"BRUNO!" The shout sounded behind Bruno and he gasped as he just ran. Ran for dear life!
Jumping through passages, going over the rafters, just…. Run! This was not supposed to happen. This was bad! This was really bad!
Mirabel was not supposed to see him. No one was supposed to see him. This was so bad!
Bruno gasped as he reached the big hole that had formed in the last year and made his practiced jump, using a piece of wood that stuck out at the halfway point to boost himself and get over, and then he continued running.
He didn't hear running footsteps behind him anymore. Did Bruno dare let go of a breath of relief? He was losing her? Good. That was.
"HELP ME!"
Bruno stopped in his tracks. Just stopped.
"Casita… Help!"
And Bruno gasped, all other thoughts in his head just forgotten as he turned right around to run back. All sorts of horrible images going through his head.
Mirabel being trapped under a fallen wall, Mirabel buried in sand, Mirabel fallen with a broken leg… MIRABEL!
And then Bruno saw… It was the hole. And Mirabel's voice came from it. THERE! She was hopelessly grabbing unto a long stick dangling over the abyss and the wood was breaking.
And then… It started to break.
Oh no… NOOOOO!
Bruno just jumped forward, threw himself down on his stomach, and reached out just as the wood broke and Mirabel was about to fall and then. In the last second, he grabbed her hand.
The tug of Mirabel's weight pulled Bruno a little down. But he had her! HE HAD HER! Thank god! Now he just had to hold on! And Bruno hissed as he tried to pull.
Mirabel gasped as she hung down there, then wide-eyed looked up and then…. Her big wide eyes looked up at Bruno.
She saw him... Mirabel saw him...
Though the only thing Bruno could think about was her hand, it was wet and slippery and was threatening to slip out of his hand. "You're really sweaty." he gasped as he tried to hold on with all of his might… Don't fall down. Don't fall down!
Only for the floorboards Bruno was laying on to give in and suddenly he fell down. Mirabel now screaming as she grabbed a new board and Bruno fell down and now they had swapped places.
Mirabel on top holding unto the boards above them and Bruno below him just dangling over what seemed to be nothing.
Bruno gasped and he looked up in relief at Mirabel. Only for little Rosita to appear on Bruno's shoulder and Mirabel screamed in shock letting go of Bruno making Bruno fall down in a big surprised scream.
Only to hit the floor in a thud and… It barely even hurt. Bruno blinked... For a moment he sat there. He was fine... Somehow he was fine. And then he stood up and realized he was now standing above the fog. That was more like a layer of spackle dust.
He looked up and realized Mirabel's dangling feet were right at his head. Bruno blinked as he waved away the fog and realized… This drop wasn't really that deep at all. Huh.
Then he blinked as he looked up at the dangling Mirabel, who was blinking as she looked down at him.
"Errhmm… Hmm." Bruno frowned as he approached Mirabel and then put his hands under her feet. Then pushed Mirabel back up.
"WOAH!" Mirabel shouted in surprise but seemed to get the idea as she grabbed onto the floor boards above and with Bruno's help from below managed to crawl back up. Then turned around, and her head appeared as she wide-eyed looked down.
Bruno blinked as he looked around himself, then finally found a bit of wood sticking out, and he used it as climbing steps as slowly he climbed up too. Then as he reached the top he was grabbed by Mirabel who pulled him up the rest of the way and Bruno stood up. Now up on the actual floor again.
And there was Mirabel also standing up… And she was right in front of him.
Mirabel was standing right in front of him... Mirabel was here... And she was seeing him. Her eyes were clearly seeing him... Mirabel was right in front of him.
This was bad like… Really bad. Bruno had no idea how to even deal with this. Both a thousand things and nothing at all were running through his head at the same time. Then finally he opened up his mouth and said the only thing he could think off.
"Bye."
And then just turned around and walked away, hoping that this entire thing would just vanish and go away.
It didn't…
"Wait. What? Hey, WAIT!" Mirabel shouted as she ran after him. "Why did you take that vision?"
Bruno tried to ignore that.
"What does it mean?" Mirabel asked.
"Knock-knock-knock! Knock-on-wood!" Bruno exclaimed trying to drown out all of Mirabel's questions or just escape this situation. Oh, this was so bad. He closed his eyes, crossed his fingers, and held his breath as he quickly moved through the narrow tunnel. Trying to vanish.
"Is that why you came back or?" Mirabel's voice just continued behind him. "Tio Bruno!"
And Bruno let go of his breath as he reached the other side only to knock again repeating his chant and then he felt Mirabel's presence… Right behind him… Asking about the vision because... What else could it be about?
