Salt and Sea

“Mom, how did you and Dad choose my name?”

“I was wondering if you would ever ask that question, sweetie. Since your dad is a commercial fisherman and I like all things connected to the ocean, we thought we should give you a name connected to the sea. We couldn’t name you Neptune because you’re a girl, and if we named you Huixtocihuatl after the Aztec goddess of sea and salt, you’d spend the rest of your life teaching people how to pronounce your name. That’s why your dad and I settled on Maris, meaning of the sea in Latin. It’s short, easy to pronounce and spell, and pays tribute to the thing we feel a strong connection to. Maybe you’ll feel that bond someday.”

As time moved on, Maris followed in her parents’ footsteps and developed a strong affinity for the ocean, but was especially drawn to the Aztec goddess Huixtocihuatl. Her research into the mythical goddess consumed much of Maris’s spare time. She discovered that the ancient deity became the salt goddess because her younger brothers, the Tlaloques, had banished her to the salt flats for constantly picking on them. It was during her exile that she discovered the components of salt and how it was made. Having this knowledge combined with her dominance over the seas made her the most powerful deity in Aztec lore.

Maris continued to study Aztec culture in college. The more she learned about the ancient civilization, the stronger her bond with the goddess became. She discovered the importance of salt to these early people. Not only was it a seasoning for food, but also used to preserve it. Meat, fish, and vegetables were packed in salt to keep them from spoiling while being transported. Salt is in the ground, in the oceans, and even in the human body. A perfect example of this is the salty taste of a person’s tears.

The only graduation present Maris asked for was a plane ticket to Mexico City. Once there, she could tour the ancient Aztec ruins and hopefully get a true feel for what they were like. Her parents expressed concern over their daughter traveling by herself to a foreign country with a reputation for gang violence. She assured them that gangs had no interest in the places she wanted to visit. In the end, they gave in and bought her the ultimate graduation gift, a ticket to Mexico City plus access to a guided tour of the ancient Aztec ruins. She was ecstatic.

The other thing Maris was grateful for was that she had paid attention in Spanish class. Although her teachers considered her fluent in the language, it still took some adjusting to accents and local phrases, but she would make it work. The one thing that she couldn’t explain was a strong feeling pulling her toward the ancient Aztec buildings located on the outskirts of town. Maris shrugged it off as being overly excited about starting her tour the next morning and got a cab to her hotel. That evening, she attended a welcome supper where the tour guide was introduced to Maris and her fellow tourists. In the morning, everyone boarded the bus, and Maris’s tour of a lifetime began.

They arrived at Templo Mayor, and the sheer size of the twin pyramids took Maris’s breath away. The psychic pull that she had been feeling since boarding the plane was now barely controllable. She must enter the pyramid on her right; there was no other option. Maris stealthily slipped away from the tour and entered a small door with a sign that said Staff Only. Once inside, her calling directed her through a maze of corridors that ended at a private chamber filled with female statues constructed of what appeared to be salt crystals.

Although each figure represented a different person, the one thing they had in common was their terrified facial expressions. One salt statue stood alone at the end of the chamber. She was dressed in traditional Aztec clothing and displayed a satisfied, calm expression. Maris felt oddly relaxed staring at this statue, but that abruptly changed when its eyes snapped open. A broad smile parted her lips, causing salt granules to shatter and fall to the floor. Maris immediately knew that this was Huixtocihuatl.

“Welcome, my child. I have been waiting many years for this moment, but now the time has arrived.”

Maris was both fascinated by the encounter and terrified at the same time. An odd sensation started in her feet and worked its way up her legs, making her immobile. She stared in horror as the statue transformed from salt to flesh from its feet upward.

“Why are you doing this to me?” cried Maris.

“When a deity loses all its followers, we don’t stop being immortal; we transform into the thing we were known for. The only way to become mobile again is to transfer that ability from a different entity. The problem is that the ability only lasts for as long as the person’s lifespan. Now you know why there are so many statues. You have a long lifespan, so I won’t need to do this for some time. It’s time for me to go. I hope I’ve answered your questions.”

Maris stood frozen in time, watching the goddess walk away before her eyes and mind turned to salt.