Voice of Shadows (2023)

[bunniefuu]

When I was 12, my

father was k*lled.

We hid from the cartel in

a storm solo on the farm.

The owner was nice at first,

but then we barely

had anything to eat.

We worked hard,

but he wanted my mother.

And when he wouldn't have her,

he r*ped her.

One day after work,

he beat her so bad.

She wasn't hurt that bad,

and she made me

promise myself to God.

And I did.

But the next day I

k*lled the owner.

I k*lled the owner, Father.

I had to raise my

sister on my own.

And we survived.

We survived, Father.

But you know what?

I look around the world

and I see so many

terrible things

and I wonder what kind

of God would allow this?

Tell me, Father.

Tell me, because I feel

like I'm losing my faith.

Please.

Father?

Father?

Are you okay?

Milda asked us to come today.

We really need the money.

I know.

Where's Celeste?

How's it going, Birdie?

Oh, man.

Hey, you see this car?

Mm-hmm.

I drove this every Friday

to get dinner at Puertas.

For 20 years.

But now I can't.

You know why?

Why is that, Birdie?

Because my wife,

she took my keys.

Well, maybe she has

your best interest.

Oh, you're not a believer?

One day I will get my keys and

I will drive over to Puertas.

Do you believe me?

About what?

One day you will believe.

Where are you so close to Milda?

I don't know.

She just never had

a family of her own.

It's so sad.

Some people that are alone

are alone for a reason.

Milda, we're here.

And here is where

we will stay for good.

Milda?

Oh, no.

I'm sorry, I thought

you were someone else.

Oh, look, you

brought a new canvas.

Delightful.

Gabriel, please clean up the

yard out front, it's atrocious.

Oh, Emma, would you please

show me your new work?

Hmm.

You don't like it?

Oh, it's fine.

I mean, it isn't

finished yet, right?

Sit, sit, sit, sit, sit.

Emma, I know how

you love mussels.

Oh, no, Aunt.

Remember, I'm allergic.

Oh, well, I have a feeling

that someday you will love them.

Enjoy.

Look at you, your mother

would be so proud.

I wish I could see her again.

Oh.

You know, I know this

might sound crazy,

but sometimes I can

communicate with loved ones.

Perhaps I'll show you someday.

Even my parents?

Especially your parents.

You got a lot of

work to do here.

This place is a mess.

You have no idea.

- Hmm.

- My name is Joseph.

Gabriel.

Excuse me.

Hey, does she know

about that cross?

About my what?

About that cross?

I don't know, man.

What's wrong?

Oh, that man.

He and his tribe think

they own this land.

Someone should put him away.

You can't talk like that, Milda.

There is good in everyone.

Oh.

It's okay.

She can't help it, she's

always been an empath.

She used to bring home

injured birds to her mother.

Oh.

What would I do without you two?

Just know we will

always be together.

Hello?

Hello.

Emma?

Yes.

Who's this?

This is Ernesto.

Ernesto?

I'm a longtime

friend of your aunt.

I am sure she must

have mentioned me.

Oh, Ernesto, I'm so

sorry, I don't think so.

What time is it?

It's late.

I'm sorry to call you,

but I must inform you

that Milda has just passed away.

That's impossible,

I just saw her.

It was very sudden.

She went peacefully.

There will be a small funeral.

You and Celeste are to travel

here as soon as possible.

And Gabriel?

The governor?

He's my boyfriend.

If you prefer,

then bring him as well.

When's the funeral?

When can you get here?

Welcome, I was just

about to give up hope

anyone else would come.

Do you have a eulogy prepared?

Please.

In life there were two Mildas.

The first was a Christian

woman who lost her husband

and daughter in a

tragic accident.

But even after this accident

she committed herself

to becoming a nun

and she worked at the

Catholic orphanage.

But that changed.

Few would know the second Milda.

You see, this is not the first

time Milda's passed away.

She miraculously came

back to life once,

after a fire in which many

innocent children died.

What kind of God would

allow that to happen?

Don't you see?

After she came back to

life she couldn't commit

herself to God

and so she started life over.

She developed her own beliefs.

She was a good woman.

A loving woman.

Wonderful speech.

You must be her niece?

Ernesto?

Charmed.

You see, we were very close.

She didn't speak much about

the people that she knew.

