Draft:The Decapitated Chicken

The Decapitated Chicken is a horror short story by Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga, first published in the magazine Caras y Caretas, in 1909, and later included in the book Cuentos de amor de locura y de muerte, published in 1917. It is recognized as a literary classic among the Latin American horror genre.

Plot
It follows the story of the Mazzini-Ferraz couple, who are said to be cursed. Their four sons, as soon as they reached a year and a half, suffered seizures that made them mentally disabled and virtually incapable of reasoning. The fifth child, a girl, is born and grows older without any problems and with the usual mental capabilities, and soon little Berta becomes her parents' favorite, as their other sons are casted away and forsaken. One day, the siblings watch as a hen is beheaded and cooked for dinner. This seemingly insignificant event ushers in a tragedy. The siblings decide to echo the witnessed act, enacting the death of their sister.

Adaptations
The short story was adapted by screenwriter Carlos Trillo and illustrated by artist Alberto Breccia, in a classic version published in the magazine Fierro Nº8, April 1985.