Chapter 4: Searching for Family

As they crossed over, the two living kids tried to walk casually, even though a lot of skeletons were staring at them. They walked into a room, where skeletons were getting assistance, when they heard yelling.

A skeleton woman wearing a purple dress, was yelling at a worker, saying how her family always put up her photo. Then the woman took off her shoe, and hit the computer with it. "Uh, Imelda?" asked Papa Julio.

"Que!" the woman asked sharply turning around, causing him to jump. "Ah mi familia, tell this woman that my photo is on the ofrenda." she said. "Actually, Mama Imelda, we didn't make it to the alter." said Papa Julio.

"What?" asked Mama Imelda confused. "We ran into..." Papa Julio said. Tias Rosita and Victoria moved out of the way to reveal the kids. Miguel immediately recognized the woman. "(Gasps), Miguel?" "Mama Imelda." said Miguel, nervously.

"What is going on here, and who is this?" asked Mama Imelda. "Uh, I'm Gabby." said Gabby. "Rivera family?" called a man skeleton.

In his office, he explained the situation. "Well you two are cursed." he said. "Que?" asked Miguel and Gabby together. "Dia de los Muertos is a night for giving and respecting the dead, you two stole from the dead." he said.

"But I wasn't stealing the guitar." said Miguel. "Guitar?" asked Mama Imelda. "It was my great-great grandfather's, and I was just borrowing it." said Miguel. "We do not talk about that...musician. He's dead to us." said Mama Imelda.

"Uh, but you're all dead." said Miguel. Then Dante and Carina jumped on the desk, and started eating the man's treats. "(Sneezes). I'm sorry who's alebrijes are those?" he asked. "That's just Dante." said Miguel, grabbing Dante.

"And my Carina." said Gabby, grabbing her. "They don't look like alebrijes." said Tia Rosita. "They just look like ordinary dogs." said Tio Oscar. "However he looks likes a sausage that was dropped in a barber shop." said Tio Felipe referring to Dante.

"Well whatever they are I'm (sneezes), really allergic." said the man. "But Dante's hairless." said Miguel. "And Carina's hypoallergenic." added Gabby, putting Carina in her bag. "And I don't have a nose but still." said the man, taping his glasses in place.

"But none of this explains why I couldn't cross over, or why Gabby is here." said Mama Imelda, pacing around. "Well she was with Miguel when he stole the guitar, so that makes her his accomplice. As for you crossing over I can't explain that." said the man.

"Uh, maybe this can." said Miguel nervously. He took the picture out of his pocket, and showed it to her. "You took my picture of the ofrenda?" asked Mama Imelda in shock. "I didn't mean to." said Miguel.

"How do we send them back?" she asked. "Well seeing as this is a family matter, the way to undo a family curse it to get your family's blessing." he said. "That's all?" asked Miguel. "Seems easy enough." said Gabby.

"Get your family's blessing and everything goes back to normal. But it's got to be done by sunrise." "What happens then?" asked Miguel. "Ninos, your hands." said Papa Julio. Miguel and Gabby looked at their fingers, and saw that they were turning into skeletons.

Miguel was so shocked, that he felt dizzy and started to faint, luckily Papa Julio caught him. "Whoa there, mijo. You can't be fainting on us." he said, hitting him lightly in the face. "You okay, Miguel?" asked Gabby concerned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Once Miguel came through, he realized that Gabby's hand was on his shoulder. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine." he said, though he felt his cheeks heat. "But not to worry, the family's all here. You can get your blessing now." said the man.

He looked around, and found a marigold petal, then he gave it to Mama Imelda. "Now you say his name and that you give him your blessing." "Miguel, I give you my blessing." Mama Imelda said, and the petal started to glow.

Gabby moved closer to Miguel, so she'd be able to go home too. "I give you my blessing to go home, to put my picture back on the ofrenda, and...to never play music again." she said. "Que?" asked Miguel.

Mama Imelda gave him a pointed him. "(Sighs), fine." said Miguel, and he took the petal, and in a flash Miguel was gone, but Gabby was still there. "Que?" asked Gabby confused. The others were equally confused.

Back in the Land of the Living, Miguel looked around to see that his hand was back to normal, and he couldn't see the skeletons anymore. "Come on Gabby, let's go." he said, grabbing the guitar. But as he did he noticed Gabby wasn't there, and in another flash he was back in the Land of the Dead.

"You were only gone for two seconds, and you already break your promise." said Mama Imelda sternly. "But Gabby's still here." he said. "Why didn't I go back?" asked Gabby. "Why didn't she?" asked Tio Oscar.

"I don't know, she's family isn't she?" asked the man. "Actually I'm just Miguel's friend." Gabby corrected. "Well that explains it. You need a blessing from your own family member." said the man.

"Do you have any dead family members, Gabby?" asked Tia Victoria. "Si, mi abuelita, Esperanza Lopez passed away." said Gabby. "According to my data, she came back from her visit." said the man looking at his computer.

"Great, come on Gabby let's go find her." said Miguel, as he walked towards the door. But Mama Imelda grabbed his arm. "No, no, no you are going home." "But I can't leave without Gabby." said Miguel.

"Don't worry about me Miguel." said Gabby. "We will help her, you are going home." said Mama Imelda. "But your way isn't fair." said Miguel. He tried to ask his other relatives for their blessing, but they nervously refused.

"Um, excuse me." Gabby said quietly. All eyes went on her. "Dona Mama Imelda, don't you think this is a little unfair. I mean just because you had a bad experience with a musician doesn't mean that music is bad." she said.

"This is none of your business, mujer joven. And how did you know that?" said Mama Imelda, getting in Gabby's face. "Uh, Miguel told me." said Gabby nervously. "Que, (groans). You know nothing about this family, so stay out of it." said Mama Imelda.

"Hey, don't talk like that to her." said Miguel. "And I won't have you going down the same road he did." said Mama Imelda. Then Miguel got an idea, and looked at the picture of his great-great grandfather.

"He's family." he whispered. "Please listen to your Mama Imelda." said Tia Victoria. "She just wants what's best for you." added Tio Oscar. "Por favor, be reasonable." said Tia Rosita. "Sorry, but I have to use the restrooms. Be right back, come on Gabby help me look." said Miguel.

He grabbed Gabby's hand, and the two kids and their dogs, hurried out the door. "Uh, should we tell them that they're no restrooms in the Land of the Dead?" asked the man.