I don't usually spend time within a story - retelling it. It seems it was mildly necessary...and people say I ramble. Oh I do but off we go. To the mountains with wine and fog. Only one plot bit left to wrap up. Go me.
Siendo el Milagro - Being the Miracle was an alternate title...let me know if think it better than the one I chose.
If only...
Mariano Guzman was listening to Señor Aguilar when Dolores began speaking to him. He was no longer startled by Dolores randomly talking to him in this way. In fact, he saw it as just one more way to spend time with her. She asked him to come to Mirabel's room. Bubo did not appear to be taking the realization of Tuli's condition upon her arrival well at all, and he was gonna need a friend. She said the look on his face made her think he was planning to do something dire.
Mariano had seen the child who walked through the courtyard and assumed it was Camilo. Dolores said that once Camilo chose a form that was new to him, he would remain in that form for as long as possible, so he could not be startled out of it. But if that was how Tuli looked when she was found, he certainly could not fault Bubo for being angry. Having no siblings or cousins, Mariano was at a bit of a loss in this area. He waited for Señor Aguilar to finish, then excused himself and headed up to Mirabel's room and stopped just outside the door.
Bubo was sitting very still in an overstuffed chair with a rat in his lap. He was watching something on the floor and those long fingers of his were tapping up a storm, and Mariano thought, Oh, he's furious. While he'd never known Bubo to be quick to anger, it was obvious from his dark expression, he meant to do great harm to Santiago. Tuli and Mirabel were kneeling on the floor reciting the rosary, and Mariano moved away so as not to disturb them and quietly added his voice to the prayers. He realized he needed a better game plan than just teasing Bubo about Issa. He would do his best for him, though.
He spoke the final Amen and was about to go in when Dolores told him to stay where he was for a moment. Mariano did and heard Mirabel say, "Casita, where is Tío Bruno?" there was an answering clatter and Mirabel said, "Tuli, can you take Fura to my Tío? He's in Antonio's room. You can wait there until we need you."
Tuli must have nodded because Mariano did not hear a response, and shortly after that Tuli ran out of the room with her tiny passenger. She did not notice him as she was very focused on getting her charge to where they needed to be.
"If you'll excuse me." He heard Bubo say, and just as quickly he heard Mirabel say, "Bubo, please wait. There's something I need to say to you."
Mariano moved to where he could see them but stayed in the hall. Mirabel's tone was not much different than the one her Abuela used when she wanted to make sure she had your full attention. But with Mirabel, it was softer, as if in hopes that her words would land more gently.
"What is it you need, Mirabel?" Bubo asked, there was an edge of impatience and almost a challenge in that statement, that was as close to being condescending that Mariano had ever heard from him.
Mirabel was not put off, if anything she looked more determined as she adjusted her glasses and said, matching his tone, "First, I need for you to calm down before you go off to do whatever nonsense is going through your head."
"I'm sorry, excuse me?" Bubo asked, but it wasn't really a question, to Mariano it was more of a 'how dare you' sort of thing.
Mirabel took a deep breath and answered in a much calmer, but firm voice, "No, I will not excuse you and more importantly, I really need you to not do that, Bubo."
Bubo cocked an eyebrow at her change of attitude and, though his jaw was set, he asked in a politer voice, "And why is that?"
"Because you made a promise, Bubo. Tuli's doing her best, but your prima is terrified right now, and once the others come back she's going to need you to be here."
"I don't understand."
"I think you do; right now, you're angry enough to want to hurt Santiago, and I don't blame you. I'm not thrilled with that person either, but Bubo, that's not what's needed. Tuli told me you promised her you wouldn't leave her alone… again." That small pause made Bubo flinch slightly. Mirabel may be young, but she was not pulling any punches. "Tuli needs her family," Mirabel continued, "and maybe you should consider of all the places she could have ended up, why she landed here. Where you are. She needs you, not an avenger."
Bubo did not reply, but no longer looked angry. He was thoughtful and seemed to see Mirabel in a different light. Still, Mariano knew what that calculating look on his friend's face meant. He'd only ever seen that expression when his friend was fed up with whatever someone was saying, and it rubbed him the wrong way. That usually led to an argument, then… Mariano's eyes drifted up when he heard the tiles above the door shift. Casita was not the most patient entity, and would act directly if it thought for half a second Bubo was a threat to any of the Madrigals. But with Mirabel, it most definitely would and with less provocation. And from what Dolores had told him, Casita would not be gentle.
