𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗙𝗔𝗟𝗟

marigolds cont.

"YOU'RE actually here! Right in front of me! This is the craziest, but best Dia De Los Muertos ever!" You reached to give your sister a big hug. She accepted it, but you could sense a great urgency in her movements.

    "Dios mío chica! You need to calm down!" she told you and you backed away from her. "I don't have a long time to explain all of this, but basically the land of the dead is in danger."

    "How am I supposed to help?" you asked her. You weren't even from the land of the dead and there was no way that you could help her if it had something to do with not being alive.

    "People are forgetting their famillia and are vanishing to the land of the forgotten. If you don't do something to help everyone remember the spirit of Dia De Los Muertos, millions of people in the land of remembered will cease to exist." Carmen told you. You took it all in, there was a lot to think about. You nearly forgot that Varian was standing next to you for the whole thing, watching and listening to everything your sister and you were talking about.

    "But why would you come to me? What good will I do in the land of the dead with this situation?" you asked her.

    "I'm getting to that," Carmen said and she used the marigolds once again to transport you three to the living world.

    "Can other people do that in the land of the dead?" Varian asked.

    "On Dia De Los Muertos, anything is possible," Carmen said and then she pointed at the fountain. You looked at her and for a second wondered what she meant. "The song Abuela used to sing to us as girls. The one that we sang to her every Dia De Los Muertos."

    You nodded, "Come on, Varian."

    "Why me?" Varian asked as he didn't know any of the words to the song that you were going to sing.

    "Because the spirit of Dia De Los Muertos must be shared with famillia and tonight you're part of ours." You smiled. The Day of the Dead was truly a special time. You went over to the fountain and sat at it. "What if no one listens?" you asked your sister.

    "People will listen." Carmen said, "I can also guide all of the people from the land of the remembered here to celebrate with their famillia."

     You sighed, hoping that the song would work to help all of the people remember the spirit of Dia De Los Muertos. Carmen was right, where were all of the people waiting down the roads of Santa Cecilia? Where were all of the people waiting for their relatives to come to visit them on this special night? You were going to make everyone listen. You stood upon the well, and Varian stood up to. "You don't have to stand up if you're not going to sing."

     "I'm going to sing with you," Varian said.

     "But you don't know what I'm going to sing." you contradicted.

     "Just tell me."

     "Proud Corazón," you told him.

     "I know that one, you used to sing it all the time," Varian said.

     "And you listened?"

     "Yeah, who wouldn't listen to someone talented." You didn't know how to respond to that, you just took a deep breath and got ready.

      "Say that I'm crazy or call me a fool, but last night it seemed that I dreamed about you." you sang with no response from the houses around you.

      "When I opened my mouth what came out was a song and you knew every word and we all sang along." Varian joined into your singing and you passed the small neighbourhood to see Carmen, bringing the other people from the land of the remembered. They were all glowing an amber orange colour and their light shined bright in the plaza.

      "To a melody played on the strings of our souls, and a rhythm that rattled us down to the bone." People were beginning to emerge from their doorways.

       "Our love for each other will live on forever, in every beat of my proud corazón!" You saw people meeting up with their relatives and you felt the moment- so pure and so bright -finally like the spirit of Dia De Los Muertos.

      "Our love for each other will live on forever, in every beat of my proud corazón! Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente! Canten al coro, let it be known!" Carmen came over to you and joined in the song.

       "Our love for each other will live on forever in every beat of my proud corazón! Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente! Canten al coro, let it be known! Our love for each other will live on forever, in every beat of my proud corazón!"

       You could have been taken away by the happy-sadness combination that you felt in the plaza. All of the warm feelings of the people were being shared with you, and you were happy that you got to see Carmen again. Maybe a little bit more skeletal, Carmen, but still your sister nevertheless.

      She smiled at you. "Supongo que es la despedida."

       You didn't want her to leave, not yet. "You'll come back next Dia De Los Muertos right?"

      She gave you a sad smile. "Not in the same way, but I'll always be in your corazón."

       Marigolds surrounded her until they all fell back to the ground. She was gone for this Dia De Los Muertos, but you dreamed of the day that she would return. Varian came up beside you. "That's not a normal Dia De Los Muertos right?"

      "No, that's definitely not a usual one."

      "Well, I'd like to see a usual one."

      "You're invited."

authors note

I'm not Mexican and I don't celebrate Dia De Los Muertos, but I hoped my knowledge from books helped make this seem somewhat authentic. Could I have just posted one part? Yeah, I could have. Oh, well.

1004 words, November 3rd

1009 words, edited May 1st