The legend of the Caleuche

Maria grew up with her family in the south of Chile in Chiloe, a city full of legends and beautiful natural and green landscapes. Maria's family is dedicated to raising animals and selling what they produce. From a very young age, she learned the trade from her parents and from previous generations. She gets up first thing in the morning. She loves the sound of rooster crowing when the sun is rising. The first thing she does is milking the cows. Feed the horses, remove the eggs from the hens that are ready to eat, and prepare fresh bread, which a few hours later she would go to sell to the truckers who pass by at breakfast time wanting to eat something hot and fresh.

María is only 17 years old, but she learned to work the land to help the family since she is an only child since she was little. If one of her parents dies, she will have to continue with the family business. They do not have much money. Still, they do not lack food since they feed on the same thing that the animals produce.

Maria is finishing school every morning, gets up at 5 in the morning, showers with water drawn from the river closest to his home, put on his school clothes warms her bread in the fireplace, a bread that she has prepared herself. In the morning, and drinks freshly ordered milk from the cows walks 30 minutes to take the bus on the road more Nearby. While she waits for the bus, Juan, his best friend from school, arrives. They talk for a while, laugh. The bus always comes at the same hour, both get on the bus that will leave them outside the school.

The school is located in the closest continuous city. even though she has excellent grades, she does not aspire to go to university. Since his parents could never pay for the university and Country life fascinates her. Her only aspiration is to continue with the family business and sell the products from the animals they raise. When the bell rings at the end of classes, María and Juan walk together back to the bus stop. This time they will do it faster since the beginning of winter. The days are getting colder and darker. They want to take the first bus that passes by.

When They get off the bus and say goodbye, Maria follows the same path she always takes on the way home. She knows the route by heart. Does not even need a flashlight. It is almost as if growing up in that context. It has made her develop her senses more. She is not afraid of the dark. She even loves walk under the stars and the moon and hearing the crickets speak. She likes to go to the river to swim after school. Today is no exception. Even if it's winter, she thinks for others it is frozen. For me, it is the perfect temperature. The river is vast runs the entire city practically. She thinks to herself that she could never live in Santiago.

People are like in uniform they work all day and live life fast, they don't share with each other; for some people, maybe my life will be difficult, but their lives are complicated for me. There is nothing like the tranquility of the field. After bathing in the river, Maria goes directly to her home. When Maria arrives, the mother tells her, I have said to you that we are already in winter. Why are you going to get into the river? You already know the legend that we all know. They are not false stories, it has happened to many people during the history of this city. Maria just nods and doesn't reply to her mother, but she thinks those legends are lies; they are stories for children, and I'm no longer a girl. I can't believe in those stories anymore.

It is almost 8 pm, and Maria helps her parents in the kitchen at dinner time, helping to prepare seafood soup and hot red wine with orange slices and apples plus cloves, sugar, and cinnamon to warm the body. She loves the smell of mulled wine. She is already 17 years old. Therefore, her father allows her to drink with them. When they were almost finishing dinner, says Father Maria, we have to talk.

I forbid you to go to the river at night. You already know what the Caleuche legend is about. Appearing in the fog and deceiving people with its music and colors, this ghost ship can kidnap people and make them disappear, so they can never come back. Once the daughter of the neighbor Alicia got into the river, a mist formed and did not appear again. Do you want the same to happen to you? I ask you for the love of God, or do you want to kill us with a heart attack? I could not bear to lose my only daughter, because of the Caleuche, please María, listen to me, I ask you now to promise me that you and your friend Juan will not go sailing when the fog is near, María with an angry expression tells her father I promise you, dad. But do not exaggerate those things so much. They do not exist, the father replies, if you do not want to believe in those things, I accept it. But I think it is true, and I will not go against my beliefs, and I have to protect my only daughter.

At the end of dinner, Maria goes straight to bed, falls asleep faster than usual, dreams that she is sitting on the river bank. She observes that a boat is slowly approaching in the distance and brings the most beautiful man that she had ever seen before. When the man arrives, he says, come with me. I promise you will not regret it when she takes her hand Maria wakes up, thinks what a strange dream still she doesn't pay much attention to it either and continues with her usual routine.

