Chapter 12:
(Isabella POV)
My mind was racing as I followed the sound of the screaming. I ran as fast as my two feet to carry me and was taken aback as the heat hit my face. Orange and red roared from every blackened window of the Ramierez's home. I knew that my family was coming over soon but I had to do something. Suddenly I saw a piece of the roof was about crash into some people below and quite possibly the next house over. We needed to stop this before it spread over all of Encanto. I called upon a fine and caught the debris before bringing it down to a trough that was big enough to contain it. We needed a lot of water and we needed it fast. My family began making their way over as Tía tried to cast a rain cloud over the house to at least slow down the flames. Mirabel, Camilo and Olivia were assembling a line with buckets of water to put out the fire. "Nina, has anyone seen Nina?" Señora Ramierez began asking in town as we could see her covered in soot. Suddenly we saw a shadow move past a window. Nina was still inside I went to run in but was pushed to the side. I just realized that Caleb had been with me and he just ran into the house. Why did he just run into a house that was on fire? I wanted to scare him out of town but, I never wanted him to get hurt.
(Caleb POV)
I covered my mouth with the mask that I always had under my shirt and ran into the house and darted up the stairs as quickly as I could. I had no idea who was inside but, I needed to get them out. There was no other way to phrase it then a need to get them out of there. I ran up the stairs and went through all the rooms careful with each step trying to keep myself safe.
Suddenly I saw a little girl in the corner of one of the rooms. She was surrounded by flames but, I needed to get her out of there I ran through them as fast as I could, hoping that the clothes I wore would protect me. I saw that she had balled herself up as she wrapped her head in her arms, "Hey, we need to get you out of here." I said gently touching her shoulder. She looked up at me tears streaming down her face as she looked at her leg. I then saw the fresh burn marks that were on it, "I can't." She whispered. I shook my head, "Yes. You can. I am going to get you out of here. Ok?" She wearily nodded her head and I scooped her up in my arms.
This place was falling apart and I needed to get her out of there fast. I saw an opened window and a bed with a long blanket. I carefully brought her over to the window and tied a knot around her with the blanket. I called out to people below and slowly lowered her down to the people in town below us. I was about to climb out when I heard a faint yell, "Caleb." A shiver went down my spine when I realized I knew exactly whose voice that was.
(Isabella POV)
I went to run in the house after them as the heat rushed to my face, "Caleb... Caleb" I called out coughing in between each breath. I made my way upstairs trying to find the shadow that we had both seen before I walked through the flames and tried to stay as low to the ground as possibly. It was getting hotter in there by the second, "Caleb..." I called out again. I heard a crack and watched as the windows above me started to crack as glass rained down on me. It stung my face as I placed my arm down in a flame and swallowed the pain as the burn set in, "Caleb..." I called out again. I could only hope he was still safe.
I forced myself up and went over to the next room. As I made my way into the hallway I bumped into someone and fell to the floor. I looked up and saw Caleb looking down at me, "Isabella." He said as horror filled his voice. I looked up at the ceiling and it was cracking above us, "Caleb you need to move." I said but he wasn't moving fast enough. There were some houseplants that were barely alive that I called on to catch the debris before it could fall on us having it tossed to the side slightly before releasing a series of coughs. His eyes widened as he looked at me before he shook his head and grabbed my arm. "We need to get out of here," he said pulling me to my feet. We ran into a room where there was still an open window. I saw that Luisa was below us and looked to Caleb, "Jump. Trust me." He nodded his head and Luisa caught both of us. She gently placed us on the ground before I used whatever power I still had left in me to create long vines that were filled with water over the house before making them break and splash down on the burning building. Tía's rainstorm was slowing things down now and the town water line seemed to get the fire under control. I laid back on the ground and nodded my head before closing my eyes.
(Caleb POV)
I saw her do it. I saw her move those vines. Everyone saw her move those vines. It wasn't in my head from that day. I had been right, but why did she save me? I know that I am a problem for her and I think that it is pretty obvious that everyone wants me to leave town the fire would have been the perfect opportunity to get rid of me so why didn't she? I looked over at where she was placed down. Her arms and legs had deep burns and there were cuts all over her face. I then saw that her breath was shallow as her eyes closed. I lowered my mask and went over to her, "Isabella?"
