When Alma came up with the idea to have Bruno subjected to his worst fear in order to get him to learn to be less afraid, it seemed insane. But Alma explained that the more he is exposed to Andre the less afraid he will become. They could set up an environment in which nothing negative happens, and he will slowly fear Andre less when he realizes there is nothing to be afraid of. If this didn't work, at the very least Camilo could get Bruno to talk about what happened when he was with the mad man.
Felix and Pepa were convinced enough by this. No one had any better ideas that they believed would work. And Pepa was desperate to do something. Julieta and Agustin were less than pleased with this idea. However, it was three to two, and their plan of giving Bruno time to cope was not good enough for the others.
Camilo offered his room to do this. Much like Camilo, his room shape shifted at his will. This way, Bruno would be in a safe and secure place and the family could be nearby to help at all times. The entrance to Camilo's room was normal. It had a bed, desk, wardrobe, and a large full length mirror. It expanded out to an indefinite expanse. In the expanse of the room, he could make it be anything.
He shape shifted his room to look like the inside of Andre's house. Between where his normal room ended, and the indefinite space began, it looked like the outside of the house which allowed the family to see in through the windows and hear everything. On the inside of the fake house, they would only see what looked liked the woods of the encanto through the windows.
Camilo did his best to try to act like Andre. He vaguely remembered him from when Casita was rebuilt. He also had a good idea of how crazy and aggressive the man was when he saw him before he died. Based on Bruno's initial reaction, the teen was confident he made a convincing copy.
Pepa and Felix reminded their son that if at any point in time he needed to stop, he could. His parents were not happy to use Camilo's gift in this way, but they did not know what else could be done to help Bruno. Their son assured that he was perfectly happy to do this for his tio. And his parents promised that they would be watching at all times in case something went wrong.
.=.
When Bruno woke he was back in the bed and Andre was pacing the room at the foot of it. Upon seeing his Tio awake, Camilo nearly forgot who he was morphed as. He went to the bedside full of worry. "Are you okay?" He asked reaching out to touch the small man's shoulder. Bruno leaned away causing Camilo to pull his hand back awkwardly.
Bruno watched the other man fearfully. Andre did not take escape attempts well. He was going to be punished. "I'm sorry," he said quickly hoping he could placate his captor ahead of something terrible happening. "I didn't mean to try to run." Camilo was dismayed to see him nearly in tears. "I was just surprised, I promise I won't do it again. Please can we just start again?" " Bruno begged. "I-I missed you."
This was happening whether Bruno wanted it to or not, and he was going to do his best to accept it in order to survive with the least amount of pain and humiliation. The best thing to do was to placate Andre until he could find a way to escape. If he didn't give his captor a reason to hurt him; he'd get hurt less. There was even some hope to gain enough trust for Andre to let his guard down. Luckily, Bruno had one thing on his side. The knife Maria slipped into his pocket. In the event of the worst, he could use the knife.
"Don't worry," Andre said looking sad. "I'm not going to hurt you." Bruno cautiously moved to sit up against the headboard with is knees up. He wrapped his arms around his legs and hoped Andre meant it, but he doubted it. Not getting hurt, could very well mean getting raped instead. Andre's idea of reward could be as bad as punishment.
Sitting on the bed next to a trembling Bruno, Camilo hoped what he said next would help ease the small man's anxiety. "I actually wanted to say that I'm sorry." Bruno gave him a perplexed look. "After I saw you last and I was almost killed by your rats. I realized I hadn't been treating you well." He let out an awkward laugh. "I guess you and the rats knocked some sense into me."
A panicked feeling struck threw Bruno when Andre mention his rats. He prayed that the other man didn't hold him responsible for that. But his captor had apologized so maybe it would be okay. Or Andre was planning on retaliating in other ways, Bruno shivered at this.
"I'm sorry for everything I did to you." Andre continued. "I'm sorry for hurting you and forcing you to do things you didn't want." An apology could go a long way, that's what Camilo's father always told him.
