El Sueño del Prado Blanco

Art by Mackenzie von Pingel - 2019

The day had arrived when the line blurs between the living and the dead.

The candles remained snuffed, the marigolds bloomed in the windows, and the calaveras smiled as the two siblings passed through town. They exited the pueblo and arrived at the enchanted forest that holds in the town like the arms of a mother, tightening her niños in a loving embrace.

Nina and Alej longed for that embrace. Too many nights had gone by without comfort from the midnight chill. Too many nights without a story or song to coax them to sleep. Too many nights wishing she was still with them--her smile, her warmth, her loving embrace, the magic that burst from her fingertips.

All they had left now was her magic. La brujeria.

They both carried bags over their shoulders stuffed with belongings. Most of it was for survival, but Nina’s bag was filled with things many would call trivial: candles, candies, a white tablecloth, and a few scraps of drawings and photos wrapped carefully in a magenta scarf.

These items weren’t necessary for the journey. They were necessary for the destination.

The roots of the forest ahead dug deep into the earth. Century old ceiba and sapote trees created tangles of undergrowth and branches. The canopy was alive with the cacophony of animals. Birds, monkeys, and insects all buzzed, shrieked, and chirped in a chaotic, ambient symphony of nature.

The sun was just beginning to rise in the sky. Dawn was upon them, and the nighttime colors in the sky began to bleed into a pallet of reds, purples, and oranges. It might’ve been beautiful if the trek ahead wasn't so daunting.

“You scared?” Alej asked.

“Never,” Nina said.

Despite her determined look, her hand lingered over the obsidian-studded macuahuitl sword at her side.

“We’ll be fine,” Alej assured.

“I’m not worried, parches.”

“Ya lo se.”

The two exited the outskirts of town and stepped into the tangled undergrowth of the ancient forest.

Despite the heat of the early morning, the forest was cool, almost chilling. Alej supposed it was a good thing, perhaps even a good omen. He had his usual denim jacket to keep him warm. Its endless collection of patches seemed to fade as the bleak atmosphere of the forest drained them of color.

Nina trailed just behind. She put up her short mess of black hair only to let it back down a few moments later. That nervous rhythm continued as they trekked on. It was something their mother would do too, a way to hold back the anxiety.

For a while, they were alone in the forest, navigating through the maze of trees. It wasn’t until an hour passed that a visitor arrived.

Leaves rustled just ahead, the tall grasses and plants shifting to make way for some sort of creature.

Alej paused. He backed up towards Nina. She already had her sword drawn. Alej examined a few of the patches on his arms, calculating which one he might have to use first.

“What is it?” Nina said.

Her muscles tensed. Her eyes narrowed. She was ready for a fight.

“I don’t know,” Alej said. “Be ready for anything.”

The creature appeared, bursting out from the undergrowth with a slippery sort of swiftness. It was a canine creature, small and scrawny, with dark patches of brown and gray fur. Its teeth gleamed in the early morning sunrise.

It was a coyote.

“Ah…” the animal said. “What have we here?”

Alej ripped off a patch on his left shoulder that could have been sewn from threads of the night sky. Its design resembled a small shard of obsidian surrounded by a small disk. As it pulled off his jacket, it materialized into a dagger in his hand. Alej held it in front of him.

“Ah…” the coyote chuckled. “I haven’t seen brujeria like this in a while. This’ll be fun.”

“Who are you?” Nina demanded.

“Oh, just a lowly coyote, making my way through this forest,” the coyote replied. “Who might you be?”

“Move out of the way,” Nina said. “Let’s not make this difficult.”

The coyote approached, drawn to the contents of their bags.

“Not typical supplies for a traveler, eh?” the coyote said. “Huelo dulces y cera. Not something you’d need in the forest, unless you have a particularly nasty sweet tooth.”

The coyote licked his lips and his mouth curled into an odd grin.

“You’re hoping to set up an ofrenda, aren’t you?” the coyote said. “In the meadow? El prado blanco?”

“You don’t want to be getting in our way,” Nina warned.

“Oh, I imagine so…” the coyote said. “You’ll be wanting to set it up before Dia de los Muertos ends--a clever plan. You don’t want to be traveling through these woods in the dark. Much deadlier things come out to play in the moonlight.”

“What do you want from us?” Alej said.

“All I have is a few questions for you,” the coyote said. “But… I have to ask, why el prado?”

Alej glanced at Nina.

“It--it was our mother’s favorite spot,” Alej replied.

