El Noche de muerte
Recently, a new archeological site in Veracruz, Mexico was discovered. Uniquely, it's almost completely underground and it seems to be of Toltec origin, or another similar Nahuatl culture.
Marco, a self described "amateur archeologist" who was also failing his archeology courses in university, was very much interested in this new site. We just had to go and see it. However, it was completely off limits to the public until further notice. This wasn't inherently odd, since many old sites could be harmed if people visiting weren't careful, but Marco seemed to not give a shit.
He decided to go out, late October. "Tonight is too perfect. Everyone else is getting ready for Dia de Los Muertos, so they can't stop me as easily. Just gotta get outta town quick enough." Marco, conveniently, lived in a town that wasn't too terribly far from the site. It was still a decent drive, but he'd definitely risk it.
"Marco? Where are you off to?" His roommate asked him.
"Just heading out into town for the night." He answered.
"Okay? Seeya later?" His roommate asked.
"Definitely." He responded.
After a few hours driving, he had gotten a bit lost. "God damn it. I must've made a wrong turn somewhere." Since the site was new, and off limits, it actually still wasn't on the maps app, so he couldn't depend on it to get there. "I'll try and backtrack a bit, maybe that'd help."
After driving back a bit and into a clearing, he was still not sure where to go. "Fuck, I should've been there by now. If I don't figure it out soon, someone will start looking for me."
Suddenly, someone tapped on his car window.
"Ah!" It spooked him. "Oh, uh, hello there?"
A taller lady, with a black shirt with a spider on it, darker skin, prosthetic arms and peach colored hair was at his window. "Are you lost? I've never seen you here before." She asked.
"Oh yeah. Uh, I'm actually trying to find this uh- newly discovered Toltec site!" He explained. "I-I'm uh…. Checking on it's condition. I was sent by the museum! I'm professor Marco" Marco lied, unconvincingly.
"Oh yeah! Just pass by those trees there, take a left and after a few meters, take a right and after some more driving you'll find it." She said, very helpfully.
"Oh! Th-thanks!" He said back.
As he got the car ready to go, he waved the girl off. "Thanks again, uh-"
"You can call me Nelia" She told him.
"Thanks Nelia!" He said.
After the short drive, and following Nelia's directions he was at the site. It was surrounded by warning signs and fencing, but oddly nobody was guarding the site.
"All these signs, but no one here to physically stop me or report my actions. Nice!" Marco said aloud to himself.
The visible part was just a small stone structure, with an entrance leading to stairs, that took you to the main part of the temple. As Marco navigated the signs and fencing, to not show obvious signs of being here, he felt his excitement rise and rise.
He finally reached the main entrance, and started his way down the stairs. "So far so good, and so far I don't think I'm damaging any-THING!" As he said that, one of the steps crumbled and he tripped down the stairs.
"Fuuuuuck…." He said as he laid on the ground. He got back up, and looked back at the step that crumbled. "Fuck, hopefully that won't be noticed" He worried.
He then started to actually look around at where he was. "Wow, very macabre" he commented.
The site was very creepy in nature. There were skulls everywhere, along with artwork depicting monstrous beings decorating the walls. "Maybe this was a place for sacrifices? Would explain the skulls and shit" He commented, as he walked forward.
Walking along, he also noticed sacrificial knives, old spears, animal bones and other things that'd creep out most people.
Marco eventually made his way to what seemed to be the end of the seeming sacrificial temple. In the center, was a round stone structure, with something terrifying on it.
"I-is that… a fresh heart?!" He nearly screamed.
It really was, before him on the altar, was a still very fresh heart, with red blood surrounding it. "I-is someone still using this for worship?! Is this why this place is off limits?!" Questions like these were racing through his head, then he noticed something above the altar, artwork depicting what seemed to be a god. This being seemed feminine in nature, with stone arms covered in spikes, sharp animalistic teeth in her mouth, and haunting red and purple eyes. Oddly, unlike most mesoamerican artworks, she wasn't depicted in profile, but front on. This had her facing Marco full on.
"God, I don't think I've seen this deity before. W-wait, is that her name down there?" He noticed glyphs underneath her, thankfully even though he was failing his archeology courses, he could at least read these glyphs.
"Ne-nex…. Nexoxcho? That's an interesting name." He then looked back up at the art, and when he saw her face, she looked back at him.
