The day to look at the vision has finally arrived. After sneaking through the house and stopping to check on my children, who Bruno was also interested in seeing, we finally start heading toward Bruno's "Vision Chamber", as he calls it. Though I've done it many times since I've been here, the trek toward the room is decidedly different by Bruno's side. As he walks within his borders, the magic seems to respond to him. Beneath the sand, an eerie green glow appears where he steps. The waterfall of sand parts for us to walk through, not a single grain landing on our heads. When we walk up the thousands of steps, the trip does not seem as long, as if the intimidation of the long trek was the main purpose. Once he opens the round door, which glows at his touch, the sand within spins around the room, like a giant tornado, until each grain of sand swirls into place within the circle indention in the center.
"Why didn't it respond to you like this the other times you were in here?" I ask.
"I'm not sure," Bruno answers with a shrug, "I suppose it may have to do with intention. I intend to use my magic so maybe I'm using it now to prepare without even noticing."
"Is this how it all looked before you left?" He nods.
Bruno sits slightly off-center in the circle and then pats the place in front of him, directing me to sit. I oblige and take my place before him, only a few piles of sand and leaves between us. With practiced precision, Bruno lights the leaves aflame, then moving on toward each pile of sand, lighting them as well. "You might want to hold on," he says before gently taking my hands in his. I try to ignore the tingle that I feel with his calloused hands sliding against mine. As our eyes meet again, his are now glowing a bright neon green. I can't hold back the gasp this time and he responds with a self-depreciating smile, thinking I am horrified. I squeeze his hands a little tighter as sand and green magic begin swirling around us, encasing us in a large dome and shaking the room. Though the room was dark before, the magic seems to darken it even more, the magical glow our only source of light.
Suddenly, golden and green images begin to fabricate themselves within the spinning sand. First, the image of the candle going out, then the town cracking, people screaming, a man saving his child from a brutal death. Finally, an older Mirabel turns toward us, the Madrigal home behind her, cracking and breaking apart. The sands stop in place, dropping to the ground, a green tablet falling into Bruno's hands.
"What now? It's the same as before."
The shock has not warn off and all I can stammer out is, "Uh—I…I don't know," with wide eyes.
Bruno sighs. "I, uh, know it can be a little intimidating. Sorry if I scared you."
"What are you talking about, Bruno!" I cry. "That was absolutely incredible! I can't believe how much power is in you…"
"Well," his scrunched and confused expression diluting the blush on his cheeks, "that's an unexpected response."
"I'm not going to treat you like the villagers, Bruno."
Bruno only stares for a moment, deep in contemplation before stating, "I can see that." Moments later, he clears his throat, falling back down into the real world. "Anyway…that's the vision. Any big ideas?"
"Well," I say, thinking for a moment, "is there any way that there could be more to the vision? It seemed pretty cut-and-dry, just bad things happening but no real cause. If we knew the cause maybe we could stop it."
"Ain't that the truth," Bruno scoffs and I glare at him.
"Take this a little seriously, Bruno."
"I am, I swear!" His hands shoot up in the air again. I'm starting to think surrendering is his natural reflex when in a confrontation. "It's just that I've been through this whole 'Let's change the future!" thing before. It never works out. With my luck, I'll end up being the cause of Mirabel…being the cause- is that the right way to say that? Anyway- she'll end up hating me for making everyone hate her. At least now I can be there for her when everything goes to shit."
"Bruno! Language."
Bruno gives me an apologetic smile.
"Maybe we're not looking at this right," I say, rearranging the sand and leaves into clean piles after they had scattered during the vision, "can you look at specific times when you see into the future or is it random?"
"Yeah, if I have an idea of what it is I want to see it can be more specific. Sometimes I can even hear conversations or watch a scene play out. When you're just looking into someone's future it'll be a little more general."
"Great!" I say, "Let's look at her future a few years from now. At least we would have a better time-frame if she seems happy then."
"Alright," he says before reaching out for my hands again, which I hastily take. Immediately, his eyes begin to glow and I find myself hypnotized, even excited to see his power once again. The sands twist and glow, forming a dome over our heads again. Gold and green images take shape in the sands. Mirabel is a couple years older than now, maybe 10-years-old. She is wearing a beautiful knee-length dress, butterflies and flowers sewn at the hem. Her hair is currently being styled by her mother, who is also in a beautiful gown of her own. Little Mirabel seems giddy, barely containing herself enough to stay still.
Suddenly, she looks off to the side, jumping from her chair, her mother's reprimand not even touching her ears. She squeals with delight when she is handed a basket of flower petals before crying out, "You look so pretty!"
The scene then pans out and a woman is standing before her, wearing the most beautiful white dress I've ever seen with a long lacy train and veil trailing behind it. What I find off, though is the white of the dress visually appears in the vision, which normally only materialize in green or gold.
"Why is her dress white?" I ask.
"Because she's getting married?"
"No, I mean, why is it showing up in the vision?"
"OH! If the color matters for context, sometimes the vision will show it."
I nod before looking back at the vision, which I'm glad I did because that is the moment the woman bends down into the scene and the face is visible.
"Is that me?" I screech, completely in shock.
"I-I guess it is." Bruno states before the vision finishes and a tablet falls into his hands, the image of a bride Estrella hugging her little flower girl glowing on its surface.
"Well, that was unexpected," he states.
