To sum this up: Mirabel suggests to Bruno the idea of having visions of the past and present, just to see if his gift has grown and evolved since the miracle's return. Turns out there are many unforeseen consequences when it comes to playing with magic! :) A fun little idea I came up with that sounded like a good laugh. Read on and I hope you enjoy! (Will probably be around 6-8 chapters long.)
How to Misuse Your Gift
Chapter One: A Normal Day Off
"So, where is everybody?" Mirabel wondered as she helped her mother in the kitchen. "I haven't seen Isa all morning, and Dolores just disappeared right after breakfast."
Julieta was in a good mood, having just started to make a big batch of empanadas. "Isabela said something about starting a new garden, and Dolores is out with Mariano today. As for everyone else," she paused to glance out the window. "It's a beautiful day; I'm not surprised the boys sneaked off to enjoy it." Indeed, Camilo and Antonio had conveniently forgotten their chores and dashed outside ages ago.
Today was a typical Saturday morning for the Madrigals. Weekends always meant taking a break from helping around town, and this magnificent sunny day was certainly no exception. The townsfolk all refrained from asking for the family's assistance on days like this. After recent events, the whole of the community was learning not to be so dependent on magic, nor the wonderful people who wielded it.
And so, the entire household of Casita was scattered all about, free to enjoy themselves. They were either playing outside, running errands in town, catching up on easy chores, or simply relaxing with a good book. That was exactly what Luisa was doing, stretched out in a hammock under a shady tree in the front yard. From the kitchen window, Julieta also spotted Pepa bringing the laundry out to hang on the clothesline. Felix was nearby, tending to the vegetable garden and playfully tossing weeds at Pepa until she started chasing him around with a handful of weeds herself. Julieta laughed at the sight of them running around like children. The sunshine seemed to grow brighter to match Pepa's laughter, and a rainbow promptly materialized over the yard.
"Your Pa and Abuela must still be at the market." Julieta said to Mirabel as they continued preparing food. "But everyone should be back in time for lunch."
"Excellent! We could have a game of football later. All of us! Whadya say?" Mirabel exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Good idea! Just don't be on the same team as your Pa if you want to win." Julieta teased, knowing how clumsy Augustin was when it came to anything athletic. Well, anything in general, really… "In the meantime, would you head upstairs and let the others know lunch will be soon? It's just Bruno and Isa up in their rooms."
Mirabel left the food preparations in her mother's more then capable hands. "Hm. Those two would make good teammates for football, don't you think?"
Julieta smiled as Mirabel scampered off. It was always sweet to see her youngest daughter rallying the family together for the simplest things. Maybe it was because there was time to make up for, what with Bruno's return and Abuela turning a new leaf when it came to the magic. Life within Casita felt so much more relaxed, now. Just as a home should be.
Mirabel climbed the stairs and made a beeline for her sister's room. Isabela's door was not quite so fancy these days, lacking the pink roses bordering it like before. Instead, the frame was decorated with intertwining branches and wildflowers of every color; a much more eye-catching display as Isabela continually experimented with her creations. There were no vines blocking the way, (A signal Isa used whenever she didn't want visitors.) so Mirabel casually let herself into the literal forest that was her sister's room.
The sight inside made her pause. Isabela had definitely been redecorating. The formally pristine and perfect rose garden was now a messy jungle of gigantic spotted flowers, wild vines, and several varieties of plants that resembled carnivorous mouths. Mirabel even had to jump away from one when it snapped at her. Nothing was organized in the slightest, nothing was perfect, and there wasn't a single rose in sight. "Uh, Isa? Are you in here?" It was so thick with foliage that she didn't know which way to turn.
"Just follow the blue!" called a distant voice.
Mirabel raised an eyebrow at the instruction but clued in when she spotted a path dusted with rich blue pollen. Sometimes Isabela left trails of the stuff when she walked around the main part of the house; blue had become her new favorite color.
Tiptoeing to avoid any more hungry flowers, Mirabel followed the trail into a deeper part of the room, to a more open clearing that was ideal for growing larger things. Isabela was there, suspended ten feet in the air by a tangle of vines as she worked. "Hey, sis!" she happily greeted, her braided pigtails swinging as she hung upside-down. Several enormous cacti surrounded the area, and another one was already starting to grow.
