Chapter 18 Creepy and Crawly #2
I spied a young man hoisting up a small girl who held out a single monstrous marigold to the corpse secured on a podium. The dead grabbed the flower, smiled, and then put the bloom to her nose.
With Cesar on my arm, he giggled, smiling and pointing at the various displays.
Most of the catrinas erected were of late family members, recently passed.
Their skin tone and sunken eyes betrayed their existence as undead.
Resurrected for the family and the celebrations.
What I had once thought a lovely practice to see loved ones again now hit me hard after Tom’s confessions.
These lost souls would never go return to their afterlife.
They would never see the next step in their journey.
Truly, those buried and left alone, or those who decayed fast enough to be out of the reach of a resurrection were safe.
Perhaps the saying of “better off dead” had deeper meaning.
I would have grilled Cesar on his practice of resurrection if I could. If he had known that once ripped through the veil the dead couldn’t go back. Maybe he didn’t know, but it seemed odd that a bone witch wouldn’t be privy to such information.
Somehow, his abilities now seemed cruel and mean.
But I couldn’t reconcile that with Cesar the man. Especially not the one who clung to my arm.
Glancing at him, I couldn’t help but hold pity in my heart. He looked so happy, and handsome.
But even better was the look on Luana Hurtado’s face as we marched up to their clan’s designated catrina platform.
With my arm entwined in Cesar’s, and holding his hand, we delivered Mistress Magdalena, the dark oracle, to bone witch’s last customer.
“We have delivered what you demanded of Cesar.” I said to Luana.
“Hmph.” She sneered at me then diverted her attention to Cesar. “I’m not sure how you pulled this off, but I am grateful you did.” She reached into her robes and pulled out a thick envelope stuffed with pesos. “As promised.”
She tried to give it to Cesar, but I snatched it out of her hands. “Oh, your plan worked. Not sure why you wanted me out of the picture, or why it was so important to ruin him, but you succeeded.”
A smile spread across her face, one filled with malicious intent.
“So, the bone witch has reanimated his last cadaver? Perfection.” She cocked an eyebrow and looked entirely too smug.
“Why would you be happy about destroying him? You’ll never get another resurrection out of him.” It was everything in me to not throat punch the woman, as unseemly as that would be.
She ignored my comment and focused on Cesar. “Now tell me, my handsome brain-dead puppet, did you use the memory anchor we spoke of?”
Cesar glanced between the dark witch and me, a look of concern and confusion crossing his face.
“I – I don’t…” Cesar gripped my hand and leaned over to me, “She’s a bit frightful.”
Luana cackled. “I couldn’t have asked for this to go better.”
“You’re a complete bitch. He had so much more to give this community, and you managed to rob him of whatever time he had left.” It took every ounce of control I had not to do something regretful to Luana, despite the gathering crowds, and the fact that the entire Hurtado clan was present.
Luana reached up with her taloned nails and stroked my cheek.
“You are the family reject. Now I’m convinced we did the right thing by tossing you to aside.
You wouldn’t know the importance of what has happened because you are too dumb, or obtuse, or you take after your moralistic father to understand that the last resurrection a bone witch does is the longest lasting and the strongest resurrection they’ll ever do.
The reanimation will last well beyond the life of its caster.
Our oracle with be with us for generations.
Just like Tio Orlan created Tom who is the biggest thorn in my side, Cesar has created Magdalena. Behold!”
Tom and his crew had erected the coffin onto the dais, opened it, and had placed the dark oracle on her podium, chained to the post where she would stay for the festival.
As they finished placing the restraints, Luana left us and climbed onto the platform and spoke loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
“Prepare yourselves, common stock. The Hurtados reign has once again began!”
Luana leaned in close to Mistress Magdalena and whispered words.
What they were I had no idea, but as she finished, the resurrected corpse’s eyes blinked open.
As her mouth parted, she let out the most horrific scream I’d ever heard.
Her head thrashed, and an unseen wind blew through the crowd, ruffling clothes and sweeping the black veil away from Mistress Magdalena’s face.
Her wedding dress swayed and waved, sending ripples of black fabric out into the crowd. Whoever was touched by the gown’s tendrils froze in fear.
The tropical night air became icy.
My breath hung in a fog in front of my face.
Snakes of black smoke surrounded the dais, writhing in between people’s legs.
The entire crowd that had gathered around us went deathly silent as they collectively stared in horror at the oracle’s awakening.
Fear emanated from every individual.
Luana laughed uncontrollably as Mistress Magdalena screeched, hissed, and yanked on her restraints.
A new age of terror had begun.