Xotchil's Flower

“The flower grows along Queen Veil’s Falls.”

“If any of us go, we will have two dead in the family before the new moon.”

“Some have successfully retrieved the flower.”

“Some is only one, Florian.”

“Let me go. I will be the second.”

Xotchil watched her parent’s argument through the crack of the door. She was taught never to eavesdrop on her parent’s conversations and those of any conversations that she was not directly part of, but she couldn’t help herself.

It had been exactly a week since the green spider had bitten her Grandmother Emilia. The creature’s green body disguised itself against the plant leaves, and it chose its next prey when Grandmother Emilia pulled out the weeds in the strawberry patch.

She hadn’t left the bed and the fever had not dropped despite Xochitl’s parents constant care and medicine they kept giving her. However, they might as well have been throwing the medicine into the river. 

It was of no use or effect on Emilia. 

There was only one herb that could save her: The Tiger Mallow flower.

The Tiger Mallow flower grew in only one spot in the entire kingdom—Queen Veil’s Falls. 

The healing power exuberates so intensely that one only needs to sniff it, and it will cure all illnesses.  

“Where are you going?” Xochitl’s mother snapped at her husband. Florian had wrapped a cloak around himself and slung on his satchel.

“To Queen Veil’s Falls, Viola. I cannot let your mother die, knowing there is a way.”

Xotchil’s mother, Viola, grabbed Florian’s hand and tugged him to herself. He embraced her and began sobbing into her shoulder. Xotchil touched her face as tears tickled her cheeks. She began to realize that there might never be a dawn to this nightmare.

“Viola…”

All heads whipped toward the bed where Emilia rested. She had spoken for the first time in a few days, waking up from her deep sleep. 

Xotchil pushed the door open and leaped to her grandmother’s side.

“Grandmother Emilia, please get better,” Xotchil sobbed. She clung to her grandmother. Sweat and the smell of death permeated Xotchil’s clothes.

Florian and Viola rushed next to them and instructed Xotchil to let her grandmother breathe.

“Leave the child be,” Emilia instructed back. “These may be the last days she can feel my warmth.”

“No,” Florian decided. “I’m leaving for Queen Veil’s Falls. You aren’t leaving us.”

Emilia chortled and began stroking Xotchil’s hair. “I suppose you want to leave your family without a grandmother and a father? Because you know that’s what will happen when you meet Masika.”

A chill crawled on the back of Xotchil’s neck. Her grandmother and parents had warned her about all the creatures that lived in the kingdom. The wendigos in the forest, Zykas the minotaur that lives amongst the caves, and the fairies that frolic through the meadows, looking for children who have been wicked. However, Xotchil had never heard of Masika, and she immediately understood why.

“Who is that?” Xotchil asked.

“No one,” Florian answered. “No one.”

“Don’t lie to her,” Emilia retorted. “Don’t lie to her. Liars make more liars. She can’t face monsters if she doesn’t know about them.”

Xotchil sat up and grabbed her grandmother’s hand. The sixteen years she was able to live alongside her grandmother, quickly began fading like fall into winter.

Emilia cleared her throat and smiled at her only grandchild. There were innumerable times that Xotchil sat next to her grandmother, asking for a story. Emilia’s only regret was that the last story she might tell her would be an evil one.

“Masika is a mermaid that lives in Queen Veil’s Falls.”

“We have mermaids in the Pools of Eridia,” Xotchil interrupted. “Those are all kind and good.”

“Listen to your grandmother,” Viola murmured.

“Masika is different,” Emilia continued. “She is a mermaid who gave her soul to the Evil One in exchange for unlimited power. She received the power, but also kept her unmatched beauty and charm. Along with her own home in Queen Veil’s Falls, she grows the Tiger Mallow to taunt us and draw others in. In desperate times—like these, people get it into their mind that they can overpower her and outsmart her, but in the end, she always wins. She offers the flower with a mask of innocence, and all fall for it, leading to their death.”