Hopefully, Bubo was not about to say something really dumb. But angry people often say foolish things. When he heard the tiles shift again, Mariano decided he'd best do something more than watch it happen, so he stepped through the doorway. This had two effects, first, Bubo and Mirabel looked away from one another. Second, his large frame effectively blocked the door as Mariano smiled at Dolores. Bubo then turned to glower at him and asked, "Here to offer more clever remarks, Mariano?"
Well, at least he was aiming it at him and not Mirabel. Mariano continued to smile as he lifted his hands and replied, "Who me? No no no no, of course not. Just came up to check on Dolores. To see if she was hungry…" he said as he looked at Dolores and asked, "Are you okay, mi vida? Can I get you anything?"
Dolores, who had been ignored during the exchange, nodded and said, "I'm doing pretty good so far, but could you please get me something to drink," she paused as she was listening to something, then added, "and maybe a snack."
Mariano nodded, and then he turned and asked Mirabel, "Anything I can get for you, Mirabel?"
Mirabel seemed thankful for the distraction and replied, "The same, please."
"Okay," Mariano said and turned to Bubo and asked in the way you do when you're not really asking, "How about you come with me, going to need some help," Mariano indicated that Bubo should precede him and though Bubo's eyes narrowed briefly, he nodded to Mirabel and then Dolores and walked out the door. Mariano also nodded and pulled the door closed behind him.
As they were walking toward the stairs, Mariano purposefully took the long way around and Bubo paused as they were passing Isabela's door. Bubo looked back at Mirabel's room, then returned his attention to Isabela's. Mariano wondered what he was thinking and realized he hadn't really looked at Isabela's door before now. He noticed along the bottom were butterflies that alternately glowed a deep blue, then would shimmer golden. You wouldn't see the change, it only happened when you blinked. Kinda weird but neat. He'd have to take time to examine the others.
Isabela herself also looked so different from the woman he thought he knew. Once Mariano agreed to propose to her, he found, that try though he may, he had never actually gotten Isabela to show any kind of interest in a relationship. They would date and even marry, but as for the rest. He felt a bit of regret for harassing Bubo, or perhaps he was just a tiny bit jealous. It really was a good thing that proposal dinner had gone wrong, he thought and looked across the courtyard, seeing Dolores's door. A very good thing.
Bubo had moved away from the door to the rail, and he was watching but not seeing the activity in the courtyard. He did not seem to be looking at anything in particular and was silent for a few minutes as he stood there, gently tapping the wood.
"Is something wrong, my friend?"
"No," Bubo said, but Mariano noted the anger that was evident in his voice before was gone. "I was just wondering," Bubo said as he turned toward Mariano. He pushed up his glasses and waved at Isabela's door. "When I asked you earlier if Issa was… like that all the time, you said no. So, my question is this; was that before or after the proposal dinner when Issa broke your nose?" Mariano barked a laugh and smiled. Then Bubo added, "Just need to know if I'm taking my life into my own hands by pursuing this."
Mariano let out another laugh, and he again clapped Bubo on the back, "She actually broke it twice, but who's counting?"
"You need to stop doing that," Bubo said and twisted his neck, "you're going to throw my back out."
"Sorry, old habit. But honestly, your guess is as good as mine, amigo. Ours was an arranged relationship, that neither of us asked for, so there was a lot of awkwardness. Nothing like I have with Dolores now. Besides, Isabela wants to get to know you, Bubo. So, I'll leave it to you to figure that out. Still, I guess I shouldn't be surprised you heard about that. The gossip network in the Encanto has always been quite lively. Dolores tells me it's even more so since that meeting today. It appears you are now the Encanto's most eligible bachelor," Mariano said.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you can expect some random attentions from women who believe they should have whatever Isabela thinks is interesting. If only to try and keep that thing out of her reach," Mariano chuckled as he again started moving toward the stairs.
"That's insanity."
"I agree, and I am thankful I no longer hold that dubious title," Mariano said.
"Oh, Dios Mio. How did this get so complicated?"
"It's only ever as complicated as you want it to be, Bubo. You should consider, you almost got into an argument with Mirabel, and an argument with her means an argument with Casita. All because you wanted to go find Santiago and… give him a good talking to."
"I wasn't planning to talk."
"And Mirabel knew that, why do you think she dropped Fura in your lap? It wasn't because she thought you wanted a better look at her. She did it, so you wouldn't leave. Make no mistake, this house is as alive as anyone in the Encanto, and if Mirabel wanted you to stay, there would be no leaving. She was giving you a choice because she sees that you are a far better man than most, Bubo."
