Through Your Eyes || Camilo Madrigal

---- • ¤《 Chapter 10 》¤ • ----

Carlos watched the Madrigals take their family photo, a longing filling his heart. The family was so close to each other, smiling, laughing.

He felt a heavy hand grip his shoulder. He turned to the stern disapproving gaze of his father.

He took a step back in shock. "W-what are you doing here?" He stuttered.

"I actually came to ask you that." His father's gruff voice was filled with a silent anger. His hand gripped Carlos by his hair, pulling him out of the room and to an empty corridor a little ways away.

"Pá, please let go." Carlos pleaded, the pain shooting across his scalp.

His father released his grip on his hair. Carlos stepped back until he was against the wall. His father stood in front of him, looming overhead, his seething anger permeating the air.

The silence was to much. "Pá, say something, please."

"What is wrong with you?" His father whispered. His words were quiet but a forceful power saturated his sentence.

"I-I-" Carlos stammered, trying to sink into the wall behind him.

"I don't care what you're excuse is. You know full well how we feel about the Madrigals and yet here you are, participating in their pompous gift ceremony. You little traitor." His words were like ice, his face leaning close to Carlos' until they were mere inches away. Carlos tried to shrink back but the solid wall remained firm at his shoulders.

His father leaned down farther, his face right at Carlos' ear. "You're coming home with me right now. You're going to regret your little act of treason."

Carlos bit his lip and shut his eyes tight. "N-no." He whispered.

His father stepped back to face him once again. "What did you say?"

"No." Carlos repeated more forcefully. "I'm not leaving. Not yet." A new kind of courage sparked in his eyes.

His father merely chuckled. "Fine, but when you do come back, which you will at some point, I'll be waiting for you. Traitors don't just walk free." He turned and left Carlos there, pressed against the wall.

Carlos wanted to cry, but he was too used to the feeling by now that he had no tears left. He eventually left the wall and the corridor, slowly making his way back towards the room. He stopped on the balcony, a figure was crouching in the otherwise empty front room.

It was Mirabel. A light blush flushed across his cheeks.

Then he saw it: cracks spreading throughout Casita. Mirabel ran after them but they continued to spread all across the walls, floor, and even the ceiling, until they reached the window where the candle stood. Carlos watched in horror as the flame flickered. Mirabel ran into Antonio's room to get help. But when she left, the cracks in Casita slowly receded back to nothing.

---- • ¤《 ~ 🔅 ~ 》¤ • ----

Camilo and Ana danced with everyone else on the floor of the tree house. Some people had even gathered around to watch them. Camilo's bright yellow ruana flowed around her stormy gray dress. Like lightning and thunder.

Ana could hear the crowd cheering them on, and for once, she didn't feel uncomfortable by it. She focused on the dance. On Camilo. They twirled across the wooden floor, every move perfectly in line with the music. The dance was lively and by the end, both Camilo and Ana were out of breath.