* warning from the author! there are some gruesome gifs that contain blood. you have been warned. *

.* ﾟ

G    A    M    E         O    F
S    U     R     V     I     V     A     L

· 。ﾟ

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚
𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧
𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

 
chapter twenty
in a mother, a daughter trusts

.·:*¨༺ ★ ༻¨*:·.

THE SMELL OF burning wood filled the nostrils of the group of kids sitting in front of the bonfire. They could hear the whispering hisses of the fire and it's sizzling pops. The sound of crickets chirping could be heard from a close distance as they hid comfortably in the dark. The sun completely gone so the moon could breath and illuminate down for the rest of the humans living on earth.

It was approximately seven in the evening and the two older daughters helped clean up what the Adams family had for dinner. The sisters threw the leftovers into a garbage bag and washed the bench table they had used to eat on. Their brother helped his father carry more logs to the dying fire.

Their sister and their cousin giggled quietly as they sneaked the pack of Hershey's and marshmallows out of the truck. The girl the family found laughed at the younger kids who tried hiding the ingredients for s'mores away from their mother. She had been washing the plastic utensils the family had used to eat with.

"Mariana!" The mother caught her youngest daughter red handed holding the bag of marshmallows. "What do you think you're doing?"

Mariana turned to her older cousin, Winston, to help her get out of this situation. "Tia! Please! Let us make some s'mores! We'll make some for everyone! Please!" Winston pleaded with his hands placed together.

"Por favor, Mami!" Mariana pleaded

"Leticia deja que se los coman," Samuel butted in as the man always said yes to whatever his daughters wanted.

Leticia, just let them eat it.

Leticia put her hands to her waist scolding the two kids ignoring her husband, "you two didn't finish your food. Do you know how much grams of sugar is in these chocolates—"

"Ay, por favor Letty, deja que se los coman y mañana se van a dedicar ayudarte." Letty's best friend and sister in law cut her off trying to convince her to let the kids eat the s'mores.

Oh, please, Letty, just let them eat it and tomorrow they're going to dedicate themselves in helping you.

Letting out a puff of air, Letty rolled her eyes before replying, "fine! A few s'mores for the night and I swear you two are going to prepare and clean up the tables tomorrow." Letty instructed the kids who eagerly nodded before running to look for the pack of graham crackers.

"Come on, I'll help you guys." Vincent spoke up helping his sister and cousin gathering the ingredients together. The three sat down on one of the logs Samuel and Vince had placed so they could sit close to the warm fire.

"Quieren oír la historia que les paso a tu abuelo y a tu tío Manuel?" Samuel asked asking the children around him if they wanted to hear the story of what happened to their grandfather and their uncle.

"Si!" Mariana exclaimed loving the stories her father would tell especially since they were scary ones. She would love them yet she'd end up asleep in the middle of the bed between her dad and mom.

"Nina y Rosie, vengan," Samuel waved his hand telling his older daughters to join them. "Eirene, quieres oír la historia?" He asked Eirene if she wanted to hear the story.

The three girls finished what they were doing before joining her father and the rest of the kids. "Back when we still lived in Mexico, it was rumored that there was money buried in the property where your uncle lived." Samuel began his story as he explained, "over there the bathrooms were made from holes on the ground."

"A hole?" Winston questioned

"Yes a hole." Samuel answered before continuing, "so your grandpa and your uncle took candles with them and put them on a tree next to the hole. Just in case they did find the money. Se pusieron a escarbar y llegaron a un lugar donde ya estaba muy duro para seguir con el palo de escarbar."

They began to dig and later on got to a point where they could no longer dig because the ground was too rough.

"Your grandpa then said that he'll be back with a different type of shovel. So he leaves." Samuel stated as he started to make his own s'more. "Apparently your uncle didn't hear your grandpa leave so when your grandpa came back he apologized telling your tio, ay me tarde pero ya llegue con el palo de escarbar."

hey i took a while but i'm back with the shovel.

Letty shakes her head remembering the story and being one of the few that didn't believe the story. "And your uncle says, wait compa weren't you the one talking to me just a minute ago? I didn't even know you left!" Samuel exclaimed as he continued, "and your grandpa obviously worried told him that wasn't him. I just got here compadre."

Letty joined in right after, "su abuelo dice que su tío brincó tan alto afuera del oyó por el susto que tenía. Los dos miedosos corrieron agarrar las velas que dejaron en el arbol—las velas estaban destruidas. Como si las golpeaban con el árbol—"

Your grandfather says that your uncle was so afraid he jumped so high out of the deep hole. The two scaredy-cats ran to grab the candles from the tree—where they found them destroyed. As if they were smacked against the tree.

