Chapter 10 Summer Of The Mariposas

The Garza Sisters’ Arrival

The Garza sisters stagger into Theita’s home under brutal summer heat, dragging a bleeding goat tied with an old sailor’s knot. So dehydrated they can barely speak, until an old, sun-worn man offers them water from a well—insisting it’s the “best well in all of Mexico,” cold enough to wake the dead.

The water tastes like a promise of summer: fresh, pure, and comforting. But the girls quickly realize this stop isn’t normal.

Theita’s Unsettling Presence

Inside, Theita is described as unsettlingly masculine in appearance—almost like an old man wearing women’s clothes. She has bony hands, cloudy eyes, a scarred and cracked nose, and a bald head. Her only distinctly “feminine” touches are her heavy silver earrings.

She studies the sisters closely, then accepts their goat as gratitude. She strokes and kisses the goat before sending it out the open door—where it runs off bleeding gleefully. The moment blends eerie dread with dark comedy.

The Real Purpose of the Visit

The supernatural threat escalates when Theita reveals the purpose of their arrival. She produces a deck of powerful, ancient cards, and her “helper” role appears tied to other women and spirits.

She tells the sisters they must walk the rest of the way to Abolita’s house because their car broke down. She also warns them they’ve angered a witch—Cecilia—and now they’ll have to pay, opening the door to something far worse than ordinary hardship.

The Trinity of Evil

A major revelation follows: Cecilia has unleashed “the trinity of evil”—three nightmare-like forces connected to adopted/immortal children created by the devil and nurtured by evil.

The sisters are overwhelmed, especially as the warnings shift toward what they supposedly must do next, including cryptic rituals:

• Singing or chanting to summon their mother
• Avoiding paralyzing punishments
• Praying while tying exactly seven knots in silk thread

The Narrator’s Confession: La Llorona

An emotional beat cuts through the supernatural instructions when the narrator admits she didn’t understand—or believe—La Llorona’s warnings earlier. She confesses she met La Llorona at the river, dismissed her, and therefore may have partly caused this nightmare by failing to warn her sisters.

The tone shifts to responsibility and fear:

“This time, you have to face your nightmares.”

Card Reading and Growing Threats

Theita continues with more predictions. First comes El Nagal, a cunning sorcerer who will appear disguised as frail and pleading before revealing a merciless plan.

The sisters are told they must sing very specific songs to summon their mother—songs like:

• Moon in a cave
• Birds in rain
• Childhood songs

But they don’t even know the “song of the cave,” making the situation even more uncertain.

The threats intensify with references to savage beings whose tongues—and words—can maim or paralyze. And despite everything already faced, Theita warns that there are still more demons beyond what they’ve already survived.

Juanita’s Panic and the Chupacabra

A sudden burst of humor and disbelief arrives when Juanita panics about a “chupacabra,” insisting it doesn’t exist and trying to leave. Her resistance is immediately shut down when Theita’s husband appears in the doorway and confirms it’s real.

He even describes injuring one in the past by shooting it in the left eye and into its head, causing it to howl “like a rabid dog.” His guidance is blunt and practical:

• If they encounter a chupacabra, strike its head with a tree branch

The scene blends terror with dark practicality, reinforcing a repeated theme: supernatural dangers require both courage and quick action.

Chapter Ending: Stay Together

The chapter closes with a grim reassurance from Theita and her husband. The sisters can survive only by:

• Staying together
• Being brave and cunning
• Maintaining faith
• Never wavering

Even so, they may still face more demons, more tears, and more threats on the road to their mother.

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Main Highlights / Standout Moments

• The scorching, dehydrating arrival and the “miraculous” well water that tastes like summer
• The stark, unsettling description of Theita (old-man disguise, cataract-clouded eyes) and the goat ritual
• The “trinity of evil” prophecy plus heavy ritual instructions (summoning songs and seven-knot prayers)
• The narrator’s confession: she dismissed La Llorona and didn’t warn her sisters
• Juanita’s disbelief and attempted escape—stopped instantly by Theita’s husband confirming the chupacabra and giving direct combat advice

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Jokes / Reactions

• Dark humor in the goat “bleeding gleefully” after being kissed/stroked
• Juanita’s blunt skepticism: “That doesn’t exist. I’m out of here.”
  • Quickly overridden by the husband’s firsthand account (“I don’t have cataracts.”)

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Personalities Appearing

• Melinda Garcia — reader/voice
• Theita — seer/witch-like caretaker
• Theita’s husband — doorway rescuer; confirms the chupacabra
• Juanita — skeptical, reactive, tries to leave
• Cecilia — the witch who unleashed evil and the “trinity of nightmare forces”
• La Llorona — mysterious figure who tried to warn them
• Teresa — present during the card reading
• Velia and Onita — supporting sisters/voices
• Betha / Bita and the rest of the Garza twin sisters — emotional reactions, fear, comfort