Chapter 7: Shantytown

In a word, Shantytown was lonely. Nikki had to agree with that. She had never felt a more isolated presence before in her entire life. It must have been the underworld of the underworld. Dante followed behind her, still goofily waving his tongue and wagging his tail. That dog was never sad, he was always happy. Héctor was in front of them, walking down the terrifying, wobbly stairs.

"Héctor, how far is this guitar?" Nikki asked still looking at her hand. The curse now reached down to her elbows, as she rolled down her sleeve. The thought of turning into a skeleton was very terrifying, so she quickly put up her sleeve to avoid seeing her bones.

Héctor turn to her, and said, "Oh relax chica we're almost there. "

They grabbed each other's hand as they walked down the steps. Nikki looked back to Dante.

"Dante, come on," she said to the dog. The dog followed behind. When they finally made the trek down the horrible stairs, Héctor and Nikki released each other. As they reached the Shantytown, Nikki's feeling that this place felt secluded had over come her a hundred percent. However, she looked around and saw the people who lived there were happy. Some were playing music, others many games or drinking. She passed by some Male Skeletons, who all greeted Héctor with "cousin Héctor" and some skeletons were Tío or Tía.

"Is this your family?" Nikki asked. She felt she needed to ask because someone like Héctor should be alone.

"Eh, in a way. Most of us here don't have any families or ofrendas so we have each other."

"Because having an adopted family is better than having no family at all? Because your not alone?"

Héctor looked at her. "You've got a wise head on your shoulders, Chiquita. How old did you say you were again?

"Thirteen," Nikki answered. "When you have an eighteen-year-old sister, you live of see things she sees."

"Well your sister sounds like a wise woman," Héctor said. He grabbed a bottle of tequila that was on the floor and approached three older women. "Tia Chelo!"
Tia Chelo and the two other elderly woman laughed as Héctor came to them with the tequila bottle and poured the contents in their glasses.

"Hey, is Chicharrón around?"

"He's right here, and he's asking what do you want Héctor?" Chicharrón asked.

"Cheech, right to the chase!" Héctor said as Chicharrón came from the bungalow. Héctor gestured to Nikki. "Me and my friend, Nikki, we really need to borrow your guitar." Héctor pointed at the guitar.

"My guitar? Why?" Chicharrón asked.

"Well," Héctor began. However, Nikki was the first to come foreward. She trusted Héctor already, so she could trust Chicharrón.

"Nikki, what are you doing?" Héctor said. He was going to grab her wrist. But it was too late, as Nikki took her hood down, she revealed her ears.

"You're a living chiquita!" Chicharrón shouted.

"But what are you doing here?" Tia Chelo said.

"I'm trying to get her to her Papa," Héctor said. "And to do so, we REALLY need to borrow that guitar."

"And I need my father's blessing," said Nikki as she put up her hood back up. "He's the only one that needs to break the curse."

"Okay, you've got some serious problems, then," Chicharrón admitted. He contemplated before...

"Ok, I'll give you the guitar," Chicharrón said. "if the little lady plays us something."

He handed Nikki the guitar. She positioned it right, now hoping those Guitar lessons with Amy paid off. She sat down on a crate

"Go on, querida," said one of Héctor's aunts Nikki cleared her throat and began playing the guitar. Everyone stared at her as she played the tunes to "Everyone knows Juanita." She began singing. The adults in the city loved her singing voice and the way she played the guitar. However, she was interrupted when Chicharrón placed the hand on the top of the guitar. She stopped and looked to him.

"Uh ninita, are you sure you're singing the right song?" Chicharrón said.

"Cheech, she's only thirteen," Héctor said.

"Besides, best friend and her mother did not teach me the dirty lyrics" said Nikki.

"Oh well the real lyric is..." Chicharrón began. Héctor quickly covered Nikki's ears as Chicharrón said the real lyrics. He then released her ears as Héctor scolded Chicharrón.

"There is a child present in the room." Héctor said. He was right. She was a kid. Héctor took the guitar and sat down next to Nikki.

"Come on, Nikki," said Héctor. "Let's play the song."

Héctor and Nikki cleared their throats. Héctor and Nikki both began performing the song.

"Well everyone knows Juanita," Héctor began.

"Her eyes each a different color," said Nikki. They both sung in perfect harmony as if they belonged together. "Her teeth stick out and her chin goes in"

"And her knuckles, they drag on the floor"

"Her hair is like a briar"

"She stands in a bow-legged stance"

"And if I weren't so ugly, she'd possibly give me a chance," they sung together. Everyone around them couldn't help but smile. For they did sound good together. Nikki, meanwhile, was surprised Héctor actually could sing. She wasn't complaining or anything. It was just that he was really upset with musicians that he called them "self-important" jerks. Chicharrón sighed, moved by Nikki and Héctor singing.

