Outside the Encanto

Rules are Meant to be Broken

You lay in bed, staring at nothing but the ceiling. You've been there for hours, giving time for everyone to fall asleep. Hopefully Camilo wouldn't give up on you.

You check the time, 1:13 in the morning. You decide this is alright, that everyone should be asleep. Even Tia Sophia, hardest worker in the family, should be having her beauty sleep.

You put on plain black clothes, covering your hair  and face with a turban, knowing how easily a loose strand of hair could be found.

Creeping downstairs, you edge around on your tippy toes, sneaking around quiet as a mouse. Dusty floors makes it easier not to half noise, along with carrying your sandals.

The Madrigal cell door awaits you. This time, you feel no hesitation before opening the door. Your face is stuck in a smile, and as you close the door, you take a deep breath to compose your face, knowing he was watching.

"They're all asleep." Camilo whispered, huddled in his corner, same position as before. You wonder if he'd even moved.

"Hey Camilo. Listen- I'm so sorry-"

"Hey hey, it's alright. I know you didn't make any of this happen." He slowly stands, head still facing down, his hair covering his face.

"Oh, okay uhm.. I got your note." You hold the card between two fingers, flashing it in the little bits of light.

"Well, you wouldn't be here if you hadn't." He growls, standing tall and intimidating. His chin is up, making his eyes glare down at you.

"If you asked me down here to make some kind of point, make it." You spit out, baring your teeth. To think you'd gotten your hopes up was embarrassing enough, you didn't need to be insulted at the same time.

His face softens. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit.. off right now." He uses his arms to show off the little cell.

"And for good reason." You agree, nodding your head. You step close to the bars, which are squeaky clean compared to the rest of the place.

Camilo comes over to the bars as well, closer to you than you'd expected. You want to take a step back, but your subconscious tells you otherwise. This is one of those moments where you laugh- even though the situation is serious. Laughter is also contagious, so Camilo laughs too.

"So.. how's the apocalypse?" Camilo grins, making you both laugh. You can't control it, he just knows how to make a person giggle, especially you.

"Not too bad. For me anyways. Ehm.. you?" You awkwardly ask, not wanting to be rude but not wanting to gloat.

Camilo puts his arms through the bars, taking your face in his hands. You rest your forehead in between too bars, letting the warmth from his hands seep into your face.

"Not the best. But right now.. I'd say I'm pretty content." He rests on the bars, sliding his hands across your flustered face. He smirks, enjoying how his touch makes you feel.

"Yeah. Me too." You shiver, eyes interlocked with his. You put one hand on his face, like yours, another on his chest. He's soft and warm, a nice change from the room.

"Camilo.. what happened. From your perspective." You demand, not wanting to break the closeness but your desire to know was so high. You had other, more important desires, but they won't happen. You push them away to continue the search for knowledge.

6 days earlier...

Casita crumbles, leaving my past in the dust. I know my room is gone, but I can't help opening my door anyways. The same grayish shade as everything else stares back at me.

My younger cousin, Mirabel, is missing. My younger brother, Antonio, is downright distraught. I go to comfort him, rambling.

Luisa mentions Y/n. I question her, and find out Y/n had came to help Mirabel. She's so.. selfless. Wait wait wait, if she was here, that means..

"Buried!? That means she could suffocate! We've got to help her!" I panic, not sure why I even care so much about this girl. It's not like she's my family, or even friends.

We're certainly not lovers. Lilith, my girlfriend, is the one for me. Absolutely gorgeous, she is. Although she kind of looks like a horse. I wonder if anyone else thinks so too. Though I'd never say it out loud- I know enough not to say that.

Y/n thinks Lilith is using me. At first, I'd thought so, but not so much anymore. After all, she's never talked about marriage or anything like that. Although.. Y/n said something about girls liking me for myself. Though she went quite red when I'd asked who.

Oh. My. God.

That was it! Y/n has a crush on me, but how? She's so sophisticated, and really awesome. She could date any boy in town and they'd never deserve her. Ugh, the thought of her dating, it's despicable.

That's when I realized I liked her too.

Hours later her a little girl, Maria, is dug up. She's Y/n's cousin.. or maybe sister? I'm not sure which, but I know they're related.

I find Y/n. I pull her out of the rubble, desperate to feel her heartbeat. I place my hand on her chest, feeling the heartbeat. I snatch my hand away, thinking it's weird to touch a place. Damnit, should've gone for the wrists.

Y/n's awake, although she looks like she's on her way out. I don't know what I'm doing, but something tells me to lean closer to her, closer still.

Our lips touch.

My first kiss, truly the first, is perfect. Just like the girl I was doing it with. She passes out merely a second later.

Someone is pulling her away. Two grown men, intimidating and dressed in uniform, snatch her away. I snatch her back, refusing to let her go. How could they take her from me, when she's barely even alive?! She could die. Just like Maria.

An arm grabs me in a chokehold, one I can't escape from. I'm forced to watch as she's dragged away, well, not dragged. The men carry her ever so carefully, but quickly.

Hours more pass in a blur. My mother is forcibly ripped away from my father, as they both scream and shout for each other. Dolores is to be taken as well, she goes without a fight. Luisa's different. She and Isabella fight, but cannot hold back against them. We try to help, but are easily overtaken by only the twin L/n's. We're forced to watch as Luisa is beaten and dragged away, and given a warning that Isabella was next. She stayed clutched to her mother and father, weeping and praying for help. The help never came. Who did come, though, was the girls again. One shoved Tia Julieta and Tio Augustine onto the wall, choking them both, while the other dragged away a sobbing Isabella.

The Abuela, who I believe is named Emilia, steps in. Her face is full of remorse, and asks Julieta to follow her. Julieta puts on a brave face for us, but ultimately is taken as well.

Dario, the head L/n, tells me to follow him. When I refuse, he punches me so hard I nearly faint. Luckily, nothings broken. I follow him, where I am strapped to a janky looking chair. I get a splinter, but that turns to the least of my worries.

Two male L/n's, the ones who took Y/n away from me, take turns practicing their gifts on me. One sends terrible electricity through me, while the other makes my insides burn. It's a repeated cycle until I'm finally put back in my cell.

      Present day...

"Camilo, I'm so sorry, I didn't know any of this happened." You apologize, in tears now.

"I uhm.." he shuffles uncomfortably, although doesn't move his hands.

"What?!" You panic.

"I'm sorry about your little cousin. I know it's not the right time, but I'm sorry." He looks to the ground, knowing what he's done to you.

"My sister, actually. Maria was- is- my sister." You correct him, smiling. "It's alright. She's with my Mama. I hope she's said hi for me." You laugh, before remembering to stay quiet.

"You'd better go, love. No offense, but I do need some sleep. Come visit me tomorrow." Camilo ends the visit, probably uncomfortable with the death situation. You understood, you didn't like death either.

What made the night so beautiful? Camilo called you love.