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aggieharkness · 2 years

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Hay que encontrar su propio futuro

Summary: She never meant to hurt her family once more, she had only expected to wake up with a hangover not with someone beside her that was about to turn her entire life upside down. She never thought she would get a chance at a new life with someone so different and at the same time so alike. Can they really find a future together?

a/n: Hello!! Mariano is back, at last, and I hope you are as happy to see him as it made me to write him. I'm warning you all, this chapter is long, like wayyyy longer than the other ones, but I promise it's worth it. I hope you like it and give this story lots of love. :) I'm Spanish so I used expressions from my own language. I'm afraid I don't know Colombian ones so I had to work with the ones that I know. If there are any Colombians out there that would prefer for me to change what I have written I would very gladly do it, but even so, I hope you like the ones I have used.

warnings: blood, death, murder, mutilation, age difference, implied sexual content, past use of alcohol. Most importantly no Alma Madrigal bashing, i love this woman.

Part 1Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16

Hay que encontrar su propio futuro

The pain radiating from her legs was nothing compared to the way her lungs were burning, begging her to breathe, to take deep gulps of air but there wasn’t time. Her body was running on astronomical amounts of adrenalin, under other circumstances she wouldn’t be jumping fallen trees like she was some sort of overgrown goat and wouldn’t be sliding over the wet soil to escape low branches. There were scratches on her hands, face and legs stinging like hell and oozing blood as she once more forced them open when having to pass bushes of roses and thorned flowers; there wasn’t time to look for another path, she could hear them getting closer. Ahead of her she could see her family running faster than she could, gracefully escaping rocks and wild animals that showed up at the most inconvenient of times. Julieta and Agustín were following their daughters a few steps behind so they wouldn’t lose sight of them at any point, they didn’t want to have to go through the same unnerving situation of not knowing where they were like with Mirabel, Juli’s heart wouldn’t survive it. Luisa tried her best to break trees and rocks apart to make it an easier escape but as they kept on running more and more obstacles were showing up and as Alma had feared the girl was getting tired and it was slowing them down more than helping them. Pepa and Felix were pushing their children to move faster to go way ahead of them both, but everytime Antonio lost sight of his parents from his place in Dolores' arms the boy would start crying and begging his sister to slow down to which she agreed only because it worried her when she couldn't hear them over the sounds of everything else. Bruno was guiding everyone, the head of this committee, grabbing onto branches to balance himself and use them to get away from danger as quickly as he could, perks of being thin and having lived balancing over pipes and beams while he was inside the walls.

This was probably the only reason why Alma hadn't given up yet, her family kept on running determined to escape, to find refuge and remain alive. A low thick branch showed up suddenly in between the darkness of the night and although she hadn’t seen it Alma managed to duck under it just in time; it made her lose her balance though and as she stumbled to get back to her previous speed she encountered a rock, the strings of her new alpargatas getting caught under it making her completely unstable. As if in slow motion she watched the floor getting closer and closer until her heavy body collided with it ripping her shoe off, pain shooting through her arms and elbows from having used them as a shield so as not to hit her head. It soon spread all over her body mixing with the cramps her legs were experiencing and the constricting need for air that made her cough uncontrollably. It was only a few seconds what she remained on the floor, a few damned seconds but as she stood her knees buckled at the sight. They had reached a clearing, she was sure that hadn’t been there before but that wasn’t the problem, her family was surrounded by faceless horsemen that were cornering them as they pulled their weapons out. The droplets of rain that Pepa was making as fear and realisation that they were done for slid over the featureless figures like syrup that slides over a flat surface. Alma tried to move towards them, begging these people to spare them but she found that as much as she tried to take a step she couldn't, her feet were trapped under a layer of thick sand that felt almost like cement. She fought with all her might to escape but it wouldn't budge. Then the noise came. She hadn’t needed to lift her head to know what it was. Sharp metallic swords rose high up in the air slicing body after body, hot sticky bright red liquid pouring out staining the soil as well as the clothes they were wearing the gurgling pleads of mercy for their children falling on deaf ears as Alma watched frozen in time.

The first one to fall was Bruno, his ruana a deep shade of green where the stain was growing with each second dripping small beads of blood. His body kneeled over crunchy leaves and broken twigs staring up at Alma with glazed lifeless eyes almost as if he wanted her to see him like that; Julieta and Agustín followed just a matter of seconds later. Her previous spotlessly clean apron was a mosaic of splashes of hers and her husband’s blood, the woman falling on her back with a knife stuck to her chest piercing through her heart while her spouse fell limp with his head on her abdomen grabbing onto his sliced throat. Somehow they were both staring at her as well. Her youngest daughter fought like a champion but fell over, face down on the ground with a sword stuck to her back, Felix meeting a similar demise with his arms over his wife as if he could shield her from their murderers little red spots on her daughter’s freckled cheeks watching as her green eyes went out of focus. Alma’s children didn’t get the chance to fight or beg for more than a few seconds before they were brutally murdered. Her need to get out of that blasted sand was becoming an obsession at this point, anything to protect her nietos, the only family she had left, but with each movement it swallowed her faster, not only her feet were trapped now, she was knee deep in the fucking thing. Her screams didn’t seem to be reaching the horsemen or the kids, she was ordering them to run but they weren’t moving, it was as if she was inside a soundproof room where no one could hear her, encased in transparent glass with no chance of escaping.

She watched in horror as Isabela fell next. The girl’s flowers and plants seemed to be made out of paper, useless ways of protecting her siblings, cousins and herself. The blade made a swift but deep cut on her abdomen, the wound bleeding incessantly as her hands tried to apply pressure to stop it but it was futile, under a second she was laying on her back still clutching onto her dress as if that would do any help. At the same time Camilo dropped to the ground with a broken neck, his body twisting in a horrendous way, the sound of the snap echoing as if they were in a cathedral. Both their heads were turned towards her, their now dead eyes pleading for help. Alma’s heart was ripping apart, unable to do a thing, her screams getting louder, more desperate but no one seemed to be hearing her still. She couldn’t take it, she couldn’t stay there and watch but at the same time she couldn’t avert her gaze hoping that maybe someone would come to their rescue and not everyone would have to be lost tonight. Luisa managed to throw one of the men off his horse but the girl hadn’t stood a chance, her limp body resting on her side with a dagger on her neck, her white blouse now red as the blood poured out of her. Dolores and Antonio fell unders the brutal force of the horses hooves, bruised and blooded with the little boy still in the girl's tight embrace. Their faces were drained of any colour, white and blue with half opened mouths; they had been asking for help but no one had answered. The only one left standing was Mirabel. Maybe not everything would be lost, maybe the girl would be smart enough to find an exit, a way of getting out of there, anything, but she didn’t, she turned around and faced her abuela. In slow motion she watched her fall on her knees with both hands on her chest, thin trails of blood falling from the corners of her mouth as she smiled at her. Her figure dropped her side, the light in her eyes fading slowly but the smile still on her face. Everyone was gone, they hadn’t spared any of them, they sure wouldn’t let her live would they? Her eyelids closed for a minute hoping this all would be just a dream, that when she opened them they would be at Casita, but no, this wasn’t over yet.

