The Cemetery of Untold Stories

Filomena and Perla leave the gates open during the day and lock them at night, but many people come to the park even after the gates are locked. Younger children tend to congregate around the markers of children’s stories and the legends that Scheherazade had planned to write. Older boys stay near the markers for stories of revolutionaries, while the poor gather near the scraps of stories. The sisters light fires year-round, for warmth or for cooking food. Bichán gives food to the children. Over the food and fires, people tell their stories. People who sleep in the cemetery warn others to stay away from the globe that marks el Barón’s spot. They also warn people about the machete marker, for it brings nightmares, and a voice in a strange language emanates from it.

At night, characters from the partially realized stories come to life. Some watch over the sleeping visitors, while others interact with each other. Bienvenida has been diminishing because her story is soon to be published. She walks on the arm of a man in a Panama hat (Manuel), who consoles her because she doesn’t want her story to be told.