They had no choice but to fill Julieta and Agustin in on the plan. They only left Jo, Bruno, and the vision out, saying Isa had found something and only telling them about Anhelaba Esperanza.
Bruno just wasn't ready to meet them yet. He wasn't going with them anyway.
Mariano was filled in as well, though it didn't make too much difference. Let's be honest, he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
The team was built by Camilo, Antonio, Araya, and Luisa. Dolores stayed behind due to her newborns and three other small kids, also looking after Camilo's daughter. Bruno decided to stay behind as well, reasoned by his age.
No one else knew that the grandkids were leaving, and nobody was happy when they found out.
Pepa was thundering all evening; not even Esme was able to calm her down, even though it always helped before. To their surprise, almost no cracks appeared, like in the case of Mirabel. It was almost as if the miracel aprisiated the search.
- What do you mean you don't know what is going on? You have unhuman hearing, for God's sake, Dolores! Make use of it! – Abuela yelled in the middle of Casita. Dolores kept silent. She was also mad at Abuela. The search for Isabela and Mirabel brought up the anger she had been storing for the last ten years.
- I just don't know. Guess my gift is still not good enough, just like ten years ago. – Dolores replied to Abuela with a careless attitude. She even had a small, unintentional smirk, making it obvious that she knew exactly where they were.
- How can you be like that? Do you have any idea what you're doing? How can you not love this family? How can none of you love this family?
At this sentence, Dolores' heart stopped for a second. How could Abuela say anything like that? She got really pissed. Even Abuela noticed that she said something she should not have said.
- How can I be like that? How can YOU be like that? YOU denied us from searching for Mirabel ten years ago! YOU wanted Isabela to marry someone she was never interested in, which you are still trying! Damn, she had what, twenty suitors? And it was YOU saying how we should live OUR lives! – everyone was listening; no one dared to say a word. Cracks appeared all over the place. This time Dolores gave a peace of her heart to Abuela.
- How dare you?
- How dare I? How dare I?! This whole family is broken because of... – a huge crack was heard, and Dolores all of a sudden went silent.
- Listen here, young lady! Just because... – but Abuela didn't finish this sentence. She was stearing at Dolores, who had a frightened face. She seemed shocked. At some point, she raised her hands to her ears.
- My... gift. It's... it's gone.
One huge crack, right through Dolores's door. Everyone was stearing at it. The door itself was flickering. It didn't fade, like Bruno's door, but Dolores couldn't hear anything outside the room she was in.
Her unhuman hearing became human.
- Dolores? – Abuela tried to talk to her, but she ran to her room right away.
She had a horrible panic attack. She could hardly breathe; she couldn't hear things she had heard before. The whole family was surrounding her, except Abuela. Esme's gift helped her madre, but it didn't change the fact that her hearing was worse than ever.
- Is it the crack? Or are you hurt somewhere? Dolores! Please say something! – Pepa was freaking out. Now that only her hija was left at home with her nietas and nietos, she was more worried than ever.
- Dolores, what is going on? Where did the others go? We're all worried. – Félix continued his esposa's ranting with a much calmer tone.
Dolores looked at her tío and tía, then at her esposo.
- They went after Isabela. – she answered after a few seconds of silence - She left searching for Mirabel. Isa found a clue where she could be, so she packed her stuff and left. The others knew about this clue as well, so it's easy to know where she might be. My gift got stronger in the past few years, so I was able to follow them. – she started to tear up – But now I can't hear them. I shouldn't have given in. But I got so mad. I should have sucked it up! Just like we always did! – Mariano, sitting beside her, took her hand and placed his hand on her shoulder.
- Where did they go, mi vida? – Félix asked calmly, showing his support for the idea.
- Anhelaba Esperanza. – Mariano answered the question, seeing that Dolores would be unable to
- You knew about it too? – Pepa felt something unexplainable. She was mad, but not really mad. Maybe disapointed? Not even she could tell.
- We did as well! Leave him alone! – Agustin defended Mariano.
- What? – Pepa yelled.
- They were going to leave either way. At least they took food that wouldn't go bad right at the first night. – Julieta stepped into the conversation. – Pepa, they're grown-ups. They'll be fine. – she tried to calm her hermana and, at the same time, herself down. Pepa already knew this. She was more pissed that they didn't trust her.
- We forget about one thing! What happened to Dolores' gift? – Mariano popped the question after a few seconds of silence.
- Maybe the cracks have something to do with it. There is one huge crack right through the door. – Félix said – And you stopped hearing further when you were fighting with Abuela, right? And we already know they appear when we fight. – Dolores nodded, still shocked and scared for her family out in the unknown.
What if something happens, but she'll have no idea there's a problem? What if the people outside of Encanto hate magic and hunt them for it? What if they get lost or captured? They have no clue about the outside world, nor does anyone in the family. Exept of course, Isabela.
- I hope you find her. – Dolores whispered to herself, wishing for it to come true.
YOU ARE READING
Over the Mountains (an Encanto story)
FanfictionIt was expected. Mirabel also had enough, just like Bruno. She left on Antonio's birthday, fearing he would slowly drift away from her too. Ten years have passed since she left, and now the Madrigals are faced with a new challenge, one they never ex...
