Prologue
I walked with Antonio up the stairs to his door.
"Why didn't mine work?" I thought. The closer we got, the more I thought of the time I walked up these same stairs.
"What if," I thought. Every step, the question got bigger, and darker. "What if," We were here. Abuela held the candle. I saw it flicker for a second. The question echoed through my mind, screaming. Abuela held the candle out to Antonio.
"Will you use your Gift to honor our miracle?" I held my breath.
"Take the door."
"What?" I thought.
"You want a gift. Take it." Who was saying this?
"Will you serve this community and strengthen our home?" Abuela continued. Was I going crazy?
"Take it!" It yelled. The urge grew. Antonio reached for the knob. The urge had beaten me. I had no control. I pushed Antonio out of the way and grabbed the knob. Everyone gasped.
"Mirabel! Let go!" Cried Abuela.
"I…can't!" I cried back. I felt as if the door was taking my life. The ground shook.
"Earthquake!" Someone cried. The door blackened. I fell back.
"Mirabel!" That was my mom's voice. But I was thinking about something else. Rain fell. Thunder rose.
"Pepa! Cloud!" Someone cried. Maybe Abuela.
"That's not me," Pepa said, half toned. I rose. I looked around. I was under the Casita. How can I hear everyone when I was 10 feet underground? Flowers were around me. That must have softened the fall. The rain slowed for a bit.
"What was I thinking!" I silently cried. I just ruined Antonio's big day. Antonio. All of a sudden, a green light showed up in front of me. Antonio was in it. A picture of him surrounded by animals. He was cuddling a jaguar. The jade plate designated and turned into a new picture. I gasped.
"No," I whispered. It showed the jaguar he had just been cuddling with, having blood on its jaw, licking its lips. Antonio's doll I had made him before the ceremony, on the ground next to the big, deadly, cat. The plate landed in my hands.
"No," I repeated. I was going to be sick. This was Bruno's gift. I dropped the plate.
"Good job, Mirabel." The voice in my head answered through the darkness.
"Who are you?" I whispered through my tears.
"I'm you." It answered. "I've been that tiny question from the beginning. The one you asked when you didn't get a gift. I grew every time you asked it."
"Go." I whispered, closing my eyes.
"I can't hear you." It answered in a sing-song voice.
"Go away!" I screamed.
"I can't go away," It said. The tone in its voice sounded like they were grinning. "I'm a part of you." I opened my eyes. A shadow of me stood in front of me. It grinned. Then ran toward me.
Chapter 1
It had been three months since the incident. I stared at Casita. Everyone is frightened by Casita now. Casita has, changed.
"Señora Alma," I turned. "The crops have gone bad."
"Then tell Isabella to go away." I replied. Ever since the incident, Isabella just destroys plants.
"But thats the thing Alma, she's not there." I stared at him in horror.
"Quickly, back to the crops!" I cried, running toward the farms. We ran till we reached the farms. The cabbage was gray with decay, The carrots molted. "Everyone! Salvage anything good!" I yelled to the farmers.
"But some are still too small." One of the farmers called.
"It doesn't matter! I cried "we have to hurry before-" then a cold chill ran up my spin. Up on the hill, by the rotten crops, stood Mirabel. Her hair a tangled mess, eyes as green as emeralds. She had spiders for earrings. Her dress was torn and and vines tangled her leg. She grinned a sickening. "Now!" I yelled at the farmers. They hurried as they could. As they worked, the wind started to blow. I looked back at Mirabel. Her grin got bigger. Then I knew. "Quickly, get to your homes! A hurricane is coming!" The farmers grabbed what they could and ran toward their homes. I ran back to the house the family and I were staying. As soon as I got there, I slammed the door.
"Mama?" It was Julieta.
"It was Mirabel. She destroyed the crops." I exhaled.
Julieta sighed. "What happened to her." After she had grabbed the door, she wasn't herself. And after she disappeared, everyone was different as well. Julieta can't cook good food any more with out burning it or adding the wrong ingredients that cause food poisoning. Isabella now didn't look like herself and plants died when she got near them. Luisa wasn't strong any more. She was emotionally broken. Now she hides in her room, bawling her eyes out. Then Bruno fumbled his way back to us. He was now blind. Then Dolores, poor Dolores, she is now deaf. And Camilo is missing, while a random person lives with us, saying he's Camilo. Pepa has no emotion. Even after, the incident. She doesn't even mourn. After Mirabel grabbed Antonio's door, a Jaguar showed up. Now he's gone.
"What are we going to do?" Julieta asked.
"I don't know." I responded. "I don't know."