Attention turned over to us as everyone saw Isabella. Her Mama ran over to us and took out an empanada, "What are you doing? She needs help." I said but she wasn't paying attention to me. Isabella weakly took a bite as her Mama had encouraged. Suddenly I saw that her burns were slowly starting to heal and the cuts on her face were disappearing. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes looking over at her Mama, "Thank you." She nodded her head and wrapped Isabella in a hug. "What just happened?" I asked. Señora Madrigal looked at Isabella and back at me before handing me and empanada as well, "It should help with the burn you go on your leg." She said. I looked down at my leg and she was right I did get burned through my pants. I cautiously took a bite and watched as it disappeared from my leg, "How?" I asked when the little girl from inside the building came running over to me. She wrapped her arms around me, "Thank you for saving me." She whispered and I nodded my head not sure how to respond, "Yeah... of course." She let me go and went over to her parents who were looking at me nodding their heads. I looked around town and all eyes were on Isabella and me.
(Isabella POV)
I let out a shaky breath as I nodded my head at Caleb to. I knew that he saw our powers now and it was going to be harder to get him to leave Encanto now, but he did just help save Nina. Caleb and I were both able to make our way up on our feet and I could tell that he was just as uncomfortable with everyone's attention as I was. I looked over at Mirabel and she gave me a small nod in her head letting me know that it was ok for us to leave and that she would handle it. I took Caleb's hand, "Come on." He followed me as we went out into the woods. "You aren't kicking me out of town now. I still get to stay here for longer. Everyone agree with..." He started and I stopped to turn to face him, "I'm not taking you to leave town." I said shortly. He let out a breath, "Then why are we..." I looked at the sky, "I have to check the border. The smoke from the fire can let people know where we are. I brought you with me because..." "Because?" He asked and I let out a breath, "Because I guess I owe you a bit of an explanation." I looked around again, "But first I went to get as far from town as possible and I have a feeling that you might want that too." He didn't say anything but I could tell that he agreed.
I went to the ridge and made sure that all the vines were still intact before turning to face Caleb. I let out a breath, "Well you already saw so." I had been working on my trees some more and making shapes and other things with plants so I started to grow two trees that had a connecting section similar to a bench. It wasn't perfect but it would do. I sat down and faced him gesturing for him to sit as well. "So I have a gift." I started he nodded his head, "Yeah, I've kind of noticed."
(Caleb POV)
I sat down next to her letting out a long breath, "Does everyone in Encanto have a gift?" I asked looking at her. She shook her head, "No only a few of us." I nodded my head, "Um who?" She bit her bottom lip before letting out a breath, "I'm going to let them tell you in their own time. But you know about me and my Mama's gift." I nodded my head, "Yeah her food it..." "Heals people," she finished for me. "Did you always have this gift?" He asked and I shook my head, "Um no I got it when I was 5." I nodded my head again trying to absorb all of this, "How?" She rocked her head side to side before saying, "This town was granted a miracle 60 years ago and with the mountain some were blessed with magic. You get your gift when you are 5 and then you help to serve the community." "Is that why all those guys keep talking to you?" I said before even thinking about it. She turned bright red as she cleared her throat, "Part of the reason." She let out a breath, "Look it's complicated and I would rather not talk about it." I nodded my head, "Ok. Are you ok? The fire was pretty intense," I asked and she nodded her head, "Yeah Mama healed everything. I won't even have a scar." I nodded my head. She let out another long breath before asking if I wanted to go back to the shack. I nodded my head and we waked together.
- the next day -
Today was my day off and Isabella and I walked into town together. I thought all eyes were on me before but now everyone was constantly watching me and whispering. We walked up to the stand and I went to pay but the lady shook her head, "You saved Nina. This one is on me." Isabella smiled, "Thanks Señora Ramierez." She picked up the stuff and guided me to walk away. I looked at her, "What was that?" She gave me a half smile, "You saved her granddaughter yesterday. She was trying to say thank you." We went to a few other stores in town and the same thing happened over and over again. The town seemed to be nicer to me than before. They still didn't like me but it seemed like they were starting to... accept me wasn't the right way to say it but, maybe tolerate me. Either way they weren't actively ignoring my existence which was definitely progress.
I looked around time and they seemed to be a little nicer towards me. I looked over at Isabella though, there was something going on with her too. Something happened during that fire and things changed around town. I might actually make some progress here. I might actually get the job done.
