L'Étreinte du fleuve

The Mohan, Spirit of the Magdalena River in Colombia, lives deep in the waters, smoking tobacco and swigging aguardiente, the local alcohol. Sometimes he perches on a boulder in the middle of the river, waiting for humans to arrive. He teases the fishermen, entangling their nets and frightening away the fish. A greater charmer, the Mohan lures the most beautiful women down to his golden palace, deep under the water. From there, melodic music rises to the surface. Some women come back pregnant; others never come back at all. People have begun to notice that the Mohan no longer appears at the surface of the river. Nowadays, people do not respect him as they used to; they are more afraid of the living. The paramilitary has struck terror into the hearts of all, even the devil. Now all the Magdalena River conceals in its depths, are corpses.