The sound of water forced them open, the sand reaching up to her hips by then. There was a river where her family had just been, their bodies nowhere to be found but the blood still staining the soil and broken leaves that covered the river bank. There wasn’t anyone around, no sounds except for the water moving lazily downstream. Both her hands tried to reach for a vine that she hadn't seen before. It was just a foot away, she could get it, surely she could grab it and try to use it as leverage to get out; her fingertips were brushing it, they were so close when footsteps were heard. She lifted her head to see who it was, to see if maybe they were there to help but it was nothing of the sort. A tall man with dark hair stood with his back to Alma in the middle of the river just there looking ahead but there was no one on the other side, just trees and darkness where he was looking. She went back to trying to grab the vine but when she looked it was gone and instead of the scratches she had had on her hands from pushing leaves and branches away there were litres and litres of warm, almost burning blood. The sight made her scream. As if someone had pressed a play button four horsemen appeared from in between the woods raising their swords towards whoever was standing in the river, but he wasn’t still anymore, he was raising his arms in a peace gesture, his wedding ring glinting in the moonless night as if it had a light of its own. It couldn’t be, not again, this couldn’t be. Alma opened her mouth once more to tell him to run but it was now filled with sand and dirt preventing her from speaking. The man fell over the water splashing it with the weight of his slaughtered body, his face finally turned for Alma to see. Recognition swam through her body. She wasn't breathing anymore, the sheer pain that radiated from her body prevented any air from going through, her head dizzy and her vision blurry. This couldn’t be happening, they couldn’t all be dead, murdered right in front of her withouth her having had any possibility whatsoever of doing something, anything, to save them. Tears were flowing freely out of her eyes as she spat all of the sand and dirt out of her mouth but as much as she tried it seemed to never end.

“You killed us” a voice behind her spoke coldly almost in a threatening manner causing shivers to run down her spine, to stop all motions. It was Pepa’s. “¿Por qué no nos ayudaste, mamá?” no, no, no, no, she had tried, she had been trying to escape the fucking quicksands for what felt like hours, they had to have known she was trapped, they had to understand. She had screamed her voice away, at the top of her lungs, she had tried. Her nails were digging onto the soil as she forced her arms to take her out of there but it only left scratches on the ground. “Weren’t we good children mamá?” Of course they had been, they were the sweetest most wonderful children any mother could ask for, why was Julieta asking her that? The temperature was rising around her, her flesh covered in a thin layer of sweat; she kept pushing forward, she kept on trying to push herself out of that hole, but it seemed as if skeletal hands that grabbed onto her overheating skin were pulling her the opposite way. “I saw this mamá, your sins” she hadn’t done anything wrong, she was getting better, she was fixing things. Por favor, Bruno, she thought while her head tried desperately to locate their voices moving from side to side, don’t do this. She stopped searching when three figures appeared in front of her looming over her frame casting threatening shadows. Her children were staring down at her, their wounds still bleeding, the liquid falling on the ground and like serpents surrounding Alma in a ring of red fire. “Weren’t we enough?” “Did you love us mami?” “You made me leave” Stop, please, stop. She wanted to yell, she needed to tell them that she loved them, that they were her pride and joy, but her mouth was still filled with endless sand and so her words were drowned back into the black hole that was forming inside her chest. The ground beneath them swallowed Alma’s body inch by inch, the cold deathlike grips on her dress and ankles pulling her away from the triplets. “You didn’t help” “You left us alone” “We needed you” Her head was pounding so hard she thought it would explode any minute, their words playing over and over in her head. Why couldn’t they shut up?!

“I tried to be like you abuela” Isabela showed up from in between the shadows followed by her siblings and cousins all of them with pale skins and blue lips, their white lifeless eyes making Alma tremble and shake. “I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t make you proud” “You pushed me away”She was proud of both Luisa and Mirabel, she hadn't meant to make them feel like they were less or that they were only important because of their gifts, she really hadn’t, why were they doing this? “Have you ever looked at me for me, abuela?” “I was scared, but you didn't help” “You took him from me” She couldn’t take it anymore, she couldn't keep on listening to this, it was suffocating her. The heat around her was scorching, the blood that still escaped her family's bodies surrounded her getting closer and closer threatening to drown her. “You killed us” This time it was Pedro’s battered body that was still laid on the floor who spoke. His lips turned up into a twisted smile, his eyes crying blood, the strength of the river rising like dough turning violent and shaking Pedro’s figure as if he were nothing but paper. She had killed them. She had killed them. After a second she stopped trying to break free from the sand, she simply looked at them as their mouths moved automatically blaming her for everything they had ever gone through, all their problems and pains, everything was her doing. It was the new sound, and like a round it was also in the background, everywhere to be exact, inside her bones, inside her soul. With each word a new knife stabbed her heart ripping it more apart making her believe that she had been the cause of everyone’s grievances. Suddenly everyone fell quiet, her figure freezing, stopping from falling down the hole. The dirt that had been in her mouth fell out like a sand castle, freeing her at last. Alma spat as much as she could to the side, taking deep gulps of air. She could only taste the bitter dirt, but at least she could talk once more. It all remained still for a couple of minutes before someone turned the lights off and she found herself surrounded by darkness, alone. She couldn’t see nor hear anything but she couldn’t move inside the quicksand either, her hands now trapped as she was waist deep into it, what was going on?

One step, maybe she was imagining things, another step, no, someone was definitely there with her, a third step, this time closer. “You broke me mamá” Pepa’s figure came up front with a cold dead smile, hollow cheeks and protruding eyes that made her look like a corpse. “You let them use me mamá” Julieta stood beside her sister, her frame thin almost as if she was a walking skeleton with Agustín behind her both with blank expressions, unbothered by the blood that was falling over her shoulder from her husband's throat. “You made me want to die mamá'' Bruno was angry, furious even as he stood at the other side of Pepa looking at Alma with a death glare through his veiled eyes. This had to be hell, she must have died and was now being punished for her mistakes, this had to be the end. “You took my own life away, abuela” Isabela was crawling towards her, her freezing hands grabbing her face with such strength that it would leave bruises a smile like Pepa’s on her lips. “You let them use me as a mule, abuela” Luisa looked weak, small in a corner of the darkened room looking at her with terrified child-like eyes, her clothes too big for her thin frame. “You would have let me die for the candle, abuela” Mirabel was in front of Pepa with the miracle in her hands, the flame black and the wax melting over the girl's skin. She wouldn’t have let her die, she couldn’t have cared less for the candle but… she had never told her that, she had never said just how worried she had been that she could have died. She had moulded Isabel after herself never caring about what the girl wanted, she didn’t allow her to become herself and Luisa, dios, what had she done?

“You took my love from me, you stole him, abuela” Dolores sat behind her father in the back of the room with blood pouring out of a deep wound on her chest, Felix’s face blank, unresponsive. She hadn’t stolen anything, she hadn’t even asked him out, she wasn’t sure she even wanted him; she hadn’t taken anything but she had tried it and maybe that was just as bad. “I don’t know who I am because of you, abuela” Camilo, where was he? All she could see was a mix of people’s features coming from a small figure standing beside Bruno, as if he couldn’t remember what his own body looked like. “Did I do something wrong for you not to save us, abuela?” Toñito, oh the poor boy. He was alone in the back of the room looking at her with teary eyes holding his hands out. Had she done this? Had she really hurt this family so deep that even in death they were blaming her for the way they were, had she made them like that? “I didn’t die for you to do this Alma” Do what? She couldn’t see him, she couldn’t find Pedro’s figure among the others but could hear his voice over and over again like a broken record that wouldn’t stop playing the same part of a song. Had she wasted the chance Pedro had given her? Was she undeserving of all the things she had ever got in life? “I slept with you, but what makes you think I love you? Nobody can love you, Alma '' Suddenly she was back in the river, the quicksand eating her alive at a faster rate than before her family around her voices overlapping as she watched Pedro die all over again and again and again. This was torture, simple pshycological torture. Each time his body would fall over the water it would start again, like a cycle while her family repeated the same things as if she didn’t know them already, as if they thought they weren’t getting through but she couldn’t get them out of her mind.

