After Emiliano's break down, he and Carmela left to get him some help leaving Frida under the care of her sisters and her grandmother.
"Don't worry hija I'll take care of the girls." Sandra reassured Carmela. "You just focusing on helping your husband."
"Thank you Mother. I owe you so much for this."
"Nonsense you're my daughter, these are my grandchildren, we're family and family sticks together no matter what."
Carmela and Sandra embraced. Then she went to embrace her daughters and assure them that everything was going to be alright. In the living room Emiliano had wanted to have a private conversation with Manny before leaving.
"I want to thank you for saving my life." He said to him.
"You're welcome sir." Manny said. "To be honest I knew that if you had gone through with it, it would have destroyed Frida."
"You'd do anything for my daughter wouldn't you?"
"Uh...Well I...Yes. Yes I would."
"Then I have a favor to ask of you. While I'm gone please protect my daughter. At first I wasn't sure if you could be trusted but now I realize that you're the only man I trust with my daughter besides myself. So keep her safe."
"I swear to you sir I will. I won't let anything happen to her."
"Thank you. I love all my children equally but Frida is the one I worry for most. Maybe it's because she's the most headstrong and rebellious of her sisters or maybe it's just because she's the youngest. But my wife and I worry for her so much."
Emiliano then went to say goodbye to his daughters and left with his wife. Now even though she knew her father was going to be alright she couldn't help but feel guilty. Like this all happened because of her. She should have never pried into mother's family secrets. If she had just stayed out of trouble and had been a good girl then none of this would have ever happened.
"This is my fault." She said as she watched the car with her parents drive away.
"No it's not Frida." Manny told her. "Don't beat yourself up over this."
"I ruined my family."
"No you didn't. You need to stop talking like that. Look it's going to be okay. Your dad is gonna get help."
"I just want this to be over! I don't think I can take it anymore!"
"Take what?"
"This! All of this! All the demons! And the spirits! It's just becoming too much!"
"I know Frida. I know."
"When will this end? Or we just supposed to deal with this for the rest of our lives?!"
"No...Yes...I don't know."
"I need to go for a walk."
"I'll come with you."
"No. No I need a moment to think to myself."
"I don't know if I should. You're not going to run away or anything are you?"
"No. I really, really, need this."
She went outside and took a walk. She was at a dead end, she didn't know what to do from here on out. At the beginning this whole thing was exciting and it made her feel stronger but now it had gotten scary and she had never felt more weak in her life. She would have given it up completely had it not been for her love for Manny.
After walking for an hour or two she decided to head back home when suddenly she heard a scream. It sounded like a woman, a woman who was in a lot of pain. Frida followed the scream and found that the source of it was indeed a woman. She was in her mid thirties, a dark haired and pretty. She kind of looked familiar to Frida but she just couldn't put her finger on who it was at the moment. She was in chains and she looked like that she had been beaten within inch of her life.
"Oh my God!" Frida gasped. "Are you alright?"
The woman lifted her head up when she heard Frida's voice. Her face was tired and hurt, but it instantly became filled with worry when she saw her.
"You! What are you doing here?! You need to get out of here right away!"
"Well hang on I gotta get you out of here first."
"No! No you don't understand! You can't help me! No one can! You have to get out of here! Hurry! Before he finds you here!"
"Who?"
Frida got her answer when she felt a metal hand grab her. A metal hand belonging to demon who she recognized as Tito.
"Hello Frida. Miss me?" He said with a hideous grin.
"Leave her alone Tito!" The woman begged. "Please! She's just a child! She's never done anything to you!"
"Actually I was on my way to retrieve her! You saved me the trouble Frida!"
He then threw down a stone and a fog filled the area. When it cleared she found herself alone in a dark room with the woman. Tears were streaming down her face.
"I'm so sorry." She wept.
"Why are you sorry?" Frida said.
"My screams lured you here. Now you're going to end up like me."
Frida looked at the numerous brusises, scars, and cuts on her arms, legs, and back.
"What on earth did he do to you?"
"He captured me and locked me away in this hell hole where he's been torturing me for the past three years."
"That monster! How could he do this to you?"
"He hates me so much, he actually finds pleasure in hurting me like this. The only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my baby is safe."
"Your baby"
"My son. I think you know him, he's half human half spirit."
"You're Manny's mother?"
"Yes my name is Maria and I know who you are. You're that healer girl who's always with my son."
"How do you know me?"
"Using a special trick my husband taught me I've been able to watch over you and my son a couple of times. That's how I knew that he was still alive but I'm human so I can only use that trick on rare occasions. Tell me how is my boy? Is he alright?"
"He's fine but he misses you. He misses you so much."