Mirabel was quite bemused by the sight. "Hi! How goes the gardening?"
"Fantastic! It all feels so much more—I dunno. Right, somehow. Way better then all those stupid roses! The new look is starting to grow on Abuela, I think."
"That's good to hear." Mirabel congratulated. "Anyway, Mama sent me up here. Lunch will be ready soon."
"Already?" Isabela righted herself, still suspended in the air. Time certainly flew when one was busy. Or having fun. Or perhaps both, in this case.
"Relax, you've got plenty of time, still." Mirabel gazed up at the forest of tall cacti. Some of them even had exotic blossoms sprouting from their tops. "Is this what you've been working on all morning? Mama said something about a new garden."
"Huh? Oh no, this is just for fun! If you want to see the special project, go to Tio Bruno's room! That place needed some homey touches. It took hours."
Mirabel was surprised. True, Bruno's tower could use some sprucing up. Whatever Isabela had done, it was sure to be an interesting sight. "What exactly did you—actually, don't tell me. I'm headed there anyway, and I like a good surprise. See you at lunch!"
Isabela remained up in the vines, wanting to finish up the currant cactus before going downstairs to help their mother. "Don't get eaten on the way out!"
Miraculously, Mirabel managed to not only avoid the snapping flowers, but also get back outside without a single wisp of pollen sticking to her. Ever since Isabela had broken free from everyone's high expectations, she was so much friendlier. As a result, the two of them were getting along for the first time in, well, forever. Admittedly, Isabela was still a bit of a show-off, but with a carefree, playful wild side. She often walked around in bare feet with mismatched orchids in her hair and messy clothes. All these new plants were courtesy of her breaking free from the mold, and no one had ever seen her express herself like this before…It blew Mirabel's mind to see how much a person could change, and how much her sister's gift had evolved, too.
Mirabel made her way along the wrap-around balcony to Bruno's door, curious to see exactly what Isa had done on the inside. The tower's entrance remained tucked away around the corner out of sight, but the little flight of stairs leading up to it had disappeared recently. No one quite understood why…but the most likely reason was Bruno finally starting to feel like part of the family again.
Letting herself in, Mirabel looked around the entranceway. Nope, no plants here. But the sandy waterfall was off, signaling Bruno was welcoming visitors right now. She poked her head through the archway. "Tio Bruno?! I just came to see what—whoa!" she flinched with surprise. "Not bad, Isabela." She stood with hands on her hips to admire her sister's handiwork.
The entire room at the tower's base looked like a desert oasis. Cacti of all sizes, colors, and varieties—from tall and spiky, to round and asymmetrical—grew on either side of the pathway. There were even palm trees and little clearings of desert grass, creating many spots that seemed perfect for lounging around. One extra tall palm grew beside the stone 'Your Future Awaits You' sign. Although the tower stairs were no longer in a crumbling state of disrepair, the sheer amount of them hadn't changed. It was still a long climb up to the vision cave…
Bruno's tower was a lot less dangerous these days. All the excess sand had gone down to a more reasonable amount since he'd moved back in. Leading down from the entrance hall was a stone pathway that had a second path branching out. One led up to the overkill of stairs, while the other path wound through the cacti towards another arched entryway that led to Bruno's bedroom and living quarters.
Mirabel saw her tio in one of the grassy areas near there. He was setting up a bench under a palm tree, adding a few finishing touches to the new décor. "Love what you've done with the place, Tio." Mirabel greeted as she strolled down the path. "Just so you know, lunch is gonna be soon. And we're all going to have a football game later!"
Bruno smiled at his visitor. If she was planning something for the whole family, maybe socializing wouldn't be so hard if a game was involved. He gazed around to admire the oasis, too. "Thanks! Uh, Isabela did it…You know, I wasn't sure what she meant by a new garden, but this is really nice, don't you think?" The refreshing green surroundings were a good change from nothing but drab sand and stone. He invited Mirabel to join him on the bench, and he asked for her opinion. "Do you like it? You're the first to see."