Her head was barely out of the sand when it became a deep puddle of viscous coagulated blood that burned her skin. The new pain made her scream, her body having become numb to the other wounds at this point. When she lifted her head to see the scene play again she found a different person raising his hands in the air and it wasn’t a horseman this time the one carrying the weapon. “If I can’t have him, neither will you” and so Dolores stabbed Mariano ten then twenty then thirty times on the chest. The crystal clear water was now a river of death, the rivulets of blood playing lazily almost in a taunting manner with the man’s hair once he laid on his back over the bottom, his head turning to look at her. “You killed me”. That was it, she couldn’t take it anymore, a scream tore its way out of her so strong and raw that left her deaf for several minutes, but she didn't stop. The sound of something crumbling way up in the sky made her look up. Casita was breaking apart above her head and falling towards her. It would kill her, she needed to escape but her arms were trapped, the faces of her family getting closer to hers, dead, pale and blue with thin strings of blood falling down the corners of their mouths, eyes, even their ears. It was getting closer, the walls and floors, their doors, there just six feet away, there was no escaping this. Then they laughed, shrilling unnatural laughs as it finally fell over her, her head swallowed by the bloodied coagulated quicksand as she screamed, her mind finally quiet and black. When she opened her eyes she was staring at her bedroom ceiling, short and shallow breaths shaking her body, a cold layer of sweat covering her entire form soaking through her nightgown. Everything was still so bright and vivid in her mind, her eyes still seeing like a transparent film reflecting on the ceiling, their battered and dead bodies lying on the ground, their voices ringing in her ears as if they were with her in the room. Trembling, she blinked several times to make the images go away. It wasn’t working. Careful with her still shaking body she pushed herself into a sitting position rapidly checking that there wasn’t any blood on the mattress or her hands; she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her pale palms completely clean. She traced the lines on them watching the blue veins underneath the skin, the golden wedding band contrasting with the way the light made her olive flesh look. Glancing towards the window she saw the morning sun just starting to come through the horizon casting its golden rays over Casita’s roof, the candle burning bright and strong on its stand. As if a gush of wind was going through her mind the nightmare slowly became smaller until it vanished, the breeze taking it with it through the window towards the sky. She remained sitting looking at nothing, zoned out for twenty minutes, the little handle on the clock going tick tack as Alma tried to remember what she had just experienced.

She was used to nightmares, they were her daily reminder that her husband was no longer there and neither were friends that had been beside them since they were practically born, people that she could hardly remember came back to her as if she had just seen them that morning and even in the horrors of her subconscious she was still glad to see them. This nightmare though, it had been different and she had been having it for three days now, ever since she had refused to see Mariano, ever since she had stopped walking on eggshells around her family but with each passing night it got worse and she would wake up feeling like the most horrible person in the entire face of the Earth. Tonight hadn’t been any different. At the sound of a door opening and closing her mind returned from its futile search, jumping softly on the bed at the sound. She couldn’t keep on having them, they were bound to end her if she was not careful, but she couldn’t drink a cup of Julieta’s tea every night before bed, it would stop working after a while and the nightmares would return. Getting up her bare feet stood over the cold tiles, her hands grabbing onto the mattress as she took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. At least she hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night in deep darkness. She should head for the bathroom but her legs didn’t take her there, not yet, they walked of their own accord towards the window. Everything downstairs was calm, Julieta and Agustín talking in hushed tones as they headed for the kitchen. A sudden fear that they might be hurt or worse crept up her spine but at the sight of her daughter's rosy cheeks and loving smile towards her very healthy looking husband her fears seemed to diminish somewhat until they were nothing but ashes at the bottom of a drawer. Alma’s fingers traced the wax of the candle, warm under her touch, the little flame flickering softly as if it was greeting her. Her heart was still beating rather fast but seeing that the world was starting to wake up, that the sound of the birds singing their love notes still echoed in the morning light as the sun warmed the ground and their feathers, that life kept going, reassured her that all those ghosts that she was so afraid of were nothing more than fantasies that were playing with her mind.

She wasn’t going to let them scare her and make her live secluded in her own head. Hugging her nightgown close to her body in an attempt to escape the cold that she was now feeling from the sweat she made her way to the bathroom. Her hands rested on the counter next to her lotions and hairbrush, Alma’s head raising to see her reflection looking at her with tired eyes. There were bags under them, not very protruding, but still there and her hair was all over the place, she almost looked as if she had been hit by one of Pepa’s lightning. Why was she having these nightmares, why did they still chase her? She had stopped having the ones were casita fell on Mirabel a few months ago, it should be clear that it had something to do with this whole Mariano situation, but what was the cause? The conversations with Pepa and Dolores? Mariano himself? Maybe it was because she hadn’t gone to talk with Rosa or because she didn’t feel guilty anymore about wanting him, she couldn’t be sure but she had to do something. As if it could read minds Casita started a warm bath for her dropping some lavender salts and vanilla bubbles. The feeling of absolute horror was fading just leaving her with a tired body that very much needed to have a bath and an unruly hair that needed to be washed before she could brush it. The nightgown was thrown inside the laundry basket before she dipped inside the water feeling every muscle relax, her eyes closing at the gentle smells that filled the bathroom. Whatever she had dreamed of was now nothing more than an anecdote in the back of her mind.

The whirlwinds of steam with lavender loosened the feeling that had constricted her chest so strongly when she had woken up, the vanilla washing the sweat off her skin leaving trails of bubbles over her legs as she rested them on the side of the tub. If it hadn’t been for Casita dropping an empty bottle of conditioner in her head she would have fallen asleep smothered to death by the bubbles. Sitting more straight in it her hand shot up to rub the spot where it had fallen glaring at the shelf which simply moved up and down, yes, an inanimate object had just shrugged at her, the cheek. The magical house was telling her that it was about time to shower and get a move on, everyone would be waking up soon. Ten minutes later she was wrapped in a fluffy robe and walking out towards her bed to tidy it up as her body and hair dried. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that today she had to go out, that today for some reason she should do her rounds or go take a walk, anything, but she was meant to be outside. Although she didn’t feel like having to face the town alone, Luisa had been teaching her to say no in a subtle way, to not be too forward or rude, but maybe today she could do it on her own, give it a try, and so she moved from the bed towards her wardrobe opening its doors. Ever since the sleepover her entire closet had gone from the same style dresses to several different kinds of clothes, all made by the expert hands of her youngest nieta and her gifted father. Her own fingers traced the fabrics, she was so used to the same sort of thing that having to choose what to wear every morning was a foreign feeling. Nothing too revealing, she now owned a couple of blouses that were low cut and a skirt that finished around the knee; according to the girls they were for summer or heatwaves, but she didn’t buy it, not that she minded too much, they were beautiful and she might have a chance of wearing them someday for a special someone.

The idea of doing something so impossibly naughty as to show a bit of cleavage and her calves made her giggle like a teenage girl. Madre mía, le ha dado fuerte. Finally she shook the idea out of her head returning to her serious calm demeanour and selected a soft orchid coloured shirt with a cascade collar and butterfly shaped lace and a dark magenta skirt with three black ruffles at the bottom. Inside the wardrobe underneath the dresses were several new alpargatas that Camilo and Bruno had bought her in the last few days; quickly getting dressed and selecting the ones furthest on the right, a gorgeous pair of turquoise ones she tied them while on her way down the stairs, careful not to fall and roll out into the hallway like a human ball. Before opening the door she grabbed her butterfly clip that held her keys and watches from where it rested on a little table and put it on the waistband of her dress. Now she was ready to head downstairs and have some breakfast.

