(published in Dark Waters Anthology Volume 2, Dec. 20, 2024. Edited by Kirstyn Petras, and N.B. Turner)

“Ahuizotl” by Victor De Anda

Juarez, Mexico—1984

You’re just another asshole, but she doesn’t know that yet. Nobody does.

We’re sitting at the bar when Carol flips the blonde curls away from her angular cheekbones. Is she bored? At school she’s prim and proper, but tonight she looks drop-dead dangerous. Her face glows in the light of the Kentucky Club, her perfume a mix of sweet and earthy scents. 

Say something. Don’t let this date die before it’s even started.

Something catches Carol’s eye and gives me the chance to steal a look at the rest of her. The geometric shapes on her tight-fitting sweater dress contrast with the winding curves of her body. My eyes blink hard to make sure all of this is real. It is, and she’s the diamond in this shitty Juarez dive bar, that’s for sure. 

The bar’s front door crashes open and another clump of noisy Americans pours inside—a menagerie of jocks, nerds, and sorority girls. It’s just another Saturday night in J-Town. All kinds flock to Juarez from across the border in El Paso and points beyond. Not for the sights, but for the drinking. No matter who you are, your American money’s good here. As long as you’re seventeen or look like it, no one cares.

Compliment her.

My eyes meet Carol’s again. “You smell really nice,” I say. “ What’s that perfume you’re wearing?”

She cracks a smile, her cheeks flush. “You’re sweet, Richie,” she says. “It’s called Giorgio.”

“Giorgio, huh? I’ll have to make a note of that,” I say.

She looks at something else off to the side. “Can you believe that we’re seniors?” she says. “You apply to any colleges yet?”

Keep the conversation going. Tell her something personal.

I try to draw her attention back. “I want to go to film school, maybe USC or UCLA, but my parents think I should stick to journalism. How about you?”

She looks at me again. “I haven’t decided on a major, so I’ll probably just do general ed classes at UTEP.”

Just then, a trio of young Republicans in button-downs and boat shoes wedge themselves between the two of us, vying for the bartender’s attention. They all look fresh-faced and ready to vote for Reagan again. One of them runs his eyes all over Carol. He’s wearing a Phi Tau pledge pin. 

“Carol Perkins?” he says.

She looks up at him from her barstool. “Jerry? Hey, what are you doing here?”

His face lights up like he’s been handed an oversized check from the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes. “Just out with the guys. You want some company?”

Carol glances over at me. “I’m here with my friend Richie Alvarez. Do you know him?”

Friend.

The frat dude spins around to face me and offers his hand. “Hey man, I’m Jerry, nice to meet you.”

What an asshole.

I smile without showing my teeth. “What’s up.”

Jerry pulls his hand back and yanks a twenty from his jeans pocket. He holds it up to grab the bartender’s attention. In his other hand is a slip of neon pink paper. “Oh, check this out,” he says, passing the flyer to Carol. “There’s a freak show at one of the bars around here. Some place called Nosferatu.”

Carol glances at the flyer then hands it to me. “Sounds creepy.”

The bartender appears. “Si señores, what would you like to drink?”

“Tres cervezas, por favor,” Jerry says. He glances at Carol. “You want another one?”

She smiles. “Sure, thanks.”

Jerry doesn’t ask me. Instead, he addresses the bartender. “Make that four Coronas, gracias.”

The bartender walks away when Jerry turns to me. “Sorry dude, did you want another beer?”

“No thanks,” I say. “I’m good.”

Jackass.

Jerry’s buddies drop back to check out the club’s surroundings. I study the flyer to find out more about the freak show. Jerry drones on to Carol about what it’s like to pledge a fraternity. 

I interrupt the conversation. “Carol, we should go check out this Ahuizotl.”

“Ahh wee what?” Carol says. 

Jerry frowns.

“AHH-WEE-ZOH-TULL,” I sound it out for them. “The great Aztec water dog. It could be fun. Make our date more interesting.”

Jerry’s eyebrows slide up his face. “Oh shit,” he says. “You two are here on a date? I didn’t realize—”

The bartender shows up with the beers. Jerry hands them to Carol and his buddies.

