Day of the Dead - 1. Seeing Ghosts

Esperanza, still a descendant of a long line of curanderas, holds a secret. In addition to carrying the traditions of healing, she has long struggled with her own sense of identity. She never fit the mold her family expected of her, especially regarding whom she was supposed to love. Esperanza has fallen for Lucía, a woman who works with her on community projects, but fear of rejection has kept her quiet. Their unspoken bond adds to Esperanza’s inner turmoil as she feels both the weight of her family’s expectations and the pull of her true self.

As the Day of the Dead approaches, the disappearances in the town add another layer of fear and confusion. Esperanza's relationship with her traditions has always been tenuous, much like her relationship with herself. She participates in the annual rituals to honor her ancestors, but it’s always been more about pleasing her family than believing in the power they represent.

On the day of the parade, dressed in her family’s traditional attire, Esperanza's emotions are already conflicted. The elaborate costume and skull-painted mask make her feel like she’s playing a role. Meanwhile, Lucía is also in the crowd, watching Esperanza from afar, their shared gazes full of unspoken words.

As the parade moves forward, Esperanza senses a cold presence walking beside her—a figure that no one else seems to notice. The mysterious man lingers, his hidden face unsettling. But as the town celebrates, he whispers, "Help us. We’re lost." His voice carries the weight of both the living and the dead.

Later at the cemetery, where the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, Esperanza encounters the spirit of her grandmother, who gives her the cryptic message about the lost souls needing a guide. But this time, Lucía is with her, sensing something is wrong. They both feel the shift in the air as the past calls to them. Esperanza realizes that these lost souls are connected to the town’s history, to stories long buried and truths long hidden—including some that are tied to the small community.

The mysterious man reveals that he was one of the missing. His secret life, the love he could never express, keeps him and others like him trapped. They cannot move on because their stories remain unfinished, their truths untold. The town has forgotten them, and only someone like Esperanza—who understands the pain of living a hidden life—can help them.

Faced with this revelation, Esperanza has to decide whether to embrace her ancestral powers fully, not just to guide the lost souls but also to acknowledge her truth and her feelings for Lucía. As she moves between worlds, helping the lost spirits find peace, she begins to find her own voice as well.

By dawn, after a long night of walking the line between the living and the dead, she stands at the edge of the cemetery, Lucía by her side. Together, they face the new day, knowing that the journey for both Esperanza and the spirits is far from over. But now, Esperanza is ready to embrace her identity, her legacy, and her love, unafraid of the stories that have yet to be told.