The house was quiet, apparently everyone else was still in bed or in the process of waking up, no one came out of their rooms as she walked past them towards the stairs. Pedro’s portrait hung from the wall in the same spot, like everyday, but the way the sun shone over it made it seem like it was alive, bringing out the pink tones of his skin. Buenos dias amor, Alma greeted the painting brushing her fingers lovingly over his cheek before continuing her way towards the kitchen. It felt nice to look at him in this new light of not feeling guilty over his death, of not feeling like she was replacing him because she was starting to fall for another man that even though she had been the one to decide not to see, she found she missed terribly. She hadn’t gone so much as a day without having him over, three days felt more like a punishment than a very much needed time to think. Crossing the threshold of the kitchen she smiled at the smell of freshly made coffee.

-Buenos días, mamá. What are you doing up so early? On Saturdays you normally sleep in a bit more. - Julieta greeted her mother from her spot in front of the stove as she made some eggs and warmed some arepas for herself and Agustín.

-Woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep, you know. It’s… - she picked up her watch to have a look at the time. Eight o’clock, that was a normal hour to get up, maybe even a bit late for Alma, she was usually up and about around seven each single day. - not that early, the children should be waking up soon.

-Do you want me to make you something or would you rather wait for them?

-Un café me vendría bien para despertarme. I shouldn't take baths in the morning, they relax me too much.

-You’ve been saying that for fifty years and you still take them. ¿Azúcar?

-No, lo quiero solo. And what are you two planning on doing today? It’s your free day this week.

-Juli and I want to spend some time with the girls so we are going fishing down by the lake. - Agustín took a sip from his own cup flashing a radiant smile towards his wife. Poor man, Alma had made his life miserable when he had been young and started courting her daughter, but it had all worked out for the couple in the end. She was glad they had defied her and got married, not even Alma could have found a better man for her Julieta and he had given her three beautiful miracles that she loved as much as if they were her own, in a way they were. He had done a very good job and worked hard to become a Madrigal each day. - Isa has enough flowers to look around and Luisa loves to swim there, so we are all happy.

-Wonderful idea. It’s a shame you can’t share it with Pepa and the children but Camilo works today with Señor Gutierrez at the grocers and Antonio wanted to go with Dolores to church.

-He’s a little devil our Camilo but works so hard, I think I’ll give him some sandwiches to take with him later. Here you go, un café solo. Are you sure you don’t want anything else?

-I’ll be heading to town in a minute, corazón, so I’ll just have something to eat while I’m out.

-On your own? Don’t you want Luisa to go with you? - they knew of course that she wasn’t helpless, for God's sake she had survived a war and the beginning of an entire town, a walk wasn’t about to force her into manual labour for three weeks straight, but they were still worried, it was so hard for Alma, she struggled so much with saying no.

-I’ll be fine, I can always use my temper to get away from them. Do you know if Pepa will be heading for the crops today? I heard that they were having some problems with the corn.

-She didn’t mention it, so I don’t think so.

The kitchen fell into a comfortable silence as everyone enjoyed their coffees, Julieta preparing with great care several sandwiches along with some chopped fruit for Camilo. It was true, he was a little devil, always playing pranks and getting on their nerves, but he made himself lovable and worked as hard as Luisa did, just not as often. He was a very independent boy but there was a small thorn in Alma’s heart; she didn’t know how to connect with him, to have a relationship like the one she had with the girls. It made her feel like she was unconsciously pushing him aside just because she didn’t know what to do. She had had the same problem with Bruno when he had been little. It had been so hard trying to figure out what to do with him when Pepa and Julieta were out but it had somehow worked out in the end, right? On this warm day her hair was already drying into soft waves and short curls that framed her face, her eyes glued to her coffee watching how the dark liquid moved around the glass before picking the cup and taking a sip. What a wonderful taste the bittersweet flavour the coffee beans created and how wonderful it felt to have it pass down the throat warming up her body in tender waves as she took each sip. This was a gift from God, it had to be. Soon enough the cup was empty and her previously tired and lazy body was now functioning just fine.

She stood and placed it on the sink and was about to turn and leave when an image of her daughter with a knife pierced through her chest lying lifeless on the ground with Agustín oozing blood out of a deep wound on his neck, his face resting over his wife’s abdomen flashed before her eyes. In the blink of an eye it was gone but the silent jumpscare it had caused Alma was very much there, a hand on her chest to even out her breathing. She had no idea where it had come from but a feeling told her that it had to do with the nightmare. Was she remembering it? Quickly she turned her head. Julieta was now preparing the dough for some arepas in one bowl and buñuelos in another talking softly with her spouse. She was fine, there was no blood or weapons, she was fine. Instead of heading out once her heart rate had returned to normal she headed for her daughter, grabbed her face between her hands and kissed her cheek.

-Please, be careful down by the lake, accidents can happen - she stole a glance at Agustín. - as you both know very well.

-Don’t worry, the only one who’s going to get hurt is going to be Agustín, it’s impossible for him to go a day without an injury.

-Well, listen here young man, - her index finger was now pointing at his chest, her eyes glued to his and although she was trying to look stern she was happy he was fine as well. - you better not get hurt today or I’ll make sure my chancla gets stuck to your bottom. Understood?

-Si, mamá. I’ll try my best.

With a sharp nod she headed for the door but not without placing a hand on his shoulder and giving him another quick kiss on the cheek first. With her back turned she didn’t see the look of utter bewilderment and confusion Agustín was giving Juli nor the way she shrugged her shoulders with raised eyebrows. They knew Alma’s love language was physical contact and they weren’t complete strangers to her kisses, but they sure weren’t expecting her to just out of the blue show that she was worried for them by giving each a kiss; Julieta didn’t think she had ever seen her mother be affectionate towards Agustín in like… never. They had been to the lake many times, more than they had been to any other place in the Encanto, but today Alma had worried over them both and they weren’t about to complain if it made her feel better to know they would be extra careful.

Casita’s front door opened wide as soon as Alma set foot back into the courtyard letting the gentle morning breeze ruffle the leaves of the flowers that decorated the pillars and beams of the house, the sun bathing its tiles and the hem of Alma’s skirt. The sounds of birds had been rather drowned in her room by the walls but now they could be heard loud and clear, inviting her to escape her mundane life and join them in the free nature of the forest, the fields, the lake. There was no need for a shawl but this was the only thing she would never ever give up, she could let go of her clothes, she could invite strangers into her house, but she would never take her ring off or leave her black shawl at home when she was going into town. Grabbing it from the rack it was laid swiftly over her shoulders. Stepping out into the stairs she closed her eyes as the tender heat of the sun enfolded her being, the smell of autumn filling her lungs with fresh tones of pumpkin and distant rain. She loved autumn, it wasn’t stifling hot but it wasn’t freezing either and the amount of weird looking bugs was way less than during spring; the flowers had stopped blooming a long time ago, but you could always count on Isabela to find perfect plants for this time of the year to decorate the town and give it a lovely atmosphere to walk around in. She had barely lifted her foot when Casita forced her inside. Giving the house a stern look she waited with her hands on her hips for some sort of explanation but the only thing that came was a turquoise ribbon that she quickly picked up from the table. It always knew what to give her before she left, always the attentive magical house. As a thank you she patted the doorframe finally stepping on the dirty path that connected them with the main street. Lazily she started walking while braiding her almost dry hair looking up at the sky enjoying the sight of pure cyan mixed with small translucent clouds at the top of some of the mountains, white hawks dancing far away from her like small pearls that soared in the air.

