Día

The smell of marigolds filled the house every October when the Valdez family set the ofrenda for Día de los Muertos. Valeria’s mom placed her grandmother’s picture next to the other deceased family member’s portraits. Decorating the altar this year made Valeria miss her abuela and her explaining the importance of remembering their family. She knew that her grandmother was watching over her and she could feel her presence whenever she smelled the marigolds. Her mom placed an arm over her shoulder and looked at their work giving a kiss on her head.

“Aye mija, your abuela would be so proud. You did a fine job this year. I can’t believe Día de Muertos is already here and Halloween’s tonight.”

Valeria’s shoulders slumped a bit. She loved the candy, but not the frights or thrills. Her older brother came in and was already wearing his werewolf costume.

“Rawr!” He jumped in front of his sister bearing his fake canine teeth.

“Ah!! Mama!” She hugged her mother tightly.

“Hey, stop Leonel, you know how sensitive your sister is.” Leonel rolled his eyes at his mothers badgering.

“I’m getting her ready for Fright Night at McMurray Farms.”

“I don’t want to go to that. Why can't we go trick or treating?” Valeria asked.

“We are, but papa said we can go to the Fright Night afterward”

Valeria looked up at her mama with fear in her eyes. “I don’t want to go, can't we just stay home?”

“Mija, your brother has been looking forward to this.”

“Can’t I just stay home?” Valeria looks up at her pouting

“I can’t leave you here since your only nine”

Their Papa opened the front door, he took off his shoes and left his work boots outside. Leonel runs up to him and gives him his biggest growl. Papa in return shaking off his tiredness crouches down and rawrs back.

“Aren’t you the scariest chupacabra” Leonel scrunches up his face, “I’m a werewolf!”

“Eh could have fooled me.” Leonel growled even louder, showed him his fake claws. Papa mimicked him back, then grabbed Leonel and threw him over his shoulder spinning him in circles almost hitting the altar.

“Ok settle down you two before you ruin mija’s ofrenda.” Papa stopped and put Leonel down.

“Oh mamas, look at that. You did such a good job.” He bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

“Thanks, papa.” Still putting on her pout. Their father looked at their mother and asked what’s wrong, “She doesn’t want to go to the Fright Fest.”

“Why not? It’s going to be fun mija.” He asked his daughter

“For Leonel, but I don't want to get scared.”

“Well if you don’t go then I guess we all won’t”

“What! But I told Aidan we would meet him there.” Leonel interrupted.

“I don’t know mijo. I really wanted to go, but if your sister is uncomfortable.”

“Come on val pleaasssssseeeee. I’ll give you some of my candy”

“How much?”

“I don’t know.. A few pieces?”

“No deal.” Thinking about it further.”I want half”

“Half! No way.”

“Then I guess we can come home and do a movie night,” Papa suggested.

“Oh my God, fine!”

“Hey, language mijo!” Mama scolded.

“Sorry. Ok half, but I get to choose what half”

Val thought about it for a moment, “fine deal!”

“Yes!” Papa winks at mama.

---

Valeria walked cautiously, holding her fathers hand. She was dressed as a witch carrying her small broom in the other hand. They had just gone through a haunted house at the festival. She swatted at a few scarers, but they dodged her moves. Her father was laughing the entire time, why can’t I be as fearless as Papi, she thought. They met up with mama by the corn maze, she had gotten hot cocoa and coffee. Leonel and Aiden were excited for the next exhibit.

“Oh my god, that was awesome!” Shouted Aiden.

“Yea, let's go to the next one!” Leo was excited to see the other exhibits.

“Drink your coco first then you kids can go in the corn maze while me and Papi rest.” Mama said looking at Papa’s tired face. He had a long day, but was grateful for his wife handing him some coffee. The boys drank theirs as fast as they could without burning their tongues. Valeria was looking around as she sipped on her drink. Families and teenagers all dressed in costumes going into the different mazes and rides. They had done most of the other attractions and were now heading into the corn maze. Val had gone in last year with her father, but clung onto him with her eyes shut. The boys finished their drinks and asked to go.

“Take your sister with you.” their mother said, insisting.

“Mama I wanna stay with you and papa.”

“Go mija. Your brother will hold your hand, won’t you Leo?” Leonel had an annoyed look on his face. He looked at Aiden who wiggled his eyebrows.

“Yea come on sis, let's go.” He grabbed onto Valeria’s hand and practically dragged her with him and Aiden.

“Have fun! We’ll wait for you right here!” Their father shouted after them. Valeria looked back at them reluctantly. “Just swat them with your broom Val!” Mama swatted his arm “Don’t tell her that!” Their father chuckled. “Finally alone.” He put his arm around his wife and planted a kiss on her, making her blush.

The kids made their way into the maze, Valeria squeezed Leonel’s hand tightly, “Val you're going to make my hand fall off if you keep squeezing like that.”

“Sorry” she loosened her grip a bit.

