The Sunlit Ruins by Andrea Septién

Author:Andrea Septién
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bandele Books

21

WE JOINED THE TOUR GROUP

MIRY

For at least two miserable hours, we followed the tour group as they meandered through the park. We strolled around the long roads, stopped at every single stall along the way, and listened to the tour guide happily chirp about all the different migratory species that passed through the area. Fer even volunteered himself to translate for a pair of tourists who wanted to buy some chapulines, and I got to watch their faces of complete confusion as they ate the seasoned grasshoppers.

Some of the group were confused as to why we were there, but after faking the explanation that we were from another group that we’d lost track of, the tired tour guide let us join them.

Did they ask why Ada and I were wet? Yep. Did Fer come up with the excuse that we accidentally fell into the park’s lake? Yep. Did they buy it?

Surprisingly enough, yeah. They did.

The worst bit was when they saw how soaked my shirt was. Because what did one of them have on hand? A loose shirt with a giant American flag on it.

And Fer, very kindly, said that it’d be really rude not to take it. Especially when they couldn’t offer it to Ada, since the t-shirt couldn’t fully replace her soaked sundress.

So that’s how I ended up wearing a thing that proclaimed to everyone with eyeballs that I was definitely part of the tour group, and I was definitely a goddamn gringa.

Fer gave me a sympathetic shrug. Ada laughed behind her hand.

I quelled my gag reflex by downing four water bottles.

The whole time, we were keeping an eye on the surrounding trees. We waited for movement, any rustling or tremors from the ground. For the first half hour or so, the trees would sway occasionally, as the nasally woman called out in the distance. But the deeper we got into the park, the less the trees moved.

Fer had us stay with the group until we were almost at the Castillo de Chapultepec, the huge fortress in the middle of the park. Ada, for some reason, actually wanted to go in.

“No time today,” he said as he pulled her away from the giant hill we’d have to climb up to reach the castle. “Maybe next time.”

I huffed and trudged along. At least I don’t have to go up that thing, I thought.

But you would, said a deep male voice. If Guadalupe decided to go, you would follow her just so that she won’t show you up.

My spine went ramrod straight as the voice from the pyramids echoed in my head. Oh, so now you can read my mind?

As I told to your cousin, the voice said, I can only listen to your thoughts when I’m communicating directly with you.

I glanced over at Ada and forced myself to keep walking like normal. Should’ve figured you’d talk to her. I bet you already like her better.

I don’t think it’s wise for a god to play favorites.

Are all of you this cryptic and weird?

That is for you to decide.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.