“Ay, mi sentido pésame,” the coyote said. “I have a request then…”

“What?” Nina asked.

“Well,” the coyote said, “I’m hoping I might be able to journey to the meadow with you.”

Alej had heard stories from his mamá about El Coyote. He was a trickster--un estafador. The coyote had to have another motive.

“And what’s in it for us?” Alej said.

“¡Qué listo!” the coyote said. “He’s quite a bright boy, isn’t he? Always knowing there’s a price for a favor. I can guide you to the meadow. I have made many trips to it before.”

“Alej, we aren’t going to listen to this tramposo, are we?” Nina asked.

The coyote chuckled, “With the two of you, a strong warrior and a practitioner of the ancient ways of brujeria, and me as your humble guide, we’ll make the trip with ease! We’ll be there long before night falls.”

“¡Mentiroso!” Nina said. “You really think we’d trust you?”

She raised her blade, ready to strike. The coyote took a step back, its haunches raised.

“Nina, wait.”

Alej paused, running through every possibility in his head. The sun continued its climb in the sky, the wonderful sunrise hues starting to fade. Tine was running out. He knew that if they denied the coyote’s assistance, the animal would only become hostile, and if the coyote was telling the truth, well, they weren’t exactly as prepared for this journey. They were running in the dark. It was all one big risk, a last chance to reconnect with their mother. The coyote was a way to minimize or maximize this risk.

“Guide us,” he finally said. “But one wrong move, one wrong turn, and Nina guts you like a little fish.”

“I accept these terms,” the coyote said.

“We’re really going to trust him?” she asked.

“Don’t trust him,” Alej said. “Trust me. We aren’t going to make it on our own.”

Nina made a noise halfway between a yell and a growl, but eventually lowered her blade.

“I’m going to enjoy killing you when I turn out to be right,” she muttered.

Thus, the two travelers became three.

They continued through the trees as the purples and reds of sunrise turned into the white-speckled blues of a daytime sky. Despite the sun, the forest still felt dark and cold. The dense canopy blocked any of its warmth. Instead, it trapped the sun’s rays within its own leaves so that the maze of foliage could continue its growth.

The coyote led the way ahead, taking his time to scan the forest ahead and sniff through the undergrowth. Nina watched his every step and questioned his every direction.

Alej remained more reserved. Glancing at the sky, he confirmed they were continuing west. The coyote was leading them in the right direction, the direction of the meadow.

He and Nina used to stay up at night, listening to their mother’s stories of the mystical meadow of magical, white marigolds. It was a sanctuary no evil dwellers could enter, guarded by the encantos of the ancients that came long before them. She promised that she would take them one day to pick the flowers and sing songs in the meadow. He never thought they’d have to make the journey without her. He never imagined he would be making the journey for her.

The trees around them began to grow smaller, and Alej noticed a clearing ahead. The grass here was much more uniform. A green carpet stretched out in a perfect circular formation. It looked as if it had been recently cut.

It wasn’t the grass that caught Alej’s attention, however. It was the large statue standing about four meters in height which sat in the clearing’s center. Its features were roughly human, sitting in a reclined position with its head turned at a ninety degree angle. It wore the attire of an ancient warrior, armor and wrappings donning its chest, wrists, and legs. Sitting on its lap, between its chest and propped up knees, was a shallow bowl with a small bit of water shimmering inside.

“What kind of trap is this?” Nina asked.

The coyote chuckled.

“This is no trap,” he said. “It means we’re heading in the right direction.”

The coyote padded up to the statute.

“He is Chacmool, the one who will guarantee good fortune and weather on our journey ahead,” the coyote explained. “You must give him an offering.”

Nina’s brow furrowed.

“You want us to give this old statue some of our food?” she asked. “I don’t think so.”

The sky darkened.

Clouds rolled in as dark as shadow. The sun that once provided the meadow with tranquil light and warmth faded into nothingness. The air felt unnaturally cool. Alej felt a shiver run up his back. The wind pierced through his jacket.

“IT IS UNWISE TO UPSET CHACMOOL.”

The voice was deep, rumbling, and emanating from the very statue that towered over them, despite its reclined position. The voice warped into the sound of distant thunder. Lightning flashed, illuminating its blank eyes.

“Nina…” Alej raised his obsidian dagger. “Give the statue some of our food.”

Nina stepped forward, and Alej could see fear behind her once determined gaze. She reached into her bag and pulled out a tamale wrapped in a bit of wax paper.

