Secrets of the Anasazi

by Sky Whitehorse

  "Those are the Seven Sisters."

  "Are you studying to be an astronomer?" She smiled, resting the back of her neck on his shoulder.

  "I do a little star gazing. My mom taught me everything I know.”

  Her arousal grew, just feeling the sensation of his warm body behind her. He seemed to have much more self-control.

  She planted a kiss on his cheek. He pulled her around aggressively, to face him, her legs locked around his hips and her back arched as their lips pressed together. She ran her fingers through the back of his hair, making his cap fall off. He began planting kisses down her neck, one by one until he reached her collarbone. She felt weak, letting her neck go slack. He made a path across her U shaped collar. She gasped as he lingered there.

  He laid back, taking her with him, and she snuggled into his chest. He rolled on top of her. The rock was hard under her back, but she didn’t care as he pushed his mouth onto hers with more vigor. She caressed his chest as he ran his hands up the sides of her ribs.

  He pushed himself up and sat up. Maya sat up to look him. It was so abrupt she wondered why he stopped so suddenly. He didn’t meet her gaze. He pulled away and dropped his chin as if he felt guilty. "Are you ok?"

  "There's nothing more I want than to be with you," she confessed.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him back down. He fell on her and she sucked his bottom lip. His face crumpled with pleasure as she deepened it. Her lips traveled down the nape of his neck. His hard breathing made her hungrier for him. She ran her fingers from his chest down his abs. He groaned, pushing his midsection against hers. She wrapped her legs around him.

  He loosened his grip, lifting her off. "We shouldn't..." He ran his hands over his face.

  Maya continued to lay there. "Can we just... cuddle?"

  He paused. "It’s hard for me to just… cuddle. Maybe if you stop kissing me."

  She laid her head on his chest, watching him. They grew quiet, enjoying each other’s warmth. They closed their eyes, falling asleep in each other’s embrace.

  ⭐⭐⭐

  Maya and Warren headed to their rooms early the next morning. Sleeping on his chest had made her feel like they had a special bond. She had woken in the middle of the night and watched him sleep, feeling like the luckiest girl to be curled up beside someone so gentle and handsome. If only she could be by his side every night, but she knew better.

  They headed inside the hotel before Aunt Roslyn was awake. As they canoodled down the hallway, a door to one of the rooms began to open. Warren darted down another hallway, and soon Maya knew why. Roy opened the door wearing only his boxers and Paris pulled herself towards him into a kiss. Roy leaned against the door while she stuck her tongue in his mouth as Maya gaped at them. Then Paris walked out of the room zipping her pants. Maya caught Roy’s eye first. He didn’t say anything, just backed into the room and shut the door.

  Paris walked by as Maya stared at her.

  “What are you looking at?” Paris sneered.

  Maya turned to watch her leave with her messy bed-head.

  She found room 111 and crept in, quietly. Chantal was sleeping solid. Maya laid in bed staring at the ceiling with thoughts of Roy and Paris swimming in her thoughts. Her sticky fingers seemed to get into everything: the man she cared about, her cousin’s room, and now her brother’s pants.

  She tossed and turned until she gave up on sleep and decided to get her art supplies out. She began painting a picture of the woman she had admired in the photograph in the library. She dabbed more paint onto the headband. It was already starting to capture the essence of life behind her glimmering eyes and cheeky smile when Chantal roused.

  "What time did you come to bed last night?" Chantal asked.

  "Um... not sure," she lied. She knew well it was about three in the morning. "When did you fall asleep?"

  "About eleven, I would say."

  "Oh... yeah... That's right about the time I got back."

  "Where were you?"

  Maya could feel Chantal’s eyes as she evaluated her with suspicion.

  "Stargazing... on Warren's chest." She couldn’t help the sly smile that crept over her face.

  “You explored outer space with him? He was the captain, you were the ship?” She raised her eyebrows at her.

  Maya laughed at the analogy. “The ship never took off. Guess who I saw sneaking out of Roy's room this morning?"

  Chantal jerked her head in her direction. "You're joking?"

  "Nope. She was zipping up her pants."

  Chantal put her hand over her mouth, raising her eyebrows.

  Maya gritted her teeth as she concentrated on mixing a hue.

  Moments later, there was a knock on the door and Chantal opened it.

  Dr. Parker stood at the door wearing his suede hat. He wore a plaid shirt with khaki shorts. His eyebrows were turned up, looking like a sad puppy. "You were so upset that I overnighted something for you." He handed her a package.

