Encanto Meets...The Lord of the Rings?

Prologue

Mirabel

"Abuela," I pleaded, my voice breaking, "you can't die! I—I need you!"

I held her hands tenderly as she lay wearily on her bed, the sad, gentle hum of the rain echoing through her open window. As I did, I savored every last touch, smell, sight, and sound of my grandmother.

I was devastated. After enduring ten long years of emotional trauma and constant ostracism, we finally had the grandmother-granddaughter relationship I so desperately craved. Now, a year later, Abuela was dying right before my eyes.

The rest of the family were gathered outside the door, giving Abuela and me our privacy, but they were still listening in. Not a single dry eye was among them.

"You have everything you need, Mirabel," Abuela replied weakly. Sweat condensed on her forehead and ran down her face as the fever ransacked her entire body, and her whole frame shook as she coughed from deep within her chest—the pneumonia was taking its toll.

"How's that, Abuela?" I pleaded, tears starting to sting my eyes. "No one understands our family's magic better than you! I'm not prepared to lead this family without you!"

Abuela coughed mightily again. "You—you have everything you need," she repeated, "You have your parents, your tíos and tía, your primos and prima, your sisters...you have this whole community to guide you, and..." her eyes started to roll backward, and her breathing staggered and slowed.

"Abuela?" I held her hands with my right hand and gently prodded her shoulder with my left.

A soft smile crossed Abuela's face as her eyes opened again, and she looked back at me. "I'm just resting, Mira. I'm still here." She closed her eyes briefly once more, took a few shallow breaths, then opened them again. "Mira," her tone grew ominous as her smile faded, "you understand the magic far better than I could have ever hoped for. I just brought it here." Her hands grew tighter on mine, attempting a reassuring squeeze.

"But..." I protested, but Abuela cut me off.

"No more objecting, Mirabel, I—" Abuela coughed heavily a couple of more times, steadied her weak breath, and then continued. "I don't have much time. Now, I need you to listen carefully because this may be the last thing you ever hear from me, okay?"

"Abuela," I pleaded again, tears streaming down my face, "No, don't say that! I have nothing without you!" My shoulders started shaking as I cried, unable to hold back the grief any longer.

"Mira," Abuela weakly exclaimed, her voice going hoarse with every word now, "you have all your guidance right in front of you...now, please...my last pepita de sabiduría, with my last breath..."

I finally, dutifully but painfully, remained silent.

"Trust him...," she continued, "trust him..."

"Who, Abuela?" I asked as more tears leaked out.

She was at her weakest now, her breath heaving more than actual breathing, but a knowing smile crossed her face.

Abuela's eyes suddenly went dim as a last, quiet, weak breath slowly escaped her lips as if she was sighing one final time. "Trust...trust Wizard..."

"What?" I asked, confused. In all my sixteen years, Abuela never mentioned a Wizard. Ever.

Abuela never responded.

"Abuela?" I said, panicked. "Abuela??"

Her hands went limp as a fideo, falling out of mine and loosely onto her lap.

"ABUELA???" I cried, but she never moved or responded to me again.

As the terrible, painful realization hit me, a new wave of tears escaped my eyes. My shoulders started to shake as I mourned my grandmother, an awful, ugly cry escaping my lips. I bowed my head on her still chest and cried as I grasped her unmoving shoulders. I mourned with everything I had left.

I cried, my whole frame shaking, my face buried deeply in my grandmother's chest. I felt the family gathering in the room around me, placing their hands on me or Abuela's now dead frame, crying and mourning themselves.

I cried. My grandmother was gone.

Unable to bear my grief, I pushed away from Abuela and through my family's arms despite their attempts to get me to stay. I rushed out the door, down the stairs, through the courtyard, and out of Casita as my tears mingled with the pouring rain.

My father, Augustine, was close behind, trying desperately to catch up with me. Still, I ran. I ran with a broken heart at break-neck speed through the village and used all the twists and turns I'd learned over the years to lose him.

My hair, skin, and clothes were soaked, but I didn't care. I still ran. I ran until I reached the mountain with the broken crest. As quickly as I could, I clambered up the slopes until I reached the top.

"Mirabel!" my father cried from down below. He'd found me, but I was too far ahead for him to catch up.

Without looking back, I took a step down the other side.

Immediately, I lost my footing. The rain had saturated the ground way too much, and I slipped. The muddy ground smeared itself on my legs and arms as I flailed, desperately trying to keep my balance, but I went down. Fortunately, I landed on my back, but I slid the rest of the way down the mountain in the dirty, muddy sludge.

Great. I was miserable, heartbroken, and filthy now. But I couldn't go home yet. I couldn't face the sudden pressure of being the family's next leader.

I slowly, shakily got up. Fortunately, I didn't detect any injuries, but I didn't bother trying to brush myself off. I was a wet, filthy mess.

Tears still streaming down my face, I clambered to the river. If nothing else, I would at least rinse off.

I navigated through the towering foliage surrounding the river's banks but stopped dead when I came through the clearing.

The current was the strongest I'd ever seen. Roiling, frothing waters surged down the river's path, akin more to rapids than actual flow.

I slowly, perilously made my way to the water's edge. There was no way I'd be able to rinse off in this.

My heart was even more depressed now, so I decided, very begrudgingly, that I'd make my way back home.

That is, until my father's voice sounded from the edge of the clearing, making me jump out of my skin.

"Mirabel!" He called, furious and worried at the same time.

I had no time to react. I lost my footing once more and slipped and fell.

Into the river.

I never heard my father's voice again.

*******
Hey everyone! Thanks for reading this Prologue! Let me know what you all think!

I'm not really sure what else to say about this Part yet since it's such a new project, but I'm feeling really good about it so far!

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