"I just didn't want to harm something that Tuli cares for, that's all. Though I suppose I should thank you for your intervention, Mariano. Still, why would it matter to her if I did?" Bubo asked as they turned the last corner toward the kitchen, "These people hardly know me at all."
"It would matter, Bubo. Especially to Mirabel, since Abuela Alma put Tuli into her care. But even before that, Tuli's plight caught the attention of the Heavens, maybe even the same ones that saved Abuela Alma all those years ago. I, personally, believe those Angels sent her the Madrigals. Your family has been touched by the miracle that permeates this place. I know you feel it too. It's peaceful here, and that makes people want to stay. Didn't you tell me six months ago that this town was too sleepy for you and that you were going to go back to Bogotá? Yet somehow you ended up watching a river for the last three?"
Bubo didn't answer as they entered the kitchen. Mariano smiled when they saw two trays with juice, crackers and cheese on them sitting on the counter and said, "Gracias Casita." There was an answering clatter of countertop tiles as Mariano picked up the first and handed it to Bubo. He retrieved the second, and they headed back to the stairs. When they reached the top, Mariano stopped and said as he used his tray to point toward Antonio's room, "I guess, my friend, what it comes down to is this; Do you truly believe Mirabel was wrong to say what she did or is your sudden desire for revenge so great that Tuli has become secondary to that desire."
Bubo was now looking in the direction of Antonio's room. "Go find your prima, Bubo," Mariano said and gave him a nudge in that direction, "The others should be back soon."
Mirabel watched the men leave but turned away from the door because she could not bear to look at it and felt a moment of extreme anxiety as she plopped onto the sofa. When her gaze fell on the tiny lights and faces moving around on the map of the Encanto, Mirabel sighed. So many people to try and look after, and at that moment she did not feel up to the task. She was worried about her family up on that mountain. Worried about the women and children being stalked by Santiago. Now she added to that, the worry that Bubo would, in fact, do what he planned and somehow, she knew that would devastate Tuli. She stared at the rosary she was still holding and began once again to recite the joyful mysteries. Pausing after each decade, she rubbed the butterfly shaped beads between each before moving on. Each time stopping and saying an extra prayer for everyone's safe return. The Miraculous medal was also in the shape of a butterfly, and she kissed it.
If only she could just will it to be so. If only she could do more than sit around and wait. If only…
Bruno was lying in a hammock with Fura perched in his hair while he read a book to Antonio and Tuli. It was a rousing adventure story of Buz the honeybee. It followed her life as she first wakes up from her cell, her first flight with her sister Hum, and how they learn to fulfill their roles as bees in the colony. The story was interrupted when Chipsi let out a loud chirp near the door. This was echoed by her pups, and Antonio looked down to where Parce was lounging beneath them. Antonio nodded to Parce, who got up from under the hammock and headed toward the door.
Tuli watched the jaguar leave and looked at Antonio. Her expression was a determined one, and Bruno wondered what they were up to. Antonio laid back and tapped his arm. Tuli laid back as well and Bruno finished reading the story. When Fura suddenly popped up and squeaked, Tuli smiled and scrambled out of the hammock when she saw Bubo was there with a tray of juice and cheese. He set it on the small table nearby, but Tuli ignored the tray and wrapped her arms around her cousin, giving him a hug. She grabbed his arm, and Bubo used his other hand to straighten her flower crown. Antonio did go to the table and grabbed a piece of cheese and popped it into his mouth.
He drank some juice as he grabbed a small fist full of cheese and a few crackers, which he brought to Bubo, saying it was for Fura. He dropped the contents into Bubo's free hand and pulled at Tuli, then said, "See, I told ya he'd come. You worry too much. Come on, you promised and there's something I want to show you."
Tuli scrunched her face at him and stuck out her tongue. She looked up at Bubo. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll be here when you get back." She let out an almost imperceptible sigh as she gave his arm a hug, then followed Antonio. Antonio was waving for her to come deeper into the tree, and Bubo watched Tuli as she disappeared around a corner. Bubo chuckled to himself as he looked at the cheese and crackers in his hand.
"She's a good kid," Bruno said as he got out of the hammock and took some of the food.
"She is. I have to thank you and your family for being so kind to her," Bubo said as he put the crackers back on the tray, then added, "and patient with me."
When Bruno first met Señor Márquez, he was not at all sure he liked him. He was a bit more rigid and proper than Bruno cared for. Such people tended to be closed-minded at best. Bubo was not from around here, but Bruno realized that as the day went on, Bubo was being pulled closer to their family. First by his mother. Then Mirabel, can't forget Issa, and it was all because one little girl needed help. Rigid or no, Bubo was a good person at his core, something you don't always find.
