Feeling unprotected, humiliated, and suffering intense physical and emotional pain, Lark lay on the ground all night, mourning her unfortunate situation, while her whole being yearned for the warmth of her father’s house and Hilda’s arms, where she always founds love and comfort. Lark yearned for the happiness she always received through her family.
A ray of sunlight that filtered through a hole in the ceiling, hitting Lark’s face, forcing her to open her eyes, her gaunt face and bruised legs and shoulders were faithful witnesses of the nightmare she had lived the night of her wedding. Lark’s legs were numb, and her body was cold because of her having slept on the floor. With great effort she stood up and her nose caught the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Suddenly her heart began to beat rapidly when she heard Saul’s voice, “Good morning birdie. I already made breakfast. My mother brought us bread, cheese, and hot tortillas. Come eat, you need to be strong and beautiful, because this afternoon you are going to sing at a wedding. I already charged in advance. Tomorrow we are going to talk with a friend who has a nightclub, my friend will let you sing three times a week. You will see that we are going to make a lot of money and soon we will be able to have our own club, where you will be the star. “
Lark’s brain could not process what her wet eyes were seeing, Saul was in front of her, smiling, very kind and talking as if nothing bad had happened. Lark sighed deeply and then in a shaky voice she said, “I’m not going to sing in a canteen.”
Saul fell silent as he heard what Lark said, raising his head to look directly into Lark’s eyes coldly and intensely, “It’s not a canteen, it’s a nightclub. I am your husband and I know what is best for you. Go shower and then come back to eat. Everything will be done as I say. “
Lark felt Saul’s eyes look at her coldly, persistently, and harshly, to the point of paralyzing her body and her will. With her voice cracking with fear, Lark stammered almost inaudibly, “Where can I take a bath?”
Saul indicated that she had to bathe at his parents’ house but that she could not speak to anyone. From that day on, Saul oversaw the contracts for Lark to sing in different places. He did not allow Lark to visit her family. When Hilda or Manuel visited her, he was always present and never left her alone with them. Since the wedding night, Saul had no more intimacy with Lark. 
Saul was the perfect husband during the day. He always treated her with a lot of respect and love in front of people. But when night came in the darkness of their room; he became rough, harsh, and cruel with his words and attitudes.
Lark continued singing until her pregnancy did not allow her to continue working. When the day of delivery came, Saul was with Lark all the time, he seemed like a man concerned about the health of his wife, as he always comforted her with kind words and attitudes. Lark gave birth to a beautiful baby and they named her Irene.
A month after Irene was born, Saul told Lark that it was time to start singing again. He also told her that he had entered her in a nationwide contest where the first-place winner would have the opportunity to record an album.
Hearing what Saul was saying, Lark interrupted him speaking with a powerful voice and a defiant attitude, “I will not sing again in any canteen, not in any nightclub. And I am not going to participate in that singing contest. No one is going to stop me from taking care of my daughter, because I don’t want to be separated from her. And I am not going to let you treat me badly. If you hurt me, I’m getting out of here. “
Saul was taken aback by Lark’s attitude. That was the first time she had spoken to him in that way. Without saying anything, Saul turned and walked out into the street. Eight months passed after that talk, during which Saul and Lark maintained a tense relationship even though Saul was affectionate, kind, acting as he had when they were dating. Always attentive, but without ceasing to insist that Lark must sing again.
Desperate that he wouldn’t be able to find the right way to get Lark to sing again, Saul went out one night to play cards with his friends. After several hours of gaming and drinking, Saul said 
goodbye to his friends and started walking back to his house. As he still lived in the house of his parents, he passed in front of the old house known as, The house Of the Sombrerón. Just at that moment when he was in front of the house, the old wooden door opened, and Saul heard a call to him. Then he entered the house, walked to the patio where a bonfire was lit with great flames, burning in the open night air. Behind the fire, a small dark and malevolent shadow spoke to him, “The girl is Lark’s strength. That little girl is the impediment to your desire to earn more money. Irene is the obstacle that prevents you from bending Lark’s will. Go home. Get Lark out of your room and leave the girl alone on the bed. “
Saul’s eyes reflected the flames of fire. His lips drew a sinister smile. Then he just left the house and went to his house. When he arrived, he crossed the patio to the room where Lark was with 
her daughter. Saul knocked softly on the door. Thinking that maybe it was her mother-in-law who was outside, Lark got out of bed and opened the door. Seeing that it was Saul, Lark asked him, why you did you not open the door with your key? Saul told her that he had gotten into a fight with someone and had hit his ribs, so he needed help. Lark left the room and while Saul leaned on her arm pretending that he could not walk well, a loud knock was heard inside the room. Irene screamed and then everything fell silent.
Lark instinctively released Saul and ran to the bed. Irene was lying face down on the ground. When Lark picked her up, Irene’s face was covered in blood. Lark ran off to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital emergency, the nurses immediately began to care for the little girl. After several minutes of living in agony after what happened, a doctor led Lark to the room where Irene was. The little girl was wrapped in a white sheet. With a sad tone the doctor said, “Her nose is completely shattered, and the blow that she received collapsed one of her lungs and the other one is slowly ceasing to function. I’m really sorry but there is nothing we can do, except to wait for her to stop breathing. “
Lark walked automatically to take Irene in her arms. She sat on the edge of the bed. With lulling movements, she began to rock the little girl. Her tears moistened Irene’s little body. Lark could feel her daughter’s little body shudder every time she tried to breathe from the lack of oxygen. With the fingers of her right-hand, Lark began caressing Irene’s face, second by second the clock approached the time of her death. Lark began to sing softly to Irene, feeling her heart tear inside every time Irene tried to breathe. Full of pain and fatigue, Lark began to beg for the torment of her daughter to end.
The sea of tears that flowed from Lark’s eyes was overshadowed by her heartbreaking screams full of suffering, as she kissed her little girl’s cheeks. Irene opened her little eyes, almost without their own light, and for the first and last time Irene stammered, “Mama.” Then Irene remained inert in Lark’s arms., like a fish out of water, her life extinguished by not being able to breathe. Lark pressed Irene’s body tightly against her chest feeling that her own life had been extinguished with Irene’s. She then knelt on the floor to continue crying inconsolably, with her entire being internally destroyed.
TO BE CONTINUE…
EMOTIONS AND PAPER STRIPS 
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