Chupar

Siete

Beads of cold sweat trickled down Catalina's brow. But unlike before, this was not from the sweltering heat threatening to choke her. Nor was it from an oppressive sun beating down on her. No, this was from pure, unadulterated fear.

She struggled to breathe as her lungs took in deep gulps of air, feeling as if she had been the one running instead of Cortez. From the side of her, she could hear the Viper's labored breaths just as she was sure he could hear hers. In truth, he could probably hear her heart from how hard it was beating against her chest.

Since their abrupt flight from the abandoned house, neither one of them had uttered a syllable. Their desperate pants and wheezes had said everything that no amount of words could.

When they had reached the ghost town, the night seemed to have only grown darker. If she had thought it was creepy during the day, then it was absolutely sinister when night had fallen. As they rode through the deserted road, she kept expecting those glowing red eyes to appear in each blackened window they passed before a dark shape lunged at them. Or for some obscure creature with an arched back to come darting around the corner- its yellow teeth bared and dripping with drool.

But nothing ever leaped out at them, not even a tumbleweed.

"Is- Are they still following us?" Catalina finally broke the silence between them as their horses came to a steady trot.

"No," the Viper rasped, keeping his gaze straight ahead.

Biting her lip, she slowly turned her head over her shoulder and looked. Nothing but the distant town was behind them, standing like a black skeleton in the night.

They didn't say anything more after that.

As they continued their journey in silence, the gentle swaying from Cortez's gallop started to lull Catalina to sleep. Combined with the stillness of the night, it wasn't long before the girl found herself sinking into the slumber she had previously sought after. Hoping that when she opened her eyes once again the sun would be out, she let herself doze off into a dreamless sleep.

How long she must have been out for, she did not know. Only that when the Viper's husky voice startled her awake, stars still twinkled in the inky sky.

"Are we close?" He asked.

Catalina wiped her bleary eyes. "I think so..." Her gaze fixed on a dark silhouette in the distance. A massive wave of relief washed over her like a rainstorm during a long drought as she recognized the outline of the ranch. "Up ahead!" She cried, pulling at Cortez's mane.

The two horses shot through the dark and over the dirt trail winding up to the ranch. Catalina knew Cortez was exhausted and hungry after having ridden all night without any stops. But the promise of home- of safety- was just too much to ignore. She couldn't afford to stop, not now. Not when they were so close. "C'mon, Cortez," she whispered into his ear. "We're almost there!"

Gripping his mane even tighter, Catalina pushed her horse to the brink of collapse. Much like how his rider was breathing, Cortez huffed as his hooves skidded across the dirt to an abrupt stop. Jumping off of his back, Catalina scurried through the sand, yelling and screaming for her parents.

"Mamá! Papá!" She flung the door open and ran inside, only to be greeted by an even thicker darkness on the other side. It was the last thing Catalina wanted to be engulfed in. With shaking fingers, she pulled the box of matches out of her pocket. After seconds of struggling to light a single match, she held it close beside her as if the tiny flame could protect her from the shadows that lurked in the dark.

"Catalina?" Her mother appeared around the corner, cradling baby Ernesto. "You're back?"

"Yes!" The flame flickered as Catalina raised it to her face. "Where's Papá?!"