Owl Tower – Short Story
“Now it’s your turn, Captain,” said Monsieur Saulcy to me as he finished a glass of chambertin which he had almost forgotten because of the unexpected turn of events in his story.
“Gentlemen,” I replied, trying my best to avoid any sharp remarks that would have been directed at me, “I really don’t know what to say, my life has always passed me by so easily, quietly and peacefully. So, for the life of me, I don’t remember if there was anything worth telling you about.”
As I expected, these words were immediately met with loud protests from everyone present, who were already quite under the influence of alcohol after more than six hours of partying. I tried to apologize, but my voice was drowned out by the clamor and shouts from all directions. Finally, feeling that I could not win, I decided to end the argument by agreeing to their request. A moment after hearing my decision, suddenly all became silent as if by magic, glasses were filled again, heads turned towards me, eyes were fixed on me, I began to tell my story with the certainty that I was being listened to, though perhaps not with interest, at least with attention.
“Gentlemen,” I said, lighting a cigarette and leaning back in my chair, “at the end of 1818, important business brought me to Spain and required me to stay for almost a year in Andalusia. At that time, I was only twenty-three years old. Instead of living in Cadiz, with its narrow and dirty streets, I rented a balcony with a beautiful view in Puerto-Réal, a beautiful town with white houses filled with countless windows. From behind those windows, you could see the shining black eyes and the smiling red lips at any time of the day or night. So, my time passed very pleasantly. I neglected my business too often and devoted myself more to having fun, making new acquaintances.”
“However, with a heavy heart, two or three times a week, I forced myself to leave that pleasant place. On horseback, I traveled about twelve kilometers from Puerto-Réal to Cadiz. I went to see to my affairs, although I really wanted to enjoy life and have fun longer there, rather than to take care of the important task entrusted to me. To tell you the truth, gentlemen, at that time I only understood life as pleasure. At that time, many people were talking about José Maria, a former bandit leader who had long controlled the main roads of Spain. After making peace with the government, he returned to his hometown of Cadiz to enjoy the spoils of his plunder.”
“There were many stories about the extraordinary courage of this former bandit that made me very curious and wanted to meet him in person. One morning, I received a letter from one of my close friends, Don Torribio Quesada, informing me that that evening in Cadiz, the famous ex-bandit José Maria would be having dinner with him, and he invited me not to miss the opportunity to meet and talk with the ex-bandit in person by coming to the dinner he had planned.”
“I jumped for joy when I heard the unexpected news, I immediately ordered my horse to be saddled and hurried to Cadiz, canceling all the plans I had given my servant for that day. Two hours later, I was sitting comfortably in Don Torribio’s living room. José Maria arrived on time as promised. He was exactly as I had imagined him, according to the image I had created in my mind. The few hours with him passed quickly like a dream. I was deeply impressed by the emotional story of his adventures, which he told with a deep and passionate voice, and the honesty of a great man.”
“When I was alone with Don Torribio, he invited me to stay at his house because it was late and I was far from Puerto-Réal. The dinner was quite heavy, the number of empty bottles on the table showed that the evening had been far from simple. My head felt heavy from smoking too much. Although not drunk, I had gone beyond the limits of having fun, and my usually stubborn mind was beginning to be affected by the little party. As a result, I did not listen to all the advice of my friend, although he strongly asked me to stay there because it was late and the road was not safe, I insisted on going.”
“Don Torribio, seeing that all his advice was in vain, finally gave in and did not dissuade me from my decision. We drank the last glass of aguardiente, after which we embraced, I mounted my horse which was anxiously waiting at the door of the house, put on my coat carefully, and immediately spurred my horse away.”
“The night was dark, large black clouds full of electricity moved slowly across the sky, the air was hot and stuffy, raindrops began to fall, and occasionally distant thunder was heard, accompanied by dazzling flashes of lightning, which frightened my horse and made it jump. I continued my journey with difficulty on the silent road, my head full of the gloomy stories that José Maria had told me all night long, I looked around anxiously, trying to penetrate the darkness and protect myself from possible threats that might come from the night bandits, who in those days roamed the main roads of Andalusia.”
“Even though I was carrying a weapon, I still felt a little apprehensive. After all, I had often traveled between Cadiz and Puerto-Réal, and I was well aware of all the risks. However, that night, with my mind filled with scary stories, I was overcome by a strange fear. What was I really afraid of? I don’t know. Or perhaps, I was afraid of everything. Meanwhile, the weather was getting worse. The sky turned into a huge expanse of fire, the constant lightning created a dim and frightening light, the rain poured down heavily, and finally the storm that had been threatening for a long time exploded with fury.”
