Mayan Blood

WIP. ~ 90% Done

“Mayan Blood” Approximately 5500 words (12 pages)

March’s wet heat descended on Ned Eaton as he wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his beefy hand. Kicking up dirt and loose scrub grass, he dragged his tired legs some distance behind his old Mayan tour guide and his young translator. They could be family, Ned thought. The old man wore his salty black hair in a long pony tail, his copper face furrowed with what were surely years of exposure to the sun. The translator’s desert colored skin and strands of shimmering, obsidian black hair made the pair look like a beacon easily followed amongst the North American tourists.

As the bulk of the group approached the tumbled stones of the next site, the old tour guide began to explain its history and significance in his native Mayan languge. The translator raised a hand respectfully. Her jade eyes searched her guests, finally falling on the lagging Ned.

“Sir, please come,” she said with a heavy accent. “Is bad luck to keep the Gods waiting.” Ned thought she sounded a bit too much like a school teacher. She lifted her leg on to a large stone slab belonging to the next set of ruins, and giggled at her own humor. Ned simply snarled. He was tired, and this vacation had been his wife’s idea.

From behind the nearby remains of an ancient Toltec temple a tattered looking child approached the weary Ned on cue, hand outstretched. “You give me little money Señor?” said the scrawny boy. “I have hunger.” Ned had heard on the radio that Mexico was suffering from its longest heat wave in a decade. Crops were dying, and means were scarce. That wasn’t his problem, though.

“Shoo,” said Ned impatiently, waving his hand as if he were dismissing a frustrating fly. The ragged boy gaped at him. “Adios then,” Ned added fiercely, hoping his meager Spanish would do the trick. The lad scowled. A few other boys appeared from behind the ruins laughing and dribbling a type of small rubber ball Ned had never seen before. One of them kicked the ball at the beggar boy, who instinctively returned it by deflecting it with his hip. The boys scurried off together promptly. Annoying natives, thought Ned. Fay should have planned for this. Definitely the wrong time to vacation in the Yucatán.

“Ned, d’you just send that bony little boy off ‘thout so much as a peso?” said Fay. His wife’s short steps clopped from the sound of her high heels on the stony ground. She shook her head. “Y’ought to be shamed of yourself, honey.” She turned after the boy. “Little boy. Come on back here little boy. Lemme give ya a  little dinero.” Ned thought her drawl made the attempt that much more pathetic.

The boy returned promptly at the sound of “dinero.” “Darlin,” Fay said to Ned as she patted the boy on the head and sent him off one dollar richer, “pick it up a little, huh?” She pulled at her tiger patterned blouse several times to cool herself off. “You draw’n so much attention to yourself is embarrasin. If we’re gonna get a good view a these here ruins you gotta get a move on.” Fay held her short strapped purse tightly against her. “Come on Ned. I still want to see the one called Cenote.” She fanned herself wildly with a local trinket she bought at one of the stands.

“Ma’am,” Ned said with a huff,  bending over to put one hand on his knee, the other reaching out for the tour guides, “what did you say your name was?”

The translator stopped, and turned to Ned. “Anacaona,” she said proudly. “It means golden flower.” Seeing the confusion on Ned’s sunburnt face she quickly added “Just call me Ana.”

“I ain’t see any flowers ’round here” said Fay with a chuckle, “‘cept you I guess. Just a bunch ol’ rocks and dirt.”

“Well, Ana,” Ned said with a deep sigh, “couldn’t you just skip to the most interesting parts of the tour? We are really walking way too much.”

“Very well,” said Ana a shadow crossing her face as she turned back to address the group. “Now that Señor…”

“Señor Ned” said Fay quickly, wagging a finger in the air.

Ana squinted. “Now that Señor Ned has decided to acompany us, we can continue with the tour. Can anyone tell me what you think of when you see these ruins?” She stretched her hand out theatrically toward a large stepped pyramid.

“I see the remains of a marvelous people… mysterious,” said one tourist as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his long nose. “The engineering for their time was amazing.”

“Mysterious?” said Ana looking the tourist up and down.

“The Globe, a local newspaper, has reported several missing people in this area over the last several weeks. I would call that mysterious, wouldn’t you?”

“This is Mexico, Señor,” said Ana, “people are missing all the time… Which brings me back to these ruins.”

“People gone missin ’round here?” said Fay, looking from the crowd of tourists to the shadowy areas behind the ruins and back again. She hugged her purse. “Why ain’t nobody at that dag burn travel agency informed ’nuff to tell us ’bout this?”