Carol’s face turns stiff. “I wouldn’t call it a date—” she says. 

Be strong.

“It was going great until you showed up,” I tell Jerry.

Jerry steps back, his hands raised in surrender. “Say no more dude, I’ll leave you two alone now. Carol, let’s catch up soon.” Jerry and his buddies head to a spot off the dance floor in the middle of the club.

Carol doesn’t say anything. 

Now play it cool.

I drum my hands on the bar top. “So how do you know Jerry?”

“He graduated from Northwood last year, don’t you remember him?”

I spin on my barstool to face Carol. “Nope, can’t say that I do.”

Carol looks surprised. “He took the varsity basketball team to the state finals last year? He got a full scholarship to UTEP.”

“Never went to a game,” I say. “Sports just aren’t my thing.”

Carol shakes her head in disapproval. “They’re not for everyone, I guess.”

As if on cue, the Kentucky Club’s jukebox comes to life with the wavering synthesizer sounds of Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”

“Oh my God, I love this song,” Carol says. “Have you heard it yet?” She lip-syncs the opening sermon.

Her face glows and my heart thrums like I’m on the first drop of a rollercoaster. 

The song kicks into high gear when Prince screams, and groups of kids scramble to the dance floor.  

“You wanna dance?” she yells into my ear.

Fuck. Anything but dancing. 

I grimace and lean into her ear. “Maybe, I’ve got to go to the men’s room.”

“What?” she says over the music.

“I need to pee.”

Carol gives me a half-hearted smile. “Oh, okay,” she says.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell her.

She gives me the thumbs up and takes another swig of her beer.

In the men’s room I stand at the aluminum trough and piss into it. The trough is filled with ice, which is weird. 

Why did she have to ask me to dance? 

I avoid tipping the men’s room attendant and head back out to our spot at the bar. But Carol’s stool is empty. The Prince song is still blaring, the dance floor is crowded with gyrating kids, but there’s no sign of her. My eyes search the club. Jerry’s buddies are still standing on the sidelines, checking out the drunk girls dancing with each other. Jerry’s not with them. They’re both gone.

What the fuck.

The crisp October air slaps me in the face as I step outside the club. The street’s crowded with more American high school and college kids, all of them carousing like it’s spring break. Lots of yelling and drunken conversations. The restaurants and clubs lining the main drag light up the night with their neon signs and flashing bulbs. 

On the horizon, the distant lights of El Paso shimmer through a curtain of Mexican haze. I check my watch. 10pm. I’ve got a midnight curfew, but I’m willing to miss it for the chance to kiss Carol. 

She bailed on you. Leave her ass here and go home.

I push through the crowds, passing various food vendors on the sidewalk with their portable grills. The air’s thick with the savory smells of carne asada and pork for street tacos. I should feel hungry, but instead it’s nausea that’s creeping through me. 

I make my way down the row of clubs and restaurants. Short, stocky men stand in front of each doorway, calling out to the passing crowd like carnival barkers. “Drink especiales tonight!” “Ladies get in free!” “Chicas Bonitas!”

A local walks past me and hands me a flyer as he shouts. “Come see the eighth wonder of the world! Ahuiztol, the great Water Dog and protector! Only at Nosferatu! No cover for the ladies!” I pocket the flyer.

Further down the block at the next traffic light, the crowds have thinned out. It’s mostly just locals walking around this part of town. A panaderia stands at the corner, its lights still on at this hour. The front door opens and the sugary smells of cookies and cakes floats out into the street. Maybe I should get some pan dulce for Carol. Or does she even like Mexican sweet bread?

A girl’s laughter fills the air. It sounds like Carol. I step inside the panaderia to investigate. No sign of her. When I come back out, I hear the laughter again. It’s close. I peek around the corner and my chest snaps like a rubber band that’s been wrapped too tight.

No fucking way.

Carol leans up against the side of the panaderia while Jerry towers over her, his left hand caressing her curly hair. He turns away to take a drag off a cigarette, then hands it to her. Carol holds the cigarette in her long fingers and pulls Jerry’s face closer to hers. They kiss long and hard.