When Maria gets on the bus, she tells Juan about his strange dream. Juan tells her this can mean only one thing the Caleuche is coming for you, Maria, please don't go anymore to the river. With a clear expression of annoyance, Maria tells him, you are the same as my parents. Those things don't exist. Do not be ridiculous Juan, he just stays quiet and watches Maria with concern all the rest of the trip.

At the end of the classes, both are tired, so they don't say anything on the way home .when they get off the bus, they say goodbye as usual. Without listening to her friend's advice, Maria goes straight to the river to bathe under the starry night, without knowing that Juan had decided to follow her this time and looked at her hiding behind a tree.

María was drying herself on the bank river when suddenly a fog appears to cover everything from nowhere. María dresses quickly, but instead of feeling fear, she is curious. In the distance she can see a huge ship appear and next to him has a small boat with a man inside, she jumps into the river, Juan runs and yells no Maria! It is the Caleuche. Do not go! Maria doesn't listen to him, so he also throws himself into the river, and both swim until they reach the boat. When they get on the boat with the man, Juan tells Maria, the legend says that if we do not look at the ship when it is close, they will not punish us. Maria notices that the man inside the boat is the same man from her dream. They get into the boat whit him. As if by magic, they appear inside the Caleuche, both are surprised that the boat is part of the ship. In the blink of an eye, they realize that they are sailing into the depths of the sea. And it is as if the boat is covered by a glass, where the water does not reach. It looks like an aquarium in the deep sea. Maria thinks how beautiful aquatic life is. I would be happy if I could live such a life and see the depths of the ocean every day.

The ship's crew is celebrating and dancing, the man invites them to the party and offers them great treasures. He tells them I am the ship's captain, welcome, take what you want. But with the condition of never telling anyone what they have seen today, not everyone can see me or hear me, only one in a million. Those who can see us are invited to the party, and those who simply enter uninvited kill them. Maria tells Juan I think we are dreaming. The man says Maria is not a dream. Maria resolute tells the captain that everything you see is real. I want to live here with you. I don't want to go back to my everyday life. Juan, indignant, tells her, how can you say something like that? What about your parents? You know how much do they love you. What about your life, your future? If you stay here, you will become a ghost-like them. You will never return to earth. Please do not do it, the captain tells her.

I appreciate that you put your life on offer, but no, I can accept. What if I can promise you that I will invite you to the ship one night every year? Maria whit a big smile on her face agrees and says I promise you that I would never tell anyone what I saw today. In a second, they appear again on the river bank. The captain says I have to go, until the next time Maria raises her hands in the form of farewell and yells at him, do not forget about me!. I will wait for you on the same day of each year at the same time! slowly the ship disappear and take whit fog whit them

Juan and Maria look at each other, but they do not know what to say. Juan suddenly says Maria look, there is a coffer on the floor. Maria and Juan open it and is full of jewels is a gift from the captain. Juan and Maria jump for joy, divide each part in the same, take the route to their houses in the middle of the road. They say goodbye, hug happily and he says, see you tomorrow Maria.

When Maria comes home, her parents are worried, they ask Maria, where were you? ! You had us worried, we thought something terrible had happened to you. Maria tells her experience to her parents. The two incredulous, says, but the Caleuche kills people or abducts them. Maria tells them the legend is entirely true, but only people who can see the captain are invited to the ship. And I was invited, look, dad, all this is a gift from the captain. The parents jump, surprised with happiness, they all hug together. Maria tells them the only thing I want to ask of them is a request from the captain. He told me that I could only say the secret to my parents and that no one else can know. Both parents promise that nothing will ever come out of their mouths. When it's time to sleep, Maria dreams of the captain again. He tells her, don't forget about me. I'll go get you next year. When Maria wakes up, not a day has passed since she met the captain, but she is eager to see the captain again. She knows that her life and heart have changed forever and that she would never be the same girl as before.