Sangre De Toro (Old Draft - Now Published!)

Chapter 31 - Caught

Silvio’s footsteps slowed as he trudged up the track towards the barn. Expecting him to unlock the door, Pepelito stood up.

'Mordedor. Destripadora,' Silvio whispered in a horrified voice, filling him with apprehension. Maribel sensed it too. She hung back rather than trotting towards the entrance in a rush to greet him. Something was terribly wrong.

'My beauties,' Silvio said as he fumbled with the barn door. It swung open after several minutes. Pepelito saw two members of Silvio's gaggle lying motionless on the dusty path to the field. The goose who had bit him, a huge, white, yellow-beaked bird, sat by Silvio with her eyes half closed, alive but unmoving. Five others hung around near the fence, looking frightened.

Pepelito and Maribel stepped forward, stood over Silvio. The old man lifted the dangerously ill goose onto his lap, cradling her.

'Degolladora,' he whispered, stroking the bird's white feathers and feeding her from his water bottle. 'Please don't go.'

Degolladora managed a hiss and flapped her wings weakly. Pepelito edged forward, rested his head on Silvio's shoulder, knowing what was happening.

'Thanks, my boy.' Silvio rubbed his hand into the fur on his neck. The farmer's fingers shook as he tried to make a call. Pepelito looked at Maribel, sad and helpless.

What could they do?

'Oh! What's up Silvio, how's he doing on the 25% dose?'

'You know him, Alfonso. He's just as good as gold. But I've - I've lost two geese, and... I'm about to lose a third,' Silvio choked out.

'I'm so sorry, I'll try to get there as soon as I can. Did they show any signs of illness before?' Alfonso's voice sounded alarmed over the speaker, turned to its maximum volume due to the old man's poor hearing.

'No. No, they were fine - more than fine, they were healthier than ever.' Silvio sounded broken.

'It'll take me an hour or two to get here, is there anyone else you can call in the village,' Alfonso said. Pepelito thought he could hear Rita's voice in the background. Degolladora flapped her wings weakly and shut her eyes. The other geese looked fearful, grouped by the fence. They were quiet. Two of them moved sluggishly, eyes half closed.

'He's closed on weekends, and he's no good with birds, one of my layers died a few years ago due to that man's foolishness,' Silvio sobbed.

'I'll be there ASAP,' Alfonso said. There was a pause. 'Silvio?'

'Yes?'

'Have you got any glucose syrup, or activated charcoal? You should feed both to all the geese, if you can.'

'Glucose syrup. I do. I know I do. I used to keep it somewhere. I think I still have it. What's the other one. Charcoal?' Silvio lifted Degolladora carefully off his lap and got up shakily. Pepelito and Maribel were left with the goose who had once terrorised them. She gazed at them with difficulty. The formidable bird looked at the two much larger animals, her feathers dull, her once beady eye now with a tired, agonised expression, her long neck stiff and her breathing laboured.

She was trying to tell them something.

Maribel nuzzled Degolladora's soft feathers, her eyes dripping. The white goose didn't react, just turned her head slightly. As Pepelito touched his nose against her wing, the leader of the gang who had saved him closed her eyes for the last time and rested her head on the ground.

Silvio bent down, picked something up from the ground a few paces away, and let out a scream of pain. Pepelito turned towards him. He was holding a small bottle in one hand and his phone in the other; his phone fell from his hand as he howled. It was a gut wrenching sound. Tears ran from Pepelito's eyes.