My eyelids flutter, and I step back behind the corner. My heart pounds so loud that my ears ache from the pulsing. 

Enough of this bullshit, just go home.

Instead I take a deep breath and head towards them, my muscles tightening. Jerry notices me and backs away from Carol, straightening his posture. He’s Frankenstein-tall and nothing but arms and legs. 

“There you are,” I say to Carol. “Was wondering where you went.”

Jerry takes a long hit off his cigarette and stares me down. He even gives me a slight smile.

“We just stepped out for a smoke.” Carol brushes the hair away from her face and looks at me. “ We were about to head back, weren’t we, Jerry?”

“Yeah, sure,” Jerry says.

My eyes dart back and forth between the two of them.

She’s here with you. Show her who’s boss.

My tongue’s paralyzed.

Carol looks at me with defiant eyes. “You got something to say, Richie?”

I shake my head and stare at the ground. “Y-You had me worried for a minute, that’s all.”

Pathetic.

“I can take care of myself, Richie,” Carol says. “Thank you, though.”

Jerry walks past me and gives me a tap on the shoulder. “No need to worry, dude.”

Jackass.

I reach into my back pocket and pull out the Nosferatu flyer. I hand it to Carol. “Why don’t we check out this Ahuizotl thing? Sounds like fun, right?”

Jerry stops and turns around. “Now that’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.”

Carol studies the flyer and nods. “I don’t know, I’m not good with scary stuff.”

I try standing as tall as I can, hoping Carol notices. She doesn’t. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re okay.”

Jerry laughs and shoves me from behind. “C’mon, Carol, it’ll be fun. I’ll see if the guys want to go too.”

Tell this motherfucker to piss off.

I spin around to face Jerry. “I was just asking Carol, you imbecile.” My voice cracks. “Try being a gentleman for once.”

Jerry laughs and stubs out his cigarette on the sidewalk. He glances at Carol, then gives me a fierce stare. “That’s just not my style, is it Carol?”

Carol nods her head and shrugs. “No, it isn’t,” she says. Then she looks at me. “Okay Richie, let’s try this freak show.” 

“Alright, it’s settled,” Jerry says. “C’mon Richie, afraid we’ll leave you all alone with this Ahuizotl thing?”

Punch this dickhead.

“Fine. Let’s all go,” I say. 

It’s 10:30 by the time we get to Nosferatu. Located just a few blocks off the main drag, the bar has seen better days. The sign above the door is rusted, with multiple burned out light bulbs on it. A steady crowd of American kids pulse in and out of the club, so it can’t be too dangerous. The freak show’s probably just a marketing ploy to drum up business. 

Inside, the bar’s long and narrow, its walls painted crimson red. The air’s heavy with clove cigarette smoke. Round tables fill the space. No dance floor here. The vibe’s more sinister than the Kentucky Club. The lighting’s dimmer too, the corners of the club are dark and shadowy. I squint to see several entangled couples sitting at the tables, using the darkness as cover for their behavior. More of a make-out place I guess. “True” by Spandau Ballet plays, but I can’t tell where the jukebox is. 

“Cool place,” Jerry says. “The guys are missing out.” 

“Too bad they didn’t want to come,” I say. “We could use more meat at this sausage fest.”

Carol chuckles. It’s the first time I’ve made her laugh tonight. 

Jerry looks at both me and Carol. “My sausage is all you need.”

Carol steals a glance at Jerry. 

A bartender walks to the end of the counter and puts a microphone to his mouth. The metallic screech of audio feedback fills the air for a second before he speaks over the bar’s PA system. 

“Damas y caballeros…ladies and gentlemen…please head to the green door at the back of the bar to see the one, the only AHUIZOTL! Tickets for the show are just cinco dolares, only five dollars! Bring your drinks if you like.”

Carol pulls a crumpled twenty dollar bill from her purse. “This one’s on me,” she says. “I owe you for driving tonight, Richie.”

“That’s nice, thank you,” I say.

We line up at the green door, along with a group of other willing American students. The bartender walks up and opens the door. Beyond it, a long, dark hallway stretches back, a single faint light burning at the end of it. The bartender turns to us with an open palm. “How many?”

