Creature Keepers and the Perilous Pyro-Paws

by Peter Nelson

  “Oh,” Jordan said, rather overwhelmed at the size of it. “I see. . . .”

  “The best exploring to do is to visit the cenotes that line the ridge.”

  “Cenotes?” Eldon asked.

  “Freshwater swimming pools,” she said. “Millions of years ago, the impact of the asteroid resulted in layers of porous limestone. Over time they crumbled and collapsed, forming deep sinkholes that filled with rainwater. They are connected by a series of underwater caves and tunnels. The scuba tours can take you diving if you like. Or you can just do like the local children: jump in and swim.”

  “Sounds fun,” Abbie said.

  “And very beautiful. It is said the cenotes are where the ancient Mayans came to communicate with their gods. They were the gateways to a mythical underworld. Now thousands of people swim in the cenotes every year.”

  Eldon took the map from Abbie and unfolded it. The three of them saw the outline of a great circle laid over a small segment of the Yucatan Peninsula. It was half over the land and half over the water, just as the girl had said. There were photos, as well, of tourists and locals crowding the swimming holes.

  “So they’re crawling with tourists,” Abbie said. “Some secret adventure.”

  “You’re right,” Eldon said. “There’s no way a cryptid could go unseen all these years in a place as crowded as this.”

  “Hey, guys?” Jordan called from a few booths down the pier. He was standing in front of a shabby, poorly-nailed-together stand made largely of what looked like found driftwood. They thanked the girl and walked to see what Jordan had found.

  Jordan stood beside a thin man in flip-flops, cutoff shorts, and a tank top. His crudely painted sign overhead read: See—Amazing Creature—El Alebrijes!

  “Guys, meet Sam,” Jordan said, grinning. “He has a creature he’d very much like us to see.”

  “Again, not much of a secret adventure,” Abbie said. “This can’t be what we’re looking for.”

  Eldon stepped up. “Sam, we’re looking for a very unique kind of creature. If what you’re offering is a regular old, run-of-the-mill kind of creature, we’re not interested.” Something stirred in Abbie’s backpack. Chunk’s scaly face popped out, then sagged drowsily. “See,” Eldon said. “We’ve got the basic creatures covered.”

  Sam laughed, then patted Chunk, who snapped at his finger. Sam chuckled some more, then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. “No,” he said, looking around suspiciously. “Not a lizard. I will show you . . . El Alebrijes!” His eyes lit up as he described it. “It has a head like your reptile’s, but also large feathered wings, a woolly trunk, gold-furred legs, and clawlike feet!”

  “Okay,” Jordan said. “That does not sound like your run-of-the-mill lizard.”

  “The Alebrijes is a one of a kind, señor! Trust me, you’ve never seen anything like this creature in your life! You won’t believe your eyes!”

  A few moments later, Abbie, Jordan, Eldon, and Chunk were in Sam’s clunky old jeep, making their way toward the mainland, away from the Mayan Princess. Jordan was watching the stalls rushing past, when something suddenly caught his eye.

  “Wait!” he hollered. “Stop the car!”

  Sam screeched on the brakes. Jordan stood up in the jeep and looked back.

  “What is it?” Abbie said.

  “Quisling,” Jordan said, scanning the crowd. “I could’ve sworn I spotted him.”

  “What? Where?” Eldon stood up beside him. Abbie joined, and the three of them scanned the crowd. Jordan pointed back a ways.

  “There. Near those guys.”

  Sam backed up toward a group of locals who were fishing off the side of the concrete pier. They were crowded near a sign on the railing reading Prohibido el Paso—No Trespassing. The sign seemed unnecessary, as the tattered footbridge on the other side was hardly more than rope and cable, its broken and missing planks making it impassable. It ran a hundred feet out over the water and connected to an old wooden structure.

  “Are you sure?” Abbie said. “I don’t see that little troll anywhere.”

  “I couldn’t have imagined it,” Jordan said, looking around. There was no sign of Quisling. His gaze fell upon the structure standing in the middle of the water. It was a dark, rotting, gray platform hosting a cluster of boarded-up, abandoned old buildings with rotted-out scaffolding. Rising from the center was a large wooden tower. “Sam, what is that?”

