Nancy, have you ever fired a gun?”
“I grew up in Georgia, son. Of course I have.”
He handed her the rifle and said, “Only use it if you have
to. Try to stay hidden. If it looks like he’s winning, shoot even if you think
you might hit me. I’m expendable, Nancy, but he must be destroyed. Do you
understand?”
“Yes. I understand,” she said, seeming much older than her
nineteen years.
Ian tried to see across to the Pyramid of the Sun but all he
saw was the structure. In the high sun he couldn’t make out Aileen or Asher. He
couldn’t take the time to marvel at the fact that the sun had broken through
the dark red clouds.
Did they make it up to the top or were they already dead?
His stomach churned with the latter thought. If she was gone what would he do?
It didn’t matter. Without her none of this mattered but either way he would
make Mictlan pay for what he had done to her.
He rolled onto his back and checked the clip in his pistol.
He tucked it into his jeans and then took a second gun from the back of his
belt and checked that one. A third gun came from a strap around his lower leg.
He checked that one, too.
“Is that it?” Nancy asked.
He grinned. “No, but it’ll have to do for now.” He dug in
the pack he’d carried and handed her a box of ammunition. “Here, this is all
the ammo I have. Don’t use it unless I fail,” he reminded her again.
Aileen stepped onto the top of the pyramid. Blue sky poked
out above them. The sun shone for the first time in almost eleven months. She
turned her face up to the warming globe.
“Is that a good sign?” Asher asked.
“I don’t know but it sure feels good,” she said.
As the sun reached higher the familiar dark red clouds
filled in the blue sky eventually closing over the sun. Once again the Earth
was cast in darkness. The Pyramid of the Moon loomed black in the near
distance. She should have been afraid of that structure but all she could think
was that Ian was there. Her future was with Ian if only she could survive the
next few minutes. It was a big “if”.
No time for more thoughts of the future. Mictlan appeared at
the top of the opposite pyramid. She faced him.
“Asher, no matter what happens, don’t interfere. You keep
anything that comes up the pyramid away from me but do no more,” she commanded.
“What if…”
“No. You cannot interfere. He has to become mortal in this
world for Ian to kill him and send him back where he belongs.”
“I understand,” the boy said, though his voice sounded
skeptical.
Aileen looked up toward the dark sky and pictured the bright
sun behind the clouds. Her face glowed from within. She lifted both hands and
the clouds parted enough for the sun to make an appearance.
A bolt of blue lightning flashed across the sky from the
other pyramid. The distance was too far to see detail of anything but Mictlan’s
human face appeared directly in front of her. His terrible smile like a gash
across his face, he mocked her.
White light flew from her fingers across the expanse hitting
Mictlan. His laughter filled both sky and land.
A werewolf skulked onto the top of the pyramid. Asher fired
two quick shots into the beast’s head and it dropped where it stood. He
reloaded just as another reached the summit. He fired again but missed. The
beast lunged toward Aileen. He fired again this time hitting the wolf in the
nose. The impact stopped its forward motion. It ran to the right, bleeding and
whimpering before it tumbled down the side of the pyramid toward the hard
ground.
Asher reloaded, still keeping himself between Aileen and
whatever might come over the sides of the structure.
She could see Mictlan clearly now. He was becoming whole. He
was gaining power. She could feel her own life slipping away. Asher was just
behind her. His warm back touched her. She leaned against him.
“Stay with me, Aileen,” she heard him saying above the
thunderous lightning and gunfire.
From the corner of her eye
“I grew up in Georgia, son. Of course I have.”
He handed her the rifle and said, “Only use it if you have
to. Try to stay hidden. If it looks like he’s winning, shoot even if you think
you might hit me. I’m expendable, Nancy, but he must be destroyed. Do you
understand?”
“Yes. I understand,” she said, seeming much older than her
nineteen years.
Ian tried to see across to the Pyramid of the Sun but all he
saw was the structure. In the high sun he couldn’t make out Aileen or Asher. He
couldn’t take the time to marvel at the fact that the sun had broken through
the dark red clouds.
Did they make it up to the top or were they already dead?
His stomach churned with the latter thought. If she was gone what would he do?
It didn’t matter. Without her none of this mattered but either way he would
make Mictlan pay for what he had done to her.
He rolled onto his back and checked the clip in his pistol.
He tucked it into his jeans and then took a second gun from the back of his
belt and checked that one. A third gun came from a strap around his lower leg.
He checked that one, too.
“Is that it?” Nancy asked.
He grinned. “No, but it’ll have to do for now.” He dug in
the pack he’d carried and handed her a box of ammunition. “Here, this is all
the ammo I have. Don’t use it unless I fail,” he reminded her again.
Aileen stepped onto the top of the pyramid. Blue sky poked
out above them. The sun shone for the first time in almost eleven months. She
turned her face up to the warming globe.
“Is that a good sign?” Asher asked.
“I don’t know but it sure feels good,” she said.
As the sun reached higher the familiar dark red clouds
filled in the blue sky eventually closing over the sun. Once again the Earth
was cast in darkness. The Pyramid of the Moon loomed black in the near
distance. She should have been afraid of that structure but all she could think
was that Ian was there. Her future was with Ian if only she could survive the
next few minutes. It was a big “if”.
No time for more thoughts of the future. Mictlan appeared at
the top of the opposite pyramid. She faced him.
“Asher, no matter what happens, don’t interfere. You keep
anything that comes up the pyramid away from me but do no more,” she commanded.
“What if…”
“No. You cannot interfere. He has to become mortal in this
world for Ian to kill him and send him back where he belongs.”
“I understand,” the boy said, though his voice sounded
skeptical.
Aileen looked up toward the dark sky and pictured the bright
sun behind the clouds. Her face glowed from within. She lifted both hands and
the clouds parted enough for the sun to make an appearance.
A bolt of blue lightning flashed across the sky from the
other pyramid. The distance was too far to see detail of anything but Mictlan’s
human face appeared directly in front of her. His terrible smile like a gash
across his face, he mocked her.
White light flew from her fingers across the expanse hitting
Mictlan. His laughter filled both sky and land.
A werewolf skulked onto the top of the pyramid. Asher fired
two quick shots into the beast’s head and it dropped where it stood. He
reloaded just as another reached the summit. He fired again but missed. The
beast lunged toward Aileen. He fired again this time hitting the wolf in the
nose. The impact stopped its forward motion. It ran to the right, bleeding and
whimpering before it tumbled down the side of the pyramid toward the hard
ground.
Asher reloaded, still keeping himself between Aileen and
whatever might come over the sides of the structure.
She could see Mictlan clearly now. He was becoming whole. He
was gaining power. She could feel her own life slipping away. Asher was just
behind her. His warm back touched her. She leaned against him.
“Stay with me, Aileen,” she heard him saying above the
thunderous lightning and gunfire.
From the corner of her eye
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