"AH FUCK!" He screamed, the surprise making him trip backwards. He picked himself back up and started running back to the entrance. As he ran, he had a horrifying chill running down his back, he needed to leave as quickly as possible!
Eventually, he made it up the stairs, nearly tripping again but still booking it up to escape.
It had started to pour rain when he was in there, but the fear in him stopped him from caring about that, and from caring about all the warning signs and fencing. He ram past it all, to get to his car. Once he got in, he took a minute to stop and just breathe.
"Wh-what the fuck was that?!" He said to himself. "Is that God coming to get me or something?" He questioned. "I gotta get out of here!"
He then tried to start his car, but it wouldn't start up. "No no no! C'mon, we gotta go!" But it wasn't cooperating, and his fear was growing.
Then he heard a tap at his window again. "AAAHH!" He screamed.
"Woah! You okay?" He heard.
When he looked at the window, he saw Nelia again, holding an umbrella to shield herself from the rain.
"O-oh! Nelia. I thought you were something else." Marco said, as he rolled down his window. "This stupid thing won't start! And I'd very much like to leave soon."
"Well that's not good." She responded back. "Hmmm, tell ya what. I'll take you to my place tonight, and we can get someone to help with the car in the morning!" She offered.
"O-oh? Really? Are you sure about that? You don't even really know me." He questioned.
"Yeah, but I can tell you're harmless, and you need somewhere to stay. C'mon, I'll take you there, it's not far" She said.
He stepped out of the car, Nelia actually handing him the Umbrella to hold.
"So, what were you doing near the site, anyways?" He questioned her.
"I like to hang around the area, it's very fun. Sometimes I look close to the site, noticed some interesting stuff happen there" She talked.
"Huh, interesting… you uh- ever gone in?" He asked.
"Oh no, I would never. It's far too dangerous. I've considered it, but it's not something I'd risk." She answered.
Eventually, a town was within sight, and Marco felt some relief to finally at least be somewhere warm.
Eventually though, he realized something was not right. The town was completely empty. And not only that, but it looked to have been abandoned for ages, falling apart. "N-Nelia, this is where you li-" but she was gone.
That chill down his spine from the temple was very much back. "Fuck, was she a ghost or something? Y'know what, I'm not dealing with this horror movie stuff, I'll be lea- OH FUCK!" As he turned back, he actually saw a giant tree fallen behind him, blocking his path back. "H-how did I not hear or feel that fall?"
"I-I guess I'm going into the ghost town." He said, as he went towards it.
Despite the place looking very much empty, he couldn't escape the feeling that he was being watched by hundreds of eyes. Eventually, he saw a tree with a piece of paper attached, somewhat blowing in the wind. It was a missing person's poster, and it had Nelia's face on it.
"Sh-she really was a ghost!" He said out loud when he saw the poster.
"Not quite" He heard behind him.
He turned quickly towards the source of the voice, but nothing. He continued on, eventually seeing a large building in the center, with the least damage of all the buildings, he decided to take shelter there.
He opened the door, stepped in and it was pitch black inside. He took out his phone to use it's flashlight, only to be immediately greeted by a the same mural of the goddess Nexoxcho hanging on a wall in the building. "OH GOD!" He screamed.
Immediately, his phone shut off. "N-no! You still had plenty of batte-" then the door slammed open behind him.
Standing there, was Nelia again.
"Y-you! Wh-what do you want?!" Marco demanded.
And in a creepy voice, Nelia answered "Oh, I just wanted to have a little bit of fun."
"Wh-what?! Am I just a toy for you?!" He exclaimed.
"Yeeesss." She said, as her body started convulsing and shaking. Her body stretched even taller, her stomach opened up a mouth with sharp teeth and a long tongue inside. Her prosthetic arms turn stone, with spikes adorning it. Her eyes turned a haunting red and purple. And huge tentacle sprouted out of her back.
"W-wait!" Marco said with horror. "Y-you're-"
"NEXOXCHO!" She screamed monstrously.
Before a tentacle grabbed Marco by the throat, and pulled him towards her. And the last thing he saw, was her mouth opening very wide as he was pulled in.
Teot-tober day 31
Nelia/Nexoxcho
Hope you guys liked the story! It's my first attempt at something like horror! Really hope it turned out well! And I also hope you enjoy the artwork of Nelia/Nexoxcho!
Nelia by Miuchat and Nexoxcho art by Sageyaku, both on twitter.
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