  “The old oil rig. From years ago, when this was the end of the pier.”

  The three of them looked down. The concrete section of the pier they’d been driving butted up against the older, wood-planked section that ran the rest of the way to the beach.

  “When the oil company’s expensive drill broke down, they abandoned it.”

  “It’s so ugly,” Eldon said. “Why doesn’t the government tear it down?”

  “It is harmless,” Sam said. “Although some think it is cursed. Or haunted.”

  Jordan stared out at the rig. “Like by ghosts?”

  “Not ghosts,” Sam said. “By the spirit of the Chicxulub. The name of the crater that lies beneath and spreads all the way to the jungle. It means ‘the devil’s fleas.’”

  “So people believe the devil’s fleas are haunting an old oil rig,” Abbie said.

  “What do you think?” Jordan said to Sam.

  Sam smiled. “I think the wooden legs of the old rig attract fish beneath the water. There is very good fishing there.”

  “Of course,” Eldon said. “It likely provides a natural feeding habitat.”

  “Perhaps, señor.” Sam chuckled. “Or maybe the fish like to nibble on the devil’s fleas.” Sam roared the engine, honked the horn, and pulled out. Abbie and Eldon sat down as Jordan stared back at the haunted oil rig, thinking about Harvey Quisling and wondering how his eyes could play such a strange trick on him.

  11

  The jeep rumbled through the beachside tourist town of Progreso, heading straight into the thick jungle that spread out beyond it. Through the trees they saw a clearing in the distance, with incredible Mayan pyramids towering over the canopy. Abbie spotted a sign beside the road that led toward the ruins, which read: ¡Cruce de la Iguana!

  Sam pointed to the ancient construction as they passed but didn’t slow down a bit. They barreled past, heading deeper into the jungle. Eventually, they reached another, smaller intersecting road. Sam turned onto the road and entered a small village.

  The main road of Flamboyanes was lined with small block houses constructed out of brightly painted slabs of concrete and overgrown with lush, green trees and jungle brush. Something about the way the houses struggled against the bursting jungle reminded Jordan of the way the wall that once stood in his grandfather’s backyard seemed to be fighting back the Okeeyuckachokee Swamp.

  They passed open air restaurants and could smell the food being cooked over wood fires. They waved to the people walking along the roads and in the shopping markets. It was a simple, charming little village—certainly not the kind of place one would expect to find a sixty-six-million-or-so-year-old cryptid hiding out.

  They jolted to a stop in front of a small warehouse on the edge of town. Children were playing outside, but over their laughter, Jordan could hear voices just inside the sliding metal door and lively music coming from what sounded like a small radio. There were also the sounds of hammering and sawing.

  Jordan, Abbie, and Eldon all stared at the door with the exact opposite expression from Sam, who was grinning in anticipation. “You are about to witness something very special and rare!” Sam gripped the handle of the sliding warehouse door. “I sincerely hope you are all prepared!”

  “Prepared to be disappointed,” Abbie muttered.

  Even Eldon agreed. “Uh, sir, what is your refund policy if we decide at this exact moment that this isn’t something we’re interested in seeing anymore?”

  Sam let out a hearty laugh. “I tell you what, señor,” he said. “I do not know what you expect to see behin
d this door. But I promise you it is beyond your wildest imaginations. In fact, if what I’m about to show you does not make you scream, I will refund your money in full.”

  “You’re on, buddy,” Abbie said.

  Sam knocked on the door. Immediately, the lively music stopped. So did the voices and the construction sounds. The children excitedly gathered from behind as an odd squeaking grew louder. Something was approaching them. Something large.

  Then another knock. This time from the inside. Sam grinned again. “That is the sign. Now . . . feast your eyes on the terrifying . . . ALEBRIJES!”

  He yanked open the door. Abbie, Jordan, and Eldon screamed at the top of their lungs. Abbie ducked behind Eldon, and Jordan fell backward onto the ground. Chunk peeked out of Abbie’s backpack, hissed, and disappeared inside again.

