𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘶 | 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗹

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 9

Encanto, Colombia
1949

It was evening and dinner was being prepared as the Guzman's would be making an appearance tonight for Mariano's proposal to the dear Isabela. Elena was in her room as to stay out of the way of preparation for, what was suppose to be, a perfect night. This gave her time to pretty up as well as she hadn't done so for a long while now. She fixed her hair in her mirror and sighed at her reflection. She looked so tired. She tried to smile a fake smile but it looked dreadful, so much so it made her laugh. "Absolutely pathetic..." she laughed again as she swore she could hear Bruno behind her laugh. It was the little things she missed the most.

She sighed and stood up as she pushed her hair over onto her shoulder and took a deep breath, leaving the comfort of her room into the hallway of the loud and chaotic casita. Everyone was desperately running about trying to make sure everything was perfect for the feast. Elena walked down the stairs into the dining room as everyone finally began to settle in, the Guzman's knocking on the door of the casita. Everyone sat down whilst Alma said a toast to the union of the Guzman's and the Madrigals and went on and on about the greater good of the future and the Encanto. The dinner itself was quiet as Alma talked to the Guzman's and Isabela, it certainly wasn't something to be all too excited about. Far too formal for the Madrigals, in her opinion.

She ate in silence as her family began to cause chaos; Camilo shapeshifting, Félix spitting water at the Guzman's, Pepa forming a cloud and Mirabel along with her father seemingly on edge and extremely nervous. So much so, they began getting pushy and demanded Mariano propose now, sending poor Luisa off to grab the piano as Mariano nervously began to get on one knee. Animals ran about as Mirabel fought with an animal to try to grab something glowing green as it slid across the table towards Abuela. A premonition, the last of Bruno's before his disappearance. Just then, the cracks began. Along the floor, the ceiling, the walls, they were everywhere and they startled everyone. Pepa's cloud was out of control, Isabela punched poor Mariano in the nose and all Abuela could do was just stare wide eyed at the glowing premonition in front of her. Rain began flooding the estate as everyone turned to Mirabel, surrounded by the cracks along the walls.

The Guzman's ran out of the room and towards the exit as Alma followed behind pleading with them not to leave. Everyone else followed close behind trying to sort out what had just happened and gave dirty stares towards poor Mirabel who has been trying to convince everyone she didn't do anything. Elena was left alone in the now empty and cold dining room, soaked to the bone as she tried to piece everything together in her head. Bruno's last premonition, could that have been the reason he left? She didn't even get a good look at it to see why he could've left to begin with. It all flooded her mind more then the flood of water within the room, and all she could do was just hug herself.

She walked out of the dining room and into the opening of the casita immediately being bombarded with the adults frantic.

"You should've told me the second you saw the vision, think of the family!" Alma was ridiculing Agustin as he defended himself and his family. "I was thinking of my daughter!" He replied sharply as Julieta grabbed onto her husbands arm, Pepa having a cloud of snow bury her and Félix as Alma ridiculed her too. "Mama, you've always been too hard on Mirabel" Julieta stated as Elena made herself present and agreed with her sister-in-law. More cracks began to fill the walls around them.

"Look around. We must protect our family, our encanto. We cannot lose our home." She went on as the townspeople began to knock at the door and request her presence to calm everyone down. Alma sighed. "Mirabel was in that vision for a reason. Find her." She left, leaving everyone in shambles.

"I'll look on the second floor, mi amiga. Don't worry, we'll find her" Elena reassured an already worried Julieta and Agustin and made her way upstairs to the second floor as the rest of the family looked elsewhere all along the casita and neighbouring properties.

"Mirabel? Ay, Mirabel. Where did you run off to, querida?" Elena wandered the hallways of the upper floor as the storm around the whole encanto grew stronger, the cracks becoming more persistent and violent. They were losing time and has called out for Mirabel more desperate then ever. A light shone though from just a few feet in front of her, where Bruno's door lay abandoned. Or so they thought. His door, it was glowing. His door was actually glowing after ten long years of lying dormant. He was using his gift.

"Bruno! What are you seeing, mi amor? There's so much more to this, isn't there...?" She stared at the door as another crack ran below her feet, startling her. She looked back up and the door continued to glow brighter then she had ever seen it before. She had to tell someone. She ran down the stairs and frantically began looking for her sister-in-laws, for it was desperate they knew that their brother was still here. Perhaps, and she hoped with everything in her soul, he was back to help the family.

She ran outside, quick as her legs could carry her, faster and faster, her heart was raising with adrenaline and anticipation, could he really be back?

She turned the corner and stopped as fast as she could before she could run into Pepa, who was with Julieta. Perfect coincidence. She tried to catch her breath as both women tried to understand their frantic friend. "Bruno.....door...." The women furrowed their brow in confusion as Pepa reminded her of their rule. "We don't talk about Bruno."

"His door!" Elena blurted as Pepa tried to tell her again. "Cállate, Pepa! Bruno's door is glowing!" She shouted as both women stared at each other, shocked, and looked back to their friend.

"Show us."

word count: 1074