Cuco (Cucuy) Lives in the Hallway, Tale #4

Cuco, also known as a Cucuy, is a monster that snatches kids. Will Victor and Miguel find out how that happens?

Transcript

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Cuco Lives in H allway. Written and read by Maria Rodriguez Bross.

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Cuco, the monster, lived in the hallway of Miguel's apartment building. His best friend Victor Martinez agreed. Victor's family called it Cucuy because they knew the monster by a slightly different name. But it was all the same, because Victor knew what Miguel knew, which was that the Cuco's sole mission was to snatch children from their parents. But how the Cuco accomplished this they didn't know, since at the time they were barely nine years old. And back then, everyone in the building heard Victor's father, Mr. Martinez, pounding on his apartment door in the middle of the night. He would yell out for Victor's mother and say, "Please let me in. I'm sorry, I won't do it again." Miguel didn't know why Mr. Martinez was apologizing until he heard his mother say to his father one morning, "He went back to drinking aguadiente from the bodega." Miguel couldn't recall the English translation of Aguadiente, but he remembered his mother mentioning it one time, and she said that it haunted people. And when Miguel's father called the landlord and demanded a second lock be added to their door, Miguel knew there was something to be afraid of. But when the landlord refused the request, Miguel's father threatened to call the cops and slam the phone down. That's when Miguel really wanted to tell his parents about the Cuco outside their apartment walls. But Miguel never got a chance, since his parents quickly started knocking on many doors that day, trying to gather support from their neighbors for additional security. But most did not want to get involved, so they just tolerated Mr. Martinez's outbursts. They simply accepted the inconvenience and treated it like part of their nighttime ritual. Because once Victor's mother clicked her door open, a loud thump could be heard followed by eerie silence. And by midnight everyone would just fall asleep, knowing that Mr. Martinez was safe inside his apartment. And by the next morning, Victor, cheery and bright, appeared at Miguel's door, ready to walk to school. And though Miguel once tried to bring up the topic of his father, Victor said, "My mother said Cucuy was trying to get in last night, so I made sure to stay in my bed." And this was when Miguel realized that Victor didn't know about his parents' arguments or the neighbors' concerns. So Miguel thought it best to show Victor. So he said, I'll meet you in the hallway the next time the Cuco comes to your door. But Victor shook his head no, and said, "You'll be punished." And Miguel quickly responded, but then we could get rid of the Cuco!" But Victor didn't agree. He said they should listen to their parents. He even made Miguel promise with a spit shake that landed on the walls of the hallway stairs leading out to the front door. It was gross, but it confirmed their bond, since their parents would be furious should they ever find out. Miguel did try his best, but soon thereafter there came a night where he went back on his word. On this particular night, the silence had not arrived at midnight or even 1 AM, and yet the people in the building slept, while Victor lay in his bed wide awake. And wakefulness makes a boy curious. And Miguel boldly slid out of bed, despite his goosebumps and racing heart. He slowly walked towards the door and looked around to confirm his parents were still asleep. Then he carefully opened the door. He glanced to the left, towards Victor's apartment, but no one was there. And in that moment the rapid knocking became louder and more violent. Miguel wondered if Mr. Martinez was pounding on the wrong door. So he inched out further into the hallway. And that's when his apartment door swung shut and made a clicking sound. He turned back and quickly wrestled with the door, trying to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Then he started furiously, pounding in hopes that his parents would hear. But the door was securely locked. He stopped for a moment and heard more knocking sounds, which he realized were not coming from him. He slowly walked towards the end of the hallway to investigate where the sound was coming from. And that's when he heard a heavy thump, followed by a gurgling sound. Suddenly there was a high-pitched breathing which began to fade along with the sounds of the breaking glass. And that's when he saw bulging eyes, bright blue lips, its fingernails clutching its neck, and vomit erupting from its mouth. And a second being lay at the base of the poorly lit stairwell. And as he recoiled, he closed his eyes. And that's when Miguel was picked up and flung over a being's shoulder. Suddenly he heard his mother scream. So Miguel opened his eyes and then he heard his father yell, "Get him to bed!" while his mother shielded his eyes with her hands. And as Miguel lay in bed that night, he never experienced silence. Rather, he heard sirens, walkie-talkies, neighbors arguing and crying about broken bottles of aguadiente, and the death of Mr. and Mrs. Martinez. The neighbors had apparently come out of their trance and no one slept that night. And the next day, Miguel saw Victor tugging his hoodie over his face and hunching his shoulders. A police officer walked alongside him and carried Victor's belongings in plastic bags. A well-dressed woman who was not his mother kindly said, "We will find you a nice new place to sleep." And Victor didn't say a word about it, but instead blankly stared at the neighbors and even Miguel who meekly called his name and nodded. Victor darted around Miguel as if he'd seen a monster. And that was the day Miguel learned how the Cuco snatches kids.