“This is El Castillo, which means the castle, correct?” said one of the other tourists, lifting his reading glasses as he looked up from a pamphlet.

“Si Señor,” said Ana, happy to change subjects. “El Castillo was named by Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century. It is known to the natives as the Temple of Kukulkán, and is widely considered to be the crown jewel of the ruins here. As a matter of fact, during the spring equinox…”

“Look” said one of the tourists pointing at the ruined temple. The setting sun’s shadow cast against the steps creeped down the pyramid’s stairway, ending at a serpents head. The tourists’ mouths gaped open. The effect was a rolling shadow that made the giant snake seem as though it was working its way toward them.

Ana smiled with pride, a distant look in her eye. “Kukulkán was known as the feathered serpent. The Maya believed that this God descended from heaven with a message that the season of harvest had arrived.”

“More like season of famine by the looks of it” said Ned. “I’ll tell you what I see when I look at these ruins, Ana,” said Ned. “I see a sham. I see several piles of rubble that you can charge people’s hard earned money to come and see. It’s a sham… on a par with selling insurance or bottled water, I tell you.”

Ana straightened her neck and cleared her throat as she pulled on the bottom of her shirt calmly with both hands. “Would you like me to conclude the tour Señor?”

“Like hell. I haven’t gotten anything more than a good workout from this tour, and that’s not what I paid for, mind you.”

“Then, silencio,” she said sharply.

Ned turned a confused face to one of the tourists at his side. “It means silence,” said the women at his side. “And if I might add…”

“Don’t,” he said sneeringly.

“Can we climb to the top of El Castillo?” asked one of the tourists.

“Oh, I’m sorry Señor,” said Ana quickly. “Tourists are no longer allowed to climb to the top. Only the elder priests and priestesses may climb it for maintenance.”

“They let the women up there?” said Ned with a smirk.

“Por favor, Señor,” said Ana, her hands clasped together, and eyebrows raised. “So we can finish.” She waved an arm for them to follow as she walked a few minutes to their next destination, a long field with a very tall, adjacent wall. “Señores, this is the ballcourt arena, my personal favorite,” she said with a majestic tone.

It would seem that Ned couldn’t help himself. “You mean to tell me that these neanderthals had sports?” He wagged a finger and shook his head. “Only civilized societies have sports.”

“Excuse me,” said the tourist pushing up his glasses again, “but, are you calling this people, the same people that built cities, astronomy towers, and devised their own hieroglyphic-style writing sytem, a bunch of cretins?”

“You can’t honestly expect me to believe that these idiots accomplished all of that,” said Ned indignantly. “Do I look like I was born yesterday?”

“I wouldn’t know if it weren’t for the Maya, would I, seeing as how they invented the calendar.”

“Enough Señores,” said Ana as she raised her hands to settle the dispute.

“What Señor…” Ana paused for the tourist.

“Anderson” he said.

“What Señor Anderson has said is true,” said Ana. “This was a great civilization of educated people and…”

“That may be, but I find it hard to believe that these people had sports,” said Ned.

“Bueno Señor. The Maya did have sports. The only difference was that these warriors had much more at stake than your American money.”

“Like what?” said Ned incredulously.

“Their lives,” said Ana, “and the well being of their people.”

A quiet came over the group as Ana went on to explain the rules of their game. It was something like Basketball in that there was a ball that had to be sent through hoops placed high above the players on the walls. One major difference was that they couldn’t use their hands or their feet. They used their hips. Also, if they won, they would die.

“Die?” said Ned. “Please…”

“It is said that the winning team’s captain would present himself to the losing team’s captain for… decapitation,” said Ana.

“That makes no sense,” said Ned. “The winners are supposed to win, not die. Whatever happened to women and riches?”

“You must understand. This death represented a great honor for them, and a shorter path to heaven. Their spilt blood satisfied the Gods so the weather would be kind, and so the Earth would bear fruit for another season.”

“Are you sure?” said Ned, looking over the crowd hoping some historian was on the tour with them. “That just doesn’t make sense, neanderthal or not. It would be suicide.”

“Perhaps, but they didn’t see their life as you do,” said Ana.

“You sure you have your facts straight ma’am?” said Fay.

“How long have you been doing this anyway, wildflower?” questioned Ned.

“Off and on my whole life” she said indignantly.

“Off and on?” said Ned as he lifted his hat to scratch his head.

