by Paul Perea
“Don’t you worry. I’ll be back soon,” he whispered into her flaming red hair.
By the time Sara had returned to the bedroom, she found Salome had finished her bath and had crawled into bed where she was fast asleep. She tiptoed across the room to close the curtains, then quietly left the dark bedroom to wait in worry until Jacob returned.
The sun was a sliver on the horizon and the darkness was closing in fast when she made out the lone form of Jacob walking up the path toward the house, his gun pointed down and what appeared to be something large slung over his shoulder. He had been very close to breaking his promise of returning before nightfall, but she didn’t care. Sara was relieved to see him. She left her watchful post and walked out to meet him.
“No luck. But we found Sal’s shoes, bag and umbrella. Man, it’s been a long day,” he said wearily as he put his free arm around his wife’s slender shoulders and pulled her close.
Salome awoke disoriented and frightened. Was it all a bad dream? The dog. The attack. Max. She studied the dark, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light, until the fog lifted and she was reminded that what had happened was all too real. A thin beam of morning light pierced the gap between the heavy curtains. It cut her, too. A blade that brought the pain and horror back. Her Max was close to dying and there was nothing she could do.
Salome kicked off the blankets and climbed out of bed, her bandaged feet pale in contrast to the dark floor. She padded on tip-toe to the window, drew back the curtains and was confronted by a ghastly sight.
A man, his face burnt and decaying, stared back at her through the glass. His brilliant silver hair was neatly combed and his blue eyes were red-rimmed. One hand was poised against the glass, fingers curling, nails scraping against the window. He smiled at her and Salome fell to the floor, scurrying away on elbows and buttocks, shocked by the rows of sharp, bloody fangs that filled the man’s mouth.
“Don’t be afraid, Salome. Come back to me, to my woods. You are not the one I was waiting for but you surprised me. I won’t hurt you, I promise I won’t! If you come to me and do as I say, I may not kill your mother after all.”
Heart pounding and perspiration dotting her face, Salome screamed. She turned and ran from the room, past a bewildered Sara and Jacob, and out of the house. In her nightgown she ran, looking back now and then to see if the specter followed. Despite the pain in her feet, Salome ran as fast as she could until she was home.
The smell of freshly roasted green chilies and warm tortillas greeted Salome as she entered the house. Through the doorway to the kitchen, Salome could see that Mirabella was already at the kitchen table, the arms of her dress pushed up past her elbows as she kneaded the dough.
“Salome?” Mirabella called out as she grabbed a towel and dried her hands.
Salome started to cry as she fell into waiting arms. “It was a man. He said if I come to him and do as he says he won’t kill you!”
“What in the world are you talking about?” Mirabella whispered. “Don’t cry . . . shhh . . . you’re home now. Come, sit and calm down and tell me what has you so upset.”
Gabriella ran into the room and threw her arms around Salome’s legs, her round flushed face filled with excitement. “Auntie Sally! Auntie Sally! Where have you been? I got to spend the night and Gramma and I got up early to make you treats.”
“I need to talk to grandma alone so go play now, and I promise I’ll come join you in a bit.” Salome knelt down, kissed Gabriella, and pushed her gently toward the living room.
“Now, tell me everything that happened,” Mirabella said as she sat down at the kitchen table. “Sara didn’t really have much to say when she contacted me yesterday, other than that you and Max were attacked by a rabid dog and that Max is in Lucero’s care.”
Salome recounted the events and watched as Mirabella’s face changed from concern to fright. “Mama, what is it? I think you know that wasn’t some wild dog roaming around. I had to use all the energy I had to blow that thing away and I don’t even know if I killed it. Then this man—this horrible monster—visits me. He knew my name!”
“Salome, this is serious and I need you to listen very carefully to what I have to tell you—something I should have told you a long time ago.”
Mirabella shared the events surrounding Emma’s death and her promises to Gloria. She told Salome about her encounter with Salazar, and how she thought she had defeated him.
