Together. (Camilo x OC)

Chapter 10

TW: Mention of abuse, strong language and slight violence.

Isabela sat up, her flowers wilting away at the sight of Abuela.
"Isa....?" Mara said, worried.
Mirabel stood up, a big grin on her face.
"A-Abuela! Look! Me and Mara, we're saving the miracle!"
Mirabel was so excited to-
"What are you talking about? Look at our home! Look at Mara! Look at your sister!"
"Please just....Isabela wasn't happy, and Mara-"
Mara felt the pain rising in her chest again, stronger than ever.
"Of course she's unhappy! You ruined her proposal!"
"No, no, she needed me to ruin her proposal, and then we did all this and the candle burned brighter, and so did Xiomara's book-"
Mirabel stopped, realising what she had said.

Abuela's eyes were filled with rage. She looked straight at Mara and grabbed her by the arm.

"I don't know what you are doing to this family, but I will not have it!"
She threw Mara to the ground.
"Abuela! Stop-"

"NO, YOU HAVE TO STOP, MIRABEL!"
Mara was sick and tired of this.
"The cracks started with you."
She was ready.
"Bruno left, because of you."
To let him out.
"Luisa's losing her powers, Mara's been given a curse, and Isabela is out of control because of YOU!"

Mara stood up slowly.

"I don't know why you weren't given a gift, but that is NOT  an excuse for you to curse this family!"

Mara's hands gave off a faint red glow, and so did her body.
Tiny cracks gathered around her feet.

Mirabel was glowing too.

"I will never....be good enough, for you, will I?" She asked, looking Abuela in the eyes.

Mara staggered towards Mirabel.
"No matter how...hard I try."
Mirabel looked at Isabela and Luisa.
Mara had stood next to her, unmoving, expressionless. Her eyes were a bright red.
"No matter how hard any of us tries. Luisa, will never be STRONG enough. Isabela, won't be perfect enough. Mara is dying, and you don't even care. Bruno left his own home, his family, because you only saw the WORST in him! Camilo doesn't even know who he is, because you are always pushing our family to the LIMIT!"

"You don't know what you are talking about. Bruno didn't care about this family!"
"He loves this family. I LOVE this family. We all LOVE this family, you're the one that doesn't CARE. YOU'RE THE ONE BREAKING OUR HOME!"
Mara took Mirabel's hand in hers, and soon as their fingers touched, the glow grew stronger. The book in Mara's hand dissolved and was ash.
"DON'T YOU EVER-"
Mara spoke up.

"The miracle is dying, because of you."

Silence.

Then it all came crashing down.
Cracks spread all over the Casita's walls, as it started to  crumble . Mara felt Mirabel's hand slip from hers.

Waking up from whatever trance she was in, she started to run after Mirabel.
Then she was pulled back .
She whirled around.
"Camilo, let go."
He didn't listen, throwing her into Julieta's arms before going after Mirabel and the candle.
Mara struggled to get out of her arms, writhing, reaching out for something she couldn't touch.
"NO! LET ME GO! MIRABEL! MIRABEL!"

The Casita's floors moved the family out, no matter how hard anyone tried to get to Mirabel.
Then they were finally thrown out, all of them, landing on the floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mara saw Bruno creep into the woods, unnoticed.

Mirabel was nowhere to be seen.

Mara finally broke free of Julieta's hold, running into the rubble and seeing Mirabel, under two doors put together by the Casita, in a last attempt to save her.

She was holding the dying candle in her hands, looking defeated...lost.

"Mira! Mira-"
Mara ran towards her, cupping her hands around the candle in a flimsy last try to keep it alive.

The last ember died out, the tiny warmth it had given replaced by cold.

Dead, hard, cold.

"Girls! Are you ok?!"
Julieta ran towards the two, checking their faces for any bruises.
"J-just stay here, alright? We'll figure out what to do."
She walked away, talking to Abuela, not looking happy with her.

Mirabel's face was dusty and dirty, and so was Mara's. They looked at eachother.

"I guess we did try, didn't we?"
Mara whispered with a weak smile.
"Mara?"
"Hm?"
"Can I have a moment alone?"
"You sure? You dont need any-"
"Please."

Mara stood up, and went towards the others.
She was getting near Dolores when someone grabbed her hand.
"Mara? Are you ok? What was that? Oh my god, I was so scared, I-"
Camilo didnt say anything else, tears running down his face.
"You know why I had to hold you back and try to get to Mirabel,I-I can't lose any of you, I-"
He stopped again and just hugged her, taking in her scent, her warmth.
She hugged him back, tightly.

"We're all ok, and that's what matters, Cami."
He pulled back out of the hug, and smiled.

"Let's go to the others. Where's Mirabel?"
"She said she needed some time alone, but-"

"MIRABEL!"
Mara and Camilo heard Julieta's yell and ran over, concerned.
"Señora Julieta, what's wrong?"
"Mirabel....she's run away."
"What?"

"This is all your fault."
Mara turned around, just to be met face to face with Abuela.
"What has happened to you? What have I done? Why do you want to curse our Encanto?"
Mara took a step back, a faint glow returning to her eyes.
"What....?"
"That is enough, Abuela."
Camilo stood in front of Mara.
"Camilo, don't be stupid. Move out of the way."
"No. Why are you like this? You just sit around the Casita all day and open your mouth and hold some fucking candle and say you're our Abuela. You don't act like one. You take the consequences of your own actions and place the blame on someone else. You mistreat your own granddaughter because she didn't get a gift, you throw out your own son and disrespect and physically abuse someone that you don't even pay to be here. You cut Mara's hair. She's not even related to you! What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, none of you recognize how much I sacrificed for this family, I-"

"I wonder how Abuelo Pedro put up with you."
"Camilo!"
Pepa shouted in a warning tone.
"What, Mami?! It's true! He should've survived instead of you!"
Tears rolled down his face.
"You know what? You can see him now."
Félix tried to pull him away, but Camilo didn't move a muscle.
"Camilo, stop."

"You wouldn't."
Camilo smirked.
"What? Do this?"
Abuela turned around covering her eyes.
He shapeshifted into Pedro, staring right at Abuela's back..

"Hey Almaaa! Turn around! Check it out!"

"I know you're doing it!

She turned around, and let out a sob.

"What? Too scared to-"

"Mara is gone."

"What?"

"Mara. She's run away."