Book 1- The Outsider to Encanto

Bonus Chapter 1:

If Catherine never ran away to the Encanto in Chapter 6

Two weeks. Two weeks, nearly, almost, three, of loneliness. Almost three weeks of assault. Of pretending that she was fine because no one believed her, no one but Alma.

Alma was going to help her run. Run to another country. Get on a plane and go north, or maybe so far west she ended up in Australia. At this rate, she just knew she wasn't going to stay in Cali. She couldn't stay in Colombia.

But there was something Catherine had to do before she left. She had to tell Alma, had to show Alma, that maybe her father's family was still alive.

One night, while Alma helped her clean up after another attack. Catherine looked out the window towards the mountain.

"Pack your things, Alma," Catherine said.

"Señora?" Alma asked.

"There's a place I have to show you before I leave Colombia. We should go tonight."

"You need to recover. Rest. Let yourself heal-"

"If I wait for my body to recover, he'll just break it again. I have to leave Cali and Colombia, but I can't without knowing I've shown you the truth. I can't have that sitting on my conscious."

Alma nodded to her and finished brushing her golden hair.

"I'll come to get you when he's asleep. You can show me what you're talking about, but then we're leaving Colombia."

Catherine nodded and took herself to sleep in the one place she had been for the nearly three weeks since her journey behind the mountains. On the balcony, where she felt closest to the Encanto. Closest to the adorable man with the large nose and green ruana. He visited her every night in her dreams. Whispering to her. Though she couldn't remember his name, he was who her mind thought of to get her through the countless assaults on her body.

I should have left Cali when the jaguar came for me.

She drifted into her short-lived sleep. Once again visited by the man who was her saviour. How he softly held her where she hurt. How he whispered stories to her, futures.

The only difference is, in this dream, he reminded her of his name.

Bruno.

She woke to Alma joining her on the balcony with her bags.

"Let's go," she said.

Catherine grabbed her things and they quietly ran to the stables. They took two horses and began riding out of Cali. They stopped to rest once they felt they were far enough away. The two women slept, then continued.

"We're going to the mountains, Señora?" Alma asked.

"We're going through the crack. When I disappeared for three days, I found a village behind the mountain. Alma, I think your Papá's family is there."

"I'm only going along with this because it's you, Señora."

When they reached the crack, someone was coming through on a horse. A man who looked terrified but proud. He stopped when he saw Catherine and Alma.

"Buenos Días, Señoras," he said and smiled.

Catherine's eyes narrowed on the candle in his hands. Her dreams with Bruno always included a candle and golden butterflies.

"Oh, my light broke. This candle is a gift from the village. Beautiful, is it not?"

The man held it to them and Catherine saw the golden, glittering butterfly.