Runaway(an Encanto AU)

Chapter 2

     There was dead silence. Then mom quickly turned to Luisa who stared back at her. "GO!" I shouted, shoving Mirabel towards the door. The paralyzation left our feet and we booked it for the doorway. But despite how fast we were, Luisa was faster. "KEEP RUNNING!" I shouted before taking a pivoting stop, which surprised everyone enough for Mirabel to get away.

     I just looked up at Luisa's fury, all the fight in me gone now that I knew Mirabel was out of reach. Luisa harshly grabbed my arms and shoved me to the kitchen, followed by everyone except Felix who stayed with Antonio and the crowd. They shoved me in a chair, and I knew better than to try to run considering Luisa was staring daggers at me.

     At first no one said anything. Mom looked fierce, Peppa looked both angry and frightened, Julieta and Augustine though trying to keep it together were clearly upset by my being there, Isabella shared in Luisa's fury, Camilo was focused on me but didn't seem to really hold a grudge, and Dolores couldn't look me in the eye.

     Mom began, "Where is Mirabel?"

     I almost laughed, "as if I would tell you that."

     Julieta couldn't hold back, "WHERE'S MY DAUGHTER!!"

     "Safe, or at least she used to be," I tightened my lips, feeling sorry for her, but not for our mother.

      She grabbed my shirt, "SAFE?! IN THE WOODS?! ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU HAVE TO TELL US WHERE SHE IS!!" Our mom and Augustin pulled her back as she broke into sobs.

     "Why did you take her," mom asked with a quiet fury that overshadowed the fear beneath.

     "You know exactly why! The vision!" I looked around at all of them, especially Dolores who shrank under my stare. "I was going to just leave and take the vision with me, but you," I turned my attention to Peppa, "just had to find it! I know what it's like to be shunned by your own family over something you can't control, I can't imagine being at the center of a terrible vision! I did it to protect her from all of you!"

     "You think I wouldn't protect my own daughter?!" Augustin jumped in, "you think I wouldn't have helped you??"

     "I didn't exactly have time to talk!" Peppa was at abuelas door! Another second and there would have been no escape!" Augustin and I stared at each other in mutual frustration and guilt, but he turned away with a scoff, taking my sobbing sister with him.

     Isabella followed but not before snapping at me, "You took my sister from me!"

     "Bruno, Mirabel is out there by herself. You have to tell us where she is," mom insisted.

     "You don't really care, do you, you just want to figure out why she's in the vision so you can keep the miracle alive! That's ALL you care about isn't it!"

     The harsh look in her eyes told me that I was wrong. Maybe not entirely, but still wrong. "Luisa, put him in his tower and guard it," mom ordered, "we cant have him hiding Mirabel any longer."

     I looked at Dolores before I could be taken, "you know that I know, don't you." I almost immediately started kicking myself for that. She was just a child at the time. She didn't know that it would lead to all this. That was obvious from the way she cracked from hearing those words come out of my mouth. Peppa glared at me and turned to her crying daughter.

     I was shoved up the stairs and forced into my room, just like instructed. Seeing as I couldn't leave now, I sat, letting my emotions calm down. I blew up on them, regardless of whether or not they deserved it, and that was not going to solve the problem. I only ended up adding fuel to the fire. I was worried for Mirabel, terrified of what my mother would resort to in order to save the stupid magic.

     I didn't really know where she drew the line, but not knowing is what scared me. Maybe I was wrongly accusing my mother about something she wouldn't do, but I feared for Mirabels safety. I groaned the more I thought about it. Mirabel was fifteen. Was I being overprotective?

     Even so, there was nothing I could do from here at this point. I closed my eyes, slowly my limbs grew heavy, and my breathing slowed. I was exhausted from ten years of protecting my niece. Before I knew it, I was asleep.