"Velas?" Mariana asked

"Yes, velas." Letty replied

Samuel cleared his throat as he began the hidden meaning of the destroyed candles. "In the Catholic religion, candles symbolized the holy spirit. They are either lit for prayer, a persons well-being, or for protection as they represent spiritual purity." The father explained as the children were zoned in forgetting about the s'mores they were cooking. "So for a candle to be destroyed is a sign of something very unholy. Meaning something evil was trying to get your tio."

       The siblings all looked around sort of spooked as their family came from a long line of being able to see things others couldn't. At night, the bloodline were able to hear the screams of the weeping woman, the sounds of a carriage being pulled by horses, the sounds of dragging chains, and last but not least the laughter of los duendes moving their stuff around and the women of the family waking up to pieces of their hair being braided. The family carried bad energies on their backs and as much as they tried to get rid of that energy—it never went away.

       "Ya Samuel, para de contarles tonterías." Letty muttered as she told her husband to stop telling the kids silly stuff.

      "What?" Samuel chuckled as he ate the s'more he made. "They need to learn about where they come from. The legends are necessary."

        Letty crossed her arms as she shook her head not believing the stories of Samuel's family. Macaría believed in the stories as she witnessed the pain in the weeping woman and the little braids in her hair in the mornings.

"Tell them the story of La Llorona." Macaría suggested as she sat down putting her son, Winston, on her lap. "I think they're all at a good age to hear it."

Leticia moved her youngest daughter up to her lap as well. Samuel called out for his daughter, "Rosie, come here my chiquita." Rosie stood up heading to be in the arms of her father as everyone shifted to sit more comfortably. Everyone sat together in a circle facing the man of the family, Samuel, who smiled warmly.

"Can you guys hear the sound of the river flowing?" Samuel asked the kids 

      From a far distance if everyone stayed silent for a few seconds, they could hear the stream running its course. "Yeah, a little bit." Rosie responded for her siblings who nodded. "Why?"

      "If you hear close enough," Samuel spoke his voice going lower, "you could hear el llanto de Maria."

     you could hear the cries of Maria

     "Quien es Maria?" Eirene asked curious to know who Maria was.

      "Maria was a beautiful woman. She had been single the majority of her young life believing that she was destined to marry the most handsome man she knew." Samuel began looking straight into the fire knowing everyone was looking over at him. "Many men would fall to their knees for her and beg her to give them a chance but she wouldn't. She believed that all these men weren't good enough for her."

     "One day, she meets a very rich man who is also looking for a beautiful woman to marry. The couple marry and live in a ranch happily for a short while that is until Maria bears two of his children." Samuel glanced to Leticia who had never believed in these folklores but always let her husband tell them to their kids. "Since her body changed after having kids, her husband didn't see her the same way he once saw her. He didn't find her beautiful. She wasn't enough for him anymore."

     Samuel handed Rosie the s'more he was cooking before continuing the story. "One day, out of the blue, Maria's husband tells her he's leaving her. Out of surprise and shock, the two end up in a huge argument causing her husband to spill the actual truth. That being, he was leaving her because he was having an affair with a younger, more beautiful and rich woman in the city."

     "Maria's now ex husband promised he'd come to see his children often and he did. But continued to neglect Maria. This caused Maria to spiral and start to think how could this man not love her anymore. The only reason Maria could think of was the kids. The kids were the reason her body changed and the reason her attention went away from her ex husband. So she started to neglect them."

      "Rumors spread around the town about Maria's neglect towards her children. One day that rumor got to Maria's ex husband who got on his horse and road into town the same day. He arrived to make sure his kids were being treated correctly and with love. When he knocked on the door he was welcomed by Maria who wore a white dress with red on her lips." Samuel told trying to tell the story the same way he was told. "Maria's main intent was to get her ex husband in love with her again while his intent was to check up on his children. The man ignored her attempts wanting to know about his children. Finding the kids in a locked bedroom and realizes they hadn't eaten the whole day."

      "Falling into another argument, Maria yelled at him about his love for her and that he continued to show up because he was still in love with her. The man explained that the only people he loved were his kids. He didn't love Maria anymore and she couldn't do anything about it. But he was going to take his kids. The man had left but made sure to ask one of the neighbors to keep an eye on Maria for him as he had left to bring a carriage where his two kids could fit."

     "Maria was angry. She hated her kids. She loathed them. She blamed everything on them. Out of anger and selfishness, Maria took her kids out through the back door and rushed them through the forest. The sun was going down and Maria was not going to let her ex husband take her kids away from her. She thought that if she'd get rid of them, then maybe just maybe—he'd see her like the way he used to."

     "Maria brought her kids to the river known for its strong current. Rarely anyone ever tried to get in as the current was too fast for anyone. It would pull you down in seconds. So, Maria did what she thought was going to fix her problems. With her children screaming for help and Maria filled with rage, she pushed her kids into the river. This immediately shushing her kids who tried to swim but were drowned within the current."

