Juan J. Flores plunges readers into a chilling tale of historical trauma and supernatural dread in his debut short novel, "Water of the dead: Horror in Colonquelú." Based on a real police case that shook an Argentinian city in 1980, Flores weaves a narrative that transcends a simple crime story, tapping into deep-seated historical wounds and the terrifying power of the unseen.
The premise itself is unsettling: a young boy vanishes for three days only to reappear floating in the local stream, leaving his community to ponder the grim possibility that death might have been a kinder fate. This disturbing event unfolds against the backdrop of a devastating flood, as a man desperately searches for his missing brothers, his suspicion falling heavily on a cousin.
But Flores masterfully layers another, far older horror onto this contemporary tragedy. He transports us back to 1829, to the very banks of the Colonquelú stream, where a brutal massacre of indigenous people – mostly defenseless women, children, and the elderly – took place at the hands of soldiers. This historical atrocity isn't just a footnote; it's the festering wound from which the novel's true terror springs.
The author uses these two stark episodes as the foundation for a chilling narrative of ghosts and demonic possession. From the very first pages, a palpable sense of ancient hatred permeates the atmosphere, a malevolence that has been simmering for centuries within the land itself.
Flores paints a vivid picture of the "country of the devil," a place where the Colonquelú stream isn't just water, but a conduit of ancient evil. These are waters "contaminated by evil," capable only of fueling desires for vengeance and death. The Felder family is about to learn this truth in the most horrifying way possible. Little Nahuel, who fell into the stream and was lost for days, returns… changed. He is no longer the innocent boy they knew, hinting at a terrifying transformation that lies at the heart of this unsettling tale.
"Water of the dead: Horror in Colonquelú" promises a descent into a unique brand of horror, one that blends true crime elements with supernatural dread, all deeply rooted in the historical trauma of a specific place. If you're looking for a short novel that will leave you with a lingering sense of unease and a chilling reminder that some wounds never truly heal, then Flores' debut is one to watch. Be warned, though: the waters of Colonquelú seem to hold a darkness that goes far beyond the surface.
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