Point of no return

"Emily Pérez Carrillo," Candice said that very night. She was in the vanity mirror and looked much better.

It seemed she had gained a few pounds; her hair was now down and shining, no longer looking greasy or dull. Candice wore a white dress, simple yet making her look like one of the models in Naomy's magazines.

"I congratulate you," Candice continued, speaking to Emily as she changed into her pajamas. "You have prevented that girl's future. But that doesn't mean you should rest easy. Those people are like vultures. Look."

Emily watched the mirror. The image shifted. Dita was being held by her boyfriend, Javier, but something felt wrong. Dita was tense; it was visible in her body. Her hands were on his arms, but not affectionately. It was clear she wanted to break away from the embrace, but Javier, being older, used more strength.

Shouts could be heard—the voice of a man reprimanding someone. The image changed and there was Anna. She wasn't the woman Emily had seen that afternoon at the restaurant. The Anna in the mirror had her head down, filled with fear. Emily tried to ask Candice the obvious.

"When is this going to happen?" Emily face changed. One thing was wtching those horror movies, she knows it was fake, they're actors. But this... Anna and Dita aren't actors.

"I don't know," Candice replied calmly. "Just watch!"

It was terrible. Claudio was demanding payment for the trouble. The actors were frustrated. They had gone to rehearse, and the lead actress hadn't shown up. They had lost a day's work and were demanding pay—a payment Anna had to face because she had chosen to ignore the situation.

Anna complained; she had no money. The pension she received wouldn't arrive until April, and her salary was scheduled for the end of the month. Claudio continued shouting, and more than that, Emily seemed to see him throwing objects, becoming more violent.

The mirror showed only what was necessary: noises were noticeable, and she even seemed to hear something being struck. Anna’s weeping was also there. Claudio demanded compensation, not only for that day but for all the times she had ignored his calls.

"Where will I get that money?" she said, full of dread. She trembled, feeling that man close to her.

Javier held her by both wrists, and though he did nothing else, his mere presence was imposing. Emily noticed it. Anna was dressed in the same outfit she wore to lunch that day, only it was now disheveled, as if there had been a fight, a struggle, and an escape. Anna’s makeup was smeared.

Naomy called Lucía. She mentioned Candice’s prediction—that it was likely minutes away from happening—and though she hadn't seen much, she suspected this Claudio would do something dangerous. Lucía lied. Her mother was deceived, but all so that two innocents could survive.

Javier took Dita to her room and embraced her. She was scared, trembling, but Javier kept holding her. He whispered that it would all be over soon and that her mother was just learning a lesson.

One of Javier's hands began to move down. Dita felt Javier's hand sliding down her back. She felt a chill; she shook.

"No..." Dita whispered, trying to pull away from the embrace, but Javier was strong.

"We're dating, aren't we?" Javier said, squeezing her. Dita couldn't breathe. Her body began to ached. "You like to say that we are daiting. Well, now it’s your turn to follow through."

She was trapped. There was no escape. Dita closed her eyes, but nothing happened. Javier listened; she listened. There were shouts, and they weren't Anna’s begs. Someone opened the door to the room where Javier and Dita were.

It took Javier a few seconds to let go of a terrified Dita, who clearly wanted to flee. It was rare for the authorities to arrive, to do something, to react. The proper authorities had arrived in time thanks to Norma’s intervention and the urgency with which it was handled.


Dita was diagnosed with malnutrition and anxiety. Although she didn't need to be admitted to the hospital, she had to remain under the protection of the authorities.

Dita—or I mean, Minerva—was placed in temporary custody while her mother was investigated. Anna was found guilty of malnutrition and neglect of her daughter, and of forcing her to work without a legal contract.

Claudio and Javier faced charges for the exploitation of a minor, along with psychological violence toward the mother. With no one else to take charge of Minerva, her present and future remain ambiguous for the moment.


Friday arrived. Emily and her friends finished their exams, and vacation finally began for the four of them. But at school, the situation was complicated. First, there was the incident with Pablito. Now, with the incident involving Minerva, the gossip only increased.

The principal tried to calm the situation as best as she could. Thanks to the careful handling of information, Minerva's situation remained quiet. No one knew why Minerva had missed school, except for Emily and her friends.

"Lucy, what did you tell your mom to make her call the Public Ministry?" Naomy asked. Classes had ended, and the four were sitting near Don Fabi’s stand, eating a good plate of tacos de canasta.

"It wasn't hard," Lucía commented, smiling. "I mentioned that I received a call from Dita asking for help—that she had told me she felt insecure and in danger. She gave me her home address herself, so there wasn't much trouble getting mom to believe me."

"How scary..." Karla whispered to herself.

If that ritual were truly real, it meant this Candice person was an emissary from God sent to intervene and help. But she still felt insecure. They had risked a lot to help a stranger.

"Do you think this Candice will keep asking us to help?" Karla asked.

"It's most likely," Naomy commented with concern. "Emily, I need you to ask her why she does it. Why does she want us to get involved? Why us?"

Naomy looked frustrated. That ritual had stolen her peace. She hoped that these vacations would be a break not just from school, but from those nightmares.