38. Chapter 38

Quickly everyone spread throughout the house as everyone called. "Bruno! BRUNOOO!"

"Tio Bruno!"

"HERMANO!"

"Bro where are you man? You're scaring me!"

The panic started to rise as the family members ran into each other at the entrance.

"I checked the laundry room." Pepa gasped.

"He's not in the gardens," Isabela confirmed.

"The attic is empty," Felix informed them all.

"Who saw Bruno last?" Julieta asked. "When was the last time you guys saw Bruno?"

The children's eyes widened. "Not since yesterday," Dolores whispered. "When he carried me to my room."

Mirabel swallowed. "I… I think he was there when I walked to my door. But I don't remember."

Agustin's eyes widened. "I haven't seen him all day. Not since last night when he went to see Suegra Alma."

"Me neither." Pepa gasped.

"It's the same for me." Felix breathed and Julieta swallowed as she nodded.

"Me too."

Then they all turned to Alma whose eyes widened in shock and horror.

"Mama." Pepa gasped. "You… You were the last one to see Bruno. Erhm. Do you know where he went after that?"

Alma swallowed. "His room," she said. "He was going to his room…. And that was it."

"What were you two talking about?" Julieta asked stepping forward. "Maybe that's a clue!"

"I…" Alma glanced to the side. Then looked back at her family with determination in her eyes. "I asked him to find out what happened with Mirabel's door," she said. "Bruno has an amazing gift. To see what others cannot. This gift is meant to serve and protect the Encanto and so I asked him to fulfill his duty."

"You asked him for a vision?" Julieta asked.

"I asked him to help our family," Alma informed. "And he agreed! That's it! That's all that happened."

Julieta swallowed as she stepped back then glanced at Agustin. "You think he… He saw something?" she asked.

Mirabel sniffed. "Something about… Me?"

"Oh no! No sweetheart." Julieta fell to her knee. "What could he have seen about you. I'm sure this is just a miss understanding. We just have to find your Tio and I am sure he can explain."

"Did I make him disappear?" Mirabel asked. "I didn't mean to make the door disappear! I didn't mean to! Not Tio too! Mami!" she cried and Julieta gasped as she grabbed her daughter and hugged her tight.

Alma looked up. "Julieta. You stay here with the children. Make sure they eat their dinner and make sure they are getting to bed. The rest. We search the Encanto!"

"We can search too!" Luisa cried as Isabela nodded firmly.

"No," Alma said. "You stay here!"

"Maybe Tio Bruno will come back here while the others are out looking." Julieta finally said. "He wouldn't want to come back to an empty house would he?"

The girls swallowed then shook their heads.

"Julieta." Agustin stepped forward. "Can you handle the children alone? Is it okay?"

"I can handle it," Julieta said. "Just… Find my brother," she asked. "And everyone take some food with you. If he's hurt."

Everyone nodded and headed to the dining room to grab something they could stuff into their pockets. And another thing to stuff into their mouths while they searched as no one had dinner.

Alma didn't hesitate to rush out to the stable. There was no denying that she was getting up there in age. A walk to the Encanto was hard on her now. However the moment she stepped into the stables to take their one house Alma halted.

The horse was missing… Their old mare Daisy. She was gone… And so was the saddle blanket that would normally be on its shelf when Daisy was in the stable.

At ones Alma turned back to the entrance and yelled. "Has anyone been saddling up Daisy?" she asked and they turned to her. "Daisy is gone!"

Pepa gasped. "You don't think… Bruno has?"

They all looked at each other, shocked.

"Who else could it be?" Agustin asked. "If it's not any of us."

Alma huffed. "He must be somewhere in the Encanto! He can't have gotten far! Find him! Find him!" and she marched down the path towards the town. Horse be dammed.

And the other three could only do their best to keep up with the older woman.

Once they reached the Encanto, the few people out looked confused. The sun had started to set and the sky was now a dark orange color. Most people were home for dinner at this point but they looked out of the windows in confusion.

Then Alma marched up to place herself in the center of the plaza. "Has anyone seen Bruno?" She asked and people gasped. "Bruno is missing! We need all the help we can get. He must be found!"

People hesitated as they started to come closer. Looking startled and confused.

"From what we can tell he went away from our house last night," Alma stated. "Has anyone seen him today! Any clue?" she asked. "Tell me!"

"Bruno is missing?" A woman whispered. "Bruno Madrigal?"

"Heh." A man smirked. "Maybe it's for the better. That door that vanished yesterday was probably because of him. He's nothing but bad luck."

