“Incredible, you two. When we need to lay low the most. Look around you, pay attention. What the fuck are you doing? You think you’re having fun?” Barbara didn’t think Alex was capable of this level of anger. “Pepito, you know what we’re dealing with here. Barbara-”

“She doesn’t know?” Ruth gets her answer looking at Alex and Pepito’s faces. “We’re taking care of a girl that’s afflicted, and if you repeat this to anyone I will fucking kill you, I swear.”

“Woah, what?” Alex takes a step back.

Barbara jolts up, hand on her hilt. “As if you fucking know me.”

“She’s not a snitch.” Shouts Pepito.

“Calm down, Ruth.” Instructs Alex. “You too, Barbara. Sorry for not mentioning it before, this is something we need to keep secret.” He turns back to Ruth. “We’re going to have to leave this place. How’d your search go?”

Barbara and Ruth continue to stare each other out, waiting for the other to make the first move, nostrils flaring.

“How did your search go, Ruth?” Insists Alex.

Ruth breaks eye contact first, raging like a bull. “Fine. I found a place, not far from here.” She folds her arms, leaning her weight against a wall.

Barbara breathes deeply, letting go of her sword. The weight of guilt crushing Pepito, he walks in front of everybody.

“It’s my fault. I got careless, and let the alley rats get the best of me, twice.”

Alex puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Chill, dude. I didn’t mean to yell at you guys like that. Things happen, we need to adapt.” He looks at everyone. “We’ll leave deeper in the night.”

“This night?” Asks Pepito, retaking his seat at the table.

“No. Wait.” Barbara stops as everyone turns to look at her. “Uh, what about tomorrow, while the street’s are at their busiest.”

“They’ll double the checkpoints in this area alone.” Scoffs Ruth.

“We’ll be drawing more attention running around on rooftops at night.”

“You don’t even know what we’re dealing with here.”

“Wait, she’s right. If something were to go wrong, we could lean on hiding in the crowds.” Alex turns to Pepito.

“Yeah, I bet we could pull it off.” He gives everyone a crooked tooth grin.

“Like we’re not drawing attention with that sword she’s always carrying around.”

“Plenty of people walk around armed, this Pillotlan.” States Pepito.

“We have to work together, Ruth. Let’s put differences aside, and focus on what needs to be done.” Advises Alex.

“Yeah, whatever.” She pushes herself off the wall, walking away.

“Again, sorry for yelling at you guys like that.” Alex rubs the nape of his neck, smiling.

“We understand.” Pepito gives him a nod.

Alex awkwardly leaves the living room as well. Barbara finally relaxes, her breathing now under control. Pepito fidgets around in his seat, twirling his fingers.

“Hey, uh.” He clears his throat. “Thanks for what happened back there.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“Listen.” He clears his throat again. “I, uh, was wondering if you’d be okay with the idea of teaching me how to fight.”

The door behind him cracks open. Barbara notices but doesn’t draw attention to the added listener.

“Sure. I promise not to be as hard as Master.” She smiles.

Pepito’s eyes widened. “Really?” He gets up, looking for something to swing around.

“How about we start tomorrow, wherever it is we find to stay.”

“Definitely.” Pepito jumps out of his seat, swinging his wooden spoon like a sword. “Now I’m not gonna get any sleep.” He says to himself as he disappears.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

As Pepito leaves, the door behind him closes soon after. Again, Barbara pays no mind, taking a quick nap on the couch. Her nap doesn’t last long, the night sky still lit with stars, she walks up the stairs to the roof, taking a seat to look at the city as it slumbers. The usual bustle of crowds absent, she closes her eyes, letting the cool wind brush her hair. She hears someone approach, turning quickly. A little girl, dressed in a sleeping gown, climbs up the stairs.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you.” She takes a step down the ladder.

“Wait.” Pleads Barbara. “The night makes the city look pretty. Come and look.”

The little girl smiles at the invitation. Skipping next to Barbara, taking a seat.

“My name is Azucena.” She hugs her knees close to her chest. “Sorry for not coming out to say hi. I get really nervous meeting new people.”

“Mine’s Barbara. Nice to meet you, Azucena.” Barbara watches her stare out into the city. “Like coming up here at night?”

“Yeah, it’s peaceful, sometimes.”

