The Fallen Miracle

“Mama!!!”

My eldest daughter’s voice yelling my name took me away from my work and turned to her, “What is it?”

Isabella was carrying a young Mirabel over her back. I was immediately worried, especially since Mirabel was crying, “What happened?”

“Mirabel tripped and now her knee is bleeding.” She answered as Mirabel nodded to confirm this.

“What?!” Luisa says from nearby. The strong girl quickly ran to the scene, “Mirabel’s bleeding?!”

I was already having my mother instincts kicking in as I picked her up from Isabella’s back, looking at my poor hija’s knee. “Oh, you poor thing. I’ll get it healed right away.”

I let her sit on a nearby seat and then grabbed an arepa I made. I handed her to and as Mirabel ate it, the scrap quickly sealed up and disappeared, as if it didn’t exist. Like any 4 year old, Mirabel stopped crying and looked at her knee as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world. The miracle’s magic never ceases to bore her. Not one bit.

“It’s healed!” Mirabel said excitedly, pointing at her knee.

“Yay!” Luisa cheered, glad that her little sister was okay along with Isabella who was equally happy.

As the three of them were talking excitedly, I couldn’t help but enjoy this moment. Not having to worry about cooking meals for the Encanto as I watch my family spend time together.

I wish it could stay like this forever.

I looked from the distance as I sat there, my grey blue wings folding in on themselves at the memories that I could never erase from my mind.

How many years has it… been…

Since I last had a good conversation with Alma? Since my brother disappeared for ten years. Since I last heard my Mirabels's voice? Since the last time I tried talking to Isabella? Since Luisa’s sickness? Since we were losing each other, one by one? Since losing our home? Since I started feeling so… hopeless? Since I died…?

When did I feel so dead exactly? It was so long ago. When the house fell down on Mirabel? When her funeral came? When Isabella layed there so lifeless with that vile or when we prepared her funeral? When Luisa was getting severely sick and I couldn’t do anything about it?

How could things get so wrong? How could… How could I let this happen? What kind of mother am I to fail all three of my daughters?

“Mama?”

I got startled and looked at the person who came inside the room. Luisa still wore the same dress even after death. Though, what was different was the navy donkey ears on top of her head to go along with her navy blue hair and also a navy donkey tail. Not to mention light yellow eyes and light purple wings.

I smiled at her gently, “What is it, Luisa?”

“Is… is everything okay?” whelp, she saw right through me. But it’s not like I can really hide it, especially considering the concerned look my daughter was showing.

“I’m… not really.” I answered her, “I guess it’s one of those days.”

Luisa nodded slowly, “Do… Do you think they're alright? Wherever they are?” she asked, her voice small and worried just thinking about it.

I understand where her warryness was going with this. I was too. Isabella and Camilo are in Hell. Hell of all places. Sera (She hates thinking about her) told me and the rest of the family that Hell isn’t like the eternal torture that earth tends to describe, but she still worries if they’re alright. And lets not forget it’s still unknown of the whereabouts of Mirabel.

My stomach lurched with uncertainty. Mirabel… oh, if only things could have been better for you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do anything to help. Same with you, Isabella. And Camilo too… I just wish it didn’t have to go this way.

And Mirabel… why can’t I see her? As far as I know, she’s a good kid. Always clumsy but still a kind soul. She always tries to see if she could help around the town despite not having a gift, takes care of Antonio and the other kids, and always wanted… to make the familia proud.

If she wasn’t in heaven, then something entirely wrong was going on. It just didn’t make any sense.

… thinking of her sweet baby girl was starting to make her cry.

Why couldn’t she see that the rest of us were proud (Not Alma for sure. But enough of her as she’s done with her). She was the light of the Encanto. She was more than some silly gifts as she was a miracle to the family herself.

But ever since Mirabel was… gone, the rest of the family fell apart. Arguments, grief, suicide. We were dying one by one. Accidents were made, more serious than others. It was a heavy realization that I outlived my children when Luisa’s death approached. We tried to hold on. We really did as the family grew a bit more bigger.

But it always felt like… something was missing. Something that can never be replaced.

“I don’t know… I don’t know…”

Tear streaks were slowly going down. Luisa hugs me gently, trying to sooth me. It was comforting for sure. My daughter’s hugs were always loving.

But… It didn't stop my crying.

And to make it worse, Luisa was crying too.