"It's perfect! Exactly what the tower needs, and the cacti really suit this place. Now you have your very own private oasis; it's a lot safer than Isabela's, that's for sure. I just came from her room, and I swear some of the flowers have teeth…"
The two engaged in small talk, with Mirabel telling her uncle all about the colorful wild jungle where Isabela was having way too much fun being a flower child. Bruno enjoyed listening to her ramble on. Despite being very anti-social, he was always happy to spend one-on-one time with family members. His awkwardness became less so with each day, especially around Mirabel, whom he had a close friendship with by now. Just the fact that she, Isabela, and the rest of the family were happy made him happy, too.
"…and this is the first time in like, ever, when we've gotten along for any long period of time." Mirabel smiled, poking at a cactus next to her. "I never even knew the gifts could grow and develop like this. It's kind of mind-boggling, don't you think?"
"Well…" Bruno frowned in thought. "Now that I think about it, my sisters' gifts have grown a lot."
This interested Mirabel, who had only just seen the phenomenon for herself. "Really? How?"
"Well, when we were kids, Pepa's temper tantrums were only a single cloud over her head. Now when she gets mad, entire storms can cover the Encanto!" He chuckled at a memory of an eight-year-old Pepa getting mad about Mama's house rules and making a tiny lightning storm in the kitchen. "Juli's is less obvious, but the healing meals worked much more effectively as she became a better cook. It used to take a few minutes to heal someone, but now they'll heal instantly. I guess that counts as her gift evolving."
"Huh. I wonder how everyone else's could…" Mirabel gently shooed a rat off her foot as she thought aloud. "Luisa will just keep getting stronger; that's a no-brainer. But maybe Camilo will learn to shapeshift into animals! He's already trying to mimic people's voices—with mixed results, by the way. As for Dolores and Antonio…I dunno. Maybe being able to focus her hearing more or tuning people out? Or Antonio talking to smaller creatures like insects? Ugh…I hope not." She shuddered. The thought of bugs frequenting Casita made her skin crawl. She turned to Bruno. "What about you? Has your gift changed over the years?"
He shrugged in his awkward way, petting several rats that had climbed onto the bench. "It's easier to pinpoint what I want to see then when I was a kid. The whole sand ritual makes things clearer, but I didn't figure that out until I was about ten. That's something, I guess?"
"But you only tapped into your gift again recently, right?" Mirabel reminded, knowing that during the time Bruno was in hiding, he hadn't used his gift at all. Suddenly she jumped to her feet excitedly. "Now that the miracle is stronger than ever, who knows what this family can do?"
Bruno remained seated, rather startled by the sudden enthusiasm. "Uh, what are you saying, Mirabel?"
"I'm saying, now that you're using your gift again after so long, maybe it's evolved somehow like Isabela's?"
"Huh? How can seeing the future 'evolve?'" Bruno nervously backed away while his neice paced around, still voicing this sudden wild idea of hers.
"Think about it! It makes sense, right? Have you ever tried looking into a very distant future? Like thousands of years from now or something?"
"Actually, yes." He nodded. "In about fifteen centuries, there's going to be a new ice age. But none of us will be around to see it, unfortunately. Pepa was pretty bummed when I told her. She's always wanted to see actual snow."
"Really? You'll have to show me that vision sometime. Sounds neat!" Then Mirabel thought of another possibility. "Well, how about seeing the past?"
"What's the use in that? The past has already happened, and—"
"Not the point, Tio Bruno! Or maybe the present? Like, could you see what my Ma is making in the kitchen right now just by using your gift?"
"Uh—well—" Bruno wasn't sure if this was an argument, interrogation, or just an interesting chat. "These are all hypothetical, aren't they?"
"They don't have to be. Why not give it a try?" Mirabel suggested. The idea was most enticing. But the dumbfounded, slightly scared expression on her uncle's face brought her back to reality. In her excitement, she'd forgotten how easily overwhelmed Bruno became. "I'm sorry, Tio. It was just an idea. Ever since the miracle—"
"Yeah, I know. All sorts of new things are happening around here." He agreed. Everyone had noticed Abuela being more relaxed about the family's gifts, now. She even insisted they all take days off for themselves, which was a new thing Bruno had never seen happen before. While petting a rat quietly, he gave Mirabel's theory more thought. "About your idea, though…I've never tried anything like that; seeing the past or present, I mean. The future just comes naturally, you know? But…" Bruno hesitated.