“Stepping through this chaos of nature, my horse almost stumbled and slipped, I had to keep a very careful eye on it to avoid falling into the mud. I was completely soaked by the rain cursing my own stubbornness, which made me refuse Don Torribio's kind offer, only to end up like this, stuck in the middle of the night on a path that was barely visible, at risk of falling many times, I did not know who to ask for help. Then I remembered an old hut that should not be far from where I was and that might provide temporary shelter from the storm. I tried to find my way as best I could in the enveloping darkness, and finally after a while, I managed to reach that humble shelter.“
“It was an old tower, the remains of a fortress long since destroyed by time. It lay abandoned, nearly in ruins, and served as a shelter for night birds. The locals called it, and probably still call it, the ‘Owl Tower,’ a name it fully deserved. I dismounted, hooked the reins around my arm, and went inside, followed by my horse into a large room that looked gloomy and sinister, making me feel uneasy.”
“This place is famous for strange stories that somehow suddenly flashed into my mind with such clarity, that my whole body went cold. Cautiously, I looked around the room that would probably be my shelter for a few hours. As I have already mentioned, gentlemen, I was in a large room that spanned the entire width of the tower. The room had narrow windows without shutters, so that the wind blew rainwater into the room. In one corner of the room, there was a broken spiral staircase leading to the upper floor, and in another corner, there was a pile of rubble that seemed untouched for centuries.”
“But what really scared me was seeing a fire burning in the middle of the room, made of dry twigs and wood. Who was the occupant of this place? Where is he now? Not wanting to act rashly, I went back to the street and tried to look around, but the night was too dark for me to see anything. I tried to sharpen my hearing, but it was all in vain, there was only the sound of strong wind without any human voices. Feeling a little relieved by the silence and solitude around me, I decided to go around the old fort. However, my search did not produce any results. I only found a kind of small barn where I put my horse.”
“After making sure that, at least for the time being, I was the only occupant of the tower, and therefore had nothing to fear, I went back into the main room. However, in order not to be careless, I decided not to stop there and immediately went upstairs. As much as I could sharpen my vision in the pitch darkness that enveloped the place, the room on the upper floor looked similar to the one below, both in a state of disrepair, littered with rubbish, and with a staircase leading to the next floor.”
“Just in case, I checked the bullets in my pistol carefully. Then, wrapping myself in my coat and lying down near the stairs, ready to face any eventuality with determination to stay awake. However, due to fatigue and the influence of wine, I slowly felt my eyes closing, my mind becoming increasingly foggy, I was about to fall asleep when suddenly the sound of footsteps echoing in my ears woke me abruptly, bringing me back to consciousness.”
"Ten men had just entered the tower. I could see them from where I lay. They were dark-skinned men, stern-faced, well-built, and most of them dressed in beautiful and elegant traditional Andalusian clothing, they were also well armed. They sat around a campfire, where they piled two or three bundles of wood, and chatted animatedly, while occasionally glancing at two large chests which they had placed in the corner of the room. The first words I heard answered my doubts about their profession. They were saltéadores, or as they are better known as street robbers, and they belong to the cuadrilla group, El Nino is the head of the famous gang who became the successor of José Maria, his name has become a terror throughout Andalusia.”
“Their movements were full of enthusiasm, sometimes they touched their weapons, I saw arguments between them because they did not agree with each other about how to divide the treasure in the chests. Their quarrel became so heated that I thought these criminals were going to kill each other. They had stood ready, knives drawn, and they stared at each other with anger, until suddenly their leader appeared. El Nino at that time was a man about forty years old, tall and sturdy. His shoulders were broad and his arms were muscular, indicating that he was someone strong. His face was hard, and his gaze was fierce. The light of the fire that reflected on his face gave an even more sinister expression, reinforced by the cynical smile that curved his thick lips. ‘Another quarrel and dispute,’ he said in a firm and emphatic voice. ‘You bastards! Can’t you live in harmony like good robbers?’”
“One of the robbers tried to make a defense, but El Nino immediately interrupted him. ‘Silence!’ he shouted, ‘I don’t want to hear anything! You are here relaxing around the fire like stupid monks, without the slightest thought for our common safety, as if we were alone in the world! Fortunately, I am always alert! Now, who is the owner of the horse I found in the barn?’ Hearing those words, my body trembled involuntarily, and I reflected on myself who had received a terrible fate. The position was very critical, I was really trapped in this rat’s nest. There was no way out of this trap, I prayed softly to God, while resolving to sell my life at a high price to these robbers, whose cruelty I already knew very well if my fate fell into their hands.”
“The bandits, shocked by their leader’s words, immediately grabbed their rifles and carbines in a hurry. ‘We don’t know where the man you’re talking about is,’ said one of them. ‘When we arrived here, the tower was empty.’ ‘That’s possible,’ replied El Nino. ‘Two of you go check around the place, maybe he’s hiding around here.’ The two men went outside, while the leader began to pace the room waiting for them to return. A short time later, they returned. ‘How is it?’ he asked. ‘Nothing,’ replied the two bandits. ‘The horse is still in the barn, but there’s no trace of its rider.’ ‘Hm,’ muttered the leader. He paced back and forth again. Silence began to fall over the previously noisy room.”