Carol hands him the money. “Three, please.”

The bartender gives her a big smile and rips the tickets from his roll, handing them to each of us. Then he gives Carol her change and motions for us to enter the hallway. “Muchas gracias, please hand your tickets to the man at the end of the hallway. Enjoy the show, and remember, no touching or feeding Ahuizotl. Buenas noches.”

 Our group steps into the hallway as the bartender shuts the door behind us. The light is dim. The air reeks of shit, piss, and wet straw.

“My god,” Carol says, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.

The hallway pulses with an eerie orange glow from the single light source at the end of the hallway. A man’s voice emanates from it. “Bienvenidos, welcome ladies and gentlemen. Please walk towards the light. Ahuizotl will arrive shortly,” he says. 

Carol and Jerry shuffle ahead of me down the narrow hallway. The other people in our party scoot along behind me.

As we move forward, Carol and Jerry walk side by side. 

My eyes are getting accustomed to the dark when I notice Jerry’s hand grazing Carol’s backside. 

What the hell?

Jerry’s palming Carol’s ass cheek like a basketball and her hand’s on top of his, guiding it, massaging it. My pulse quickens and my head swirls. 

Fuck this shit. Leave both of their asses now. Just go.

Something grows in the pit of my stomach. It’s the same dread that builds when the teacher chooses me to read out loud in Social Studies. Or when the assholes in Phys Ed play keep-away with my underwear in the locker room after class. But instead of running from the feeling like I usually do, this time I embrace it. 

When we reach the light at the end of the hallway, there’s another room off to the left. Camping lanterns hang on the walls inside. Several people in our group hack and cough from the stench, which is even stronger back here. Straight ahead of us at the end of the hallway is another door with a backlit red EXIT sign above it. 

A man appears from inside the low-lit room. He’s built like a fireplug. He grabs our tickets and stretches out his arm with a welcoming gesture. “Please come in, ladies and gentlemen, but stay against the left wall. Ahuizotl will be here soon.” He walks out the back exit door.

Our group creeps inside the room and hugs the left wall. A makeshift fence made of chicken wire and two-by-fours stands alongside the opposite wall. Hay covers the floor beyond the fence. 

“This is so weird,” says one of the other kids in our party. 

“I smell a rip-off,” Jerry says.

The back exit door creaks open and everyone turns toward the sound. Heavy footsteps and the pitter-patter of tiny clawed feet fill the air. The back door closes with a thud.  

 The fireplug guy reappears and cups his hands around his mouth like a megaphone. “Please step back, ladies and gentlemen, and say hello to Ahuizotl, the Aztec wonder of the world. He is glad to see you.”

The little footsteps get closer, along with what sounds like a chain. Ahuizotl and his handler enter the dim light of the room. 

Our group lets out a collective gasp. One of the girls behind us lets out a drunk guffaw instead.

Ahuizotl is the size of a small dog with pointed ears and dark, wet fur. He gets led behind the chicken wire fence and stares at us with colorless eyes. 

“What the fuck?” Jerry says, pointing at the creature.

The handler unclips the chainlink leash so that Ahuizotl can move around freely behind the chicken wire barrier. 

Two drunk girls behind me push their way out. “Fuck this, we’re getting the hell out of here,” one of them says. The fireplug guy escorts them to the back door. 

“Thank you ladies, buenas noches,” he says as they exit.

Ahuizotl paces along the chicken wire fence, eyeing us intently. 

The handler speaks up. “Do not be afraid of Ahuizotl, unless of course, you have polluted our country’s waters.”

“What the fuck is it?” Jerry asked. 

The handler ignores Jerry. “Ahuizotl, translated from the Aztec language, means ‘water dog.’ The ahuizotl were sent by the gods to protect the rivers and lakes of Mexico. This one protects the Rio Grande right here in Juarez.”

“Take a closer look, if you like,” the handler says.

The creature stops and stands on its hind legs, its fleshy tail writhing. It grabs onto the chicken wire with its tiny fingers. Ahuizotl lets out a piercing wail like a cranky baby. 