  Chantal locked eyes with him for a moment and tore open the box. She reached inside and pulled out a miniature glass piano. It had little ivory colored keys.

  "It's a music box. I knew I had to replace it. I know it’s just a little thing, but-"

  “No, this is not a little thing. I love it so much!” She smiled at him.

  He cranked the knob underneath as she held it, and it began to play a sweet melody. The Englishman toyed with his chin.

  She set the gift on her bare dresser, then flung her arms around him. "Thank you."

  He smiled over her shoulder, winding his hands tightly around her back, while looking at Maya.

  Although, it was a very nice gesture, something about him made her uncomfortable.

  21. Ghosts in the Graveyard

  Maya continued painting the woman late into the night, putting on the finishing touches. Her high cheekbones were bright. Her nose was wide and flat, and her hair shimmered where the light touched it.

  Chantal laid in bed, her hair cascaded over the pillow she was laying on, winding the music box repeatedly. "You know, William is pretty great after all."

  Maya chuckled in surprise. "Since when did you start calling him William?"

  She ignored her. "None of my mother's other boyfriends ever gave me anything. I've been thinking, maybe she doesn't really have a curse on her. Maybe it was a coincidence."

  Maya stretched and yawned. "Finally finished." She washed up her paint supplies in the bathroom and put them away.

  "I'm bored," Chantal said. "Why don't we see if anyone wants to play Ghosts in the Graveyard? Lance and I used to play it."

  Maya sat up. "Remind me what that is again?"

  "It's like hide-and-seek, but in the dark. People can move out of their hiding places without being seen. The seeker relies on their sense of hearing and touch. Let's see if Lance and James will play with us."

  Chantal dialed each of the boys' rooms and invited them to the dining hall. "They're meeting us there," she said, placing the receiver back on the cradle.

  The hotel halls were deserted as they made their way up the stairs. The stars gleamed through the large windows and the black silhouette of the tables and chairs were all that could be seen in the large room.

  Two male figures entered the room, James and Lance, Maya presumed. One was tall, thin, and his hair was slick around the crown with his bangs flipping up. The shorter one had a smaller stature, and his hair spiked out in all directions.

  Chantal pulled the blindfold from her pocket and walked toward Maya. "I elect you as the first seeker. No one may leave this room." She tied the blindfold over Maya’s eyes.

  She held her hands out, making sure she wouldn't bump into anything. Shoes scuffed across the wooden floor as each of the others scurried to their hiding places. Maya got down on her hands and knees and crawled under the first table. Something squeaked on her left, like the leg of a chair scooting on the wooden floor. She headed toward it and bumped her head. "Ouch!" She felt the object an
d recognized the square, wooden leg of a chair.

  Giggling erupted to her right. It was Chantal. Maya reached for her, but she only received a handful of air.

  Maya quickened her pace. The laughter ceased as she reached for the giggler, but she had gotten away. For a moment it looked like she was under a table; even though her eyes were closed, her mind was showing her something. The clear, red outline of the table leg was in front of her.

  She reached for it and, to her surprise, it was really there. She grasped the leg and realized it was moving. Someone on the top of the table was wiggling. Maya crawled out from under it and jumped to her feet.

  Lance jumped back. "Ahh!"

  Maya grabbed for him. He tried getting away as she caught the sole of his sneaker. He tried kicking, but it was too late. His shoe came off in her hand before he scrambled away.

  There was a loud thump.

  Maya tore off the blindfold and called victoriously, "I got your shoe! You're it!"

  Lance lay on the floor. "You scared me to death!"

  She tossed him the blindfold and ran to hide.

  He tied it over his eyes with his back turned and whirled around, pushing up on his nose. His nostrils resembled the snout of a pig.

  Maya almost laughed but held it in as she sat on a chair.

  He placed his hand under his armpit and made flatulent noises.

  Chantal giggled and slapped her hand over her mouth. He ran toward her, but she quietly tiptoed across the room.

  Maya shifted her feet on the chair, making a creaking sound.

  Lance ran to investigate. She pushed her back as far into the cushion as she could. He placed his hands on the armrests; his nose was only centimeters away from hers. She could feel his breath on her face and silently drew in a breath of her own.

  Chantal, only a few feet away, picked up a fork from the floor and tossed it across the room.

  Lance jumped up and ran to go find it.

