All For Fun | Jenna Ortega Imagines

Chalchiuhtlicue II (j.o)

tw: mention of SA

"Detective, are you alright? You've been acting weird since this morning." Mendoza asked you as the two of you walked through the police station.

It was later in the day, afternoon, and your search was scheduled to begin around five in the evening. But you felt uneasy about returning to the water; between the man's ominous message, the missing men, and the continuous disappearing act that was the woman — you couldn't help but be hesitant.

Enough time had passed for you to dig into 'Chalchiuhtlicue,' and the stories surrounding the water godddess, but nothing could've prepared you for the possibility of seeing her, if it was her, and how you were supposed to combat this mythical being.

You slid into your office, Mendoza on your tail — he shut the door as you pulled off your blazer, tossing it into a seat before you plopped on your desk. You sighed, entering a pensive state.

"What's going on Detective?" Mendoza asked, curiously staring at you.

"Don't think I'm crazy, please, but I saw something at Lake Zirahuén," you honestly answered.

"About Whittaker and Benson?" He sat down before you, setting a vanilla folder in the seat nearby.

You shook your head, "No, this... this was, uh, this was unrelated... I think, I don't know. Mendoza... I uh, I-I think I saw a mermaid," you looked at him, hopeful he'd believe you.

Mendoza's eyebrows knitted, he leaned back into his seat, "You're kidding?"

"No."

He licked his lips, swallowing, "What happened?"

"When you left, there was a man thanking 'Chalchiuhtlicue,' on the docks, so I got his attention and he pointed to a woman. I saw her, for like a second before she went underwater."

Mendoza concentrated on your words as you continued, "I called out to her, and he laughed at me. Then he said to me 'do not seek her, she will reveal herself if she trusts you —"

"— or wants you dead." Mendoza finished, making eye contact with you.

You nodded, "Yeah, yeah that's exactly it. How'd you know?"

Mendoza swallowed, closing his eyes, "Mi bisabuela (great grandmother) used to tell me stories about las sirenas (mermaids), especially the one that resides in Lake Zirahuén. I-I've never believed it because I've never saw one..."

You sighed, but then he continued, "But if you saw one... well then I'd just have to trust it."

You sucked in your cheeks, "I appreciate it."

Mendoza nodded. You asked, "So there's myth of a mermaid in Lake Zirahuén. I've read so much stuff today...that story doesn't come up."

Mendoza rose his brows, "Yeah because it's forgotten history. Passed down orally, mostly."

"Because of colonialism?"

"Yeah."

"So what's the story of the lake? Is that a spirit of Chalchiuhtlicue or someone else?"