Emil's Point Of View
Leti and I stayed in that position for a long time. We cried a lot, but I felt better afterward. That, and sleepy. Crying made me really sleepy, but I didn't want to sleep. What if this is all a dream, and when I open my eyes it'll disappear? I don't want that to happen, so I will not close my eyes.
"Mi luz, you're tired," Leti said. She sounded tired herself, but I shook my head in refusal.
"No, I'm... not...," I fought back a yawn and failed, completely. No! Fight it. You can not let sleep win, Emil!
"Sure you aren't." She replied, amusement clear in her voice. She unwrapped her arms from around me, and I immediately missed the warmth. Leti had been really warm, warmer than she had been before. She lifted me up with ease and sat me on her lap. One arm wrapped around my chest, and her other hand rested on my hair. Gently, she leaned my head back onto her chest, and I could hear the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
Leti was combing through my hair with her fingers, something I loved for her to do. This... was really comfortable. Very comfortable. Too comfortable. "Stooopp, sleep is... gonna win...!" I forced my eyes to stay open, lifting my head to peak at Leti whose very comfortable combing is betraying me.
Her eyes were open, red and puffy from crying. She was looking at me, using her really cool power that sees cool stuff. "Nothing is going to happen if you sleep."
"But something always happens," I failed to stop another yawn, "When I sleep." I finish. Bad guys were always looking for us, it was scary to even think of sleeping. If it wasn't bad guys, it was nightmares.
I continued to force my eyes to stay open, "I'm scared."
"I know, amorcito," She leaned down and kissed my forehead, holding me just a bit tighter. I reached up and held onto her arm. "But you have to get some rest. I'll be here, I won't ever leave."
"¿Prometes?" I asked, my eyes dropping as I spoke.
She continued to gaze down at me, a soft smile on her face. It made my eyes widen just a bit, before I fully closed them. "Lo prometo," She whispered.
It had been so long since I'd seen her smile. I love Leti's smile, her smile makes me smile. Everything will be okay if she's smiling.
She softly proceeded to hum a tune. It was her and Papi's favorite song. I could just hear him playing the guitar, and as if she knew what I was thinking of, she began to sing. More tears gathered in my eyes as I drifted into slumber, but I could feel Leti gently wipe them away.
In the end, sleep won.
But for the first time since Papi died, there were no nightmares.
Aletia's Point Of View
Emil was fast asleep by the time the song was over. I never let him go, even then. I closed my eyes, trying to alleviate the dizziness I was feeling. The journey here hadn't been easy by any means. My body was covered in scrapes, cuts, gnashes, and bruises.
I was in no small amount of pain, had been for a very long time now. I'm sure some of them are infected, it had been a while since I could properly dress them... on the journey here we lost our supplies. I'm exhausted, any adrenaline that was in me has burned out completely by now.
But feeling Emil's heart steadily beat, his breathing even and calm... it made everything alright. This pain was nothing, this fever was nothing, only Emil mattered and he... he was okay. This was the best sleep he's had since Papi died, that's all I needed to lift my spirits.
I opened my eyes to take a 'peek' around me. The golden rays draped over him like a blanket, keeping any bad dreams away. Truly, this magic was a kind, warm presence.
"Thank you," I said wearily. The way the rays danced told me that it had understood me. It was so mesmerizing, this existence. It was this presence that made this place what it was. It was what protected it, and now it was protecting us too.
"My name is Aletia," I say, trying to start a conversation to keep my mind away from the exhaustion I felt, "Do you have a name?"
The magical entity swirled for a moment, most likely thinking about how to answer the question. It sputtered for a moment, before the streams of light gently floated down, gracing the palm of my hand. I could feel the warmth touch me, slowly going in a particular motion I recognized.
My Papi used to do this with me when we had to be silent. He would spell the words out on my palms. Though I could not see it, I could feel how he spelled the letters and numbers. It was how he taught me since we didn't have access to a normal means of education.
This being was spelling on my palm. When he finished spelling his name, I smiled. "That's a wonderful name. Thank you for telling me." By then, my voice was barely a whisper.