“That is why your father can’t go,” Viola chimed, patting her husband on the shoulder. “She’ll take him, and it will be only you and me.”

Xotchil looked at her father and then her grandmother. It seemed so unfair. The answer for their problem was right in front of them, and it was denied to them.

“I’ll go with you, father,” Xotchil offered, springing to her feet. “If we go together then we can outsmart her and bring the Tiger Mallow!”

Florian’s eyes widened and jumped towards his daughter. Xotchil could not go. It could not even be a thought to be suggested or pondered upon. He would give himself over to Masika before he would let Xotchil get near Queen Veil’s Falls.

“No,” Emilia commanded. “No. You will not do that and neither will your father or mother. No one will be going to Masika.”

“But then you’re going to die,” Xotchil gulped between tears.

“Everyone has their time, my child.”

Xotchil spent the rest of the afternoon and evening crying in her room. Her grandmother had fallen back asleep, and her parents started bickering with each other, not because there was a problem between them but because staying quiet or peaceful seemed wrong in the situation.

Darkness came, and Xotchil lay in her bed, thinking about the memories she had with her grandmother. The memory came to her mind when they planted sunflowers in their garden. It was after Xotchil had come home after school, and her grandmother waited for her on their porch with a large pitcher of lemonade. The sun was hot as they worked, but Grandmother Emilia told Xotchil story after story, and before she knew it, they had planted all the sunflowers.

Perhaps, Xotchil’s favorite memory of her grandmother was when she traveled to another kingdom to get Xotchil the best drawing pencils. Not only was the trip long and dangerous at times, the pencils were expensive and cost three months wages, but also her grandmother did it for her.

Xotchil tiptoed into the hallway and slowly opened her grandmother’s door. The moonlight hit her face. She was still sleeping. The blankets had been thrown onto the floor. Sweat drenched her face and nightgown.

It wasn’t fair.

Not the venomous spider biting her grandmother, but the fact that there was an ability to heal her and it was given by the mercy of an evil monster.

Monster.

A word given to beings that cause destruction without reason. They live for themselves. To satisfy themselves and prey on others.

There are two types of people when it comes to monsters.

Those who need to hide.

Those who need to fight.

In all the stories that her grandmother had told her growing up, there was one common theme. A happy ending. There was hope and goodness that overcame evil. The monsters. It took a person to stand up and to challenge the monster. Not for themselves, but for others.

There are two types of people when it comes to monsters.

The helpless.

The help.

Like her father, Xotchil wrapped her cloak around her. She grabbed her satchel and filled it with fruit, snacks, and a water skin.

If no one could face the monster, she would.

The wind was colder than she imagined as she stepped onto the porch. She looked back inside the house. It was quiet and still, and death was creeping inside.

With a jump, Xotchil dashed up the dirt path in front of their house and into the forest.

  ***

Xotchil plopped onto a fallen tree and chugged the water out of the water skin. The sun was beginning to reveal itself, calling the entire forest to life. The forest path had been deserted since Xotchil’s journey on it, which made her both happy and concerned. Truth be told, she had no idea where she was going. It didn’t occur to her until walking several miles into the forest that she had no idea where Queen Veil’s Falls was located. Her family failed to mention that—probably on purpose.

She brushed off the worry of uncertainty. She’d find Masika, and if she didn’t, she had a feeling Masika would find her.

After stuffing her cloak and water skin into her satchel, Xotchil set off deeper into the forest. She hummed to herself and thought of her grandmother. A smile spread across her face. By tonight, her grandmother would be well if she was successful on her mission, which she determined she would be successful. Somehow, some way, Xotchil would get her flower and save her grandmother’s life.

A large figure appeared behind her on the path. 

Xotchil stopped and clutched the straps of her bag. She squinted her eyes to see if it was a person or animal, but she couldn’t make out the figure. It seemed to bounce towards her. Xotchil jumped into the forest and hid behind a tree.

