"I hit a wall, I never felt so low, so low."

Lena

Lena was tired of walking. The humidity from the jungle cause her dark brown hair to fizz out, forcing her to put it in a puffy ponytail. She only agreed travel halfway across the world to accompany her friend, June Moone.

Lena and June had been friends since college and are currently roommates. However, it was more like Lena lived alone than with someone else because June was always traveling due to her work as an archeologist.

She would sometimes join June to an archeological dig to take some professional pictures. But for some reason, Lena had a feeling that this trip involves more than pictures. Lena also noticed that June has been acting a bit different in the past few months from constant spacing out to restless sleep. She assumes that June was stressing about this expedition.

Maybe.

By the time June, herself and their two guides, Luis and Manuel, made it to the mountains, it was damn near pitch black. Nighttime had come too quick.

"Guess we'll go at dawn, eh Junie?" Lena jokes.

"Let's call it a day." June said. "Cover the equipment."

Luis and Manuel to set up their tents. June explains to them that they need to find the cave before nightfall.

"We will be able to reach the mountain by the afternoon." Luis says as he sets up his tent. "But the entrance to the cave will take days. Maybe more."

"I don't have days Luis." June tells him. She sounds a bit frantic. Like she had a specific deadline. "Hell, Luis, I don't even have one full day."

Lena pauses on the set up of her tent to look back at June. "Geez June relax. Your bosses will understand if you're a bit behind."

"Not this time." June says. "I really don't have to take days. I have to be there by tomorrow."

Lena sighs, not wanting to argue further. "Alright, if you say so."

"Dr. Moone," Manuel says. "Luis and I will take you and Ms. Roth to the mountains as we promised. And to the cave. But as we told you, we cannot go beyond the opening rooms with you two."

"I was hoping once we got there your curiosity would change your mind. We really need you. Both of you," June added for emphasis.

Luis hammers the final tent peg into the ground, clears his throats and looks back Manuel.

"They do not understand," he said. "I do not think they can." He looks back at June, then Lena and back to June.

"Dr. Moone, Ms. Roth," he continues. "As you are aware that Manuel and I aren't just guides. Our people have lived in and cultivated these mountains for thousands of years, for they have always offered great spirituality. Since time began they were believed, and still are believed, to be portals to the Gods and especially to Inti, the Sun God, our supreme God."

"So these place is basically holy ground?" Lena asks.

"In a way. During the times of famine and war, our sacrificial Capacocahas were offered to appease the Gods." Luis replies. "There is simply no other sacred place to bury the dead."

Lena starts to feel a bit guilty. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb or disrespect a resting place for the dead.

"Senorita…Dr. Moone," Manuel said. "I know your countrymen believe differently than we do-and we respect you and Ms. Roth's beliefs-but whether not you understand ours or not…please respect their importance."

"We wouldn't do anything to disrespect your beliefs." Lena assures him. "June will merely be taking notes down and I'll just get a couple of pictures. Nothing in those caves will be touched or disturbed." She looks at June. "Right?"

June nods along. "Yes."

"It's not that we don't want to go inside." Manuel says, finishing up on his own tent. "We cannot."

"But you'll still get us up to the mountain?" Lena questions.

"Yes. We will still take you up tomorrow, wait for your return while praying the spirits keep you two safe."

"Okay," June relented. "You're right, and you do know I accept your beliefs, but is it alright for me to say that I hope you're wrong?"

"We hope so too Dr. Moone. For you and your friend's wellbeing, more than ours."

A few hours past, late into the night, Lena was still wide awake. She wasn't awake because of what Manuel said. Her mind was on her boyfriend Floyd Lawton. And whether or not he is still her boyfriend.

4,320 hours.

182 days.

6 months.

She hasn't heard from Floyd in six fucking months. It was killing her that she didn't know where he was. She was a bit more upset when she got the phone call from his daughter Zoe. Lena shivers at the memory. Zoe was so upset she could barely get out a word until her mother rudely took the phone and bluntly told Lena that Floyd was a hitman and got caught by the police.

A hitman. Assassin. Lena thinks. Murder for hire.

Lena didn't believe it a first. It sounded so…ludicrous. But it also made sense. Floyd never told her what he did for a living, just mention that he was self-employed with a lot of rich clients.

Of course she's mad at him for keeping secrets, especially that type of secret. A part of her knows she should move on and find a more stable person. And then there's this part of her that still loves him.

Sounds like a crappy Lifetime Saturday night movie. Lena chuckles at the thought.

Soon, her eyelids start to feel heavy and Lena drifts into sleep.

The dreams start at a temple. An ancient temple embedded with lime green vines. Rows of pillars made from the finest gold, silver and jade.

Lena found herself surrounded by hundreds of servants who are bowing to her. They chant in a language she never heard before. Maybe it was Latin. Or Aztec.

Cool water brushes against her feet. Something else brushing against her feet. Looking down, Lena saw it was huge koi fish. She guesses they were half the size of a body pillow. Lena caught a glimpse of someone's reflection.

A reflection where her own should be.

The water reflection was that of a woman. She was tall and lean with braided raven hair. Her eyes were so dark Lena thought they could've been black.

Those black eyes stare at Lena and the woman smiles.

Lena tilts her head slightly.

The reflection begins to rises from the water, taking on a solid form. Lena didn't move. Not by choice. Her body was paralyzed.

It's almost time. Soon we'll be one…