Ana clasped her hands together, and produced a big smile. “Well Señores, that concludes the tour for today,” said Ana. “We hope to see most of you again soon. Buenas tardes.” Ned and Fay stood there staring at Ana as the crowd shuffled off. Ana’s eyes passed from one tourist to the next as they trickled through the exit. Finally her gaze settled on Ned and his wife.

Ana looked over her shoulder, then approached the dissatisfied looking couple quietly. “Is there some kind of problem?” she said hesitantly.

“I want my money back,” said Ned turning red in the face. “This tour was a sham.”

Ana said something to the tour guide in another language. Ned hated it when he couldn’t understand. “Señor. I will prove to you that what I said is true. I will give you the special tour. That way you get more than the other tourists.”

“You mean you’ve been holding out on us?” said Ned.

“No Señor, you just get the special version of the tour.”

“I want my damn money’s worth,” he said with a grimace. “You got at least one thing right tonight.”

Fay swung her purse at Ned. “How many times have I told you not to speak to a lady using that kind a language?”

Ana raised an eyebrow as Ned scowled at Fay. “Lead the way,” said Ned to Ana without taking his expectant eyes off his wife’s handbag.

Ana and the tour guide climbed the first few stairs of the pyramid.

“Hold your horses,” said Fay, her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to climb that pyramid, we already saw it. I want to see this cenote thing.” She pointed to a picture on the pamphlet she held up for all to see. “It’s supposed to be beautiful.”

“We are seeing the pyramid, Fay,” said Ned stomping his foot. “Ana said it was the crown jewel of the tour, and she is even going to show us the part at the top where people aren’t allowed to go. That has to be much more exciting then than that pool of water your pointing at. If it’s that important to you, you can do some laps back at the hotel.”

Ana looked down at her wristwatch and frowned. “I have time only for one more site, and no more,” said Ana regretfully. The tour guide behind her furrowed his brow for a moment, and then spoke to Ana in his native tongue. She listened, paused a moment to look at the sky, and then nodded. When she turned back to them, Ned thought she looked different somehow.

With a sigh, Ana said, ” Señor Lohan offers a suggestion. He says that he will take your husband to the top of the pyramid, and that I should accompany you to the Cenote.”

“Ya mean we should split up?” said Fay. She looked at her husband nervously.

“This way you can visit both locations in the same amount of time,” said Ana. “Is a good idea, no?”

“Done,” said Ned, starting up the stone steps.

“But honey,” said Fay, reaching out to Ned slightly, “we’ve never been apart since we’ve been married.”

Ned kept climbing the ruins. “It’s not going to kill you for us to split up for a little while,” said Ned with a chortle. “Besides, this way we both get what we want.” Fay watched him for a moment, then nodded at Ana and left for the Cenote pool.

The setting sun highlighted the pyramid in glorious oranges and reds as they made their way up the ruins.  The tour guide was surprisingly agile for his age. It wasn’t long before he had caught up with Ned, and then passed him by. A third of the way up the steps, Ned started to slow down. There must have been hundreds of stairs. Parched, he stopped for a moment and rotated his fanny pack around to remove what turned out to be an empty water bottle.

Angry, Ned threw his bottle to the ground. “Do you have any water?” he said to Lohan. The tour guide stared at him blankly. Ned waved the old man off in frustration. A moment later Ned raised a hand and made a drinking motion in front of his mouth. A look of understanding passed over Lohan’s face. He nodded, and bellowed up the pyramid steps in his native Mayan.

Embarrassed, Ned looked around, but found that there was no one at all within sight.

Suddenly a boy appeared out of the mouth of the top of the pyramid. He came down the stairs warily. He carried something in his hands with great care.

When the boy reached the tour guide, Ned recognized him immediately. Its that bony beggar, Ned thought. The one I shooed off earlier.

The boy handed Lohan an ornate, wooden cup, and gave Ned a sharp scowl, apparently recognizing him as well. Ned noted the workmanship of the cup, adorned with inlaid turquoise and jade stones. The tour guide bowed slightly to the young boy, who stood ceremoniously. Turning to Ned, Lohan extended the unique cup.

Surprised, Ned shook his head and pushed the cup away slightly. Sweat trailed down his temples. He had heard rumors about Mexican water. He was strictly instructed to only drink bottled water.

Lohan looked confused. He repeated the same drinking gesture with his own hand that Ned had shown him earlier.

The tour guide extended the cup again. Ned reached out and clasped the outside of Lohan’s hands. Ned examined the water the in the cup that they now both held. The liquid was clear, and the inside of the cup did look clean.