The specks of golden light fluttered uneasily. So many colors were hidden beneath that warm glow, each of them representing an emotion, a word, a phrase. He was worried about me and Emil, I could tell.
He wanted us to go somewhere, tugging gently at my hand and pointing it just on the other side of the river. The flux of colors told me he was sure that whatever place was beyond there could help us.
"I can't," I told it, "I am too tired to go where you want me to. I'm sorry." Despite my relief and contentment that Emil was fine, the complete lack of energy was starting to get to me, as well as the fever I knew I had. The temptation to sleep was almost overwhelming, and I could feel the lids of my eyes becoming heavier by the second.
The golden rays became more frantic, many colors of worry blooming within it. He told me to try and stay awake. If I went to sleep, it would be difficult for me to wake again, he said. So, I fought sleep just as Emil had done, not letting my eyes close. I knew he was right. I was sick, I knew this.
What if I sleep and never wake up? Emil would be so sad; I couldn't do that to him. I refuse to leave him alone in this world.
My exhaustion must be affecting my curse because soon enough, the world faded to that familiar black. The subtle glow in my eyes faded to its dull normalcy. It was harder to tell if I was awake or if I had fallen asleep despite my fighting.
But I could still feel him, wrapping around both myself and Emil in some form of comfort, trying to give me just a bit more energy.
It was then that I heard them, the voices.
I curled protectively over Emil, careful not to wake him as I moved him to the opposite of where the voices were coming from. I knew that with how tired Emil had been, there was nothing that was going to wake him up right now. Even if I was weak and tired and sick, I would not let them hurt Emil. Never, they will not touch Mi Luz.
"Are you sure you heard right, Dolores? Maybe your gift is acting weird after, you know, we all lost them for a few months?" I heard. It was a boy. Not a child, but not an adult. What did he mean by gift?
"I know what I heard, hermano. Now shut it." Another voice snapped back. This person must be 'Dolores'. She sounds a bit older than the boy.
"Alright, alright. Geez." He said again.
"I know this path, it leads to the river..." Another female, younger than the first one. "Maybe whoever's here could be-"
"Guys! Guys!" A little boy's voice sounded. I was a bit shocked by it, he could not be much older than Emil. "Pico says they're over there!" At the boy's voice, a bird let out a call.
It was right above us.
"Guys, there!" I could hear multiple footsteps heading in our direction. They must have been on the other side of the river.
Fear found me like an old friend. The entity continued to wrap around us, as if saying that it was okay, but my mind thought differently. Past experiences raced through it as I feebly tried to back away from the multiple voices rushing at us.
I held Emil tighter as if he would slip from my fingers if I let him go. I couldn't tell what their intentions were, there was only darkness and my own terror. My disorientation from my fever and the pain from my wounds did nothing to help.
"Don't come... any closer...!" To me, my voice sounded loud, but it wasn't more than a breathless, terrified whisper. "Go away...!"
Normal Point Of View
The Madrigal children halted their steps at the girl's weak plead, eyes widening when she came into their view. Just as the animals had described to Antonio, the girl was covered in scrapes and cuts, showing signs of clearing being malnourished. Her paling brown cheeks were flushed with red, trembling limbs showcasing her fatigue, pain, and most clearly, her fear.
This girl was terrified of them, something they'd never experienced before. What could she have gone through to warrant such fear?
"We aren't going to hurt you," Mirabel was the first to speak up, the girl turning towards the sound of her voice. "No one here will ever hurt you." She told her gently, yet resolutely. The others nodded, but the girl didn't react to that.
"Liar..." The girl responded, shrinking away, "Everyone always hurts me... only Papi and Mami were safe... only Abuela was safe..." She muttered, her trembling form seeming to get many times smaller than before.
She continued to back away, though not getting very far. The Madrigals were left with a troubling dilemma.
"What do we do? She doesn't trust as far as she can throw us," Camilo said, his concern evident as he gestures towards the girl, "Clearly, that isn't very far."