Bruno was highly suspicious, Andre must be up to something but the prophet didn't know what. No one would forgive and apologize to the person responsible for their death. Thinking too hard on it would be no good though. He'd go insane trying to figure out half the things his captor was trying to do. One thing was certain, Andre was going to do something terrible to him. The man was like a wild animal, non-threatening one moment, then vicious the next.
Some minutes passed between them in silence and Bruno's worries got the best of him. He wasn't interested in prodding a lion, but his captor had been calm so far and made no move to hurt him. And Bruno was suffocating under the uncertainty of the well-being of his family. So he asked at his own risk. "Where's my family? Are they okay?"
Camilo was expecting the topic to go to how Bruno may be feeling or his thoughts on the apology. But he supposed his Tio might be confused on how he even got here. He decided to be vague, not having a good answer for this. "I'm sure they are at home and well," he responded. "Don't worry about them. Let's focus on us."
So Andre was sorry, but not sorry enough to let him go or give him any beneficial information to make him feel better about the situation. Unfortunately, it was to be expected. Andre was a manipulator and a liar. Bruno could ask any question, or make any statement, and the psycho would take it any way he wanted with no regard for anyone else. There was no way to get proper information on where his family was, how he got here, or if the situation was going to get worse or better.
"I want us to work things out," Andre explained. "How about we go through our relationship and you can tell me everything you didn't like and I can work on improving." It wasn't very tactful of the teen to phrase it like that, but he wanted to get straight to the point. The sooner he could learn what happened and fix his Tio's problems, the sooner they could all return to normal and be happy.
Andre's words made Bruno freeze. He wanted to talk about it? The prophet did not want to even think about it. Discussing his rape and torture was not something he could handle. It somehow felt worse than his captor just doing something to him. In talking about it to his assailant, it made him feel like a participant. Being forced to contribute in his own torment by casually talking about it made him feel sick.
"Let's talk about the first day we spent together," Camilo started. He wasn't looking forward to hearing the bad parts, but if this helped Bruno work though it, or helped Abuela figure out a better way to help him, then it was necessary.
Bruno could not believe this. Andre was really making him talk about this? Why? To work things out? The only thing that would make things work out was if the psycho left him alone! Just when he thought Andre could not make things worse, he made things worse. Bruno felt angry and afraid. He stared ahead at the wall, he couldn't make himself talk about this.
"Little mouse?" Andre called touching Bruno's cheek gently to get him to look at him. The small man looked up at him with watery eyes. "Don't be scared to talk to me," The larger man said with care. Camilo hoped a gentle touch and calming words would make his Tio more comfortable. He remembered that Andre was rough, so he had to be the opposite in order for Bruno to not be afraid. He would be caring to his Tio.
It had the opposite effect. Andre was getting too close and speaking softly, it would lead to the inevitable. Bruno wasn't ready yet; he wasn't mentally prepared. Why did they have to do this so soon? The small man squeezed his eyes shut and his body twitched. He had to fight to stay put, if he tried to run Andre would be more aggressive.
Seeing the odd reaction and movement, Camilo asked, "Whats wrong?" He removed his hand and Bruno faced away from him keeping his eyes closed. The teen watched him quiver as silent tears ran down his cheeks. "You're afraid aren't you?" He said sadly, wanting to cry himself. It was hard to watch someone he cared about react this way.
Forgetting himself, Camilo reached his arms around his Tio to hug and comfort him. The feeling of being caged by Andre made Bruno let out a quivering gasp of breath. He was trapped. The small man tried not to make a fuss, in order not to provoke the larger man. So he stayed still as his heart beat in his own ears. He held his breath and squeezed his eyes shut then darkness overtook him.
Camilo felt his Tio slump against him and looked down. He had passed out again. He wondered what had caused it. Bruno was scared, but he seemed calm enough. The teen was trying to be as gentle as possible; he couldn't understand why it wasn't working. The way his tio was reacting to kindness was worrisome, but the boy was determined to keep trying.
