We light up the sky, p.15
We Light Up the Sky, page 15
The coyote nearest him barks, drawing closer. Rafa bows his head, tries to make himself smaller.
“Please,” he begs. Their guides, the mountain lions, keep their distance as if they don’t want to be involved. The giant hounds edge closer and closer.
Rafa sneaks a glance to the middle of the street, where the immense coyote hovers over the cowering Pedro. What can I do to save him? No one deserves this ending, not Pedro or Rafa. Like the animals, they too are victims. Objects being used in an unimaginable war. Rafa searches his mind, desperate for a way out of this. Then he directs his attention to the coyote atop of Pedro.
“Get off him,” Rafa says in a firm voice, the same one he uses to get his sister’s attention, the same he used on the Dolce & Gabbana clerk.
The coyote turns to him and lets out a yip. It nuzzles against Pedro’s face then suddenly pulls away. The animal by Rafa bows its large head to sniff the ground and soon joins the other. With caution, Rafa walks to Pedro, who hasn’t moved, his eyes shut.
“They are gone. The coyotes,” Rafa says in as steady a voice as he can muster. “You are okay. Pedro. Open your eyes.”
Pedro covers his face and cries.
“I can’t take this,” he says.
Rafa kneels down beside him. “It’s okay. I’m here. I won’t leave, no matter what.”
Pedro’s hands are trembling, so Rafa covers them with his own.
“Just tell me when you are ready to stand, and I will help you,” he says.
“What if I can’t? What if this is all I can do?” Pedro sounds so broken that it layers another fear onto Rafa. He doesn’t want to lose him. Rafa slowly caresses Pedro’s shoulder. He will stay here for as long as it takes.
“We do this together,” he says. “It’s just us two and some lions and a coyote and a weird-looking crow.”
Pedro laughs a bit then cries again.
“Like in a dystopian Wizard of Oz,” he says in between sobs.
“Something like that.”
After a moment, Pedro gets up.
“I don’t know if I can walk,” he says, embarrassed.
“Sure you can. Small steps.” Rafa brushes a lingering tear from Pedro’s cheek. “The coyote is a couple of feet ahead. There are a few behind us too.”
Pedro still doesn’t move. Drops of blood seep through his shirt where the coyote tore into him. Rafa pulls out his handkerchief and presses against the wound to stop the bleeding. It takes a moment but it works.
“Let’s breathe, okay.” Rafa inhales deeply. Pedro follows. Then they both exhale. They do it three times until Pedro no longer has a shaky voice.
“Okay,” Pedro says. He leans into Rafa. “I think I can do this.”
Pedro’s eyes widen when he’s finally able to see the coyote in all its monstrosity. The streets are eerily quiet, and he whispers, “Animal Crossing gone wild.” Rafa snorts. He wraps his arm around Pedro, happy to see his humor back. When he does, Pedro leans in and kisses his cheek.
“Thank you,” he says with such tenderness.
“You’re welcome,” Rafa says and heat rises on his face. The walls he’s constructed around him his whole life dissolve, and he wonders if Pedro will mark this location as the place they fell in love.
“Ready?” he eventually says.
The animals head toward the Hollywood Hills. It is getting darker and harder for them to keep up. It’s not until Pedro uses his cell phone’s flashlight that they are able to continue.
“I thought I knew Los Angeles, but it doesn’t look recognizable to me,” Pedro says. “It’s as if we’re entering a place that existed in another time. We definitely don’t belong here.”
“Or maybe we do. Why would these animals continue to lead us through this? Sure, the coyote tried to eat you at first but it eventually licked your face. Did you notice?”
“No, I was too busy trying not to die,” Pedro says and suddenly stops. “Why are you so calm? Why haven’t you broken down?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m not alone,” Rafa says. “Maybe because I’m with you.” This time, it’s Pedro who acts a little shy, but Rafa gently squeezes his hand.
There is a break in the path, and they can finally see their destination. The observatory is brightly lit, a white building just up the deserted path, shining down on them.
