"Open up." "Open up now." "Get the key." "Open up." "The key." "Open up now." "Open up." "Open the door." ""THE MAN AND THE MONSTER"" "Who the hell parked the car like this?" "Madam, there's been an accident on the side of the road." "A woman is badly injured." "Is there a phone I can use?" "Well, could I bring her here while I go to town to get a doctor?" "Madam, I think you don't understand." "A woman is in danger of dying." "This is pretty clear, Mr. Souto." "It was just an accident." "The lady lost control of the car and hit the windshield." "But she wasn't in the car when I got here." "She was coming from there." "Listen, Mr. Souto." "I know what I'm telling you." "I'm sure this was an accident." "I'm sure this was an accident." "The lady got out of the car looking for help." "Then you got to the scene, and she came here when she heard you." "Come on, let's go to town." "The road has already been cleared." "What's wrong, Laura?" "It's me." "Professor, it was horrible!" "What happened?" "I had a terrible nightmare." "I saw a face." "Shut up." "Don't say that." "Don't talk anymore." "You should sleep now, Laura." "Remember, in a few days you'll need all your courage and energy." "You should be very calm by then." "Yes, Professor, but you should also have some rest." "You look sick." "I'll be able to get some rest once you've passed the test." "Now try to sleep." "Get some rest." "Get some rest, Laura." "Aren't you going to sleep?" "I don't know if I could." "You should rest." "Again." "It happened again." "Did you hear me?" "Again." "Until when?" "Oh, God." "Ricardo Souto from Mexico." "Are you coming to the festival?" "No, I'm visiting a very important man in this town." "Yes, don Perfecto García, The owner of the ranch with the star." "No." "Samuel Magno, the famous musician." "Musician?" "He was a worldwide celebrity." "He retired many years ago, and came to live in this town." "No one knows why." "Well, I think you are confused." "That man doesn't live in this town." "No?" "That's strange!" "Samuel Magno, La Escondida." "San José." "La Escondida." "That's the man who..." "Do you really plan going there?" "Yes, why not?" "You have a lot of courage!" " Why?" " A lot of courage!" "No one here would dare to go to that place." "They say there's a witch living there." "A witch?" "Yes, I know her, and tomorrow I'll see her again." "Which one is my room?" "Cosme, take the gentleman to Room 22." "Yes, sir." "Give me my typewriter." " Isn't there a phone here?" " Not in this room, sir." "But tomorrow we'll have a vacant room with a phone upstairs." "Ask the receptionist to move you there." "Yes, I'll do that." " Thank you very much." " Thank you." " Have a good night." " Good night." "Who are you?" "What do you want?" "How did you get here?" "Please, forgive me, Professor, but I heard you playing the piano, and I didn't want to interrupt." "I'm Ricardo Souto, from Conciertos List." "I've come to see the details..." "There is nothing else to be discussed." "You'll be able to see her and listen to her music in the National Conservatory next Friday." "Listen to her music?" "So, she is..." "Yes." "As of next Friday, she'll be the best pianist in the world." "She is already." "But the world hasn't heard her yet." "I'll conduct the orchestra myself." "But aren't you playing?" "No." "No." "I can't play anymore." "Look at my hand." "She'll be the star this time." "What a wonderful portrait!" "That's her, right?" "No, that's not her." "Really?" "I'm sure I've seen that face before." "No, she's..." "Leave this house right now." "How are you, madam?" " Let me introduce you to..." " It's not necessary." "We met last night under very tragic circumstances." "In fact, your help would have been useless." "That poor woman died some minutes after, and..." "Good-bye, sir." "But, Professor, I can't leave without the details of your presentation." "At what time are you playing?" "Who's your disciple?" "Where did you find her?" "Good-bye, sir." "Professor, if you change your mind, I'm staying at the hotel in town." "Room 22." "Yes." "Yes, sir, Room 22." "But, please, leave now." "Have a good day, all of you." "Let's continue with the third movement." "More energy in that part." "The sound should be clearer." "Let's see." "Samuel Magno received me with