Worth The Shot

A Lonely Mission

"Camilo, Mirabel, you need to go! Go find Pepa!" Camilo and Mirabel hesitated, bewildered, and Bruno wildly gestured to the door. He begged, "Right now! Go!"

"What did you see? What is it?" You nervously questioned as Camilo and Mirabel galloped outside.

"Pepa is next," Bruno whispered, gripping his green vision like a lifeline. "She's going to be taken. And I think it's too late."

"Why are we still in here?" You demanded, frantically yanking Bruno to his feet. "We need to help Camilo and Mirabel!"

"No, listen to me! She's going to be taken. We... we can't stop it. But," Bruno hurriedly dusted grains of sand off of his vision. "You can get her back. You can get them all back, kid."

Bruno slipped his emerald vision sheet into your hands. You blinked from the harsh glare that glinted off of the shimmering prophecy. It was you. Surrounded by a mob. Standing next to... Father?

"I don't know how," Bruno urgently explained, "But our only chance of stopping the kidnapper is if you meet with your father tonight. Maybe he has information. Maybe you need to..." Bruno swatted the air like it was an invisible enemy. "Fight him!"

"Fight him?"

"Well, no," Bruno awkwardly chuckled. "That was just a guess. But that would be climatic and cool, right?"

"No," you distractedly contended. "It would definitely not be cool." Bruno wilted slightly. Nervous anticipation rolled in your stomach. I don't want to go talk to my father. What if he locks me up until I fall asleep? And then he can... he can make me believe anything.

"I'm sensing that you don't like your father?" Bruno gently prodded, watching you with confused concern.

"Yes. No. I don't know. But..." You sighed, fighting tears. "I think he's the one who abducted Luisa and Isabella. I miss him, but he's a liar."

Bruno nodded thoughtfully. After a companionable silence, he suggested, "I don't think anyone's inherently a liar. He's told lies, but maybe there's still good in him. Don't let your guard down, but I wouldn't give up on him yet."

"Thanks, Bruno." It was surprisingly good advice from an unshowered man with rat roommates.

"Yeah, no problem," He shrugged, but smiled crookedly as he reminisced, "My sisters always said my real gift was being a good listener. That and acting." He tiptoed back to his hole behind the painting. "We used to put on plays for the other kids."

"Stay out here, Bruno. With us. Your family misses you," you suddenly urged him. If Pepa disappeared, Julieta could use his support.

"No, they don't," Bruno darkly muttered, avoiding your gaze. "Everything's better now that I'm gone." With a heavy breath, he shook his head slightly as if clearing out lingering dust. "Remember, you need to meet with your father tonight. You have to go alone."

"Oh," you exhaled, disappointed. "I can't even take Mirabel? Or Camilo?"

"Sorry, kid." Bruno's brown eyes softened as he leapt into the crevice in the wall. "You can't take them with you. But you can do this. Save the Madrigals." He grinned and crossed his fingers for you before closing the painting.

Casita's tiles nudgingly propelled you down the stairs into the main hall. The navy blue hue of the night sky startled you. Your conversation with Bruno had eaten into more daylight than you'd expected. You anxiously scanned the hall for Pepa. 

Felix slouched in a chair, despairingly burying his face in his hands. Camilo leaned against him, his expression numb and scared.

They couldn't find her. It was too late, just like Bruno said. 

"Pepa can't cross the mountain, so why can't you hear her, Dolores?" Alma agitatedly shouted.

"I don't know," Dolores whispered, flinching and helplessly covering her ears.

"She's in the Encanto. Why can't you hear her?" Alma angrily continued. Her unspoken question choked the air like black smoke: Is she even still alive?

"Don't yell at her!" Mirabel spat, wedging herself protectively in front of her cousin. "You can't hear Tia Pepa, either. Stop blaming everyone else!" A crack tore across the floor.

It's like Camilo's room. You realized with a jolt. Are the cracks caused by emotions and arguments? They need to stop this before Casita crumbles like the old mountain Encanto.

"We'll cancel the party tomorrow night," Alma decided, her steps stressed and brusque as she crossed the room. Luckily for Casita, she had ignored Mirabel provoke. "Send out search parties."

"We shouldn't," Julieta unexpectedly said, gently touching her mother's arm. "The village needs to believe in our strength. Now more than ever. You've always taught us that."

"Alright," Alma sighed, genuinely upset. Watching her unraveled demeanor felt uncomfortably wrong, as if you had caught a swan hip-hop dancing. Slowly, her tormented expression retracted into a collected, cool façade. "Rest for 5 hours. Early tomorrow morning, we will search again. Until the party, where we will project the strength our people need to see." 

You obediently returned with Mirabel to the nursery. Distraught, Mirabel silently curled into her bed. When her breaths evened, you crept out of the nursery door. You guiltily glanced back, watching the pale moonlight linger on her sleeping features. Her jaw was clenched, as if this nightmare plagued not only her life but her dreams, too. 

I have to do this alone. You thought, fortifying your determination as you slunk down the hallway toward the open window. "Help me out, Casita?" You whispered. Casita groaned its planks, concerned for you. "I'm gonna be okay. I'll be back soon," you assured. Brick stair steps reluctantly pivoted out from the wall.  

Suddenly, a stiff shadow eclipsed the moonlight from the window. The silhouette forced its shoulders between you and your escape. Somebody caught me. Your heartbeat quickened.

Camilo barred the window with his chest, fixing his hands on either side. He rigidly tensed his muscles, eyes blazing with steel resolve. 

"You're not going anywhere."