36. Chapter 36

The sand elevator didn't deliver Bruno all the way to the top of the stairs… Bruno already knew why. His emotions were betraying him. He had no actual desire to do this. To have a vision about any of this.

He didn't want to do this… He didn't want to have a vision or read the future. His whole body screamed at him. 'no'

But Bruno defied any such sensations, any such feelings or thoughts…. Whatever it took. He would protect his family.

If his gift could do something good. Just this one time! And so he made his way up the countless of stairs until Bruno finally faced the little round door going to his seer's room.

With effort did Bruno pull open the door and walked inside, across the soft sands that laid in a round circle and he inhaled deeply.

Then Bruno went to work. He found his leaves… Sage and rosemary. To ward off any evil spirit that would try to infest his vision.

He found his holy golden cross and kissed it. Asking for protection.

He turned on his lavender light to bring him good luck.

Every little ritual was being used this time. Knock on the wood. Keep his breath and crossed his fingers and finally. Bruno grabbed a fist full of salt and threw it over his shoulders before sitting down with crossed legs. Taking a deep breath.

He felt that itching in his brain… That scratch. He had had it all day. He already knew what it was… He had known from the beginning.

It was like on Julieta's wedding day. A vision that wanted to be seen… That wanted to come out and Bruno took in a deep breath. "Okay then," he said. "Let's see it then."

And Bruno's eyes opened now shining bright green. At once all the sand around him started to swirl and create a big globe around him and Bruno felt the itch just leaving his brain as it got out there in the sand.

First, the image formed, of a wall, and a crack in the wall. Bruno breathed as he saw the crack spreading, becoming bigger. Like it had done in real life.

"Yes… I've seen that." Bruno whispered as he stood up. "But what does it mean?" and then, the cracks continued. Continued spreading, across the floors, all the walls, and Bruno gasped as the image zoomed out and he saw the cracks running up all the walls and all the windows. The house itself breaking apart.

"No." Bruno gasped as he covered his mouth and the image kept expanding now showing the Encanto. And the massive cracks now tore through the streets. Houses collapsed, people screamed as they were doing their best to run away.

But that wasn't enough. The image expanded even further than that. And now the mountains themselves cracked right open. The mountains that protected their paradise. The entire thing… In ruins.

"But why?" Bruno asked. "Why? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!" he shouted.

And then the image zoomed back towards the center of the destruction. Casita breaking apart and a figure standing right in the center of it.

All the cracks. They seemed to be coming from her.

But…. Who? The shape was taking form and then Bruno took a step back. Oh no… No no no. Please don't. No!

But it was too late. Bruno was already seeing it. It was her! It was Mirabel! She was standing right in the middle of the cracks. And they seemed to be coming from her.

"That can't be true!" Bruno shouted. "This cannot be true! There has to be something else!" he exclaimed just as a golden butterfly came flying by and then.. The image changed.

The cracks… Vanished. And then it was just Mirabel in front of Casita.

Bruno blinked. "What?" he asked. He waved a hand and the cracks were back. Then he waved it again and the cracks vanished. Confused Bruno waved his hand back and forth to see the two different images.

What… What did this mean? This had never happened before! Just… What.

Then his eyes faded back to their usual dark. The sand settled and Bruno reached up to take the jade slab and then held it in his hands.

Wide-eyed Bruno looked at the slab as he tipped it to one side seeing one image. Then tipped it to the other side seeing another image.

"It's…" Bruno gasped as he looked up. "It's undecided," he whispered. "It doesn't have to happen! Mirabel! Mirabel is the key! Somehow." then he halted and he faulted. "Mirabel..."

Bruno looked at the image again. How it looked when it was Mirabel standing in front of all of the cracks. It looked like they came from her.

Bruno knew who he was…. The harbinger of bad luck. If he showed this… To anyone. They would think the bad outcome was guaranteed. The destruction of the entire Encanto.

Bruno swallowed as he looked at the image. Of sweet Mirabel. And his heart just tightened while there was such a hard lump in Bruno's throat he couldn't even swallow.

He remembered the people downstairs. Already ready to blame a little girl! She was only five.

And Alma…. She would do anything to protect the magic of the Encanto.

Then Bruno realized something… He didn't care about the magic. He had never cared about the magic! What use was this stupid magic if it made his family suffer huh?

He was probably a bad person to care so little for the Encanto. But it was the truth.

Sweet little Mirabel. Just the look on her face when that stupid door vanished right in front of her! Alma kept going on and on about those stupid gifts!

Bruno's hopeless tears turned to tears of anger and frustration.

No! Not Mirabel!

