Chapter 6

Shayla

The question took me by surprise. Me, a part of the Madrigal family? I was from a different century as these people, so it actually could've been possible we were related... Except for the fact my family wasn't Colombian. Like, my parents were the first people from my family to move to America... from Europe.

"No... At least not that I know of," was my answer to Alma's question. When nobody spoke, I explained, "My mother's side of the family is British, my father's is Greek and something else I can't remember. Biologically, I'm not a part of the amazing Madrigal family."

Nobody spoke. Camilo had somehow finished eating the enormous mountain of food he'd served himself.

Changing the topic, I said, "Dinner was amazing. Who made it?"

Mirabel's mom, Julieta, spoke.

"I did," she said, "I'm glad you liked it."

She looked like a really kind woman. Mirabel had explained how her gift was to heal people with the food she cooked. Which reminded me...

"Did you make the soup? You know, the one that healed me?" I asked. When Julieta nodded, I said, "Wow, thank you."

"It was nothing, I'm just happy you're okay," she looked at Camilo, who was playing with the silverware, "I only made the food. Camilo and Mirabel, on the other hand, were the ones who rescued you. Camilo stayed with you the whole time."

Camilo looked up from his plate.

"Wait, what did you say about me?" Everyone laughed.

"Have you been paying attention for the last half hour?" Dolores asked him.

"Yeah... totally, of course," he said. I bit back a smile.

Dinner was over, and everyone was free to go to sleep.

"Shayla," Camilo said, scaring me half to death when he popped out from behind the door frame, "Can we show you something?"

"We?" I asked, and then bit back a scream when Mirabel popped out from the other side.

"Yeah, of course," I said quietly, not knowing why I had the sudden urge to whisper.

Mirabel and Camilo led me up the stairs and down the hallway with all the doors. We stopped in a corner, hidden by the shadows, in front of... something. I didn't know what it was, I just knew it was big, flat, and covered by a tarp against the wall.

Mirabel then removed the tarp, revealing a door.

The door looked a lot like the other ones in the hallway, except it was bare, with no design and...

My stomach twisted into a million knots. Etched across the top of the door was my name.

I swallowed.

"How...?" I whispered.

"We don't know," Mirabel said, "We kinda thought you might."

I turned to face Camilo and Mirabel.

"Does anyone else know about this?" I asked them. Camilo started to shake his head, but then it turned into a nod.

"Besides me and Mirabel--"

"You mean Mirabel and I," Mirabel corrected him. Camilo rolled his eyes, but chuckled.

"As I was saying," He continued, "Besides Mirabel and I, only Abuela knows. But I wouldn't be surprised if Dolores knew, since, you know, she can hear everything."

"So this is why your Abuela wanted to know if I was related to you guys," I mumbled. Now that I thought about it... What if I was related to them?

"So... why did you show me this?" I asked, "Besides to make me question everything my parents have ever said to me."

"Well, we thought maybe you could try opening it," Mirabel said.

"Why?"

"To see what your gift is, of course," Camilo told me, his voice louder. Mirabel gestured for him to be quiet.

"Alright," I mumbled. I reached for the doorknob, and the door started to glow. The golden light covered every inch of the door, except for the doorknob, surprisingly. I opened the door, not quite sure why my two companions were staring at me the way they were.

Suddenly, energy hummed in my mind. Instead of staying there, it immediately exited with a loud thundering sound and a flash of lightning, opening a void under my feet.

I yelped, and fell in.

I had no idea what to do to get out of there. My instincts took over. I thought of the place I wanted to go to, which was the place right outside my door.
Then, a hole opened in the void, and spat me out.
I gracefully landed on my butt.
"Ow," I muttered. I stood on shaky legs, my heart beating hard against my ribcage. Camilo and Mirabel were staring at me, their mouths wide open.
"Whoa," Camilo said, "Are you okay? What happened?" He rapidly fired a million questions, none of which I answered.
"Whoa," Mirabel whispered from behind me. I turned around. The door, which had been blank a moment ago, was now filled with designs. I could barely explain them, but the one I did recognize was in the middle. It was a void, the door's glow wrapped around it, crackling every so often. It had a clock etched into it, made out of swirls and designs.
"I get what the void means," Camilo said, "But... why a clock?"
I knew exactly why the clock was there. But I couldn't tell them.
"Maybe we should try to find out tomorrow," I suggested.
Mirabel yawned.
"Agreed," She said, "Well, good night."
"Good night," I said.
"Buenas noches," said Camilo.
We all walked away. I got into bed that night. I kept thinking about everything that had happened that day. After a while, I tried to sleep. Spoiler alert: I didn't.