Dawn had fallen over the city like a silent blanket, that kind of night when everything seems paused, calm, in a deep breath. For Julián, however, that calm dawn would be the beginning of one of the most painful and terrifying experiences of his life. He, a hardworking, dedicated man, accustomed to dealing with daily fatigue, never imagined that a simple night of routine sleep would transform into a direct encounter with pain.

Julian had been living alone for four years, ever since his separation from his wife left him in a small apartment filled with faded memories. His nights were simple: coming home from work, preparing a quick dinner, and, without much ceremony, lying down in bed seeking rest for his perpetually exhausted mind. That night, like many others, he fell asleep without noticing the faint buzzing coming from the poorly closed window.

She didn’t know how much time passed before a fierce, indescribable burning sensation shot up her back like a line of liquid fire. She woke with a start, gasping for breath, her heart racing. But the worst part wasn’t the pain, it was the confusion. She didn’t understand what was happening. Her body felt like it was burning from the inside out.

As he tried to sit up, he saw something move on the sheet. A flash, a small shadow, and suddenly he understood everything: a colony of insects, attracted by food scraps and the warmth of the room, had settled right on his bed. Julián screamed in despair, trying to shoo them away with his hands, but it was too late: dozens of bites and chemical burns already marked his skin.

In the darkness, he felt the world closing in on him. Dizziness, shortness of breath, a cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He managed to stand, staggering, groping for his phone, but his legs could barely support him. Blurry vision showed him a hallway that seemed to tilt to the sides. Everything felt like a feverish, impossible dream, filled with moving shadows.

He managed to call emergency services before collapsing to the ground.

Minutes later, though it felt like hours to him, paramedics broke down the door. They found him unconscious, his skin reddened and blistered, marked by an almost serpentine pattern that ran down his entire back and one of his arms. The stings had not only caused an extreme reaction, but the venom had also caused severe chemical burns. They rushed him to the hospital, racing against time.

When he woke up, he was already in the hospital. The bright white light of the room blinded him for a moment, and the sound of the machines reminded him that he was still alive. Right in front of him, a nurse watched him with compassion.

“You were lucky you called,” he said gently. “Another couple of minutes and your body would have gone into irreversible shock.”

Julian tried to move, but the pain stopped him. Then he looked at his shoulder… and the skin looked as if it had been struck by a current of fire. Intense reds, open wounds, a mark that would never completely disappear. The nurse approached, carefully cleaning the wounds as she explained:

Sleeping with food scraps, garbage nearby, or dirty clothes can attract dangerous mosquito colonies. It’s not just a nuisance… it can be deadly. The important thing is that you’re alive.

Julian lowered his gaze, feeling a mixture of shame, fear, and gratitude. He never imagined that such an everyday oversight could push him so close to the edge. From that day forward, he knew his life would never be the same: the scars wouldn’t just be physical, but a permanent reminder of the fragile balance between routine and risk.