The Dark Spirits Beneath by Kason Laufenberg (lightweight ebook reader txt) 📕

Lanie's olive complexion instantly flushed, "I... uhh... I guess so?... I mean..."

"Alright, alright... you've all made your point!" Ruiz boomed over the commotion that was beginning to escalate, "We'll take five, and pick this up again after a short rest to refuel," he walked a few meters away and sat down on a rock, before adding, "SHORT REST!" The professor shook his head, similar to the way a defeated parent would, and produced a worn composition book to continue reviewing his notes.

Lanie similarly sat down and, after hydrating, pulled out her book of Mayan Folklore, and resumed her own research. Becca, having observed this, shook her head and made a motion to get Layla's attention, before whispering, "poor girl. Y' know, if she isn't careful, she's liable to end up like her old man over there!" Becca took a long swig of water before a smile crept across her face, and she went on, "reckon we oughta do something."

Before she knew it, Layla was chasing after Becca, wondering what it was she had in mind. She knew, however, that unlike perhaps James, Becca's heart always seemed to be in the right place, and Layla often found herself admiring, maybe even attracted to the girl's confidence and charisma. Whatever Becca was up to with Lanie, Layla didn't have any problem following her lead.

"Oye, Lanie! Heads up!" She watched as Becca threw a wrapped protien bar in the direction of their resident bookworm.

Lanie responded with a slightly startled jolt and bent down to pick up the bar where it had landed near her feet. "Oh... uh... thanks," she responds, meekly, flushing a bit out of the embarrassment of being called out.

"Come on, I can't sit still. Why don't you take a quick hike with us?" Layla chimed in, pushing aside a branch of very large green leaves, revealing the closest thing to a "path" this jungle had to offer. With an awkward, reluctant smile, Lanie relented and followed the other two girls as they explored the vicinity of their chosen rest point. "What're you reading, anyway?" Layla inquired, looking over at the book, still tucked under Lanie's arm. A surprised Becca turned to her and gives a slight smile as if to admire her prying.

"What, this?" Lanie fumbled with the book, closing it and shoving it briskly into her pack, in an attempt to obscure the label from view, at least a little. "It's nothing. Just research. I was just thinking it might be a good idea to know what it was we were looking for out here."

"Lanie, you wrote your bloody midterm paper on Mayan Cosmology and Archaeoastronomy!" Becca interrupted, rolling with laughter, "You don't exactly strike me as someone who needs a refresher!"

"Yeah," Layla agreed, "I thought you already knew more about this stuff than any of us."

"Yeah, well," Lanie flushed a bit more, as she averted her gaze from the others, though still holding on to a hint of an endearing smile, "I guess I've always really loved the Myan culture. I grew up with my dad telling me all the stories since I was little. Most little girls I suppose got Cinderella and Rapunzel. I got stories about Hunahpu and Xbalanque," the other girls just stared blankly, "The Hero Twins?" Lanie clarified, sounding a bit like a quieter, more reserved and less condescending version of her father, before recoiling a bit once again, scrunching up her shoulders out of embarrassment, "I guess that was just me."

"Wait... so, like, he told you all that stuff as a kid? With all the violence and human sacrifice and stuff?" Layla couldn't seem to hide her genuine shock and disapproval.

"Well... yeah? I mean, I guess? He omitted a bit of the more graphic subject matter, of course," Lanie stammered, fidgeted with adjusting her glasses, and seeming more and more embarrassed as this conversation went on. Though, it would appear that a part of her was at least enjoying the attention and practice in socializing. "Those stories aren't all that bad, really if you think about it. I mean, yeah, there's all the death and human sacrifice and everything, but it's so much more than that.

"I guess I always saw the Mayan gods and myths as more tactile. More real than anything you'd get in, say, the Bible, or in the Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses. Like, in these stories, these are still deities, of course, but the thing is, they don't behave like deities. Not really. They're more human. More like us. They can love and They can hate, They can be selfish. Jealous. Vain. Curious. Kind. Their driving motivation is to be praised and appreciated, and loved by someone else. I think..." Lanie paused, and let escape a slight sigh, before continuing, "I think we can all relate to those things on at least some level, right?"

The two girls had stopped walking and were listening intently, mouths agape, as neither could ever remember hearing Lanie speaking more than a few words in any one instance. Layla gazed at Becca and smiled softly, though quickly recomposed herself.

Becca on the other hand was grinning impishly, from ear to ear, "I am liking this new little chatterbox Lanie! Still a bit of a nerd, but we can work with this," She clapped an arm around the girl's awkward shoulder, "we'll have you tossing back pints and singing drunk karaoke in no time!" Lanie gave a weak smile, clearly uncomfortable, but still appreciating the attention.

"Becca!" Layla spat, shooting her a look.

"What? I'm just saying... it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for," Becca quipped, smirking impishly.

Layla, sensing Lanie's rising discomfort, gave the girl opportunity for an escape, back into something she was perhaps a bit more familiar with. "So, uh... I guess your pretty familiar with all this stuff then, huh?"

Lanie shrugged, "I guess?"

"So, what do you know about this Kukulkan?" Layla queried, hopeful that if she understood more, the other night might make a little more