Bruno had not told anyone which one of the dozen or so requests he'd accepted. He reached into a pocket he'd sewn into his ruana and pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope that contained a short note. Bubo stared at it, knowing what was written there. It was a request to find out if the author's cousin was doing well back in Bogotá. "I'm guessing you forgot about this." Bruno said as he held it up. "You should know I only accepted this one request, and that was well before the meeting. Still interested, Señor Márquez?"
Bubo looked back toward the tree, they could hear the echoes of the kid's laughter up there and Bubo turned back to Bruno and shook his head, "No. I already have my answer, and though I am still concerned about meeting my Tío tomorrow, I think I'll just wait and see how it goes."
"Glad to hear you say that Bubo," Bruno said and smiled as he returned the envelope to his pocket and sat on the floor. Once he handed off a piece of the cheese and a cracker to Fura, he noticed the other rats now congregating around him. There were two new rats among the pile, and wondered if they were the ones that told Tuli about this place. "So, what changed your mind?" Bruno asked as he doled out more snacks to the rats.
Bubo sat down as well and replied, "This has had to have been one of the strangest days of my entire life. A roller coaster of so many unexpectedly good things. You know, when I made that request, it was on a whim, since I was still considering leaving here, I told myself it was to go back to school. But I've had a more or less constant worry about Tuli. Watching the river gave me time to sort some things out, and I was going to tell your mother after the meeting that I would be going back once someone else could be found to lead that group."
"Did you tell her?" Bruno asked.
"No, when I saw your sketches at the meeting, there was no doubt in my mind that my Tío was one of the people shown, but then your mother brought up Paola, and I thought maybe it was a coincidence. It couldn't be Tuli. That's why I asked to see if you had any sketches of that child. I was not completely sure they were my cousin. During lunch, I was sitting by myself trying to decide the best way to ask you some more questions. Then Mirabel sat with me... then Isabela was there, and I got very… distracted."
Bruno felt the urge to remind Bubo that Isabela was his sobrina but restrained himself. This was getting interesting; He didn't often get the chance to hear what people from outside the family thought of the goings-on in such a non-critical light. Bruno nodded and Bubo continued, "So, after the people stopped drifting toward Mirabel, I thought I saw Tuli with her. Then Isabela started to... wobble even more, and you requested my help bringing her back to Casita. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you only asked for my help, so you could ask me if I knew who Paola was. I mean it did solve one of my difficulties, but that's ridiculous, so when you told me that you knew about Paola's situation and that it wasn't a problem, my brain just stopped working at that point. People generally do not respond as your family has to Tuli's way of seeing herself. I needed to think things through again, so I went to talk to Mariano. He's actually been a good friend to me since I got here, and I, of course, drank a lot of wine."
"You didn't seem particularly drunk, Bubo."
"I ate a ridiculous amount of rice and beans, so by the time I ended up here, I was just a little lightheaded. I don't know what was in the coffee your sister made, but I felt fine after that, and look," he said holding up his hands, "All the damage I did to my hands when I was bug hunting by the river was healed as well," Bubo paused, "But you would know that since she is your sister, sorry. Oh, dear God, I am rambling now, aren't I."
"You're fine Bubo, please continue," Bruno said and realized he was out of cheese. Bubo noticed and lifted the tray and set it on the floor and said, "I was not sure what I was going to say to my cousin, but when I finally saw her as she sees herself. It was quite the revelation for me that something as simple as acceptance would do so much for her. That left me a little off balance, which only got worse when Isabela asked me to go out with her tomorrow…"
"Well, there's something I hadn't heard about." Bruno said but was not surprised to hear that happened. It looked like Isabela was taking a sledgehammer to that pedestal his mother had put her on. Bubo gave himself a shake and continued.
"Believe me, it was never something I thought would happen. Mariano, however, thought it quite hilarious. Anyway, just when I was sure nothing else could happen that would surprise me, you dropped off Fura and left me alone with all those women. When I heard Tuli's story, I was ready to go out and, as Mariano put it, 'give Santiago a good talking to'. Mirabel, however, had trapped me in a chair with Fura, so I couldn't just go out and commit murder while she was praying with Tuli."
"Actual murder?" Bruno asked.