Snatching the tablet out of his hands, I stare down at the image. "I look so happy."
"Aren't brides normally on their wedding day?"
I scoff, "Not at mine."
"Why not?" he asks, rubbing his hand at the back of his neck. "You didn't want to get married?"
"No," I say, unsure if my words would stutter shut or the dam would break and everything pour out, "I wanted to travel the world. Act and sing with my little theatre group." Bruno eyes widen at that statement, but he doesn't say anything so I continue, "We had such big dreams of travelling the world and wowing our audiences. My father though, somehow claimed a large debt to the man that basically owns our town. He didn't have the money to pay him back and was never much fond of my hobbies so instead he offered…me.
He was much older than me. I was only 19 and he was in his 60s. I was a little more outspoken back then, but I learned fairly quickly that my unrestricted mouth would get me a slap across the face. I learned that you need to speak only when spoken to and…do whatever you're told to do. It didn't completely stop him from hitting me, though. I was his punching bag anytime one of his workers pissed him off, which was nearly every day.
It was nothing, though, when it was me. I got used to it after a while. I just tried to focus on my children and making sure they knew they were loved." I swallow, looking up into Bruno's eyes, angry heat swelling inside me. "Then he had the audacity to grab my Alejandro, raise his hand up to slap him for defending me. You don't touch my babies. Never touch my babies."
"That's why you ran? Why you ended up here?"
My eyes fall to the ground as I nod. "A light guided us here. It was a miracle."
I let out a sigh when silence fills the room. To ease the darkening mood I state, "So, it's all over now. No need to dwell on it." Bruno's eyes are scrunched again, this time with worry, until he finally lets it go and nods.
I look down at the tablet. "Well, at least we know she'll be safe for the next few years. Ready for round three?"
"Sure, Estrella," Bruno says, his voice soft.
Round three is a shocking, though entertaining, scene. Mirabel is sitting with a group in the grass that includes Ale, Mila, and Camilo. They are all looking up with amazement and then laughter, enjoying the show that a man and a woman are putting on for them. They jump around each other, seemingly into differing characters as they act out a scene of a play, reminiscent of Estrella's tactics when acting alone. As the man's face appears out of the faded green, I gasp with glee. "Bruno, you return!" I cry, looking back at him, only to see his expression slack-jawed and wide-eyed as he glances between you and the vision. I turn around to see my own face on the body of the woman that was acting alongside Bruno, who is now being twirled around by him in a goofy dance. The children are all clapping and giggling, enjoying the show. Bruno then sends Estrella spinning before pulling her back in and dipping her low. Instead of ending the dance, the two stare into each other's eyes, Bruno barely leaning in as if he were going to…the vision shuts off, the final sound of Mirabel shouting, "Gross, Tio Bruno!" echoing through the room. Bruno doesn't say a word. I look at him and his eyes widen, staring down at the tablet in his hands.
"Well, she seems safe there too…" I hesitate. Glancing at the tablet, which now holds the scene of Mirabel making a disgusted expression toward Bruno, who has Estrella dipped, still in their dance, their eyes connected as Bruno's face sits precariously close to her own.
"Bruno," I say in an oddly ethereal voice. He jerks his head toward me, his eyes widen in fear, "show me my future."
"W-what? No!"
"Why not?" Bruno hesitates, looking deeply into my pleading eyes. I take a moment to wonder what he sees. His breathing deepens, as if trying to keep himself calm.
Eyes dropping to the ground, Bruno says, "You'll see something you don't like, Estrella." Bruno stands to his feet, holding the three newest visions and walking over to the vision graveyard. He disappears into the room, emerging a few moments later. The tablets are now missing from his hands. He turns toward the door to leave me behind, his eyes never once meeting my own, but I don't let him leave. Rushing to his side, I grab ahold of his wrist and he freezes in his walk, though still unwilling to look back at me. "How do you know I won't like it?" I demand.
"Because I'm Bruno!" he shouts, yanking his hand out of my grip. This is the first time he has ever raised his voice at me; I stare at him in shock. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just-everyone always hates me after I show them their future and what you're going to see...I can't have you hate me for that. I'm sorry; I can't do it." Bruno walks out the door. I don't follow him. Instead, I turn toward the graveyard, opening the door and walking inside. My eyes immediately land on the table in the center of the room. Placed gently on top of the stack of important events sit three new vision tablets, the one on top being the one of Bruno and me locked in a frozen dance.
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The next morning I awaken to a startling sight. My heart drops. Beside my bed is a weeping Julietta. She is shaking me awake, begging me to open my eyes. "What is wrong, amiga?"
"The door!" she cries, "Th-the room! It's alive! That means B-Bruno, he's used his powers. Estrella, he's alive!"
I hop out of the bed to kneel by her side, pulling her head into my chest. Chiquita scampers off into a crack in the wall. With soothing shushes on my lips, I stroke the woman's hair, waiting for her to continue.
"I was just so worried he was gone. I was starting to think I would never see mi hermano again. Now, I know he's alive, maybe even somewhere in Encanto. Did you notice when the changes happened?" Julietta lifts her head to look into my eyes, clinging to my hands in desperation.
"No, I-"
"It must have been last night, then. While you were asleep. I wonder if he was here…" Her voice fades off, eyes in the distance, before standing to her feet and brushing off her dress. "I must talk with Agustín and inform the family. Thank you, Estrella," she says before rushing out the door.