      The siblings looked at one another before glancing over to their mother who immediately let out a short laugh. Letty found it funny that her kids wondered if their mother was capable of such things. But Leticia, was nothing compared to Maria, because to Leticia her children were everything. Growing up, all Letty wanted to be was a mom. She cared less about what man she'd end up with. She always imagined what it'd be like to have kids and raise children. Leticia would do anything to keep her children safe.

      "With immediate regret, Maria starts to yell and cry for her kids screaming ay mis hijos! The people from the town heard her horrifying screams for her kids and rushed to help where the screams came from. Maria stepped inside the river in search of her kids hoping she'd still find them alive. The people of the town arrived right before they saw the body of Maria being dragged away by the current."

      "The people of the town waited for Maria's ex husband to come back to tell him the news. But the man never arrived." Samuel explained, "a traveler found him dead in the middle of the road with a broken carriage rammed into a tree. It is said that God had punished him for leaving his kids alone again with Maria. But then again, I don't believe in God so in my opinion I think he was drunk and didn't see where he was going—"

      "Papa!" Rosie exclaimed once she realized her father was getting side tracked with the story.

      A chuckle left Samuel's lips as he replied, "what? You want me to continue the story?"

      "Yes!" Rosie responded with an obvious tone.

       "Fine, fine." Samuel said before finishing up the story. "The people in that town would often hear the painful screams and cries of Maria almost every night. She is heard because she was unable to enter the afterlife and was forced into purgatory and roam the earth until she finds her children. There's been times where people especially men and children see her and are never seen again. Maria continues to wonder around rivers in search of her kids, often mistaking other children as hers. If you hear her, you're in for a lot of bad luck. But worst of all, if you hear the distant screams of La Llorona it actually means she's close by in search for kids to take to the river."

The family went silent focusing on the sounds of the distant river minding its own business. Rosie hugged her father getting spooked from the idea that a crazy dead woman was going to drown her in the river near by. Mariana and Winston looked at each other with fear in their eyes as they found comfort knowing they would be sleeping with their parents tonight. Vincent and Nina weren't spooked at all since they've heard the story multiple times.

      "Okay, time for bed!" Leticia stood up, "come on everyone in the tent. Unless you want La Llorona to take you!"

      "Oh heck no!" Mariana exclaimed quickly standing up and following her mother to the large tent. Winston pulled his mom with him as they headed to the tent.

      Nina stood up turning her head to Rosie, "Amonos, fea, I'm not trying to get taken away by a lunatic woman anytime soon."

      "Going!" Rosie stood up before hugging her father and telling him goodnight, "buenas noches, papa."

      Samuel smiled sweetly giving her a quick peck on her cheek as he replied, "buenas noches, Rosalie. Sueña con los angelitos, mi vida."

Samuel and Vincent were the last ones outside waiting for the rest to go to sleep. "What's going to happen?" The son asked glancing to his father.

Moving his attention away from the fire, Samuel replied, "we're leaving tomorrow morning. We've run out of food and your Tia's getting worse. We need to take her to a doctor."

Vincent nodded staring at the fire, "do you know where we're going?"

      "Out of California that's for sure." Samuel spoke as he knew leaving this state would affect everyone in the family. California was their home. Everything they knew was from here.

a few months later

NINA LOOKED at herself in the mirror one last time as she made sure she looked somewhat presentable. There was a boy, the same age as her, living next door with his uncle. It wasn't often she'd get the chance to talk to him but as the men of the house had gone for extra supplies that morning, she had taken the chance hoping he'd come out. The girl couldn't do much with her face. She didn't have access to any makeup and nothing to cover the recent outbreak of pimples.

Grabbing a hold of the rifle on the counter, she put the strap over her making sure the rifle was hanging on her back. Her eyes glanced to the locked bedroom no kids had access to. She always wanted to go beyond those doors but only the adults were able to go through that door. All the kids were tempted but at the same time, no one wanted to see what was truly happening.

     The girl stepped out of the kitchen hearing the voices of the other girls becoming more closer. In the small living room, three girls played with the deck of cards they had found a few weeks ago. "Why aren't you watching Encanto?" Nina asked as she had played them a movie a half hour ago.

      "The internet stopped working." Mariana didn't bother to look up at her oldest sister focusing on Rosie who shuffled the cards.

        "Why didn't any of you three come tell me?" Nina questioned sighing as no one bothered to answer her. "I'll be back, I'm going to go fix the cable box."

       Eirene lifted her head nodding before taking a glance towards the room that Nina had glanced at earlier. "What about—"

"Just call for me if anything happens." Nina cut her off, "I'll be right outside." The girl nodded watching Nina walk out of the house as she went back to playing cards.

       Nina walked down the stairs looking ahead at the empty road. Her right hand