Mirabel's eyes were almost pleading. She looked like a little kid who was desperately trying not to squeal with delight.
"Well…" He trailed off again. Seeing something other then the future? Now that the idea was seeded, he was becoming intrigued, too. And that hopeful puppy-dog stare Mirabel was giving him…ugh! He could never say no to that! He finally gave a one-shouldered shrug. "Eh. OK. Let's give it a shot."
"Really?" Mirabel hadn't expected him to agree. "Be honest, Bruno, if you'd rather not, just say so!"
"Why not? I'm up for it. There's some time before lunch, right? Let's call this an impromptu experiment." Bruno stood up, rats on his shoulders, and straightened his ruana, ready for anything. He was now just as curious about his potential abilities as she was.
He led the way back down the path through the cacti garden. It was then when Mirabel noticed a big, open space next to the base of the stairs: a perfect circle in the sand, bordered with rocks and miniature cacti, while completely barren in the middle. She liked the aesthetic, despite not knowing the reason for it. As if reading her mind, Bruno explained, "Isabela left this space for spur-of-the-moment visions. Just in case I need it, you know? Makes things easier to handle. Plus no one will have to climb all the way up there!" he pointed upwards at the tower's spiraling stairs.
The darkness of the formal vision cave made for more of a spectacle when it came to visions, but Bruno refused to perform the ritual for any townsfolk who came to call. But he had read a few fortunes for his sisters recently, which Mirabel was glad about. Personally, she found the vision rituals quite fascinating, so having a ready-made sandy space at the bottom of the tower would make things far more convenient.
Before stepping into the circle, Bruno froze. Then rapped on the trunk of the nearest palm tree. "Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock on wood! Just in case something happens." He gathered a handful of blossoms from a flowering cactus and settled down cross-legged in the circle's center. Mirabel joined, watching with interest as he prepared the flowers into separate piles and lit a match.
She suddenly worried; Bruno's gift could be taxing at times. Sometimes he even passed out if he overdid it or went into bizarre trances if a vision went on too long, especially the involuntary ones. The burning of leaves and foliage helped him stay grounded and made things less draining, at least. Hopefully nothing weird would happen by doing this.
The grounding piles gave off tiny wisps of smoke, and Bruno was ready. He faced her, unsure where to begin. "OK, um…seeing the past. What should I look for?"
"Hm…I was just over in Isa's room. How about that? I'll be able to confirm it, if this actually works."
"OK, here it goes. Just don't be disappointed if nothing happens." Bruno's smile was a tad nervous. This was technically an experiment they were doing.
So he began to concentrate. Both eyes lit up in that eerie, supernatural emerald green before they closed to call the sand to life. A dome formed around the duo, not going beyond the circle's rock and cactus border, while a magical wind picked up in the room to lightly whip the fronds of the palm trees. The dome swirled clockwise as usual. No images were present, though…Mirabel squinted into the whirling walls, hoping to see the beginnings of a vision. They didn't always start right away…but nothing was to be seen, even a whole minute later while the wind tousled their hair around. If Bruno was trying to see into the past, nothing was happening. She decided to keep quiet and allow him to focus.
Bruno kept his eyes shut, trying to bend the magic to his will. It kept wanting to pull him forward, wanting to call upon the future as it always did. An invisible hand was dragging his mind in one direction only. Resisting it was challenging…not at all what he was used to doing. Bruno took deeper breaths and tried to stay centered…going in the opposite direction was like running backwards. Strange and unnatural…but to his great surprise, not impossible.
Gradually, and much to Mirabel's shock as well, the swirling dome of sand began going counterclockwise! Bruno felt it change without even opening his eyes. The magic tugging on his mind relaxed and allowed him to pull back. What a bizarre feeling…
Eagerly, Mirabel sat up straighter and waited for whatever was to happen next.
Bruno finally opened his eyes. An image of a wild jungle-like garden formed in the sand. New types of plants were all around, including ones that looked like giant mouths and a bunch of tall cacti with Isabela suspended over them, hanging upside-down with a happy smile.
