HAUNTING SERPENTS

2

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We've been driving for a good 19 minutes, and she hasn't said a single word yet. I forgot she was even there until her phone started buzzing.

I slightly glance at the name, snake emoji. Damn who is it. I wonder if it's her soon to be sister-in-law, or her mother-in-law even. I laughed quietly imagining her perfect rich white girl life. But I guess it isn't the most perfect right now after she turned down that asshole's marriage proposal.

"hello?" she picked up. She continued to speak softly and lowly. I didn't really care for what she was saying anymore so I just kept my eyes on the road. now that i'm fully dedicated to driving, i notice where i'm actually heading. what the fuck is Cesar doing in brentwood? He said he was at the martinaz. And it's fine if he went trick or treating out later but why come here?

"Qué diablos?!" damn okay. A side smile makes its way on my face as I make a slight turn with my head in her direction. Second thing I was wrong about when it came to her. she's definitely not a white chick. Maybe I should stop assuming about her because she keeps on proving me wrong.

"I don't wanna stay in cali I wanna go back home." so she isn't from around here. "ok. Fine. I'll stay here. But send me some cash this puta proposed and I had to cut him off." Now she proved she isn't rich. wrong with that too. Damn, do I even know anything? I'm probably a bit drunk. "No I wasn't dating him!" She sounded offended. Honestly, she should be. She's too pretty for him. Like TOO pretty.
"He was my side hustle." It made me chuckle. So beauty and brains ha.

I think I was loud because she heard me and hung up fast. "I'm sorry. Had to take that" she doesn't have the apologetic smile I thought she'd have. In fact, after that call it looked like her personality took a 180. And even though I was driving, I couldn't take me eyes off her. she took a hair band out of her bag and tied her hair up. Revealing a bunch of tattoos. Damn shit's turning me on.

My eyes fell on the one behind her ear. I couldn't see all of it except for the part that continued the drawing down her neck and stopped right in the middle of it. It was a snake. My eyes trailed her neck until I spotted the next tattoo on her collar bone. I look back to the road in a rush. My heartbeat picking up. I smile a little. She doesn't seem to notice anything because her eyes are set on her phone.

"here we are." I pull up when I see Cesar and his little friends. And that definitely gets her attention. Because she turns her phone off and puts a hand under her chin as support and looks right at me. damn did that make me feel things. "gimme a second, amma get my hermano and come back." She smiled faintly then went back to her phone unbothered and obviously bored. Damn again. so this girl was putting on this whole show, and as soon as she knew that ugly rich guy was not gonna stay, she showed her true colors. She's not from around here. I'm so confused but also intrigued, I'll give her that.

"ok" that was more of an ok for me than it was for her. I got out and walked over to where cesar was standing. His other friends were far from him. And there was a dumbass white kid challenging him. When I was close enough from him I saw a tear drop tattoo on his face. An obviously drawn on one. A fake one. Pathetic.

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Aurora

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"this shit is real." He rubbed his own tattoo but it didn't come off. Boring. Man was really picking a fight with kids. What a weird city.

I have no idea why this guy was giving me a ride. Maybe he thought I'd sleep with him, I noticed how creepily he was eyeing me, or maybe he wanted to rob me. either way I'm prepared.

Marco sent me a number. It was about time this guy did his job right.

Marco:

Hey, I'm sorry for your loss.

This is Cuchillios's number

{insert number}

Cuchillios? What a name. we went by fake names too. But our names were normal. I grabbed my phone. I am going to call her. I hope she's available because I literally have no cash on me and I'd either have to sell my purse or call one of the other fools I'm going out with. I can't risk going back to the hotel tonight. God knows what danger is waiting for me there.

I dial her number. It's ringing.

Ringing.

Ringing.

She picked up.

"hello?" her tone told that she had no time. That she was busy. But she shouldve been expecting my call, I'm confused. I knew this marco couldn't do one thing right.

"cuchillios?"

"who is it" she sounded uninterested.

"you knew Maria?"

"Hernández. yes what about her?"

"the serpents went down. she died."

Dead silence.

"who are you?" she finally asks.

"Aurora. Her daughter."

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Oscar

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"you good?" I playfully hit Cesar as we were headed to the car. His friends said they didn't need a ride and that Ruby's grandma was gonna pick them up. Not that I was offering one anyway. But I had to know if they'd need one they were my brother's friends and I could've ordered them an uber or something.

"oh, you've got a girl with you" he was obviously still mad about that asshole kid, but I could feel him calming down. god he's so much like me. I love this kid.

"nah it's nothing I'm just giving her a ride."I knock on the window. And she quickly catches on and climbs out. Her phone still in her hands. She looked so much different now. earlier, I thought she was a dumb white chick, but now, that she had her hair up and her tattoos were revealed. Even changed her demeanor and the look in her eyes. shes starting to look like us. And I don't know if I like now better.

"hey, I'm cesar." she finally let the phone down. she smiled and opened her mouth to reply. Just then I realized that I didn't even know her name. "Aurora" he smiled back. Aurora.

I was fast to pull the seat and Cesar quickly slid in the back. Then we climbed in and drove off.

--

It was 11:22pm now, and we were driving off. The girl, Aurora still didn't give me the address she was heading to. So I figured it was time to ask.

"so, you've got an address or a location or something?" I don't look at her but I can see her from the corner of my eye, giving her attention to me.

"yeah, here's my phone." My hand slightly brushed hers as I took the phone. It was a brief moment, but it tickled the inside of my stomach. Her hands from what I could tell were warm. Extremely. And soft, damn.

I look at the location. The address. Are my eyes failing me or is this girl asking me to drop her off at cuchillios's mansion.

"does this person you're visiting have a name?" I observed her closely. My eyes failing to keep their focus at the road. I could feel Cesar sense the change in my tone and shift in his seat.

"I rather not say." She sits straight facing the road. Well, she did answer one question at least. She was visiting.