If people saw this they would assume the worst. Immediately… and they would blame Mirabel. The family might try and protect her but they would whisper behind her back. Make up stories. Talk about how having Mirabel near was a bad omen.

It would destroy her life…

Bruno was standing absolutely still… Looking at the glowing jade image and then. He simply dropped it. Right on the rocks. And allowed the prophecy to shatter into multiple pieces.

No one… No one could ever see it. Bruno hissed as he kicked sand over the pieces to cover them up and he turned to march out the door. And then over the suspended stone bridge.

Once Bruno was across the bridge he stopped. And then he turned around. Anger in his eyes as he hissed. "No more visions," he said. "I had it! NO MORE VISIONS!" he shouted. "I don't want it! I don't want to see it! AND NO ONE ELSE SHOULD EITHER!" he shouted as he stomped down his foot as harshly as he could. "Break…. BREAK!" he shouted as he kept stamping on the bridge. "GET RID OF IT! I DON'T WANT ANYONE IN THERE EVER AGAIN!" he yelled and then, the bridge did as he asked and broke apart. It crumbled and Bruno stepped back as he saw the bridge falling down in big stony pieces.

"That's it." Bruno hissed as he bowed down to pick up a rock and then threw it at the already crumbling bridge. "And good riddance!" he exclaimed as he turned around and started to run down the stairs just as all the stones started to crumble behind him.

Bruno didn't care. If he fell then good. No one would be able to ask him about Mirabel then!

And then finally Bruno had made it to the bottom where he fell down on his knees. Gasping for breath. A sense of relief filled him… Bruno was now completely separated from his seer's room. He couldn't get in there anymore even if he wanted to! It was freeing in a way.

But then… A sinking feeling settled in Bruno's stomach as he realized. It didn't change what he had already seen…. What he had seen was already in his head and could not just be removed.

Bruno held a hand towards his forehead. The moment he saw his mother again she would know… And she would ask.

She would keep pressuring him… And even if he said nothing. She would know he had had a vision about Mirabel… And she would assume the worst… Bruno was a terrible liar and he would crack under the pressure. He always did! Especially in front of Alma.

And all of this would have been for nothing.

Bruno's eyes watered. Why hadn't he just listened to his own better judgment? Why hadn't he just said no?

Bruno swiped his eyes with his sleeve. Well… There was one solution. If Bruno wasn't here then… Alma wouldn't be able to ask him. Or even pressure him… Mirabel would be safe.

And… It wasn't like he was going to be missed anyway. What good had he ever brought the family? Really?

He was the one ruining the family name! He was the one always getting in the way! His sisters were busy raising each their own families. It had always been so unfair to ask them to look after their stupid brother too!

Really it was logical. Everyone in this house would be so much better off… If Bruno wasn't there.

He had known this for a while…. And he supposed he should be thankful because it made the decision that much easier.

But even so, Bruno's throat constricted as he realized the reality of his decision… He would never see them again. Any of them.

Julieta's kind warm eyes. Pepa's smile shining like the sun. He wouldn't be able to listen to Agustin's piano or see Felix's dance!

He wouldn't get to see any of the children grow. He wouldn't see Isabela take care of her flowers. Listen to radio dramas with Dolores. Run with Luisa. Play pretend with Camilo or just... have Mirabel tell him about her day.

Nor would he be able to just sit down to drink a cup of tea with his mother.

All of it… All of it would be gone.

But it was necessary. Bruno had to do what was best for the family. That was all that mattered. And what was best for the family was if he disappeared.

And so Bruno grabbed a bag and started to stuff his most important essentials into it.

Extra clothes, a blanket, toothbrush, whatever little money he had. And then Bruno rushed out of his room with the few things he could carry.

Outside… Casita was dark. There were no sounds. It sounded like the rest of the family had gone to bed.

This was good. Bruno sincerely doubted that he would be able to go through with this if he actually ran into any of them. Bruno took a few steps and then he swallowed, as he turned around to see his own door.

It was oddly flickering. Like a dying candle, not glowing as bright as the other doors.

Bruno swallowed. And then tore his eyes away before he changed his mind now heading into the kitchen.

Food was clearly no issue at all, there was plenty from the party that never actually managed to happen and Bruno loaded up as much as he could into his back before heading outside and to the stables where he grabbed a horse.

"Sorry girl," Bruno whispered. "We gotta make it to the mountains before daybreak. No one can see us," he said as he jumped on and a rat crawled up Bruno's back to sit on his shoulder. "Okay let's go!" he said as he kicked the horse and rode away. Determined to not look back.

Because if he did…. Bruno sincerely doubted he would have the resolve to continue.