"I'm not sure," Mirabel answered.
"She looks so frail," Luisa muttered, sadness and worry drenching her tone, "The wind could blow, and she'd fall right over. We have to get her to Mama." Luisa was about to go over and pick her up, but Mirabel stopped her.
"She's scared. Suddenly going over there and picking her up just won't do. She could try to fight you, and that would just make her condition worse."
"Yeah, she doesn't seem to be in her right mind right now, she's been muttering to herself for a minute now," Camilo pointed out. That got the others' attention. That was a very troubling symptom, but Antonio's voice broke them from their thoughts.
"Weren't there two of them, Pico?" Antonio whispers to the bird, who had perched on his shoulder. The others' attention peaked at this, as they realized that no, they did not see the other child. The bird quietly chirped a reply, and to the others' question, Antonio pointed to the girl again.
Their eyes widened as he whispered, "She wasn't muttering to herself."
The others looked a bit closer at the girl, who had turned her head towards something else. Something was stirring on the other side of her. She was mumbling, cradling that something in her arms like a treasure most precious.
Dolores used her amazing hearing to catch the little things she was saying, all of them were promises of protection towards the treasure she held. Coming just a touch closer, they could clearly see what the girl was speaking towards.
A boy. A very small boy who was sleeping in her arms. Even while asleep, he was holding on to her arm with as much strength his little hands could muster. Dolores guessed he couldn't be older than three or four, but that was pushing it with how small he was.
He was thin, just like the girl was. Though she could tell that he wasn't as bad off as the girl, and it wasn't very hard to figure out why. His face had scrunched up into a frown, his little hands holding on a bit tighter to her arms. She continued to whisper to him, and eventually, he calmed, returning to a more peaceful rest.
They had been so shocked by her ill and injured appearance that they failed to notice the small boy she held just beyond their sight.
"Is that your brother?" Dolores said, getting her attention. The girl's head snapped to the sound of her voice, staring at her. No... that wasn't quite right. She was looking in her direction, not at her. She wasn't quite focused on her.
Dolores noticed this and had a puzzled expression on her face. Isabela, who was beside her, noticed it too. She could have been looking at either of them, but it was Dolores who had asked the question, not Isabela. Both of their eyes widened at the realization of what was confusing them.
"We won't hurt him. We only want to help you both." Isabela whispered, slowly making her way closer. "My mama is a healer; she can make him feel better." She explained.
The girl seemed to perk up at that, and the others could see what she was doing.
"And she makes amazing food!" Mirabel added, "Mama's arepa's are famous." She said, and everyone nodded in agreement, not noticing what Dolores and Isabela had.
Julieta's arepa con queso was a dish people would hurt themselves just to have an excuse to taste. No, any dish she made was that good, her hands were blessed like her gift, could make anything into something absolutely delicious.
"Our town is just down the mountain; it isn't far at all." Camilo said, "You and your brother can come with us, get better, and everything will be okay!" He added with enthusiasm.
They continued to talk to her about the town, telling her about how nice everyone was. The more they spoke, the calmer she became, though her eyes drifted to somewhere else sometimes when they spoke. No one could hear what she was mumbling, but they could see her beginning to sway, her back resting on the tree she sat beneath.
"If... if you can help him... if you can help us... If you're telling the truth then..." She whispered, wearily glancing from her brother to them. None of the Madrigals noticed, but there was a faint glow in her hazy honey orbs.
It was the last assurance that she needed, "Please help us..."
"We'll take care of you," Isabela was the one who answered.
Stealthily, she had been creating lavender flowers, amplifying their effects to help calm the girl down. It eased her rising stress, alleviating her delirious state enough for her to think clearer.
"We got you," Dolores said along with her. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Ale...tia..." She murmured in response, exhaustion taking full hold of her. Only Dolores was able to hear her at this point, her voice nothing but a mutter. Finally, they had a name: Aletia. Such a beautiful name she had. She quickly relayed her name to the others, now officially becoming their translator for whatever Aletia would say after that point.
