the MESSAGE. Beginning

2. The window

"What is this?" she asks me fearfully, peering at the black square of the window. I remain silent, stepping closer and standing by her side. The girls huddle close to me, and I feel their sweet candy-scented breath and sense the beating of their tiny hearts. We gaze intently at the outlines of the night city, pressing ourselves against the kitchen cabinet to be nearer to the window.

Our apartment is on the very top floor of a residential tower, and the kitchen window is situated at the building's corner, offering a wide view of the new part of the city with dozens of blocks of under-construction and already inhabited buildings. I enjoy such a view. It reminds me of an old dream to live somewhere on Manhattan, in Hong Kong, or Dubai. To be in one of those skyscrapers, high above the ground, observing the interplay of countless lights at the foot of my sanctuary, feeling myself amid the pulsating ocean of human life. But my spouse dislikes such a sight and complains, disliking to watch the bustling construction workers and their rows of makeshift housing while preparing meals. However, this panorama allows us now to see what is happening in the city.

At first, we don't notice anything extraordinary. It's the usual night scenery of the urban anthill, a procession of car lights along the wide highway encircling the city's outskirts, stretching far eastward toward the airport.

But then, right beneath us, under our window, we spot a large bright off-road vehicle speeding with its headlights on. It moves much faster than allowed within our residential complex area, even faster than the reckless drivers scaring anxious mothers with their baby strollers.

The car swiftly passes by a row of garbage containers, lifting a couple of empty plastic bags into the air, and zooms beneath a tall lamp post, its light revealing something caught on the windshield of the off-road vehicle. It seems to be a creature of some sort. Human-like, yet without clothes... Or could it be an animal? A dog? A monkey...?

In my mind, I immediately connect this creature with the news on television and recall the announcer's words, "...losing their hair covering..., their skin turning pale..., losing human identity upon awakening..., becoming extremely aggressive and dangerous..., moving on all fours..., possessing incredible strength and speed...".

Upon closer observation, I notice that the creature is fiercely pounding on the windshield, attempting to break into the interior of the car. The vehicle continues its trajectory and, a few meters ahead, crashes into a parked sedan, throwing the creature far onto the asphalt. The sedan, still in motion, grazes another parked car, and both vehicles express their indignation with blaring alarm signals.

A moment later, the driver's door of the off-road vehicle opens, and a woman steps out. She walks unsteadily around her car, approaching the fallen creature. Even from the twelfth floor, I can see that the woman is frightened. Her body trembles, and her head sways from side to side, as if she can't believe her own eyes.

Suddenly, the woman jerks back and rushes back to her car. The creature on the asphalt raises its hairless head, quickly getting up on its lower limbs, emitting a familiar screeching cry. The woman manages to retreat into her vehicle and slam the door shut, just as the creature lunges at the off-road vehicle again, pounding on the windshield with its head and all four limbs, trying to break in.

We are frozen in astonishment, witnessing the unfolding drama below, and we remain silent. My spouse's hand tightly clasps mine, squeezing with strength. From the corner of my eye, I notice her face turning pale, and her lips contort into a grimace of horror.

The silence is interrupted by our elder daughter.

"Daddy! Who is that?!! Who is that, daddy?!! Why does the man want to hurt the lady?" she asks with an excited, high-pitched child's voice.