Bruno woke minutes later to a hand petting his hair and his head laying on a man's lap. His heart pickup speed immediately and he quickly move away nearly falling off the bed. Andre grabbed him quickly pulling him from the edge to fall into the middle of the bed. The larger man hovered over him with worry.
"Don't!" Bruno cried. Andre was going to rape him; the compromising position they were in on the bed would most certainly lead to it. "Please don't!" he sobbed, his voice quaking. He was crying so hard he missed the light tap on the window catching Andre's attention.
"It's going to be okay," His captor assured getting off the bed. "Try to take some time to calm down. I'll be right back." He left quickly leaving Bruno to panic alone.
Camilo unlocked the front door and walked out to see his parents waiting for him anxiously. "What am I doing wrong?" the teen asked feeling lost. He transformed back into himself. Tio Bruno was getting worse every time he woke up, and the boy couldn't understand why.
"You have to remember," Pepa explained. "He's been through more than we know. It is going to take time. We can't expect him to get better in one day."
"Try not to touch him so much son," Felix advised. "Bruno wouldn't mind you being close. But Andre is a source of fear and danger. If you're too close then he will be more afraid." Camilo felt like an idiot. Of course Bruno wouldn't want to be touched by Andre. He was so focused on trying to make his Tio comfortable as himself that he forgot to keep his distance as an assailant.
Feeling a little more confident and ready to try again, Camilo entered the front door and locked it. He walked into the bedroom where he left his Tio, but the room was empty. "Bruno?" he called looking under the bed and around the room.
A soon as Andre had left the house, Bruno had ran to the bathroom quickly locking himself in as soon as he entered. He had his back against the door, pulling the knife out like any minute the madman was going to come in and grab him. He tried to control his panicked breathing. His chest heaved as his mind raced. He couldn't do this. He couldn't handle Andre like this. The grip he had on the knife was almost painful, but it helped him focus. Escape, he needed to escape now.
After what felt like an eternity, Bruno's breathing calmed somewhat and an idea popped into his head. Andre was delusional, and he had to use it against him. If Bruno told Andre all that he had done wrong in order to 'work things out' between them, Andre would hear something completely different that would suit what he wanted. So Bruno would say what Andre wanted to hear. "Are you okay in there little mouse?" Andre called from beyond the door.
Pocketing the knife, Bruno took a deep breath. He could do this. "I'm fine," Bruno responded opening the door to find Andre standing before him. Camilo watched his Tio's face go from a wary frown to a small forced smile. It was a little unsettling. His Tio was scared and crying one moment and suddenly he was fine, kind of.
Bruno did his best to keep from trembling as he slipped his hand into Andre's, holding it. "Let's talk," he said leading the taller man to the couch. Bewildered but hoping for the best, Camilo let his Tio lead him and sat down.
Bruno then climbed on top of him straddling his lap. Camilo's heart skipped a beat and he wasn't sure what to think. His Tio rested his warm body against his crotch, tilting his head down to look at him through his lashes. "W-what are you doing?" He asked confused. "We don't have to do anything. We can just talk."
"I know how much you like to talk," Bruno responded bringing their chests together to hug his captor close. Camilo could feel his Tio quiver against him, so he wrapped his arms around him hoping to comfort him. He wasn't sure what this was all about, but maybe Bruno just needed someone to hold him. Camilo was trying to stay positive, but he was feeling a little disturbed.
"You probably have a lot on your mind right now," Andre said softly and then insisted, "Why don't you sit next to me and we can just talk." It would be much more comfortable for them both if he put some distance between them.
"Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall," Bruno deadpanned before Camilo felt a sudden sharp pain in his back and screamed. He felt a few more quick sharp stabs before violently pushing Bruno onto the floor.
The knife fell out of Bruno's hand and he scrambled to grab it not seeing Camilo's quick cycle of changes as he morphed trying to handle the sudden pain. Getting a hold of himself quickly, he retained his appearance of Andre.
Knife in hand, Bruno turned to see a very shocked looking Andre looking back at him. He must not have not stabbed in the right place or deep enough. Not wanting to risk a fight with someone that could easily take him down, even when injured; Bruno ran to the bathroom locking himself inside without looking back.
