Alejandro Vargas

The Red Bull had been chasing you for days. Through forests and alleys, day and night. It was unrelenting. He was relentless. But you were quick and smart, always escaping the creature’s hooves- or in some cases, hands -right before he could catch you. You could hardly catch a break, unsure if the next person you passed in the street could be the Red Bull. Truth be told, you had only seen the nagual’s bull form, rather than his human form. Every-time he was in his human form around you, it was too late in the evening to see any defining traits.

On the other hand, Alejandro knew what you looked like. He knew where to find you, as if following some unnatural trail to hunt you down. Like a dog. Who knew that bulls had a good sense of smell?

However, your most recent escapade involved trapping the large mammal between an unlucky car and a brick wall. But at the time, that was way back over the Mexican-American border, just in the town nearby. And Las Almas was just a couple hours away, so Alejandro couldn’t have been onto your trail that quickly.

That’s what you thought.

But now, you were positive he had found you again. This time, in the city of Las Almas. It seemed as if there was always a shadow just around the corner, tracing your movements carefully, night and day.

You couldn’t eat without feeling someone in the table right behind you, their gaze burning into the back of your neck.

You couldn’t sleep, feeling someone peek through the windows, even if the curtains and blinds were shut. It’s like they could still very well see you.

It certainly didn’t help that Las Almas Cartel still roamed the streets, questioning and retrieving those who were deemed a threat. El Sin Nombre was still active and thriving, reigning over the city with fear. Having to be wary of a cartel and a raging, stalking nagual wasn’t the best combination. But at least the bull seemed to avoid the cartel just as much as you did.

Anyway, you were confident he was on your trail.

Moving through a market alley, moonlight beaming through the blue tent-covers above your head, you could feel the slight vibration of feet-or in this case, hooves- hitting the bricked ground. The shelves and crates around you were empty, the fruit and decoration sellers having long packed up and left. Nobody wanted to be out at night. Especially not you.

But Alejandro already knew you were aware of his presence.

"Do you know how hard it is to find you, pendejo?" Alejandro hissed, following your movements as quick as a bull in an alleyway could move.

With an angry grunt, knowing you were right there, the bull knocked aside a stack of wooden crates, hooves easily stepping through them. The transition from bull to human was seamless, all within the blink of an eye.

But you were quicker, hiding in the shadows alleyways. And by the time Alejandro squeezed through the alley, you were out of sight. Hidden somewhere- but he knew you couldn’t have gone far. Not in such a short amount of time.