“Here hold onto my jacket instead and grip as tight as you want” She gripped onto it. Closing her eyes every time someone jumped out.

“Come on Val, open your eyes it's not that scary” Aiden told her putting his hand on her shoulder.

“We'll protect you.” She opened her eyes and saw they had hit a dead end. They turned around and went another route. It was mostly quiet except for a few screams in the distance.

“This is lame let's run through so we can go into another haunted house,” Aiden whined.

“Go ahead, we'll be right behind you.” Aiden ran ahead as Val and Leo picked up their pace.

“Faster we go, the quicker we’ll get out of here.” He told her and Val nodded her head. They could hear Aiden’s screaming and his quick footsteps coming back.

“Run!” He shouted.

“Oh crap!” Him and Aiden sprinted together in the opposite direction. Valeria lost her grip on his jacket, but ran after her brother and his friend. She was going as fast as she could, but lost them. She looked around a few corners not seeing them.

“Where are you guys?!” She kept walking looking over her shoulder making sure no one was following her. She rounded a corner and her brother and Aiden jumped out at her shouting, “Boo!”

“Ah!” She swung her broom hitting Aiden on the side. He was dressed as a superhero costume with thick padding, “Ow?” He said mockingly. Valeria hit him again and he felt it more that time. “Dang sorry!” Leonel was laughing nonstop. Valeria glared at her brother and was about to swat him too when his eyes got big and he pointed behind her.

“I’m not going to fall for that.” She kept glaring at him. The two boys started backing up. Val heard a loud revving behind her. She looked back and screamed it was a guy with a leather face and chainsaw! The three kids all ran in opposite directions. Val heard the chainsaw getting louder so she dashed through the cornfield. She was running for a few minutes when she had ended up at a clearing. She looked ahead and saw a weathered run-down looking barn. She heard rustling behind her in the cornfield, so she ran in and shut the door. Inside the barn were animal stalls with horses or pigs and sparse hay laying around. Most of the animals were sleeping and didn’t stir as she walked to the back and found an empty one. She went in and sat against the shut door. Keeping quiet with her knees to her chest and broom at her side.

I hope daddy can find me here, she thought. She had her head resting on her knees when she felt movement in the stall. There was a big pile of hay and to her shock it started to move. She stared at it with her eyes wide and was about to scream when she saw a long snout and two big brown eyes staring at her back. Curious, the foul got up and shook the hay off himself and walked up to the little girl who was in his stall. He pushed his nose against her hat, smelling her hat. He took it off her head suddenly.

“Hey!,” She shouted and grabbed it back. “I don’t think horses are supposed to eat that.”

The horse stomped his foot a few times. She kept sniffing her hair, when Valeria remembered she had marigold flowers in her hair. She got up and took out the ones her mom pinned in. She smelled them and relaxed a little. It always reminded her of her grandmother and how she would always comfort her when she was frightened.

“Be valiant my little Val” she would say.

“Do you like the smell too, horsey?” She put it near the foal’s snout, he was standing about her height. He smelled the flowers again and ate it up, surprising her. She giggled seeing him chew it enthusiastically and stroked its head. The horse sniffed around her looking for more of the delicious flowers. “Sorry, no more. Since you like marigolds so much, should I call you that?” The horse head bobbed up and down as if agreeing with her. “Marigold it is.” She was petting the horse for a bit when they heard the barn door open. Valeria ducked down and the horse stuck his head out of his stall. Val peeked over and saw her brother and Aiden walking in.

“Val are you in here?” Leonel whispered. Him and Aiden walked in quietly looking through each stall. Marigold looked at them curiously and looked down at Val. The boys got closer and Valeria hid behind the door. Now’s my chance, she thought.

“Look it's a pony” Aiden and Leonel got closer wanting to pet Marigold when he suddenly grabbed at Leo’s fake ears and Aiden’s mask taking it off. Valeria hopped up and yelled “Ya!!!” Poking both boys with the broom making them both yell as they stumbled back on their butts.

“Oh my God Val seriously! We have been looking everywhere for you.” Valeria was laughing as Marigold chewed on the mask. The perfect accomplice to her little surprise. They got up and brushed the dirt off their backs and Aiden retrieved back his chewed up mask.

“Come on mama and papa are gonna be looking for us if we don’t get back soon.”

“Okay okay let me say bye to Marigold” She petted the horse and promised to return with more flowers another day. They exited the barn and walked through the corn field. Leonel kept a grip on Valeria’s hand to make sure he didn’t lose her again. They met up with their parents who were looking worried at the maze exit.

“Where the heck were you three?” Mama asked concerned. Seeing Valeria’s smiling face eased her anxiety. “That was fun, let's do it again!” Valeria told her mama.

Both boys shouted “No!” at the same time surprising the parents. “Can we go home please?” They started to head for the exit. Valeria walked alongside her parents. She saw a flyer for riding lessons by the exit. She grabbed one and smiled to herself. Val dreamt of her grandmother that night and riding Marigold under the shining sun.