Kayla
Kayla’s boots hit the ground. The dry earth scattered into dust clouds as she strode across the front of the house. Manny was late again.
The harsh sun beat down against her brown skin. She looked off into the distance, the heat haze sat above the plain, rippling the sight of the far off mountains.
She lifted her arm, checking her watch. The sun reflected across the scratched screen. She ran her finger over the deepest scratch. It had still worked after her accident.
A young boy came hurtling out of the front door and blindly ran straight into her. The force knocked them both to the ground.
She fell hard. Her limbs scraped against loose stones and the scorched dirt.
“What in the devil are you playing at?”
She got up quickly, patting herself off in the process.
The young boy sat still. Tears rolling down his dirty cheeks. He coughed as he struggled to breathe, the fine dust getting into his lungs.
Manny stepped onto the veranda and placed his hands on his hips. His shirt hung open and his hat tilted on his head.
Kayla shook her head at the sight of him. She had known Manny her entire life but she was always surprised to see him so relaxed at his home.
“This your boy Manny?”
“Aye, that be Thomas.”
“He make yer’ late then?”
Manny walked down the front steps and helped his son up. Thomas took the offered hand reluctantly.
Kayla chuckled to herself.
“Better bring him with us. ‘Bout time he learned the family trade.”
Manny and Thomas followed Kalya towards her truck. The truck smelled of licorice and sawdust. The engine rattled into life. Thomas slid into the centre. His eyes still pooling with tears.
Manny opened up a hip flask, taking a sip. He growled as the harsh liquid hit his throat. He passed it to Kayla, she drank as she drove across the open land.
“What them tears about then?”
She asked as she passed the flask back.
Manny laughed. “He got a clip round the ear for talking cheek to his mother, didn’t ya’ boy?”
Kayla gripped the wheel tighter as the truck bounced over the rough terrain.
“Well, that seems rightly deserved then. Ya’ don’t talk like that to your ma kid, ya’ just don’t.”
The truck swayed as the tires followed the grooves and tracks of the land. Thomas was the most affected by the force, having spent very little time in vehicles of any kind. He watched as the truck traveled through a river, unaffected by the water.
Manny lit up a cigarette and tilted his head back as he exhaled. The smoke filled the air quickly, Thomas started coughing.
“Quit it will ya manny. The kid got weak lungs or summit’?”
“He’s a weaklin’ alright.”
Manny laughed as he clapped his son on the back.
"He is only human after all."
Kayla was not amused. "Let it go Manny. Let's get to work. You got the updates from the others? Mictlan was complaining yesterday."
Manny exhaled another deep puff. "They always complain. They have never had it so good- ever. Some time ago this would have been impossible. But then you bounced back with this "sharing" arrangement. Mictlan would have been over if not for your efforts."
"It is in it's nature Manny. Now put out the cigarette right now. The kid is choking on the foul smoke."
Thomas coughed weakly on cue but said nothing. "OK. Hey kid see, thrown it. For you- anything."
"Where are we going papa?"
"We are going east. Do you know what a desert is?"
Kayla snorted. "He probably knows more than you. So kid Google or Bing?"
Thomas' eyes twinkled and with a small smile he said. "duckduckgo."
Manny guffawed at this, slapping his son on the back. "Good for you!"
"But where are we going."
Kayla answered. "We are going to Aswan, Egypt."
Manny added. "Its way to the east. All desert and Arabs."
Thomas thought for a few moments, then asked again. "But how do you know them?"
Kayla replied. "You are right. We don't. But do you think that with all the tech and global connections and fast travel, we should not expand our... area of work."
"Papa said we are guardians of Mictlan."
Manny jabbed him lightly in the side. "Slow down kid." then to Kayla he said." OK we are almost there. So, this is Amin bin Shalmara. Doctor- pediatrics. His account is pretty much balanced either way and he did some good work during the earthquake last year. That is why none of us could decide. You need to make the call."
Kayla stopped the truck at the corner of a dusty street. It was evening, still heat rose from the earth and the baked, white washed walls of the squat buildings were hot to touch. Kayla pointed to a red and white striped awning. "Get some hot rolls and pack two for me. I will be back in a few minutes."
"So Thomas." Manny handed him a warm cream filled roll. "You know what I am."
"Uh. One of Death's chosen."
"Right. and Death would be?"
"Kayla, Eternal Lady Death."
"What about in Canada, up north?"
"Sedna?"
"Right again, Egypt?"
"Anubis." Thomas shuddered involuntarily.
"OK Now all these divine beings are not remembered much and so their power has become limited. Still great, since they are a part of nature. So there were only two ways to go as Kayla- or Lady Death put it "Co-operate or perish". So now whenever death needs to be involved, say now, here in Aswan and Anubis is out of reach, he calls in any or the other deities."
Then Kayla was back. "Manny, it was three years reprieve."
Manny started to ask " The ma.." "And burned a mark of Anubis exactly a centimeter round. Yes. My rolls please and record the judgment." Kayla turned to Thomas and for a moment he could see her as a warrior -taller than the building with a machete in one hand, her hair thick coils of writhing darkness. He blinked and coughed up his morsel. Manny was by his side with a cup of water. "Happens to everybody, when the Lady is still powering down,"
Kayla smiled at Thomas and sat beside him. "So interesting trip Huh?" Then she bit into her roll, letting Thomas relax and answer if he wanted to.
Thomas looked at her seriously, then at Manny. "What do we get to do?"
The Contest: https://steemit.com/finishthestory/@bananafish/finish-the-story-contest-week-42