The Forgotten...? ••• 𝐂.𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐥

(7) 𝐒mall droplets and mist

Mirabel's POV:

I read over the writing that surrounded the photo and on the next page, I'm guessing that Lucia wrote this, when she was younger. Maybe straight after they took this photograph but either way someone was in the background, someone short and who used to wear pink. And there's only one person who I know who used to wear pink all the time.

Isabella.

"I think I know who that is." I sighed, glancing over at them before looking back at the image. My sister and I ended up on good terms 2 years ago when Bruno came back into the family and we rebuilt casita, but after that, we still got into some unnecessary fights. Only little ones but still. And right now, we were currently in one because I "apparently" took one of her prized, very sharp, babies. When I didn't! I don't know where she left it but I did not take it.

"Stupid cactus."

"What?" Camilo asked, I looked at him and he just grimaced looking back at me.
"Nothing! ...Nothing... heh!" I waved my hands around, dismissing him which only lead to Camilo looking at me weirdly and then to Dolores and then back to me. I smiled and tried to shake off the very very weird and awkward tension that has now been bestowed on us, but alas didn't work as well as I hoped.

I tried to think of something—anything— to quickly change the subject to literally anything else. So I said the first thing that came to mind.
"Wanna go back to bed?" I asked, clapping my hands and then dusting my skirt off, smiling. I was struggling to hold in a yawn and my eyes were beginning to burn, it must have been from the lack of sleep.
Yes, I didn't sleep too well last night, all of the stress and... everything. But, we gotta save the town from our crazy, evil cousin.

"What? B-but—Mirabel-?"

"I thought you wanted to find out about Lucia? Y'know... save the family and whatnot." Camilo asked, waving his hand in a repeating motion to indicate everything else I was talking about earlier today, that I wanted to save the town and our family. And, that includes Lucia.

"Well, yeah... We can do it tomorrow when everyone is busy with their chores and stuff. So we don't get caught and all. Yeah?" I didn't realise the consequences before coming in here, we would be punished. And it wouldn't be pretty. And it wouldn't just be me, it would be... Dolores and Camilo. They don't deserve that, I'm the one who dragged them here.

"Mirabel. Come on. You dragged me out of bed at 5 in the morning, I can't go back to sleep now. Especially, when we just figured out that we must have known her!" Camilo pointed his arms to the book, the photo and just stared at me wide-eyed.
"That's pretty mind-blowing to me." Camilo chuckled, he cleared his throat and nervously pulled at his shirt collar.

"I know, but if we're caught..." I urged, walking to the book, not daring to look the others in the eyes.

"So what, the worse we'll get is a lecture about privacy and a little bit of isolation. Doesn't sound to be and if we do find out something useful, about defeating Lucia, then it'll be worth it. Right?" Camilo laughed, his fun going personality breaking through the serious tension, once again. Adiós Mio, what would I do without Camilo...

"Now, let's go to the waterfall!" He shouted, running off to the waterfall, waving us over as he started running towards it. I looked away from him and Dolores walked slowly behind him, following after him. I touched the page again, brushed my finger over Lucia's and Tío Bruno's faces, I could still feel water trickle down my fingers and hands, but I didn't notice until I moved my hand away and saw multiple little droplets on the photo.

I dismissed it and stepped back from the book, turning to make my way to the others who were waiting for me—or maybe just in a little siblings argument, either way, they were only a couple of metres away from me.

I felt something cold touch my wrist as I started to make my way over to the others, I looked down and saw beads of water gliding down my arm, one delicately floating off of it. I stared at the single droplet, seemingly frozen in place, it moved in place before it zipped off towards... the book...

"Guys! GUYS!" I couldn't take my eyes off of the book, I heard Dolores and Camilo shout to me but I blocked them out as I saw what the water was doing. I couldn't believe it, small spirals of water started to form above the book in a disk shape, like a mirror. It spun continuously, the water became misty as I saw something in it. People... no, a person, a child.
Lucia...

"What's going on?!" Dolores shouted, covering her ears, I just stared at her before I realized the murky water had intensified and the mirror of water was now, massive. It was a similar size to the framed portraits outside, in the hallway.

"What's going on? Did you touch something you shouldn't have, Mirabel?" Camilo accused, glaring at me as he took, not so subtle, glances at the growing water disk in front of us. I turned to Dolores and saw her clamping her hands over her ears, I failed to notice the more it grew the louder it got as well.

"Camilo, we can all agree here, that if anyone would accidentally touch or break something likely to end our lives, it'd be you." I flatly stated, looking him dead in the eye as he pouted, crossing his arms and turning his back to me.
"No. I wouldn't." He denied, peeking over his shoulder to look at me, I dismissed it and turned to Dolores, who was having a mini panic attack whilst staring at the now stationary water disk. I was going to try and comfort her before Camilo suddenly spun around catching both Dolores' and my attention.

"And anyway, your one to talk, you're the one wh-"

"Ok, ok, accuse me later Camilo, we have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment." I rushed, pointing to the now door-sized disk of water but as I did I realized that I could see the images within it grow more solid and visible. I moved closer to the book to get a clearer picture of whatever was inside the water spinning above the book.

"Your the one who..." I zoned out of whatever Camilo was angrily whispering to himself, I couldn't hear the rest anyway due to the distance and the quietness of his voice. But the quiet atmosphere was disrupted by a very angry Dolores, she turned to look at me, uncovering her ears, before hurriedly putting them back on her head again as the noise of rushing water had not yet subsided.

"That was you, Mirabel?!" Dolores whisper shouted, I yelped looking to a very irritated Dolores. My fear of whatever Camilo said was washed away and replaced with frustration. I turned to look at Camilo, ready to give him an ear full about how to keep privacy and secrets and scowled at Camilo. A very guilty looking Camilo.
"Oops... Heh! I may have said that too loudly." He nervously grinned, I could feel my eye twitch and I gripped my dress with an ungodly amount of strength, which I believe he noticed when he took a large gulp, backing away slightly.

"CAMILO! What did you say-!?"

"Is it working? I don't know how this works, you're normally the brains of our operations. Not me."

"What's going on?" Camilo whispered, looking around the room, I turned away from him and scanned the room before my eyes landed on the swirling mirror floating above the book. Its growth had stopped and was now fully showing the faint images from earlier.

"Lucia...?"

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Word count: 1359