great courtesy." "His charming mother...insisted that I should join them for dinner." "I'm sure that Magno's disciple will be a great artist." "Such character!" "Such sweetness!" "Yes!" "Mr. Souto, you have a call from Mexico." "Hello?" "Yes?" "Oh, I was just finishing a letter for you." "Yes." "She's wonderful." "Samuel Magno's disciple is an exquisite pianist." "She's exquisite!" "Sure, I was there in the morning." "Yes." "No, no." "I'm sure that Samuel Magno's reappearance will be a great success." "No, I'll leave for Mexico tomorrow." "Bye." "I need to talk to you." "Mother!" "Mother!" "Laura isn't in her room." "Mother!" "Mother!" "Laura isn't in her room." "She went to town to do some shopping, like every Tuesday." "Calm down." "Why did you let her go?" "Today is our last day here." "Why take such a risk?" "Precisely, what could happen today?" "Calm down." "Tomorrow we'll finally leave this damned place." "Listen to me, calm down." "Control yourself." "Go away." "Please, Mother, just for a moment." " I need..." " No." "Today too?" "You didn't have enough last night?" "You know that I do it for you." "You want me to play, right?" "Go away, Samuel!" "Get out of here." "Let me play, Mother." "I beg you." "Let me play." "I don't care what happens next, but let me play." "How can you be so cruel with me?" "See what I've become because of you." "Because of me?" "Because of me, you said?" "Was it because of me that you sold your soul to the devil, you fool?" "Was it because of me?" "No, you were carried away by your own ambition." "You wanted to be the greatest artist in the world." "And you are now." "But you went too far." "Bear the consequences of that!" "I'm telling you that he plays the piano, and he does it perfectly." "But he only does it at night." "He always finishes with the same melody." "It's a very strange piece, but it's beautiful." "I don't understand why he told you that he can't play." "Why did you come here to tell me all this?" "I don't know." "I can't understand it myself." "But I feel very lonely in that big house." "And what happened today seemed very strange to me." "When you left, Mrs. Cornelia looked angrily at the Professor," "and he started trembling with fear." "But, if you are afraid of that woman, why don't you leave the house?" "Why don't you leave them?" "I can't do that." "I owe them a lot." "And the Professor is such a great person." "He's placed all his hopes on me." "I don't know if it's because of my resemblance with the woman in the portrait, or because of my abilities." "No, I'm sure you'll be a sensational musician, and I've spent my whole life listening to the world's best pianists." "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that." "Well, it's late." "I have to get going before Mrs. Cornelia realizes that I'm not back yet." "I'm glad that you came here to tell me all this, Laura." "I'll try to talk to the Professor in private." "But don't tell him that..." "Don't worry." "I won't tell him that you came here." "Don't worry." "I won't tell him that you came here." "Thank you!" "Mr..." "Ricardo." "Ricardo." "What happened, Mother?" "The man that came here this morning entered the room." "He saw Alejandra, and took the score with him." "It's not possible." "I'll talk to him." "I'll beg him." "I'll explain him everything." "You're crazy." "You won't do anything." "I'll take care of that." "Go to your piano." "Why?" "Why do you tell me that, Mother?" "Nothing." "I just want you to calm down." "No, Mother." "Not now." "Please, not now." "I don't want to do it, Mother." "I don't want to." "Tell her that I don't want to." "Tell her." "I don't want to." "No!" "Did you hear?" "Did you hear well?" "Have you ever listened to anything like this?" "Not even you were able to reach this level of excellence, even though Samuel Magno was stupid enough to admire you" "and considered you the best pianist in the world." "I'm the best pianist in the world!" "Only me!" "My hands are moved by a superior and invisible force." "You know which force I'm talking about, right, Alejandra?" "I see you again like I saw you that night." "You were playing like never before." "It was a strange melody." "In the meantime, Samuel, the eternal second best pianist, the great failure, the sublime mediocrity, was dying of