"That was, exceptionally brilliant," said Chicharrón. "the guitar is yours, niñita."

"Gracias Señor Chicharrón," Nikki said.

"Okay we really got to get going," Héctor said. He put an arm around Nikki's shoulder and began to take her away with him.

"Good luck chica," said Tia Chelo.

"Gracias, Tia Chelo!" Nikki said before she turned to follow Héctor . Nikki, Héctor and Dante were leaving Shahtytown. Until Nikki heard one of the skeletons crying. It was as if they lost someone or something. She asked him what was wrong.

"The final death has taken Tia Carmen," said the skeleton.

"Final death?" Nikki said. She was confused. The dead could die again? "What's the final death?"

"Nikki!" Héctor shouted. He grabbed her by the hand before she could get the skeleton boy to answer. "come on."

"Hey, no fair, Héctor!" Nikki snapped. "Why do you keep treating me like a rag doll?"

"Because the night doesn't last forever and I'm not letting you out of my sight until you're back safe and sound."

Nikki felt like she was going to cry. Instead, she responded, "Héctor, you do care!" Héctor looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Of course I do. Not everyday someone defends you from obnoxious musicians."


"What's the Final Death?" Nikki asked. She bit into the tangerine she held as Héctor finished the one he had. Coco and her ate them ask the time. They were in the trolley that made its way to the Plaza de la Cruz. Rather the balcony because you need to pay to use the seating area. She tried asking the kid at Shantytown but Héctor dragged her away before she got the chance to know. Héctor stopped tuning the guitar. Nikki was just happy that the string didn't come undone because Héctor had this terror look in his eyes.

"Why would you ask a question like that?"

"Well, I came across this kid and he said that his tía, Carmen was overcome with the Final Death."

Héctor didn't know what to say, his fatherly instincts were kicking in. He felt that Nikki was too young to understand the concept of the Final Death.

"It's complicated." He answered instead.

"Come on. Please?" Nikki begged.

Héctor sighed.

"It happens when you're forgotten, when you're forgotten in the Land of the Living, you disappear from this one. But no one knows where you end up afterwards." Héctor was going to cry as soon as his wife and daughters died, he would be forgotten . It was already happening but rather more slowly He doubted his second daughter knew him. Coco was only five when he left and the baby wasn't even born yet. "But it happens to everyone eventually."

He went back to tuning the guitar. Nikki had another question.

"Hey, how did you learn how to play like that?" Nikki asked. "It sounded beautiful."

"Oh, Ernesto, Diego, and I used to play together."

The girl gasped. "You played with Diego and Ernesto? Lucky! Plus, I'm a bit surprised. I mean, Did you ever see their movies?"

"Nope, not one. I was literally dead when they came out, both in the Land of the dead and the Land of the living."

"Then you don't know what you've been missing," said Nikki. She looked out the other way and noticed something big was following them. "Uh, Héctor what is that?"

"Another trolley," Héctor guessed. However, it was NOT another Trolley as Dante began growling.

"Not unless a trolley has glowing white eyes and wings!" Nikki yelled. It was a big GIGANTIC creature that was half eagle, half horse. It was very beautiful and Nikki would have admired it if it wasn't terrifying. The creature attempted to grab Nikki and it didn't take Héctor long to realize that either. In fact, Nikki nearly fell off but Héctor saved her in the nick of time and pushed her away from the ledge. The trolley made a bump and Héctor was suddenly thrown back.

"Héctor!" Nikki yelled. She grabbed Héctor's foot and heard him yell "ow" as he hit the tracks. Luckily, Nikki pushed him back up before he fell apart completely. Dante growled at the Alebrije. This was it, this was the end. Héctor and Nikki closed their eyes but they didn't realize they were in a tunnel until their eyes opened again and the Alebrije couldn't make its way inside. Héctor sighed as he looked at Nikki.

"Nikki, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Héctor asked, looking over her.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Nikki said. "But I'm fine. You?"

"Yes," Héctor said.

"Um, thanks for saving my life."

"Yeah, you're not bad yourself kid," Héctor said as Nikki smiled. He looked back. "That was some angry alebrije. They're usually quite calm."

"Yes but why was it trying to kill me?"

Héctor looked at her unsure. Plaza de la Cruz got into view. "Well, we're here." Nikki smiled.

"Showtime, chamaca," Héctor said. He handed her the guitar, and Nikki took it as he led her to the Plaza. Now was the day that she played in front of others. And Nikki hadn't felt so excited and yet nervous for anything in her entire life.


That last scene where Juana's alebrije finds and attempts to abduct Nikki was inspired on one of the initial introductions of Pepita that I saw in Coco's deleted scenes.