The figure came into focus as Xotchil stretched her head as far as she could around the tree. It wasn’t just an animal or just a person, but both an animal and a person. It was a boy about her age and his dog.

The small, brown dog sniffed from side to side of the path. Xotchil stepped back as the dog came closer to her. If she stayed still, it wouldn’t notice her.

The boy was now only a few yards away from her. He looked her age and was wearing a red, floppy cap. She tried remembering if she had met him in school or in town, but nothing jogged her memory.

A twig snapped under Xotchil’s step. The dog shot its head in her direction and zipped towards her. Before Xotchil could even realize what was happening, the dog was jumping on her leg.

“Patches…Patches, come back, boy.”

Xotchil shooed Patches away. It only made him want to stay with her more and wanted to play. Patches turned in a circle and laid on its stomach, wanting Xotchil to pet it.

“Patches, where are you?” The boy stepped into the forest. “Oh—I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

Xotchil forced a smile and shifted her eyes at her feet to Patches.

“Sorry, he’s really friendly but always runs when he sees people.” He called for his dog again, and Patches jumped into his arms. “I’m Ferdinand.”

“Xotchil,” she responded. “Well, have a great day.”

She stepped back onto the path and continued to her mission.

“Wait!” Ferdinand called, running towards her. “First, Xotchil is my aunt’s name too! Second, do you mind if I ask where you’re going this deep into the forest?” 

Xotchil wanted to ignore him and keep going, and she should have done that. But, she didn’t know where she was going or where to find Queen Veil’s Falls. Ferdinand seemed to know what he was doing, and Xotchil needed direction. However, would he tell her where to go if she said she was trying to find Masika?

“Do you think you could help me?”

Ferdinand’s mouth gaped open as his eyes smiled. “Sure, I can help with just about anything!”

“I’m looking for some place. Do you know this area well?” Xotchil chose her words carefully and watched Ferdinand’s facial expressions. One wrong word and he might leave her in the dark.

“I sure do!” Ferdinand exclaimed. “My family and I live in these parts. I go to town a lot and take this path.”

“I haven’t seen you at the school ever.”

“I’m homeschooled. Where do you need directions?”

Xotchil rubbed her fingers and lightly chattered the front of her teeth together. “I’m looking for a waterfall and pool.”

“Sure!” Ferdinand interjected. “Ivory Falls is two miles south of here, Oberon Rapids is west, that way, and Willowdance Waterfall is a bit of a walk away, but worth it once you get there. Which one are you looking for?”

“There aren’t any…other waterfalls?”

Ferdinand scrunched his face and placed Patches onto the ground. “Those are the waterfalls everyone goes to. There’s really nothing more in this part of the kingdom. There are a few random pools in the forest, but nothing worth going towards.”

“There is one,” Xotchil implored. A rush of adrenaline pumped through her body. She was losing time.

Ferdinand raised his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes onto Xotchil. She wanted to look away, but the thought of her grandmother’s death made her strong.

“You’re not serious,” Ferdinand breathed with a chuckle.

“Look, are you going to help me or not?”

“Xotchil, are you crazy? Why would you want to find her? Do you want to die?”

“Forget it. I’ll find her myself. Thanks for your help,” Xotchil huffed and continued walking.

Ferdinand froze in his tracks. He couldn’t lead her to Queen Veil’s Falls. It would be a death trap, but he also knew that Xotchil would find her. Masika would find her. She always knew her next victim.

“Xotchil, why do you need her? There might be another way before going to her.”

“I don’t have time to sit and explain myself, Ferdinand. My grandmother was bitten by a green spider, and the only thing that can save is—”

“The Tiger Mallow,” Ferdinand finished. His face melted into a frown, and his voice shrunk to a morose whisper. “I know exactly what you’re looking for. My grandmother died from a green spider. The Tiger Mallow was the only thing that could have saved her, but none of us were brave enough to ask Masika.”

Tears welled into both of their eyes, and Xotchil hugged Ferdinand. Although they were strangers, a connection sparked because of their same tragedies.