envy in a corner." "You were a triumph." "The audience was crazy about you." "They all stood in ovation." "Flowers, applause." "And you were standing next to your piano, like a Goddess, enjoying your success." "And Samuel, the idiot, the eternal second best pianist, the great failure, the sublime mediocrity," "was dying of envy in a corner." "If it's true that you exist, if it's true that others have invoked you... if it's true that you can give everything in exchange for what they call the soul, I invoke you." "Give me success." "Make me the greatest artist in the world." "I'll do whatever you want." "I'll give you whatever you ask me." "Just give me a signal." "Give me a signal, and I'll know that you've heard me." "You've heard me." "Yes, yes." "I'll do what you ask me to." "Yes." "When Samuel, that poor idiot, went back to the dressing room, he wasn't the same person anymore." "He was me." "She had given me what they call the soul." "How are you, Mr. Magno?" "I didn't see you out there." "Did you like the concert?" "I know what you'll ask me." "What piece I played at the end." "Well, to your surprise, I didn't know it myself until tonight." "It mysteriously appeared on the piano." "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "We'll have to find it a title." "It doesn't have one." "It doesn't say the composer's name, either." "Why do you look at me like that?" "You are very strange tonight." "I've never seen you like this before." "No, what's wrong with you?" "I took you with me that night so that I could keep you forever." "You'd be the only one with the privilege of listening to the greatest artist in the world." "What are you doing here?" "How did you get inside?" "You did it!" "You kept your promise!" "I'm the best pianist in the world." "Number 1 !" "Number 1 !" "Samuel." "Samuel, son, why did you close the door?" "Open the door!" "Samuel!" "Samuel!" "Open the door!" "Samuel!" "Samuel!" "Don't you recognize me?" "Don't you recognize your own son?" "ls there so much difference between the greatest failure and the best pianist in the world?" "You never thought that my hands would be able to..." "I understand." "I understand." "I know what you want from me." "Every time I play the piano, I'll look like this." "But I don't care." "I don't care about anything." "Now I am what I've always wanted to be." "Now I'm greater than her." "Did you do this?" "Did you do this?" "Don't touch me, Mother." "Get away from me." "What did you do?" "What is this?" "You don't understand, Mother." "Don't you understand who did it?" "It was him." "Yes. lt was him." "Are you out of your mind?" "Did you do this?" "Get away from me, Mother!" "Don't touch me!" "Don't touch me." "Don't touch me." "What's happened?" "Why am I not at the theater?" "I don't remember coming back here." "What do you remember, then?" "What do you remember?" "I don't know." "I was at the theater listening to Alejandra's great concert." "The audience was clapping with excitement, and she was accepting the ovation like a queen." "No, Mother." "It's not possible." "Tell me it's not true." "No!" "Nothing matters now." "Continue like that, alone and silent." "Forgotten, ignored by everybody." "Contemplating my success." "You'll be my only spectator." "But now there is someone else who knows it." "Open up!" "Let me go." "Open up." "Open up." "I need to get out of here." "Open the door, damn it!" "Open up!" "Oh, Mr. Souto, I already moved you to Room 25." "There is a phone there." "Room 25?" "Yes, upstairs, the last one at the end." "I'll kill you, because nobody will be better than me." "Samuel was helping you become a great pianist, like Alejandra was." "I am the best pianist in the world!" "Me!" "Professor!" "Professor!" "Professor!" "No!" "No!" "Open the door, God damn it!" "Open up!" "Samuel!" "Samuel!" "No, get away from me." "Don't touch me, Mother." "Don't touch me." "Don't touch me." "Leave me alone, Mother." "Leave me alone." "Don't touch me, Mother." "Don't touch me." "Don't touch me." "What happened, Mother?" "What happened now?" "Nothing, son." "Everything is fine." "I think you've forgotten we should go to the city." "Now?" "I thought that..." "It's dawning, and we have a long trip ahead." "What about Laura?" "I'll take care of her." "Go pack your