Episode Six: All of you
Anyone who was anyone in the Encanto knew that La Caverna was the place to be on a Friday evening. Although not strictly Camilo's theatre, as musicians and other performers also put on shows there, it may as well have been, and many referred to it as such. The community had built it soon after Camilo started performing. As children often do, he would make up short plays for his friends while standing on a table that his cousin had moved onto the lawn. His ability to physically change into the characters had the children spellbound, and his sharp wit would have them crying with laughter as he poked fun at their parents and teachers. Soon adults and children alike would flock to the lawn to see the latest one-man show, and that was when they had the idea to build La Caverna.
La Caverna was not a typical theatre. From street level, it appeared like any other building off the main plaza. Three archways lined the entrance, and a peculiar dry-stone passage ran along one side with a very low, arched ceiling. Once inside, visitors were greeted by a small reception area with a bar where they could gather before the show. Then, when it was about to start, an usher would open the wide wooden doors to the back, revealing a set of stone steps leading down towards the cellar. Down and down the steps wound until eventually coming to the main room—a peculiar long hall built of grey stone bricks. The walls ran upright until just above head height, where they abruptly met the ceiling. The ceiling itself was arched and formed from bare bricks, giving the room the feeling of a broad but squat tunnel. Rows of small tables with candles in jars and two or three seats apiece, lined up along the tunnel, all facing a small stage at the far end. La Caverna was hot, stuffy, a little claustrophobic, and everybody in the Encanto loved being there.
.
2 years ago...
Camilo could not remember much from when he was five, but he could remember his gift ceremony and the days that followed with crystal clarity. Although he had hoped for the ability to turn invisible, the gift he received had not disappointed him. Being able to transform into anyone he wanted was as good as invisibility anyway. He could quickly disappear into a crowd if he needed to. His gift was not without its limitations, however. For one, he had to turn into something living, so he could not become a table or a cup, and while it was possible to transform into an animal, he only ever tried that once.
The day he received his gift, Camilo thought it would be funny to transform into a chigüiro, a kind of dog-sized rodent, but doing so had given him a terrible fright. He had not expected that becoming an animal meant gaining the species' behaviour, instincts and intelligence. Camilo still retained his personality and sense of self, but it was filtered through the mind of the chigüiro. All he could think about was the urge to find grass and rub his scent on anything nearby. The desire to transform back was immense, but the motivation to do so was worryingly low, drowned out by the compulsion to eat and assert his position within the local chigüiro hierarchy. Had it not been for the panicked voice of his father urging him to turn back, he might have stayed in that form for days, maybe even indefinitely. Luckily rodents are intelligent enough that he could retain his memories and love for his family. Had he chosen another creature, who knows if he would have ever returned to his natural form. After that, he swore he would only transform into humans. Even at that young age, he had a lot of practice at being human!
Camilo had been jumping between barrels while practising a scene for his next performance but had slipped and landed mouth-first on the metal rim of one of them, knocking out a tooth and severely cutting his lip. He had brought himself to Tía Julieta's room and was sat on one of the spare beds. He tentatively sipped the soup his aunt had made him, and the relief was instant as the tooth returned to its rightful place and his lip knitted back together.
"Thanks, Tía," he smiled, poking at his lip and running his finger across his teeth.
"No problem. But do try to be more careful. Are these stunts really necessary?"
"What? Of course they are! People don't just want to see me transform you know. That gets old fast. They want jokes, and action... and daring stunts!"
Tía Julieta furrowed her brow. "Aren't you at least a little scared of hurting yourself?"
Camilo was not sure he understood the question.
"Why should I be scared of that? I have you, don't I?"
"Yes, well just remember, I can't bring people back from the dead, so please try to be a bit more careful from now on."
Camilo looked around the room. He always found it peculiar that everything in Tía Julieta's room came in threes. He had asked her about it once, and while she was not sure herself, she did have a theory. She said that when she received her gift, nothing in the world was more important to her than her brother and sister. So she wondered if the miracle had ensured she had space to accommodate them when it created her room.
As he continued to look around, pondering his aunt's theory, Camilo noticed a curious black and white photograph on the nightstand. It looked like a picture of Camilo flanked by two girls of a similar age, but he could not remember having posed for it.
"Is that me?" he asked, nodding towards the picture.
Tía Julieta chuckled and picked it up.