“Do you think Luna’s up there?” Pedro asks.
“I hope so, or all of this walking is for nothing,” Rafa says.
The two follow the beasts up various zigzagging trails leading to the observatory. As the denseness of the park becomes too intense, Rafa makes sure Pedro is always only a touch away.
CHAPTER 31
Two patrol cars block the small parking lot located in front of the Griffith Observatory. LAPD is on high alert with all the unexplainable incidents occurring across the city. Officer Matthew Hernandez wishes they had sent him to Hollywood where things are really heating up instead of this babysitting gig.
“Been thinking about renting a cabin in Lake Arrowhead for the weekend,” he says to his partner, Brian. “Taking the newborn. Have you been there? It’s nice.”
Brian nods but doesn’t add anything to the conversation. A couple of days ago, Brian told Matthew he spoke too much after he shared another story about the cute things baby Mateo does in the mornings. Ever since then Matthew’s been trying to keep to himself, but that’s not his way. He’s always been a talker. It’s the one thing he likes about the job, being able to talk to people one on one.
“Yeah, the lake would be nice, although it might be a little cold,” he says more to himself than to his partner, who turns to face the building. “Cindy and I always rented a place there. Sometimes you need to get away from the city.”
He doesn’t like his work partner, and Matthew is positive the feeling is mutual. Brian should have retired by now, but word around the precinct is he’s been planting evidence for years. Community got wind of it when a young Black boy was taken into custody, and they didn’t relent until Brian was forced to take a desk job. Now Matthew has to deal with this old man’s anger while trying to find his footing as a rookie. It’s nothing new. He just has to wait this out until he proves himself. Keep his nose clean and make those connections.
Matthew rests his hand on his belt, stretches his neck, and does a squat. He wonders how long they will have to stay up here. At least it’s quiet. No one is really visiting the observatory, not at this hour. They haven’t had any issues. It’s only been an hour, and most of the stragglers took note and quickly left.
From where the cop is, he could see the city’s skyline from atop the Griffith Observatory at night. He checks to see if his partner is paying attention and sneaks a photo of the brilliant skyline. Matthew gives a nod to the other police officers as they patrol the far end of the parking lot. They’re rookies like him. Earlier, when Matthew joked around with one of them, Brian sent them off to patrol. The man is so full of hate.
Brian whistles. Someone approaches the parking lot. As the dark figures pass a street lamp, Matthew sees it’s two young girls, both in their late teens.
“Yeah, I’m on it,” he says while his partner continues to lean on the patrol car.
“Ladies, you’re not allowed up here. The observatory is closed,” Matthew says. His hand still rests on his belt. It’s late for these girls. He thinks about how his parents would let him go out at all hours of the night while his sisters stayed home. Cindy and he talked about having a girl, but boys are easier to raise—case in point, these two right here. “Got to turn right around and head back down the hill.”
“I beg you to let us through,” one of the girls say, the one with long dark hair. “Please. She won’t stop.”
“Well, I’m telling you to stop right there. Both of you.” The rookie cop reaches down to the side where his gun is. The response is automatic. It’s what he’s been trained to do all those hours at the academy. To demand respect. What Matthew is unable to see is how a vine from the corner of the park is slithering over to him. Other plants are doing the same, making their way to his partner.
“Turn right around, and head back down, or I’m going to have to take you in,” he says. Matthew shrugs at Brian, who suddenly comes to attention.
“Hands up right the fuck now!” Brian yells. Matthew changes gear and pulls out his gun too.
“Stop hurting people,” the brunette says while the one with pink hair continues to move forward.
“Don’t move,” Matthew yells. The landscape draws nearer.
“Enough! You can’t continue doing this. I won’t let you!” The girl yanks at the pink-haired girl, but within seconds she is sent flying, not by a push but by something else. Something Matthew can’t see.
