When I was 13 something happened. So BIG. And I don’t mean getting my first period or growing boobs, something that gives me chills to this day. 

 It was a sunny day in Guanajuato, Mexico. I was getting ready to go out with my three best friends, Mia, Xóchitl, and Fernanda. Right as I was about to leave my mom said “ Don’t forget to come home before dark, the cambia pieles is always there… When you see bright red eyes is when you know you are going to die…” I gulped and nodded. We were on summer break and had just gone to the nearest oxo for some snacks. Our mouths were colorful with  colors  like blue and red from the icees we just had. “Should we walk to the park and eat our snacks there?” Mia said as she put on her helmet. “ Dale!” Xotchitl said, “ But it’s starting to get dark… my mom says the cambia pieles comes out.. “

“Eso es un mito.” Fernanda giggled.

“ Yeah, she just wants you to get scared and come home early.” Xóchitl states. 

 I sighed and we rode our bikes to the park. It's near the house, no te preocupes. It’s probably just a myth, I thought to myself. As we’re riding, the sun starts setting and instead of the nice feeling i usually have seeing the sky turn from blue to a yellow pink mixture in the clouds, I feel my stomach turn, and my gut telling me to go home but I wanted to fit in so bad that I just ignored it. But never again…  

  It gets darker and darker and the post lamps are turned on and we are at the park. It only took 15 minutes to bike there but it felt like hours. We sat down on a picnic table and open our snacks and drink on our icees, I really wanted to go home but I didn’t want them to be upset or think I’m a scaredy cat so I stayed. All I could think about were my moms words. Siempre llegue a casa antes que se oscurezca, por que si no, el cambiapieles te quitará la piel y poner solo como mascarilla! when suddenly we heard rustling in the bushes, 

“ Ewww probablemente es una rata!!” Fernanda disgustingly said. My heart dropped and I could feel the sweat dripping down my cold spine. I take a closer look with my flash, 

“Do you hear that scratching?” I asked, they nodded and we got closer.. 

“ I don’t see anything,” Xotchitl said with confusion.

Someone started to breathe really loud and I could feel it on my behind me and when I look back, I see bright, red eyes. It had a rotten smell, a twisted smile and soulless eyes, it had long arms and even longer sharp nails,  I could tell it enjoyed the feeling of our fear.My face had gone pale, my heart was racing at a thousand miles per hour, and I could feel my cold sweat dripping down my forehead. Quickly we all ran to our bikes as it just stared at us. “¡ Vamanos!” Mia yelled with a shaking voice, Right before I could get my bike started, it ran to me on all four legs, and scratched my ankle, it felt like being stabbed five times at the same time, crying with pain. My friends looked back and I started to pray “dear heavenly Father…” And I used all my strength to start my bike. “ I caught up to my friends and we biked as fast as we could until we got to my house. We have never talked about it since. And I never got home after the sunset ever again.