"No, no.. that's Bruno," she said, examining it closely. "He'd have been around your age there, though... I guess he did look a bit like you back then, didn't he?" She handed the picture to Camilo so he could take a better look.
"So that must be you and Mamá?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm."
Camilo was fascinated by their vague similarity, although it made him a bit uncomfortable too. Bruno was not a popular name in the Madrigal household, so he was not a character you wanted to be associated with too closely. His uncle never looked happy in the few pictures Camilo had seen of him, but he had a carefree, almost mischievous smile in the photograph. That smile was likely what made him resemble Camilo so much. The smile, and maybe the hairstyle.
"He looks really happy," Camilo commented, handing the photo back.
"He does, doesn't he?" Julieta agreed, smiling fondly at the picture. "We all would have been. You know how the townspeople always throw a celebration for your birthdays? Well, back then, we used to have a three-day carnival each year—one day for each of us. Of course, we had to go out and meet with people, but it was three days without having to use our gifts. Three whole days without cooking, weather or visions. We got to just hang out together, play carnival games, watch the street performers, eat snacks and pretend we were regular kids for a while. So yeah, your uncle really was happy when that photo was taken."
"Could he do stunts?" Camilo suddenly asked, wondering what else they might have in common.
Tía Julieta laughed at the notion. "Oh goodness no. Bruno wouldn't even climb a stepladder unless someone held it steady for him." She placed the photo back on her nightstand. "No, I'm afraid the similarity between you is entirely superficial.
.
Later that day...
Camilo's room flashed by in a blur as he spun around with a leap. When he landed, the figure reflected in the curved wall of full-length mirrors was a lady from town—the main protagonist in the next instalment of the episodic plays he performed. He liked to add flare as he switched between forms, jumping and twirling from one to the next. It looked more impressive that way, and he got to show that he had talents beyond his gift. A gift magically bestowed on him did not feel much like a 'talent' anyway. Camilo believed that a talent needed to be earned. It was something you worked hard for and became good at gradually over time. He switched back into his true form between each transformation, just for a flash, and as he continued for a minute or two, something suddenly caught his breath.
He froze mid-pose as a row of grey figures curved around him, each reflected at a slightly different angle. It was not the face he expected. While transitioning between forms, he had accidentally changed into the image of his uncle he had seen earlier, colourless and grainy as the photo had been. Camilo cried out in surprise and stepped backwards, missing his footing and stumbling to the floor.
He shook his head and watched his reflections return to his own, full-colour self.
"Jeez, Bruno..." he said, scratching his head. "You've really got under my skin."
"So, what happened anyway?" Camilo asked as he waltzed into the kitchen and sat cross-legged on the table in the middle of the room.
Tía Julieta looked confused. "What happened with what?" she asked, wiping her hands on her apron and turning to give him her full attention.
"With Bruno. Why did he leave?"
His aunt sighed, and her expression became a little more serious. "You know we're not to talk about that, Camilo."
"But shouldn't I know? I mean, if he did something wrong... if he turned out bad... What if one of us makes the same mistake?"
Her expression softened again, and she walked closer. "You're worried you're the same as him, aren't you?" she said, hitting the nail on the head. Camilo looked down but did not reply. Tía Julieta seemed to pick up that she was right all the same. "Camilo, you have nothing to worry about. A lot of events led to my brother heading the way he did. It won't happen to you, I promise."
"But... how can I be sure? Can't you just tell me what happened?" Camilo tried again.
"I'm sorry, but I've already said way more than I should about my brother today. Some things are just better left in the past, okay." She then returned to preparing dinner, and Camilo understood that the conversation was over.
.
The following week...
Camilo had been trying to get people to talk to him about Bruno all week. Each time he received the same predictable response; 'we don't talk about Bruno' or else a warning not to pick at old wounds. He was determined to find out something, though. He had to ensure he did not fall down that same slippery slope. Of everyone he had tried to talk to, the person who seemed the most willing to talk about Bruno was his aunt, and so he struck upon an idea.
"Gabriella. What can I do for you?" Tía Julieta said when she came to the front door.
"I just haven't seen you for a while and wanted to pop by for tea," Camilo said, doing his best to sound like the forty-seven-year-old woman his aunt had been friends with since her teenage days. Tía Julieta eyed him curiously, so he quickly coughed. "My throat's been playing up all day," he lied. "So I hoped you'd have something to help."