After we ran out of salty tears, we needed to go see the rest of the family. I’m pretty sure Pepa and Felíx are already going to visit the council to convince (Yell at their doorstep) them to see the rest of their missing family.

I used to join in too… but it just grew tiring and the longer I stood hearing Sera’s excuses, the more I wanted to punch her in the face for ignoring our reasons.

As we got downstairs, I saw my loving husband (trying) to cook. I could tell he was struggling.

Augustin looked fairly different as well. With his dark blue hair and purple eyes. He still wore the same clothes as before and has a fair amount of scars to show his clumsiness. Not to mention the messed up grey wings that did not look functional to fly with.

Luisa and I laughed at his failed attempt at breakfast (Or was it lunch). Hearing our chuckles, he turned around and smiled, “Oh! You’re finally up! I was getting extremely worried!”

I smiled at him, “No need to worry, dear.” I stare at the mess, “And what are you doing?”

He gave a nervous smile, “Heh, well, I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed! You’ve been extremely busy and trying to overwork yourself again these days. I wanted you to relax for a change.”

My heart warmed. Despite the saying of no worries in heaven, I've just been so worried with the rest of the family that I can help. And I guess old habits don’t change, even after death.

“Aw you,” I kissed him lovingly on the cheek, “You know you don’t have to do it yourself you know. You do realize that, right?”

Before he could answer, someone else intervened, “Which was why he asked us to help him.”

Two angels came in, holding some towels and a first aid kit.

One of them was Delores. She was fairly older and she also looked different after death. She wore a red dress and yellow shoes. Her angel wings were a light shade of red and her hair was maroon with a few strands of gray held by her red headband that she still keeps. Not to mention light red eyes and maroon bat ears being covered by orange earmuffs.

The other girl was her eldest daughter, Mira (named after Mirabel), who had dark hair and the same skin as her mother. What was different about her from her mother was that she had golden dog ears and a small dog nose. She had light red eyes and wore a red and yellow t-shirt and jeans. She also had golden yellow and white wings.

“He wanted to surprise you and told us to keep it a se-” The woman widened her eyes and looked at her mother, who was giggling to herself, “Wait, was I not supposed to say that?”

Augustin sighs, possibly thinking to himself of how it was probably bad to ask Mira’s help. She was never good at secrets.

Luisa and I laughed along with her. And eventually, so did Augustin. As the laughter died down I said, “Well, why don’t I help as-”

The door was suddenly slammed open and thunder and lightning crackled as out came Pepa and Felíx, more mad than ever at this moment.

“¡Esa perra! ¡Le ha estado mintiendo a todo el mundo!” she screams.

My brother-in-law shakes Augustin like crazy, “It was so much more worse than we thought! So much more worse than we all thought!”

That certainly got the rest of the people in the room worried.

As he let go of my husband, who was getting dizzy from all of the shaking, I quickly asked “What do you mean? What happened?”

That was when I noticed Emily and Molly at my door. Good friends of the familia and the only ones who support our protest to the council of heaven. It was also then that I noticed a newcomer with them. He looked like a snake.

Knowing that Pepa would just keep ranting angrily, I went towards the three guests, “What happened? What is going on? Does it have something to do with… Hell? Or about Mirabel?”

Judging by her grave expression on the seraphim’s face, I knew it was bad, “we’re going to need the whole family for this.”

After gathering around the living room (It was pretty spacious for a family this big. Especially considering Delores and Mariano having 5 kids and 3 grandkids), all of us had concerned expressions all over their faces. And the more Emily and her friends explain the situation… the more troubled we became.

I was… I didn’t know how to feel about all of this. How can I?

Exterminations… exterminations every year… exterminations killing the sinners in Hell. Hell as in where millions of souls were living. Two of those souls (Or three, we still don’t know about Mirabel) happen to be Isabella and Camilo.

My hijas… and my sobrino as well….

They… they could… they could’ve-

“You’re telling me,” My brother, Bruno, says sitting on an armchair. He had green strands in his dark hair, dark gray skin, green eyes, and green rat ears and tail, “Every year, Exorcist, all led by Adam who is a total pain by the way, goes down to Hell to kill off sinners?! And Sera knew!?”

“Yesss.” Says Sir Pentious (I still can’t believe it’s possible for sinners to redeem themselves and go to heaven. Can Isa and Camilo be redeemed?).

I heard sniffling, and I turned to Luisa, who was crying and saying incoherent muttering. Augustin and I immediately came to her aid. She was obviously not taking it well. We all weren’t.