"You were never supposed to see that vision." Bruno gasped. "No one was."
"But." Mirabel began.
Without even thinking Bruno grabbed a fistful of salt and threw it over his shoulder. Didn't even see where it landed. And Mirabel gagged, then he threw some sugar for good measure and Mirabel coughed again.
Bruno didn't hear her, busy jumping over the cracks on the floor.
"Wait." Mirabel halted. "Have you been in here…. Patching the cracks?"
Bruno halted and then turned around in shock. Then he looked next to himself and saw one of the big walls, just filled up with his spackle work and the cracks showing through the spackle proving what an awful job he had done. And Bruno shuddered. "Oh that?" he asked looking at the work. "No no no! I'm way too scared to go near those things. All the patching is done by Hernando!" he informed.
Mirabels eyes were squinted as she looked up at the messy patchwork as she frowned. "Who's Hernando?" she asked and Bruno smirked.
Perfect! This was perfect! This always worked! The kids loved this one! And he put his hood over his head. "I am Hernando and I'm scared of nothing!" he proclaimed.
There was silence…. Dead silence.
Mirabel wasn't smiling… She just looked... disturbed.
"Erhm. Heh." Bruno removed his hood again. "Actually just me." he then admitted awkwardly. "I used to say my real gift was acting. Hehe." he tried and failed miserably at easing the tension.
Mirabel looked away again and it gave Bruno an opportunity as he put the bucket on his head. This one for SURE! It used to make Isabela laugh so hard! And made another voice.
"I'm Jorge. I make the spackle."
Again there was silence... Way to much silence. Finally, Mirabel spoke.
"How long… Have you been back here?" she asked.
Slowly… Ever so slowly Bruno removed the bucket as he looked at Mirabel… It hadn't worked… Putting things on his head and making silly voices always worked... Why didn't it work?
"Tio Bruno?" Mirabel asked and Bruno stiffened. "What are you doing back here?" she finally asked. "Are you just patching cracks? For how long have you been doing that?" she asked.
Bruno's eyes widened.
"Bruno." Mirabel tried again and then Bruno turned around…. And tried to walk away.
He should of course have known that wouldn't work. Mirabel was right after him.
"Tio wait!" Mirabel exclaimed. "You have to tell me about that vision! I don't understand it!"
"Vision. What vision? I don't know anything about any vision." Bruno exclaimed as he pulled up his hood over his head as he tried to pick up speed.
"Oh come on. I can see it in your pocket." Mirabel pointed out and wide-eyed Bruno looked down to true enough see the green glow escaping his pocket now they were in a darker part of the tunnels. "You're here for a reason right?" she asked. "You came back! So why did you come back?"
Bruno gasped as he finally reached his door and pushed it open to step into his little home and Mirabel stepped through it with him. Then she stopped.
Bruno turned to Mirabel as Mirabel wide-eyed looked around, shock and realization running over her face and Bruno looked away as he swallowed.
"You…" Mirabel hesitated then turned to Bruno. "You never left." she realized.
Bruno's eyes widened... Busted... ups. But this could work! She wasn't asking about the visions so! Distract! Talk about something else! He cleared his throat as he tried to look for an explanation. "Well I erh… I left my tower. Which was, you know. A lot of stairs. And in here!" Bruno picked up an Arepa. "Kitchen adjacent!" he smiled and clicked his tongue at the rat.
Mirabel just continued looking disturbed.
"Plus!" Bruno held up a finger, forcing a big smile on his face. "Free entertainment!" he grabbed a rat and put it down on his home made television sets. "So what do you like? Sports? Game shows? Telenovelas? Their love could never be." he smiled as Bruno fell back in his comfortable chair.
Mirabel frowned. "I don't understand."
"Oh she's he's aunt but she's got amnesia." Bruno started to explain. "So she can't remember she's his aunt. It's a very forbidden kind off…"
"I don't." Mirabel cut off Bruno's continuous and clearly very futile attempts on avoiding any heavy topics. "I don't understand why you left but didn't… Leave."
Bruno silenced, just silenced as he swallowed. Then turned to Mirabel forcing another smile again. "Oh well. Because the mountains around the Encanto are pretty tall and… like I said free food and everything." he stood up to pick up another Arepa from his table and turned to his rat. Offering them a little treat. Desperately trying to think of a plan… any plan. A way to fix this somehow. Just…
He hopelessly concentrated on his rats. Trying to make his messed up brain work. But it was a failed attempt even before it started.
