The Drowning Pup Curse

*Gabriela* I was just a young pup when I heard the story of the “Weeping Woman” legend. This story is also known as the curse of La Llorona. Our pack is settled in the San Vicente Creek in the California region. The Fresno Pack is one of many werewolf settlements in this state ever since our founder Alpha Juan Gualope founded this pack in the early 1800’s looking for the famous California gold. We never found any of it but we settled here nonetheless. Our pack is 200 strong with only 25 percent being warriors. We had our fair share of rogues trying to make us leave along with human natives and Spanish settlers hunting us for pelts. Yes, this is information that was taught to us at a very young age but the werewolf world is a rough one. Anyways, my papa and mama had settled us all down for dinner. It was near the Day of the Dead festival for many Spanish cultures and we took pride in our culture since my grandmother passed when her mate died about two years before I was born. Being only nine years old I always stayed beside my mama learning to cook various meals and foods. My papa was always a warrior who rarely ever spent time with my brothers and me. Tonight was special and our family had been brought together for the first time in months. “Gabriela! La cena esta lista!” (Gabriela! Dinner is done!)” my mama shouted from the bottom of the stairs. “Coming mama!” Good! I had just finished my school work for the night anyways and I was starving! I got up from my desk and headed downstairs to the kitchen when I smelled the delicious quesadillas along with rice and refried beans. Typical Spanish food I know, but you can’t beat it. “Smells good, mama.” “Did you finish your homework?” I nodded. “Good job, baby girl. Mama is proud of you.” She kissed my forehead as large arms wrapped around me and picked me up. I squealed when I saw my papa’s face. “There’s my little girl!” He laughs. I started laughing when I saw the pencil mustache that he had. Papa always had it even when my mama and him got to know each other as mates. Mama always told stories of how handsome he is and how he respected all others, especially the older generations of wolves. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have a mate like him. Kind, respectful, handsome, funny, and all around just a great guy. “I missed you papa.” I hugged him in the tightest hug I could. “I missed you too, Princessa. Where are your brothers?” He asks, looking around. “Andres is out playing and I don’t know where Gabriel is.” Just as I said that, my twin brother Gabriel comes running into the house and locks the door. He immediately goes inside the shoe closet and hides. Mama opens the closet door forcefully. “Mijo! What did you do this time!?” Mama scolded. “Nothing.” Gabriel says. There is a sharp knock on the door, startling us all. Mama sighs and opens the door to find the elderly Mrs. Ortiz standing there. She doesn’t look happy. “Hola, Mrs Ortiz is everything alright?” “No! Your son damaged my whole garden!” She shouted. “It was an accident! I didn’t mean to run into your tomato garden Mrs Ortiz. My friend Juan threw the ball too hard, honestly.” Gabriel wasn’t the first to get in trouble with Mrs. Ortiz. But this happened almost every single week when she visited our home and yelled at him. Papa puts me down. “Mrs Ortiz, forgive my son, he’s just a pup and doesn’t know any better. I’m sure it was an honest mistake. I can help you rebuild your garden if you’re interested.” “Mark my words, Mr. Rojas! Your boy isn’t the only troublemaker that is in this pack! He will be taken like the others!” “Are you threatening my son?!” Papa growls. “Not me, the curse!” “What curse?” Mama asks. “The curse of La Llorona! The weeping woman!” “Oh please, that is nothing but a boogeyman tale. La Llorona isn’t real.” “You may not believe it! But I’ve heard her cries! I’ve seen her in that white dress, searching for her missing children. It’s only a matter of time until your son gets what’s coming to him.” Mrs Ortiz looks at my brother with the most evil look I’ve ever seen. Gabriel hides behind mama with the most terrified look of horror. “Good day, Mrs Ortiz.” Papa says before slamming the door. “Gabriela, go get Andres from the backyard. We need to talk to Gabriel about his behavior.” I nodded and went to go get my little brother outside. Ahhhhhh! I awoke to screaming beside me. It was my brother Gabriel! I turned to see a shadow of a woman standing beside his bed! My eyes widened as I saw the figure looming over him. I couldn’t see any features on her face but I did see a white dress covered in dark red blood. Her hands are impossibly large with claws for fingernails. “Hijo mio, vuelve a mi” (My son, come back to me.) I heard her whisper. I was about to scream until our bedroom door opened forcefully. As soon as the light turned on, I turned to see the figure gone. Where did she go? Mama comes over to Gabriel, who had tears running down his face. Papa soon enters the bedroom looking wildly with frantic eyes. “What’s going on here?” Papa asks. “Come here baby, it’s okay. Mama is here. It was only a nightmare.” I looked towards my parents with a look of shock and horror on my features. Papa comes over to my bed and kneels down. “Princessa, what’s wrong?” He asks. I gulped down a wad of spit that I didn’t know I was holding in my mouth. “There… there was…” I couldn’t even speak, I was so scared. “Calm down, Gabriela. No one is here. Your brother just had a nightmare I think.” “I… I saw someone.” Papa’s eyebrow raised. “I saw a woman standing over his bed.” I pointed to the spot where she stood and mama gasped when she saw something on the ground. She began to shake in fear. Papa and I ran over to see wet footprints standing where I said the woman was. I looked over at papa to see a look of fear in his eyes. He never got scared by anything. “La Llorona.” Mama says quietly. “She is real.” Papa says, almost to himself. “Sweetheart let me go get Andres. We are going to a hotel tonight. I’ll speak to the Alpha in the morning.” Papa rushes to the other bedroom where Andres slept as mama and the rest of us headed to the car, not even bothering to change clothes. We went to a hotel and booked ourselves a room for a week. I still remember that night almost as if it was tattooed in my brain. Was she real? Did she visit my brother that night? La Llorona came to our house! No it couldn’t have been! Ghosts and phantoms are not real. Still though, I will never forget that night. That night changed my life forever.