What the Water Gave Me | Ruby da Cherry

The Bride Frightened at Seeing Life Opened

People experiencing Cotard's Syndrome believe they are dead, have lost all their organs, or otherwise do not exist.

I wondered aloud where we were going, but Aristos ignored me yet again. Becoming frustrated at his lack of explanations, I stopped him and demanded an explanation. Before he could get any words out, he froze in place. Luz came trotting up between us, barring her white teeth.

"You have one ticket out of here," she growled, pointing her snout towards Aristos, "I've already told you, just do as he says and you'll be okay. Don't blow it."

"I just want to go home..." I cried to Luz. "I want to see my mom and sleep in my own bed and Aristos isn't telling me anything."

Luz perked up her ears and let out a soft whimper.

"I know, chiquita...Open your hand," Luz said, giving me another ominous request. I did as she said and in it was a yellow marigold. When I held it up, Luz touched the flower with her wet nose and the whole street lit up. In the streets were glowing yellow and orange marigolds. Now, I could see everything on the street, from alebrijes to skeletons traveling through the city.

"Will I be okay?" I asked Luz.

"Yes, if you just listen to Aristos," she stressed again. "I can't protect you, but they can." She nodded her head towards a brightly colored lion-like alebrije. "They don't like to listen, but if you need help or are scared, find an alebrije or calavera; they won't hurt you. Most here are just harmless tricksters but not everything here is so generous."

Her eyes drifted behind me to the frozen Aristos. Above him floated a hideous being. It had black wings that were tattered and rotting off the bone. It was sickly pale; its skin stretched over its limbs like it was wearing the skin instead. It had bulging red eyes that seemed to be fixated on nothing in particular. I wondered if that was his Luz.

"No, he's not like me. He's not helping him," Luz said, answering the question I never said aloud. "Don't acknowledge it, it won't hurt him. Just remember to keep the marigold with you to see the alebrijes and the skeletons, at least while you're here; listen to Aristos and stay on the path."

I blinked and she was gone. Once again, Luz left me with a cryptic message and no explanation.

"I don't need to-" the now-unfrozen Aristos began to say. He looked around, noticing I was at least five feet from where I was and turned away from him. Before he could ask questions, I asked him if he had an animal that talked to him and said weird things. "No..." He gave me a look like I had ten heads. "Well, she's not an animal. I guess when I first got here, to the riverbank, this one woman came to me and told me the ins and outs of this place. She comes to me sometimes, when I need help or something...But she's really elusive. I only see her behind me, in my reflection. Sometimes, I can hear her whispering to me, like she's helping me cheat on a test. I saw her last in the river; she told me I needed to help you stay safe."

I told him what Luz had told me and of the vibrant alebrijes and the marigolds illuminating the street but Aristos said he couldn't see them. I even handed him the marigold but he still saw nothing. "Luz told me to follow the marigolds."

And so, we did. Aristos followed me up and down the streets of Mexico City, the thing above him slowly trailing behind, until we came upon one familiar place.