The Melody of a Curse [ENGLISH VERSION]

CHAPTER ONE

Drawing the curtains and seeing that the sky was still dark did not surprise me; after all, it was January, and in winter, it used to dawn around eight in the morning or even a little later. Ignoring the last reason, the darkness that kissed the firmament and tinged my own expression with shades had only one—and more coherent—reason: the clock was barely scratching five o'clock in the morning.

From the large windows of the room, I could see that in that great city, only a few lights here and there gave some life to the dark buildings, while the rest of the metropolitan core took refuge in the broad stroke of shades. I considered the possibility that the citizens were still sleeping, just as I should have done. The only inconvenience I had evidenced was the absence of sleep, and I thought I had already tried every remedy whose end could not have been less certain. With no other constraint than the lack of rest, I sighed angrily and got out of bed, dragging the sheets.

At that early hour of the morning, only a tiny fraction of the population would be waking up to clock in for the first hour of the day, and although it was true that that city did not belong to me and I did not belong to it, I was totally determined to break its streets with each of my steps and to show it, likewise, my integrity. You could say, then, that I was also looking forward to starting my day there, in the magnificent and prestigious city of Los Angeles, California, not without some nervousness. What an adventure! I still couldn't believe I was finally in the United States; it all seemed as unbelievable and bewildering as a fairy tale in which a princess finds herself in a new world at her feet, waiting to be discovered and explored by her. To be honest, my expectant demeanor would have given away my desire to have had a witness to confide in.

I had every reason to expect my Californian sojourn to be the most vivid experience of any I had undertaken in the past year after a relentless harvest of successes, and while I could have found reason to delegate my responsibilities, I suspected I would be missing the opportunity of a lifetime.

Despite my excitement, I quickly realized that it would not be that morning when I would satisfy my curiosity: my desires would have to wait to be fulfilled. That day was the most important day of my life, or so I had tried to assume. That day I was supposed to leave my simple life behind and take the step into the professional sphere. That day, and more precisely that very morning, I would meet a mysterious boy who had so far approached me and let me know his last name: Shadow. Apparently, he was a young man of extensive artistic training, committed to the music industry and exalted prominence. One of those guys who didn't like to be known in depth but loved to stand out.

Or, at least, that's what his agent, Russell Bryant, had told me a few months ago: "He is not a boy with many friends, because nobody likes to live like him. He is manic and somewhat proud, cruelly realistic, and a born idiot."

"You are not being encouraging at all, Mr. Bryant."

"I'm sorry, miss, but I don't want to lie to you. The boy is a star, but at what cost? Inside, he's broken and empty, but even though love has played so many tricks on him and he's reluctant to fall in love again, he secretly still believes in it."

I stopped being interested in the gray glow that illuminated the buildings and faintly dotted the blackness that enveloped that marvelous city and turned on the lights in the hotel suite. A wonderful golden light bathed the large room with its luminosity, and a shiver scratched my back as I questioned my fortune. It had been none other than Shadow who had taken it upon himself to choose my hotel and room as well, even helping to pay for my stay and assisting me during that period of time. It was nice of him to show such concern for me, and I inevitably questioned Mr. Bryant's words; perhaps his star was not as proud as he thought it was.

The room the guy had gotten me was a modern apartment located on the top floor of the hotel. The room consisted of a large public area in front of large windows that occupied the entire length of one of the walls and gave a beautiful view of a magnificent city. Also, on my first exploration the day I checked into the hotel, I discovered a well-appointed bathroom with sophisticated sinks, a shiny tile floor, a whirlpool tub, and LED lights that changed color at the touch of a button that served as a remote control. Separate from the public area, the large double bed stood out from the ostentatious decor and everything else. It featured the finest Egyptian cotton sheets ever tested, with two nightstands sheltering the bed on either side. The rest of the décor was perfectly in keeping with the contemporary style of the room, as evidenced by the white velvet armchairs and beautiful glass coffee table in the sitting area, which offered a stunning close-up view of one of the global wonders adored by many: the Walk of Fame.