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Bruno knew he wasn't very well liked from some people of his family.
Or the town in general.
But hey, that didn't mean he stopped being part of the Madrigal, and he very much loved them all, though sometimes he remembered some of the harshest words Abuela told him just because the prophecies weren't always good or how she wanted them to be.
'As if I could do something about them' Bruno thought a little sourly, 'I only tell how they are meant to be if they continue the way they are being, the actions of the people are what gets them to being fulfilled' Bruno thought with a strong nod.
Bruno took a deep breath and got up from the couch, picked up two of his most loyal rats and put them under his poncho.
It was time to get up and confront his family, try to help Mirabel into avoid the prophecy, that wasn't mean to be seen from anyone but hey, Mirabel already took it from his room, or, at least, being there as moral support for her.
The thought of Mirabel brought a little smile on his face, he remembered very well how he used to take her on his back and read books to her before sleep.
'I just hope we all can be a family again, it was so much time sin-' was thinking Bruno before he listened his niece's and brother-in-law voices.
"What if you didn't understand what he saw?"
"Then you better figure it out because it was coming for you."
Bruno scrunched a little his nose and furrowed his brow at that accusation from his sister's husband.
He'll have to talk to them about how he didin't make his prophecies run, and fast, if he didn't want his niece to evade him.
"We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no.
We don't talk about Bruno... but"
Bruno felt like someone slapped him and broke a little his heart listening to his sister's voice.
"It was my wedding day"
"It was our wedding day"
"We were getting ready, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky"
"No clouds allowed in the sky"
"Bruno walks in with a mischievous grin-
Thunder!!"
"You telling this story, or am I?"
"I'm sorry, mi vida, go on"
"Bruno says, "It looks like rain""
"Why did he tell us?"
"In doing so, he floods my brain"
"Abuela, get the umbrellas"
"Married in a hurricane"
"What a joyous day... but anyway"
"We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no!"
"We don't talk about Bruno!"
'Mischievous grin?, Pepa, for God's sake I was sweating and trying to avoid look at you at the eye 'cuz I was trying to make you a little less nervous.' Bruno thought with a rolling of his eyes.
'And, the weather, really?, you literally can make whatever weather you want just changing your mood, it was your happiest day, the day was horribly hot for us.' Bruno thought crossing his arms over his chest and giving a strong nod.
"Hey! Grew to live in fear of Bruno stuttering or stumbling
I could always hear him sort of muttering and mumbling
I associate him with the sound of falling sand, ch-ch-ch
It's a heavy lift, with a gift so humbling
Always left Abuela and the family fumbling
Grappling with prophecies they couldn't understand
Do you understand?"
Bruno flinched back at hear that his niece was growing fearing him just because he sometimes stuttered with the family, he wasn't very good talking with people, considering that almost always they wanted nothing to do with him, as if just talking and being near him would pop up into existence a prophecy.
He knew his gift wasn't the most useful or liked, but his gift wasn't all of him.
'But yeah,' Bruno thought sadly, putting his arms across his belly as if he could protect himself a little more, 'not even Mamá really thought my gift was something super special, it wasn't weather change or healing with just a meal, or something more useful to the town and their people.
"A seven-foot frame
Rats along his back
When he calls your name
It all fades to black
Yeah, he sees your dreams
And feasts on your screams.
We don't talk about Bruno, no, no, no!"
"We don't talk about Bruno"
Bruno blinked fast to try to avoid letting tears run down his cheeks.
'Is that really how Camilo thinks I am?, a large and horrible monster who would be happy to make scream his family?' large tears that couldn't be stopped ran freely down his cheeks, 'almost all Pepa's family have said something mean about me now' Bruno took a deep breath to try to calm his raging breath and beating heart and took off those dropped tears, 'yeah, maybe today is not the best day to go out, tomorrow that all those feelings will be down a little more, would be a good day, yeah.'
"He told me my fish would die
The next day: dead!
He told me I'd grow a gut!
And just like he said...
He said that all my hair would disappear, now look at my head
Your fate is sealed when your prophecy is read!"
Bruno snorted at hearing those words and chuckled a little, 'well yeah, if you just left me alone and stopped harassing me about giving a prophecy about you, then you wouldn't have known, but either way those things were going to happen, the poor Goldfish was already old, the now fat man just needed a better diet and the church guy, well, poor dude, but nothing of that was my fault.'
"He told me that the life of my dreams would be promised, and someday be mine
He told me that my power would grow, like the grapes that thrive on the vine"
Bruno smiled and perked up a little listening to Isabela's voice, 'at least someone say something good about-' and Bruno stopped, 'well, yeah, the prophecy, not me, but, still, is something, isn't it?' thought Bruno losing his smile.
"He told me that the man of my dreams would be just out of reach
Betrothed to another"
'Dolores' Bruno thought exasperated, 'that one was mean to be for you to, when you found that man, to forget about him, is not as if he could be the only man that could be for you' Bruno rolled his eyes at that thought.
"Hey sis, I want not a sound out of you"
Bruno stilled.
'Wasn't that what she wanted?, the life of her dreams and her power to grow up?, how is that- how 'cuz of that, she wouldn't want her sister to talk about me?' Bruno was crying again with some little sobs trying to understand why if his prophecy was a good one not even she wanted something to do with him?, was him so unlovable that not even the person who had the best prophecy wanted any mention of him?
Bruno spent some minutes calming himself before returning his full atention, he could listen to the family, yet, talking about how bad he and his prophecies were.
He just turned to return to where he was living when-
"Why did I talk about Bruno?
I never should've brought up Bruno!"
Bruno finally felt his heart fully broken.
His little niece wasn't even going to give him a chance to talk and tell her how were his interpretations of the prophecies.
Bruno let himself fall down and cry without try to stop his tears this time.
All his family hated him.
They didn't really needed him.
He was just a burden when he was with them.
His mother stopped being nice with him a long time ago and just made him feel sad every time he saw disappointment on her eyes when looking at him.
He really didn't know what was he doing in Casita anymore.
This was home since he was born but, it didn't feel like home anymore.
Bruno felt his rats hopping to his shoulders and started to dry his cheeks from his dropped tears.
He let out a humorlessly chuckle.
"Well" Bruno said with hoarsed voice and coughed a little, "it looks that we are going out to never return, but meanwhile, let's return to our place, we'll think what to do tomorrow or the day after tomorrow." he stated adamantly and went to his ‹room› to rest a little and then start packing his things.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bruno was asleep when he felt Casita shaking.
He could hear his rats friends running from side to side.
Then he just felt pain.
So much pain.
He could feel rocks and wood falling over his head, making it a little difficult to see.
'Well' Bruno thought a little relieved but sad, 'I won't have to find a new place to live anymore.'
And then he was over stone and forniture and had part of Casita all over him.
He let one of his latest breaths and closed his eyes when he heard someone crying out loud.
"Bruno!"
"Brunito!"
And then, they'll never talk about Bruno anymore.