Hmm.

Well let's get to business.

All the documents

are at the house.

We have to go over some

unique stipulations.

Stipulations?

She told you, right?

No.

Hmm.

How very strange.

You see, you are the sole

beneficiary of her entire

estate.

Trust me, there's nothing

for you to worry about.

We'll sign the will and

then we'll head to the motel.

Okay?

No, you go, I will stay.

You shouldn't

stay in the house

where somebody

just died, Celeste.

Looks like a scythe.

Hmm?

It was a gag gift actually.

I received it from a club

both Milda and I belonged to.

Hmm, what kind of club?

A very exclusive one.

This is a truly beautiful house.

It must be worth a fortune.

Have you thought about that?

Oh, her old friends.

Can you believe they still

call after all these years?

I can get that.

Ah, they can get very chatty.

Excuse me.

Hello?

Oh, yes.

Yes, we are just

settling in here.

Maybe you can call

a little bit later.

I will send your condolences.

Thank you.

That was a man named Brett.

He escaped the fire too.

You see, one of the things

Milda wanted you to do

was to keep up with

all those callers

and just speak with

them regularly.

You mean, Milda meant

for me to live here?

Don't worry, it will

be worth your time.

Well, the final stipulation

is a little bit eccentric.

"Under no circumstances

is your friend Gabriel Verde

allowed to live or

stay in the house.

This is my final wish."

Wait, what, what?

What? Is this a joke?

Emma, can we just go, please?

You can't just leave town.

No, I'm not gonna do that.

And I can tell you right now,

I'm not letting either

of you stay here alone.

I don't like it either,

we can just get a motel

for the night.

No, can we just go

back to the apartment?

Celeste?

As the executor of the will,

I had to put it in front

of you, but shall we say

I'm willing to look the

other way on this matter?

Really?

Indeed.

Let's just finish

this and we can go.

Hmm.

"Hmm," what?

I must have forgotten

the preamble.

Can you just go back and get it?

I'm very sorry, I live far away

and I don't see well at night.

Don't worry, I can

give you a ride.

I think you're tired,

you should get some rest.

Get some rest.

I'll be in touch.

Look at this house.

This house is all ours.

Yesterday we couldn't

even pay our bills.

Let's just stay for tonight.

Just one night.

Where's Celeste?

Celeste!

Emma, Celeste doesn't want to...

What are you doing?

I just realized I've

never been down here before.

You come back.

Emma, come back.

- Boo!

- Emma.

You're funny.

Where are you going?

Emma?

Do you hear?

Where are you going?

Emma, come back!

Yeah, yeah.

Why are you so

scared of basements?

You should have

outgrown that by now.

- Come on-

- Stop.

Emma, what are you doing?

No!

What's wrong?

What happened?

Tell me.

My mom was k*lled

and I had to bury her, and

her k*ller, in the basement.

Are you happy now?

You k*lled the m*rder*r?

Yes, I did.

Emma?

why do you have that?

You didn't hear that?

No.

You didn't?

Put it away.

Okay, okay.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

What was that?

Good morning.

Emma, if you don't mind, I

have a proposition for you.

Did you bring the papers?

Yes, we'll get to that,

but, first, there is a small

gallery in this town, they

need someone to take over

just for a few days.

An art gallery?

Milda thought it

would be a great place

for you to sell your work.

Would you mind?

Sure, let me get my jacket.

Actually, I don't

have room in the car,

but we'll be back shortly.

Hmm?

Celeste?

Hello?

Hello?

Enough.

Enough, Celeste.

Okay?

Hello?

Gabriel.

Who's this?

Leave or everyone dies.

Hey, how was it?

Amazing.

Well, I should be

done for the day.

I will see you tomorrow.

And the papers?

We took care of

that at the gallery.

What's he

talking about, tomorrow?

It's just for a few days, Gabe.

I was thinking...

What?

What are you thinking?

You should go back

home for a few days.

What are

you talking about?

Please?

Look, this house is

making all of us crazy.

Can we just go?

Please?

You know I can't.

Emma?

Emma?

Emma?

Emma?

Emma, wake up.

Wake up!

Emma, wake up!

Wake up, wake up!

Emma! Emma!

Morning.

Where are you going?

I need to go to the shop.

I need the car.

Why?