Now, her worst fears were confirmed.
“I’m afraid I’ve placed everyone I love in danger and Salazar has certainly gotten my attention by attacking you. Perhaps I—” Mirabella paused, lost in thought as the past came crashing down on her, and with it, unanswered questions.
“What?” Salome asked, searching Mirabella’s face.
“Never mind. There’s so much to figure out and we must act fast,” Mirabella said. “There’s still a piece of the puzzle missing. I never found out what Salazar wanted with Daniel Rios. Now we have another mystery. He told you that you’re not the ‘one.’ When I encountered him, he told me that there was ‘one’ that would help him out of his predicament. Who the hell is the one he’s referring to?”
Their discussion was interrupted by the slamming of the screen door. Startled, Mirabella and Salome ran into the living room where they found Gabriella standing and smiling.
“Look what I can do!” Gabriella exclaimed as stones floated in air, orbiting her body like little planets.
CHAPTER 11
Gabriella opened her eyes to a sound to which she had become accustomed. It was the start of a familiar tune, rhythmic, constant and unchanged—a fingernail rapping at her bedroom window or door. It was his subtle way of rousing her from sleep—to let her know he was there.
She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows, looking around the room and straining to see through the darkness. She could not see him but she felt him pass by the bed, his hand brushing her face lightly. In the corner of the room, the rocking chair began to move back and forth.
“Hola,” Gabriella whispered. “How did you know I was here at my Auntie Grace’s house?”
Salazar materialized and smiled pleasantly at her. “I always know where you are.”
“Are you here to tell me another bedtime story?” Gabriella asked quietly.
Salazar nodded.
Gabriella pushed the covers off, got out of bed, and went to him. She climbed onto his lap and nestled into his cold embrace.
“Did you have a bad dream, sweetheart?” Salazar asked.
Gabriella nodded and brushed her nose with her balled up hand. “I had a dream about my auntie and her rooster. His name is wherefano and I’m afraid of him; but my auntie said he would never peck me.”
“Huerfano? That’s a funny name for a rooster,” Salazar commented.
“What does wherefano mean, grandpa?”
Salazar chuckled softly and held her tight. “It means ‘orphan.’”
“Am I an orphan?” Gabriella asked.
“No, you most certainly are not,” Salazar said, his voice deep and low and comforting.
With one eye trained on the room, Gabriella watched the shadows play on the wall, dancing and changing into fanciful figures and cheering her heart. Then she remembered. He would not stay long. He never did. And she would be left in the dark, alone and frightened of the shadows.
“Tell me, do you know what you are?” Salazar asked.
“I’m a girl,” Gabriella whispered and snuggled closer.
Salazar chuckled. “Yes, that is true, but you are much more than that. Above all else, you are a witch. Do you know how that came to be?”
“Because my family are witches?” Gabriella asked and looked up at him quizzically.
“Well, it’s a bit more than that. How shall I start? Long ago there was—”
“You’re supposed to s
tart with ‘once upon a time’,” Gabriella interrupted.
“Yes, you are correct,” Salazar agreed and chuckled again. “Once upon a time—”
“Can you tuck me in bed first?” Gabriella asked, yawning and stretching.
Salazar kissed the top of her head, stood up and carried her to bed. “Of course.”
Gabriella managed a small smile and looked up as he stooped to tuck her in. Then, just over his shoulder, Gabriella watched as the shadows on the wall took form and emerged. They walked toward her with bodies sinewy and strange, and their ghastly appearance took her breath away. The creatures had human faces, but their eyes were pools of water and blood-rimmed. Their skin stretched over their skulls and their teeth were yellow, dirty and sharp.
“Salazar! What are you doing? Take her now!” ordered one of the creatures as muddy water ran from its mouth and pooled onto the floor.
“You dare follow me!” Salazar turned and bellowed.
“We will wait no longer! She is ready.”