The handler pulls out a red tomato from a paper bag and holds it up for everyone to see. “Ahuizotl is hungry, that is why he cries. In the ancient times, he would feast on human eyes, nails, and teeth. Nowadays, he enjoys tomatoes. Perhaps it reminds him of what his ancestors ate long ago.”

Carol puts a hand to her mouth. “This is fucking crazy,” she says. Jerry puts his arm around her and she wraps hers around him. She slides her hand into the back pocket of his Levi’s. My chest hurts again from all this touchy feely stuff. 

Why not me?

The creature cries again and stares at us with his pleading eyes. His fur is spiky from being wet, his skin-colored tail long and muscular. Ahuizotl’s got to be a possum, it’s the only explanation. My eyes are drawn back to Carol and Jerry. Now Jerry’s hand has lifted up her sweater dress from behind. I see a flash of Carol’s bare butt cheek as Jerry caresses it.

Carol lets out a faint gasp. “Stop it, Jerry.” She shoves his hand away to cover herself again.

I can barely hear anything now over the lub-dub filling my ears. My heart pounds like a jackhammer in overdrive. 

Ahuizotl spots the tomato and becomes agitated. He rubs his tiny hands together, eager for a taste. The handler reaches down behind the chicken wire barrier and hands Ahuizotl the vegetable. Ahuizotl grabs it and begins gnawing into it eagerly. His teeth are small and sharp. 

“Oh my god,” Carol says. “Look at him eat.”

Jerry pulls away from Carol and closer to Ahuizotl. “This is a joke,” he says. “It’s just a possum.”

The handler puts himself between Jerry and Ahuizotl. “Señor please step back. Do not startle Ahuizotl. He is very excitable. Please.”

Jerry gets into the handler’s face. “We want our money back.” 

Carol hops up to Jerry and tugs on the belt loops of his jeans. “C’mon baby, don’t freak him out.” 

My head throbs and my stomach’s doing somersaults. 

What the fuck is going on?  

“Jerry, let’s just get out of here,” Carol pleads. “We should be heading home anyways.”

Jerry pushes her off and addresses the handler. “We’re not leaving until we get our money back,” he slurs. “You understand refundo, señor?”

I creep up to the chicken-wire barrier and Ahuizotl moves toward me, looking for more food.

The handler shakes his head and raises his hands. “I do not carry any money, señor. You will need to talk to the bartender. I’m sorry you are not enjoying the show.”

Carol yanks the back of Jerry’s shirt. “Let’s just go. You can stay in my room tonight.”

White flashes stab my eyes and my head swirls. Tonight’s been a shitstorm from the start.

Jerry ignores Carol. Instead, he gets into the handler’s face even more. “I’m getting our money back first,” he tells Carol. “You owe us fifteen dollars. Quince dolares, comprende?”

The handler isn’t backing down. He’s probably seen his share of drunk Americans before.

I look into Ahuizotl’s black eyes as I lean in even closer to the barrier. He’s panting hard now, saliva dripping from his small, sharp teeth. I reach into my front pants pocket and search for an offering. I unwrap it and present it to Ahuizotl. He almost smiles at me when he sees it. Then he snatches the Tootsie Roll from my palm and gnaws on it like a five-year-old satisfying their sugar tooth. 

Ahuizotl’s handler notices what I’m doing. He turns away from Jerry toward me. “Señor, please, don’t feed the animal,” he says. “He will only want more.”

Jerry seizes the moment to give the handler a kidney punch from behind. The handler recoils from the hit. 

“We want our fucking money,” Jerry says as he jabs at the handler again. Now the handler’s fed up, he spins around and throws a left hook that catches Jerry in the ribs. 

The rest of the kids in our group run out of the room and out the back exit door. 

Carol tries to hold Jerry back, grasping for a handhold. 

“Leave me alone,” Jerry says, shoving her off. “I’m getting our money back.”

Ahuizotl swallows the last half of the Tootsie Roll without chewing and licks his lips. He climbs to the top of the chicken-wire barrier to get closer to me and more food. All the commotion is making Ahuizotl even more agitated as he lets out a deep growl. 