“Right there…” the coyote said as he backed away from the statue. “In the bowl…”

She reached up, placing the small bit of food in the small pool of water within the bowl. Just as it touched the bottom of the bowl, the clouds began to dissipate. The temperature rose. The sun appeared from behind the inky clouds.

“Sacrifice is a powerful thing,” the coyote said. He stepped out of the clearing into the forest ahead. “Leave what is rested to stay rested.”

The two siblings continued to follow their canine guide, a bit more weary of what they might face within the trees and foliage.

In the early afternoon, they took some time to rest. Alej and Nina both leaned against a large tree. Alej adjusted himself several times to find a comfortable position among its tangle of knotted roots. Nina passed him a tamale before setting aside one for herself.

“I assume that’s not for me?” the coyote asked.

Nina gave him a look sharper than the obsidian of her sword.

“Fine then,” the coyote said.

They ate in silence for a bit. Birds and monkeys continued to call out from the canopy above. A soft breeze rippled through the trees and branches, a wave of sound carrying through the ocean of leaves.

“Mamá never said there were going to be these tests,” Nina said. “That’s what the statue was, right? A test.”

Alej took a bite of his food. The colorful flavors of the chiles and al pastor complimented the bland, grainy taste of the masa.

“Do you think…?” Nina’s words faded into the forest.

“What?” Alej asked.

“I don’t know,” Nina said. “I just would’ve thought she would have talked about this place more. She could’ve told us what to expect. Prepared us for today.”

The coyote chuckled. “She was preparing you,” he said. “She taught you how to fight, how to do your magic, didn’t she?”

“What else is in the forest?” Alej asked.

The coyote stood up, “There are more trials, more lessons. They are lessons that I have passed too many times to count.”

“Lessons?” Alej said.

“Yes,” the coyote continued. “They help you understand what is necessary to carry with you until the end.”

“Apparently food isn’t a necessity…” Nina muttered.

“So we are gathering virtues then,” Miguel said, “to carry with us to the meadow?”

The coyote chuckled, “The meadow isn’t the end of the journey.”

With those words, they continued onward.

The coyote kept his position as the guide, the two siblings following close behind. The words of the coyote hung in the air. Alej supposed they were something to carry with him to the meadow as well.

The trees began to dissipate once again. The oddly well-kept grasses started to appear in patches before blending into another small clearing. Unlike the odd statue of Chacmool, however, this one was empty.

“Another trial?” Miguel asked.

“Give him a second…” the coyote snarled. “The nasty little ladrón is around here.”

“You called for me?”

A small, impish figure stepped out from the forest. Alej couldn’t see where he had been hiding before. It was as if he had been a part of the forest, blending into the bark of the trees.

As he stepped into the light, Alej was able to get a good look at the figure’s features. He was only about a meter in height with small, beady eyes, pointed ears, and a mischievous looking grin stretched across his narrow, greenish face.

“Hola,” the figure greeted them. His voice was nasally and shrill. “Me llamo Ixtli, the great Alux of the forest. You must offer me food or fight me to death!”

He bared his teeth, showing off rows of tiny, pointed mandibles. Alej noticed two small, curved daggers at his side.

“This again?” Nina said. “Another offering?”

“You could always fight me!” the little man shrieked.

“You know what?” Nina raised her sword. “Maybe I will!”

“Nina…” Alej warned.

“No,” she said. “I am done with offerings and pleading and begging. Let me get to the meadow, and nothing bad will happen to you at all, molestia.”

A shrill giggle escaped the Alux’s mouth. He drew his daggers.

“Nina,” Alej said, “let’s just let him get what he wants and--”

“You cannot defeat me!!!” Ixtli cried.

The Alux charged, flailing his daggers like a madman. Nina swung her sword straight down, but the little creature dodged. He swung at her legs, barely giving her time to parry. Nina twisted her blade against his dagger and kicked him square in the stomach. He fell back into the grass.

“A ver…” Ixtli grumbled. “You--you’re kinda tough… ok ok ok…”

The Alux lunged at Nina’s side, propelled himself off of an overgrown root, and landed on her back. She twisted her torso backwards, trying to launch the tiny creature, but he continued to grip her shoulders with a fierce determination. He plunged a dagger into her back, and Nina growled in pain. Blood soaked the back of her shirt.

“Off of her!” Alej shouted. “Now!”