“Yes, let’s take her now. We will share her.”
“You promised us freedom—a new life. Kill her!”
Gabriella shrieked and ran out of the room toward Grace and Sam’s bedroom. She hurled herself up on the bed and cried out. “Wake up! Wake up! There are monsters in my room and they want to hurt me!”
“What? What’s happening, darling? Did you have a bad dream?” Grace asked sleepily and yawned.
“Grandpa is always alone, but this time there were monsters, too!”
Sam groaned and rolled toward the bedside table and lit the kerosene lamp, releasing the room from darkness as Grace pulled Gabriella to her and gave her a tight squeeze.
“Shhh . . . what do you mean, ‘grandpa’? Were you dreaming of Grandpa Mondragon?” Grace asked as she kissed Gabriella’s cheeks.
“No, Auntie, not him. He’s probably home with gramma. I mean my other grandpa.”
“Your other grandpa? Grandpa Cortez died a long time ago, before you were even born. You don’t have another grandpa, sweetheart,” Grace cooed.
“Yes I do! He told me he’s my grandpa and he comes to see me all the time. Sometimes he sings to me. Sometimes he tells me stories.”
“Well, your nightmare is over now, so you need to go back to bed,” Sam said as he rolled over and pulled the covers over his head.
“No, it wasn’t a nightmare. The scary monsters told grandpa to kill me,” Gabriella explained as she pushed and rocked Sam out of his blanket cocoon.
“Kill you? Now who would want to hurt a little girl?” Sam mumbled and rolled over and mussed her hair. “Look honey, it was all just a bad dream, but I’ll tell you what. Just in case, I’ll go check your room to see if they’ve left.”
Grace got up quickly and left Gabriella alone in the bed. “Wait, I’m coming with you.”
“Come on, Gracie. The kid just had a bad dream. Let me just prove to her that there isn’t anyone in there so I can get some shut-eye. I have to be up in a few hours!”
He reached for the doorknob and turned it. The sound of the bolt giving way echoed in the hallway—along with the unmistakable sound of movement in the room.
“What the hell?” Sam yelled as he threw open the door. “Who’s there?”
The room was dark and silent.
“Did you hear that? I could have sworn I heard someone in here!”
Grace nodded, a frightened look on her face. A shiver ran over her body and she closed her eyes, hoping that if she concentrated she might detect a ghostly presence. Rage and anger attacked her senses as she gripped the doorframe for leverage. Grace steadied herself and pushed back in defense, then raised her head and sniffed the air.
“Do you smell that? It smells like the river . . . like fish and muck.”
“Yeah . . . what the hell?” Sam swore under his breath and rushed across the room. Slipping on the wet floor, he fell, but recovered quickly and ran to the open window. He searched for a moment, and seeing nothing, marched into the living room where he took a rifle from the gun rack.
“What are you doing?” Grace whispered as she followed close.
“Gonna find out if there’s anybody out there,” Sam said as he checked that the rifle was loaded.
“Wait! Don’t go,” Grace pleaded but Sam was already sprinting into the night. She looked worriedly over her shoulder and then walked onto the porch. She leaned forward, her eyes adjusting to the darkness and listening for any sound of a scuffle. A few moments later, she caught sight of bright white pajama pants walking towards her.
“Nothing,” Sam said as he put his arm around her waist and gently guided her back into the house. “Let’s check her room again. I want to see what the hell I slipped on.”
Grace grabbed and lit another kerosene lantern, and together they inspected the room. The small pool of water caught the light, along with an overturned glass.
“Shit!” Sam swore under his breath. “She musta’ knocked over her water glass when she got out of bed.” He ran his hands through his hair and looked around once more, still not satisfied that all was entirely as it appeared. “Maybe I should skip my trip tomorrow and stay home.”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Why don’t we just go back to bed—you can decide in the morning,” Grace said and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The pair found Gabriella in the middle of their bed, under the covers and sound asleep.