  Looming over them was a terrifying creature standing on its hind legs, fifteen feet tall. It had a green, scaly, dragon head with long, sharp saber-tooth daggers jutting from its horrible mouth. Hanging freakishly above that was a long, white, woolly trunk. Its neck scales ended at its upper chest, which was covered in thick, red fur. Its arms, hands, and fingers were hideous, black, pointy sticks. It also, oddly, had large claws jutting out of its side. Fluttering atop its back were two huge, feathered wings, and its golden legs stood propped on two clawed, golden paws. Finally, a long, white-furred whale-tail rose behind the beast, seemingly prepared to thrash them.

  The little children cheered. They jumped over Jordan and scooted between Eldon’s legs as they ran toward the creature. They hugged its furry, golden legs and tried to climb on its tail. Inside the warehouse, men and women were laughing and smiling. They dropped their tools and pulled the children back.

  “No, niños!” An older girl peeled a small boy from the tail. “Alebrijes is not a ride! He is very fragile! You’ll break him if you climb on him like that!”

  Jordan slowly stood up and gazed upon the creature. Its yellow glass eyes continued to gaze down on him unblinkingly, and its sparkling, glitter-glued teeth flashed menacingly in the sunlight.

  “Wait. It’s . . . a float?” Eldon said.

  “It’s like giant folk art,” Abbie said. “Cool.”

  “You have to admit,” Sam said. “You were scared!”

  The girl who’d pulled the little boy off the float stepped forward. “I’m sorry we startled you,” she said. “But not really.”

  “Did you see, Julia?” Sam gleefully said. “They screamed like little niños! This year we will win, for sure.”

  Jordan smiled. “Is that what it’s for? Scaring tourists?”

  “Not exactly,” Julia said. “It is part of a long tradition called La Noche de los Alebrijes. It is a grand parade held every fall in Mexico City. Each of the villages far and wide submits a handcrafted creature. The best, most terrible-looking Alebrijes are the ones allowed in the grand parade.”

  “This is the weekend all the local towns in this area have a mini parade,” Sam said. “To show off our submissions. Given your reactions, I am very optimistic.”

  Eldon picked up his hat and dusted it off. He glared at the others, then stormed back toward the jeep.

  “Is your friend all right?” Julia asked.

  “I think he was hoping to find an actual creature hiding in here,” Jordan said.

  “We all were, I guess,” Abbie added. “But I still like this a lot.”

  “Me too,” Jordan said. “Thank you for showing it to us. We should probably be heading back now.”

  Jordan and Sam turned to leave. Abbie took one last look at the homemade creature before following them out. She noticed the children tugging on Julia’s dress, whispering excitedly in Spanish.

  A little girl broke free, ran to a nearby drafting table, and pulled a paper off it. She ran outside and brought it to Abbie. It was a children’s drawing and appeared to depict the same creature that was looming lifelessly inside the warehouse door.

  “That’s a very good drawing of the float,” Abbie said. The children shook their heads.

  “The children did not draw what we built,” Julia said. “We built what they drew.” The little girl pointed toward the jungle. The other children joined in. Julia smiled. “You know how children can be. They let their imaginations run wild. They claim they saw this creature and drew its picture. We liked it so much, we decided to use it for our village’s Alebrijes.” She looked down at the kids. “But it isn’t any more real than your imaginations, niños!”

  The kids all shook their heads and began shouting in Spanish. Jordan couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he thought he heard the word “cenotes.”

  Sam smiled. “They each claim they saw a glimpse of the same creature, down in the swimming holes. One saw a wing; another, a dragonlike head. This one says he saw a tail splashing in the water, and she spotted a furry red behind.”

  Abbie watched the children pointing excitedly. “How do you know they didn’t?”

  “For the same reason we do!” Eldon’s voice boomed. Everyone fell silent. “There’s no new cryptid here. A creature like that couldn’t go unseen for a day, never mind a millennium—especially in a touristy location like those swimming holes. And even if it could, I doubt it would let itself be seen by a bunch of little kids!” He glanced at the disappointed faces of the children. They couldn’t understand him, but they could tell he didn’t believe them, either. “I’m sorry, but this entire trip has been a fool’s errand. I’m not feeling well, and I’d like to go back. Right now, please.”

