Disappeared once or twice

6. Laughing Out Loud

"El Encanto?" Massimo was clearly confused. "Why do you guys want to go to Encanto?" Luca tried to come up with a proper excuse, although Alberto saves him with his clever words. "Because I heard Encanto is very beautiful! Giulia and Luca will be taking advanced Spanish classes next year, this can be good practice." He pulled a smart card, grownups are always suddenly very interested when it benefits school. 

"And how do you guys plan to go there?" Shit, they hadn't thought about that, Giulia and Luca gave each other some desperate looks, however it was Alberto who spoke up again. "I will pay, I worked throughout the year. I don't make much and I actually planned to turn the money in a ticket for Luca, so I saved up quite a bit." Needless to say they were all stunned by this statement, especially Luca was very moved. He got up and gave Alberto a warm embrace, whispering in his ear: "You really are the greatest friend in the world." 

"However," Luca continued louder, so everyone could hear him. "I've got a plan, Alberto and I are incredibly good swimmers after all, so buying a ticket for us would be unnecessary. We just need a way to transport Giulia, either by boat or by plane."

"That might work!" Giulia exclaimed. They were so excited, a new adventure awaited. "Very well then." Massimo kept the conversation going. "You'll be very satisfied with the surprise I made for you." "We." Alberto added. "Yes, the surprise WE made for you." Giulia's father corrected himself. "Now finish your dinner so we can show you guys." 

He didn't have to repeat himself, Luca practically ran to his seat and threw his dinner in his mouth. Looking over to the other side of the table his daughter did the same. Alberto slowly continued eating, he was already almost finished anyway. 

In the meantime approximately 10178,4 km (6324.57 miles) away was someone in particular struggling with falling asleep. It was Dolores this time. Even though it was common for Bruno to be awake at the most ridiculous time, sometimes Dolores couldn't fall asleep either. It was weird, since unlike Bruno she did have a normal sleep schedule. Most of it thanks to her almost soundproof room, almost. Her hearing was better than all the material used to reduce the noise. 

Occasionally she'd hear someone in the hallway stumbling. Sometimes Camilo to get a midnight snack, sometimes it was Isabella sneaking out, sometimes it was Bruno to just... Do Bruno-stuff. Nobody really knows what he does all day around. This time again, there was some stumbling in front of her door. She was this close to swing it open and tell the person who was there to fuck off and let her sleep. 

That was until the said person swung open her door. It was Bruno. Unusual, nobody entered her room ordinarily. "Bruno, it is legit 3 am. Why on earth are you here?" Dolores sat up straight in her bed, climbing out of it and walking towards Bruno. The man was fidgeting with his fingers, nervously looking at the clean floor. "I, uh, Ihavesomequestionsforyou...." 

"Yeah, repeat that. But slowly." Dolores got closer to Bruno and gestured for him to get in. She had a little teatable in her room, along with comfy chairs. "I have some questions for you. I mean, not for you. I am just hoping you've got the answers to them. I mean.." "I get it, I get it. Jeez, sit down already." Bruno followed her instruction and they sat opposite of each other. 

"So, what do you want to ask?" Dolores was helping to get the conversation going. "Well to begin. I have been getting these weird visions again." "I was aware, I heard you wincing in pain quite a few times." Dolores really knew it all. "Yeah hehe." Bruno awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, he sometimes forgot that she can hear everything. "They are always the same thing, I had them the day Mirabel got or actually didn't get her door. Some curly-haired kid, not Camilo, reaches out to me but I can't grab his hand. He falls in the thundering darkness." He summarizes his vision, "I feel like I've seen this boy before, but I really can't remember where or when." 

Dolores took in this information carefully at the same time Bruno regretted every decision he'd made so far. Why would he tell such important information to someone who was the biggest gossiper in the family? "No worries Bruno, I won't tell anyone." "How'd you..." "I can practically HEAR your brain rattling. Plus, I kept you being in the walls a secret for...." 

Dolores thought deeply about when she'd heard him for the first time in the walls. "About three years was it?" "THREE YEARS? I thought I had been there for at least ten!" Bruno jumps up, this is a big discovery. "Don't be silly, you left the house for about seven years. It was so perfectly quiet." She laughed loudly.

"Then what did I do all these years? Why don't I remember." Bruno couldn't keep up with his own mind. Dolores was supposed to be answering his questions, not create more. "You seriously don't remember do you." Her smile became a frown. Concern grew for her tío, he genuinely seemed confused. What did happen all those years when he left?

"Tío Bruno, even though I was only twelve when you took off. I think I do have some interesting information. I thought you knew, however you seem to have forgotten your lady." Dolores did have answers! She thought long and deeply and dug in her memories. "I don't know much, but there was something going on about a kid named Alberto. Furthermore there was a lady present, who warned you to not let him down. That's all. I'm sorry." 

Bruno grabbed her hands in excitement and swirled her around. Happy that he did have a clue. "Thank you so much Dolores!" He quickly exited her room, on his way to find more briefing. "Bruno wait, wasn't there more you wanted to ask me?" It was too late, Bruno could not hear her anymore. With a sigh she went back to bed, her thoughts kept nagging at her. What happened to her uncle?

{BOOM
Aight bye}