The Forgotten...? ••• 𝐂.𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐥

(23) 𝐈mpossible

Mirabel's POV:

"...What was that?" I repeated, my throat was closing up as I peered at every one of my family members. They stood silent, all eyes and focus now turned away from each other and turned towards the centre of town. Where did the scream come from?

"Má...?" I took a second to glance at my Tío Bruno, seeing him near Abuela and trying to catch her attention, breaking her from her still state.
"...Má? What do we do? Wh-what—uh, wha-" Bruno started again, I looked back to him but everyone seemed too occupied with staring at the houses that bordered the town where there was a new occurrence. Smoke. Black, thick smoke, more so than what we saw a few seconds ago.

I stood there, my fingers were icy and I couldn't manage a single swallow without hearing my rapid heartbeat. I jumped when Abuela made her first move.
"We need to get into town! Now, appraise! Ándale! Ándale!" She screamed, I turned to my má and saw her and papá running into town. She left without warning or without grabbing, hardly, any food for those who are possibly injured. My body moved on its own and I soon ran after them, hearing most of my family run after us.

I lost má around a corner but I saw my papá run towards a small huddle of people, a family I'm guessing and pushing them to go back into their homes. To hide? I slowed my pace when I saw má guiding someone towards us, giving her a piece of her healing food. The woman was alone, she was elderly and had a small basket of fruit in hand, she must have been getting some food for breakfast for her family. Má took her to a house, which I'm guessing was hers since the family inside urged the elderly woman in after má knocked on the door, I was sure they were relatives. Má stood at the door, rushing out her words, I didn't know what she was saying and I didn't quite care at the moment, but the family soon shut the door when má made her way to another house. They opened their door after a short while and they spoke to má, they then shut the door again and this time I saw them pull their curtains to a close...

I made a move to go help my má, I think she was just telling the families in the homes that they need to stay inside. Whatever was happening wasn't a normal storm or accident, something had been set on fire. On purpose? I'm not sure. But something had everyone on edge, something big. And everyone knew about it but a few. Including me, apparently.

I saw the growing smoke, I couldn't see any flames but the black fumes were blocking out the sun's frown where I was standing. I saw, just above some of the roofs ahead, that it seemed to sort of dim a little. The smoke, faded for a mere second before pushing through worse and with more spacious intent as it began to cloud the area where I was.
The house—or whatever was on fire—I believe that's where Tío Felix, Bruno, tía Pepa and Luisa were. I couldn't see Abuela, she was rather with them or at another end of town warning other family members whilst, má, pá and Isa were warning people here.

Light steps pattered to my side, I turned to see Dolores, she was stiff and having trouble with her hearing. Her fingers kept prodding and poking them absent-mindedly, as she stared, unblinkingly, at nothing in particular. It sort of scared me, but when she stopped smushing and jiggling her ears, I heard her let out a couple of breaths as she stood beside me. With me not having a gift and her only ability being enhanced hearing she could only tell the others if people wherein certain houses or not, we couldn't help as much as we wanted to. But no matter how much our determination to help our Encanto, my body seemed to be in a panic-induced paralysis, I'm unsure what Dolores was feeling but by the look on her face, she wasn't having fun being able to what everything. I didn't know what was going on, and why everyone knew what to do as if they expected it. Except for the few of us. I was stunned and confused and I believe Dolores, Camilo and Antonio were in the same boat as me. Dolores was shocked into a board like manure and both Camilo and Antonio stood together, Camilo's arms around his little brother as he crouched down to his height.