The gut guy was sprawled out on the ground, his guts ripped out. Under his feet there was a message written in blood. It said:

" Cheated on his wife with Senora Guzman's husband"

Meanwhile Senora Guzman was whacking her husband with her purse.

" How… could… you… cheat… on… me!"

" I- ow! Am- ow! Sorry- ow!"

Abuela Alma turned to Mirabel, who was just standing there.

" You. This was you!" Abuela accused.

" No, it wasn't! I was in my room the whole time!" Mirabel argued.

" And yet, you're out now! Who knows how long you've been out! I'll have you executed!" Abuela yelled.

Julieta came running out.

" Now, hold up, mama. We have no proof it was Mirabel," Julieta stated.

" She lied about the cracks! Probably so she could have an alibi!" Abuela said.

" There's no proof she lied!"

" The fact there were no cracks proves it!"

" Even so, there's no proof Mirabel killed this man," Julieta said.

" Not now, anyways. She'll slip up eventually," Abuela replied.

" Oh, really? It sounds to me like you're expecting another murder. You wanna know what that makes me think? That it was you," Mirabel retaliated.

" No, it's obvious this is the work of a serial killer," Abuela rejoindered.

" And until you can prove it was Mirabel, which it wasn't, you can't keep her locked up or have her executed," Julieta told her.

" Very well, then. But know, the truth will be revealed," Abuela said swiftly before walking away.

Mirabel watched as paramedics came and took the dead body away. She thought she saw the mysterious figure again, but when she looked back in that direction, he was gone. Mirabel sighed before going back inside. Antonio immediately tackled her to the ground.

" People aren't telling me anything. Did somebody actually get killed?"

" Yes," Mirabel told him.

" They're also saying…" Antonio began.

Mirabel raised an eyebrow.

" What are they saying?" she pressed.

" That you killed him," Antonio finished.

Mirabel rolled her eyes. Her own family believed she was a murderer. How sad was that?

" You don't think that do you?" Mirabel asked.

" Of course not!" Antonio answered.

" Antonio, get away from her!" Pepa demanded.

" It wasn't her, mama," Antonio said.

" Now," Pepa hissed.

Antonio reluctantly moved away from Mirabel. Pepa glared at Mirabel, who glared back. A rain cloud appeared above Mirabel's head and rained on her.

" So, I'm guessing you believe it's me too?" Mirabel asked.

" Who else would it be?" Pepa inquired.

" You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Mirabel muttered.

" No, I don't believe it was you," Pepa told her.

" Then, who else would it be?" Mirabel snapped.

" I don't know, but… I don't see how you could possibly know that the gut guy was cheating on his wife with Senor Guzman," Pepa said.

" I don't see how anyone could know that," Mirabel rejoindered.

" Someone obviously does."

" Which is creepy."

" Indeed."

The two of them stared at each other in silence.

" If you don't believe it was me, then why were you acting like you did?" Mirabel inquired.

" Mama was watching. I have to pretend I believe," Pepa answered.

" Don't we all?" Mirabel murmured.

" MIRABEL!"

Pepa walked away. Abuela entered a few seconds later. Mirabel waited for her to accuse her of something.

" Where did you put it?" Abuela questioned.

" Where did I put what?" Mirabel asked in sincere confusion.

" Don't play dumb. I know you stole it!" Abuela snarled.

" I don't know what you're talking about, but it must be important," Mirabel snickered.

" Give it here!" Abuela demanded.

" I don't know what you're talking about!" Mirabel yelled.

Abuela grabbed Mirabel by the collar of her shirt. Mirabel struggled as she was hauled up into the air. Abuela used her other hand to choke Mirabel. Mirabel could feel her life slipping away. She heard Abuela grunt before she landed on the ground. She felt someone shaking her.

" Mirabel, are you okay? Mirabel? Mirabel!"

" I'll go get some arepas!" said another voice.

Mirabel groaned as she forced her eyes open. When her vision came into focus, she saw her mom staring worryingly at her. Behind her was Abuela, who was lying on the ground. Augustin came into the room carrying arepas. He tripped over nothing and all the arepas spilled. Julieta managed to catch one and handed it to Mirabel, who shoved it down. Abuela got back up and Juileta glared at her.

" What the fuck, Mama? What'd you do that for?" Julieta rebuked.

" She stole something important to me," Abuela said simply.

" And so what? You were going to kill her? And you call Mirabel a monster!" Julieta rejoindered.

" She's the monster from where I'm standing," Mirabel snapped as she rubbed her neck.

Mirabel got up and ran away. Abuela scoffed before leaving the room. Julieta just sat there, drowned in both anger and pity. Meanwhile, Mirabel ran to her hiding spot by the lake. All she could think about was that if there was a serial killer on the loose, she hoped Abuela was next.

Julieta stormed towards Abuela. Once she caught up, she shoved her as hard as she could. Abuela slammed into a wall.

" That's for nearly killing my daughter," Julieta told her before storming off.

Abuela rubbed her lip which was now bleeding and swelling. She sighed in annoyance. She knew it was Mirabel who killed the gut guy. She knew it was Mirabel who stole the file with her whole past on it. And one way or another, she was going to prove it.

