The Duality of Man 😌

Spanish or Vanish

Staring at the sword inches from my face, I desperately tried not to smile. One of the drawbacks of working in customer service; always smiling at the wrong time. I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch, a death sentence in of itself. The joke that I would smile even in the face of Death, didn’t seem as funny anymore. I guess that’s what happens when jokes turn into reality.

The sword moved, breaking me from my thoughts, the tip placed under my chin. Its coldness sent shivers down my spine. A stark reminder that this was no joke.

“Tell me, Señora,” he said, spitting out the title as if I was a mockery of all it represents. “What is so amusing?”

My stomach rolled, sending me a taste of that burning acid along my throat. Swallowing quickly I tried to think of something - anything - to say. But no words came. I could only stare at his cracked face, so familiar yet foreign, and smile. It was not a pretty smile either, more like a cornered animal, it showed way too many teeth.

“Capitán” One of the men, no not men, but ghosts stepped forward. His eyepatch distinguished him from the rest. He said something quickly in Spanish, tone imploring for something, what I did not know.

I guess Duolingo was correct, it is ‘Spanish or Vanish’.