Summer of the Mariposas - Chapter 14

Summary

The sisters wake exhausted after their fight with the lechuzas and decide to nap in an abandoned barn. Peta worries that the chupacabras might return, but the others insist they are safe in daylight. Their map suggests they are close to their destination, though Odilia realizes the journey is taking much longer than expected—and there are no homes or farms along the way.

A singing goat herder appears outside. The scruffy boy introduces himself as Chino and offers the sisters water. Odilia is wary, but the others warm to him, especially Peta, who confidently asks about his goats. Peta jokes that she is hungry enough to eat a donkey, earning a teasing remark that “some things never change.” Odilia’s suspicions persist, and she initially sends Chino away. When the sisters meet him again on the road, they eventually accept his offer to guide them to shelter.

Chino’s shelter is a crumbling, three-walled ruin full of weeds, mice, spiders, and scorpions. Still, it has a roof, a fire, coffee, bread, and goat cheese. Around the campfire, Chino explains that he is an orphan who chose the countryside over life on the streets. He also reveals that he has encountered the chupacabras and lost an eye to it. When the sisters tell him a hunter shot the creature through its left eye, Chino seems relieved.

The sisters decide to prepare for an attack by carving branches into stakes. Juanita recalls a book claiming vampires can be killed with holy water and a stake, though the group has neither holy water nor certainty that the chupacabras is actually a vampire.

Their preparations prove necessary: during the night, the chupacabras attacks Peta and bites her ankle. Odilia grabs a stake and drives it into the creature’s eye while the others rally with their makeshift weapons. The injured monster pleads for mercy and reveals that it is Chino, who cannot control the beast inside him. He recounts how hunters killed his mother, another creature like him, and says he has always struggled to control his nature.

The sisters argue over whether to kill Chino, especially since he attacked Peta. Odilia ultimately insists they should show mercy now that he is wounded and blind. The others lower their stakes, and Chino escapes into the dawn. The chapter ends with the sisters standing together, ready to protect Peta if he—or anything else—returns.

Characters

• Odilia: The cautious narrator and protective eldest sister, who ultimately argues for mercy.
• Juanita: Practical and resourceful; she shares what she learned about vampires.
• Velia and Delia: The twins, who initially challenge Odilia’s caution but join the fight.
• Peta: The youngest, who is hungry, curious, and increasingly brave; she is bitten in the attack.
• Chino: A lonely goat herder who is also the chupacabras and struggles to control his monstrous side.