Toni, Coltor, and the Comet: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Momentum = Mass x Velocity: Coltor

Rating: 13+: Strong Language

Coltor leisurely watches the waves swell with discontent as he sits on the shoreline. Coke bottles, plastic wrapping, and styrofoam cups softly approach the edge of the grass and pull backward with the tides.  He runs his fingers through his messy curly hair and sighs, looking at the full moon.

Why did I walk away so fast? The image of Toni’s doe eyes laced with confusion plays in his mind as he backs away from her. His heart rate increases and his cheeks flush from embarrassment. He knocks his head back and looks up at the spray of glittering white stars speckling the night sky. He takes a deep breath and listens to the soft sway of the ocean.

Why does she care so much about stars anyway? He mimics her move by placing his fingers into an L-shape, then closing his left eye. A vertical row of stars roughly align with his fingers, but deviate at the base of his thumb. What did she say this was again? Ursa? Ursul? He forcefully blows breath out of his mouth and slumps his hand to the ground. 

“Whatever,” he whispers, closing his eyes.

Moonlight produces a muted glow behind his eyelids, and relaxes the muscle between his eyebrows. Coltor rocks his head from side to side to prevent himself from falling asleep, but the heaviness of the day threatens to pull him under.

“I can’t sleep here,” he chants while rubbing at the growing pressure between his eyes. The rotten egg smell of the ocean wafts gently around his nose, making him stir slightly.

“I wonder where she’s staying?” he whispers. 

The image of Toni staring directly into his eyes appears before him as his heart rate slows. The yellow moonlight backlights her raven-colored hair, producing a faint halo around her body. Her slender shoulders hunch slightly, as her palms plant firmly on the grass, and her lean legs fold into a half repose. She smiles at him with her soft pink lips.

Coltor feels blood rushing to his groin at the site of her smile. He tries to erase her image by firmly clenching his fists, and then releasing them with a deep breath. He does this until her face slowly melts into darkness; leaving him alone again on El Puerto’s shore. 

He slides his left hand into his pocket and pulls out his phone to check the time. He rubs the blurry vision from his eyes and concentrates on the number. 

“12:15 AM,” he jolts up from his position, “Shit.”

He slings his camping backpack over his left shoulder, pushing himself off the grass. The unzipped backpack loosely hangs from his shoulder as he jogs towards the factory. 

“Come on,” he mumbles while trying to jerk the zipper closed. 

As if in open rebellion, the zipper catches on the cloth strip of his backpack and refuses to budge. He increases his running speed, repositions his bag into a makeshift baby carrier, and holds the open portion with his right hand. I can’t miss this bus. 

As he runs through the underbrush leading to Acosta Azucar, a cold thump of glass slams against his big toe. 

“Ah!” he looks down and sees a green glass beer bottle rocking back and forth on the ground. 

“Why don’t you fuckers ever throw anything away!”

He shoots through the open door of the factory and quickly scans for the slit of moonlight peaking out the front door. He spots the thin line two meters ahead and runs full speed towards it in the darkness. The acrid smell of molten sugar hangs like a dense fog inside the factory. No matter how often Coltor finds himself in this place, he can’t seem to shake the nausea that comes from being near the old sugar piles. He clears his throat, then continues running in the dark using the intensity of the rotten sugar smell as a guide.

Almost there. He closes his eyes briefly to concentrate on the sensation of the metal gears and sugar cane juicers scattered across the floor. With a swift pivot, he avoids slamming into the juicer near the north wall. Hell yeah, that one always fucks me up.  His growing adrenaline feeds his speed and propels his body forward like a tank navigating rough terrain.  

Coltor ignores the pain growing in his feet and continues running through the factory, as the bats grow restless with the noise. He looks at the exposed metal beams on the ceiling and sees the silhouettes of several bats hovering around the moonlit windows. He swallows in a dry throat, calms his heart rate, and concentrates on the scanty moonlight peeking from the metal barn doors in front of him. 

With military-like precision, he extends his arm and pushes the metal door open. The illuminating dirt road greets his eyes as he reaches into his pockets and pulls out his room key. 

He lets out a deep sigh then pushes back his bangs only to see Toni’s slender frame hunched over the sprinter van, while Caleta looks on in disdain. The breeze carries the loose parts of Caleta’s hair away from her forehead, exposing her plump face. Coltor’s heart races as he momentarily freezes in place. 

He watches Caleta’s eyes dart back and forth while her full hands tightly grip the steering wheel.  He swallows his growing tension, shakes his head, then walks towards the old van. He closely examines the arch of the vertebrae in Toni’s spine as she looks into Caleta’s eyes. He clears his throat to break the silence.

“Caleta, is everything alright?”

Toni sharply turns around and locks eyes with Coltor, causing him to step back slightly. Her eyes search his for an answer he’s unable to give. Sensing her tension, he lifts his cloth key and dangles it slightly. 

“I’ve been staying here for a couple of months,” he says jingling the key. He makes his way past Toni, quickly averting his eyes from hers. 

“Coltito!”, Caleta yells while raising her arms, “Esta muerta!”

“I’m not dead!” Toni yells.

Coltor turns and shoots Toni a look, subtly furrowing his brows.

“This is the second time tonight some shit like this happened,” Toni sighs and runs her hands through her hair. The cicadas chirps intermingle with the soft hum of the van, breaking the night’s silence. He approaches the vehicle and looks at Caleta as she turns her head to the driver’s side window. He puffs air out of his mouth and extends a hand to the doorway of the sprinter van.