“I have to go to her,” Xotchil determined. “Please show me where she lives.”

Ferdinand’s fingers trembled as he pointed past Xotchil. It was a death trap, but he would show her where Masika lived. 

“This way.” 

Ferdinand held onto Patches and stepped into the forest abyss. Xotchil smiled and followed behind, half feeling sorry that she was asking Ferdinand to lead her to the way but half feeling joyous that the chance of saving her grandmother was still in front of her.

They walked for about another hour. Not one branch of the forest looked familiar to Xotchil. A chill ran across her body. The only sounds she heard were their footsteps and the flights of bugs above her. No one stepped in this part of the forest. It was wrong to be there.

“This is as far as I’ll go,” Ferdinand halted. His voice had transformed from bubbly and happy to deeper and monotone. His knees and arms were shaking. Xotchil touched his arm to steady him. Ferdinand’s skin was frozen and sweating.

“Thank you, Ferdinand,” Xotchil said. She tried making eye contact with him, but he kept shifting his gaze onto the ground.

“She’s—it’s over there.” Ferdinand pointed past two trees where the sound of falling water splashed against a pool and rocks.

Xotchil straightened her back and stepped in-between the trees. With each step, she wanted to retreat. The sound of the water grew louder. More intense. The noises made by the bugs faded away. A waterfall came into her vision. She placed her hand on her heart. It was racing. Sweat bled through her clothes. She repeated her grandmother’s name as she shuffled her feet against the dirt and to the edge of the pool.

Emilia. Emilia. Emilia.

“Emilia? That’s a beautiful name.”

Xotchil dropped her satchel and knelt along the water. The voice was eloquent and captivating. It wrapped Xotchil like a warm blanket on a winter’s night or like a cool breeze in the scorching heat of summer. 

Xotchil wanted more.

“It’s my grandmother’s name.” Xotchil stared at the waterfall, but no one emerged or swam to her.

“Your grandmother? How delightful. I never met my grandmother. She swam away before I ever had the chance to see her. What is a girl like you coming this deep into the forest? You must be worrying your parents.”

“I came for help—your help.”

“That is too vague, my sweet one. Help can come in many forms. How specifically can I help you? Surely, life’s troubles haven’t bombarded you yet.”

“Tiger Mallow. I need Tiger Mallow.”

With a blink, Xotchil threw herself back.

Masika had appeared before her. Was she in front of her the entire time? Or had she swam to her? Xotchil wasn’t sure. However, Xotchil was certain that the creature in front of her was none other than the evil being she was forbidden to see and that no one came from alive.

But now that Xotchil was eye to eye with Masika, she didn’t know why she was given so many warnings. 

Masika was stunning. 

Long, shimmering blue hair bounced around Masika like the ocean. Her skin glimmered and her purple tail made Xotchil wish she had been born a mermaid too. Most of all, Masika’s voice beckoned Xotchil to stay and speak with her, and perhaps, do whatever Masika asked of her. Xotchil felt ashamed now that she believed seeing Masika was a dangerous or nervous idea. 

“You seek the Tiger Mallow?”

“Yes, Masika,” Xotchil nodded. The corner of Masika’s lips raised into a smile.

“You know of me?”

“Yes, my parents told me about you.”

Masika lifted herself out of the water and sat on the grassy edge, next to Xotchil. Their bodies faced each other, but the end of Masika’s tail waded in the water. Xotchil stretched her legs, resting them on the grass. The purple scales on her tail looked like the stars had been sewn together.

“You can touch it if you’d like,” Masika offered. “It’s not every day that you see a mermaid’s tail, is it?”

Xotchil’s eyes widened as she fixed her gaze on the sparkling tail. She stretched her arm and rubbed her hand against the rough, chilly scales. It tickled her hands, and Xotchil started to laugh.