“Well, it looks like someone’s gotten over her nightmare,” Sam whispered. “Let’s try to get some sleep, too.”
Grace looked back over her shoulder and knew there would be no rest for her. Gabriella was not dreaming—of that Grace was sure. Grace would stay awake, listening, watching and hoping that whatever had been in the house would not come back. If it did, she would be prepared, but for now, she would stand watch as the night slowly ticked towards dawn.
Thick slabs of bacon sizzled in the cast iron skillet as the morning sun crested the mountains, slowly setting the sky ablaze in orange and yellow. Grace yawned and set a plate filled with eggs, pinto beans and bacon in front of Sam, who stabbed at the yolks with a tortilla, his bleary eyes betraying his exhaustion. Neither of them had gotten much sleep.
“Gracie, I don’t know what the hell that was last night, but I don’t feel right leaving you alone. I probably won’t be back until after dark. Maybe I should stay home with you.”
Grace had only seen fear in her husband’s eyes once—and that was when he had been thrown by a horse and almost kicked to death.
“No, honey, you go. I’ll be fine. I think we let our imaginations run away with us and got caught up in Gabriella’s dream. Really, that’s all it was,” she assured him. She kissed him and went back to preparing his lunch box and thermos. “The guys will be here soon so you better finish your breakfast.”
“Albuquerque’s not that far away and it won’t take me all day to decide on a tractor,” Sam said through a mouth full of food. “I’ll do my best to get back as soon as I can.”
“Look, if it will make you feel any better, I’ll get my Uncle Joe to come over,” she said as she heard crunching tires on gravel. “They’re here. Now scoot. I’ll see you tonight.”
Grace kissed him long on the lips and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
“Promise me you’ll call Joe,” Sam asked. “That would make me feel a hell of a lot better.”
“I promise. Cross my heart,” she said and motioned an “X” across her chest.
Grace stood in the open doorway, watching and waving as he climbed into the truck. Once he was out of sight, she closed the door and walked to the bedroom to check on Gabriella, who was still sleeping soundly in their bed.
Perhaps the river odor was carried in by the wind. Maybe the scurrying was field mice or heaven forbid, rats. Maybe it was just a nightmare. Grace wondered as she made her
way tentatively toward the bedroom at the end of the hall.
Grace gently turned the doorknob until it clicked. She slowly pushed the door open and peered through the cracked door. Everything appeared normal as she gathered her courage to enter the bedroom. She walked to the center of the room, raised her arms up, and spoke two words out loud.
“Show yourself!”
With her eyes shut tight and arms raised, Grace slowly turned round, sending out her command in all directions and enveloping the room in waves of energy that would uncover any hidden force that dared to linger. If something remained, she would banish it quickly as she had learned to do when she was a young girl.
A sharp tug at her nightgown caused her to jump and a scream escaped her lips.
“What are you doing, Auntie?” Gabriella asked, looking up innocently.
“Oh, Gabriella! You scared me half to death!”
“I thought we weren’t allowed to do magic in front of Sam.”
“Don’t worry, Sam’s gone. Come on.” Grace took Gabriella by the hand and led her toward the kitchen. Once situated at the table, Grace with a cup of coffee and Gabriella with a bowl of warm cereal, the conversation turned to Gabriella’s visitor.
“Honey, tell me about ‘grandpa’ and those monsters that came to visit you last night. Do you know what they wanted?”
Gabriella nodded and kept eating.
“Well then, what did they want?”
“They wanted grandpa to take me away. They told him to kill me.”
Grace shuddered. “Why? Why in the world would they want to do that?”
“I dunno. I ran away but I heard grandpa yelling at them and telling them to leave me alone.”
Grace did her best to hide her concern as she gathered her thoughts. “Finish your cereal, sweetheart, then we’ll get dressed and go see grandma.”
“I don’t want to go back in that room. Can I stay over at gramma’s until my mama and daddy come home?” Gabriella asked.