La Muerte's Locket
It had been almost a millennium since they ended their marriage.
La Muerte leaned against one of the many windows in her bedroom. She usually loved watching the citizens of the Land of the Remembered enjoying life after death, yet the sight of all those cheerful people enjoying the music, especially all the couples dancing, made her feel… depressed.
One white sugar coated hand held the golden part of the locket that always hung around her neck. The other reached underneath her long dark strands to reach and undo the red ribbon which kept the jewelry in place. Once freed, the goddess held the locket in front of her, to get a good look at it, cradling it with both hands. One thumb gently pressed the lock, emitting a click at being undone. The finger kept the small door in place though. Every time she looked at the picture inside, waves of frustration, sadness, and…regret would wash over her.
It had been her own decision to say goodbye, she had resolved herself to leave the marriage. Yet the look on the god's face when she placed her wedding ring into his hand stabbed straight through that resolve and her heart. The desperation in his voice when he asked why, pleaded, begged and promised caused her heart to move towards the man. Yet the resolve's foundation, though shaken, stood firm so she gave him a mile and walked away. Her heart screamed at her, telling her to turn right around, run into the man's arms and beg forgiveness for even thinking of leaving him. However, she wouldn't give in. This was her choice, she would remain strong.
The first thing she decided to do is try to forget her ex-husband, but that was easier said than done. For the first few months after leaving him, Xibalba followed her everywhere. Nowhere, not even in her bedroom, would the feeling of his gaze leave her thoughts and skin. The goddess managed to ignore it, although it wasn't easy. Having him so close, yet being so far from him. Though she knew the stalking from her former lover stemmed from his jealousy, the queen couldn't help but think he was trying to torture her.
When he finally left her in peace, La Muerte thought that maybe some communication between herself and the ruler of the Land of the Forgotten, would be healthy for the both of them, explaining her reasoning, softening the harsh feelings between the two, maybe even…helping them get back together. The words that she longed to say-but would be replaced by growls of frustration-when an argument took place, were never spoken. So the ruler of the Land of the Remembered decided to put those words on paper. Despite her intentions, her words would come off stiff and formal, mostly chastising him for his arrogant, twisted ways or love-stricken and mournful, telling how much he missed him and their time together. When she finally gave up that idea, an entire forest of trees became mountains of black, scribbled out paper in her room. What she longed…needed to say, she never could find the right words.
The king probably deduced that what tore them apart was their opposing views on humans. While he saw the living as foolish, cruel creatures creates who only truly cared about themselves and only merit was how much fun they were to mess with. She believed that humans were good beings, full of potential and kindness. She saw it with every person who left something on the grave of a loved one, it especially brimmed in the children as they played amongst the tombstones and helped their families. Every candle, flower and piece of food given to those gone, only reaffirmed her beliefs. After all, a being who still loves someone who is no longer with them couldn't be all that bad. That was actually half her reason for her leaving, the other was…
La Muerte shook her head, it didn't matter what it was, there would be no way Xibalba see her side of things. She found his stubbornness most infuriating. Her gaze fell unto the locket once more. Letting out a sigh, the woman nudged the jewelry to open, revealing the face of her Balby-a nickname she used to call him (much to his embarrassment and delight)- in black and white. She smiled back at the charming smile at her, memories of their time together flooding her mind.
"What in the realms is this, Xibalba?" La Muerte asked, holding a strange square metal object, with a glass circle in the middle. It almost looked like a squashed-in telescope. They both were hiding behind the church in the middle of the night. The full moon shining down on the young couple.
As she began shaking the object close to her head, Xibalba snatched it out her hands.
"Careful mi armor…this is called a 'camera' it was created by the living" he said, holding it close to him, out of the prying hands of his lover.
Said hands continued to reach for the object, causing the god to hold it above his head as she jumped to try to get it, "A cambrah?" the goddess asked mid-jump.
"Cam-era!" the winged man emphasized. "It takes a drawing of us, called a 'photo', if we stand still long enough.
"A drawing? That small thing!?...it must be magic, it won't take our souls, will it?" the capped woman asked as the god walked away and started to set the object on a stand.
"Of course not, the living call it science than magic…it's the only good thing they ever made," Xibalba muttered, as he attached a tube and ball to the device.
La Muerte opened her mouth to fight that statement, but closed it, sighing and rolling her eyes. They could continue their debate about the living some other time, now she just wanted to see if the object could do what her lover claimed it could do.
Finishing his task, the god took few steps back. Returning to his lover's side, he grabbed her gently, pulling her next him, "Alright, now look at the glass object and smile."
"If you say so," the goddess replied and let out a smile.
The king of the Land of the Forgotten pressed against the ball, making the object flash twice. The queen of the Land of the Remembered reeled back and rubbed her irises. She felt her lover leave her side, as she blinked her red eyes, seeing black spots until her vision came back. He strode over to the object, quickly grabbing the two 'photos' before they hit the ground. He excitedly came back, showing them.
"Here, do you see?" the god grinned. "What a wonderful invention!"
The goddess let out a small gasp, seeing themselves perfectly. It was better than any drawing or painting. "How wonderful!" she smiled.
"Now to put them in their frames," the immortal man states, taking out two golden lockets-one with a red ribbon tied to it while its twin was attached to a black chain. He cut out their faces from the photos and placed them inside the pendants. The one with the ribbon, with the king's picture inside, was given to the queen. He kept the one with the chain, holding her face inside of it.
"Oh Xibalba…It's beautiful…" La Muerte smiled. She put the locket around her neck. "I shall treasure it always.
Xibalba copied her, putting the chain around his green neck. "As will I, mi amor."
At that moment, the immortal woman snapped out of her memories. The picture, along with her hand, now blurry. It took her a moment to feel the tears, bright blue food coloring, streaming down her cheeks. She rubbed off the dye off her face, the aqua-colored stains on her hand now matching the zig-zaggy stripes on her face.
Tired, that must be it. The goddess rationalized, she was tired and maybe…old. (She cringed a bit inside at the thought.) That must be reason while her memories and the picture affected her like this. She strolled over to a large golden cord that dangled near another window, then giving it a good tug. Quickly, deep red curtains covered the windows all around the ballroom-like bedroom, blocking out most of the light from the Land of the Remembered outside.
The queen started towards her bed, preparing herself for it. In a few minutes, all the candles on her ensemble were out, her dress on its mannequin with her hat on its head. The flowers in her hair and wrist now floated in a bowl of water near her bed, keeping them fresh for another day. Wearing pink nightgown much her usual attire, with longer sleeves that reached her wrist and only the only flowers on it grew around her chest a bright red, she settled herself on a mattress that made the bed of mortal rulers' look and feel like bales of hay. Covering her body in the large crimson sheets of her bed and resting her head on one of many snow white heart-shaped pillows, La Muerte started on her journey to the-unofficial-Land of Slumber. Yet before she completely drifted off, her hand and mind wandered towards the locket on her neck.
What happened to its companion, as well as her picture inside? She never saw Xibalba wearing it anymore. Knowing his temper, they probably became a part of the ash that eternally swirls with the wind of the Land of the Forgotten. Or could it be still in one piece? Was completely dust-covered, or in the same condition as her own, worn and duller due to centuries of wear, but still shiny and just as beautiful as the day it slipped onto her ex-husband's neck. Did he look at it and the picture inside, just like she had done? She can only wish.