The Devil's Chasm

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Literature · Subcategory: Literary fragments · Year: 2002 · Authors: Heinz Delam

Heinz Delam himself says about this work: "The Devil's Chasm is an adventure dreamed during my frequent trips to the Canary Islands. With this novel, my pen leaves behind the longed-for African jungles to delve into the magical settings of the Canary archipelago. It is a story of mystery, love, and discovery, in whose pages the reader will find the usual ingredients of my previous novels: adventure, enigmas of the past, and dark dangers lurking for protagonists faced with the unknown."

«As soon as I left the hotel, I was greeted by the fresh and pleasant breeze blowing from the sea, and it seemed an invitation to wander along the promenade, to mingle with the people walking there. Thus, my erratic walk ended up leading me to the beach. A beach so different now, bathed in a twilight that blurred the outlines of things and gave them an unreal appearance. I walked for a good while following the foamy line, moving further and further south until I reached the extension of the promenade, under construction at that time. The area, away from the very tall poles topped with lights, was dark and scattered with large trenches and unfinished concrete constructions. But the darkness was not total: a faint light reigned coming from the illuminated façade of the Alfredo Kraus auditorium, located not far from there. I looked around and came to an obvious conclusion: very few people ventured there.

[...] I sat on the sand, very close to the water, and let my senses wander towards the mysterious and muffled breaking of the waves on the bar, a natural reef that protects that beach from the capricious moods of the Atlantic Ocean, and that only lets through soft and tamed waves. I became absorbed, caught by that fascination that contemplation of enchanting spectacles like fire or water in turmoil provokes in humans. It was then that I felt on the back of my neck the humid and burning breath of a large animal. [...]»

28.131378, -15.445082