  Jordan and Abbie said good-bye to Julia and the workers, then got back into Sam’s jeep. Eldon sat staring straight ahead. Pulling away from the warehouse, Jordan watched the crew return to the Alebrijes, gluing colorful feathers to its wings. The children placed their drawing back on the drafting table and stood there, sadly staring at it.

  The trip back to el Terminal Remota was a silent one. Sam dropped Abbie, Jordan, and Eldon near the cruise ship as the midday sun hung high in the air. They thanked their friendly guide and gave him an extra tip for sharing with them such a special local tradition. Eldon didn’t speak a word.

  “Eldon,” Jordan said as Sam sped away. “C’mon. Let’s get a lemonade and talk about what to do next. Maybe those kids might have actually seen something.”

  “Something fifteen feet tall with a dragon’s head, fat red belly, huge colorful wings, and a long furry whale tail? Even if there were such a cryptid, your grandfather would’ve discovered it. The CKCC would have monitored it. Something like that does not stay hidden on its own without the help of the Creature Keepers!”

  “What if it could?” Abbie said.

  “This was a waste of time,” Eldon said. “I shouldn’t have come.”

  Jordan stared at his friend. “If there’s nothing here, why would Bernard have sent us?”

  “He didn’t send us,” Eldon snapped back. “He sent you! Maybe just to be with your family!” He looked at them both. “I don’t belong here with you Grimsleys. My family was the Creature Keepers. But that seems to be falling apart and abandoning me. Maybe I’m just meant to be on my own.”

  He turned and walked off toward the ship.

  12

  Eldon had told Jordan his story during their first adventure together. Jordan knew his friend was an orphan, but he never thought of Eldon as sad or alone in the world. Eldon had the Creature Keepers as his family and Bernard as his best friend. Jordan had always assumed those were enough.

  Jordan couldn’t help but wonder if Eldon regretted handing the responsibility of the Creature Keepers to him and his sister. Jordan was already worried his grandfather’s legacy might be falling apart on his watch. Seeing Eldon so broken up made Jordan more concerned than ever. He couldn’t let that happen.

  “He’s probably right, you know,” Abbie said as the two of them walked through the ship looking for their parents. “There’s no way a creature that large, that colorful, and that weird looking could stay hidden in such a populated place.”r />
  “I know,” Jordan said. “But I can’t shake this strange feeling something weird is going on.”

  “I mean, look at Syd. You’ve got a Sasquatch living in total seclusion at the top of a mountain deep in the Canadian wilderness, and that dude has reality shows about him.”

  “I said I know,” Jordan shot back.

  “Something weird is going on,” Abbie said. “Everybody’s cranky, and I’m suddenly the happy little ray of sunshine.”

  “There you are!” Mr. and Mrs. Grimsley called out to them from beside the pool. “We were just about to order lunch.”

  “Where’s Eggbert?” Mr. Grimsley said.

  “Eldon,” Jordan corrected his father. “He’s not here. He’s a little out of sorts.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Mrs. Grimsley said. “Well, I hope he’s feeling better soon. There’s a fun parade on the pier tonight, something called the Ally Beerhays!”

  “Alebrijes,” Abbie said. “It’s a local celebration.”

  “Betsy, look at our daughter.” Her dad beamed. “Enjoying her Grimsley Family Fun Time and learning about other cultures!”

  Abbie rolled her eyes as she plucked a strawberry from her father’s tropical juice smoothie. She tossed it over her shoulder. Chunk’s head popped out and swallowed it. Her parents didn’t notice as they were flagging the waiter down.

  As they ate, Mr. Grimsley said, “So, this Odin—”

  “Eldon,” Jordan said.

  “Eldon. How well do you really know him?”

  “He’s become a very close friend,” Jordan said. “To both of us.”

  “Your father is just trying to say that even though we haven’t met him, he strikes us as a little . . . different,” Mrs. Grimsley said.

  “You have no idea,” Abbie said. Jordan shot her a look. “But in a good way. He’s just a dorkface, that’s all. And he’s going through a thing right now.”