PADRE ALMEIDA - Legend 4 - Juan Fernando Bermeo

By some legends, the devil waits in dark alleys.
In this one, he might be inside the monastery.

“Padre Almeida” is a haunting retelling of one of Quito’s most beloved and controversial legends: the story of a young priest who climbs over a life-size crucifix of Christ to escape his monastery at night, chasing wine, music, and forbidden freedom—until one terrifying vision forces him to face his own mortality.

By day, Almeida is a promising friar in a strict colonial monastery in Quito’s historic center. By night, he slips a small guitar over his back, steps onto the wooden body of Christ embedded in the wall, and pulls himself up to an open window to vanish into the city’s narrow streets. Lanterns, taverns, mistelas, laughter—he wants a taste of life beyond stone walls and whispered prayers.

But one night, half drunk and stumbling back before dawn, the streets fall silent. A small funeral procession appears out of nowhere: hooded figures, slow steps, a coffin carried through the cold stone alleys. Drawn by morbid curiosity, Almeida approaches, lifts the cloth… and sees himself, pale and motionless, laid out like a corpse.

Is it a divine warning? A demonic illusion? Or a story later shaped to frighten every restless soul who dares to question obedience and pleasure?

This PDF eBook includes:

• A complete, fully edited story of around 4,500 words
• 8 evocative illustrations plus the cover, depicting the crucifix escape, the night streets of Quito, and the eerie procession
• A modern reinterpretation that explores not only guilt and sin, but also youth, desire, compassion, and religious control
• Subtle social questions: Was this legend used to scare people away from joy and nightlife, or to invite a deeper understanding of conscience and choice?

Perfect for readers who enjoy religious horror, psychological supernatural tales, and Latin American urban legends, “Padre Almeida” is the fourth legend in the Quito’s Urban Legends series—but you can read it as a complete standalone story.

Download the PDF, climb the stone wall with Almeida, feel the wood of the crucifix under your feet… and walk with him through the silent streets toward the coffin that may already be waiting for him.