"Obviously, that did not happen, but as angry as I was, I seriously thought about it. Your sobrina is a very convincing person, and she reminded me what my priorities should be... I am starting to wonder if I am doomed. You know, there are some folks in this town who say chaos follows the Madrigals. I am now leaning toward agreement with that." Bubo finished and leaned back against the wall; the poor guy looked exhausted. That was a lot to happen in less than 24 hours.
Bruno had listened and nodded where he thought was appropriate, and was doing his best not to bust out laughing. He was gonna need to write this all down. Be the perfect scenario for a novella. Just the right amount of drama and suspense. Chaos and his family were definitely one in the same, but he was curious about one thing and asked, "Bubo, what's a roller coaster?"
"Oh, ummm, it's a mechanical ride that takes you up and down hills at great speed."
"Really?" Bruno asked and Bubo nodded. "I think I saw one of those once… I would like to try that. Oh, one other thing..." Bruno said and pulled out the small radio and handed it to Bubo. "What are the chances you can get this to work?"
Bubo took the radio and switched it on. Only static came from the device and Bubo asked, "You're not getting a signal. Where did you get this?"
"Bogotá," Bruno added when he saw the look on Bubo's face, "It's complicated and has to do with the magic-"
(… "Tío, can you come to Mira's room? …) there was a short pause and Dolores added (… Quickly, please ...)
"Bubo, I gotta go, can you keep an eye on the kids for me?"
"Of course, is something wrong?"
"I hope not," Bruno said as he set Fura next to him. "You lot stay put," he admonished to the rats that were all watching him. Bruno then turned and ran to the door.
Pepa looked at Julieta as she took the small cup of wine from her. There was already a base of mist swirling about their feet, so definitely no more wine. Dolores was giving them directions, go straight, go left here. Stop before you go off the cliff. That little scare caused the fog to thicken rapidly, and Julieta, still holding the cup, drank the rest of the wine. Everyone stopped when they heard the sound of a child's voice calling out. "Tía, where are you?"
"Don't move. I'll come to you," A woman responded, probably Doris.
It was hard to orientate on them, so Pepa whispered, "Dolores, how far away are they?"
(… probably no more than fifty meters to the left …)
Pepa almost jumped out of her skin when Issa walked along each of them, running a hand gently across their waists. She looked down to see a slender vine rope secure itself around her. Pepa remembered Issa would do this with Mirabel and Camilo to keep them from wandering off when she had charge of them. Camilo would try to shape change out of it, but Issa could shrink or grow these vines to her needs. Eventually, Camilo just gave up trying to escape his prima. Luisa was at the front of the line and could just see over the fog.
"Pepa," her mother whispered, "is there any way to thin this out?"
"Probably, but we never got that far with the experiment this afternoon." Pepa whispered back.
"This is going to make finding the exit a bit of a problem," Julieta added.
Pepa was a little surprised that her mother only nodded and withheld any remarks about her being foolish. A dog's bark silenced everyone, and they could hear the dog getting closer. Well, nothing to do now but wait for it to find them. The fog was now getting very thick, she could only see an arm's length away. The dog overshot them at full speed and ran beneath Issa's vine. Pepa realized it had a lead and Julieta, who noticed the same, pulled the vine tight at the same time, just as Doris came barreling through.
Doris, also running full speed, hit the vine, flipped and hit the ground hard enough that she lost consciousness and that set the dog loose. Pepa was weirdly not concerned about the dog, but instead let out a laugh, and the fog dwindled somewhat. Well, that mystery was solved as she could see further down the line to Luisa. Isabela let the vine melt away and everyone gathered around the fallen woman.
Doris was a taller than average woman with long braids that were tied back with a bit of rope. Her clothes were somewhat strange to them, but not unrecognizable. The dog returned, but only growled until they moved away from Doris. The pooch was watching them, and every so often it would stare off toward the cliff, but otherwise it did not move from its station.
Pepa noticed her mother was looking at something in the distance and asked, "What do you see, Mamá?"
Her mother didn't answer but began walking in that direction. "Oi," Julieta said, "Pepi, Issa, stay with Doris and keep her here. Tie her up if you have to, but be gentle, Issa. Luisa, you come with me." then both started off after their mother.
"So, tell me Issa," Pepa said, stepping closer to her. They sat on the ground near the unconscious woman and Pepa asked, "Did my eyes deceive me or were you asking Señor Márquez out on a date?"
"I ummm…" Isabela paused when Pepa elbowed her. She let out a small laugh and said, "Yeah, I did."
"He's so tiny," Pepa said, then realized it was the wrong thing to say when Isabela frowned as she looked away and said, "I guess, Tía."