He reached for a turquoise patch of a flame on his chest and ripped it off, a blue fire ball forming in his hand. He hurled it at Ixtil, burning just a bit of Nina’s dark hair, and the Alux shrieked as the flames knocked him to the ground.

Nina staggered backwards, the dagger still protruding from her back.

Alej launched his dagger at Ixtli as he fell to the ground. The Alux snarled as he parried the blade out of the air.

“Oh, now you want a fight, eh?” he snarled.

He lunged at Alej, and he instinctively tore a hummingbird patch from his right shoulder. A shield of energy materialized in front of him for a fraction of a second, blasting Ixtli across the meadow.

Nina pulled the dagger out of her back, wincing and growling in pain. The growl mixed in with a war cry, as she leapt towards Ixtli. The Alux hopped to the side, and Nina’s sword connected with a large root rather than flesh, slicing it cleanly in half.

Alej slid towards his dagger, skidding into the dirt before snatching it by its obsidian hilt. He tore a patch of a lizard wreathed in flowers off of his chest, fastened it to the blade, and raised it over his head.

“Duck!” he yelled.

Nina understood. She crouched and covered her ears.

“Ha!” Ixtli cried. “You think a throwing dagger will defeat me?”

Alej released the blade. The Alux went to parry, but as his small blade collided with Alej’s, a shockwave of musical energy erupted from the patch--the sound of a guitar strum amplified a million times over.

“Oh.”

Ixtli disintegrated into a puff of dust and leaves. He dissipated into the current of the afternoon breeze faster than he had arrived.

Nina lowered her hands from her head.

“Nice one,” she said, then fell to the ground. The blood soaked through her shirt, the red seeping into its soft purple.

Miguel rushed over to her, ripping a patch of a plant with tangling roots off of his wrist. He placed his hand on Nina’s back, said a quick prayer, and rested the patch on her open gash.

The pulsing stream of blood crystalized over the opening before fading into her skin. The patch and wound both disappeared simultaneously. Alej relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Thanks,” Nina winced and adjusted her shoulder.

“Ah…” the coyote said. “Don’t you love brujeria.”

“Don’t get too excited,” Alej said. “I’ve only got a few patches left.”

“You beat him,” the coyote said.

“No thanks to you,” Nina said. “You stood back while I almost bled to death!”

“You were too reckless,” the coyote scoffed. “You charged into the encounter without thinking it all through. You didn’t think to consider the consequences.”

“I am tired,” Nina said, “of listening to people who don’t understand. I don’t care what these magical, stupid creatures want when I have something much more important to do--especially you!”

“I don’t want us going to the meadow unprepared,” the coyote said.

“Fine!” Nine shouted. “Don’t come! Leave! We don’t need you!”

The coyote went quiet.

Alej opened his mouth to speak.

“No,” she said. “Alej, I’m done. We’re going. I’m going to speak with mamá.”

She stormed off into the forest, and Alej was able to catch a glimpse of glistening tears in her eyes. The coyote took a step in front of her, blocking her path.

“Get out of my way!” Nina raised her sword. “You’ve seen me use this thing.”

“You still don’t understand,” the coyote said.

“You’re the one not understanding,” she said. “Get out of my way.”

“The trials aren’t meant as a test, they’re meant as a sign,” the coyote said. “They’re meant to tell people that the magic of the meadow isn’t something to mess with, not something to harness for your own will.”

Nina went quiet.

“Leave what is rested to stay rested,” the coyote said. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

The tears in Nina’s eyes streamed down her face. The blade shook as her arms trembled.

Alej looked into the forest. The shadows beneath the trees crept and spread back out from where they had hidden. The sun would set in just a few hours. The meadow waited for them somewhere within the tangles of growth. The meadow waited. Their mom waited.

“She’s different,” Nina choked on her words. “She--she told us…”

Alej knew exactly how she felt--he felt it too. It was that sinking, drowning feeling. The world felt blurry. Every sound felt fuzzy. His heart pounded in his head. His stomach dropped into an empty pit beneath him.

“She’s not coming back,” Alej said, then repeated, “She’s not coming back.”

Nina crouched onto the ground, her blade clattered to the ground. She held her head in her hands. The hope lifted from her body, as did the hope inside Alej.

The coyote rested his hand on Nina’s knee.

“I have seen many try,” the coyote said. “Each of them have failed. I tried to warn each and every one of them. I am meant to guide you to the thing no one can possess.”

Alej sat down next to his sister, pulling her into a tight embrace. They stayed there for a moment, silently comforting one another in their own little patch of time.

