BEST SERVED COLD

3

Living alone has always been a dream of mine. When I decided to return to Mindelo, I already knew I would not stay with my parents again despite all their pleas. I already had my mind set on a colonial house by the beach.

It was built in the fifties, sitting on top of a mound overseeing the city. There are no neighboring houses around it. In fact, it's built in the middle of nowhere, only surrounded by trees and bushes. There is a strange rumor going around, saying that the house is haunted, which is why no one dared to purchase it before. The rumor was there when I was in middle school but unlike everyone else, it only spiked my interest. Every time I took the bus back from school, I would admire the house through the bus windows. It was a beautiful sight in the distance and it was calling to me. The house seemed unreachable to most people but I always knew it was going to be mine.

The last person that lived here was an old Portuguese man. It was back in 2001 and after his sudden death, the house was left inhabited. I remember the real estate agent that took me there was so eager to sell it. He hoped I was not aware of the rumors so when I mentioned it at the end of our visit, he said that he'd give me a generous discount if I took the house. I would have purchased it no matter what, so having it at a cheaper price was only a bonus.

I have been living here for three months and nothing eerie has happened yet, not that I ever believed the presence of evil spirits lurking behind these walls. What I think is that the house has been deserted for so long because it was waiting for me. I feel insane when I think about it but there is truly something that ties me to this home. It also happens to be the perfect place to keep my little prey.

I found out about the secret door in the study on the day I moved in. Probably the agent forgot to tell me about it, or perhaps he didn't know himself. It's hidden behind a sliding bookshelf that I accidentally discovered while trying to find a spot for my work desk. The door leads to a narrow staircase that takes you down to a studio apartment. I wonder what was the purpose of it. Maybe the house was built for someone powerful who needed a special hideout, in case of random attacks. That's the way I like to view it, personally.

I didn't know what to do with it until I stumbled upon that picture of Abel on Zoe's instagram. I figured out then that it would be the perfect place for him, somewhere he can't escape and where I'm sure no one will ever find him.

I trace the steel bars of his cage with a finger and slowly pass it over the gold letters on top that spell his name. I click my tongue with clear dissatisfaction, staring at the massive object in the middle of my living-room. I shouldn't have drinked that much before putting it together, maybe then I would have known that it would be better to do it inside the secret apartment and not out here. Now, I have no idea how I'm going to transport the damned thing up the stairs.

I look at it from every angle, as if somehow the complete view of it will make it smaller but it doesn't. Instead, its size becomes only more evident. Abel could lay inside with his knees slightly bent and he could also sit without bumping onto the ceiling. I wasn't sure about the dimensions when I was ordering it so I'm glad that it's big enough. Now, I must figure out how to move it without having to dismantle it.

The sound of my doorbell almost sends me flying up the roof. Who in the world-

I tiptoe my way to the bay window in my living-room and glue my nose to the glass. I see the red car parked in front of my gate and curse under my breath. Of course. There is only one person who would dare come to my house without warning: my cousin Bianca. She presses repeatedly on the bell because she knows exactly how to play with my nerves.

I groan when I turn around and see Abel's cage next to the sofa. Really, Bianca couldn't have chosen a better time to pay me a visit. I let her play with the doorbell and rush to the kitchen to retrieve one of my tablecloths that I never use. Luckily, it's wide enough to cover the cage. I pray that Bianca won't try to look under it but it's a hopeless request considering how nosy she is.