'Cause I wanna go to the church.

Let's go then.

Emma, the door's locked.

Why did you lock the door?

I'm sorry.

Can we talk about

what's going on?

What's going on

is you're drinking

more and more and

acting paranoid.

We can actually get ahead

and you're f*cking this up.

f*cking this up?

Emma, I moved to

this country for you.

I moved my sister for you.

I changed my whole life for you.

For us.

When I met you in

Columbia, Gabriel,

I didn't imagine this for us.

Just go back to the

apartment for a little while.

Go back to work.

What are you even doing here?

What am I doing here?

I can't protect my mom, but I

will protect you and Celeste.

Protect us from what, Gabe?

Tell me.

You're a danger to us.

You're a danger to yourself.

Emma, you have to be

honest with yourself.

This is me being

honest with myself.

We're here.

Milda?

Hello, are you here

for a confession?

No, I'm not.

I just moved out here.

My girlfriend inherited a house.

Milda's house?

Yeah.

Please come see me again,

now's not a good time.

Celeste?

Celeste?

Celeste?

sh*t.

Celeste?

Celeste?

I tried calling.

I unplugged the phone.

Oh, I'm so sorry for

the inconvenience.

Have you seen Celeste?

I thought she told you.

Celeste left.

Where did she go?

Her apartment, I guess.

Listen, I came here

for a friendly chat.

You see, Milda was a very

close friend of mine.

She had special qualities.

But, Emma, she doesn't want

to honor the stipulations

that are necessary

to the agreement.

I thought you said it was

fine for me to stay here.

It would be better if

you go home tonight.

Wouldn't you agree?

No, because I don't

have a way back.

I can make travel

arrangements for you.

Why don't you tell me what

the hell is going on here,

and who are these callers?

It's simple, if the

agreement is not fulfilled,

Emma will not

inherit the estate.

Well, we must be going.

Let me call Emma first.

Sure, yes, take your

time and talk it over.

We'll make the

arrangements for tomorrow.

Okay, thank you.

Hey, where's Celeste?

Ernesto brought her back.

Where is he?

I

I don't know.

Gabe, what's wrong?

Don't worry, she

said she'll call.

I should get that.

Hello, this is Emma.

And who's this?

Oh, hi, Ernesto.

Yeah, I was just

asking about you.

Mm-hmm.

Celeste?

What are you doing?

I'm gonna call the

police about Celeste.

You know you can't

do that, right?

Her papers.

She's fine, just mad.

Look, she sent me a text.

She didn't say anything to me.

There were a lot of

things she told me

that she didn't

want you to know.

Like what?

I'm going to bed, I'm

too tired for this.

No, you don't deserve that.

No one does.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Yes, goodbye for now.

Talk soon.

Bye.

Hey.

Do you have

anything you wanna tell me?

About what?

Jesus.

Hello?

I have a couple

questions for you.

Now is not a good time.

What can

you tell me about Milda?

I can tell you that

Milda was a troubled woman

and was once a

servant of the church.

May she rest in peace.

And that's all I have to say.

I know exactly who you are.

You do?

How do you know Milda?

Why are you living in her house?

It's temporary.

Well right now you

are in God's house.

I believe it is

always preferable

to play by the house rules.

Is it not?

Her house is corrupted, Father.

Blasphemy.

You come here dishonoring

one of this church's

most devout members?

Something is wrong.

Maybe you can go and

perform a cleansing.

A cleansing?

Yes, an exorcism.

Enough.

How dare you even

suggest a thing?

A man such as you.

Such as me?

This is not the first

time you've committed

such an egregious sin, is it?

And then you come here so

bold as to be damning others.

How do you know?

Do you consider

yourself a man of God?

Yes, Father.

Well let me tell

you, God does not.

Later I will be

performing a eulogy,

and I think you know for whom?

Get out of my church!

Gabriel?

This way.

Are you all right?

What happened?

He's no priest, Father John.

I can say this with certainty

that he is a man of deep faith.

He knows something about Milda.

He's involved with

her in some evil way.

Father John blamed himself

for how Milda turned out.

She was beyond reconciliation

after the tragedy.

And why did she have this?

This belonged to her?

Mm-hmm.

Then Father John was

right to be concerned.

But the book is harmless.

