Opening sentence
The opening sentences depict the sense of sight to readers to aid them in getting an overview of the expected events in the novel. The author writes: "The lamp on the bedside table cast a warm, pink glow over the room, taking on different tones as it shone through fairy patterns on its glass shade. A collection of stuffed toys from the shelf gazed at the sleeping child." The description of the room where the child is sleeping is made visible in the reader's mind through this imagery. The imagery of the sleeping child represents innocence that is ripped off by gluttonous people whose wish is to gain material things at the expense of guiltless lives.
The intruder
Amaia's village has a long history of witchcraft, which involves offering human sacrifices to an evil power for material gains. People do everything within their power to get young, innocent children to offer as sacrifices. For instance, some parents offer their children, and others hunt for other people's children. The narrator notes one scenario where an intruder gets into the house to steal a child for the sacrifice, and his description depicts hearing imagery. The narrator says: “The intruder could hear the murmur of the television in the adjacent room, and the heavy breathing of the woman asleep on the sofa, lit by the screen’s cold light.” Therefore, this hearing imagery does not only help readers perceive sound but also allows them to see how evil people conduct their missions to achieve their selfish gains. The imagery of the intruder represents the evil power that is working behind the scenes with to cause havoc in the village.
Amaia’s surveillance
Amaia is the most trusted and experienced detective during her time, and she is back to uncover the mysteries of the disappearance of infants in her village. Maia is working with other detectives to accomplish this complicated assignment. Maia, on this particular occasion, is on a mission to trace a suspect who steals children for sacrifices, and the incident is described using the sense of sight. The narrator writes, "Amaia had been watching the house for twenty minutes from her car. With the engine switched off and the windows closed against the steady drizzle, condensation had formed on the windows, blurring the contours of the building with the dark shutters." The imagery represents the risk involved in tracing the suspects because they are dangerous and armed. Amaia takes the necessary precautions to avoid being noticed by the suspect.