“It’s horrible I tell you. Horrible!!! They could be dead! My sweet boy could be… BAAAAHH!!!!!” My sister cried, sobbing into her husband’s shoulder as he patted her gently as he tried to soothe both her and himself.

“This isn’t right,” Antonio was standing nearby, clutching his hands into fist. He’s about the age of a young adult and had a scar on his forehead from his death. He wore the same clothes as his father, a red bandana, and blue jeans as well. He had his mother’s hair and his father’s eyes. Antonio’s limbs consist of different animal parts. Like a jaguar arm, an oversized capybara arm, a large coatis leg (The other leg is normal), jaguar tail and toucan wings. His ears were also jaguar ears. And judging by his expression, he didn’t like this news at all. “They can’t just take away their lives like that. It’s wrong.”

Delores wasn’t taking it too well either, taking in the comfort of Mariano(Looks the same and had light yellow wings), her children, and her grandchildren.

It was just too much for us…. Especially for the ones who knew them.

“Mama?” Maya, Mira’s young 7 year old daughter, looked at her mother with wide worried eyes along with her identical twin, Elena. Both had her mother’s ears and also had red hair and green eyes. Not to mention wore a smaller version of the dress that Delores used to wear when she was young. “Are we never going to meet our Tías and Tío?”

“We’re not sure. But from what I know about them, I’m sure they would still be around.” Mira reassured her two girls. But her face just showed uncertainty.

“Yeah,” said Mira’s younger brother, Milo, giving them a confident smile. Always the firery ambitious one. He had dark hair and red eyes. Not to mention fox ears and light red wings. “I’m sure they’ve been kicking exorcist ass!”

“Language, Milo!” His father says to him.

“But he’s right, Papa.” said their other daughter, Bella, who sat next to her teenage son, Arlo, and her other sister, Lucia. She wore an orange dress, dark hair with red strands, light skin, dark eyes, cheetah ears, and orange wings. “But they can’t hold on for long. They need help and someone has to put a stop to all of this!”

Lucia nodded quietly. She was shy but was also just as determined. She had red hair, a white dress, one scratched blind eye while the other red, and mouse ears. Though scared, she wanted to help as well.

Pablo, who was Delores's youngest and is 2 years older than Arlo, was messaging someone fast. Probably his boyfriend about the situation. He was a male version of Mira but with yellow cat ears and red and white wings. He also wore a white jacket, a yellow t-shirt, and red jeans.

“That’s right. But to do that, we need more allies.” Said Molly, “Allies who know Hell better than anyone.”

One of them knew where she was going with this, “Are you saying we go to Hell ourselves? We don’t even know how! If we did, then we all would have done so already!” Said Arlo. He had orange hair, blue electric eyes, wore a white t-shirt with a yellow lightning bolt, and black jeans. Not to mention light blue wings.

“Then we just have to find someone who can.” Mira replied, “Someone like an Exorcist.”

“That’s dangerous!” Pepa called out worriedly, “They're dangerous and if they know what we’re planning, they might kill us too!”

“What other choice do we have?” Bella asked her grandmother, “The only angels that can go down there are the exorcist, the archangels, and God himself. And last time I checked, they’re on a decade-long vacation!” She pointed, showing a video of them on a heavenly beach.

“I hate to admit it,” I said, knowing where this was going, “But we don’t have any other options. And like Bella says. The longer we wait, the longer more sinners like Isabella and Camilo are likely to die. We’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”

The whole family looked at each other, and nodded. We were determined to do this.

“You’re really going to risk you livessss for thissss?” asked a surprised Sir Pentious, shocked that we were really going to go against heaven’s laws.

“Your friends are like family to you, right?” Augustin asked. Pentious nodded. “Family helps one another no matter what. Back then, not all of us realized this until it was too late. We’re not going to let the exact same thing happen again.”

The rest of us agreed all at once.

“Then it’s decided,” Emily announced, “We’ll figure out a plan. A plan to get into Hell itself.”

All of us gathered around, pitching ideas one by one, our actions intent on protecting and saving the ones we love.

I thought back to everything that had happened in my life. All the bad… and yet the good.

I’m not going to let my family go through this alone. We weren’t letting Sera nor the Exorcist get away with this. We’re going to get our family back.

Camilo, Isabella, Mirabel, we’ll see each other soon.

No matter what, family is most important.