any open areas. A school bus blocked her view of his
progress. It took him ten times longer to get to where she waited, and by the
time he arrived, she knew her impatience showed.
“There’s no one here, Ash. I think you could have crossed
the square.”
“They’re here,” he said. “Can’t you smell them?”
A shift in the breeze confirmed his observation.
“What did you find?”
“The pyramid looks like it’s being prepared for something,”
he said, looking back. “It’s covered in newly painted symbols.”
“El Castillo. That’s what they called the pyramid.” She
glanced back at the structure.
He nodded. “I saw the sign. There seems to be something
happening to the west, but I’m not sure what it is. I noticed that the demons
have worn a path in that direction.”
“Balankanche.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I wish I still had that map,” she lamented. “I studied one
of Aileen’s old tourist maps of the area. The Cave of Balankanche is a little
over two miles to the west. It would be a perfect place to keep prisoners. The
caves were sacred to the Mayans.”
“A cave.” He grimaced. “That might make a rescue tougher.
How are we going to get in and out of a cave without being seen?”
“I don’t know, but if my sister is in that cave, I’m going
to get her out.” Her voice had risen.
He shook his head. “Let’s go look and see exactly what the
situation is before you lose your temper with me. I’m just trying to keep us
alive, Nancy.”
“I know,” she said. “But I’m not leaving Robyn behind.”
“We don’t even know if she’s here,” he countered.
“She’s here. I can feel it.” Even as she said the words,
Nancy realized they were true. She’d lost her entire family at the End of Days,
but somehow she’d always known that her little sister had lived. Only fifteen
at the time, Robyn had been traveling with their parents in Florida. The entire
family had gone down to visit their grandparents for the Christmas holidays,
but Nancy had refused to go. She’d stayed home in Atlanta, preferring to spend
time with her friends rather than visit with her family. She could never
forgive herself for being so stupid. Coming home after a one-year sabbatical
between high school and college, she’d been excited to see her friends and hear
their tales. She’d thought there would be dozens of holiday celebrations with
her family.
The guilt that had followed her for the past five years
flooded her once again. How could I have been so selfish?
Knowing that these things could never be made right, she
shook off the remorse that had often been debilitating. There was no time to
give in to depression. Her only hope was to find and save her sister. Hope had
kept her sane and given her the determination she’d needed to stay alive.
Still, the memories flooded her mind. The news reports on
the eve of December 21, 2012 had warned that meteors could strike the Earth.
Most people didn’t believe it. Only religious fanatics had bought into the End
of Days prophecies. The news had stayed on long enough to report that Los
Angeles and Las Vegas had been vaporized by the first two meteors. They
reported that several large European cities were gone as well. New York must
have been next, because the broadcaster’s face turned a ghostly white, just
before the screen turned to static. That had been the last of the news, unless
you could find a ham radio.
Every major city had been demolished, killing most of the
populations. Other people just disappeared. Ian once told her that the woman
he’d been sleeping with had left nothing but an indent in the pillow. One
second she was there, and the next he was lying alone in his bed.
Even all these years later, her eyes welled up with tears,
when she thought of all that loss. Nancy had been alone in her family’s home
that night. The next morning her suburban neighborhood was empty. Scared, she’d
run to her Volkswagen Beetle, and
progress. It took him ten times longer to get to where she waited, and by the
time he arrived, she knew her impatience showed.
“There’s no one here, Ash. I think you could have crossed
the square.”
“They’re here,” he said. “Can’t you smell them?”
A shift in the breeze confirmed his observation.
“What did you find?”
“The pyramid looks like it’s being prepared for something,”
he said, looking back. “It’s covered in newly painted symbols.”
“El Castillo. That’s what they called the pyramid.” She
glanced back at the structure.
He nodded. “I saw the sign. There seems to be something
happening to the west, but I’m not sure what it is. I noticed that the demons
have worn a path in that direction.”
“Balankanche.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I wish I still had that map,” she lamented. “I studied one
of Aileen’s old tourist maps of the area. The Cave of Balankanche is a little
over two miles to the west. It would be a perfect place to keep prisoners. The
caves were sacred to the Mayans.”
“A cave.” He grimaced. “That might make a rescue tougher.
How are we going to get in and out of a cave without being seen?”
“I don’t know, but if my sister is in that cave, I’m going
to get her out.” Her voice had risen.
He shook his head. “Let’s go look and see exactly what the
situation is before you lose your temper with me. I’m just trying to keep us
alive, Nancy.”
“I know,” she said. “But I’m not leaving Robyn behind.”
“We don’t even know if she’s here,” he countered.
“She’s here. I can feel it.” Even as she said the words,
Nancy realized they were true. She’d lost her entire family at the End of Days,
but somehow she’d always known that her little sister had lived. Only fifteen
at the time, Robyn had been traveling with their parents in Florida. The entire
family had gone down to visit their grandparents for the Christmas holidays,
but Nancy had refused to go. She’d stayed home in Atlanta, preferring to spend
time with her friends rather than visit with her family. She could never
forgive herself for being so stupid. Coming home after a one-year sabbatical
between high school and college, she’d been excited to see her friends and hear
their tales. She’d thought there would be dozens of holiday celebrations with
her family.
The guilt that had followed her for the past five years
flooded her once again. How could I have been so selfish?
Knowing that these things could never be made right, she
shook off the remorse that had often been debilitating. There was no time to
give in to depression. Her only hope was to find and save her sister. Hope had
kept her sane and given her the determination she’d needed to stay alive.
Still, the memories flooded her mind. The news reports on
the eve of December 21, 2012 had warned that meteors could strike the Earth.
Most people didn’t believe it. Only religious fanatics had bought into the End
of Days prophecies. The news had stayed on long enough to report that Los
Angeles and Las Vegas had been vaporized by the first two meteors. They
reported that several large European cities were gone as well. New York must
have been next, because the broadcaster’s face turned a ghostly white, just
before the screen turned to static. That had been the last of the news, unless
you could find a ham radio.
Every major city had been demolished, killing most of the
populations. Other people just disappeared. Ian once told her that the woman
he’d been sleeping with had left nothing but an indent in the pillow. One
second she was there, and the next he was lying alone in his bed.
Even all these years later, her eyes welled up with tears,
when she thought of all that loss. Nancy had been alone in her family’s home
that night. The next morning her suburban neighborhood was empty. Scared, she’d
run to her Volkswagen Beetle, and
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