Then though Bruno realized. Mirabels attention was no longer on him. Gasping Bruno turned around and realized Mirabel was looking at... The plate! The stupid plate!
"Yeah I erh!" Bruno tried. Desperately searching for words. A way to explain his pathetic state without coming off as a mental nut case. "My gift wasn't helping the family." he finally said.
Mirabel turned back to Bruno, her eyes looking completely shocked.
"But I love my family. You know?" With the admission, Bruno's voice almost break and he had to inhale. "I just don't how to…" he felt the emptiness filling him and he swallowed as the absurdity and hopelessness of his situation settled in his body. "How to." and Bruno fell down in his chair. Suddenly feeling so drained… All pretenses were gone. His attempts of easing the mood. Who was he kidding?
This entire thing was just… Sad and pathetic. Just like him. It was so messed up. There was no saving this.
"A-Anyway I think you should go," Bruno said, almost pleaded. Wishing this situation would just go away. "Because… I don't really have a reason. But if I did you would just say. Yeah, I should go cause that's a good reason." and he looked away.
There was silence again. And Bruno swallowed as he looked away… Waiting for Mirabel to leave now she had gotten her opening. To escape this weirdo in the walls.
Honestly, Bruno just wished he could vanish and be less of a pathetic sight.
But she didn't leave. "Why was I in your vision?" Mirabel asked again.
Bruno could not look at her… His exile, his work… All of this. He had failed. At even the most simple tasks. And now she was here… Though she wasn't supposed to be. And the burden was on her anyway.
"Tio Bruno." Mirabel sat down next to him, her voice shaking and then finally Bruno made his mistake of looking at her.
Mirabels eyes were on him, seeing him… And though Bruno didn't look at her. He could just feel her sadness.
"I just… Wanted to make the family proud of me." Mirabel swallowed and her tone was so familiar, it cut into Bruno's soul.
That sort of longing was all the real. Just wanting… Just one single time. Having Alma tell him she was proud. That he could do something right… and now Mirabel? She wasn't supposed to end up like him. And yet... Here they were.
"Just once," Mirabel whispered and the earnesty was like a knife in Bruno's chest. He felt it.
Then finally looked at Mirabel and saw his own desperation reflected in her eyes… It hurt… There was nothing more he wanted to do. Then help this brave young woman.
"But if I need to stop." Mirabel sniffed. "If I am hurting my family…" she gasped and it just hurt so much. "Just tell me," she asked.
Bruno swallowed. He wanted to help her so badly. But the truth was.
"I can't tell you," Bruno said and already he could see Mirabels hope shatter. "Because I don't know" he gasped as he pulled out the shards from his pockets "I had this vision." he looked at the shards. "The night that you didn't get your gift." And put them into a picture frame then gently started to put them together for Mirabel to see. "Your Abuela worried about the magic so… She begged me to look into the future. To see what it meant… And I saw. The magic in danger." he swallowed. "Our house breaking and then there was you." as he put the last piece of the vision into place showing the image. "Bu-But it was different!" he picked up the frame. "It… It would change!" he gently tipped the frame from one side to another to show it. "And there was no one answer. No clear fate. Like your future was undecided." he gasped making Mirabel's eyes widen.
But then… Bruno put the frame back on the table and he closed his eyes. "But I knew how it was going to look. I knew what everyone was going to think. Because I'm Bruno and everyone always assumes the worst." he squinted his eyes. "So… So…" he couldn't speak anymore.
And now Mirabel picked up the frame, the cursed image and she was looking at it. Her voice cracking and her eyes misty. "You… Left."
Bruno looked up at her and she looked up at him. Showing her tear-filled eyes.
"To protect me?"
What was Bruno supposed to say? Was it all because of her... No. there were many reasons. He wasn't helping the family. His gift was doing the opposite. hurting the people he cared the most about. He brought bad things to those he loved... And Bruno had concluded. The best thing he could do for his family. Was to remove himself.
But yes... to protect them. To protect her... What was he supposed to say?
"I don't know which way it will go," Bruno admitted. "My guess… The family. The Encanto. The fate of the magic itself." he swallowed as Mirabel looked at her prophecy tipping it to see the different outcomes. "It's all going to come down to you." he looked at her.
Mirabel looked… Heartbroken. And Bruno swallowed… He had done it again. Even the one he had tried to protect. For ten years. He had hurt her! Now she had the entire burden on her! The one thing that shouldn't have happened.
"Oh maybe I'm wrong!" Bruno exclaimed as he snatched the vision away. "It's a mystery!" he said throwing it away as he stood up. "That's why this entire prophecy is just. Pfff." he put a thumb down and then gently tried to usher Mirabel out.
