And in the middle of all the chaos, stood Ruiz, holding a map in one hand, stroking his thick, black-and-silver-blended hair anxiously with the other, and pacing and muttering, like some caged animal. He hadn't even noticed Layla come in. Hadn't even noticed that he was no longer alone in his thoughts. Nervously, Layla cleared her throat to get his attention.
"What... I... uh... sorry about the mess," he fumbled over his words, in a distracted sort of way Layla had never witnessed in her advisor before, "can I... can I help you, Miss Marin?"
"I'm... so sorry for interrupting. I was just..." Layla paused, choosing her next words carefully, "some of us were getting a little curious about the... uh... expedition... Is there anything I can do to help with the process?"
Dr. Ruiz pinched the bridge of his nose, and immediately at that moment seems to return somewhat to his usual intimidating, condescending demeanor. "Miss Marin, can't you see I'm a little busy?" He exhaled in response, his exhaustion and unveiled frustration now showing through.
"I know. I'm sorry. I just thought..."
"What you thought, was that the instincts and sheer luck you exhibited in New Mexico a few weeks ago would make you an invaluable asset to me on this expedition. That you might somehow know more about my own project than I do. Is that pretty much it?"
Layla gritted her teeth, to avoid blowing up in anger at this directed attempt at condescension. "No, I... I just wanted to help..."
"Miss Marin, if you truly want to help, please, go get some rest, brush up on your Spanish, dig where and when I tell you to, and give me a little more time to figure all this out," his orders, already cutting to the quick, concluded with the words, "do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," Layla responded, trying to hide the snark and anger in her own tone, "sorry, Dr. Ruiz. I guess... I'll see myself out." He didn't even pay her another moment's mind, already caught up again in his own thoughts and clutter of notes and research again.
Layla left through the flap, and began to make her way into the night air, and back towards her own, much more modest tent set-up. Deflated, and now, with a renewed frustration over the state of this expedition.
The presence of her colleagues now felt a million miles away, and with every step, the jungle surrounding her felt more alive. Wilder. Every sound, every enormous leaf or relentless insect, only served to further remind Layla that they were certainly not in New Mexico anymore. Or even West Virginia. Layla had nearly reached her tent, her own little bit of civilization tucked within this untamed rainforest when a rustling in the vegetation at the edge of the lush clearing made her freeze. Layla slowly and silently panned her lantern, until finally coming to rest on a pair of glowing, red eyes, piercing in her direction through the verdant darkness.
Layla's blood instantly ran cold, as whatever this intruder was, seemed to also be examining her own presence, with an intelligence and intensity that felt far more human than animalistic. And that was when Layla's judgment wained, just for a moment. Maybe after her altercations with James, and now Ruiz, her fight or flight response was now leaning more towards the fight. Maybe her fear was forced into taking a back seat to her mounting curiosity and need for something--anything--to happen on this fruitless expedition.
In any case, for the remainder of her life, Layla would never know why she did what she did next. Lantern in hand, she took a deep breath, and cautiously stepped forward, further illuminating the inky blackness, allowing for this unseen phantom of a dangerous, unknown jungle to begin to take shape. Layla strained her vision, but could still begin to make out the creature's monstrous form. Enough to see that what is peering at her from the shadows is clearly no jaguar. Rather, it appeared to be a large, black dog.
The stocky, wolf-like animal's eyes remained locked on Layla's, though it didn't seem intimidated by her presence in the slightest. Quite the contrary, it cocked its head to the side, investigating the girl. Just as curious about her actions.
After an unblinking eternity, Layla watched the strange dog turn and began walking back towards the edge of the clearing, and towards the oppressively mysterious darkness once more. The lantern still extended, Layla stretched out her arm, and looked on anxiously, transfixed, tracking the creature's movements, as it slinks along the perimeter, before stopping at an unassuming gap in the treeline. It paused and shifted its gaze back to face Layla, red eyes once again cutting through the darkness. Its hulking, motionless silhouette framed by a backdrop of a dreamy, star-filled sky beyond the clearing.