Pepa put an arm around Isabela and said, "I'm sorry. I was just teasing, Corazón. He seems like a good person, and Tuli clearly loves him."
"I guess, I just want to get to know him better, you know... as me, not as Señorita Perfecta. He never met her, and I don't want him to. When I overheard him talking to Mirabel, and he said he 'wasn't good enough for someone like me' It made me want to show him who that someone actually is. It doesn't hurt that the things he knows about are interesting to me. I also really like his accent… that does sound kinda creepy now that I'm saying it out loud."
"No, mi vida, that sounds absolutely wonderful."
The dog let out a small whine as Doris groaned. The dog began licking her face and Doris laughed a little and said, "Bruno, stop it." Pepa let out an involuntary snort, and Doris focused on her and her sobrina. She immediately tried to scramble away from them, but before she was on her feet, Issa loosely wrapped her up in some vines and Pepa said, "We're not here to hurt you Doris. Not you, Inez, or the children with you."
"How do you know my name," she snapped, "Who are you people?"
"My name is Pepa Madrigal, and this is my sobrina Isabela. We came because someone you know asked us to help you find our village."
That set her back and she asked, "Who?"
"You know them as Fernando."
"Fernando is alive?"
"Yes, we found them yesterday, but you should know that Fernando's name is actually Tuli, and she is currently safe in our home."
"She?"
"Yes."
"You're lying, Fernando is a boy."
"Yes."
Again, Pepa's answer caught Doris completely off guard, and she just stared at them. So Pepa continued, "They are who they are, Doris. But if not for her, we wouldn't have known about you or the problem that is the smuggler named Santiago. He is not far away, and he is looking for Tuli, and that's why we're here now. To get you off this mountain before he catches up with you."
"If what you're saying is true, then untie me. I need to get back to my family."
Pepa looked over to Issa, who shrugged, and Doris looked mildly confused as the vines shriveled then faded away and asked, "How did you do that?"
"That's complicated," Pepa said. "I'll explain later." Doris almost looked like she would bolt, but she looked back to where Inez and the others waited. She nodded, then picked up the dog's lead and started in the direction her mother had taken earlier.
A few somethings small and colorful flitted past, and Issa said, "Oh look, butterflies. I wonder if they're hungry," and began to leave a trail of various flowers behind her. Doris's eyes were wide, but she just sighed and continued forward.
The fog continued to dissipate or rather Pepa pulled a wind down the mountain that pushed it toward the cliff's edge and Isabela leaned in and said, "Dang, Tía, maybe you should drink wine more often."
Alma smiled as the fog began to dissipate. Pepa's growth in using her Gift was something Alma never expected. She was looking in the direction that Doris had come from and thought she saw a line of something that was alternately golden then would wink out of sight. It appeared to be making its way closer to the old oak tree. Intrigued, she started toward it. Pepa said something, but Alma's curiosity pulled her forward and she did not respond. As she got closer, she realized Julieta and Luisa were with her now, and all three watched the fluttering colorful line as it danced above the children's heads. The woman with them could only be Inez, and she was smiling as she watched them play. Her long hair was braided in a way similar to Doris's but with a distinctly blonde tint to it that made her darker skin stand out.
She started when she noticed them watching her, and she placed herself between them and the children and asked, "Who are you? What do you want?" The children, alerted to possible danger, stopped playing and immediately formed a small group behind her. While they looked concerned, the children seemed more curious than frightened as the one closest to her asked, "Inni, maybe they're friends of Fernando."
Alma resisted the urge to move forward. She wanted and needed Julieta to be the leader in this situation. Alma was realizing she needed to take a few more steps back if any sort of transition was going to happen smoothly. The townsfolk especially looked to Julieta, and Alma touched Julieta's elbow, indicating she wanted her to handle this. Julieta looked surprised but nodded and went a little ahead of them and said, "Hola Inez, my name is Julieta Madrigal, and this," she said as she indicated behind her, "Is my daughter Luisa and her Abuela Alma. We've come to help. We understand you helped someone who recently came to our village." Inez did not answer, she just stared. So, Julieta added, "Do you know little Fernando?"
Inez took a small step forward and asked, "He is well then?"
Julieta smiled and nodded as she said, "Yes, she is safe, and her name is actually Tuli."
"Her? Fernando is a girl?" Inez asked, but Julieta did not get to answer as the dog ran up and quietly stopped at her feet. Everyone turned and the butterflies that had landed, scattered. Alma was pleased to see Pepa and Isabela were walking toward them with Doris, who was not looking at all angry.