"Okay... though I just saw you this morning, which isn't exactly 'a while', and you sounded fine."
"Oh... Ah... yes... It came on very suddenly... and, well, you know... I meant that I haven't seen you properly for a good ol' chit-chat in ages," Camilo tried desperately.
He could not tell if she had bought that, but with a slight narrow-eyed look, Julieta invited her friend into the Casita. She started walking toward the kitchen, obviously planning to make some tea and then sit at the dining room table, but Camilo knew he would never get her to talk about Bruno in such a public part of the house. She had been most candid in her room, so that was where he needed to be.
"Actually, Julieta, my friend," he said in the same strained voice, "I was hoping we could go to your room. I have something a little bit private I would like to discuss."
"Okay?.." Tía Julieta side-eyed him again. "Are you sure everything's alright, Gabriella?"
"Yes, yes. I'm quite fine besides this terrible throat," Camilo reassured her.
Once inside Tía Julieta's room, Camilo sat at the table by the window and waited while his aunt brewed the tea. She brought it over on a tray with a couple of cups, set it down on the table and poured them both a drink.
"So, are you going to tell me what this is really about?" Tía Julieta asked, sounding concerned.
"Ay, you got me! You know me too well."
"I do... don't I?"
"I actually wanted to ask you about Bruno," Camilo said, getting straight to the point.
"Bruno? Why? You hated him?"
"Oh.. well... I didn't... like him. But you know, he's been gone such a long time, and you know me, I'm a worrier..."
"Mm-hmm." Julieta looked suspicious, then added, "I mean, you haven't liked Bruno since you dated, have you? Since he broke your heart."
Camilo was shocked by this sudden revelation but did his best to keep his composure. "Oh yes... that's right.. since we dated..."
"Yeah... do you remember how you'd sneak off into the trees on a moonlit night. Then, secluded from the world, you'd look deeply into his eyes. Until he kissed you on the lips... and grabbed your..."
"What...?! I mean... Yeah, right, I remember..." He could feel himself starting to sweat.
"Camilo! I know that's you!" Tía Julieta eventually admitted. "Gabriella never dated my brother. He creeped her out."
Realising he was busted, Camilo turned back into himself. "Well, you can't blame me for trying," he said with a shrug.
.
Later that day...
Having realised it was a waste of time talking to the adults, Camilo decided to turn his attention to his cousin, Luisa. She was just about old enough to remember the night Tío Bruno vanished and naïve enough to spill the beans. She was in the centre of town helping transport bricks for the latest building work, not too far from the theatre.
"Hey, Luisa... can we talk?" Camilo called out through the noise of the building site.
Luisa placed down a pile of bricks.
"Sure... what is it?"
"I was wondering if you knew anything about..." he looked around to ensure no one was listening, "Bruno."
Luisa immediately picked the bricks back up. "Oh no... We're not going there. Y'know the rules, Camilo. We don't talk about Bruno."
"You as well?" Camilo moaned. "Oh come on... just tell me what you know? Why did he leave? What did he do?"
"How should I know? D'ya really think the grown-ups would tell me any of that stuff?"
"But you were there, didn't you see anything? Hear anything?"
Luisa looked annoyed, "Look, we've gotta lot to do here. I'm sorry. I can't help you. Just... some things are best left alone."
He could tell she was bothered about his questioning but knew it was pointless pushing any further, so he decided to give up and headed towards the theatre. He glanced back and noticed she had placed down the bricks and was hurrying towards the direction of the Casita. She sure was keen to take a break for someone who had a lot to do.
Camilo followed her, taking the form of someone he had seen heading in the opposite direction a few moments earlier to avoid being spotted. Sure enough, Luisa headed straight home. Once at the door, he changed back into himself but continued to watch Luisa from afar. She headed straight for the stairs. Camilo waited until she had turned at the first landing and then followed. He paused when he heard a very gentle knock on a door.
"Dolores, can I come in? I can't talk here," she whispered, sounding serious.
A door clicked closed, and Camilo tiptoed as quietly as he could up to Dolores's room. He pressed his ear to the door.
"...about Bruno. Should I tell him what we know?" He heard part of what Luisa was saying.
"Definitely not," replied his sister. "We don't even really know what happened that night. I don't think it's wise to spread speculation and half-truths."
That was not a very 'Dolores' thing to say. Spreading half-truths was kind of her thing. Something was definitely up, and Camilo was determined to find out what it was.