"Hey, it's working!" Mirabel exclaimed, the wind whipping her curly hair around. "That's what Isa was doing when I went to see her." She turned to Bruno and noted that his eyes had a much paler glow to them. The pictures in the sand shone pastel green as well, as the dome continued to spin. That was new. She turned back to her uncle. "Tio Bruno? You alright?"
To her immense relief, he answered right away. "All good here. It sure feels strange, though." They returned to watching the vision. "So, did all this happen already? Does it look familiar to you?"
A sandy image of Mirabel appeared, walking through the garden and jumping to avoid a carnivorous plant which snapped at her. The real Mirabel gasped excitedly as she watched the vision shift to show her and Isabela—with the eldest sister flipping right-side-up in the vines, just as she'd done during their conversation. Then another scene came of Mirabel entering the door to Bruno's tower and gazing down at the new desert-oasis garden before her.
"Whoa. Are you having some deja-vu, Mira? I am." Bruno's eyes widened upon seeing himself and his niece sitting on the newly acquired bench under the palm tree, talking. The whole scene was playing out exactly as it had happened mere minutes ago. It even included the moments when he was petting the rats. Seeing things from this perspective was quite fascinating.
The sand collapsed as Bruno broke the spell, having seen enough, and a tablet formed in his hands. It wasn't the normal emerald color. Instead, the picture gleamed the new lighter shade of green, showing a pleasant past image of him and Mirabel talking side-by-side on the bench. "Wow. I guess it worked! Seeing into the past; I had no idea it was even possible…"
"How do you feel? Headache? Weakness? Anything at all?" Mirabel checked on him as a precaution. Despite this being a riveting first test, they had to be careful.
"A little dizzy, but I'm alright." Bruno reassured, still looking at the tablet. He planned to hang it on his bedroom wall, next to all the other happy visions of his family. He got up to gather another handful of blossoms from the cactus. "Wanna try to see the present, next?"
"Are you sure? I don't want you to overdo it."
"Hey, this was your idea, Mira! Besides, I'm fine. Really!" Bruno insisted. Besides, he wanted to see what else was possible, now that he'd performed such a unique feat.
"If you're sure…" she giggled at his enthusiasm and confidence. While he arranged the foliage piles, she realized, "How are we going to test that, though? We'll need a way to be sure it's the actual present you're seeing…" Viewing the here and now might require a bit of strategy…She came up with another idea. "Oh! I know! I'll hide somewhere in Casita and you try to find me. Without leaving this spot." She stood up and stomped on the sand for emphasis. "Then I'll come back here and you tell me where that spot was."
"If I can that is." Bruno reminded. "You might wanna go hide, then. I'll give you a head start!"
This was almost turning into a game. Even the rats were curious as to what was going on, climbing onto Bruno's head to watch Mirabel hastily run off down the path through the oasis. Bruno carefully placed the pastel-colored 'past' vision tablet on the ground next to him, wondering if a 'present' vision would look different as well, or if the present would even create a tablet at all. "Guess we'll find out in a minute, won't we guys?" he said to the rats, who all squeaked in agreement.
Mirabel hurried to the entranceway and shook the sand out of her shoes before leaving the room entirely, closing the door behind her. "OK, hiding spot, hiding spot…where should I go?" She decided to keep things simple and easy, lest Bruno remain in vision mode for too long. So she just walked to the other end of the balcony and squatted behind the potted plant next to Dolores' door. It wasn't a spectacular hiding spot, but it would be good enough for experiment purposes. In a few minutes, she'd return to the tower to see if Bruno could deduce where she had gone.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Isabela had come out of her room and walked by in time to see Mirabel duck down.
"Nothing. Just testing to see if Tio Bruno can see the past and present." Mirabel smiled nonchalantly.
Isabela blinked. She didn't even want to ask. "OK, have fun. Don't be too long, though. I'm sure Mama wouldn't mind a hand setting the table."
"Got it. We'll both be down soon!"
As Isabela left, leaving footprints of blue pollen in her wake, Mirabel settled down behind the large potted plant. From her point of view, nothing would happen, but she wondered how Bruno was faring back in the tower. Would he be able to see her here in the present moment or not? Nothing to do now but wait.