The children behind Inez let up a cheer, and Inez waved a hand to shush them. The butterflies had not dispersed, but instead began to land on the children. Luisa, who was quietly standing beside Alma, let out a gasp. Julieta and Alma turned to see several of the creatures had landed on her as well.
Doris immediately went over and hugged Inez as the kids surrounded her, the dog intermittently barking and jumping. Everything stopped when there was a blood-curdling scream, followed quickly by a second from lower on the mountain. Pepa's fog immediately sprung back to life, but this time it formed a wall around the group instead of enveloping them.
"Impressive, Pepi," Julieta said looking at the wall of fog and winced when there was another scream.
Silence reigned and Alma asked "Dolores, someone was screaming, do you know what's happening?"
(… I think Santiago might be… dead… his light just winked out …)
"Are you certain, Dolores?" Alma asked.
(… No. That's never happened before… hang on, I'm gonna talk to Camilo …)
"What did she say, Mamá?"
"That the smuggler might be dead. She said his light went out."
"Is everyone else alright?" Pepa asked and then immediately relaxed and said, "Oh, thank goodness."
"Okay, it's time we got off the mountain," Julieta said and walked over to Doris and Inez. She spoke to them briefly, handed off the basket of treats and returned to their little group. Alma was again watching the butterflies as they started to settle back on everyone who was there. It was odd, to say the least.
Pretending to run afoul of Santiago was actually easier than Camilo expected. With Dolores constantly telling him how far, how close and what direction the smuggler was. It was really more like a game of 'Let's Play in the Woods' and Camilo was an expert at that one. He'd purposely stumbled onto the game trail in front of Santiago in Tuli's shape. The look of avarice on the old man's face made him want to wretch, so Camilo bolted toward the clearing he knew was ahead. Santiago immediately gave chase, cackling as he ran.
Camilo ran along the game trail as he blew the whistle Antonio gave him three times, just like his little brother had told him. The whistle made no sound that he could hear, but Dolores assured him it was working just fine. He stopped to catch his breath and waited a whole minute before he repeated the process. After a few more minutes, he arrived at the place his father told him he should stand. Once in position, he shouted and cried out again like he was hurt but using only Tuli's voice. He glanced up and saw the fog that his mother had made was still higher up the slope but had started spilling over like a fluffy avalanche. He blew the whistle one more time before he put it away.
When he heard the sound of footsteps, he cried out again, just to make sure that rat bastard came the right way. When the old man leapt out at him from the bushes, Santiago said, "I told ye, ye'd be back. Ain't no one but old Santiago gonna keep you Paola me boy. No one wants a twisted little thing like you." Camilo backed up to stay just out of reach of that creepy bastard and said in Tuli's voice, "I'm not afraid of you."
"Is that so? Well, ye should be," and Santiago lunged forward. His foot hit the trigger, and he was caught by one leg upside down. He bounced two or three times until the branch the rope was secured to broke with a loud crack and the old man hit the ground headfirst, pretty hard. Camilo scrambled back and up the tree, and a sound above him made him look up. There was a jaguar perched above him, and Camilo hoped it was Parce. As if sensing his worry, the jaguar chuffed at him, and Camilo relaxed just a little. The big cat came a little lower and just as Santiago was getting up from the ground, the jaguar dropped out of the tree on top of the old man.
Santiago let out a loud grunt and several curse words, thinking it was Paola that had dropped on him. When he was unable to shift the weight from his back, and Parce let out a satisfied growl, Santiago froze when he realized there was a jaguar on him. Parce slowly lowered his head, nose right next to Santiago's eye, and licked his face. Santiago let out a terrified scream, but Parce, made himself comfortable and again licked the side of Santiago's face. This inspired even more screaming as his father, Tío, and the abuelos came out of hiding. All four were reluctant to interfere, so they watched as Santiago continued to struggle, then quite suddenly, he went stiff and then... completely limp.
Camilo wondered if perhaps Santiago was playing dead in hopes that the big cat would get off him, but Parce just stopped licking and put his head down when a blue and red butterfly landed in the grass nearby. Minutes stretched until Dolores asked, (… Camilo, Abuela says someone was screaming. Santiago's light just went out. What is happening?...) she sounded a bit frantic.
Camilo shifted back to himself and said, "Don't know. Heart attack, maybe?"
(… Oh …)
Camilo looked up the hill and there appeared to be a new wall of fog up there. His mother was getting good at that. Dolores must have conveyed what she knew to the others as they came closer. Parce did not move from his chosen position until his father asked Parce to move aside. The jaguar did, and several yellow butterflies took flight when the jaguar got up. His father checked for either breathing or a heartbeat. Having found neither, he got up and said, "He's dead, all right."