The inverted pentagram,

or pentacle, was a device

designed by a dark occult

to protect it from the holy

power of the pentagram.

Much like how the Nazis

used the swastika.

For 500 years after

the death of Christ

the pentagram was a holy

symbol of strength and unity.

In ancient times, it

was thought to drive

away wicked spirits.

The inversion carries no power,

but it managed to scare

Christians from using it.

This is complete fiction.

Cynical art done

by wicked people.

Nothing more.

One school of thought

believes in layers of hell,

the lowest being where the

worst souls go to suffer.

These names...

What about the names?

Where did they...

What about the names?

I

Gabriel, I.

What?

You have to tell me, what?

What's going on?

When I first came to the

church, there were rumors

about what had happened.

What kind of rumors?

That when Milda died,

she lost her faith

and while in the afterlife

she came across spirits

and souls who were seeking

to escape their fate.

Their fate?

From the lowest layer of hell.

She gave them life.

She's the creator of

ghosts, the echo of death.

The voice of shadows.

Now the spirits are

looking for a new vessel.

Emma.

I thought

this was all a fantasy until...

Till what?

The names in the book,

these are all individuals.

Father John demanded

to bury himself.

These are...

These are people of

unspeakable sins.

These are the callers.

You must listen to me.

You have to leave.

You must stay away from Father

John, and don't come back.

I'm gonna have to

perform an exorcism.

God willing.

Father John may call

for an adorcism.

What's an adorcism?

It's the calling

of evil spirits,

the opposite of an exorcism.

You must stay away

from that house.

I can't.

I need to go, my

family's in there.

Thank you, Father.

You're

gonna risk all of your lives.

Emma!

Emma, open the door!

Emma!

Celeste?

Emma?

Stay there.

Em?

Em, where are you going?

Emma?

Emma?

Stop!

Stop.

Emma?

Emma?

Are you okay?

What's happening?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Let's go, right now.

Come on.

What was that torch?

I have no idea.

Maybe Joseph has

something to do with it.

Let's go back home and

contact the church.

Okay?

What about Milda's priest?

I don't trust him.

Please, trust me.

Okay?

We are going to

get Celeste back.

Don't let me into

that house again.

I won't.

Who's there?

Father John?

In the name of the Holy

Ghost, devil be gone.

You're up already?

Yeah.

You want some coffee?

You look like sh*t.

Did you sleep?

No, I didn't.

We should leave.

To where?

I want you to see my priest.

I'm gonna shower first.

Okay.

Father John?

Emma?

Emma?

Emma?

Emma?

Emma?

You m*therf*cker!

Hey!

I'm getting rid

of that car today.

Did you help him with this?

I told you I'd do it.

I told you I'd do it.

Woo hoo!

Where is he?

Far away.

You should have k*lled him.

Emma wouldn't let me,

but she's all but gone now.

Well, hello, Milda.

We have work to do.

Father James?

Father James?

Father?

Father?

Father?

Father?

Father James?

Mom and dad

have always been here.

It's time for us to join them.

Help her! Help her!

Please stop!

Leave her alone!

Leave her alone!

So what are we going to do?

This evil seed

comes from your creed.

You must find a way.

The torch I gave you is to

help guide and protect you.

This lies upon you now.

This depends upon your faith.

Okay.

Take care of her.

Emma?

Emma?

Emma are you here?

Emma?

Emma!

f*ck!

Open the door!

Emma?

Hello, Gabriel.

When I was young, I had

so much love to give,

but your God took it away.

Your God tried to k*ll me.

He did it, but I came back.

And when I did, I brought with

me others who he had betrayed

and I kept them safe.

And I will continue

to keep them safe.

You see, it isn't people

who are flawed, it's God.

And you have been

corrupted by your evil God.

And you didn't listen to me.

You will now.

Thank you, Gabriel.

Gabriel?

Gabriel?

Gabriel?

Gabriel?

Help was what she needed, you

f*cked that up, didn't you?

It's too bad, you were

like so many I protect.

A m*rder*r.

But now you will go to

where I kept them safe from.

Your sister was so easy to turn.

Emma, she was a little

more complicated.

The inverted

pentagram, or pentacle,

was a device designed

by a dark cult

to protect it from the holy

power of the pentagram.

No!

Gabriel?

Emma?

Are you okay?

Is it over?

It's over.