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Ya Vienen: Chapter One | Part Five
Fictional Horror Series
“Mija?”
“Mijita, wake up.”
My eyes flew open to my ‘buela stroking the hair away from my eyes.
“Everyone is leaving now, mijita. Come say goodbye to your…Qué pasa?” Her eyes expanded in worry.
“Tuviste una pesadilla?”
She grabbed my face. “Mija! Tell me! did you have a nightmare?!”
I threw my hands up in shock and let out an exasperated yes.
“Tell me what it was about. Dimelo ahora!!”
“Abuela, por favor! Calm down!” I didn’t understand. My abuela has never displayed a single ounce of aggression towards anyone before.
My mother and Tia Victoria ran into the room.
“Mama! Qué estás haciendo!” Tia Victoria bellowed.
“‘Ama! Ya! POR FAVOR!!” Mami cried.
Abuela didn’t listen. She grabbed my face even harder. With every demand she shook my head.
“DIMELO! DIMELO!”
“Tia Valéria! I dreamed about Tia Valéria!”
My Abeuela’s milky eyes grew wide and she grabbed my head once more pulling it violently into her chest. She fell to her knees, still holding my head, and wailed.
………………………………………………………………………………………
I sat there dumbfounded.
What the fuck was going on?
My mother looked as shocked as I. My Tia Victoria, however, stared directly at me. Face frozen. With no love. And no light.
Mami consoled ‘buela until she was well enough to drink the water my cousin Giselle had brought. Most of the family was in the hallway at this point. Everyone was as disturbed and confused as I. Well…everyone except Tia Victoria.
Half an hour passed before my grandmother stopped crying. She apologized to the family (as a whole). Blaming her reaction on the pain of losing a child. She didn’t acknowledge me as I sat down beside her. She continued to dismiss her reaction. Facing everyone but me. Nothing I said induced the slightest reaction out of her. It was like I no longer existed.
She eventually asked my Tia Victoria to take her home. She grazed her eyes over the crowd, for a split second meeting mine.
“Estoy cansada. I need to rest. Victoria, ven.”
And just like that she gathered her purse and left.
Everyone stood around dumbfounded. No one could explain what just happened, instead we forced ourselves to believe the reason ‘buela had given. The pain of losing her first born was just too much.
Mami clasped my hand and stared reassuringly. “Everything is going to be ok.”
And like a fool, I believed her.