What was she going to do while in town, no idea. Maybe she could get some wool with which to start teaching Luisa how to knit, yes, that was a great idea and maybe she could get some new books for Dolores, she had helped the old librarian put them away a week ago; she had several ideas of what titles to get her. She crossed the bridge looking at some ducks floating calmly over the water letting the current move them from one side to the other, Alma’s fingers tying the ribbon at the end of her braid. A calm relaxing morning, something she hadn’t had in a very long time. When she got to town it was quiet, only a few people were out cleaning their windows or heading for the plaza, quiet hellos and waves of hands greeting Alma along with a couple of raised eyebrows by the way she was dressed. Not everyone approved of her getting a bit more modernised by her family. The mural stood proudly in one of the streets that connected with the plaza; small differences had been painted at her request a few months prior: Bruno no longer had a scornful glare, he smiled along with his sisters a small tiny rat on his shoulder as he held a vision of Mirabel with her doorknob. Both Felix and Agustín had been added next to their wives and each of the grandchildren, including Mirabel, sported proudly a bit of themselves and their gift; Isa wore her new dress and instead of roses she had cacti around her, Antonio was holding a baby capybara that after great discussion had been baptised as Albondigo, Mirabel held a golden butterfly in between her sisters. Alma didn’t want the girl to feel excluded no more, she had never meant to, but now she could show her properly that this was her family and they loved her dearly.

Upon entering the plaza her body froze. Standing just outside the fabrics shop was Mariano. Should she turn around and wait until he left? Through the window of the shop she saw Rosa chatting with Elena, the owner, while handing her some thread and a couple bits of lace. She had forbidden him to see her, Rosa had made it very clear to both Dolores and Mariano that he couldn’t see Alma at all, that all hell would break loose if he did, but how could she stay away? He had trimmed his beard and instead of his usual white guayabera he was wearing a light blue one, his wavy brunette hair casting chocolate highlights, some strands shining golden under the direct sun. He was looking at nothing in particular, he seemed lost in thought, almost sad, his eyes certainly looked like they had cried not long ago. Her heart clenched at the sight, her chest heavy; she hoped this wasn’t her fault but given her luck recently she was quite certain it was. The logical part of her brain was screaming at her to let it go, to just leave and preserve some sort of pride, but the other half that also shared thoughts with her heart told her in big neon letters to screw it. And so she did. She held her shawl tightly in her hands, her feet carrying her towards him passing by the fountain. Since she wasn’t wearing her usual high heels he didn’t see her coming, his vision suddenly being clouded by the hem of a magenta skirt he had never seen before.

He lifted his head not taking in the figure of whoever was in front of him until he was face to face with her, eyes wide as saucers. She wasn’t sure what to say, being this close to him once more, to see his face after three horrible days of thinking, of going back and forth over the same issue at all times, it was the best thing that had happened to her. His eyes roamed her body, exploring quietly but not in a lustful way, they held a simple and pure veil of adoration in them. The sun was right behind her, just peeking from over the roof of one of the houses making it look as if a soft halo of goldens and oranges had just formed around her head, big expressive eyes smiling at him like he had never seen before, the small freckles that decorated her skin accentuated by the new colours she was wearing, some short strands of silver and brown hair framing her face swaying softly with the breeze. This was what he had always thought angels looked like. Alma’s fingers played with her sleeves casting a downward look, she didn’t want him to see how nervous she was; she knew she shouldn’t be, but he always made her feel anxious, as if she had swallowed thousands of bees and butterflies.

-Hola.

-Hola. - neither of them knew what else to say, should they talk about how she had refused to see him for three days? Or were they supposed to mention Rosa’s ban? Either way they remained silent for a couple more minutes looking away every time their eyes met. If they wanted to talk they had to do it now, before Rosa came out and murdered them right on the spot.

-Yo… I better go, abuela wanted me to get her some milhojas from the bakers and… well… Nos vemos.

-Don’t! - she grabbed his sleeve just as he was about to turn and walk away. No running away, not anymore. - Don’t go. Stay, please.

-Why? You don’t want me around, I suppose that it's better this way.

-I don’t… Yo… I do want you around.

-Then why did you stay away? It wasn’t one morning Alma, it was three whole days that I went by without a single word from you. You promised that we would talk with my abuela, but you were nowhere to be found, Dolores had to come with me. - his fingers traced her knuckles as he tried to unhook her hand from his guayabera, but she wouldn’t let go. -Actions speak for themselves, Alma. I understand.

-But you don’t! I needed time to think, and so did you.

-I didn’t, I had everything extremely clear in my mind and I told you. You are the one who has doubts, you are the one who keeps going from yes to no all the time. - the grasp she had on his clothes loosened at his words. He had grown tired of waiting, he had grown tired of her indecisive demeanour. She had him in front of him and at the same time she felt like she had lost him and as much as was trying to hold it together, it hurt, it hurt like hell, she didn’t want to see another man she loved slip through her fingers. He was silent for a few seconds but she didn’t say a word, she couldn't find what to say. His face fell. - It’s alright. I have to go, good day señora Madrigal.

Nothing could have been worse than hearing him walk away, his guayabera sliding out of her hand. The opportunity to tell him whether there was still any chance whatsoever of them getting together had slipped away when they had locked eyes and the only thing he had seen had been her unfocused chocolate pools. Alma still had her hand stretched towards him but she wasn’t seeing him, standing in front of her was but an illusion of the man she had been staring at a second ago. Blood was soaking through his shirt, eyes completely blank, skin sunken and pale, a trail of the red liquid escaping his nose. If anyone was talking she couldn’t hear, the world had suddenly fallen silent. When she blinked again he was closer, his bony fingers grabbing her forearms. “What makes you think I can love you?”. The voice was foreign to her, deep, dark and it seemed to hold a mocking tone. This wasn’t real, this isn’t real. Her head shook violently but when she opened her eyes he was ten feet away from her walking towards the bakers, his guayabera pristine and his body muscular and tall, gloriously alive. Once more that bloody nightmare had made an appearance preventing her from telling him just what he had wanted to hear. Ghosts of her worst fears making themselves known away from her sleep. She wasn’t going to stand aside this time, she was tired of running and letting fear take the reins of her life. If they were playing games, so could she. Her legs moved of their own, sprinting in his direction.

-NO! Mariano!

-What? I don’t want to argue if that’s - the next thing he knew Alma was grabbing his lapels and pulling him towards her. His lips crashed against hers drawing a sigh from them both, at last they felt at home, her mouth still holding the taste of the coffee she had just had. Mariano’s first reaction had been to freeze but when he realised this was happening he melted into her, his hands holding her against him at the waist. It wasn’t gentle at all, it was rough and needy but it calmed Alma’s screaming mind and forced him to accept that this wasn’t over, that they couldn’t part just like that. A few seconds later they separated gasping for air.

-Don’t leave me. I should have told you I needed time but I was angry at you for not telling me that you were sober, for having lied to my family, I was an emotional wreck and I just couldn’t deal with it all.

-If you had-

-Please, listen, just listen. I felt like I was a horrible person, that I had destroyed my life, my family, I wanted you and at the same time I didn’t because I thought I was replacing Pedro, but you are not him and that’s alright. You love me for me, and I can forgive you for not telling me the truth because you know what?

-What?

-I don't care. I’ve done everything posible to convince myself that we couldn’t be together, that this would end up being a disaster, but I know it was stupid to think that we can’t be anything but together. I spent three days without you and I thought I was going to go insane, but it was worth it because it made me open my eyes, it made me find myself. Dolores is not angry anymore, still hurt, but she’ll be fine, she wants us to be together.

-So are we done playing the cat and the mouse? Can we just start from scratch?

-Yes. - her hands moved from the lapels to the back of his neck pressing her forehead softly against his before pulling away. The smile she was giving him could light the entire country. -Hola, Mariano, I’m Alma and I think you already know that I lo-

-Mariano! - at the speed of light Alma suddenly found herself being pushed away from him by a pair of hands, stumbling backwards a couple of steps. Rosa had left the shop just a few minutes ago and when she had started searching for her nieto, her entire body had frozen in anger and disbelief at what her eyes were seeing; even after all they had been through, all the arguments and broken vases he had still defied her, his own abuela. The nerve of that boy! - What the hell do you think you are doing?! I told you to stay away from her!