  Maya stifled a laugh. She watched as he crouched down, spread his fingers over the fork, and grabbed it. He tossed the fork over his shoulder and placed his palm above the floor where it had been. He frowned and pulled the blindfold off.

  "There's something under here.” Lance felt over the hardwood.

  Maya, Chantal, and James gathered around him, crouching on their knees.

  "What do you mean?" Maya asked.

  "Hand me the fork," he said, reaching for James, who placed it in his hand.

  Lance stuck it between the floorboards and pried a small slab away. There was a hole underneath. Lance stuck his hand inside and pulled out a piece of paper, examining it.

  "I'll get the lights." James jumped up and hustled to flip them on.

  Maya squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light.

  Lance was holding a yellowed piece of paper. There were symbols written across it that she had never seen before, but they reminded her of the petroglyphs Chantal had shown her in the library.

  Lance looked first to Maya and then to James with reluctance.

  "It's in code," James said, leaning in to examine as he crouched on the floor beside him. "But what modern-day person would be able to read or write something like that?"

  Maya, Chantal, and Lance looked at each other, shaking their heads and shrugging as they pretended not to know.

  "I've no idea." Maya’s hand fluttered to her lips as her eyes darted between Chantal and Lance.

  "Me neither," Lance lied, his blond brows lowering as he looked at the paper.

  "Probably someone playing a joke," Chantal added, sucking her cheeks in.

  James put his chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Let me go see if my book on ancient writing can shed some light. I'll be right back."

  Their eyes followed him as he headed down the stairs. The three of them huddled closer when he was out of sight.

  Chantal whispered, "What does it say?"

  Lance closed his eyes and placed the palm of his hand above the parchment, "My grandson Ahote, the time has drawn near to my passing into the afterlife."

  Maya lifted an eyebrow at Lance.

  "Out of your five siblings," he continued, "you are the only shaman. Thus I entrust you to guard the entrance to the underworld. Your brothers do not understand. Jealousy divides you, and I fear they may take out their anger upon you. Take heed as the rabbit does, for when his enemy draws near, he watches. Your uncles did not know why the Great Spirit led them to name you Ahote, the restless spirit, but as time passes I have come to understand. You alone will carry the load of keeping the underworld, the legend, and the tablet sacred. This will burden you as much as the ant that holds ten times its own weight. Your spirit will be restless all the days you keep watch over the land. Be wary of those who seek to find the City of Gold, for great hardships await. I trust you to carry on the giving ways of our people but beware of the man that loiters just as the coyote awaits to kill his prey. Love, your grandfather."

  "That's a strange way to read," James’ voice boomed over them.

  Maya felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. Lance and Chantal were speechless, spinning around to face him.

  James narrowed his eyes, sweeping his arm out, and snatching the paper from Lance's grasp. "You weren't going to let me in on this secret, were you?” He glared at Chantal. “So much for being friends."

  "The paper isn't yours," Maya said, jumping to her feet and widening her stance. "Give it back!"

  "Why should I?" he replied, holding the paper away from her grasp. "My uncle and I have been looking for anything that might be a clue to the seven cities of gold, and you know something. This proves it. Why would you keep this paper secret?"

  Maya folded her arms. "We don't owe you an explanation."

  "Your mom invited us to explore," he told Chantal. "We've paid a prime rate to stay here and do our research, with her permission, but it looks like you've been covering up the tracks to make sure we won’t turn up anything. That's it. I'm getting your mom, and my uncle, and we're going to settle this." He turned on his heel, his posture as straight as a plank as he rounded the staircase.

  "I’m making sure he's really gone this time," Maya whispered, heading to the staircase to see. This time he had left. Maya combed her fingers through her hair, letting out a deep breath and going back upstairs to the dining hall. "Let's get our stories straight. What are we going to say?"

  Lance shook his head. "I don't know."

  Chantal yawned, staring at the ceiling. "I'm so exhausted after the laundry I had to fold today. My mind is mush."

  "Chantal? Lance? Maya?" Aunt Roslyn's voice rang from down the stairs.

  "Yes?" they replied in unison.

  "Come down here to the front desk so we can talk."

  They exchanged glances, not knowing what trouble they might be in. They filed down the staircase where Aunt Roslyn stood in her robe as she put her glasses on and held up the note to read. Dr. Parker stood beside her hugging an Encyclopedia of Ancient Writings.

  James had his burly arms folded and was scowling at each of them. His lips puckered contemptuously. "They read this paper with information about the cities of gold, translating it to English, and tried to keep it secret from me."