…
Back in the tower, Bruno was ready for the next phase of their experiment. Mirabel should be hiding somewhere by now. Already his energy had returned in full. When it came to random, involuntary visions, there was no telling how long they would last or how draining they could be. But for the purposeful ones when he was the one in control? Not a problem.
He lit the piles of flowers, inhaled, and called upon his gift once again. At first, there was the normal sensation of being pulled towards the future with the sand spinning clockwise. So he tried the same resistance, willing the pull to stop. And just like before, the invisible hands tugging on his mind gradually let go. It all felt so strange…he sensed the dome going in reverse again…That wasn't what he wanted to happen.
Bruno frowned, eyes staying shut. He squeezed them harder as the magical glow flickered from pastel green to rich emerald and back again as the flying sands kept changing direction. He was trying to make it stop in time, going neither forward nor backward; just staying in the here and now.
"I can do this…but how?" This was certainly a lot tougher than with the past. "OK…focus, focus, focus. Just stay in the present and try to find Mirabel, right at this moment…" Bruno's mutters of self-encouragement helped. The rats on his head seemed to sense the struggle and groomed his hair to offer a bit of reassurance.
Bruno's mind was being pulled in all different directions. When the magic finally listened to his will, it felt like taking a breath after holding it for a long time. He then opened his eyes to a most curious sight: the swirling sand had stopped…not collapsed, just stopped. Every grain hovered in place, forming a protective dome that did not move an inch. This time, the shade of green that rippled throughout it was more of a medium jade color instead of being super pale or rich emerald.
"Whoa…even weirder." Bruno marveled, ignoring the lightheadedness from doing all that. He could see beyond the dome wall; it was kind of like looking through a sheer curtain. The enchanted wind had also died down. But despite these unusual happenings, Bruno was still in control of the situation.
Time to search for Mirabel. He kept his glowing eyes trained on the sandy walls, trying to will a vision to appear. He thought of various places in Casita where his niece may by hiding...but nothing was happening. The sand remained empty and devoid of images…he took another deep breath, shut his eyes, and concentrated further…Suddenly, he felt the magic guide him in a most peculiar and unexpected way.
It was very unsettling at first: a strong floating sensation. That was the only way to describe it. Although Bruno's eyes remained shut, an image of the tower's desert garden spread out before him from a bird's eye view! As if he were standing on a ledge and observing the room from above. He even saw the dome, along with himself sitting cross-legged inside it, obscured by the sandy walls and breathing steadily in a partial trance.
Bruno allowed the vision to continue. This was very strange…But he felt alright; not lightheaded anymore, but weightless and free.
His initial dread subsided, replaced by a great interest to see if it was possible to search the house this way. He was aware of sitting safely within the dome; even smelt the smoke wisping off the burning flowers. But quickly he discovered the free will to mentally wander about the room. So he did, going from one end of the tower to the other. It was amazing, being able to see without really using his eyes. This vision was so different; all in his head yet looking so clear.
He wanted to leave the tower and search for Mirabel, and the magic simply guided him through the door. He almost felt like a ghost, flying around unseen. And this was all happening in real time! He could sense it. How exciting! Would this 'present' vision create a tablet afterwards or not?
"OK, let's see…where would Mirabel go?" Bruno mused from his spot inside the dome. But mentally, he was out on the balcony, observing the courtyard from above. This was an excellent lookout point. He knew most of the family was outside in the front yard, but he witnessed Isabela walk down the stairs and turn the corner, heading into the kitchen. Maybe Mirabel had gone there, too…
So Bruno followed, keeping a careful distance and stopping in the kitchen doorway to look around. There was Julieta over at the counter, finishing up a batch of empanadas along with many other things to serve at lunchtime. Another bit of information to prove to Mirabel that he could indeed see the present.
"Where's Mirabel?" Juli asked her eldest daughter as she approached.
"Up on the balcony, hiding behind a potted plant." Isabela sighed. Upon her mother's questioning gaze, she further explained, "She and Tio Bruno are doing some kind of test with his powers. I didn't ask, 'cause I don't think I want to know."
Julieta groaned but laughed at the same time. "Leave those two together and they're bound to get into trouble."