"I said I didn't know anything. Will I just stick to that?" Luisa asked.
"I think that's best. We're not to talk about Bruno for good reason."
Camilo had been too busy listening to realise that Luisa had moved towards the door. He panicked when he heard a rattle, and the doorknob began to turn. His first instinct was to lean on his gift to get out of trouble, but that would not help him now. With little time to think and against his better judgement, Camilo did the only thing that came to mind. He broke his own rule and transformed into a rat.
The door opened, and Luisa, now a towering giant, stepped out, shaking the ground as she did so. Camilo's pulse raced as his rat instincts took over, and terror flooded his mind. Glancing frantically around, his attention was drawn to a hole behind a painting on the wall above him. As Luisa moved towards him, looking purposefully ahead, he quickly leapt towards the gap. His head hit off the side of the painting, but he managed to grip onto the opening in the wall, and his long snout pushed through, allowing his malleable rodent body to follow. He dropped onto the wooden floor below and was amazed to see there was a whole new part of the Casita in the walls. Not sure if it was his own curiosity or the animal instinct that had taken over, Camilo felt compelled to explore the space further.
He travelled a short distance through the winding maze of corridors, his tiny legs moving rapidly back and forth beneath him as they carried him quickly along the wooden boards. Those legs instantly stopped as something large suddenly dropped from a floor above, landing uncannily quiet for its size. Camilo's rat instincts took over once more, and he froze as he noticed a towering figure in front of him. The gaunt man dressed in a long ruana slowly straightened up, filling the narrow space, and then spoke.
"Oh, hey there... you're new..." he whispered menacingly before reaching down as if to grab Camilo. As he came closer, Camilo noticed the man had another rat on his shoulder with an ill-tempered look in its eye.
When his freeze response had failed, flight kicked in at once, and Camilo raced off as quickly as he could back to the painting and into the safety of the Casita.
He launched himself from the hole behind the painting, turning back into himself before he had even hit the floor. He tumbled along the balcony and then just sat, slumped where he landed, as he tried to process what had just happened.
"What were you doing?"
Dolores had been coming out of her room, and he realised from her shocked expression that she had seen the whole thing. Camilo did not care. He had something far more important to worry about.
"Dolores," he said urgently, leaping to his feet. "The family's in danger! There's a man in the wall... I think..." Now that he had his human memories back, he realised who it was. "I think it's Bruno!"
Dolores's eyes went wide with fear, and the blood drained from her cheeks. Camilo expected her to come with him immediately to alert the family, but instead, she held a finger to her lips, grabbed his arm and pulled him towards her room.
"What are you doing?" Camilo protested, shaking his arm free once they were inside. Dolores closed the door and beckoned for him to move further into the room. She looked around nervously, the fear still in her eyes.
"Camilo... I need you to listen very carefully. I need you to trust me more than you've ever trusted me before... for the next few minutes, please, promise you won't freak out. Just listen."
He had no idea what was happening, but his sister looked serious and clearly ruffled by something. "Okay..."
Dolores took a deep breath and then swallowed, clearing her throat.
"That was Tío Bruno," she announced in a whisper. She must have seen the fear in Camilo's eyes because she quickly added, "but it's not what you think. He's not here to hurt us. He's here to keep himself safe."
"What are you talking about? Safe from what? Why did he leave?"
"I don't know, but I think it's all connected to a vision he had before he left. You probably won't remember, but at one point, I kinda got to know him a little. And you know, the stories about him... they're not lies exactly, but they're... twisted." She looked intensely at Camilo, her eyes begging him to believe what she was saying. "He wasn't a bad person. I suppose he was even sweet in a way." She paused to let Camilo speak, but he had nothing to say. He just eyed her curiously and waited for her to continue.
"I was devastated after he left, but the family refused to talk about it. So I just had to deal with it on my own. Then a few days later, I'm alone in the kitchen when I swear I could hear his voice. I'd know that voice anywhere. I ran to the dining room windows, sure I'd spot him outside, but I couldn't see him. So I ran out to the patio and called his name.. but he wasn't there either.
"I went back inside and waited quietly, hoping to hear him again. And then... I did! Distant and muffled, as though Casita was trying to disguise the sound... but there was no hiding it from me. It was Tío Bruno, talking to the rats... from inside the wall! He was safe. He was home."
