Nights are harsh in the desert. Strong streams of cold and sharp wind blast the small hut of wood and straw in which they put the three of us. Although after more than a decade, this no longer matters. What still disturbs us all equally are those grunts and howls of the creatures that they shamelessly keep next to our quarters, and which for some reason they have made an effort to hide from our persistent questions.
"So what do you think it is? A dinosaur? Some kind of humanoid?"
Antenor's voice broke my concentration. And mysteriously, the tireless wind paused, as if it wanted me to listen to my companion.
"Besides, don't you think it's weird that they gave us the day off? Well, it wasn't like anything interesting ever happens either."
"To be honest, I hope it's just a hallucination from having eaten so much of that peyote… As for the day off, if I remember correctly, Arcadia has a calendar."
As if she had been eavesdropping on our conversation, Arcadia emerged briskly from the curtain dividing the room with a sheet of paper in her hand, startling both of us and our feathered coyotes guarding the entrance to the hut.
"I can't believe you've lost track of time, and yet I was called an extremist for requesting calendars for the next 15 years." Arcadia said with a mocking tone.
"So, calendar girl, what day is today?" Antenor grumbled.
"December 24th, you idiot," calendar girl replied.
I couldn't help but let out a laugh, to which she responded with a look of disgust.
When our conversation became a little calmer, and trying to avoid the awkwardness of the silence, Arcadia intervened:
"Guys, I can't believe you forgot again, I even prepared something for each of you."
Antenor and I looked into each other's eyes with some guilt, and agreed, without a word, to give up our portion of 063-16 that we had hunted yesterday.
"Damn you guys are cheap, but it doesn't matter, it's the thought that counts." Arcadia replied to our gift. "But hey, I'm not resentful, I'll give you yours. "
Arcadia quickly stepped through the curtain to her own side, returning with 2 bags, one in each hand. The bag in her left hand was given to Antenor, it contained personal care items and some instant soup, her claiming that she 'shared some of her treasure' with him.
"As for you, Elisha, since I heard your recent complaints, have this," Arcadia reached into the other bag and pulled out a small ball-shaped cactus. "An actual peyote, so you know what it's really like to hallucinate."
Jokes about me soon followed, which turned the rest of the conversation into chuckles and laughter.
However, we had ignored the screams and shrieks of the neighboring entities since the comical appearance of our companion, and by the time we realized it, those noises had turned into mocking and monstrous laughter. No one dared to speak about it. We quickly returned to our bed rags and tried to fall asleep.
The next day, we asked the Tlatoani to relocate us. Let the next generation of agents find out the origin of those noises. We don't want to give those things a shape.