, was flooding a night that was beautiful despite everything.
In the clear night sky, the stars above didn't seem to care that much about the chaos that made Evelia feel so isolated down here. However, if she was honest with herself, the same could be said about most of her fellow members in the Mission Phidias, including her boyfriend, Adam. None of her friends seemed to notice what was happening outside the new Palacio de Eventos, and if they did, their capacity for denial deserved applause.
"I'll never understand why people still believe in astrology." Adam peered at the moon through his empty bottle of beer as if it were a telescope.
"People are stupid," Evelia said.
"I propose a toast to stupidity!"
It was four minutes to midnight. Evelia knew that because she had looked at her watch over and over again during the past hour. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.
"Human stupidity knows no limits," she said, trying to ignore what the protesters were chanting. "Can you believe that astronomy is still a mandatory subject in Mexico and Spain if you want to sail?"
Adam knitted his brows. "What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?"
"Astrology and astronomy are both useless."
"Of course not! Astronomy is part of a numbers game, having the stars on your side if everything else fails." Adam put the bottle to his lips, forgetting it was already empty. "Besides, like my grandpa used to say, 'Better safe than sorry.'"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Her boyfriend looked into the distance, thinking, and after a long pause, he said, "It's better to be in control than to regret hoping for something to work."
"Ah! The illusion of control."
Evelia cast an oblique look at the crowd and shifted uncomfortably. How did they find out about this? It was all supposed to be confidential, she thought. It didn't matter that she and Adam were safe on the fourth floor, far away from the protesters beyond the fenced parking lot protected by National Guardsmen, a nagging premonition kept haunting her.
"Let's toast to that as well!" Adam tried to take a sip of his bottle, and once again, he looked at it bewildered. "I'm out of gas. Do you want something?"
"No."
"You haven't touched your drink."
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