-Abuela, please.

-No! Absolutely not! We are going home right now. - she grabbed his arm and had started pulling him away when she felt him fight against her grip freeing his arm in under a second. He placed himself in between her and Alma both his hands holding onto Alma’s shawl. Rosa was impossibly furious almost to the point that she was going to throw hands any minute. He was siding with her, after all the heartache he still had the balls to stand by Alma! The glare she gave to her could have been considered a weapon if she had dropped dead right there and then. - Mariano, I’m warning you, I won’t tolerate any more of this, so get your ass going. Now!

-Abuela, please, just listen, okay? You two are best friends, is really an entire lifetime so unimportant to you that you would lose what you two have because of something than neither of you have talked about?

-She’s nothing but a slut, a horrendous woman that took you to her bed when she knew perfectly that you are just a child! She disgusts me.

-Don’t you ever call her that! - this time it was Mariano’s turn to glare, a shadow of fear crossing Rosa’s eyes for just a second before she returned to her previous rage. This was getting worse by the minute but neither of them seemed to notice they were outside for everyone to hear and see. They were lucky no one had come by yet. With measured care Alma took a step towards her, Rosa’s eyes switching from her grandson to her.

-Rosa, I’m so sorry that it took me so long to talk with you.

-Do you honestly expect me to accept that excuse for an apology and to just drop it?

-Of course not, but then again I didn’t think you would treat Mariano like this either.

-Like what? My family is not as perfect as yours, we are not worshipped by the village or have gifts that make us important.

-Is that how you see us? My house fell over my nieta’s head, my son left because he knew just how upset I was going to be about his vision. We are far from perfect but we are facing our problems, Rosa, and actively trying to solve them. Have you ever thought of doing that? Some self reflecting?

-This is not about me! Don’t turn it around Alma, I know how you work.

-And have you ever seen me doing something for my own selfish gain? - she wanted to refute her, Rosa wanted so badly to tell her something, anything, but suddenly all her arguments, all her facts were gone, vanished in the blink of an eye. She just stood there with her mouth open as if she was trying to find words to say in her blank mind. - Rosa, what happened happened, and we can’t change it, but this isn’t just some childrens game. This has been going on for longer than either of us have known. Us sleeping together was just what we needed to open our eyes.

-But why him?! You have dozens upon dozens of men to choose from, why did it have to be my boy?

-There isn’t a reason, we didn’t decide to do this just because! We’ve been dancing around each other for years but we were just so stupid that we never saw it. It was going to happen Rosa, if it hadn’t been during the party it might have been another day, but this was going to happen.

-You are seventy five years old for God’s sake, why didn’t you think before letting your instincts run wild?!

-You just don’t want to see it, do you? I didn’t choose this! I didn’t point at him and though good, I’m going to shag him. I saw him and my mind simply understood that that was the right moment to finally make me realise that that something that had been there all this time was more than I had anticipated.

-No! This is wrong, what you both did… God, no!

-I love her abuela, - the steps he took towards her were cut short by Rosa raising her hand up in the air. She couldn’t hear this, she couldn’t stand there and simply let him tell her those outrageous words. - and nothing you do is going to stop me from feeling like this. We didn’t murder anyone, we simply let our hearts do what they’ve been wanting for years. Please, just try to understand that this isn’t lust, it’s love.

-Was it the same with Isabela and Dolores or you were just practising with them?

-Don’t go there Rosa, we’ve already talked about that enough. We’ve talked about this whole damned thing enough! I can’t tell you why we did it, I can’t make you understand just how hard this has been for the both of us. You have every right to be angry but don’t pay your frustrations on us.

-He tried to rape you in the kitchen! Was that something you wanted as well?! - just because she’s kept that part hidden doesn't mean she was not hurt about it. She wanted to forget it but as much as she tried it just would leave her. It had made her doubt herself more times than she could count, it had made her wonder if they could actually do this. What if he did it again? What if he lost his temper and didn’t let her go one day? Her confidence and trust had disappeared the instant the first tear had slid down her cheek that night, the memory had replayed itself too many times during these three days for her to go back to that dark place again.

-No, but I don’t want to fear him, I need to trust him, that’s why I haven’t talked with him for three days. I needed to see if I could believe him, if there might be a chance for the trust we once shared to be built again. We can move past that moment, I won’t forget it, but we can learn from it and move on.

-Move on?

-Yes, move on. Just think about it Rosa. It’s been there all along, all the signs, we just didn’t pay them enough attention. We started the wrong way, but it doesn’t mean we have to continue the same. It doesn’t have to hurt Rosa.

-I’m angry, that won’t go away by you speaking sweet words. I’ll never understand what made you think this can happen. You are so different.

-Not really. Rosa, - the woman’s basket was placed on the floor so Alma could take her hands. - we’ve been friends for longer than many in this town, I know you and you know me and I think it’s right that I tell you this. I love him, not as in, oh my God he’s so cute I love him, I mean as in I’m in love, madly. It doesn’t make sense, I know and it’s strange, weird even, definitely, but it’s there, and I won’t push it aside the same way I’ve been pushing everything else. I’ve changed but I’m still your stupid friend Alma, the one who chased you with a frog when we were eighteen because you had taken my favourite ribbon.

-I didn’t take it, I saw it laying around and I simply picked it up. The frog was nasty.

-It was. What I mean is that your feelings are valid, you can be mad at us, but it won’t change the fact that love is there and it can’t be ignored.

-Nothing I say will make a difference, will it? - both shook their heads. What was the point of screaming until her throat hurt, of destroying her house if they were going to do whatever they thought was right for them. This wasn’t about her, but she couldn’t help thinking that if she accepted, that if she tried her darndest to understand that she would be losing him. -I have a problem with you two being together; it’s not right, but my words won’t make you stop loving him and well, better you than any of those young girls that one day are with one boy and the next with another.

-Does that mean that you’ll let us see each other, abuela?

-I can’t stop you from growing up as much as I would love to, Mariano. I just hope that you haven’t made a mistake. I won’t give you my blessings, not yet at least, just keep a low profile and let me adjust and calm down. Don’t think I’m not angry, I could chop your heads off, but fighting will get us nowhere and I’ve already run out of things to throw at you.

-We’ll give you all the time you need and we’ll keep a low profile, the lowest we can manage as long as I don’t lose my best friend.

-I’ve helped you sneak Pedro in and out of your house, I was there when the triplets were born, you are not getting rid of me so easily.

-I’m glad. Cards and coffee next Tuesday?

-Not yet. I’ll go to Casita when I’m ready.

The tension was slowly dissipating but the uneasy feeling that this was wrong wouldn’t leave Rosa’s mind. She was glad her friend was in love, really, but she didn’t like that it was with her grandson, it was just weird. She had read and heard stories of older women that got with younger men but they weren’t past the sixty mark and hadn’t been to her wedding or the christening of her nieto. This wasn’t going to be easy for her seeing them grow closer, holding hands, sharing kisses, but there was nothing she could do. Mariano’s hand twitched in the need to be close to Alma again but he hid it well, there wasn’t need for any more words even if Alma really wanted to tell her that she needed her, her best friend. Picking up her basket from the floor Rosa sighed and bid them a good day heading for the bakers. Once more they stood alone in the plaza.

-That went way better than I had expected. I thought she was going to kill us.

-She still might, we’ll have to be careful until she comes round.

-Do you think she will?