In a beguiling gesture, the phantom dog, took a moment to shut its glowing red eyes and nod, solemnly, in reverence in Layla's direction. The creature's blood-red eyes flickered open once again, just in time as it turned and disappeared through the opening. Back into the unseen jungle. Leaving Layla gazing, spellbound, on the patch of vacant, celestial vista, framed by vibrant green vines and thick foliage. And on alone, a strange, glowing column of cerulean light. Beckoning. Drawing her inward. Her pulse quickened, and her breathing shallowed, as that familiar warmth slowly started to coil and wrap itself around her frozen, trembling form.
And just like that, Layla was once again that scared little girl lost and alone in an unfamiliar forest.
Chapter 6
Blind Panic
"Where in the hell do you get off with that DRAW 4 bullshit?! James, you can take that card and shove it up yer arse!"
"You got a problem? Tough! Hate the game, not the player!"
"Just... just draw already, so we can all just play?"
"No, that's bullshit! I know for a bloody fact that that goddamn liar's got at least one blue card in his hand, and...!"
The rowdy outbursts produced by her colleagues' heated UNO game, specifically the unmistakably boisterous tone of Becca, instantly succeeded in breaking Layla from her troubling trance. She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been standing there, but it certainly couldn't have been nearly as long as it felt. And Layla couldn't remember the last time the ability sparked that degree of intensity or fear, let alone such vivid hallucinations. Still, in the cool, azure light, cast by the column, Layla still remained transfixed on the gap in the treeline. On that ominous and wondrous vista, seeded with a cascade of stars, each one piercing through the blackness, ever beckoning from beyond a barrier of thick, green vegetation.
Cautiously, Layla stepped towards the direction of the phantom black dog, its blood-red glowing eyes still vividly burning onto her mind's eye. With every step, the rowdy, familiar voices, the world she knew, fell farther and farther away, giving way to the cacophonous ambiance of the jungle itself. Insects chirping loudly. Leaves rustling gently in the tropical breeze. Howler monkeys. Frogs singing out, in their many actives and unique tones. All the while, Layla strained, preparing herself for something--anything--some auditory telltale marker for the beast she just encountered. Something to confirm that, again, she wasn't just going crazy.
Fantastic, you stupid little girl! Here you are, in the goddamn middle of the goddamn jungle... at night... surrounded by deadly snakes, jaguars, and God knows what! And you... do you go back for help? Do you tell anyone? Do you even take one second to think?! No! What do you do?... You go plunging even deeper, don't you? Right into the heart of the goddamn jungle... at night!... You are going to die... you know that?... and for what? Because you got a "feeling"? Or to follow some giant black ghost dog, that probably doesn't even exist?! Sounds about right, you stupid girl... Ack... Dammit!...
As Layla neared the periphery of the clearing, berating herself all the way, the grade proved to be much steeper than it appeared a moment ago, and she found she had to get almost on her hands and knees to brace her ascent over the slick rocks and mud. Even this seemed to even further accentuate the size and nature of the creature Layla had just seen. It certainly did nothing to support the fact that it even existed at all. Layla could find no tracks, no trail, no way of tracking it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, and even that, add he was no longer sure of. No, it was the other
part--that familiar warm sensation that was drawing her in, unmistakable and, more importantly, real! Even if this time, it felt even more different than usual.
Layla scrambled up the muddy embankment and, somehow, got to her feet. After readjusting the straps on her pack, she reached out a trembling hand to push aside a few branches and, heart racing slowly stepped through the gap in the trees. Towards... God only knows what! Guided only by an enormous black ghost dog, that by all accounts didn't even exist, a feeling, and her own self presumed loss of sanity.
Though it was July, the damp humidity that hung in the night air, gave Layla a certain chill, as she wiped the sweat from her brow with a muddy hand. Leaves and sticks crunched underfoot, as the sound of each footfall set her more and more on edge. Deeper and deeper... She continued to hike through the thick foliage, which, though dark and deep, seemed to cut almost a perfect tunnel that Layla now found herself blindly traversing. She pushed aside leaves, branches, and vines, hoping that nothing living was occupying them. Knowing that, in the dim, dancing light of the LED lantern, there was no way she would ever know. That is until it was far too late.