Camilo could not believe what he was hearing. "He's been inside the walls this whole time? And you never told anyone? Are you insane?"
His sister signalled to him to be quiet once more. "Shhh... please, Camilo. You must promise me you won't tell anyone. If they discover him, he'll be forced to leave the Encanto. We can't let that happen."
Camilo wondered at what Dolores was telling him. It made so little sense. "So... do you talk to him?"
"No... I tried once, but he just went quiet. I promised to keep his secret, though, and I am sure he heard me. I intend to keep that promise too, so I'm begging you, Camilo, please don't tell anyone."
It was a lot to take in. On the one hand, the man he had seen in the wall did not look 'sweet' as Dolores had described him, but then he had been a rat at the time, so it may have been his instinct taking over. On the other hand, he had never known his sister to keep a secret for more than a few minutes. That she could keep this one for eight years spoke to how big a deal it must be for her. Then there was the fact that if she was right, he could be sending an innocent man out to his potential death if he told the family.
"Fine.. I'll keep your secret," he eventually agreed, and the fear faded from his sister's eyes. "But if he tries anything funny..."
"He won't... I can promise you that. You won't even know he's there."
That would be nice, Camilo thought to himself, knowing there was no way he could ignore the fact that a forty-eight-year-old man was living in the walls of the house, but he said nothing.
He made to leave, and Dolores quickly added, "There's one more thing... If he's ever discovered. We can't let on that we knew. If Abuela finds out we've known and said nothing; we'll be in serious trouble."
Camilo had not thought of that. The weight of what he now had to carry was suddenly starkly apparent. Curiosity had sent him looking for his uncle, but he had never expected to actually find him. Maybe the family had been right all along. Some things are better left alone.
His sister continued, "If anyone ever asks about this, you must play dumb."
"Oh, easy!" Camilo said with a grin, transforming into Dolores.
She went to hit him, but he saw it coming and fled from the room, laughing as he went.
xxx
Present day...
It had been a relatively slow day for Camilo, despite Abuela instructing the family to work twice as hard that morning. He had tricked Luisa into doing most of his jobs by pretending to be various people from the town, so he was able to get in an hour or two of practice at La Caverna for his show. He needed to be home early to help prepare for the Guzmáns, so he decided to call it a day.
He entered the stone passage to the side of the theatre that functioned as an alternative exit and was about to transform into a random resident so he could escape without attracting attention from the young girls that would hang around hoping to see him. Before he had a chance to transform, he heard someone call his name. He quickly ran back into the lobby and leapt onto a barrel, so he was at least out of reach.
"Hey, Camilo," they repeated, this time from inside the passage, and he was relieved to realise it was only his cousin.
"Oh, hey Mirabel," he replied as she came into view. He briefly transformed into her and then turned back.
She started talking immediately. "So, I.. If I..." she seemed to stumble over her words for a moment and then asked, "Do you know anything about Tío Bruno?"
Camilo was not expecting that.
"What do you want to know about him for?" he said, crouching so he was closer to her height but remaining on the barrel.
Mirabel glanced down at her bag and said, "I can't explain right now, but just... I need to know anything you can tell me about him."
Camilo looked intensely at his cousin. He had rarely seen her look so serious. The rule was, 'we don't talk about Bruno', but rules were made to be broken, right?
"Look, I don't remember much, but I know a few things," he said, briefly transforming himself into the frightening figure he had seen in the wall as he leapt from the barrel, then changing back as his feet touched the ground.
He leaned in closely to Mirabel. "Our uncle was a really creepy guy," he began, recalling the last time he had seen him. "He was thin but, like, really tall... gigantic even!"
"Gigantic?" Mirabel repeated, not looking very convinced.
"Yeah, I think so. Like seven feet maybe." As he spoke, he transformed back into the intimidating image of their uncle, only this time taller, and it caused Mirabel to recoil. "And he would talk to the rats. Not like Antonio, mind you. No, they didn't talk back. He just talked to them and carried them around on his back," the glamour continued.
Mirabel squinted at him through her glasses and tilted her head to the side. "You don't remember him, do you?"
Camilo turned back into himself. He could not tell her what he really knew, and he had been a rat the last time he had seen his uncle. "Well, not exactly..." he admitted. "But we were only five when he left. How much do you remember of him?"
