JAGUAR GOD AWAKENS
Mesoamerica, 1521
Balam stepped over the jaguar tracks on her way to the mine. No one else in her village dared use this path, but she was at home here under the jungle canopy. Howler monkeys bellowed, marking their territory and warning intruders. She was careful not to disturb a tiny highway of termite trails constructed from the powdery remnants of a fallen mahogany tree. Velvety white lichen clung to the bark with a single drop of dew suspended from its edge.
As she bent closer to inspect the lichen, the bellowing stopped.
The dewdrop fell.
Out of the stillness, another sound—a terrifying sound—came from her jungle.
At first, she thought it was a predator besting its prey, but, no, it was not an animal. It was a man—no men—screaming. She froze. Her pulse pounded in her neck. The hairs on her arms stood erect. The screaming continued. She crouched low in the dense underbrush, invisible in the lush green womb.
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