Layla pushed aside the last of the heavy leaves and quickly found herself stumbling into another, much small, open clearing. Gazing absentmindedly, she inadvertently tripped over a rogue tree root, sending her falling forward to the ground. As Layla looked up from her prone position, she immediately realized why the starry sky was so visible from this vantage. For not five feet in front where she had fallen was a steep, rocky cliff, dropping off at least a hundred feet down into the sprawling jungle valley below. But more than that, from this precarious vantage, Layla found that she had a clear view of the vast, cloudless sky, filled with more stars than she had ever seen in her life! Across the celestial expanse arched the glowing and glittering trail of the Milky Way, brightened all the more by the absence of any moonlight this night. Layla just sat for a moment, amid a patch of perfect cerulean orchids, absolutely entranced for more than a moment. "I still can't believe sometimes that this is what I get to do with my life..." she trailed off into the ether, whispering the words to herself.
Layla exhaled her quiet contentment and realizing that the cliff was much too close for comfort, quickly found herself scrambling backward, carefully making her way back from the edge. Adrenaline still pumping, her pulse had begun to race from what could have easily been considered a close call. She knew she had to be nearing the boundary of the clearing, where the thick jungle opened back up again and prepared to turn and greet the wilderness once more. Ready to head back to camp and her colleagues, with little more to report back than a scenic vista. However, she suddenly froze, gazing downward at the ground. It was just then that she realized the presence of a great shadow being cast over her, coming from something looming behind her.
Is it... the demon ghost dog?
Blind panic immediately took hold, as Layla opened her mouth to scream, but only air escaped. She heard nothing, but could more than sense its menacing presence. However, in spite of this, she slowly built up her nerve enough to turn around and set eyes on the thing that she was sure were now hunting her and were surely moments away from ripping her to shreds. Layla found she regretted this almost instantly, as looking up, petrified, she found herself gazing into the sharp-toothed maw of an enormous creature, craning over her from the darkness. The beast, whatever it was, stood considerably taller than she was, looming from the trees. Its blazing yellow glowing eyes burning with malice and fury. Silently waiting for its moment to strike at the unwelcome, unlucky intruder.
Layla slowly rose to her feet, taking one step back, and then another, wide eyes locked with the two evil yellow chasms that now were staring her down in hostility. Back... back... slowly, until...
Layla found herself suddenly breathless, the moment she realized what was happening. Already too late. And as she struggled to regain her balance, she knew it was no use. She could feel the fragments of rock and mud that made up the cliff's edge giving way and crumbling from beneath the soles of her boots. And as the feeling of weightlessness began to set in, Layla looked up towards the star-filled heavens, eyes wide, preparing for the inevitable fall. Preparing for the end.
Chapter 7
The Strange Force
She felt it before she saw it. The hand that shot out suddenly and grabbed hers. The hand that, without even realizing it, she instinctively reached for and held tightly to as well. And then, the second one, that braced the first and strained to pull her back on to terra firma, where Layla now laid, panting, face down in the mud, the lantern flickering and rolling alongside her. She looked up, to see the last person she expected, as the stern face of Dr. Ruiz was on his knees alongside her, nearly as out of breath as she was. "This is... your idea... of resting?!"
Layla, who was still trying to wrap her mind around what had nearly happened, stammered wildly, "but... the cliff, and... monster... how did you...?"
"Miss Marin?... Miss Marin, are you alright? Nothing was broken?" There almost seemed to be an abnormal amount of compassion in her advisor's voice, a tone Layla hadn't remembered ever witnessing before, over the course of her studies at the University.
"I'm... I'm fine, really," Layla got to her knees, and had begun brushing off what little of the mud she could, "I mean, I think I am..."