Ned pursed his parched lips. Despite the setting sun, it did not feel any cooler. It couldn’t hurt to have some water this once, Ned thought. Besides, he rarely got sick, and his immune system had seemed strong enough over the years.

Ned nodded, and forced a slight smile as he pulled the cup away from Lohan, raised it to his lips, and drained it straight away. The tour guide smiled for the first time that day, and bowed at the young boy, then at Ned.

Ned didn’t know why, but this water had dispelled all rumors he had ever heard about the water here. He smacked his lips. The sun suddenly seemed brighter than before, and the shadows on the ancient temple on which he stood seemed to stir. His eyes suddenly darted from object to object seeking the cause of the motion. His eyes met with the same serpent-like shadow that he had seen earlier that day, though now, it seemed to really descend from the top of the pyramid down to the earth below. Instinctively Ned followed the shadow to the bottom of the temple where the mouth of the serpent opened up to a crowd full of people, watching him. He took a step back. There had been no one there before. A murmur started amongst the crowd. They were all Mayan, just as they had been described to him earlier that day. Scantily clad bodies, headdresses of plumage, painted-faced, and ornate jewelry of jade and turquoise. He didn’t know where they had come from. Surely with such a multitude, he would have heard them coming.

He turned to face Lohan for an explanation. He staggered as the man he knew to be the tour guide was now dressed in traditional Mayan garb, like he had seen in the pamphlets. The boy next to him had an ornate headdress, blue paint on his face. He bowed at Ned, and extended his arm toward the top of the pyramid. Ned looked up and saw a row of natives on each side of the steps leading to the top of the pyramid. They looked at him, longingly.

Ned’s bewildered eyes fell on the pathetic boy that he had turned away earlier that day. Now, the boy was the most ornate of them all. His face was intricately painted with Mayan patterns of black and pale blue. At the base of the bright plumage of his headdress was a bony white skull. The boy breathed heavily, sweat glistening from his face and body. He looked like he had just won a race.

Ned looked down at the empty cup, the only thing that seemed to have kept its original appearance, the only link to what he had known to be real just moments ago. He felt light headed, and confused. Beyond the cup, Ned saw bare feet where he had had shoes earlier. He continued up his body and observed that he too was dressed differently – dressed like the sweaty boy in front of him. Ned gasped, dropping the cup with a loud thud. He watched it spring from step to step until finally it landed at the base of the pyramid, and rolled in front of the serpent’s open mouth.

Ned examined himself further. He too was sweating, and breathing heavily. He flexed his fingers, and extended his arms. His body was different too. He felt firm, and muscular. Instead of the milky white skin he had known all his life,  he saw a rust colored skin, like something belonging to someone who had spent his life in the sun. He felt faint.

Lohan said something in another language. The boy nodded, took the next several steps up the pyramid, then, looking at Ned, extended his arm up the stairs.  Ned instinctively took a step forward to follow. Cheers and expectant faces erupted across the multitude. Lohan followed. Despite feeling slightly jarred, Ned continued, and the three of them climbed the pyramid until they reached the top.

A hush passed over the crowd. Several natives waited at the top of the pyramid to receive them. Where Ned had seen ruble and ruin before, he now saw smooth stonework. The pyramid had somehow been made whole.

Lohan turned slightly to face the multitude, and raised his hands above his head. “We are here today to pay tribute to the gods,” he said ceremoniously. Ned couldn’t believe his ears. As he watched Lohan’s lips, he didn’t recognize the patterns of the words, but somehow he understood what he was saying.

“The gods give us life, that we may give our lives to the Gods. They sustain us, and we must sustain them. This is our way. It is one eternal round,” said Lohan. He turned to present the young boy. “The Gods have chosen their champion.” The young boy stepped forward with pride, filling his lungs with the air of victory, and then spoke.

“The Gods have smiled on us today, brothers and sisters. They have sacrificed much for us, and we will sacrifice much for them.” He turned to Ned and held out his hand. “The Gods require penance, a life worth more to them than to us. This brother has offered his service to us all.”

Ned didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to kneel at that moment. His breathing became heavy, and his pulse quickened. The boy that towered over him now seemed a man, and he held out the palm of his hand. From the shadows behind them a servant stepped forward and placed a wooden sword in his hand. Intricately placed around the plank shaped bade Ned saw sharp black shards of obsidian.

