The Matamoros Clan

Chapter 1: Sapphire Ring

"Como la flor, tanto amor me diste tu.", singing can be heard echoing around the house. Como La Flor by Selena Quintanilla radiated throughout the house as Mateo is taking a shower imitating the dance and singing along with the famous Tejano singer.

"Mateo hurry up mijo you are going to miss the bus", a woman yelled. She banged the door a couple of times, but Mateo was still in the second quarter of his tour. The woman continued to bang on the door, but then stopped. Mateo smirked and continued. He did not want to go to school today, because he had a test in his English class that he barely studied for. Just as he was about to get into the next quarter of his long-awaited concert the door flew open. The shower curtain flung across the metal bar letting out a high-pitched scream that made Mateo reach for a towel.

"AMA! Why would you do that? I'm literally butt naked!", he exclaimed. There was his mother standing on the other side of the door. She was a small skinny Latina woman who had red dyed curly hair and almond shape eyes that pierced through your soul. He wondered how she was always able to open the door.

"Ya te dije you are going to be late. Dry off and hurry up.", she said. She turned away and whispered shaking her head "I give that nine-year-old too much freedom".

Mateo quickly dried off mumbling curses under his breath.

"I have ears everywhere Mateo Matamoros!", his mother exclaimed.

Mateo groaned and quickly put on his clothes, brushed his teeth, slightly styled his black hair, and made sure to put on his sapphire ring. It was a beautiful  twisted twin band ring with jewels surrounding the ring. The ring was passed down through his family or that's what his mother said. As his grandmother laid in the hospital bed last year her last request was that Mateo take her ring and always wear it. She said it would protect him and give him good luck whenever he needed it. He loved her and remembered she would feed him cookies and coffee for breakfast even though his mother disagreed with her son drinking coffee at a young age. He never took the deep blue ring off unless he was sleeping. The ring made him feel safe just like his grandmother had said but he couldn't explain why.

He ran into his room to search for his Pikachu bookbag. He scurried through his bed covers and the very artistically placed pile of clothes near his closet. Mateo continued to look but could not find his bookbag anywhere. He swore he put it right next to his Gameboy Color last night. He thought that maybe if he didn't play Pokémon Crystal all night, he wouldn't be going through this.

"I literally put it down right here", he said waving his arms near his desk. He grabbed the chair that was near his marbled desk and pulled it back. He saw nothing under the desk. Mateo groaned in frustrated but just as he turned around, he noticed one of the yellow straps peeking out from under his bed.

"Oh finally. I've been looking for you bookbag.", Mateo said. He reached down to pick it up, but something snatched it back under the bed. Mateo gave out a yelp and stumbled back. He rubbed his eyes together to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. He slowly knelt and peeked under the bed and saw the strap a little far from arms reach. He reached out, barely brushing the bag and just as he felt the strap between his fingers. He was suddenly pulled in by an unknown force.

"AMA!", he screamed. The unknown figure seemed to growl which echoed loudly throughout the room. Mateo continued screaming for his mother, but it was like his screams were silent.

"Mommy! Please Help me! AMA!", he cried out. The figure whispered something to Mateo in an unrecognizable language.

He felt himself being pulled in even more and suddenly his ring started to glow. The glow illuminated under his bed with a blue light bright enough to see the figure. There in front of him was a woman with pitch-black hair, whited out eyes and sharp teeth staring at Mateo. He shrieked. The hideous creature was something so terrifying like the vampires he would see on Charmed.

"Let go you ugly thing!", Mateo cried. He struggled to pry his arm away from this creature, but he was unable to.

"Pinche nino maleducado", the creature hissed. This time in Spanish which he understood.

The creature reached and sunk her teeth Mateo's arm. He felt his blood starting to get sucked out of him. He winced. It felt less painful than he anticipated but he still could feel the sharp teeth break his skin. Suddenly, his ring glowed again. A blue energy pulsated like electricity formed on his forearm and traveled down to his hands. The creature yelped in pain which loosened the grip of Mateo. He scurried back away. His mother was standing over him with her arms crossed.

"Mateo why are you playing around mijo?", she said cross.

"Ama...didn't you hear me calling for you?", Mateo asked teary-eyed.

"No, I didn't. Why are crying mijo?", She asked. She knelt hugging Mateo.

"Some ugly creature lady with sharp teeth and white eyes tried to take me under the bed". He said. He sniffled with every other word.

His mother had a concerned look on her face with her eyes widening showing a glimpse of fear. She scurried under the bed to look. She whispered something under her breath. She sat back up and took a deep breath.

"I want to forget mami...no quiero saber nada de esto. I don't want to remember.", Mateo said.

His mother picked him up wiping away all the blood that was dripping down his arm. She kissed him on the forehead. Mateo's mom had tears running down her face as she had her son's hands in hers.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart...", she paused. She wiped away the tears.

"You do not need to experience this just yet. Later when you are ready, I will tell you about our family" She said.

Mateo shook his head.

"Si mijo, I need to tell you when you get older and start your training so stuff like this", she paused and pointed at the bed. "Doesn't happen to you again Mateo", she continued.

Mateo shivered in his mother's arms. She rubbed her hand through his sleek black hair.

"Just know mijo that it's going to get scary", she whispered. Mateo sniffled

"It will be hard for you. Being a Matamoros is a curse but within that curse, it has its blessings", she smiled.

Mateo looked up at his mother and whispered: "Mami am I going to be okay?".

"Of course, mijo. You have always been so strong and intelligent. You will learn to be a proper witch in this family. You will someday have to protect me", she chuckled.

"Witch? Como tia Claudia?", Mateo said. He was confused. Where the stories of that his grandmother told him true? His mother saw the confusion in her sons face.

His mother nodded. "Pero Mateo no te precoupes horita, don't worry my child. You are our future and I'm going to protect you like how I've been doing these past nine years", she whispered.

She leaned over and kissed him on the head. She held her sons' face in her hands looking at his light brown eyes.

"For now, Mateo you cannot know about this situation. You will forget everything mijo", she said.

Mateo nodded. She managed to give him a soft smile. She leaned back over to his ears.

"ilcahua...forgetMateo", she whispered.