Mirabel seemed to think. "I only have one clear memory. From the night he disappeared. He came into the nursery to talk to me, but I don't remember what he said. Well, except for one thing. He told me he was glad I didn't get a gift. I'm pretty sure of that."
"What? Why would he say that?"
"I dunno. I guess he was just a bit of a jerk."
Camilo thought about how devastated his cousin must have been that night and what a cruel thing that was to say to a five-year-old at their most vulnerable moment. Did Dolores really have it right about Bruno? Maybe the rumours were true after all. It was a little suspicious that he said that and then immediately vanished. Had he somehow caused the gift ceremony to fail?
"What about his visions?" Mirabel then asked. "Do you know anything about those? I mean, was it always bad?"
Camilo was beginning to wonder about that himself.
"I dunno, but I can't help but wonder... Did he get a kick out of messing with people's heads? I mean, did it give him a feeling of power to see people running in fear from the things he told them?"
Mirabel looked disturbed by his words, so Camilo finally asked, "What's going on with you anyway? First you're ranting at Antonio's party, and now you're asking all these weird questions..."
"There he is!"
Before Mirabel could reply, three teenage girls came out of the stone tunnel and ran towards Camilo.
"Oh sh..," He quickly transformed into Mirabel, hoping they would get confused, but it was already too late.
"Hey Camilo, I drew a picture of you," said one, showing him a pencil sketch she had done of him and her holding hands.
"Ehm, yeah.. that's lovely..." he said, still as Mirabel and backing towards the barrel.
"You really think so?" she asked, thrilled, "wanna make it come true?"
"Oh, er... no, thank you..."
"I wrote you a letter..." said another, thrusting a bit of paper at him.
"Yeah, I'm really kinda busy..."
"Will you be my boyfriend?" asked the third.
"Oi.." shouted the first, "you heard what he said.. he thinks my picture is 'lovely'.. he's my boyfriend!"
"I'm really not!" insisted Camilo. "Sorry Mirabel, I've gotta go..." he said, turning into a creepy Bruno again in the hope of scaring the girls away. "We can finish talking about this after the proposal." Then with a practised leap, he jumped backwards from standing, onto the barrel and then quickly over the bar and into the safety of the backrooms.
.
A little later...
The family was busy preparing for Mariano's proposal to Isabela, but Camilo had a few ideas to run by Dolores. He would often consult with his sister about the goings on of the townspeople so he could add current events to his plays. Those always got the biggest laughs. He would also run dialogue by her to make sure it sounded like the kind of thing that person would say. Her gift could be very helpful sometimes.
"So what do you think?" he asked, balancing on his sister's swing seat, from where he had just performed a section of his play.
Dolores thought for a moment before saying, "I think she'd be a little less direct, but otherwise, I think that works."
"Okay, well that's pretty much all I wanted to know. Thanks." Camilo jumped down from the seat and was just about to leave when something popped into his head. "Actually, Dolores," he said in a much quieter voice. "There's something else... Mirabel has been asking about... him..." he said, nodding to the wall that the hidden passage ran behind.
Dolores looked surprised. "What? Why? Is this connected to the things she was asking this morning?"
"I dunno. I didn't get a chance to ask. But she told me something about him."
Dolores did not speak but was waiting for him to continue. Dolores was always listening, but this time, she was really listening.
"It was something he said to her the night he left," Camilo began. "When she didn't get her gift. She said he told her he was glad. Does that sound like something he would say?"
"No," she answered immediately, "He was only ever kind the whole time I knew him."
Camilo knew his sister believed what she was saying, but he was not sure it was true. He wondered if their uncle had brainwashed her somehow or if he had simply chosen to fool her impressionable eleven-year-old self, hoping that she would tell everyone what a nice guy he was.
"It's just... I've been thinking about it since she told me, and I'm starting to wonder if you really had it right about him, 'cause..."
Dolores shook her head firmly.
"No, Camilo... I really—" She suddenly stopped speaking, and her eyes went wide with fear. "Camilo," she gasped. There was panic in her voice. "Antonio has overheard the rats! He knows about Bruno!"
Before Camilo could respond, there was a shout from outside.
"Abuela! Abuela!"
Camilo sprang into action. He flung the door open and leapt towards his little brother, clearing the two-metre distance in one jump.
"There's someone hiding in the—"
Camilo then grabbed Antonio from behind and placed his hand over his mouth.