“What the f—”
A branch tears into Matthew’s leg and blood gushes out. He drops to the ground. His gun is snatched from his belt and buried in the dirt while Brian is dragged across the parking lot. Plants encircle Matthew’s body. He tries to grab the bumper of the patrol car, trying to prevent the same fate as his partner, but it’s impossible. He’s soon trapped against a tree, thorns piercing his wrists, his ankles, his neck.
“My god,” Matthew says.
The girl with pink hair walks ahead, fixated on reaching the building. It takes a few minutes, but eventually the girl on the ground gets up and goes to him. Blood trickles on the side of her head. The girl tries to break him free, to rip at the vines. But with every one she is able to take out, another appears.
“I got a baby,” he cries. “Please help me.”
Matthew becomes frantic. He needs to survive this, to see Mateo and Cindy again.
“I don’t know what to do,” the girl says. “Don’t you see? She’s controlling all of this.”
“Backup. Call for …”
Leaves enter his mouth, gagging him. He can no longer speak. The girl cries out in pain.
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I’m so sorry.”
There’s nothing she can do. She’s just a kid. A young kid.
Panic sets in, but he has to fight against it. He needs to calm down. To think this through. The girl gets up, weeping hysterically. Matthew watches her walk away, leaving him there.
CHAPTER 32
Luna crouches down against a pristine white wall, the entrance to the observatory just above. Her hands are bloody, skin torn. There is a gash on the side of her head. Warm blood oozes down, and she feels light-headed. The facade is providing her only support.
She didn’t plan to attack the Visitor. Not at all. Then again, everything Luna’s done since this began has been impulsive. She had to do something. She couldn’t be a docile witness to the violent actions being taken.
Everything will turn, the Visitor said.
The words crawled inside of her. With each step they took toward the observatory, Luna tossed the statement around. What it means to turn, to be used against your will. The alien’s only mission is to begin the process, but that doesn’t mean Luna had to stand by and do nothing. So she attacked the Visitor, and the plants did what they’ve been doing. They struck her down.
She cradles her head, digs in her backpack to find a piece of clothing, anything, to stop the bleeding. Luna grabs several tissues and presses them against the injury, moaning from the pain.
The officer said to call backup. She pulls out her phone, only to discover there’s barely a charge left. There are so many unanswered messages. Old messages from Soledad. Various texts from Pedro. Many from her mother. She dials the number, but the call goes directly to voice mail.
“Mom, my phone is about to die.” Luna wavers, unsure how to proceed. She can picture her mother in the hospital, overwhelmed by the amount of people hurt. “I don’t know how to say this, but they’re coming from the sky. From outer space. They’ll be here soon. Take shelter. I love you, Mom. I love you so much. Just remember I love you with all my heart.”
Luna starts to cry, her emotions unable to be contained. She doesn’t think there is a way out of this. Before the last bars of her phone disappear, she sends a text to Pedro and Rafa alerting them of where she is.
Please come, she texts.
In the hospital, Luna’s mother argues with a doctor who refuses to believe her. How the injuries seem to echo each other. This isn’t the first argument she’s had today. Doctors, especially male doctors, just assume nurses aren’t smart enough. They don’t get that they are the first ones to see the patients, to take their vitals, to ask the right questions.
“Stop dismissing what my coworkers and I are telling you,” she says. “These patients are all suffering from protrusions caused by branches. All of them.”
The doctor smirks, like a pompous know-it-all, and she wants to slap him. Instead, she mutters to herself while walking away.
“No, there’s no more room. Keep them in the hallway,” she yells at an aide.
Patients crowd the floor. More and more arrive. She has had no break, no lunch, not a moment to speak to her daughter. Her baby girl. She tries Luna one more time, but as soon as the phone connects, Ceci calls to her from one of the occupied rooms.
“He’s got some sort of allergic reaction,” Ceci says. The patient’s skin bubbles.
“Call Poison Control,” Luna’s mom shouts. “Right now!”
As Pedro and Rafa enter the Griffith Observatory’s parking lot, they find cops with leaves covering their mouths. Their eyes wildly jet about, begging for relief.
