VIVIDLY

Atzi did not deviate from her monologue covering the history of the Pyramid of the Sun. She was so dedicated to providing a continuous flow of information that she didn’t leave any opening for dialogue on other topics. I shuffled behind her, truly only taking in about half of her unabridged history. My mind raced, trying to dissect her extreme reaction to the graffiti.

Atzi concluded her lecture and mentioned heading back to the hotel for a much needed siesta before dinner. She opted for silence as we crossed busy roads and traversed through pathways. It wasn’t just that she wasn’t speaking. Her entire body seemed to be entrapped in a tense silence,permeating the very air around her. Walking next to her was unbearable. Her intensity flared next to me with every step. Feeling a mixture of a desire for some space and an eagerness to return to my hotel bed, I pulled ahead of her on our way back. I had gained some confidence in being able to navigate on foot enough to make progress in the generally right direction. I also assumed that If I made a grievous error, Atzi would correct our course.

We rounded a corner and the path opened into a small courtyard surrounded by cozy looking homes brightly painted in blues,yellows and reds. I entered the clearing between houses and froze. My eyes fixated on the glowing symbol scored against sky-blue paint. I sensed Atzi coming to a stop behind me. The symbol of atl tlachinolatlli blazed as if the late afternoon were as dark as midnight. Before I could fully take in the scene or consider a reaction, a deep growling rumble assaulted my ears. The sound, though low, was deafening and seemed to come from every angle. The ground began to shake and structures swayed menacingly as the earth quaked beneath my feet. Reaching cover was unlikely as I struggled to keep my balance.

As the earthquake grew into thunderous roar, the ground split open directly under the symbol. Horrified, I watched as steam rose from the crag, with a human hand, and then a head and then a torso, Soon the whole man had emerged. He wore a skirt adorned with bone, feathers, and leather pleats. In one hand he carried a menacing wooden sword with jagged obsidian shards running along its edge like shark teeth. His eyes were unaturally cold, glazed and empty. Slowly he turned towards me and his mouth distorted into an unholy grimace through gritted teeth. Slowly his mouth opened and along raspy breath gave way to dissonant growling scream,

Cold fear pulsed through my body and flooded my mind. Rather than the options of flight or fight, my body went with freeze. The warrior began taking slow, deliberate steps towards me. I tried to scream, tried to run, tried to do something but nothing would move. I internally begged my body to have any other reaction, A clear, commanding voice broke through my haze.

“Ruth, get down!”

Atzi’s voice rushed over me, and I felt my knees bend. I hit the ground at her command. I barely cleared the massive jet of water shooting over me and hitting the warrior square in the chest. I praised Atzi for somehow having the wherewithal to grab a hose. The unanticipated attack flung him back into the symbol, cracking the stucco from the force. The water stopped, leaving the man stunned. I took the opportunity to jump to my feet and spin to look at Atzi. Relief gave way to confusion. Atzi was standing in the middle of the street and wasn’t holding a hose; there wasn’t even one around her. It then dawned on me that the water jet source had to be something more like a fire hydrant than a hose. There was no hydrant to be found either.
“How…” I started asking, but Atzi cut me short, rushing forward and tugging my arm.

“No time!” She hissed and pulled me towards the street.

We ran around the block and back towards our hotel. The chorus of screams and shouts behind us assured us the warrior was in pursuit. We rounded our last corner and sprinted towards the hotel entrance, My foot slipped on gravel, and I sprawled forward, skidding to the ground. Thankfully, Atzi noticed and pivoted back. As I tried to get my bearings, a menacing shadow darkened around me. I flipped over to get a better look at my attacker. The warrior, however, wasn’t looking at me. I rolled out of the way as he continued advancing on Atzi.

“Look out!“ I screamed,

Atzi’s face didn’t show an ounce of fear. All of her features seemed hard and harsh. This was a completely different person than the Atzi I knew.  She raised her arms to chest height, thrusting them forward as they rose. A massive jet of water shot from her palms, Unlike the first jet, the warrior was prepared for this attack and dodged to the side. He roared and charged.