The Day We Died and Woke Again

In the darkness of a forest filled with mysteries, the two of them followed the strange girl. From time to time she turned back, smiling sweetly as she spoke words they could not understand.

From the moment they met her, they knew they had no choice but to follow the girl whose song had driven away those terrifying creatures. If they walked with her, perhaps she could show them the way out of this mysterious world.

When she waved her hand, they followed without hesitation. It was the most ancient yet most effective way for them to communicate.

Ren looked left and right but found nothing unusual in the forest. There were no faces on tree trunks, no red eyes watching them, and no long haired woman chasing after them.

Only ravens perched on branches. They chirped in ways he had never imagined possible. He knew ravens belonged to the family of songbirds, yet he had never expected they could produce melodies so gentle and refined.

"Tl*i phkano? ¿Ya nikh nopa achtohui ***** tij** se cuatojti ****?"

Once again, the woman glanced back and tried to speak to them. But Ren and Lia could only furrow their brows.

"S sorry, we do not understand your language."

Lia answered with a stutter. The woman only laughed and covered her mouth as if she was delighted by how they could not understand her.

Ren raised a brow.

Could she actually understand english?

He shook his head quickly. It felt a little impossible.

The official language in Mexico was Spanish, a lasting root from the Spanish colonization in the sixteenth century.

The language spoken by the girl was likely Nahua, the native tongue of the Aztec people and their descendants. Around twenty percent, or one and a half million, of Mexico’s population could still speak this ancestral language.

But her pronunciation was strangely different from the Nahua he occasionally heard from his Mexican friend in college. As if she was speaking an older, untouched version of it, unaltered by Spanish influence.

"Where are you taking us?"

The girl only shook her head and wagged her finger. A clear sign that they should not ask questions until they reached their destination.

They continued walking, passing knee deep marshes and dense trees draped with vines that hung from the forest canopy.

After a long journey that strangely did not tire them at all, an ancient village awaited before them.

"This..."

Old square houses made of dried brick and mud lined the area. People wearing simple cotton garments moved about. Shimmering Aztec beads adorned their heads while they pounded maize, their staple food.

The sight froze Ren in astonishment. His hand instinctively reached for the camera around his neck to capture a video, but the soft click he heard told him it had been turned on from the start.

It meant the camera had recorded nearly everything since their fall, though the angle was likely messy and unstable.

He paused for a moment, thinking. But the girl tugged on his shirt. When he turned to her, she formed a square shape with her hands as if telling him not to record.

So he lowered the camera.

Yet the girl shook her head and crossed her arms, repeating the same gesture. Ren furrowed his brows.

"Are you sure it is alright?"

The girl nodded.

Ren let out a long breath, confusion swirling within him. The girl clearly knew what a camera was. Her nods and gestures were enough to show she understood their language as well.

Who was she actually?

Before he could gather his thoughts, a man with dark skin approached him.

The man wore a crown of leaves. His body was decorated with ancient tattoos made from plant resin and several bone piercings. In his right hand he held a stone axe, while between the fingers of his left hand rested a wooden stake the length of a human finger.

Ren swallowed nervously but forced himself to raise a hand and greet him.

"H-hi..."

Suddenly several muscular young men grabbed him from behind and held him firmly in place.

"Hey, what are you doing!?"

"Kyaaaa! Brother, help!"

He turned to his side and saw that several women had restrained his sister, including the girl they had met earlier.

"Get your hand of us! Let my sister go!"

Ren struggled, but the men only tightened their grip. The man in front of him stayed silent with a faint, crooked smile. He glanced at the girl who brought them here, but she only giggled softly.

Damn it. What is this? It cannot be what I am thinking, right? I have never heard of the Aztecs being cannibals.

"Let g—"

Someone covered his mouth to silence him. The man holding the axe finally raised it and placed the wooden stake on Ren’s forehead.

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. I am still a virgin. I still want a girlfriend. I still want to do ‘that’ before I die. Preferably with a woman with a big chest or a huge butt.

The axe swung back, then struck forward with all its strength.

Clap.

The wooden stake pierced his forehead. Blood streamed down but quickly stopped. Ren’s final breath slipped from his throat as the men released their hold on him.

He collapsed to the ground. His heart felt like it had stopped. But... his vision still worked. He saw the man walk over to his sister and do the exact same thing.

Ah... how useless I am... watching my sister die right before my eyes without being able to protect her. Father... Mother... Lia... forgive me...

His sister fell to the ground facing him. Their eyes met in shared emptiness until suddenly...

"You can get up now. You are not dead."

That gentle voice pulled their drifting souls back into their bodies.

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

"What happened?"

Ren sat up in shock. He touched his forehead. The stake was gone as if it had never existed. He looked to his sister and saw the same.

The girl giggled with satisfaction, her voice soft and airy, like a child pleased after successfully pranking a friend.

"I knew it. My daughter must not have told you," said the man who had nailed their heads earlier. "Forgive her mischief. She meant no harm."

"Meant no harm!? We almost died from shock!" Lia exploded in anger.

"As the chief of this tribe, I sincerely apologize for my daughter's childish behavior. Allow me to welcome you into our home." His expression softened with warmth and hospitality.

They accepted and followed him into one of the houses. Inside, they sat on a rough limestone floor covered with woven dry straw that formed a simple mat without any pattern.

A feast was served by the chief’s wife. Local fruits and pieces of dried meat were neatly placed in clay bowls.

She kindly urged them to eat as a gesture of respect. Lia hesitated, but not Ren, who immediately took a bite. Witnessing Aztec life this closely was a supernatural encounter he would never experience again.

After they had eaten several fruits, water was served in a wooden cup carved from a hollowed branch. Only then did the chief begin speaking.

"This is not the first time we have received guests from the world above that we left behind."

"World... above?" Lia tilted her head.

"Yes. You come from the world of the living people, do you not?"

Lia swallowed and her trembling hand searched for her brother’s and held it tightly.

Ren looked at his frightened sister, then turned back to the chief who still smiled warmly.

"I apologize, sir. My sister is a bit afraid of the truth she might hear."

The chief shook his head gently. "It is all right." His voice was calm and understanding. "Others who came before you reacted the same. Some were worse than your sister. You should rest for tonight. My daughter will prepare a room for you."

Everything afterward happened naturally. They were taken to a small room where piles of straw formed a bed and pillow. The chief originally intended to give them two rooms, but Lia insisted on staying in the same bed out of fear.

She clung tightly to her brother, burying her head in his chest like a rabbit seeking warmth.

Ren stroked her head gently. "Enough. It is all right. See? They may be spirits, but they are kind, right? There are good ghosts in movies too, remember? Like Casper?"

Slowly, their quiet conversation loosened her grip until she fell asleep.

Ren remained awake. He folded his arms behind his head as an extra pillow, staring blankly at the ceiling. The chief promised to explain everything once Lia felt calmer. Including... how they could return to their world.

"Tomorrow... everything will become clear."