“I took a deep breath, thinking that all danger was over. But I was wrong. After a while, their leader stopped. ‘Has the inside of the tower been checked?’ he asked. ‘No,’ the bandits replied, ‘why? No one would be so stupid as to enter a wolf’s den like this willingly.’”
“‘Who knows?’ the leader muttered, nodding his head. ‘It’s possible that the person we’re looking for was already here before you came. When he heard you coming, not knowing who it was, and seeing the exit blocked, he probably went upstairs. Let’s check, it’s better to be safe than sorry.’ With his men following, El Nino headed for the stairs. I quickly went up to the second floor. Not long after, I heard the bandits’ voices as they searched and searched every corner. ‘There’s nothing!’ the leader said. ‘Let’s check upstairs again.’ The tower had only two floors, and at the top was a platform where I was now, the top of the tower. this. I ran here and there, spinning like a wild animal on the top of that wretched tower, while below me lay a chasm more than a hundred feet deep.”
“My teeth were chattering violently, as if they were about to break, cold sweat was pouring down my face, and my body was shaking violently without control. I heard the footsteps of the bandits on the stairs, like hounds chasing me, and I counted with trembling the few seconds left for me. Finally, in a state of near-madness with fear, I decided to jump rather than fall alive into the hands of those criminals who, as I knew, often tortured their victims with terrible tortures in order to obtain a large ransom. Unconsciously, before committing that desperate act, I lowered my head out, to measure the depth of the chasm into which my body would be crushed.”
“At that time, I saw an iron rod about one meter long, with a diameter of about four centimeters, embedded in the tower wall. The iron protruded horizontally like a support. What was the iron rod used for in the past? I didn’t think about it at all at that time. An idea suddenly flashed through my mind, giving me hope of escaping the assassins who were chasing me. My time was very short, there was no time to think. I immediately stepped over the edge of the tower top, and with both hands gripping the iron rod, I let my body hang in the air and waited. I had just taken that position when the bandits arrived at the top of the tower, surrounding the room. The storm was still going on, the rain was pouring down, the wind was blowing hard, and dazzling lightning occasionally lit up the sky. ‘Look, Captain, there’s no one here!’ the bandits exclaimed. ‘That’s right,’ their leader replied in a disappointed tone. ‘Alright, let’s go down this place is really uncomfortable,’ one of the bandits said. ‘Let’s go down,’ the leader added.”
“A sigh of relief escaped my tight chest as I heard those words. They assured me that the bandits were gone. I was safe! From the bottom of my heart, I thanked God for His unexpected help in this predicament, and I prepared to climb back to the top of the tower. The position I was in was not pleasant, and now that the danger was over, I felt an incredible fatigue in my wrists and arms. I did not know whether it was just my imagination or the truth, but it seemed as if the iron I was hanging on was too weak to support my weight any longer. The iron, probably rusted, seemed to bend and slowly lean toward the abyss. I must act. The most silent silence fell upon the top of the tower.”
“Without me realizing it, their leader was looking at me with wild eyes and a mocking smile on his face, leaning on the edge of the tower. ‘Ah! Ha!’ he exclaimed. ‘Devil!’ I shouted in anger. Without answering, El Nino bent down to try to reach me. With one hand still holding the iron bar that supported my body in the air, I took one of the pistols that I had prepared at my waist. ‘You will not escape me, friend,’ the bandit taunted with a mocking laugh. ‘I will kill you!’ I shouted as I aimed at him with the pistol in my hand. However, at that moment the iron bar bent even more. My hand slipped, my pistol fell, and with the last of my strength, I tried to grip the cursed iron bar with both hands. But the bar continued to bend, leaning further into the abyss. ‘No!’ I shouted in despair, ‘I am willing to do anything rather than die like this!’ With strength beyond human limits, I used all my strength to try to climb to the top of the wall.” “‘No! You will die here like a dog!’ He pushed me out. At that moment something terrible happened inside me. I felt a sudden sense of extreme anxiety. The iron bar that was bending more and more could no longer support my weight. Despite my desperate and desperate efforts, my fingers that gripped the bar slowly slipped. I heard the evil laughter that no doubt came from the bandit leader, enjoying my misery. I lost all hope. I closed my eyes to avoid seeing the terrible abyss that was ready to swallow me, and… “
“And?” cried all the listeners curiously, wondering why I had stopped. “And I woke up, gentlemen,” I continued. “Because it was all a dream. After drinking too much that night, I fell asleep as I was leaving Cadiz. With my head full of stories about robbers, I dreamed about everything I have just told you. Meanwhile, fortunately my horse was not asleep and knew the way home well, quietly carrying me home. He stopped right in front of the house door, startled me awake, and, thank God, freed me from the nightmare that had tormented me for more than two hours!”