Chapter 3

Mercedes knew that Candy Skulls took a while to cook, so why were the Candy Skulls done quicker than usual? After she had taken the skulls out of the oven, or something Mercedes guessed was an oven, she let the bone-looking confection cool as she prepared to use the red food coloring. Outside, Mercedes could hear the three "Warlords," as they called themselves, asking questions about the altar to their friend. She could also hear her five housemates talking and joking while they cut the tissue paper into intricate designs. 'It's good to see them working together,' the Spanish girl thought, 'after losing their best friend, I think it's wonderful that they've come together to remember him.'

When the food coloring was ready, Mercedes took one of the two large skulls and dipped a small brush into the dye. After she wrote "Anubis" on the first large skull, she repeated the same process on three smaller skulls. After she was done with those four skulls, she took the other large candy skull and wrote "Pepita." After writing her sister's name on three smaller skulls, she carried all eight skulls out to the altars in a whicker basket.

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When Mercedes walked into the Commons Area, she noticed that the two three-tiered altar had been set up, and that the altar to Anubis was almost complete. Anubis' altar had a drawing of the man in the gold picture frame; the altar also had a gold pitcher full of water, a gold basin, and a towel. She also noticed that on the bottom level of the thee-tier altar, there were many lighted white and sky blue candles. However, at the top of the altar, Mercedes noticed that the light to guide Anubis from Mictlan were four, lit purple candles. "Why do you place four candles that symbolize pain and suffering as the beacon light to guide your deceased friend home?" Mercedes questioned.

"One candle equals 100 years," Dais responded. "All four candles represent the 400 years of hell Talpa and the three of us put him through."

Mercedes nodded sympathetically, "I have to put these candy skulls on the altar."

As the young Spanish woman put the first candy skull with Anubis name written on the confection's "forehead" on the second level of the altar, Mercedes murmured, "In the name of the Father…"

Mercedes placed the second skull next to the first, "And of the Son…"

Finally, Mercedes placed the third candy skull with Anubis' name written on it, "And of the Holy Ghost…Amen."

"Why did you say that?" Sage asked.

"The three skulls represent the most Holy Trinity in the Catholic Faith," Mercedes smiled.

Then the exchange student took the large candy skull from the basket and murmured, "Giver of life. You take away life and you bestow life upon this world."

When Mercedes finished placing the skulls on the altar, she looked at the almost finished product. The four candles were lit to light Anubis' way back from Mictlan, the Sandalwood incense was burning, the other candles were lit as well, the white and purple tissue paper on the altar had been cut in the design of entwining chains. The shot glass was out, the Sake was out, the pitcher, the basin, and the towel were out, and several plates of food were out on the altar as well. Mercedes could see cold steamed rice, meat dumpling, peaches, plums, almonds, and some hard candy as well. Mercedes also noticed that someone had made the bread of the dead while she was busy with the candy skulls. She recognized the bread because she could see the brown loaf covered with white bone pattern on it. "I'm guessing the dumplings, rice, and almonds were some of your friend's favorite foods?" Mercedes asked.

Dais, Cale, and Sekhmet nodded.

"So, who made the bread and your friend's favorite food?" The girl asked.

"You were so busy with the Candy Skulls," Mia smiled, "that you didn't notice me or Dais in the kitchen."

"Well," Mercedes sighed, "It is a big kitchen. But the altar is almost done, we now only have two more things to do."

"What do we have to do?" Rowen asked.

Mercedes didn't answer, but began to collect the ash from the incense that was burning. With what incense ash she had, she placed the ash on the ground and made the symbol of the cross with the ash. "This is to purify the deceased," Mercedes explained.

After she made the cross in front of the altar, she brushed her hands of and turned to Mia. "Do you still have the Cempazuchitl Marigolds?"

Mia nodded, "they're in this bag."

"Thanks," Mercedes nodded.

While Mercedes was taking out the flowers, the eight armor bearers noticed that the flowers were being strewn in a path-like direction to the door from the altar. As Mercedes made the flowery path, she explained why she was making a path in the first place. "The Cempazuchitl Marigolds have an aroma that attract the dead to his or her home and altar. The path I'm making for your friend Anubis will go from the altar to the front door. After this, I'll strew a different path of Cempazuchitl Marigolds for Pepita."

When the path was completed, Mercedes placed some Cempazuchitl Marigolds on Anubis' altar and smiled. "The altar to your friend is finished. Now, I need to work on Pepita's altar."