“Híjole,” Pedro says.
They both tread cautiously through the lot, the heaviness of the night pressing down on them. There is no need to declare it publicly. Every step they take to the observatory is also a step toward a future that they will most likely not be a part of.
“They must be near,” Rafa says. “Let’s take it slow.”
Mónica doesn’t want to go back to sleep, no matter what Vickie tells her. Instead, the little girl stands by the window. Vickie thought it would be a good idea to invite her to sleep in her room. Mónica’s been distraught ever since her family arrived at their house. The gesture worked at first, and the little girl was able to nod off for an hour. But she’s up again.
“I want Rafa,” Mónica says.
“He’ll be back in the morning,” Vickie says, although she has no idea. His parents have tried reaching him, but there’s been no answer. The riot that happened at his school seems to have branched off into different parts of the city like a contagious disease. Vickie’s tried to follow the action on TikTok, but it’s been so confusing. Some blame a girl with pink hair for starting the violence. Some say it’s a group of kids. Others have no idea what’s happening. Church members will be gathering tomorrow. There’s too much uncertainty, and joining together will help quell some of it.
“Mónica, come to bed. You must be so tired,” Vickie says. Mónica refuses. If only Rafa would call, send word, anything. Vickie’s worried too.
“Do you want to draw? Rafa told me you like drawing.” Vickie finds crayons and blank sheets of paper. She lays them out on the floor. Two sheets, one for Mónica and one for her. “Come. We can draw for a little bit. Maybe that will help.”
Mónica is reluctant to join Vickie, but eventually she does. She grabs a blue crayon and paints a sky. She draws a house and the streets. She uses a yellow crayon for arrows to point to the house.
“What are you drawing?” Vickie asks.
“A map for Rafa.”
Pedro and Rafa find Luna cradling her head. She is a little dazed. Rafa offers her water, and it helps.
“You’re bleeding,” Pedro says. “You tried it, didn’t you? That fucking bitch.” He uses the cuff of his sleeve to wipe the blood.
“I saw things. Unimaginable things. I can’t explain how or why, but I was able to see these visions,” Luna says. “Ships appearing in the sky. So many of them.”
She looks up as if searching for a confirmation that this devastating arrival is imminent.
“Then it’s useless,” Rafa says.
“No. I mean, maybe. I’m not sure,” she says. “Fire. Maybe fire can hurt it.”
“You only spent a few extra hours with that thing. Doesn’t make you an expert,” Pedro says. “Maybe Rafa is right. It’s useless. We’re going to risk our lives for a small possibility.”
“We have to try.” Luna says. “In a couple of hours, it won’t make a difference. The Visitors are coming. The only difference will be where we are when those things land. This alien doesn’t get to perform in my cousin’s body. She’s cosplaying a person I loved more than anything. I won’t let it continue.”
Rafa and Pedro are silent. They’ve come this far. The goal was always to find a crack, and maybe Luna has found one.
“Then let’s burn this bitch,” Pedro says.
CHAPTER 33
The Café at the End of the Universe. That is what the cafeteria located in the observatory is called, and Pedro thinks this is way too on the nose, even for him. He takes a picture of the sign. Although his phone is also about to die, he has to post something to his followers.
The caption reads: Space aliens are about to land. This is not a joke.
Above him, the roar of helicopters begins. It appears as if they are coming in from downtown, heading west. Pedro thinks about his mother. When he was young, he used to call helicopters “angry birds.” His mother wouldn’t correct him. To this day she still calls them that.
It wasn’t always so bad, he thinks. There was definitely love between him and his mother, and Pedro chooses to let this thought guide him forward. As much as he hates his uncle, he knows the man will protect Pedro’s mother. His uncle will curse Pedro’s name till kingdom come, but at least his mother will not be alone.
To avoid the main entrance, Pedro joins Rafa and Luna as they walk toward the back of the observatory. They enter the empty terrace where patrons can eat and take in the beautiful view of the city’s skyline. Rafa carries a small jug of gasoline.