things." "Laura." "Laura, open the door!" "Laura!" "Laura, open the door!" "He wanted to kill me." "He wanted to kill me!" "Calm down." "He's gone." "We'll also get out of here, right now." "Now?" "But I need to go to town before leaving." "What for?" "I should say good-bye to..." "You don't have to say good-bye to anybody." "You must forget this damned town forever." "Come on." "Get ready to leave." "Yes, ma'am." "If you had listened to me about the girl's accident, nothing of this would have happened." "I don't see what all this has to do with a simple car accident." "Well, I'm pretty sure of that." "But, what does that have to do with a lunatic..." "A lunatic?" "A monster." "Well, a monster." "A demon, not a being from this world." "Well, a monster, a demon, whatever that is." "Again, what does that have to do with well, with that house?" "Could you explain that to me?" "I can't explain anything yet." "You see?" "But I beg you to come with me to that house." "All right." "Let's go!" "It's enough, Samuel." "It's enough, Samuel." "No, Mother." "No." "Right, Alejandra?" "lsn't it right?" "It's there." "Behind that door." "Well, you don't need to worry anymore." "The dead woman was reincarnated as a cat." "Where could they possibly take her?" "I hope we don't have any problems for trespassing the house like this." "Ramón, try to leave the door as it was." "Yes, sir." "Officer." "What do you want now?" "Look at this portrait." "Very beautiful woman, so what?" "She's Alejandra, the best pianist in the world." "She disappeared mysteriously some years ago." "So?" "She's the woman I saw in that room." "All right." "All right." "But aren't you going to do anything?" "Yes, of course." "I'll go to bed." "How do I look?" "You look beautiful, dear." "It's as if she were Alejandra." "I'm going to get dressed." "Let Laura finish with her preparations." "Finally, I will be free from this curse." "Don't you think, Mother?" "As long as you believe it, it's enough." "I'm going to get dressed." "I'll be ready in a minute." "Today I'll give back to the world what I once took from it." "At last, Alejandra." "Laura is a great pianist, like you were, right?" "I will never play the piano again." "She's yours." "She's with you." "Her ashes and yours will be one." "And I'll always take care of both of you... forever." "Yes." "It's very difficult to play Tchaikovsky, right?" "Yes, it's not easy." "Do you play the piano?" "Yes." "And I think I can help you play this part." "Yes." "And I think I can help you play this part." "You are not using the right fingers." "Pay attention." "Fifth finger... third... second... second." "Again, fifth." "The fingering is extremely important in Tchaikovsky." "You play it." "No." "I can't play anymore." "Try again." "No, please, play it." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Laura!" "Laura!" "ls she hurt?" "What's wrong?" "What do these people want?" "Laura." "Laura, dear, what's wrong?" "The monster." "The monster killed the girl in Room 503." "Professor, didn't you see anything?" "What do you mean?" "Laura." "It was horrible." "It was horrible, my God." "It's the same...the same monster I saw the other night." "Yes." "The same one." "Fortunately, I got here in time." "I wanted to wish you both good luck for tonight." "Now it's time to show everybody how good you are." "Forget what happened here." "You need all your energy to stand in front of the audience tonight." "Thank you, Ricardo." "If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened." "Be so kind as to leave the room, sir." "I'll be at the theater." "Good luck." "Good night, ma'am." "Good night, Professor." "Laura." "We don't have time." "Anybody could come in here any minute." "I think I know what's going on." "But..." "You could be killed tonight." "Me?" "Yes, yes." "It's the same night that woman died." "And today, when the girl..." "But, why, God, why?" "Do you remember that melody?" "Yes, I could never forget it." "I've heard it so many times while I was locked in my room." "I have it here, in my mind." "Then do as I tell you." "Trust me, Laura." "Trust me, Laura." "No, Samuel!" "Samuel, not her!" "No, don't kill him!" "He's my son!" "He's my son." "He's my son." "Son." "Son." "Why?" "He's my son." "My son." "My son." "My son." "My son." "My son."