"Look if I could help more. I would but errhm." Bruno swallowed as he opened the door for her. "That's all I know."
Mirabel glanced at him and Bruno hopelessly looked back at her.
"Good luck," he whispered sincerely as Mirabel stepped out. "I wish I could have seen more… I…" and then finally. Closed the door and stepped back. Covering his face as he hissed.
Honestly… Bruno was ready to have that heart attack right now. He didn't know if he should cry or have another panic attack. He was awful to get rid of Mirabel so suddenly but he couldn't take anymore. He didn't want to break down crying in front of her. That was too much.
Then Bruno inhaled a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down and finally glanced up.
Then he turned around to check on his rats, petting rats often helped Bruno calm down, and Bruno inhaled another deep breath. His heart finally settled just a little bit.
BOOM the door was kicked right making Bruno yell. "ARGH!"
"You wish you could have seen more so see more!" Mirabel gasped suddenly all up in Bruno's face forcing him to back away. "Have another vision!"
"Oh. No!" Bruno tried to hide behind the chair. "No no no! I don't do visions anymore." he tried to tell as Mirabel circled around the chair forcing him out.
"But you could." Mirabel grinned.
"But I won't!" Bruno gasped as he grabbed his broom and held it out trying to block Mirabel… Didn't work. She just sidestepped it.
"You can't just say the weight of the world is on your shoulders. The end." Mirabel said as she grabbed his broom and threw it away making Bruno run for the telenovelas and held one up trying to block Mirabel again. But she kept walking forward. "If the fate of the world is up to me. Me says… have another vision!" she beamed getting up in Bruno's face again and Bruno yelled in shock and surprise as he now fell down on the floor.
"Wuargh!"
"Maybe it'll show me what to do," Mirabel stated and Bruno jumped back up.
"Look even if I wanted to. Which I don't!" he held up a hand. "You wrecked my vision cave! Which is a problem. Cause I need a big open space!" Bruno reminded her.
"We'll find one!" Mirabel exclaimed.
"Where?" Bruno asked.
"Use my room."
Bruno halted… So did Mirabel. Both turned to the door and there was… Cute little Antonio and…
Three lemurs, a tapir, and a big capybara.
"What?" Bruno began.
"The rats told me everything," Antonio informed. "Don't eat those."
And Bruno's eyes widened as he saw a big jaguar nearly eaten three of his rats. But thankfully it stopped and looked at them with a very guilt ridden look.
Bruno blinked…. What… What was going on?
Then Mirabel turned to Bruno. "Our family needs help," she whispered. "And you need to get out of here."
Bruno swallowed, then looked around, at the room he had called home, made by thrown out articles, a pathetic painted plate on the table, a television of cardboard he pretended would be real television and rats… Rats making themselves at home wherever.
So yeah Bruno had grown insane over the years… The evidence was everywhere.
And finally, he sighed in resignation. Honestly how much more could go wrong at this point anyway. "Fine." he muttered.
"You mean it?" Mirabel asked.
Bruno exhaled deeply... If only Mirabel knew the truth. The truth was that... Bruno was just incapable of saying no to his family. Especially the children... If Bruno had just known how to say no. So many issues could have been avoided in the past.
"Look I can't guarantee it helps because honestly. My visions have never helped anyone." Bruno informed. "And I can't believe you guys ratted me out." he glared at the rats next to him.
"It's not their fault," Antonio said. "I just asked if they had seen Mirabel anywhere. Everyone is looking for her and well… They told me she was with Bruno and I was like… Tio Bruno? Camilo says he's mean. But then the rat told me that wasn't true. They all said that Bruno is really nice, and he takes really good care of us and looks over the family and protects everybody here."
Bruno halted. Deeply surprised. "They… They said that?"
"Uhu." Antonio nodded. "They are saying you're always working really hard to make sure that the family won't get hurt. You're always checking for the house cracks and fixing them so the house won't fall down over us."
"Well I erhm… I'm trying to." Bruno swallowed. "Doesn't seem to be working so well anymore. Heh."
"They also say you tell really good stories. They don't really understand what you are saying… That's just because they are not good at human language. But they assume they are good stories. It sounds like they are good." Antonio said.
Mirabel smiled amused as and then gestured a hand. "Come on let's get you to Antonio's room before you change your mind."
Bruno sighed deeply. "Gotta make a pit stop first," he muttered.
"Where too?" Mirabel blinked.
"My tower." Bruno exhaled deeply. "We're going to need sand."