Mirabel laid down on the grass. She sighed peacefully. Here she was all alone. No one would bother her.

" Mirabel?"

Mirabel's eyes shot open. She sat up and turned around. Isabela was standing by the trees, her hair blowing in the breeze. She was pretty and perfect. Mirabel wished she was her.

" Isa… What are you doing here?" Mirabel asked.

" I came here to get away from everyone. What are you doing here?"

" Same as you," Mirabel answered.

" Can I join you?"

Mirabel smiled and nodded. Isabela sat down next to her. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Mirabel was the first to break it.

" So what has Senorita Perfecta been up to?"

" I think the real question is what have you been up to?"

" I know you're expecting me to say I killed the gut guy, but I'm not going to because it wasn't me."

" That part is obvious. That question is why does Abuela think it was you?"

" Because I'm the " Tainted Madrigal" Everything is always my fault," Mirabel said bitterly.

" Who's that?" Isabela suddenly asked.

Mirabel looked where she was pointing. There was that dude in the costume. Mirabel looked at Isabela, her eyes wide with fear.

" What's wrong?" Isabela asked her.

" Can I trust you?"

" Of course."

" I saw this dude first before Antonio's ceremony and then I'm pretty sure after the gut guy got killed," Mirabel told her.

" Really, Mirabel?"

" I'm serious!"

" I know and you're an idiot! This dude is obviously the killer!"

" What makes you say that?"

"For one, who's wearing a creepy costume. Another reason is he's stalking towards us with a butcher knife in his hand."

" What!" Mirabel gasped.

And sure enough the creepy dude was splashing water everywhere as he walked through the river. Isabela forced Mirabel up and the two of them ran. They pushed their way through leaves and sticks. It seemed like no matter how fast they ran, the creepy figure was always a few feet away from them. Mirabel began panting and slowing down.

" Ugh, Mirabel!" Isabela groaned.

She grabbed Mirabel's hand and pulled her along. Mirabel kept looking behind her. The figure ran his knife along the tree branches. Mirabel squealed, causing Isbaela to run faster.

" I see Casita!" Isabela exclaimed.

Mirabel turned around.

" Uh, Isa…"

" Yeah?"

" He's gone," Mirabel said.

Isabela stopped running. She looked around. There was no sign of the creepy figure that was chasing them.

" I don't- AH!"

Isabela winced in pain as a knife sliced her shoulder.

" ISA!" Mirabel screamed.

The creepy dude sliced at Isabela, who kept dodging the blade. Mirabel tried to tackle the dude, but he knocked her out with a blow to the head. Isabela scowled at him. He stabbed her in the chest with the knife. Isabela kicked him in the balls and he howled in pain. While he was distracted, Isabela picked Mirabel up and ran towards the house. The figure stumbled towards her, but was slowed down due to being kicked in the balls.

" HELP! SOMEBODY HELP US!" Isabela screamed.

The killer sliced open her back and she fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes, the killer was gone. Isabela panted and sweat dripped off her face.

" ISABELA!"

Julieta came running towards her daughters. She put an arepa in Isabela's mouth. When she swallowed it, nothing happened.

" Why- why isn't it working?" Julieta panicked.

" He was wearing a mask," Isabela told her.

" The killer?"

" Mm, hm."

Mirabel coughed as she woke up.

" What- what happened? Did we make it?" she groaned.

" Here, have an arepa," Julieta said.

Mirabel ate the arepa and her head felt better instantly. She panicked when she saw Isabela's state. Isabela was losing a lot of blood and she was barely breathing.

" Mama?"

" It's okay. My arepa isn't healing her for some reason, so I'll have to do it the old fashioned way. Help me get her inside."

Mirabel and Julieta carried Isabela inside. They laid her down on the couch. Julieta told Mirabel to go get the first aid kit. She then began cleaning up her wounds and wrapping them in bandages.

" Is she going to be okay?" Mirabel asked.

" I'm not sure, but I'm trying my best," Julieta answered.

" What happened here?"

Julieta and Mirabel gasped. Abuela was making her way over to them. Her eyes widened when she saw Isabela. Her eyes moved to Mirabel.

" This was your doing!"

" No, it wasn't! We were hanging out together when the killer chased us!"

" Lies! How is it that Isabela is severely injured, but you're not!"

" Mama, please! Isabela said it was a dude in a mask. Mirabel was passed out when I found them. It wasn't her!"

" SHE WAS PROBABLY FAKING IT!"

" IT WASN'T HER! JUST BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T GET A GIFT DOESN'T MEAN SHE'S EVIL!"

" THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IS MEANS! WHY ELSE WOULD BRUNO HAVE LEFT?"

" BECAUSE YOU TREATED HIM JUST AS YOU TREAT MIRABEL! IF I WAS HIM, I WOULD'VE LEFT TOO!"

Mirabel watched as her Abuela and mama fought. She looked back between Isabela and them. Isabela almost got killed today. She still could die. What if this was all her fault? What if Isabela is dying because of her? There was only one solution to this problem… She had to run.

Mirabel dashed up to her bedroom. She began packing clothes, hygiene stuff, food, and water. She snuck past Abuela and Julieta as they continued yelling and screaming at each other. With one last look at her home, Mirabel began her new journey… Protecting her family.

…