The Ruins of Us
By Olivia Salter
Word Count: 1,244
The roar of bulldozers echoed through the humid jungle outside Villahermosa, Mexico, as Natalia Vega stood on the sidelines, her boots sinking into the damp soil. She hated construction sites—the chaos, the noise, the constant smell of diesel. Yet here she was, overseeing her father’s latest project: a new highway slicing through the dense rainforest.
“Ms. Vega!” a foreman called, his voice barely audible over the machines. “We’ve hit something!”
Natalia sighed, pushing her hair out of her face as she made her way to the pit. Her heart dropped when she saw it: a jagged, black surface peeking out of the earth, slick as oil under the setting sun. She crouched down, brushing aside the soil with trembling fingers. The surface was carved with intricate hieroglyphic, spiraling inward like vines ensnaring prey.
“This isn’t natural,” she whispered, her stomach knotting.
“What do you want us to do?” the foreman asked, clearly uneasy.
“Shut it down,” Natalia said, standing abruptly.
“But the deadline—”
“I said, shut it down!” Her voice cracked, drawing stares from the crew. The foreman hesitated, then waved at the machines. The rumble of engines died, leaving an unnatural silence in its wake.
Natalia stared at the exposed stone, her chest tightening. She’d spent years as an archaeologist, but something about this site felt... wrong.
***
Natalia had always been drawn to the past. She once believed uncovering ancient worlds would bring her closer to understanding herself. But the career she’d built unraveled after her ex, Diego, a fellow archaeologist, betrayed her in ways she hadn’t seen coming.
Diego had been her partner—in work and in life. His charisma and brilliance drew her in, but it masked a darker side: his need to dominate, his knack for twisting truths until she questioned her own. Their breakup wasn’t just messy; it was catastrophic. Diego took credit for her discoveries, spread rumors, and left her reputation in pieces.
When her father asked her to help manage his construction business back home, she agreed, hoping the change of scenery would help her rebuild. She hadn’t anticipated finding something like this—a relic older than any she’d encountered, buried beneath her feet like a secret waiting to be exposed.
***
The excavation revealed more of the pyramid, its black stone surface dotted with carvings. The glyphs depicted figures intertwined—lovers locked in embraces that seemed more like battles. Their faces were contorted, mouths open in silent screams.
“What do you make of it?” one of the workers asked, his voice low.
Natalia didn’t answer immediately. Her fingers traced one of the carvings, the stone cool and smooth under her touch. “It looks like a binding ritual,” she said finally. “Maybe even sacrifices. Love turned into obsession.”
The worker crossed himself and muttered something in Spanish about curses.
That night, Natalia stayed late, flashlight in hand, as she descended into the pyramid’s shadowy depths. The deeper she went, the more oppressive the air became, thick and humid like a living thing. At the end of a narrow corridor, she found it: a massive obsidian mirror framed by jagged glyphs.
The mirror’s surface was impossibly smooth, rippling faintly as if it were liquid. Natalia stepped closer, her reflection staring back at her. But it wasn’t quite her. The image in the glass looked hollow-eyed, weary, and broken.
“What are you trying to show me?” she whispered.
***
The next morning, Natalia’s heart sank when she spotted a familiar figure stepping out of a dusty SUV.
Diego.
“Surprised to see me?” he called out, striding toward her with the same infuriating confidence that had once drawn her in.
“I didn’t ask for your help,” Natalia said, folding her arms.
“Your father did,” Diego replied, grinning. “He thought you might need someone with experience. And let’s face it—you’ve always needed me.”
Natalia clenched her fists, willing herself not to react. “Stay out of my way.”
But Diego had never been good at staying in his place. As the days passed, he insinuated himself into every aspect of the dig, questioning her decisions, undermining her authority. And yet, there were moments when he seemed almost vulnerable—when he ran his fingers over the carvings with something like reverence, or when he stared at the mirror for just a little too long.
“This is incredible,” he said one evening, standing beside her in the dim light of the chamber. “These rituals... they weren’t just about love. They were about control. Possession.”
“Sounds familiar,” Natalia muttered under her breath.
Diego glanced at her, his expression darkening. “Don’t start.”
***
The site grew stranger with each passing day. Tools broke inexplicably. Workers reported hearing whispers in the tunnels. The air seemed heavier, the shadows darker.
One night, a foreman burst into Natalia’s tent, his face pale. “Something moved down there,” he stammered. “In the chamber with the mirror. I swear I saw it.”
Natalia dismissed him, but unease gnawed at her. That evening, she returned to the chamber alone.
The mirror greeted her with its unnatural stillness. She stepped closer, her reflection shifting in the rippling surface. This time, she saw flashes of her past: Diego’s anger, his cutting words, the way he’d smiled as he took credit for her work.
“I hate you,” she whispered, her voice cracking.
A shadow stirred in the glass, and for a moment, she thought she saw Diego’s face staring back at her.
***
Diego found her in the chamber the next morning.
“You shouldn’t be here alone,” he said, his tone softer than usual.
Natalia turned to face him, her expression guarded. “Why do you care?”
“I—” Diego hesitated, for once at a loss for words. His gaze shifted to the mirror, and something in his face changed. He stepped closer, drawn to the glass like a moth to flame.
“Don’t,” Natalia warned, but he ignored her.
When his fingers touched the surface, the mirror pulsed, the glyphs around its frame glowing bright. Images erupted in the glass: moments from their relationship, each one sharper and more painful than the last. Diego yelling. Natalia crying. The silence that had grown between them like a black hole.
“This isn’t real,” Diego said, his voice shaking.
“It is,” Natalia said. “This is us.”
The mirror rippled violently, and shadows spilled from its surface, wrapping around Diego like tendrils. He screamed, clawing at the air as the darkness pulled him closer.
“Natalia!” he cried. “Help me!”
Her breath hitched. For a moment, she hesitated, torn between the memories of the man she’d loved and the reality of who he was.
“No,” she said finally, stepping back. “I won’t save you.”
The shadows dragged him into the mirror, his screams fading into silence.
***
By dawn, the pyramid was sealed. Officials deemed it too dangerous to excavate further, leaving it buried beneath layers of earth.
Natalia stood on the edge of the clearing, watching the workers pack up. In her pocket, she fingered a shard of obsidian she’d taken from the mirror, its surface smooth and cool.
For the first time in years, the weight on her chest felt lighter. Diego was gone, but so was the part of her that had clung to him—the part that had believed she needed him to be whole.
She turned away from the site, the jungle closing in behind her. The ruins were a part of her past now, and she had no intention of looking back.
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