Silver Jungle

Chapter 3

He nodded at the front desk, who just blinked, like this was normal. Pushing the doors open, Dani stepped out into the cool Mexican night air. He walked the streets he'd seen from a bus that afternoon, retracing the many winding streets filled with smells of any city, not just Mexico. Dani walked for a while, without a concept of time. It was like sleep walking, but more... purposeful. He felt a little tug in his navel again, and instinctually, he turned to the left.

Right in front of him, rising like a great rift in the structure, was a rift-like crack in the rocks of a temple near the Templo Mayor. There was a scattering of pigeon feathers at the base of the black crack, and it looked just wide enough for Dani to fit.

Why he wanted to see if he could fit into the crack, he didn't know, but his stomach tugged again. 'If it ever gets out that I followed my stomach here, I'll be even more of a misfit than I already am. Marble will probably get me to go to a shrink.' Dani realized. 'Well, then just don't get caught.'

Dani strode up to it, the darkness looming over him like a great monster. He placed a hand on the side of the entrance, to make sure that he didn't just crash into a wall. The feeling in his gut purred, like there was a beast in it. Slowly, as to not upset anything in the preserved site, Dani stepped into the darkness.

And choked.

Or more specifically, he was being choked. By someone else. Or something else, but it didn't matter, only that Dani felt something cold and sharp against his throat.

"Quién eres tú?" a voice drawled. "Cómo te llamas?"

"Me llamo Dani." Dani coughed, gripping the hand that held him. It was cool to the touch, and smooth, like the person was wearing a leather glove. "Lo siento, no sabía a dónde fui." He said.

"Mentiroso." The voice said. "Qué eres?"

"American!" Dani wheezed. "I'm an American! ¡Estadosunitdos!"

"I understand English, stupid." The voice said. English, this time. "I'm not dumb, like you, apparently. Now, answer my question. What are you? You smell like one of those Ahuizotl scum, but I can't tell if it's because you've been hanging around one or what."

"What did you just say? Ahui-what?" Dani gasped for air.

"You really think I'm gonna pretend I buy the whole playing dumb thing? I'm not a fool, and you should know that."

"I just don't know what you're talking about." Dani coughed. "Please let me go."

"No. I'm not that dumb." The voice sounded offended.

"I'm just a kid." Dani pleaded. "Don't hurt me."

"I don't really care. You made a mistake when you came here. So, what are you?" The voice sounded like it was getting more impatient as this exchange went on.

"I'm a human, if that's what you're asking. My gut lead me here."

"Liar. You're not human." The voice snapped. "So, tell me, what are you?"

"I'm trying to tell, you I don't know what you are talking about, so can I please just go? I have to go to my tour tomorrow." Dani yelped, not knowing why he thought that piece of information would be helpful.

"Oh my god. You're one of those Arizona kids." The voice sounded a little scared. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Dani questioned breathlessly. The voice didn't respond, tightened the iron grip on his throat, systematically cutting off his oxygen supply, easing him to sleep.