"Well... What happened, then? What were you thinking coming out here alone, in the middle of the night?! If you were to get yourself killed, you know what that would do to the expedition? To my entire reputation?!" There was the Ruiz Layla knew! In a flash, the man took on his normal tone of self-centered condescension and seemed more than anything put out by his role in the whole impromptu rescue. "And what in God's name were you so afraid of, that you failed to see the edge of a steep cliff?"
It was only on that moment that Layla suddenly remembered anything other than the cliff and her brush with death. She spun around and gazed expectantly into the darkness of the jungle. Towards the faint, but still visible yellow glowing eyes, that in spite of everything that had transpired, remained fixed on the two of them. Confused and curious, Dr. Ruiz raised an eyebrow, and tracked her gaze in the darkness, trying to figure out what his student could possibly be looking at. "What... what is it?"
"There!... Do you... do you see it?" Layla whispered, in a frantic, hushed tone.
"I do see... something..." Ruiz held out his own lantern in front of him, as Layla braced for the certain attack to come, unable to string together any further words of warning, aside from a petrified gaze, and a single raised hand pointing helplessly into the darkness.
As Ruiz neared closer, the yellow eyes shone brighter than before, though even Layla had to admit, something did seem... a bit off, now. After all, the beast hadn't tried to advance on its prey. Hadn't even seemed to blink or move in any noticeable way whatsoever. And as Dr. Ruiz raised up his LED lantern, allowing the full extent of the horrific figure to come into view, they both immediately knew the reason why.
Before them, still wreathed in the unnerving darkness, was no monster, but rather an enormous limestone statue. It stood resolute, almost pillar-like, coiled to the point of nearly being consumed by vines, vegetation, and the jungle itself. Desperately trying to reclaim its property.
In the now dim light of their combined lanterns, the two intruders could better make out the details of the massive monolith. It appeared to Layla to have been carved in the image of an imposing Mayan rendering of a giant serpent, with fanning feathers on either side of its head, down to the tip of its winding tail, and a ferociously gaping maw of sharp teeth. He was reared up, poised and ready to strike.
Ruiz shot Layla a look, as if to say, Oh, come now, Miss Marin... really? before his attention was instead immediately brought back to the hulking statue. He anxiously pushed aside some of the vines and overgrowth and took a step back to let the wide-eyed realization of the discovery fully sink in. "My God! It's..." his eyes sparkled, as he stammered out the words, "it's Kukulkan!"
/> "Look, Dr. Ruiz... see, it was dark, and it probably sounds really, really dumb, but it looked like some... I dunno... monster or something, and... I know I shouldn't have even been out here alone and all, but I..." Layla, having clearly expected to be subjected to further interrogation, finally let explode out the words she'd been holding onto, and then some, only to be silenced again by Dr. Ruiz's sudden shift in mood. "Wait, it's what?"
"Kukulkan! Or, Q'uq'umatz, as he was known among the postclassic K'iche' Maya. Quetzalcoatl, to the Aztec. He was a god, a deity of sorts, believed to be responsible for aiding in the creation of humanity, along with the god, Tepeu. He's usually depicted as a massive, ferocious feathered serpent-like he is here, and one of the revered guardians of Xibalba," he clearly saw Layla's blank expression, and sighed loudly, adding, "the Mayan underworld? Honestly, Miss Marin, didn't you even pay attention during my classes on pre-Colombian era religion and spirituality? I did an entire lecture on the contributions of the Popol Vuh!" But his berating condescension was cut short, as he found himself once again entranced by their discovery. "My God, this truly is amazing!" He seemed to barely even remember that Layla was there as well, save for still having someone to reflect his excitement.
Layla, on the other hand, kept her distance, and her fearful gaze on the statue's face, with its angry, monstrous mouth full of imposing fangs, and those glowing yellow eyes. Eyes, which Layla could now see were specially inlaid with large gold disks, allowing them to catch the light off their lanterns, and produce the ominous glowing effect. Still, there was something about it that still just made her feel uneasy. Not only that, she had only just at that moment realize another disturbing fact. Something she couldn't figure out, no matter how hard she tried. Because despite her focused concentration to detect it, the feeling--the warmth--it was just... gone.
The Dark Spirits Beneath Page 4