Chap 6

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In the quiet darkness of the night, Rono navigated his car down the winding roads, the only sound in the vehicle the faint hum of the engine. The moon peeked through the scattered clouds, casting shadows that danced along the deserted streets. In the backseat, Etzia and Peta lay unconscious, their breathing shallow and steady.

As the car turned a sharp corner, Eztli stirred, her eyes fluttering open in confusion. "What happened?" she mumbled groggily." You okay?" Rono's voice broke the silence as he was driving. Eztli nodded slowly, not quite trusting her voice. "What happened back there?" she finally managed to ask. Rono glanced at her through the rearview mirror, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "You girls gave us quite a scare.

"And Eluney and her friends helped us to get you two out from the hole and leave you in the car," Konane's voice chimed in from the front seat, his tone laced with a mixture of gratitude and exasperation. "At least Eluney really learned her lesson the hard way."

Eztli' s brow furrowed in concern, "What about Peta?" Rono's gaze shifted to the still figure next to her, "She passed out after checking on you." Just then, Peta's eyes snapped open, a dazed expression on her face as she sat up, rubbing her temples. "Why was I unconscious?" she murmured, confused.

With a shared sense of relief, the quartet finally arrived at Eztli's house. They made their way inside, the silence of the night surrounding them like a comforting blanket. Etzia led them to her bedroom, where they settled in, the events of the evening still swirling in their minds. Peta, still sorting through the fragments of the night's events, spoke softly, "We may never fully understand what happened, but at least we save someone.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Eztli's mother entered, her warm eyes scanning the room. "How was the party?" she inquired; her voice tinged with curiosity. Konane mentioned there was cake and lemonade.  Rono felt a rush of nerves as he tried to come up with an excuse. "Konane was dancing and accidentally tripped, that's all," he blurted out, a forced smile on his face.

Relief washed over the group as Eztli 's mother seemed satisfied with the response. "I'm glad you all had a good time. Maybe next time you can bring me a treat," she suggested with a smile before bidding them goodnight.

As Eztli 's mother left the room, Peta turned to Etzia, her expression questioning. "Why did you lie to your mom?" she whispered. Etzia took a deep breath before replying, "I can't tell her that we went to a haunted mansion. She'll never let me out of the house again."

Rono felt his heart racing in his chest. "It's okay," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "It's not like we saw any actual ghosts, right?"

Her friends gathered around contrasting interests; their gaze wandered across the eclectic array of collections that adorned the room.

Rono, the pragmatic one, raised an eyebrow at the multitude of trinkets and curiosities that filled every corner. "Why do you keep all these things? They seem useless," he remarked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Peta, the bookworm, ran her fingers along the spines of the various volumes that lined the shelves. "Different books for a nerd".

Konane, the stargazer, approached a stack of astronomy magazines, his expression one of bewilderment. "Eztli, why are you reading so much?

Eztli said" There are things I want to learn outside of this world besides Rono, everyone has their own treasures, their own hobbies that bring them joy."

Eztli rolled her eyes at Rono's skepticism and shot a playful grin towards Peta. "Everyone has a hobby, Rono. Yours might be electronics, and Konane's might be art," she remarked, her voice light and teasing.

Konane, noticing the shift in conversation, looked up from his sketchbook. His pencil had painted a fiery dragon that seemed to breathe life into the room. He set his pencil down and dabbed at a speck of paint on his cheek. "You're one to talk," he said, pointing at Rono's collection of outdated gadgets. "At least my stuff looks pretty."

Eztli leaned against a shelf, her eyes scanning the art supplies scattered across the floor. "So, what's the story behind this masterpiece, Konane?"

Konane's cheeks flushed with a hint of pride. "It's inspired by Quetzalcoatl Professor Castellanos Art class," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "The way it moved, the colors that danced in its scales... I had to capture it somehow."

Eztli, ever the inquisitive one, perused Konane's sketchbook with newfound interest. Suddenly, her eyes widened as they landed on a shadowy figure depicted with eerie precision. "Wow, Konane, I didn't know you also dabbled in horror art," she exclaimed, a mix of surprise and admiration in her voice.

Rono's curiosity piqued, he stepped closer to get a better look. "Those are pretty intense, Konane. What's the deal with the creepy guy?"

Konane's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, that's just a little side project," he said, flipping through the pages. "I've been working on a comic series, something to keep the imagination flowing when the real world gets too... real."

However, as she saw the shelf where her doll was placed the doll went missing, Eztli might misplace somewhere and focus on her friend conversation. Peta, always the voice of reason among them, suggested, "Let's not dwell on it. How about we take a break from everything and from midterm exams. My abuelos mentioned that I should visit them to their rancho, and I could bring my friends along. As the night grew late, Eztli bid her friends farewell, retreating to her cozy room.

A/N

A quartet a group of four people.

Abuelos - grandparents

rancho - is a type of rural home used for livestock raising, farming, or other agricultural purposes.

Quetzalcoatl

Konane drawing