"It's too bad we didn't bring a shovel," his Abuelo Juan Pedro said.
Camilo started when a butterfly landed gently on his nose, and he asked, "Where did all these butterflies come from?"
Dolores removed her hands from the map, sat back and sighed. Thank goodness that was over with, she thought. "Hey, Mirabel, looks like everyone is okay and headed back. Isn't that wonderful?" Mirabel, who was sitting in the center of the sofa, did not respond and Dolores thought, 'That's odd.' "Mira?" still no answer. A little nervous, Dolores touched her Tío Bruno's face on the map and said, "Tío, can you come to Mira's room…" Mirabel still hadn't moved at all, so Dolores added, "Quickly, please."
Dolores knelt in front of her prima and realized Mirabel was holding her glasses in one hand and the Rosary in the other. Her eyes were closed, and her heart was beating normally. She looked like she was sleeping. She touched Mirabel's arm, thinking she might be cold. But she was warm, but not like she had a fever, and Dolores felt a tingle. She realized what she was feeling was the same warm tingle she'd felt when she opened her door again.
She looked at Mirabel's door and realized the smaller butterfly was no longer stationed above the lower hand. It was suspended above the smaller tree, but was larger. It changed color each time she blinked, and Dolores started when the door opened and her Tío Bruno came in.
"What's happening, Dolores?"
Dolores just pointed to the door and Bruno closed it, and Bruno reached out a hand and gently touched a flower on the smaller tree. The flowers were now all in full bloom, and Mirabel mumbled something when he pulled his hand away. "Casita?" There was no response from the house, and Bruno came and sat on the floor next to Dolores.
"Call me crazy, but I think Mira's not here," he said as he pointed at Mirabel. "She's there." and pointed at the door.
Bruno noticed the Rosary in Mirabel's left hand. She had the Miraculous medal pinched between her thumb and palm, and Bruno wondered, 'Where have you gone, Mirabel?'
Luisa was delighted with all the butterflies that intermittently landed and took off. It was almost like they were trying to protect her. Doris and Inez had their heads together while her Abuela, Mamá and her Tía were speaking nearby, and Luisa looked at Isabela. Her sister was growing flowers for the butterflies, and Luisa went over to her and said, "You might want to take it easy on that, unless you want to pass out again."
Isabela frowned and nodded, "Good point," she said and sighed. "They're just so pretty."
Doris approached their mother and said, "You say Fernan … I mean, Tuli wanted you to bring us to your village. Can I expect that the children will remain with me?"
"Of course," her mother said.
"Then please lead the way."
Her mother looked at the wall of fog and said, "Pepa? Is the clear area starting to shrink?"
Her Tía said a little nervously, "I'm not sure how to make that stop," she said and waved a hand at the fog, "I made the fog, but the clear space… I am not sure that I am responsible for that."
Luisa noticed the butterflies were no longer landing on people but were instead flying in a thick line above them as if waiting for something to happen. A small cluster of them came to her then and pulled her attention to the right.
"Mamá?" Luisa said tentatively.
"Yes Luisa?"
"This is gonna sound crazy, but I think we need to follow the butterflies."
Her mother looked up and was surprised by the sheer number of them and nodded. She turned to Isabela and said, "Issa, I want you to link everyone like you did before. Luisa, you'll be in front. Doris, can you all get in a line, it appears we're going to need to be creative to get past this fog and I don't want to risk losing anyone, so my daughter Issa will be linking us all together.
Doris nodded and herded her group into a line, with Inez at the front and herself at the rear of her group. Isabela then went down the line and once everyone was secured, Luisa looked up and said, "Lead the way, Mira."
The butterflies responded by dancing above her head, and Luisa knew she wasn't wrong. She didn't know how Mira was doing this, but she was certain it was her little sister trying to help. The butterflies circled down the line and Luisa started forward.
The group was not moving quickly, but the butterflies continued to fly just above them, and Luisa was relieved when she finally broke free of the wall of fog. She continued forward until everyone was out and her mother turned and said, "Up ahead is a path that leads to our home. When you walk onto it, you're going to feel very cold for a moment, but it really only lasts for a moment. Just keep moving forward."
Luisa noted the butterflies were fewer and only enough of them were there to outline where they needed to go. "Is everyone ready?" Luisa asked.
There was a lot of nodding and her mother said as she touched Luisa's arm, "Take us home, mija."