"It's okay Antonio, it's just me," he reassured him gently as he guided him into Dolores's room.
Antonio looked horrified when Camilo finally let go of him. "What did you do that for? We need to tell the family... There's a man hiding in the walls!" he shouted hurriedly.
"No, Antonio. Please... no one can know about him. That's..." Camilo looked to Dolores, who had given him strict instructions never to tell anyone.
"It's Tío Bruno," she blurted without a thought.
Antonio's expression turned from fear to terror. "Tío Bruno? Then we MUST go... right now..." He tried to open the door, but Camilo quickly moved and leaned his weight against it.
"No," he said softly, trying not to scare his brother further. "It's complicated, but at least let us explain."
.
That Evening...
Señora Guzmán and her grandson Mariano arrived at the Casita with Abuela, and everyone gathered around the dining table. At least for now, Antonio seemed to understand the situation with Bruno and was not about to tell anyone. Camilo could not shake the uneasy feeling he had, though. An atmosphere of malaise had plagued the entire day. While everyone's lips spoke of relief, joy, and pride at Antonio receiving his gift, their forced smiles told a different story. Mirabel's ranting about the Casita cracking and the candle almost going out seemed to have sent shock waves through the family. They seemed frayed as though about to unravel. Although a simple coincidence, the fact that Antonio had discovered Bruno on the same day that Mirabel was poking around asking about him also felt uncomfortably suspicious.
The atmosphere did not improve when the food arrived at the table. Everyone understood that the proposal was a big deal for the family, but they also knew it was merely a formality. Nobody was in any doubt that Isabela would accept. Appearances meant a lot to Abuela, however, so there was pressure for everyone to be at their best and maintain the impression of the perfect family.
"Don't you think you should slow down?" Camilo whispered when he noticed his sister pour a second glass of wine. She did not answer but just gripped the glass firmly with both hands, quietly whimpering and staring straight ahead. He knew his sister well enough to recognise the signs. She was holding something in. There was something she desperately wanted to say, but it was either not the time or not the place. Maybe both.
The strain was so acute that Camilo thought the room might implode at any minute. Then without warning, Dolores suddenly turned and whispered in his ear.
"Mirabel was in Bruno's vision!"
This took Camilo completely off-guard. He felt himself lose control of his gift for a second as he momentarily transformed into Mirabel and then Tío Bruno. He caught himself and returned to his usual form before anyone noticed.
"Camilo. Fix your face," his dad warned him. Well, he had almost returned to his usual form.
His dad eyed him suspiciously, so Camilo leaned over and whispered the same message he had received from Dolores. The shock caused his dad to spit his drink, drawing everyone's attention to himself. Abuela glared at him from the end of the table. She was going to be furious after the meal unless the rest of the evening went better than perfect.
Mirabel and Tío Agustín seemed exceptionally tense. Camilo had no idea how she managed to find Bruno's vision, but Mirabel was evidently not the only one who knew about it.
The room turned dark, and there was a rumble of thunder; the news had reached Camilo's mom. Noticing that Mirabel was acting strangely, Mariano asked if she was okay.
Tío Agustín answered for her, "Everything's great. She's just... excited! For you to propose... Which you should do as fast as you can..."
Mariano seemed confused and tried to respond, but when he took too long to get the words out, his Abuela spoke for him.
"Well, since everyone here has a talent, my Mariano wanted to begin with a song. Luisa, could you bring over the piano?"
Luisa was always quick to respond cheerfully to requests for her to use her gift, but this time her reply of "okay" seemed forced through choked-back tears. Something was very wrong with Camilo's family.
Mirabel did not seem keen on hearing Mariano's song anyway. She started to insist that he propose right away. Then just when it seemed she could not act any more strangely, she suddenly flung herself to the floor. All Camilo and the rest of his family could do was look on with bewilderment as she lay, trying to look casual, by the kitchen step. Unsure what else to do, Mariano gave in and started reciting the long, poetic proposal he had prepared for Isabela. While he was speaking, Luisa appeared at the doorway with the piano; she was dragging it with great effort and clearly struggling. When she reached the step, she gave up and slumped over the piano in floods of tears.
Before anyone could process what was happening, some of Antonio's animal friends appeared in the dining room; the caotis and a few toucans. A flash of lightning lit the room, and the accompanying thunder temporarily drowned out the pained sobbing of Luisa as she tried once more to drag the piano down the step. The lightning startled the toucans, and Camilo ducked as they began flying around the room, disorientated.
