Chapter 14

It's been 20 minutes since the women called my family. How long does it take to get here?!?! I was pacing back and forth in the room trying not to cry in front of this women who I think I have permanently scared.              I hear a door open and it's the women. Again. She keeps coming out to 'check on me' but I'm fine. I just need my familia. "Niña, are you sure you don't want anything? Water maybe?" The women asked with a trembling voice, I don't know why she keeps coming back to ask the same thing over and over again if she's afraid of me. "I said no the first seven times! Dios mío! How many times do I have to say it?!?!" I yelled at her.               She flinched and backed away into her office again.             About ten minutes later I hear voices coming from her office, I recognize them, it's Tía Rosita and Tía Victoria!            I slam open the door and walk into the office. It's then I'm in another bone crushing hug but this time from both Victoria and Rosita.            Tía Victoria looked over me and then whipped around and walked over to the women who was already scared of us. "Why does she not look dead??!?!? Only her fingers and some of her hand are bones!!! And what are those damn marking on her arms?!?!?" Tía Victoria roars at the women cowering behind her desk.          "I d-don't know s-señora" the women stuttered. "You don't know?" Tía Victoria said calmly. "YOU DON'T KNOW?!?!?!?!?" Tía Victoria yelled in the women's face. "Dios mío! You are all idiotas!!!! We are leaving" Tía Victoria said as she turned to me and Rosita. "Let's go, I think you are what Mamá Imelda needs right now mija" Tía Victoria says to me. I just nod and walk out with them.                                Time skip                       (Outside the house)         When we get to the house I stop dead in my tracks and just look at it. Tía Rosita and Tía Victoria stand on either side of me, sharing a worried glance. "Mija?" Rosita asks softly and before she says anything I say "I'm really dead, aren't I?" They looked shocked at the question. "Sí Alexandria, you are" Tía Victoria says. I just nod and continue to walk.           We get inside the house and it looks a lot like the house in the Land of the Living. Héctor, Tío Oscar and Tío Felipe as well as papa Julio are standing, staring at me in shock.           Hector opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off "Don't ask any questions, I have no answers." I say sharply. 'Wow, she really is just like Imelda, and not just in looks' Héctor thinks to himself.             Before I can even ask where Mamá Imelda is Héctor motions for me and to follow him so I do. We walk up some stairs and stop outside of a door. "I have to warn you Muchacha, it's not exactly a kind sight you are about to see. Imelda hasn't said a word since you di-" but he cuts himself off before he says died. "Died Héctor, the word is died, you can say it, I won't break down" I say without any emotion in my voice other than determination. "Sí, well she hasn't said a word since you died and she hasn't moved from the spot I put her in four hours ago." Héctor says while refusing to meet my eyes.             "Hopefully you can help" he says this time you for him to keep eye contact. "Fine" I say sharply.               He opens the door and I walk in, Héctor closes the door behind me, leaving me alone with Mamá Imelda.              I can feel the lump forming in my throat that's holding down a sob that's begging released but I refuse. I slowly walk over to where Mamá Imelda is.             Almost as if she can sense it isn't Héctor she moves and looks up, meeting my eyes. I didn't even have to to think before we were hugging and I was crying for the first time in years.              I'm not sure exactly how she does it but even when I was little I remember never crying in front of anybody ever, except Mamá Imelda on Día de los Muertos. I had all this emotion pent up inside that I refused to let go but almost every Día de los Muertos, I would see Mamá Imelda and cry.              I'm not sure exactly how long we were hugging for but she pulled back and was confused. "I don't have answers for you questions Mamá Imelda" I said quietly, already know what she was going to ask. She kept her hands on my shoulders, almost like she thought if she let go I'd disappear again. "Mija, I'm so sorry I couldn't help you" she said while trying to choke back tears. "It's not your fault Mamá Imelda so stop blaming yourself" I said with fake sternness.              She laughed slightly through some tears but nodded. She put an arm over my shoulders and we walked downstairs.