"I miss him too. When they took me away from him, I was devastated and I couldn't accept it. They were already forcing my son to grow up without his father, I refused to let him grow up without his mother too. So I began searching for him but that's when Tito caught me."
"You poor thing. Why does he hate you so much?"
"Because he blames me for Rodolfo leaving the family. When we got married and I got pregnant Rodolfo decided to try and turn both himself and Manny completely human so we could have a life together and be a real family. But then he told Tito our plan and he thought that Tito could be trusted but..."
Sixteen years earlier...
Eighteen year old Maria Rivera smiled down her belly which had become much larger over the past ten months.
"Just think in a few more weeks you'll be here." She said rubbing her belly.
"Hmm I wonder why it's taking the baby so long to be born." Her husband Rodolfo said. "You don't think there's anything wrong do you?"
"No. The doctor said that our baby is perfectly healthy and that it's normal for them to be a little late. Be patient my dearest. Our little one will be here when it's ready."
"I need to go attend to some things but I'm not sure if I should leave you alone this close to the end of your pregnancy."
"Don't worry I'll be fine."
"Still I'm going to leave the house under a barrier, so no one may enter without your permission. That should keep you safe. While I'm gone don't let anyone you don't know in okay?"
"Okay. Be safe."
"Same to you."
He left the house where they lived. Maria went to do the laundry while waiting for her husband to return. She had just finished folding all the clothes and putting them away when she heard a knock at the door. Looking at the peep hole, she saw that it was Tito. Believing him to be a trusted ally she let him in.
"Hello Tito. What brings you by?" She asked.
"I just wanted to see how my sister in law is doing."
"Oh I'm doing fine thank you. Come in, I'll make us some tea."
She walked into the kitchen and reached for the kettle but then she felt something hard strike her in the back of the head. It didn't knock her out but she ended up falling to the floor and the next thing she knew Tito was pinning her down with his foot.
"What are you doing?!" She asked fearfully.
"Rodolfo is going to try and become human, so he can be with you." His voice was full of venom. "If he becomes human he'll never see us again, he'll abandon his family! He'll abandon me! I won't let him do that!"
His hand changed into a metal sword.
"No! You can't do this! I'm Rodolfo's wife! I'm pregnant with his child!"
"His marriage to you was a mistake! Your union will only lead him to misery! Which is why I must purge you from this world!"
"Wait! If you must kill me so be it but please! Please spare my child!" She begged as her hands went to cover her belly. "Just let me live long enough to give birth to it and once it's born I'll let you do whatever you want to me!"
"This child is an abomination! If I let it be born it will ruin everything! First I'll split open your belly and put an end to this atrocity! Then I'll kill you!"
Tito brought his sword toward her stomach. Maria desperately tried to get away from the metal demon, more terrified for the life of her unborn child than her own life.
"No! Don't! I'm begging you!" Maria screamed. "NO!"
Before the blade could touch her skin the door burst open and a white panther came charging toward them. It sunk it's teeth and claws into Tito then jerked him off of Maria. The panther then changed into Rodolfo who glared at Tito with pure hatred in his eyes.
"HOW COULD YOU?! MY OWN BROTHER! HOW COULD YOU TRY TO KILL MY WIFE AND CHILD?!" He roared.
"Rodolfo I...I can explain-"
"SAVE IT! YOU ATTEMPTED TO STEAL THE LIFE OF THE WOMAN I LOVED! NO MERCY! NO REMORSE!" He turned to Maria and his voice became gentle. "Maria there's a church up ahead from here. Go there and get help."
"But Rodolfo-"
"Go now!"
She nodded then stood up and ran from the house. She stopped for a moment and looked back to watch as the spiritual white panther and the metal demon fought each other. It was a horrifying display and she didn't start to move again until she felt a deep pain in her belly. It was a contraction. The baby was coming now. She quickly ran to look for the church as rain began to fall.
Present...
"Manny was born that night and I never saw Rodolfo again but he left a note explaining everything. He told me that Tito had alerted nearly every demon of the existence of our child meaning they would be coming for him. But they wouldn't be able to find him as long as Rodolfo stayed away from us."
"I'm so sorry." Frida said. "It must have been so hard for you."
"It was, I missed my husband and I hated it that he had to leave but I know that he only did it to keep us safe."
"Quick question. What exactly is Tito going to do to me?"
"I'm not sure. But you're not the only one he's after. He plans to catch another girl, I don't know who she is but I'm sure she's someone innocent."
"Don't worry ma'am we're going to get out of here."
"I've been trying to escape for three years. It's no use."
"We have to try."
P.S I never gave Shaeril Mcbrown permission to write that sequel on my story. She ripped me off.