New magic

Chapter 4-One problem at a time

"What's going on?" My mom asked and walked up to me, putting her hands on my shoulder.

"Me and Elena were just discussing why she left her workplace earlier today, instead of doing what she was supposed to do." Abuela said calmly and stood up.

"Mamá, don't put any pressure on Elena. We don't want to repeat what happened before." Julieta said softly and took few steps closer.

"I am not putting any pressure on her. I was just asking why she left."

"Yes, but she just got her gift. She is also a child, she can go play, she doesn't need to help out all the time." Pepa said and a small cloud was forming over her head.

"Yes, I know that very well. Today, I was introducing her to the work she may need to do, and she can't just leave. Of course she will play as she likes, but there will be days where she has to work and help, and she can't just quit that." Abuela said and the angry tone in her voice was steadily growing.

"Yes, but she is just a kid. Maybe if you had helped her start and explain things more effectively, than maybe she would not have left." The cloud above Pepa's head started to thunder. Another thunder could be heard outside and the sky started to darken as clouds formed above the village. I could see Antonio, out of the corner of my eye, cover his ears from the thunder.

"No, Mamá." I said and stepped up from the chair. 

"Abuela did explain well. I knew what I had to do. But I was just thirsty and went to the river and things happened and I just came back here. This isn't Abuela's fault, alright?"

"What do you mean? What happened so that you had to leave your workplace?" Abuela asked and I looked at her. I did want to tell them, but I was worried. I hadn't figured this all out myself, how was I going to explain to them that some men were going to burn down Casita and that I had two gifts?

"Mamá, stop." Julieta said and my mother bent down to me.

"Elena, amor, what's wrong?" She said softly and stroked my chin.

"I don't know." I muttered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Pepa said and took my hands in hers.

"I mean I don't know." I said louder than before and took away my hands. I walked out of the kitchen and into the courtyard.

"Elena, come back here." Abuela called after me but I ignored her calls.

I was halfway across the courtyard when the earth beneath me shook and a crack appeared in the tiled floor and it startled me so I fell backwards.

I heard gasps and few shouts from the balcony above, then I felt hands wrap around me which I noticed to be my mothers.

"No." I heard Abuela whisper behind me.

The shaking had stopped and only left a large crack in the floor before me. Something else drove my attention and I looked up at the window where our magic candle stood. It was normal, until I looked at it, then it started to burn brighter and brighter, almost blinding me.

The candle's bright light then faded and went back to normal. When I looked back at the crack, it had disappeared.

"What was that?" Antonio said behind me and I heard he was scared.

"What happened?" I heard Isabela's voice say.

"Why did the house shake?" I heard Mirabel's scared voice.

"Was that a crack?" I heard Bruno say. He had once told me he was afraid of cracks, something I didn't understand.

Suddenly all of the Madrigals family was there in the courtyard. The sun was setting, sending warm, red and yellow glows into the yard.