“Sorry that we have to move. It’s sort of my fault.”

Azucena giggles. “We’ve had to move a bunch of times because of me, too.”

“Because of the affliction?” Asks Barbara, hoping not to offend.

“Yeah.” She mumbles, shifting uncomfortably. “I heard you and Ruth got into a fight. You must be really good, all Pepito talks about lately is how she couldn’t beat you.”

Barbara chuckles. “Yeah, she couldn’t.” Proud of herself.

“Are you really going to teach Pepito how to fight?”

“Yeah. Why, you interested in some lessons too?”

Azucena gasps. “Yes. I’ve askes Ruth a bunch of times, but she always says no.”

“She doesn’t seem like the type to be a people pleaser.” They both laugh.

“Ruth is really good at protecting us.”

“I thought Alex was the one looking out for you guys.” Barbara recalls the giant water golem.

“Yeah, Alex takes care of us, makes sure we have a place to stay and food to eat, Ruth protects us from harm, and Pepito is Pepito.” They have another laugh.

“I’m glad to finally meet you, Azucena. You’re lucky to have found friends like these.”

Knees pressed against her chest, arms wrapped around her legs, Azucena looks away.

“Everyone thinks I’m a burden.”

“You’re not a burden.” Affirms Barbara.

Azucena remains quiet.

“You know, I was afflicted once, too.” Admits Barbara.

“You were? Did you get it extracted?”

Barbara nods.

“Where?”

“There was a village near the mountains where I used to live.” Barbara stops, lost in a memory.

“Do you think you could take me there?”

Barbara looks at her doughy, hopeful eyes, full of innocence. “I can’t.” She gulps. “The town was, uh-”

Azucena understands her hesitation. “People aren’t really nice to people like me, or like Alex.”

“There’s plenty that are willing to fight for you.” Assures Barbara.

The little girl gives her a warm smile, Barbara’s heart skips a beat.

“I’ve been to three healers that claimed to be able to extract afflicting spirits.” She looks back up at the sky. “None of them were successful.”

“Really?” Barbara bites her lip, memories of terror she had locked away seeping out of their containment. “I’m so sorry for what you have to deal with.”

“I think I was born with the spirit that does this to me. I’ve been dealing with it for as long as I can remember.”

“You seem to be handling it quite well.”

“For now.”

Silence, again. Barbara, unsure how to respond, wraps an arm around the little girl, resting her head on a frail shoulder.

“Mom used to say that spirits would bond with human souls to guide them, help them. She said that the reason spirits afflict humans the way they do now is because they are resisting the modern world.”

“There’s a lot to resist in this modern world.”

The sky in front of them begins to warm up with a faint orange hue, birds begin chirping, clock towers ring, and the first few workers can be seen leaving their homes, heading to work.

"What are those? I don't remember seeing them yesterday." Barbara points at wooden, hastily made towers, sprinkled about the city. "Are you alright?"

Azucena begins to breathe heavy, her chest heaving up and down, eyes fixed on the rising sun. “Fire.” She whispers. “Fire. Fire.” Louder, and louder.

“What?” Barbara tries to comfort her.

“Fire!” Azucena screams. “You will burn us all! You will burn us all!”

Dogs start barking, people look out their windows looking for the source of this yelling so early in the morning.

“You will burn us all! Your fire will burn us all!”

Barbara panics, unsure of what to do. Alex runs upstairs, picking up Azucena in his arms he runs downstairs, holding her close. Barbara follows, wanting to help but unsure of what to do.

“Oh, no. Not again.” Groans Pepito, still half asleep.

Ruth appears from the stairs that lead to the first floor, holding a flask of white powder, like the ones Barbara saw at the doctor’s office a few days ago. Azucena is taken back to her room, Ruth slams the door behind her.

“It’s okay. This happens every once in a while.” Assures Pepito, noticing the distress in Barbara’s eyes. “She usually doesn’t like talking to people, especially strangers. I think she likes you.”

“The fire will burn us all! The fire will burn us all!” The screams on the other side of the door send chills down Barbara’s spine.

“I never went through anything like this when I was afflicted.” She states.

“Azucena is a special girl. We take care of her because no one else will.”

“There must be something we can do.”

Pepito frowns. “No, there is nothing we can do.”