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Creak.
Boom.
Crack.
Bang.
Bruno’s legs screamed at him to stop, to allow them a moment to breathe. He would have completely agreed with them if it weren’t for the crumbling house behind him. Bruno scooped up any rats that he could find, stuffing them into his ruana. He could only hope that the ones he couldn’t help made it out.
The man could hear his family members just beyond the walls. They were all yelling and screaming, confused and desperate. It struck fear into his heart hearing them all call out, knowing that he wasn’t there to help them. Even worse, he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
He ran down another corridor, desperate to reach the exit before he was swallowed up. He ignored the exposed bamboo that screamed for him to stop and mutter, he disregarded the cracks in the floors and walls, sprinting across them, despite their bad luck.
The home surrounding him falling faster and faster.
He wasn’t going to make it out.
Then he saw it, out of the corner of his eyes the light shine of a bucket. Jorge’s bucket. He felt his legs push him just that much further, and he saw Bitty, one of his younger rat friends, running across a piece of bamboo, stopping to look at Bruno in fear. He grabbed the small creature, hiding him away, before picking up the bucket and placing it on his head.
Only one way out.
He rammed his head against the wall, not particularly knowing if he was about to push himself into the interior or exterior of the house. He didn’t really care, all he knew was that if he didn’t move, he would be crushed, him and all of his amigos.
The wall gave way much easier than he had expected. He felt gravity pull his body, rolling down what he could only assume was a hill. Pained squeaks of the rats he saved sung out from underneath his poncho.
When the movement stopped, he slowly pulled up the bucket, peaking out to take in his surroundings. The faint sound of his family’s shouts echoing in the background. Bruno could feel a few of his companions crawling out from his clothing.
“Are you all okay?” He asked them, watching as their little bodies shook. A few nods and weak peep or two was enough to convince him. He released a deep breath that he didn’t know he was holding in. He reached into his ruana, searching for his pocket of salt.
As he did, he noticed how shaky his own hands were, how staggered his breaths were. Slowly he grabbed a small handful and tossed it over his left shoulder. Desperate to rid of any bad luck.
Well… any more bad luck.
It was silent for a moment,
eerily quiet.
Crack.
He looked up at Casita only to watch it come tumbling down.
No.
No. No.
No. No. No.
No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO!
What happened? It was getting better! Mirabel went to talk to Isabela, The cracks were healing!
Did he throw the salt over his right shoulder? Was it because he stood on those cracks?
This can’t be happening.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Did everyone make it out?
Did everyone make it out?
“Sana sana colita de rana.”
He muttered to himself over and over and over.
“Sana sana colita de rana. Sana sana colita de rana ”
Bruno felt his body shake and his breathing speed up. He flinched as the ground shook from his tower falling to the ground. The noise was deafening.
Then the silence was back. That disturbing silence.
“Mirabel!” Bruno’s head snapped up at his eldest sister’s voice. Julieta was calling out for her youngest, his niece.
Why was she calling out for her?
Is she okay?
Is she hurt?
If she was, then it was his fault.
It was his fault.
His fault
His fault.
His fault.
He sent her off to go and save the miracle.
He sent her off alone.
It was his fault.
He never should have left her.
“Julieta, come quickly!” Pepa yelled out.
Pepa?
What was wrong with Pepa?
Was she also hurt?
Did she find Mirabel?
This was all his fault.
His fault.
His fault.
His fault.
Tears began to bunch up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.
“Julieta!” Pepa screamed out again.
He had to make sure they were okay.
He had done this.
He had sent his niece off to complete this mission.
Now look what had happened.
All because of him.
He stood up shakily and began making his way towards his family.
“If I don’t hear them, they’re not in trouble.” He muttered to himself. “If I don’t hear them, they’re not in trouble.”
Slowly the noise began to pick up, people talking over each other, townspeople racing up to the family’s house, people had already begun shifting the rubble.
Somehow, all the background noise helped calm him.
It gave him something else to focus on.
He waited, hiding behind a fallen pillar.
Waiting to hear his family calling out.
Waiting to hear that his beloved sobrina was safe.
Waiting for a miracle.
He shakily took a breath, doing his best to calm down.
“Mirabel?” His older sister called out again.
“Mirabel!”
Something was wrong.
“Mirabel!” This time it was Agustín.
Something was very wrong.
“Mirabel?” Félix shouted this time.
Something was very, very wrong.
He found himself running through the debris, feeling the jagged edges of fallen cement slice the skin on his calves.
“Mirabel!” He yelled, finally standing out in the open.
Where was she?
Was she okay?
He had to find her.
He had to make sure she was okay.
This was all his fault!
“Mirabel!” He yelled again, straining his voice.
He dug through fallen pieces of Casita, hoping not to find her under each pile.
“No, no, no, no, no, no! Mirabel!” His voice broke as he screamed again. Bruno could feel his heart rate increase and his palms become sweaty.
His entire body began to shake nervously, air hastily entering and exiting his lungs. He quickly turned around, ready to continue his search.
A small gasp filled Bruno’s ears but it wasn’t enough to make him stop.
The man turned to another large mound of ruin pulling it apart.
He ignored the harsh sting that filled his hands as the edges scratched away at his skin.
“Please, no. Please don’t be under here. Please don’t be under here.” He begged to no one in particular.
“Bruno.” He heard Julieta’s voice say quietly.
It didn’t stop him from his objective, desperate to ensure his sobrina wasn’t crushed by his childhood home.
A warm hand weighed on his shoulder, then slowly moved down to his forearm, slowly pulling his hand away.
“No! No, no, no! I need to know! I need to know if she made it out.” He cried as he tried to pull away from her grasp.
“Bruno, stop.” She said.
He could hear the pity in her voice.
“No. It's all my fault.” He said again, this time more broken.
“Please.” He could feel his knees weaken.
“Bruno.” Another warm hand touched his shoulder, causing his knees to buckle under his weight.
“No. This is all my fault. Please, no. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” The words spilt from his mouth and tears began to freely flow down his cheeks.
“Bruno. She made it out.” Julieta spoke quietly to her baby brother.
"She made it out."