“Please,” said Ned, lifting one hand slightly as if to shield himself. “Please.” He closed his eyes, and bowed his head.

The boy lifted the wooden sword, the encrusted stones glinting in the remainder of the sunlight. “Adios then,” said the boy, as a shadow passed over his face. A shimmering black flash fell down on Ned, and the crowd erupted joyously. The noise they produced was so loud that no one heard Ned’s dead weight strike the stone, or his head’s dull sound on each step as it traveled the same path as the cup, finally coming to rest by the serpent’s tongue at the base of the pyramid.

“This way,” said Ana, a wide smile showing her brilliantly white teeth. “Is not too far.” She led Fay along a tight dirt path flanked by shrubs and small trees.

“The pamphlet didn’t say that the Cenote was so far away from the other ruins,” said Fay as she pushed a branch to one side, confused. “What is a cenote, anyway?”

“This city was built here because of the water. The Mayans believe that water is sacred. It gives life to the people, like mother earth’s milk to her children. You no see flowing rivers above ground like in other countries, but here the water was plentiful, only below the ground, not above it. The cenote is a sink-hole, or a well, and a way for the people to gain access to water.   There are many cenotes we could visit,” she added quickly, “But I say I give you the special tour, so we go to the sacred cenote.”

“Sacred cenote?” said Fay, no less confused than before.

“It is the most wonderful, and the most special cenote we have in these ruins. Its story is as rich as its waters are beautiful.”

As Ana said these words, the path opened up to a small clearing that exposed a large hole in the earth. As they drew closer Fay noticed caution cord around the perimeter.

“What’s that for?” said Fay, pointing at the caution cord.

“There have been accidents here. Tourists wander too close, and they slip and fall. We are trying to keep them safe by showing them the proper distance to keep from the sacred cenote.”

“But you can  hardly see it,” said Fay, approaching the caution cord. She looked over the edge of the cenote. Foliage and branches surrounded the well, and even appeared on the sides of its walls. The water was a deep jade color, transparent and still. There seemed to be many objects at the bottom of the cenote. Fay squinted, but couldn’t make out exactly what they were.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, a look of satisfaction passing over her face. “What’s all that?” Fay pointed at the bed of the water.

“Another reason for the caution cord. This sacred well holds all the offerings of many generations at its depths. There are enough artifacts at the bottom of this well to fill a museum. As you can imagine, thieves have tried to take the treasure many times.”

“So, why haven’t they managed to take it all?” said Fay, surprised. “It would seem easy to do.”

“The locals say that the spirits of those who have died here still rest in the waters. Thieves don’t dare go into the water.”

“You sayin’ that the folks who slipped and fell here haunt this place?” said Fay, folding her arms tightly.

“Not exactly Señorita. Before the tourist accidents, our ancestors held many rituals here. Men, women, and children were brought here and offered up as a sacrifice to the rain God Chac. In the early 1900’s some anthropologists dove into the waters to better understand the treasures it contained. They found at least fifty human eskeletons, and various artifacts, including ceramic, gold, jade, and obsidian.”

“Sacrifices?” said Fay, nervously. Fay peered down into the depths of the green water again, squinting. The place had seemed to have a quiet air about it, but now that she had heard what had gone on here, the water seemed a little deeper, and darker than before. As Ana spoke, she thought she could see bones now too, though she couldn’t be sure.  Fay folded her arms, and rubbed her shoulders.

“It’s hard to see, I know,” said Ana. She moved toward a natural portion of the cenote that jutted out over the water. “You can get a better look at the water from over here.”

Fay managed a polite smile, and approached Ana by the earthy platform. “Is better from here. You can even see your reflection in the water, and have a better look at its hidden treasures.” Ana extended her hand, and lifted up the caution cord as Fay moved slowly across the threshold.

Fay paused for a moment. “Are you sure?” she said with a wince as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You don’t have to go, but if  it makes you more comfortable, I will go with you,” said Ana with a smile. “I never grow tired of looking into the cenote. It’s magical.”

“Well,” said Fay, “I wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would I? After all, I have come a long way.” Ana nodded.

They both passed under the caution cord and made their way along the natural platform. Fay looked over the edge into the sheer water. She saw her reflection in the water clearly. Ana’s face appeared in the water behind her, and her hands appeared on Fay’s shoulders.

“You have a beautiful reflection,” said Ana. Fay ran a lock of hair through a few of her fingers. “The water looks beautiful with you in it, don’t you think?”

