Two-year-old Miguel does not like visiting the Land of the Forgotten. He doses not like the depressing souls that wonder in the land. He doses not like the cold air that never seems to go away. He doses not like the ash that falls from the sky. And he doses not like the pointy rocks or chains that hang from the walls. Poor Miguel gets nightmares about the Land of the Forgotten. His parents know this. But, they know it's good for Miguel to visit his father in the Land of the Forgotten with his family.
"No!" Miguel cried.
"Miguel, calm down. Everything is going to be ok." La Muerte comforts him while she walks up to the castle where Xibalba is waiting.
Mila, who was walking behind them, ran ahead to greet her father.
"Papi!" She cheer.
Xibalba smile and kneel down, his arms wide open. "Hey, there's my little girl!"
Mila ran into Xibalba's arms and hug each other. Xibalba picks up Mila.
"Have you been a good girl?" Xibalba ask.
"Yes." Mila answer.
Xibalba chuckle. "Well, we will see what Mami has to say about that."
Xibalba looks at La Muerte and Miguel and frown. Miguel burst out crying, trying to get away from the two-headed snake castle.
"No!"
"Come on Miguel, don't you want to see Papi?"
"No!"
"But Papi wants to see you."
"No!" Miguel cried harder.
Mila laughs at her twin brother. "Scary cat!"
"No Mila, that's mean." Xibalba lecture.
La Muerte walks up to her husband and her daughter with her crying son in her arms.
"I'm so sorry Xibalba."
"No, no, I understand." He turns to Miguel. "Hey Miguel, I missed you!"
Miguel ignores Xibalba, He kept on crying in La Muerte's shoulder.
"Let's go inside. It's less scarier inside." La Muerte suggest.
"Yes, I have dinner waiting for us! How about after dinner we take a nice bath and then I'll read you a bedtime story?" Xibalba suggest.
"Miguel, you like bedtime stories, do you want Papi to read to you?" La Muerte ask.
Miguel whip his eye and nod.
Xibalba smile. "Great! Let's eat first, I bet you're hungry."
"I'm hungry Papi!" Mila said.
"Good, cause we got lots of food!" Xibalba said while everyone goes into the castle.
After dinner and a bath, Xibalba tuck Miguel in. He read Miguel a long bedtime story, which made Miguel feel calm. But after Xibalba finish reading and left Miguel alone in his bedroom, fear overcome the little boy.
Miguel could not sleep. He looks around his dark room, wishes his with his Mami and Papi. Wishes his in the Land of the Remembered. Suddenly, he hears something outside his window. A loud noise. It scares him. He jumps out of bed and runs out of the bedroom.
"Mami! Papi!" He cried. He runs just across from his bedroom to his parents bedroom. He runs up to the bed where his parents are sleeping. He tugs on the blanket, crying.
"Mami! Papi! MAMI! PAPI!"
Both parents woke up and sit up from the bed.
"What! Miguel? What is it?" La Muerte ask.
"Monster!" Miguel said, pointing at the door.
Xibalba turns on a light. "Miguel, there are no monsters in my realm," He said sleepily.
Miguel forms tears and starts to cry. "I'm scared!"
La Muerte and Xibalba look at each other with sympathy for their child. Xibalba picks up Miguel and put him between him and La Muerte.
La Muerte gives him a hug. "Shhhh. It's ok sweetie. Mami and Papi are here to protect you."
Miguel whip his eyes. "C-can I sleep here?" He asks.
"Yes, you may." La Muerte answer.
Xibalba got an extra pillow for Miguel and turn off the lights once he got into bed.
"I love you Mami. I love you, Papi." Miguel said.
"We love you too Miguel, now get some rest." La Muerte said.
Miguel snuggles in the pillow and closes his eyes. He slept between his parents for the rest of the night.