Finally his hand connected with hers, fingers intertwined, their feet starting to move, taking them through streets and alleys with no real destination. When she had woken up she hadn’t understood why she had felt that overwhelming need to escape the house and go out but with Mariano by her side now as they strolled over a path near the woods she began to think that destiny might be playing cupid with them. There were still some fireflies jumping from leaf to leaf and a couple of small little bees starting their day a bit later than usual when they passed Osvaldo’s donkey farm.

-In the end, yes. She didn’t like Pedro at first and you are her grandson, she’s trying to protect you, you are her boy, the only family she has left. Can you blame her?

-She didn’t need to call you names to get the message through though.

-I never said this would be easy or clean.

-We haven’t actually decided on what this is, who we are to each other. - In between the trees the droplets of water cast rainbows above their heads, the toucans screaming perched on the branches. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed this little bit of paradise.

-I like the idea of us being a couple and you being my partner.

-Not your boyfriend?

-I’m far too old for boyfriends. That makes me think of mamá looking out the window while twenty of my friends chaperone us. Partner seems more distinguished.

-Anything you say, caramelito.

-Please, don’t use that while we are hanging out with my family or they’ll take it upon themselves to use it all the time the same way they use Brunito. OH! Mariano!

-What? - instead of continuing their walk towards the fields she pulled him back into town not bothering to greet her neighbours as they passed them. It had barely been ten minutes since they had left and the square was already booming with life.

-I forgot I was going to buy some wool for Luisa and some books for Dolores. Sorry to have to cut our walk a little bit short.

-Doesn’t matter, just don’t scream like that again please, I thought you had seen a snake or a giant spider. Ugh.

-Perdón, I promise I’ll try. - they had barely reached the fountain when she let go of his hand looking at the floor while playing with her fingers. She didn’t want to leave him, not now that they had finally found each other, but her chores would bore him and she didn’t want that to be the beginning of their relationship - If you have something to do I won’t keep you.

-As a matter of fact I do. Be with you, and in my most humble opinion that is something extremely important.

-Are you sure? It’s bound to be boring and-

-Lead the way.

-Alright. - no one thought it strange when she took his arm on their way to the old bookshop in the corner of the square, they had seen them do that so many times they actually considered it odd when they weren’t touching somehow. - I was thinking we could check on Camilo while we are at it; I want to have a better relationship with him but I don’t know how and since you were a teenage boy once…

-Perfect idea, I’ll help you two become the best of friends, leave it to me. By the way, I was too busy before to tell you how incredibly beautiful you look. Even your blush seems to fit with the colour scheme. I hope this new style of yours is here to stay, you know how much I love your long hair.

Her entire face had turned a rich shade of pink, her head turned away to try and hide it but it only earned her a laugh, a wonderful happy laugh from him. In the back of her mind far away from her thoughts the nightmare was getting smaller, the flashes of death she had had during the day vanishing as if they had never happened, as if the world right now resolved only around them and which book to get for her nieta

#alma madrigal #abuela madrigal #encanto #dolores madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #bruno magridal #mariano guzman #señora guzmán #disney

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achitka · 7 months

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Day 10: Help

So, this is an excerpt from my other story... I, personally, do not think Dolores gets enough love. Her gift is somewhat problematical, and I thought perhaps she would endure her Gift just a little better if she could, in fact, do more with it. Also, HC that all the Madrigals were never using their Gifts to their full potential. So I fixed it with a little help from Mirabel.

Dolores was just about to take a bite of her sandwich when she heard it. A collective of folks were really wound up and the overlap of the voices always meant trouble. She tilted her head and used her Gift to focus on one in particular. Señora Guzmán was shouting to someone. Probably from her veranda since her voice was not bouncing off anything.

(What do you mean missing?)

(Yes, have you seen them? They were supposed to come to my house for lunch today, but they did not come…) that was Alejandra's mother (…when I checked with Juancho and Cecelia's mother's they said they'd not seen them either. We've already checked all the places they normally go, and no one's seen them…)

"Dolores?" Abuela said when she noticed she was sitting frozen with her head tilted, mouth open, holding up her sandwich. Still listening, Dolores held up her other hand and set down the sandwich. She closed her eyes to shut out the sounds around her and let in a few more voices.

(…I saw them down by the school this morning…) Camilo

(When was that?) Alejandra's mother

(Uh…around nine, they were playing on the playground when I came out of the school around eleven thirty…)

(I can help too!) it was Antonio, he whistled, and Dolores winced, there was the sound of many bird wings (Pico, I need you and the rest of the birds to look for my friends…)

There was a squawk and chitter (Yes, those guys. They might be lost in the forest or something and maybe three calls if you see them…) additional squawking (Oh, you're right, okay send the others off, and you can tell Nadia too…)

(Camilo, what's happening?...) Tío Agustín and Mira together.

(Juancho, Alejandra, and Cecelia are missing. No one's seen them since they followed me to the school this morning…) Camilo

(Oh, thank heavens…) Señora Guzmán (Mirabel can you please go and let your Abuela know what's happening, and have her come into town with Mariano?…)

There was a pause then (Okay…) Mira said then another pause (Dolores, I know you're already listening. Can you let Abuela know? And then meet me in my room? There is something there I think you can help me with…)

Dolores opened her eyes and said, "Three children are missing, and they've started a search. Tío Agustín is helping to organize. Your mother," she said to Mariano, "is asking for you and Abuela to come into town."

Nadia, Dolores remembered was the head eagle in Antonio's room. Pico was coming, and she let out a squeak as she hurriedly got up and started for the stairs. Mariano and Abuela were up as well. "I will be right back," she said over her shoulder, "I have to open Antonio's door." She was sprinting now and pushed his door open in time to see Pico making a beeline for it, the bird landed just inside and began squawking furiously. There was an answering cry from the eagles and Pico promptly turned around and took off toward the forest. Six eagles in all swooped past Dolores and then things quieted, though there were more birds leaving her brother's room. Mariano and Abuela were looking at her from the plaza and Dolores said, "Mira asked me to wait here for her, so I will catch up with you both later."

Mariano nodded and headed for the door, Abuela hesitated for just a moment then she too started for the already open door. The door closed and Dolores went to Mira's room and gently knocked before opening it. Dolores came in and moved to the side. Someone else was coming and from the sound of the footsteps it was Luisa. She noted Casita had moved the furniture out to the walls and Mirabel was there just starting to roll up the carpet in her room with her back to her.

There was another knock and the door opened and Luisa stepped inside, "Mira, do you know what's happening? I heard Pico screeching all the way in my room. Is Antonio, okay?"

"Antonio's fine. He's with Camilo in town. Three other kids are missing though, and I came home so I wouldn't distract anyone who is searching." Mirabel sounded irritated as she struggled with the rug.

"Oh, right," Luisa said and took two steps and rolled the carpet in one motion, "Should I go help?"

"Thanks, no not yet I need your help with this," Mirabel said and stood up. She noticed Dolores and smiled. "Hi, Dolores."

Luisa turned and waved, "Sorry, Dol did not see you there."

"That's alright. What did you need me for Mirabel?"

"This," Mirabel said, hands on her hips. She was looking at the floor and for the first time Dolores noticed the small points of light moving around on it.

"Are those…people?"

"I think so," Mirabel said, "Only problem is we don’t know who is who."

"How can I help with that?"

"You know, I'm not sure, but I was thinking of all the times you rooted me out of whatever hiding place I'd picked to hang around in when I was little. I always thought I was being super quiet, but you always found me, no matter how far I went."