Luisa began to approach her, but before she could get closer, Isabela stopped her, "What is it?"
"Be careful when you approach her, announce when you get close to her so she knows." She said, earning a nod from Dolores who was on the same page as her.
"Why? What's wrong?" Antonio asked, the little bean being confused by that. Why would she need to announce her presence if she can see them just fine? She'd been looking at them the whole time.
"She's blind, hermano," Dolores explained to him, "She can't see. She's been listening to us instead."
Luisa, Camilo, and Mirabel who hadn't noticed that made a noise of understanding. Antonio's eyes widened, "That's what the animals meant when they said her eyes were weird!" He'd realized.
"Yes, honey, that's why."
Taking in the new information, Luisa approached with even more caution, "I-is it okay for me to carry you?" She asked, treating the girl as if she were a fragile piece of glass. In all honestly, that thought wasn't far from the mark in this situation.
"Emil..." She said, holding onto the boy in her arms. For a moment, Luisa was confused, but she quickly realized what the girl was trying to say. She refused to be carried if she had to release him. 'Emil' was the little boy's name.
"Don't worry, I can carry both of you! No problem!" The muscular girl replied. She carefully approached them, being as gentle as she could when lifting both of them from the ground. The girl held onto her brother tighter as she was lifted like a princess, too tired to express her shock at being lifted so easily. The boy was on top of her, cradled in her arms.
Luisa almost burst into tears, "They're so light..." They practically weighed nothing, and the girl was just shy of being on fire. Her wounds looked even worse up close, and it broke her heart. Her protective older sister instincts kicked into overdrive, and she held them even more securely in her arms.
Aletia was absolutely tired, every little ounce of energy gone. But this person holding her felt extremely kind, and despite being so strong, was being so gentle while holding both her and her brother. The amount of care in her touch allowed her to relax, to finally, truly relax.
That warm golden blanket only she could see was back again. It reassured her that this was okay, it promised her she was safe with these people. Endless praise was being sent through those glorious waves of gold as if this light was so undeniably proud of the people helping her and her brother.
Are these people who you wanted me to meet? She wanted to ask, Is this where you wanted me to go? By the droves of relief and happiness she could feel gracing her skin, she was certain the answer was yes.
"Camilo, Antonio, go ahead to Casita and tell Mama we're on the way. Camilo, when you get there, shift into them so Mama knows what to prepare. We'll be there as quickly as we can." Mirabel ordered, an air of rare seriousness in her tone because of the situation. The Madrigal boys nodded, the youngest hopping on Parce as Camilo shifted into him to ride as well.
After they'd left the Madrigals finally began their trek down the mountain. Careful and swift with their every movement, the walk was filled with whispers of reassurance to the barely conscious Aletia.
"Leti...?"
The four remaining girls halted at the tiny voice. Turning to the source, it was the little boy currently resting on top of his sister, who refused to let him go for anything. His voice was just as tiny as he was.
His eyes opened just a bit, revealing two beautiful honey-brown orbs filled with innocence. They were still impossibly sleepy, his tired mind and body not even noticing their situation. It showed just how little sleep he'd been able to get.
"Where are we going...?" He asked the girl he'd called 'Leti'.
"Safe place..." She answered, weakly lifting her hand to caress his hair. "Sleep..."
"Okay, Leti..." He said, his eyes closing again as he snuggled into his sister's hold, "Love you..."
And like a light, he was out again. They could hear his little snores, completely unaware of the happenings around him.
Each of the girls looked at each other, an entire conversation happening within their gazes. With a nod, they continued to walk.
The girls unanimously decided then and there, they were adopting him.
Dolores then noticed the girl say something under her breath. It was so quiet she almost didn't catch it at all. She was drifting in her own feverish sleep, but before she did, she said one last thing, her eyes looking beyond them and into something else.
Aletia wanted to thank the magical being that gave her comfort, it was the last thought she had before she finally fell into her deep slumber, "Thank you, Senor Pedro..."
She almost missed a step out of shock.