The three of us hide under a bridge where Héctor use paint to make our faces look like skeleton. Miguel was first. "Ay, ay, home still. Look up. A ver, a ver. Look up, up, up."
I look down at Dante who was trying to eat the paint. "Cariño, look at me." I turn to face Héctor and was met with paint. "Aqui Arriba, eso... Eh, la rayita."
Héctor then sit back to admire his work. "Okay." He makes us cover our hair and takes out a mirror to show us what he done. "Hey! Ta-Da! Dead as a doorknob."
As well look in the mirror Héctor started to explain himself. "So listen, chamacos, this place runs on memories. When you're well remembered, people put up your photo and you get to cross the bridge and visit the living on Día de Muertos." He take the mirror and close it, tossing it away. "Unless you're me."
"You don't get to cross over?" Miguel asked him. "No one's ever put up my picture. But you can change that!" Héctor take out a photo of himself and gives it to Miguel.
"This is you?" I asked him. "Eh, muy guapo, eh?" Miguel gives him a look while I nodded to be nice. "So, you get me to my great-great-grandpa then we put up your photo when we get home?" Miguel asked him.
Héctor smiles. "Such a smart boy! Yes! Great idea, yes!" Héctor then holds up a finger. 'One hiccup. De la Cruz is a tough guy to get to and I need to cross the bridge soon. Like, tonight. So, you got any other family here, you know? Someone a bit more accessible?"
"Mm... Nope." Miguel answer looking off to the side. "Don't yank my chain, chamaco. You got to have some other family."
"My family doesn't celebrate Día de Muertos. The only way I can get home for Miguel gets De la Cruz blessing." I explain to Héctor. Miguel push Héctor away and stands up. "Only De la Cruz." Miguel then grabs my hand and pulls me along.
"If you can't help us. We'll find ourselves." He told the skeleton. "Oh! Okay. Okay, kids. Fine! Fine! I'll get you to your great-great-grandpa." Héctor said running after us.
As we walk through to street I mimic Héctor walk. "It's not gonna be easy, you know. He's a busy man." Héctor explain. He glace down at me. "What are you doing?" He asked me. "I'm walking like a skeleton. Blending in." I told him.
"No. Skeletons don't walk like that." He told me. "It's how you walk." I inform him. "No, I don't!" He looks down to see he does walk like that. And he pushes me. "Stop it!" I giggle stumbling away.
"Whoa!" We look to Miguel who ran off to a railing looking at a poster down below. "Ernesto Dr la Cruz's Sunrise Spectacular? Qué padre!"
We walk up to stand beside him as Héctor sighs and says. "Every year your great-great-grandpa puts on that dumb show to make the end of Día de Muertos."
"And you can get us in!" Miguel said excitedly. Héctor looks off to the side. "Hey, you said you have front row tickets!" Miguel told him. "That...was a lie. I apologize for that." Miguel glare up at him. "Cool off, chamco. Come on. I'll get you to him." Héctor told him patting his head.
"How?" Miguel asked. "Because I happen to know where he's rehearing." He told us walking off. We follow Héctor to a building. Where he use his arm as an arrow and his strap as a bow.
He shoots his arm up to the top window. Which taps on the window. After a couple seconds the window opens and a lady skeleton takes the arm pointing it down at Héctor. "You better have my dress, Héctor!" He toss the arm down. And flips a lever. "Hola, Ceci." Héctor catch his arm and stumble back as the fire escape drops down on us.
Miguel quickly climbs up the latter. I follow him with Dante beside me. Héctor was being up the end. When we reach the window we climb in. Both Miguel and I say. "Hola." To Ceci, who was working on a dress. When Héctor enter the room he said. "Ceci, I lost the dress."
