The Black Unicorn
By Fernando Helguera
This mythological being, going unnoticed, is able to observe us all in San Miguel and the rest of Mexico. He tells me stories, and I write them down here.
What the black unicorn told me this time, will seem incredible. He came out of his burrow in the morning, hoping to sunbathe, and curious about what people were saying. And then something strange happened. Walking down the slope of San José, he found it absolutely empty; not a person, not a car, not even a dog on the street. He felt a chill. He continued walking, turning left on Aparicio on the way to Mesones, where he was sure he’d find some movement, since this is a busy street. But his stomach lurched as he realized that it was also empty, and the silence was absolute. He thought of heading toward his house and maybe just going to sleep, or rather, to wake up. This was like a dream that he didn’t want to turn into a nightmare.
As he passed the totally deserted Plaza Cívica, he thought it was possible that the prediction he’d heard at Mercado Sano a while ago could be true. There, he’d overheard people saying that all of humanity would disappear because of the vaccinated people, who had introduced nanotechnology that jumped from one human being to another. These were in the form of tiny, invisible graphene vehicles that attacked the carrier from within, turning them into a kind of zombie or robot with no will of their own. They clamored for interpersonal distance in pursuit of salvation. If so, what would remain would be beings lying in their houses, with no movement other than breathing.
As the Black Unicorn turned left on Juárez, by the church, he thought he heard something. Were there voices at the end of the street, on the corner of San Francisco? He was excited to think that there could be survivors, and he ran full speed through the center, anxious, but hopeful. But, again, no one was there. He turned right, towards the Jardin Principal and all he heard was the sound of the wind through the trees. He wasn’t sure if he should approach the Jardin, because even if there were no humans, it was possible that non-humans could be lurking about.
He recalled that many people had been afraid that the pandemic virus would kill them, and they got vaccinated as many times as they could. They also wanted interpersonal distance to save themselves. He had no doubt that the media had conveyed a solid message that was consistent with all ways of thinking. Let’s be afraid and stay away from each other. Being a unicorn, however, neither the graphene nor the virus would harm him. The other possibility was that everyone was not a zombie; instead, they were all dead.
Something sounding like a group of human beings making a racket came from far away; from the other side of the Central Square. Hopeful again, he ran to the corner of Cuna de Allende and Correo, in front of the Parroquia. It was creepy to see entire plaza, usually filled with thousands of tourists and locals, completely empty. On the corner, he strained his ears and again heard what sounded like a small crowd. It was clearer now; it seemed to be people who were excited about something.
Around Umarán Street, he experienced a kind of pleasure realizing that being alone implied a world without garbage, without pollution, without greed, without vanity, without lawsuits. Without humanity, all the pretentious people who believe that certain human beings are better than others because of the color of their skin, or because of the amount of material goods they possess, would be gone. The whole notion seemed absurd. To think that there are those who believe they are a better person for having taken a photo in front of the famous Eiffel Tower. He thought—how about a world without those primitive beings?
The sounds grew louder, and now he could tell they were coming from a restaurant rooftop. They sounded like people, and they seemed to be in a good mood. Stealthily, he approached them—and then all his questions were answered. They were watching the National Team match of the World Cup! Everyone was shouting with excitement because the goalkeeper had saved a penalty. Obviously, these were not zombies or corpses, but fans which are, more-or-less equivalent, regardless of the object or subject they cheer. All the streets of the country were empty because there really is a power that can change things on a massive level, and in a short time. He realized that he could accept a world without everything he had thought about, but there definitely could not be a world without soccer.
