It was a lazy Saturday afternoon. Xabier and Zadé had just completed their task of doing nothing when hunger struck.  Xabier walked into the kitchen and groaned, “Oh, I’m so hungry!”

Zadé clutched his stomach in mockery and cried theatrically, “If I don’t eat anything soon, I’ll absolutely perish!”

Both punched each other in the arm in jest.

“What is there to eat?” asked Zadé.

Xabier looked through their stockpile. Bags and boxes were crammed into the two grocery cupboards. Everything from veggie straws to gummy bears were there simply begging to be eaten. “Nothing!” he cried.

Zadé pushed Xabier aside and took a look for himself. He tipped a couple boxes out to see what was written on the front, rustled some bags to see how full they were, then slammed the cupboard doors shut and crossed his arms. “You’re right,” he grumbled.

They looked at each other under furrowed brows, then looked towards the ceiling in contemplation. The pacing began and that’s when Zadé threw his arms up. “Enough! How does chips and salsa sound?”

Xabier raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Wonderful, actually.” He turned around and grabbed a bag of corn chips while Zadé went to the refrigerator to grab the jar of salsa.

At the dining room table, the chip bag was angled so both could reach in, and each had their own bowl of salsa. The small talk was so enthralling that they didn’t realize half the bag of chips had been eaten in a matter of minutes. The salsa level of both bowls was dangerously low, and that was something they definitely noticed.

“Hey, can you get us some more salsa?” Xabier asked.

Zadé wanted to protest, but knew he had put Xabier on refill duty the last few times. It was his turn. He filled the bowls with the intent of finishing the bag of chips in one sitting. Loud crunching could be heard from the dining room. “Hey!” Zadé called. “You better not eat all the chips while I’m gone!”

When Zadé returned, Xabier was reaching to grab a chip when he suddenly gasped and ripped his hand away from the bag to clutch his chest. “Aye!” he yelled.

“What?!” Zadé yelled back. His first thought was Xabier had seen a bug crawling through the chips.

“T-t-“ Xabier stuttered. “Totopo negro!”

“What?” Zadé repeated, more calmly now.

“Totopo negro!” Xabier shouted. He reached his shaky hand back into the bag and pulled out a black chip.

Zadé gave him a funny look. “Okaaay…”

“Don’t you know? Totopo negro is the sign of the devil. We mustn’t eat this chip.”

“’Mustn’t…’ Yeah, I think that’s just a burnt chip, bud.” Zadé snatched the chip and examined it more closely.

“Nooo,” began Xabier. “It’s a cursed chip. You eat it and you burst into flames!”

All Zadé could do was smirk, which was quickly wiped away as Xabier sternly pointed his finger at him.

“This chip must be buried deep in the ground so the only thing that could possibly eat it is a microbe in the soil. That tiny flame won’t do any harm. I don’t think microbes can even catch on fire…”

Zadé laughed this time, and abruptly grabbed the chip and put it in his mouth. Xabier stared at him, dumbfounded. The whole chip was worked around his mouth like any other chip, but then his jaw slowed. His left cheek rose, squinting his eye. He chewed the last bit thoughtfully, then swallowed. No flames or hellfire, just a weird taste.

“Hm,” Zadé shrugged, unimpressed. He was about to turn and head back to the kitchen to fetch the salsa when he heard what sounded like a drum beat. It was a low rumbling, almost inaudible to the point Zadé thought he was imagining it. The look on Xabier’s face told him he heard it, too. Then, a low growl – the kind that has its origin deep within the belly. It was impossible to tell exactly where the sounds were coming from.

“Totopo negro,” whispered Xabier, his hands up to his mouth, fingers curled over his lips. His eyes shifted nervously from the bag of chips to Zadé.

“Don’t be ridic-“

There was a flash of light followed by the sound of a corn chip hitting the wood floor. Xabier looked around. He was alone except for a sliver a smoke rising where Zadé had once stood.

“Zadé?” Xabier whispered meekly.

He slowly pushed himself away from the table and rose from his chair on two shaky legs.

“Zadé?” he said more loudly this time.

One step.

Two step.

Crunch.

Xabier looked down. His eyes bulged and he opened his mouth to scream.

Totopo negro.