Their eyes opened, they wiped their tears, and they took in a deep breath. The warmth of the embrace still held inside of them. The revelation still stung, but a bit of the pain had been alleviated. There was an understanding--a reluctant, frustrated, doubtful understanding.

“So,” Alej said, “we just leave now? That’s it?”

“The meadow is still open for you,” the coyote answered. “Just know that it’s only open for those of us who still walk on earth.”

Alej gave a slow nod.

The coyote stepped aside, “Continue just ahead. Only a few paces past the trees ahead.”

“What about you?” Nina asked.

“Me?” the coyote said.

“You said you wanted to see the meadow,” she said.

“I--” for the first time, the coyote seemed at a loss for words. “I am not allowed to enter the meadow. I am only meant to guide. The meadow is only my far away dream.”

Nina scratched the canine behind his ear, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” the coyote said. “Es feliz el que soñando, muere. Desgraciado el que muera sin soñar. Adios, mis amigos. Buenas noches.”

The coyote crossed the circular clearing, and delved back into the forest. His brown and gray fur blended into the trees and shadow.

Thus, three dreamers turned into two.

“Onward?” Nina asked.

“Onward,” Alej agreed.

They stepped back into the forest’s darkness. The sky dimmed, the vibrant reds and purples bleeding back into the clouds. The trees grew thinner than before, a procession beckoning the siblings to the place their mother had told them so much about--the place where they hoped to see her one last time.

A small, violet butterfly fluttered past Alej’s head, dancing through the dimming, evening light. He watched it pass, then saw the view ahead.

They had arrived.

It seemed to stretch on forever. Waves of white marigolds and dark green grasses made up an endless ocean of serenity and bliss. Hundreds of violet butterflies hovered above the flora, touching down to drink the white flowers’ sweet nectar. The trees surrounding the meadow created a backdrop of natural beauty, the entire sight as picturesque as a painting created from the hues of the setting sky above. It was as if the meadow was plucked from a perfect, alternate reality and placed in the middle of a cold, unforgiving world. It was a sanctuary, a safe haven, an enchanted sea of petals and wings.

Alej felt his spirits lift.

He glanced over to Nina. She had tears in her eyes.

“There it is,” she said.

“There it is,” Alej echoed.

They entered the meadow.

Alej and Nina sat in the endless white and green, the sky fading into the dark hues of night. The light of the moon and glistening stars glowed overhead, providing just enough light to begin their careful ritual.

Nina gathered flowers, the unnatural, white petals glowing in the soft moonlight. She laid out a white cloth from her bag, placing each flower with a unique sense of purpose. The swirling spiral of marigolds soon covered the entire cloth, a backdrop of sweet smelling vegetation blanketing the verdure beneath.

Alej took the candles out of the bag, laying them out on the cloth in some semblance of a symmetrical pattern. He lit a match, allowing its flame to spread from candle to candle. The smells of melting wax meandered into the air along with small wisps of translucent smoke.

He placed a plate in the center of the white marigold backdrop, placing their remaining food carefully in its center. He gathered the unopened sweets from his bag and scattered them about. Their mamá always had a sweet tooth. She must have one in the afterlife.

Alej and Nina both unwrapped the photos and drawings from the magenta scarf and placed them around the ofrenda. They showed their mother, looking as beautiful and regal as ever in her colorful blouses and skirts. She glowed even in the photos. Alej could almost hear her calling his name, beckoning him inside for dinner.

The siblings sat down in the grass and flowers, staring at the flickering, dancing flames of the candles. The light reflected in the photos of their mother. It almost made it look like she could blink. The violet butterflies continued to pass. Some of them took time to rest on the food set out on the plate.

Alej felt the tears in his eyes.

He wished that the world hadn’t taken her so soon, stolen by the unseen force of death. He wished that he had a chance to tell her he loved her, that he missed her, that she was the most caring, kind, and selfless person he knew. Just one last time. One last “I love you” before she was called to her next chapter.

If life was fair, she would still be with them. She’d be resting beside them in the meadow, pointing out every star in the sky and naming every butterfly that fluttered past. She wouldn’t have stories left to tell, dreams left to the silence of sleep.

“Es feliz él que soñando, muere. Desgraciado él que muera sin soñar,” Alej said, repeating what the coyote had said after guiding them to his own impossible dream.

For happy is he who dies dreaming. Wretched is he who dies without dreaming at all.