With Bruno out of sight, Camilo changed back into himself for a moment. The back of his ruana was quickly beginning to soak up his blood seeping out of the knife wounds. It hurt, it hurt a lot and he breathed through the pain giving himself some time to deal with it.
Camilo could hear muffled banging and yelling through the front door from his parents. He kept the door locked not allowing them in. They risked ruining the illusion they had built for Bruno. The teen decided to calm his Tio first then deal with their family.
Bruno was on the verge of a panic attack. He locked the bathroom door and paced, full of adrenaline and terror. He failed to kill Andre. If escape and disobedience caused Andre to be outraged; he could only imagine what trying to stab him to death was going to do.
Bruno stared at the knife in his bloodied hands. He wasn't going to give Andre the chance to do anything. Bruno was done being tortured. He was done feeling hopeless and scared. Nothing good would come of going on; even if he did survive whatever his captor would do to him. Even if he managed to get home; he would just be a burden to his family. He could only upset them with the way he was now. Andre had ruined him and would eventually be the end of him if this went on any longer. He was going to end this on his own terms, it was the only thing he had left for himself.
Camilo knocked on the bathroom door as Andre. "Bruno?" he called. "I'm not mad. We just had a misunderstanding." He heard a little movement inside. "Can you open the door? I promise I won't hurt you." He winced at the pain he was in. He had to sort this out fast so his Tia could heal him.
Camilo listened through the door but he couldn't hear anything anymore. Readying himself for an attack he used his ability to manipulate the room to unlocked the door. But when he peered inside, what he saw was horrifying.
"Tio!" He shouted in fear and shock morphing back in to himself. Bruno was laying on the floor, deep cuts sliced into both wrists. Blood was pooling on to the floor in small puddles. Camilo ran to his side and slid to his knees getting the blood on his pants. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He yelled cupping his Tio's face trying to wake him in panic.
Camilo allowed the front door to unlock letting his family in. Hearing the yelling, Felix ran in seeing his son with bloody injuries on his back and his brother-in-law laying on the floor bleeding to death. "Pepa! Get Julieta quick!" He called to his wife urgently.
Bruno had fainted from the pain he inflicted on himself, but regained consciousness hearing someone yelling at him. He opened his eyes just in time to see his nephew. "Camilo?" Bruno questioned. How did he get here?
"I'm so sorry Tio Bruno!" Camilo cried pulling his Tio's head on to his lap. "I thought it would help! I didn't mean it!" The boy sobbed. Bruno didn't understand what he was talking about. But then the room around them began to change. The walls around them faded away until there was no house. The walls, floor, and ceiling became mirrors, the true form of the room.
They had tricked him. If he wasn't so weak he might be more upset. His eyes glanced at his reflection above him. The mirror above reflected him and the mirrored floor below, creating an infinite image of him laying in a growing puddle of blood. "I'm so sorry!" Camilo said again, tears dripping down his face. Bruno looked at him with care. He hated seeing his family upset.
He was beginning to feel cold and shivered. Camilo could see his face going pale. "It's okay," Bruno told his nephew weakly. "It's not your fault." His words made Camilo cry harder. It felt like his fault; he drove his Tio to this.
Bruno felt incredibly guilty. Not only had he nearly killed his own nephew, he subjected him to this gruesome bloody scene. "I'm sorry," the small man said softly to Camilo. The boy only trembled and held on to him tighter, sobbing.
Julieta rushed in behind Pepa quickly shoving a bit of oblea into Bruno's mouth. He was able to swallow it letting it heal him. Camilo ate a piece as well to heal himself; though it felt that he might deserve the pain of being stabbed instead for what he did.
Upon being healed Bruno sat up quickly. Many emotions and thoughts were going threw his mind. Mainly guilt, betrayal, and the thought of escape. So he stood up, pulling away from his crying nephew. He looked at Pepa, Felix, Julieta, Agustin, and his mother for a moment. Everyone looked worried and waited for him to say something.
"Bye," Bruno said before walking off and out of the room.