That made Alma's eyes widen. It promised fury and thunder greater than anything Pepa could ever deliver and she just walked right up to the man. Grabbed his arm and pulled it harshly making the man hiss in surprise and pain.

"That's my son!" Alma seethed. "And you better pray he's unharmed. Or you will be regretting those words."

The man's eyes widened in pure shock and horror by the old lady now holding him so harshly. Clearly being a lot stronger than she looked.

Then Alma let go so he stumbled back while Alma straightened herself up as she looked at him with a dangerous glare. And then the rest of the village. "My son is missing! Help us or do not. But if someone harmed Brunito. May God have mercy on his soul! Now! Has anyone seen my son?" she asked.

There was silence and then slowly, people shook their heads as they mumbled apologies and then slowly started to disperse.

Only for Alma to pin her red-haired daughter with a look. "Brunito is nothing but bad luck?" she asked. "What's that about?"

"I… I don't know." Pepa swallowed. "People are always so nice when I am with them. Felix?"

"First I heard of it," Felix informed.

"Well erhm." Agustin bit his nail. "There have been some rumors going around," he admitted. "But they never seemed to really bother Bruno. He never said anything."

"And you didn't tell me?" Pepa asked.

"I thought you knew!" Agustin exclaimed. "Surely Bruno has been talking to you and Julieta about what is going on in his life!"

"NO!" Pepa shouted making thunder erupt. "Not a word! I mean there were rumors. But that was ages ago! I thought those were long gone!" she gestured with a hand. "And when people talk to me they always say Bruno is amazing."

Agustin glanced at Pepa as he suddenly realized... They were probably afraid of being struck by thunder if they didn't say that. And Alma was clearly ready to murder people who threatened her family. So there was no way people would say that when she could hear it.

"Calm yourself Pepa," Alma spoke. "If there were any issues Brunito would have informed us. We are his family," she stated.…. Looking ready to kill someone. Potentially even Bruno.

The people of the town had started to move around, knocking on each other's doors and Bruno's name was mentioned from multiple directions as people started to help to search and Pepa exhaled relieved.

"Let's split up." Pepa then said. "Agustin stay with Mama. I'll stay with Felix."

"Of course." Agustin nodded and Alma offered them a short nod as well as the groups split up and started searching.

After an hour the entire Encanto had been searched from top to bottom. There couldn't be a basement or attic that hadn't been checked.

Tavern, church, plaza. Everyone had been asked and no one had seen as much as a hair of Bruno since last evening.

Then the search expanded as people found their horses and torches to light their way out into the forest around the Encanto.

There was only one road out through the mountains. And it had a big stone gate that was closed at night, as well was it always guarded to keep the Encanto safe. Thus if anyone were to go through there, they would be seen without a question.

The guards who were on duty that night shook their heads. No one had come this way for a few days. No Bruno.

At this time Agustin had borrowed a horse for Alma she could not sit on while Agustin held the reigns.

Clearly, Alma tried to look strong. But she could not hide the limp that was beginning the show, most likely from exhaustion.

No wonder though… Slowly the sun had started to rise and Agustin started to head back towards Casita.

As they reached the front porch Julieta came out, her big scared looking eyes telling enough.

No Bruno…. Soon enough Pepa and Felix arrived too both shaking their heads. No Bruno.

Eventually, a townsman came towards them… Pulling their horse Daisy with him. Telling them that he had found her without a rider just casually walking towards casita.

And of course, people were searching the area where Daisy had shown up… But no Bruno.

"Mama. You have to sleep." Julieta said.

Alma grimaced clearly not happy with such an order.

"We all do. We've been searching all night." Agustin said hopelessly. "The children need us!"

Then finally Alma squinted her eyes and she hissed. "Keep the search going. I will rejoin in a few hours. And I suspect that so will all of you." she commented and they all nodded.

A few hours after true enough they searched… But there was no Bruno. Nor the day after. Or the day after.

By the third day, they had to start calling off the search. Every corner of the Encanto had been searched. The forest, the church, every basement, and attic.

No… Bruno.

And Dolores had been sitting with crossed legs all day with wide eyes as she tried to listen.

"I can hear every person in the Encanto…" Dolores swallowed and her eyes watered. "Even corpses make sounds. They attract a lot of flies and fluids drip off them," she whispered.

"But what does that mean though if you can't hear him?" Camilo shouted in frustration.

Dolores big eyes turned to Camilo. "I can hear every person in the Encanto," she said then turned back. "So I suppose that has to mean… He's not in the Encanto then." she commented and then shrugged. "huh."