Caleta’s back folds beneath her pink overalls as she turns her body further.

“No Col,” she says while facing the driver’s side window, “I’m not letting a ghost into my van”

“I'm not a fucking ghost,” Toni mutters under her breath.

Coltor shoots Toni a harsh look. She shrugs her shoulders and looks down at the ground. 

“Caleta,” he swallows and places his hand on Toni’s upper back which causes her to jump slightly. 

Pulling her in gently, he says, “See.”

Caleta peers over her shoulder and sees Coltor’s hand resting on Toni’s back. She immediately turns back towards the window while pursing her lips. Toni knocks her head back, 

“Oh my God”, she says, contempt lining her smirk.

He lowers his voice into a partial whisper, “She’s my friend and I asked her to stay with me.”

He sees Toni tilt her head in his peripheral but ignores it. He watches Caleta's shoulders drop as she weighs his words. Taking it a step further, he approaches the van, then bends to meet her eyes. Mosquitos whir past his ears and mix with the subtle rattling of the van's engine. Caleta glances over at Coltor who is now inches from her face. He lowers his body into a squat, his blue eyes staring up at her.

 “I told her about  how good your arroz con frijoles are.”

The wrinkles around Caleta’s eyes become more pronounced as she softly smiles at Coltor.  

“I told her that eating your food gave me enough strength to work all afternoon-”

“I only made that food for you,” she shoots a harsh glance at Toni.

He places Caleta’s hands into his, “I know,” he says rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.

“Coltito, I can’t bring her with us,” she squints her almond eyes and leans closer to Coltor’s face. The smell of cocoa cola and cigarettes on her breath wafts past his nose as she sighs.

“The spirits. Mijo I know them,” she shakes her head and glances at Toni who’s now pacing near the van's rear end.

“Spirits regularly visit El Puerto. Hers visited this place seven times before,” she says.

He tilts his head, looks back at Toni, and then faces Caleta, “And how do you know she’s visited before?”

Caleta’s mouth pulls into a tight line. She swallows, causing her chubby throat to wave sluggishly. Sensing her anxiety, Coltor eases off the question, then stretches to his feet.

“Well, if you don’t want to take her, then I’ll walk her back to the inn,” he turns slightly.

“No! It’s too dangerous to walk at night–”

“Then let her come with us!” Coltor yells.

“I can’t do that mijo, she’s-”

“It’s okay,” Toni says while approaching the front of the van,

Caleta glares at her, then averts her eyes to the ground. 

“Why would I want to ride with someone who can’t stand the sight of me?” The tension in Toni’s jaw relaxes as her eyes fall into a stoic expression. She seems completely at ease as she rests her body’s weight against the van. Coltor’s eyes float to the words “Esme’s Sueño” on the side of the van in peeling red paint, then back to Toni’s face.

Night owls and cicadas chirp as the breeze gently rattles the leaves of the palm trees. The calming chatter makes Coltor feel drowsy, which he clears by shaking his head slightly. Caleta’s stare, filled with vitriol, measures Toni as she stands unfazed by the old woman’s gaze.

Toni tilts her head to the ground, crosses her arms, then pushes herself off the van. She approaches Caleta like a jaguar zeroing in on its prey. Coltor steps back to give her room to approach the passenger side.  

“Drive away if you really want to,” she rests her hand on the top of the van, “I’ll walk.”

“Then walk,” Caleta says with a tremble. She grabs the steering wheel with both hands while looking straight ahead. Her chubby arms tremble as she keeps her eyes ahead without moving.

What the hell is going on? Coltor looks at Toni whose eerily calm demeanor is starting to frighten him. A  heavy wind rattles the palm trees and blows loose grass blades around the wheels. Coltor clears his throat and watches as Toni tilts her chin slightly and stares at Caleta as she sits rigidly with her hands still gripping the steering wheel.

“Will you ride with her?” Toni asks, keeping her eyes on Caleta.

“I’m not going to let you walk by yourself,” he says, turning to Toni.

Toni’s doe eyes soften as she stares at him in silence. His heart rate increases at the stare, but he’s unable to look away. The soft intensity of her gaze makes him feel lightheaded. 

He clears his throat, then turns to Caleta, “We’ll walk back.”

Calteta whips her head to face Coltor, “What are you saying tito, get in!”

“I’m not letting her walk by herself.” he slides his key back into his pocket, “I’ll ask Javier to let us back in.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?” Caleta says, exasperation lining her tone.

“I could ask you the same question,” he slams his hand to his side, “She’s already paid to stay at the inn, so let her stay!”

“But-”

“Cut the ghost shit!” he yells, making Caleta’s almond-shaped eyes grow wide in surprise.

The leaves rustle gently as the owls coo in the evening breeze. Radiant moonlight touches the tips of the leaves as they delicately sway in the wind.  He walks over to Toni whose olive skin subtly glows beneath the moonlight. She tucks a dark curly wisp behind her ear and readjusts her backpack.  

“Let’s go,” he says as he slowly slides her backpack off her shoulder and onto his.

Author's notes:

There will be 5 more chapters left. I am writing this piece in real time, so I don't have a tentative release date for the final five chapters. Please be patient and bear with me! This is my first long project.