"What is happening?" cried Siñora Guzmán, and as though this was an invitation too tempting to resist, Dolores could no longer hold her tongue.
"Mirabel found Bruno's vision, she's in it, she's gonna destroy the magic, and now we're all doomed!"
As soon as Dolores finished speaking, Antonio's caotis dropped a tea tray onto the table. Upon it was a strange glowing green slab with what looked like an image etched into glass. Mirabel tried to grab the tray, but it slid down the table, ending right in front of Abuela. Abuela gasped in horror, and the family all leaned in to take a look for themselves. The glowing image showed the Casita covered in cracks, and in front of the house was the unmistakable image of Mirabel.
Before anyone could react, there was a repulsive breaking sound from all directions. Cracks began to appear around the walls, spreading throughout the room and sending debris tumbling to the floor. A large crack appeared by Isabela's feet, startling her, and in her alarm, she accidentally made a peculiar flower appear on a long stalk. It smashed into Mariano's nose with an unpredictable strength that sent him reeling backwards. There was another flash of lightning, and heavy rain began pouring from the cloud that now covered the entire ceiling.
"Camilo! He knows!" Dolores suddenly whispered over the chaos. Her eyes were wide. "He's sending the rats."
"We have to tell her," Camilo mouthed back almost silently.
She shook her head resolutely. "We can't."
Camilo knew she was right. It was bad enough that three of them now knew. Bringing Mirabel into the mix could be disastrous.
The Guzmáns stormed from the dining room, and Abuela hurried after them, begging them to stay. They were too upset to even allow Tía Julieta to heal Mirano's bleeding nose. As the other family members filed out, the rats started scurrying into the room, and soon only Camilo, Dolores, and Antonio remained.
"Well we have to do something," Camilo whispered quickly. "He's the only person who knows what the vision means."
"Like what? He won't speak to me. I've tried."
"Antonio!" Camilo suddenly called out as an idea came to him. "Tell the rats to follow my lead."
"What? Why?" Antonio replied, but it was already too late. Camilo had disappeared from sight.
The Casita tilted the table, pouring the dishes and unfinished food to the floor as though throwing a tantrum over the ruined dinner, and the rats took their chance to grab the pieces of the vision. Dolores and Antonio stared at one another in stunned silence as the house began rolling the mess along the floor and towards the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do, they removed the rain-soaked, wine-stained tablecloth and began laying out the plates, ready for breakfast.
xxx
Mirabel tried to plead with Abuela as she ran from the dining room, but she was too preoccupied apologising to the Guzmáns. Other family members followed behind, squeezing past the piano still wedged halfway through the entrance. They were drenched with rain, confused and extremely angry.
"What did you do?" cried Pepa as she passed.
"I'm not doing anything! It's Bruno's vision... It's..."
Something then caught Mirabel's eye. She looked down and saw several rats running from the room and towards the back stairs, each holding a piece of the vision in their mouth. Confusion quickly gave way to determination. She had worked too hard to get this far. They were not getting away with the vision. She hurried up the stairs after the rats. They were easy to follow, thanks to the glowing shards illuminating their path.
They scurried along the balcony towards the nursery and then continued towards Dolores's door. Mirabel thought she had caught up to them, but the rats seemed to vanish when she turned onto her cousins' balcony. Looking around curiously, she heard a squeak as the last rat struggled to squeeze behind a painting on the wall. She approached the picture just as the worm-like tail disappeared. With a tentative nudge, the painting swung open on a hinge like a door.
Peering inside, Mirabel saw a narrow passageway. It was just wide enough for a person to fit but a good ten to twelve feet tall, which gave it an uncomfortable, oppressive feeling. Without hesitation, she climbed in, and the painting closed behind her. The second she entered, cracks began to form along the wall beside her. A rat then ran between her feet, and the green glow from the shard travelled along the dark passage. The light then began moving upwards as though the rat had started to levitate off the ground. A flash of lightning illuminated the space, and Mirabel was startled to see a hooded man holding the shard, and glaring back at her.
xxx
With a spin, Camilo returned to his true form. That really is the last time, he thought to himself. He looked towards the painting on the wall. "Good luck Mirabel," he whispered. A flash of lightning then told him his mom was having a difficult time, so he hurried along the balcony to her door.
