Neophyte

Horror

Metztli couldn't sleep all night. She tried very hard; everything she had done was to no avail. After conversing with the Bishop, Metztli couldn't help but feel exhausted and frustrated. She still wondered how she had time-traveled to the past. 

Why her?

The question always lingered in her mind. Many people in the San Gabriel Mission were very devoted to Christ. Metztli was devoted but not to the extreme. However, her past experiences led her to begin questioning her faith.

The young woman sat up in her bed; Valentina's soft snores echoed in the room. She looked at Valentina for a while. Guilt overwhelmed her since she knew the truth about her parentage. It angered her that she had to keep a secret. If Valentina found out that Metztli knew and never told her, she would hate her.

The thought of being hated by Valentina made Metztli's heart ache. It was strange to her that she was desperate for Valentina's approval. It was as if fate was trying to tell her something. A possibility crossed her mind when she thought about the wooden rosary that belonged to her and her family. Metztli quietly retrieved her bag, which she had hidden deep in her cot, and looked at her belongings. 

Everything that was brought with her was in her possession, except her rosary, which had been passed down in her mother's side of the family for generations. Metztli was deeply in thought as the possibility began to grow in her mind. The possibility explained why she felt close to Valentina, Mariana, the Bishop, and Guillermo. 

A tear formed and dripped onto her sleeping gown. "I can't believe it. They are my..."Metztli shook her head as she slowly opened one of the wooden shutters. It was dawn, suiting her fine. She couldn't sleep. "Ninehnemiz (I will walk)," she proudly whispered to herself. Metztli remembered some of the lectures on the language that Valentina taught her. Metztli promised herself to practice speaking more of their people's language. She set out to return to her timeline and teach her people the language that was almost lost.

Putting a shawl around herself to keep warm, Metztli quietly walked out of the room to take a walk. It was deathly silent, giving her peace. Quietly walking through the Mission's halls, giving Metztli a better look at the Mission she grew up in. Memories flooded her when she and her parents used to walk in the Mission, taking pride in their heritage and sense of community. 

Metztli questioned herself whether there was any point to their pride. Everything she learned through experience taught her the truth. The educational leaders altered the truth to conceal what had truly happened, leaving her and everyone else uninformed about the actual events. The sun was soon going to set, and she continued to walk around the Mission, ensuring not to wake everyone. She then walked toward the gardens, making her stop. The flowers looked lively, but since winter was coming, they wouldn't last; Metztli wanted to see them before they perished.

She looked at and smelled many of the flowers, taking pleasure in their beauty. A noise echoed at the end of the garden; there was a small garage-like house. Metztli didn't remember it being there, but she realized she hadn't been paying too much attention to the entire garden. She wanted to ignore the noise, thinking it might be a possible animal, but a moan echoed from it.

She froze, and a dread overcame her. Metztli didn't want to see what could be inside the small building, but her mind raced as if trying to pressure her to see what was in it. The young woman slowly walked toward the small building as the moans became slightly louder. A dim light filtered through the window shutters, but slight openings allowed Metztli to see what was happening inside.

Metztli quietly looked through a small hole in one of the shutters. Her heart felt as if it were going to explode; her eyes widened in disbelief, filled with fear and horror.