Trick or Treat: Hermana Muerte, This Halloween’s Treat

Here it is. My favourite night of the year, or very close to it: Halloween.

The night you sink into the sofa with a stack of horror films, a bowl of sweets that never makes it past the first one, and just enough light for every creak in the house to sound like something else. For me, few things beat it.

Now, a confession: hardly anyone comes trick-or-treating at my house. Hardly anyone. And it’s not for lack of effort, mind you. I dress for the occasion to answer the door, with all the enthusiasm in the world. Maybe that’s exactly the problem. (Evil laughter.)

It’s a curious night here in Spain. In the end, what pulls at us more is the solemnity of All Saints’ Day and the remembrance of those who are gone on All Souls’ Day: the flowers, the cemeteries, the visits we’ve made all our lives. And that’s as it should be.

But enough solemnity. Tonight is about something else.

A treat for the four of you who drop by

Tonight it’s time for a little Halloween treat for the four people who peek into this journal (yes, I’ve counted you). And since it’s practically impossible to find, I thought the right thing to do was to rescue the minicomic that came with the FNAC edition of VERÓNICA, Paco Plaza’s film, and share it with you. It’s called HERMANA MUERTE (Sister Death).

A quick warning before anyone gets confused: years later a great film also called Hermana Muerte (Sister Death) came out, and it has nothing to do with this. What you have here is a different story: that of Sister Narcisa, the blind nun who wanders the school corridors, told before the events of Verónica. The pupils call her Sister Death. And no, they haven’t the faintest idea what lies behind her.

Sorry, Spanish only

I have to apologise to those of you reading in English: this treat only comes in Spanish. It’s the only version I have, and I didn’t want to leave you without it. Still, Juanfra’s pages do most of the talking, and dread doesn’t need subtitles.

Wonderful people all around

The art is by Juanfra MB, one of the finest friends and artists I know, who gave this story all the weight it needed. Look at those black-and-white pages and you’ll see what I mean.

And none of this would exist without the push from Paco Plaza and Enrique López Lavigne, who insisted I play with their toys. I’m very grateful to them!

Only until All Souls’ Day

Like every good Halloween sweet, this one doesn’t last: the comic will be here only until 2 November. You can read it right here in the viewer, turning the pages with the arrows or with a swipe, or download the PDF and read it with the lights off, which is how these things should be read. After that, it will vanish just like the sweets from the bowl.

So hurry up and grab it. Trick or treat!