And of water were their jaws

Since early morning, almost like a miracle, the clouds had declared that rain would arrive in the city. For some weeks, it was a topic of conversation in the press, in workplaces, schools and hospitals, as well as in the intimacy of homes or in meetings with neighbors at dusk, why in mid-January, the sun seemed to shine with the intensity of the summertime. It had become such a worrying issue that the local authorities had to issue official statements to calm the population and give them peace of mind about this unfortunate scenario, especially those who depended on the rains to prosper their businesses, as was the case of farmers and ranchers living in the rural and peripheral sectors of the city, who saw with deep concern the threat of dry mountains and hot weather against their vegetables and animals. So, when the clouds began to subtly fill the firmament, a collective feeling of tranquility took over every corner of the city, with a good omen for all.

Minutes past midnight, the first drops were heard crashing on roofs, brushing against trees, and hitting cars parked on the streets. Some people, those who had been eagerly waiting for the water to arrive, crowded around windows, porches, and windowsills to watch the waters come down. The joy was so great that the daring ones went out to the sidewalk or the lawns of their gardens to welcome the downpour with their bodies. They could even hear crickets that spontaneously appeared, as if they were too celebrating. After every minute, the rain intensified relentlessly. And in its company, the arrival of the wind, formidable, that shook the brass of the garages, and swept away any object that was left at the mercy of the blizzard; but the sensation that the storm brought surpassed those small matters. The storm was the rescue; everything would be solved once it was over.

When the first alarms sounded that morning at the break of dawn, many were surprised to notice that the thunderous and imposing noise could no longer be heard. The wind had ceased, and with it, so had the heavy rain. The common thought was that it had only been momentary. That the rain would return during the day. But as the dawn peeked through the edges of the curtains and in the exposed part of their windows, where they could look out of the corner of their eyes, a light blue sky expanded in fullness, without a thick trail to observe. How could something like this be happening? It was almost impossible that the weather had cleared up so swiftly, as if nothing had ever happened. But that moment of such minimal strangeness turned into dreadful sensations. A terror such as they had never felt before chilled their bodies, not believing anything other than that their minds were playing a devious trick on them. In the streets, bordering from the puddles, the pools in the houses, the fountains in the parks, and in every pond in sight, hundreds of human-shaped shadows emerged. They looked like men, but it was evident that they were not. Despite the scarcity of light that still dominated the morning, it was clear that they were not wearing clothes, or anything that covered their bodies. At first glance, they did not appear to need warm either. Nor did they have any visible sex nor hair; and they were all similar, as if they were clones of a prototype. Their limbs were longer than those you could usually see in a person. Bestial looking. They were immobile. Inert as mannequins. From the windows, the neighbors could observe each other, shocked by what was happening. Some began to step back suspiciously, diagnosing the seriousness of the events. Others seemed oblivious to the situation. They genuinely questioned whether they were dreaming. Were they imagining it, or had they simply lost all sense of sanity. No one dared to go out into the street. And perhaps the most shocking thing was to see that they continued to multiply from the water, becoming more and more. People tried to communicate on their telephones or turned on the television or radio to look for information, but all services were disconnected. Electric power was also unavailable. Fear quickly turned to despair. The silence was broken by the sound of gunshots heard both near and far. Pistols, rifles, shotguns. None seemed to be of any use. Bullets and ammunition ripped through the beings, not making them move an inch. They cannot be men, they thought. They cannot even be living beings. Then, what were they? Without a previous signal, and without moving from the positions in which they were located, the bodies began to ascend. Slowly, they began to float, rising above all the buildings, all over the city. There were so many that, to the naked eye, they became incalculable. In the encounter with the clarity of dawn, ears, eyes, and mouths began to appear. The image was disturbing. They were perfect replicas of each other, without any alteration. They were of a cloudy color, which seemed to alter constantly, like a disturbing iridescence. The silence was cut only by the throbbing that ran through the ears. And when everything seemed to remain as it was, one after another, they began to throw themselves against the windows, the chimneys, and all the openings of the houses. They wanted to get in! Screams of panic filled the air. People were running down the street in panic until they were hit by the clones. Their flowing bodies crashed with such force that they whipped the heads of those fleeing, killing them instantly. Most stayed at home, but it was useless. The beings knew exactly how to enter, as if they had done it thousands of times before.

Wake up! shouted a woman to her partner, who slept uninterested in what was happening, until he saw it with his own eyes. Stunned, they watched as the adjoining houses were attacked, until one of the beings stared at them. I think... I think he is smiling, said the woman, who covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hide what she had just said. Trying to make the overwhelming reality disappear. When the creature threw its body against the couple's bedroom window, they both dropped to the floor, screaming in terror, and covering their heads. But nothing happened. They looked at each other, bewildered, not understanding what had happened. The woman hugged her partner. Cold hands shook the bare back of her lover, whose eyes were filled with tears. Without speaking, the woman broke the silence with a whisper. Do you hear that? A sound came from the second floor of the house. It was coming from the kitchen. The kitchen’s sink had been opened. The woman looked at her partner with a shocked face when she saw him coming down the stairs. Don't go! she shouted at him with a broken voice, from the doorframe of her room. Stop! she repeated, as she kept her head sunk between her legs, sitting on the carpeted floor. When all had fallen silent again, she heard rushing water again. It was closer now. The door to the second-floor bathroom was ajar. At another time, she would have been upset with her partner for not closing it, but now she wished with all her might that he had been the one to open it. When she peeked into the hallway, no one was there. Carefully, she approached the door. Dark drops were falling from the handle, as if dirty with mud. When she opened the door, everything seemed to be in order. That's when a shadow rose behind the backlit curtain. She pulled back the drape with both hands, only to discover the bathtub empty. The door shut behind her. She attempted to open it, propelling her body with her legs, but it was hopeless. She tried to escape through the window, but it was snapped shut. Awash with despair, her breathing became labored. The room began to fill with steam, as if the shower was running. Everything went white, as if she had been submerged in the thickest fog of all. Her lungs tightened as she inhaled the grossness. She dropped to the floor to inhale the air coming in through the edge of the door, but glowing eyes met her on the other side. A taste of earth flooded her throat as she disappeared into the lethal white.