Dolores did remember. Mirabel had gained the habit of wandering off when she was sad after her Gift Ceremony. It did not matter who was looking after her, she was just really good at doing what she wanted. Dolores noticed it was Casita that was aiding and abetting her prima. Opening a door or the back gate. Most times she would go out in the woods behind Casita and sit in her favorite tree. She would cry as quietly as she could asking the tree why she wasn't good enough. After the first few months that happened, Abuela had Luisa pull the tree down, so she couldn't do that anymore. Mirabel would just stubbornly find a different spot. Each time Abuela would try to stop her from doing it by ruining whatever Mira built to make it her own.

While Abuela said it was so that Mirabel wouldn't get lost or hurt, Dolores was not so sure. She talked to her mother about it and her mother told her, from then on, to bring Mira back but to bring her to her Mamá instead of Abuela. Once Abuela started hyper focusing on Isabela she stopped caring where Mira was every minute of the day. It was hard to tell if Mira thought this was a good thing or a bad thing because for the most part, she did not interact with the family as much. Stuck at home she took to learning what Casita was saying, and sometimes she would play with Camilo, but eventually Abuela even separated her from him. So, it was just Casita Mira had to talk to.

Dolores remembered how once school started, Mira happy to be out and about, would often stay in town and play, mostly alone, trying her best to be that perfect non-magical Madrigal. It was right about then that Camilo started acting up in school, but it wasn't until later when she heard him talking with his prima on the way home that she realized why. If everyone thought he was in detention, then he could do whatever he wanted to before he would be expected to do chores. Her little brother had found a loophole and Dolores was not about to mess that up.

The door opened again, and Isa came in breathing heavily, "Okay, what…" she stopped and took a deep breath, "what are we doing?"

"You okay, Isa?" Luisa asked.

"Yeah, yeah, just ran all the way here. I'm alright," Isa said sitting on the bed. Dolores noticed Isa's heart was beating very fast. Faster than it should be.

Mirabel looked at her sister and shook her head. She turned back to the floor, eyes flitting about, and she said, "Dolores, do you think you can tell which of these might be Abuela, or Mariano or his mother?"

Dolores was now very curious if she could, in fact, tell where someone was just by listening but not being out in the town. This was something she never really tried to do without having a general idea of where that person was. She focused her hearing on the town and her eyes on the image. She heard Mariano's voice and could almost see his face as she smiled and pointed to a light that was moving through an alley. "That's Mariano."

"You sure?" Mira asked.

"Yes." Dolores said with growing confidence.

"Okay, Casita is there a way to label that light?" Mira asked. The tiles near the window clattered questioningly. "Yeah, words would be too long and hard to read, how about, I don’t know, maybe just his face?" Tiles bumped along with the floorboard and a tiny face appeared. It moved along the alley stopping at the windows and doors depicted.

"My goodness, that is just adorable," Mirabel said with a giggle.

"Mira there are hundreds of people in the Encanto, it will take too long to do this one at a time," Luisa said sitting next to Isa.

"Yeah, I know, but it is kinda cool though."

Out of curiosity, Dolores reached out and touched the light floating around with Mariano and pulled her hand back with a frown and small squeak, "That was odd."

"What was?" Mira asked.

"When I touched that light there," and she pointed, "it was not who I expected." Dolores had assumed it was Abuela or Mariano's mother. Turned out it was neither.

"You can tell who they are by touching them?" Luisa asked.

"Ummm, more like I can hear them," Dolores said, frown deepening.

"But can't you already hear them?" Mira asked.

"Yes, but that's not what I mean. I can only hear them. Everything else went quiet."

"Wow, that is odd," Mirabel said kneeling close to the floor and poking it a few times, "I don’t hear anything."

"So, who was it?" Isa asked from the bed.

"Acacia López," Dolores said flatly and almost felt angry. She knew Mariano was completely devoted to her, but she did not like the thought of that one being with him for any reason. Acacia was quite sure she was the one Mariano wanted to be with and had often said inflammatory and derogatory things to her about Isa's relationship with Mariano. She did not want to know what venom that one was spreading about her, so she made a point of not hearing her.

"That little snake," Isa said and slid off the bed next to her. "I should wrap her in vines and squeeze her 'til her beady eyes pop out."

Dolores suppressed a smile and gave Isa a gentle shove, "I don’t think that would be the best idea Isa."

"Oh, it would at least shut her the-"

"Guys, can we talk about this later?" Luisa said, "We are supposed to be working on finding those kids."

Dolores noticed that Mirabel had moved on to another section of town where no one was supposed to be living yet. There were a bunch of half-finished houses and though there shouldn't be any lights there; Mira said she thought she saw three tiny and very dim lights. It made Dolores wonder if that meant they were hurt.

"Dolores, come and touch these." Mira said waving to her and pointing to one spot in particular.

She did but shook her head. "I don’t hear anything, wait…" she said, brow furrowing. "No, I can hear breathing," she touched another, "All three are but it sounds too slow for little kids."

"I can go," Luisa said.

"Wait, there's one more thing, Dolores, I know this is gonna sound weird but if you can hear Mariano, maybe he can hear you?" Mirabel said, "Try it, and if he can, without freaking out, have him get Mamá and meet Luisa there."

Dolores nodded then tentatively touched the face of her beloved and said, "Mariano, can you hear me?" she took her finger off the face and heard; (Dolores?) "He can," Dolores said excitedly. "Oh," She put her finger back down and said, "Mariano, we think we know where the kids are. But they may be hurt, so you'll need to find Tía Julieta, Luisa's on her way now. From where you are now, go…ten streets west and look in the fifth house on the right." (I understand, mi amor) "He's on his way."

"I'm out," Luisa said and was out the door.

Dolores watched Mirabel as she paced watching the lights on the floor. Dolores had spent a little more time naming some of the lights and Isa was watching the tiny bodyless heads float about occasionally making tiny flowers appear in their hair. Dolores wondered if they flowers appeared in real life or if Isa was just dressing up the faces.

"They're out," Dolores said clapping her hands and smiling. Mirabel sighed and Isa threw some rose petals in the air. Dolores now focused on the three little lights as they moved further down the street. They were swarmed, by others, so she lost track of them. She touched Mariano's face and said, "Thank you, mi vida, is everyone alright?" (The children are with the doctor and your Tía. Once they wake up enough to eat something they should be healed. You will have to tell me how I can hear you when I know you are in Casita. You have learned something new, mi vida, that is so exciting.) And Dolores realized she had, all because her prima thought she could. (Dolores, since lunch was interrupted,) Mariano continued, (can you come for dinner?) "Yes." (Great, I will pick you up when I bring your Abuela home.) Dolores sat back and relayed everything Mariano had told her.

The clock chimed the five o'clock hour and Isa said, "Well guess that meeting's been postponed. Who's hungry."

"You could go start supper," Mirabel said.

"I could, but everyone would be afraid to eat it," Isabela said as she got off the bed.

"Why?"

"Everyone knows I can't cook."

"I will take my chances and I need to talk to Dolores about the thing."

"Okay hermanita, your stomach." Isa said and she was out the door.

"Mira everyone knows she's a disaster in the kitchen," Dolores said after the door had closed.

Mirabel snorted and deadpanned, "She wants everyone to believe she can't cook, but she used to make food for me and Luisa all the time when Mamá was out in town. Now Tío Bruno cannot cook to save his life."

"Mariano is on his way here with Abuela so what do you need to talk to me about?"

"Oh, well it's gonna take some time to explain and we'll need Camilo as well. How 'bout you come back once you're done, and I will explain it to you both then?"

"Alright Mira," she said standing up, "Oh, and thank you for today," she said gesturing to the floor. "I will be home by dark, so I will see you then."

"Great," Mirabel said as she walked with her to the door.

#encanto #mirabel madrigal #dolores madrigal #casita #encanto fanfic #encantober #help #Yes #yes there is a depiction of the Encanto on Mirabel's bedroom floor #I like upgrades

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