"Really?" Mirabel asked. "Why?"
"Look do you want to do this or not?" Bruno asked. "Don't worry there's an entrance directly from the walls into my room. We don't even have to go out into the real house."
"Oh really?" Mirabel asked.
"Yes," Bruno said sighed deeply. "I found it after I had... Made sure you didn't get buried alive in the vision cave."
"That was you?" Mirabel gaped. "You opened the door?"
"Yes! You really scared me. I thought you were going to get yourself killed." Bruno grimaced. "Honestly what were you thinking?"
"Oh." Mirabel blinked.
"There's also an entrance to my room from the walls." Antonio nodded. "So the animals can come and go as they want."
"What?" Bruno asked. "You mean into my space?" he asked.
"It's already filled with rats." Antonio pointed out.
Bruno squinted his eyes.
Mirabel chuckled amused. "Come on then Tio. Let's go get some sand and then go to Antonio's room. And we won't even have to go out into real Casita."
And Bruno sighed deeply. "Yeah fine." he muttered as he finally followed them then halted. "Erh Mirabel. Antonio… Promise to stay close to me okay? The floors out there are not entirely secure. I… I don't want you to get hurt. And I really don't want you to get lost."
They both nodded.
"I'm serious," Bruno said. "Those halls are not like the rest of Casita. Casita's magic stopped working in here around six years ago."
Mirabel's eyes widened and she gaped. "What?"
Bruno nodded. "First the cracks. Then the magic veined. At first, Casita could assist me in here but it got less and less, and then nothing. Casita can help me in the real house, but not in here. Not anymore. And then... The floors started to fall apart. Cracks growing bigger. You've seen it."
Mirabel gasped and then nodded stunned. Antonio as well looked startled.
"Okay then. This way." Bruno Sighed deeply. "Stay close," he whispered as he started to show them the way.
Mirabel swallowed as she followed her estranged uncle, who kept warning them, mumbling that they should be careful and kept a very careful eye on them making sure they wouldn't get hurt.
How fast ideas could change... Just earlier this day. Mirabel remembered how the family talked about Bruno and... It had felt scary. They made him sound like such an awful and vengeful person.
But it was clear... Bruno was neither. He just seemed... Confused. And very lost.
With every turn they took a new wall was revealed, and new spackle work. It was everywhere. Above and below... Spackle that seemed to be on every wall like duct tape that tried to keep the house together as well as it could and it really made Mirabel question just for how long this had been going on. Obviously, this was not new... The sheer amount of work done and the fact Bruno was the only one here proved that this had gone on for years by the very least.
Also there was something else.
Bruno was mumbling to himself, but it wasn't disturbing. It was oddly soothing... His voice... His voice sounded so familiar and... Safe somehow. A figure in the past that was her protector, just like her mama and Papa.
And now... he had saved her at the vision cave. Turned around and tried to save her from the fall in the house. In this moment... His greatest concern did indeed seem to be her and Antonio's safety.
Mirabel only understood too well... The need of being of use to the family. Somehow... To be able to help. But not knowing how to... And everyone just assuming the worst about you even though... All you want to do is to help.
They were so alike that it hurt. And Mirabel wanted to cry. Then she stepped up next to Bruno, and grabbed his hand.
Bruno shrieked in terror and surprise. Then looked at Mirabel. Deep shock in his eyes. And then he looked down at their hands. Touching... And he looked really freaked out and confused. Then he inhaled a deep breath and knocked on the wall next to him with his free hand. "Knock-knock-knock. Knock on wood." he gasped as he inhaled a deep breath and exhaled. But he didn't let go of Mirabel's hand or pulled away. In fact, he squished her hand as if trying to assure her and took another step forward.
"You used to tell me stories... Didn't you?" Mirabel asked.
Bruno gasped. His lips moving then slowly nodded. "Ye-yes..." he stammered. "I... I told all of you stories," he whispered.
Antonio gaped. "Can you tell me a story? I love stories!"
Shocked Bruno turned to him, then his head turned away. "I mean... I..." he swallowed.
"I'm sure he'll tell you a story after we saved the magic." Mirabel nodded. "Right Tio Bruno?"
Bruno swallowed as he squinted his eyes. "If... If you want it," he said. "They... Are not very good. And pretty silly but... The kids seemed to really like them so."
"Silly sounds good." Antonio beamed and Bruno smiled lightly. Then used his free hand to wipe away a tear.
"Okay then," Bruno whispered. "That at least is something I can do," he said. "Come on we are almost there." he gestured showing them the way.
