Her cry

Lifting my head from my pillow in alarm, but yet still a bit groggy, wondering what was that, what did I just hear? knowing I was waken in an instant buy a sound that echoed inside of my head and sent chills through my body, Trying to remember if it was a nightmare I was having that woke me, recapping my dream only to remember seeing a beautiful face I’ve known from my past a love once lost, within that split second of having her in my thoughts, reminiscing the time of happiness that we shared together suddenly, to be startled by the alarming sound of a woman crying in Spanish ”aye mis hijo!” Being the second oldest in the family of five raised by a single mother, my instinct told me to get up and help only to hear her cry again “aye mis hijos!” It was that second one that it became clear to me. This was something I’ve been warned about a tale told to me as a child, time and time again. In that instance, my knees buckled, dropping onto the floor out of fear I pulled myself to the window to peek out and see. Who or what was crying outside of my house? pulling myself up from my knees at the window, slowly opening the blinds to give it a peek only To find myself face-to-face with an undescribable woman of my nightmares, haunted since a child, Her hair long, wet twisted like rope, hanging over a face, with pail skin that hung loosely from her face with patches missing, sometimes exposing the bone of her skull, her mouth opened as a snake slowly fell from it as word’s followed “aye mis hijos!” she was then gone where she once stood a snake slithered into the darkness. She was gone. I then proceeded to turn on every light in my small, one bedroom house. Never considered myself religious or even made an attempt but as I walked around my house, flipping light switches, prayer came out of my mouth prayers I haven’t heard since I was a baby when my grandmother would hold me in her arms and bless me with the sign of the cross on my forehead, Trying to build up the courage to go outside and take a look for myself. I grabbed a Modelo beer from my refrigerator and drank it without tasting it, and slowly made my way to the front door. it was dark and quiet somewhat refreshing with the smell, like it had just rained even though the streets were dry everything seems to be normal again I slowly made my way down my walkway, and noticed wet foot prints, as if walking up, but never walking away, The smell of after rain became stronger, and everything seem to be silent. The only sounds were my breathing, my footsteps and extra steps that could only be coming from behind, Alarms went off in my head as the hair in the back of my neck stood up RUN! A voice in my head told me. Without hesitation, without looking over my shoulder to confirm I ran as fast as my bare feet could take me down my walkway into the street away from The safety of my old house, never looking over my shoulder, but knowing she was right behind me, my instincts And Innervoice were telling me to get to a church. It is funny how A person can go 80% of their life without ever once Showing a faith in religion, but when that evil comes knocking at your door God is the only one on your mind, As I got closer and the church was within sight, I felt a cold, hard, hand, grip, my right shoulder, throwing me to the floor she was on me, grabbing scratching, screaming, tearing at my chest as if she was going to pull my heart out with her bare hands like some ancient Ritual, her black nails savagely, ripping at my body, I could feel her cold, wet clothing, sliding through my fingers as I was trying to get away reaching for her face in some kind of defense, pulling an ear off of her Trying to escape what I knew was going to be a very ugly death. Things began to get bright. I could see the outlines of trees, the tops of houses while fighting her off not really realizing that all this had happened, may be minutes before sun rise, while coming to this realization, I noticed her fight was a little weaker. I was able to throw her from off top of me and Get myself back up to my feet and again began to run bleeding profusely from deep scratches and punctures made by her nails, i’m now only feet from the church door. I didn’t hear her scream again I screamed that week in my body again. I felt my knees buckle as I fell to the floor looking back expecting. that she would once again be on top of me, trying to rip me to pieces. I looked back as the sun rises over the top of the church. I see her fall to her knees, and I hear her cry, once again, only to disappear into ash and blown away in the early morning breeze unable to catch my breath, I see the face of a young priest above me, trying to render how is everything slowly fades to black, And I awake