El Vigilante del Hotel Abandonado
(The Watchman of the Abandoned Hotel)
Pablo Navarro trabajaba como vigilante nocturno en un hotel abandonado en las afueras de Segovia.
Pablo Navarro worked as a night watchman in an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of Segovia.
El edificio llevaba cerrado más de quince años, pero el ayuntamiento necesitaba a alguien que lo vigilara mientras decidian que hacer con el.
The building had been closed for more than fifteen years, but the town hall needed someone to watch over it while they decided what to do with it.
A Pablo no le importaba el trabajó.
Pablo did not mind the job.
Le pagaban bien y normalmente las noches eran tranquilas.
They paid him well and normally the nights were quiet.
Sin embargo, había una cosa que le resultaba extrana: la habitación doscientos trece, al final del pasillo del segundo piso, siempre tenía la luz encendida.
However, there was one thing that he found strange: room two hundred and thirteen, at the end of the corridor on the second floor, always had its light on.
La primera semana, Pablo intentó apagarla.
The first week, Pablo tried to turn it off.
Subió las escaleras, caminó por el pasillo oscuro y giró el interruptor.
He went up the stairs, walked down the dark corridor and flipped the switch.
La luz se apago.
The light went off.
Pero cuando volvió a bajar y miró hacia arriba desde el vestibulo, la ventana de la habitación doscientos trece brillaba otra vez.
But when he went back down and looked up from the lobby, the window of room two hundred and thirteen was glowing again.
Pensó que sería un problema electrico y no le dio más importancia.
He thought it must be an electrical problem and he did not give it more importance.
No obstante, a partir de la segunda semana, empezó a oir cosas.
Nevertheless, from the second week onwards, he started to hear things.
Primero fueron pasos.
First it was footsteps.
Alguien caminaba por el segundo piso, siempre de un lado a otro, sin parar.
Someone was walking on the second floor, always from one side to the other, without stopping.
Después vinieron los golpes, como si una persona llamara a la puerta desde dentro de la habitación.
Then came the knocking, as if a person were calling at the door from inside the room.
Una noche, Pablo se armo de valor y decidió subir.
One night, Pablo gathered his courage and decided to go up.
Se acercó a la puerta de la doscientos trece y acercó la oreja.
He approached the door of room two hundred and thirteen and put his ear close.
Dentro, alguien estaba llorando.
Inside, someone was crying.
Era un llanto suave, de una mujer que parecía estar sufriendo mucho.
It was a soft weeping, from a woman who seemed to be suffering greatly.
Pablo puso la mano en el picaporte.
Pablo placed his hand on the door handle.
Estaba helado.
It was freezing.
Giró la manilla y empujo la puerta.
He turned the handle and pushed the door.
La habitación estaba completamente vacia.
The room was completely empty.
No había muebles, ni cortinas, ni lámpara en el techo.
There was no furniture, no curtains, no lamp on the ceiling.
Entonces, <<¿por que estaba la luz encendida?>> La bombilla, desnuda en el centro del techo, parpadeaba con una luz amarillenta.
Then, why was the light on? The bulb, bare in the centre of the ceiling, was flickering with a yellowish light.
El llanto había parado.
The crying had stopped.
En su lugar, Pablo oyó algo detrás de el: una respiracion lenta y pesada, justo a su espalda.
In its place, Pablo heard something behind him: a slow and heavy breathing, right at his back.
Se dio la vuelta lentamente.
He turned around slowly.
No había nadie.
There was nobody.
Pero la puerta de la habitación se había cerrado sola.
But the door of the room had closed by itself.
Pablo tiro del picaporte.
Pablo pulled the handle.
La puerta no se movia.
The door would not move.
Golpeo la madera con los punos, pero nadie vino.
He banged the wood with his fists, but nobody came.
Entonces la bombilla se apago y la habitación quedo en completa oscuridad.
Then the bulb went out and the room was left in complete darkness.
En la oscuridad, alguien le susurró al oido: <<No debiste venir>>.
In the darkness, someone whispered in his ear: You should not have come.
Al día siguiente, encontraron a Pablo sentado en el vestibulo del hotel.
The next day, they found Pablo sitting in the hotel lobby.
Estaba vivo, pero tenía el pelo completamente blanco.
He was alive, but his hair had turned completely white.
Nunca más volvió a hablar.
He never spoke again.
Y la luz de la habitación doscientos trece seguía encendida.
And the light in room two hundred and thirteen was still on.
Key Vocabulary
el vigilante the watchman, the guard
el picaporte the door handle
parpadear to blink, to flicker
el llanto the weeping, the crying
la oscuridad the darkness
susurrar to whisper
armarse de valor to gather one's courage
el vestibulo the lobby, the hall