The Missing Page #7

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Come here.

- What are you doing?

- These are for protection.

The man who did this is a brujo.

- A what?

- It's a witch.

You need to wear one too.

You can believe in your witchcraft

and your impiety all you want.

I believe in what I've seen, girl.

Snakes belong on the ground.

This one hangs them in the air.

A man's heart holds his spirit. This

one digs it out and throws it in the dirt.

Don't you start this.

I know a brujo who'd put an arrow

in you a mile away.

I know a brujo who laid his hand

on a child one time. One time.

The child cramped up, fell down

and spit up bees till she died.

- You stop this. You're scaring her.

- She needs to be scared. So do you.

Mama, please. Please.

Just on her.

We gotta get through that canyon

before the storm hits.

You go on and I'll follow.

Give me some of the medical stuff

they stole, the laudanum.

You like that stuff.

You know, I drink enough

of this stuff, I swear...

...you start to look good to me.

- Hey.

They give this to my grandma

when she was fixing to croak.

Mama!

Mama!

I'll get her!

Get those horses to higher ground!

I've got her!

Dot, you hold on to me!

My foot's caught!

Hold your breath! Right now!

Gotta piss.

Sit up.

I can get us out of here.

- Do you hear that?

- You mustn't speak.

My baby's calling me.

No. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Your baby's passed on.

No. That's just how she sleeps.

There's nothing you can do,

so please just...

There, there. My baby.

Here. Watch out while I get

the horses.

Hey. Just going to get

those berries I promised you.

Don't wander off.

Lord, forgive me.

Stop squirming.

- Goddamn you!

- Give her to me.

- Get up!

- No!

- I got her.

- No!

- Tie her legs!

- Shut up!

Shut up!

Why?

Now we're gonna be back to seven,

and seven's an unlucky number.

Whore! Stop!

Thank you.

Crawl.

You're better than them,

but you're not better than me.

Can she have the moccasins now?

Yeah.

Can I just..?

I'm glad you were here.

I was bitten by a rattlesnake.

What?

A good shaman gave me

two amulets.

Told me not to eat

rabbit meat for a year...

...to say my prayers every morning...

...take care of my family,

and I might get well.

You're telling me the only

reason you came back...

...was because you were

following the say-so of some...

...medicine man. Is that right?

Yes. Absolutely. A rattlesnake

can make your soul...

...very sick.

That's likely not what

you want to hear.

But it is the truth.

We have eight girls. Now, we can go.

No. This one ran,

let the mother kill herself.

Go on. Hit me.

You won't fetch as many pesos

with my face swollen, and you know it.

This is what the rest of your life

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