Then, something changed. Fay thought she saw something in the water move. Perhaps it was a trick of the light, or perhaps it was nothing at all. The only thing sure was that Fay’s reflexes took over. In her reflection, Fay thought she saw something appear over her head, long and wooden. Something on it glimmered in the remaining light of the day.

“Duck!” came a man’s voice from the path.

Fay reacted, and crouched to the ground. There was no time to think, or to look up. She just looked into the water. She felt Ana’s leg connect with her back as Ana stumbled forward. Fay saw the rest of the dreadful image reflected in the water. Ana’s head struck the edge of the platform, sending her into a spiral toward the well. Ana’s falling reflection grew larger and larger until it finally collided with her body in a loud clap that rippled across the green water.

Fay stared down at the disturbed water that had been so peaceful just moments ago, trying to understand what had just happened. Fay sat down on the platform, pulled her knees in close, and rocked herself.

“Hey, are you okay?” said a familiar looking man who ran to her, and stopped at the caution cord. Fay recognized him as the man that asked Ana about the disappearances during the tour.

“I’m Anderson,” he said. “Chuck Anderson. Will you let me help you?”

“I don’t know what happened,” said Fay, her eyes darting from the man, back to the cenote in which Ana’s body now floated, face up, eyes open. Ana had a deep gash on her forehead, and a frightened look on her face. Fay hadn’t noticed it before, but Ana’s jade colored eyes were the same color as the water in which they could now be found, almost as if they had always belonged there.

” Anacaona,” shouted an old, frail voice from behind them. Lohan, the tour guide, and the small boy ran up to the edge of the Cenote, and came to an abrupt stop a few yards away from Chuck and Fay. The natives stared down into their precious cenote for a long moment, their faces expresionless.

The boy reached out toward the cenote, only to meet Lohan’s hand, which clapped it down.  Lohan’s amber eyes locked in on Fay, fire burning. He clenched his fists, and stepped forward.

Chuck helped Fay to her feet. She couldn’t take her eyes off the pool of water below, but Chuck couldn’t take his eyes off of Lohan. The clouds gathered above them, casting a solemn shadow over the scene. Chuck swept Fay behind him with one arm as he prepared to fight.

Then, something strange happened. Lohan stopped his advance as if he had run into an invisible wall. They all looked up at once as drops of fresh water spotted their faces, and speckled the ground down around them.

Rain.

Fay looked down at the pattern of many ripples around Ana now, where there had just been one large ripple just moments ago. She couldn’t help but think that Ana would have loved to see this. That thought was ironic though, because Ana lay there on her back, stairing eyes wide open into the rain. Fay gazed at Ana, almost in a trance. Suddenly, she noticed that Ana seemed to be sinking. She looked up at the others to see if they had noticed the same thing, but they were just staring skyward. Fay squinted down at the cenote again, and recoiled at what she saw. Fay could have sworn that she saw frail, bony hands silently breach the water, and grab hold of Ana’s varoius parts of body. Ana sank slowly, first at her feet, then her waist, and finally, the last thing Fay saw was jade on jade. Fay closed her eyes tightly, and turned her head.

Lohan raised his head and arms up to the sky, and closed his eyes for what seemed like a long moment. He said something in Mayan, and repeated it again and again. It sounded like a chant. The young boy next to him bowed his head, and began to cry.

Fay looked at Chuck, and then back at Lohan. “What’s he saying?” said Fay.

“He said,” the boy paused and let out a deep sigh through his quivering lips, “He said, ‘Mayan blood.’”

******I’m tweaking the ending. I got feedback it was too abrupt etc.  ******

The old man ceased to chant. When he looked at Fay this time, the fire was gone. The flame had been doused with moisture.

“Can I get you anything else Ma’am?” said a stewardess as she closed the First Class curtain behind Fay’s seat.

“Yes, please,” she replied. “I’ll take a Vodka.”

“We don’t have any Vodka on this  flight, I’m sorry. Would you like a Corona instead? We’ve just had some fresh bottles onboarded straight from Mexico.

“No, please. Nothing from Mexico right now.”

She unfolded a newspaper. The front page displayed a large foto that she knew all to well. The cenote . Whats sthe title of teh article. Report was chuck anderson.

This is my first time on first class.  You’ve got to live a little

first class as she passed by The flame had been .  The old man and the boy turned and left.

Fay and the man looked back into the Cenote and, despite the clarity of the water, Ana was nowhere to be seen. All that could be seen were the ripples from the raindrops above.