“Jerry, let’s go NOW,” Carol screams. She gets behind Jerry to pull him away when he cocks his right arm back for another swing. The sound of crunching celery fills the air as his elbow connects with her nose. Carol cries out and puts her hands to her face, blood dripping down the front of her sweater.

Carol stares in shock at her hands, wet with crimson. “You’re a real asshole, Jerry!”

Jerry turns and reaches out to Carol. ”I’m sorry babe, I didn’t see you there.”

The handler sees an opening and pummels Jerry in the ear. All this does is piss off Jerry even more. He throws another punch back at the handler. 

I glare at Jerry and Carol and back at Ahuizotl. All of this is Jerry’s fault. He’s fucked up everything tonight. I reach down into the pen and grab Ahuizotl by the tail with my bare hand. He grips the fence with his tiny fingers and hisses at me. 

After a few seconds of me tugging on his tail, Ahuizotl relents and lets go of the chicken-wire. His body writhes in the air as I hold him up like a prize. I offer him up to Jerry and the handler. 

The handler sees what I’ve done. “No señor, please don’t!” he shouts. 

Jerry turns to me and I fling Ahuizotl at him. The creature lands on Jerry’s chest and claws away at it, shredding Jerry’s shirt until he gets to exposed skin. Ahuizotl lets out a high-pitched wail like a siren. 

Jerry stumbles backwards, grabbing at Ahuizotl. “Get this fucking thing off me!” 

The handler wipes the blood from his mouth and reaches into his back pocket for some heavy-duty gloves. He puts them on and reaches out for the animal. “Señor, take it easy, let me get him for you.”

Jerry’s not listening. Instead he’s trying to grab Ahuizotl’s whipping tail, but he can’t get  a hold of it. Ahuizotl sinks his teeth into Jerry’s chest and bites off a chunk of flesh. Jerry lets out a scream. Ahuizotl tears off another mouthful.

I turn to see how Carol’s doing. She’s holding a wad of bloody tissues to her nose. 

“I got you now, you little fucker,” Jerry yells. He manages to get a grip on Ahuizotl’s tail and yanks him off his chest. Blood stains cover Jerry’s shirt as he holds Ahuizotl out at arm’s length. 

“Señor, please,” the handler says. “Give him to me.”

Ahuizotl is pissed as Jerry holds him in the air by his tail like a fish he’s caught at the lake.  

“I’ll give this little fucker back, alright,” Jerry says. 

Jerry spins Ahuizotl by his tail like a hammer thrower.

“Jerry, no,” Carol shouts. Her nose is swollen now, her mouth and chin covered in dried blood.

Ahuizotl is a blur as Jerry spins him hard. Then he lets go of the animal and everything moves in slow motion. Ahuizotl sails through the air towards the back wall. The handler reaches out for his beloved creature but is too late, his mouth wide open in a scream. Ahuizotl is oblivious to the impending impact. 

Back in real time, Ahuizotl hits the back wall with a dull, wet thud. Blood splatters on the dingy wallpaper as his body bounces and then drops to the floor. Ahuizotl is either stunned or badly injured.

The handler places his gloved hands on Ahuizotl’s motionless body and turns to Jerry. “Señor, I suggest you leave before I call the police.”

I walk over to Carol and put my hand on her shoulder. “Let me take you home,” I say.

“Fuck off, Richie,” she says. “Coming here was your idea. This is all your fault.”

I glance over at Jerry. He catches his breath and looks around the room. He looks back at Carol. “We need to get the fuck out of here,” he says.  

He’s right.

I head out the exit door without looking back once. Behind me, I hear Carol and Jerry whispering apologies to one another and trading consoling kisses. My heart feels like a brick in my chest.  

Outside, the crisp October air cools my face and clears the shit stink from my nose. A police siren blares in the distance, moving closer. I check my watch. 1:20am. Beyond the alley, along the far horizon, I can make out the lights of El Paso across the border. Time to go home and get a talking-to from my worried parents. I’ll probably get grounded, but I don’t care. 

Carol will tell all her friends about tonight. By the end of school on Monday, everyone will know what an asshole I am. It might not be a bad thing after all.