“It’s not scary, see?” Masika grinned, watching her. “I hope your parents didn’t tell you bad things about me. Everyone seems to speak poorly about me for no reason. They don’t even know me. You’re the only one who knows me now, and you can see how friendly I am.”

“I suppose people judge others before getting to know them.”

“Yes! Exactly right, Xotchil. Exactly right.”

A buzzing in Xotchil’s ear, which she didn’t realize she had, stopped. She blinked, and her heart slowly began to beat faster. “How did you know my name?”

“Why, my child, you told me your name.”

Xotchil licked her lips and took a breath, trying to make herself look as calm as possible. “My apologies. I don’t remember saying it is all.”

Masika kept the unwavering smile on her face and continued staring her in the eyes. Xotchil stared at her and began counting to three, deciding she would bolt away.

“Yes, you told me as soon as you came and you said that you were looking for the Tiger Mallow. Since you’ve been a good friend to me, I will give you not only one, but two! Then you can go and show your entire town how friendly and generous I am. That way, more people can come!”

Before Xotchil could answer, Masika swam towards the waterfall. The strands of water opened, showing a bed of vibrant orange flowers behind it. It was the brightest color Xotchil had ever seen. Masika picked two flowers and leisurely swam back to the grassy edge.

Xotchil came back onto her knees and put on her satchel.

“Now, Xotchil, you’re a smart girl. You know that these flowers are very powerful and can cure many illnesses, including the one of your grandmother.” Masika placed the flowers on the grass. She crossed her arms against the edge and rested her head on her arms. She kept her smile. “They’re all yours.”

Xotchil eyed Masika. The flowers were an arm’s length away from both of them. 

One quick swipe, and the flowers would be hers.

“Go ahead, take it. Your grandmother doesn’t have much time.” Masika’s eyes pierced Xotchil.

An arm’s length away. 

That’s how close Xotchil was to saving her grandmother. 

She began counting to three. 

On three, she would take the flowers and run. It didn’t matter what Masika thought, if she was truly being earnest with the flowers. Xotchil wouldn’t be coming back.

“You came for the Tiger Mallow, didn’t you? It’s right here in front of you. Take them, Xotchil.”

One.

Two.

Masika hissed. 

Xotchil retracted her arm. The voice that soothed her now sounded like the scraping of metal against each other. Masika lurched back and bucked in all directions.

Xotchil was unharmed! 

Someone was on top of Masika.

“Ferdinand!” Xotchil exclaimed. 

Ferdinand had jumped on top of Masika, digging his fingers into her eyes which had now turned to black. She swirled and screeched. Ferdinand’s grip tightened the more she fought. Patches barked and growled at Masika.

She squawked a curse into the air and turned her body to swim down. Xotchil grabbed the end fins of her tail as it popped out of the water. Masika couldn’t kick. She needed the fins that Xotchil was grabbing. 

Masika stretched her body. The purple scales grew brighter. Xotchil started to slip. Masika was going to win again.

Emilia. 

Ferdinand.

Xotchil grunted and with all her strength, ripped Masika out of the water and onto the grass. Ferdinand flew behind her and hit the ground. Masika hissed at Xotchil and began to shrivel.

“Run!” Ferdinand bellowed at Xotchil. “We need to run!”

Xotchil sprinted towards Ferdinand, and Masika reached to grab her foot but was too weak. Masika slithered back into the water. Xotchil and Ferdinand stopped and looked back at her. Masika had regained her strength and beauty once in the water. Her eyes remained black.

“A curse on both of you!”

“My parents were right,” Xotchil sighed. “You are evil.”

Masika revealed a set of massive, sharp teeth at Xotchil.

Xotchil dug into her pocket and revealed the two flowers.

With a horrified face, Masika howled and swam back to her Tiger Mallow bed.

“Let’s go,” Ferdinand said.

Grandmother Emilia was healed, and together, she, Xotchil, and Ferdinand were able to plant an entire bed of Tiger Mallow.

No one ever had to make a journey to Queen Veil’s Falls ever again.