After Dark | FDTD 2

🐍~2~🐍

Rose looks around the market, smiling at the music being played. Even when she wasn't looking for a good time, it seems to follow her at the most convenient place. Everything was buzzing, alive, people conversing with each other, it felt almost like she was back for freshman year of college. Rose paused in front of one of the stores, finding where she was heading. Her feet made their way to the front, she grabbed the candle, looking at the art on it, she turned it to the man at the counter, "What do these pieces mean?"

"To you? Fifty pesos. Five dollars, U.S."

Rose put it down, giving him a sweet smile, "No, I'm not a tourist, I'm a student of anthropology at Alamo State."

He looked her over once, before speaking again, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him. Whoever greets him joins in his wicked works."

"You know your scripture."

"And you're here to convert me, that's what you people do."

"You people?"

"You're a missionary. You came down here to help the little brown people so it looks good on your college application. Wanna take a selfie?" Rose glared at him before opening her bible to reveal the Culebra's Goddess, "That's not the King James Version."

"Not exactly." He sat up, pointing behind him. Rose followed him inside, looking around, her eyes fall on a painting, "Who is she?"

"No one knows her real name. Many believe she was called Kisa by the ancients. It means-"

"Sunlight," Rose mumbles under her breath, eyes never moving from the painting.

"She's our savior. She consumes our sins."

Rose continues to stare, understanding who it was now, "Santanico..."

"What did you say?"

"She consumes stuff, that's for sure. She is not your savior."

"Who made you the expert?"

Rose turns her body to him, "People like you when you attacked my family. You call yourselves culebras, right? Little bit snake, little bit vampire. You crave blood and can stand in the sunlight a little bit, but it hurts, like holding your breath underwater. And if you or your friend decides to bite me... you'll have two choices. You can either kill me and consume my soul, or pump me full of venom and turn me into something just like you."

His eyes turned into gold serpent slits, "Who wouldn't want that?"

"I am not here to convert you, so do not convert me!" Rose snaps, holding the stake closer to his chest.

🐍~🐍~🐍

Seth groggily stood up, looking around the room. He stands wobbly, still feeling numb from the drugs. He lifted a bottle of alcohol, pouring himself a shot. He takes a drink, turning around and jumping. His body hitting the wall behind him.

"You really don't know when to stop, chico Guapo."

Seth rubbed his eyes, steadying himself, "B-Briza?"

Briza walked over to him, his body stiffened at her closeness, her hand lifted up to his cheek, "Look at you." She tilted his head to look at the snake bite on his neck, "You need to stop doing this to yourself."

Seth brings his own hands up to feel her face, "I-Briza-I can't. Every time I see it, it-"

Briza trails her finger against it, Seth shivered from the touch, her hands trail further up his head, her hands brushing against his beard, then to his scalp, "Then don't see it." Her other hand fell down to his wrist, lifting it up to him, "You've got this tattoo, no one would notice if you-" She slowly moved her hand up his arm, making sure to barely have her fingers touching his skin as she did so, "-added more to it, and just covered it."