In the tower, Bruno chuckled upon hearing this. Still mentally observing from the doorway, he turned around and traveled back upstairs. The rush from doing that truly felt like flight. There were several potted plants along the railing, and he found Mirabel easily. Right where Isabela said she was, next to Dolores' room, no less. "Ha! Found you, Mira!" But of course his voice couldn't be heard from his physical location.
The girl sat on the balcony floor calmly, waiting for enough time to pass so she could go back to the tower. Bruno couldn't wait to tell her that their little experiment had worked! Then Julieta could eat her words; they hadn't gotten into any trouble at all.
He went a bit closer, wondering if Mirabel would sense his presence if he were next to her…Nope. She just looked a bit bored, playing with the plant's leaves and completely oblivious to any magical presence nearby. So he tried hovering right in front of her face—were he actually there, he would be close enough to bonk her nose.
Suddenly, and without any warning, another new sensation overpowered him. A bad one. It bore down with such strength that he felt himself losing control!
The pleasant floating feeling became less so as the magic unexpectedly dragged him forward with such ferocity that he was helpless to stop it. "No! Nonono!" In the sand dome, Bruno fought back with all the mental willpower he could muster, but it was useless. He panicked as the vision became blurry around the edges. "No, wait! What's going on?!"
Mirabel was blissfully unaware of any trouble. Until an invisible force suddenly pushed her over in a wave of dizziness, catching her by surprise. "Ah!" She cried out and collapsed to the balcony floor, clutching her head in discomfort as the world swam. What was happening…?!
…
Julieta and Isabela were carrying plates over to the dining table. The rest of the family would be coming in any moment for lunch; most of them were right outside, enjoying a few more minutes of free time. Pepa and Felix were still chasing each other around out there, acting like love-struck teenagers, and the voices of Camilo and Antonio could be heard in the distance, yelling at their parents to stop embarrassing them. Abuela and Augustin were due back from the market right about now. But there was one less setting at the table, since Dolores was out with Mariano for the rest of the day.
"I'll have to come see this garden for myself," Julieta said to Isabela, who had been telling all about her busy morning. "It sounds like you've built an actual jungle! But nothing poisonous, alright? I don't want any accidental poisonings around here."
"Don't worry, Mama. The dangerous ones are only carnivorous." Isa kissed her mother's cheek.
"Uh—OK, that's alright, I suppose…" Julieta stammered, not sure what to think about that. "At least my brother's new garden sounds safe. That was a very kind thing you did; a private garden is just right for a retreat when he needs it." She observed the bright sunshine beaming in through the window and had a great idea of her own. "You know, we should have lunch on the veranda. I'll ask Luisa to move the table—oh, Mirabel! There you are," Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her youngest girl appear in the kitchen doorway. "Would you be a dear and fetch Luisa, please? We have our hands full in here. And where's Bruno?"
But Mirabel remained silent and didn't move an inch.
There came a crash of breaking glass when Isabela gasped in terror and dropped the plate she was carrying. Tiny orchids sprouted on her head as she covered her mouth to avoid screaming even louder. She pointed at her sister with a shaky hand.
Julieta did a double take at Mirabel, suddenly full of adrenaline. The dish was shattered on the floor, every arepa ruined, but the sight in the doorway was far more concerning.
Mirabel stood with her arms hanging limply, staring straight ahead as if in shock. Her mouth was pressed in a tight line while the rest of her body was stiff and tense. It was most unlike her. That wasn't what was so terrifying, however.
Behind the glasses, her eyes were glowing a supernatural jade green.
Julieta stifled a scream of her own. She managed to set down the big tray of empanadas before running over. "Oh, Dios mio! Mira, your eyes! What—?" She cupped Mirabel's face for a closer look, hoping it was a trick of the light. But nope. The girl's warm brown eyes were now green and glowing. "They—they look just like…"
"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock! Knock on wood!" Mirabel abruptly rapped up and down the doorway, escaping Julieta's grasp. "Before you two say another word, I can explain!" She hastily blurted out, seemingly in a total panic herself. "Look, uh…um…er…Something really, really weird just happened and I might need some help fixing it!"
Julieta and Isabela, now equally confused as well as frightened, glanced at one another, then back to Mirabel. The girl chuckled awkwardly with a one-shouldered shrug in a most un-Mirabel-like way.