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Bruno Madrigal was not a party person. Unfortunately, his family had seen the invite and practically pushed him out the door. He needed to get out more and maybe he’d make some friends yada, yada, yada. Mirabel had been vibrating with excitement for him.
“Come on Tío. They’re going to love you. I’ve been to a party like this and it’s so much fun.”
“Yeah, but you’re sociable,” Bruno argued with the memory of Mirabel in his head.
Onward his feet went despite the nerves. He held the invite in his hand tightly. The idea of being invited to a party was a strange to say the least. No one invited him to things. Except his family. They were obligated to though, so it didn’t count. And yet here he was standing in front of a giant park gate, just before sunset.
Bruno Madrigal,
I’ve heard a lot about you,
so how about you meet my crew?
I got a feeling you’d fit right in,
Come give my Boogie Bash a spin.
-Oogie Boogie
Strange name but he shouldn’t judge. Bruno tucked the invite into his pocket and opened the gate. If he didn’t like it, he could just leave. He wasn’t under any obligations anymore. Besides, maybe it would be nice to meet other people like him.
Whatever that might mean.
The park was filled with party goers. Strangely dressed party goers. It was the Halloween season so he supposed it was a costume party. Apparently, he missed the memo. Not really sure who this Oogie fellow was or what he looked like; Bruno approached the most normal looking guy he could find.
“E-Excuse me? I’m looking for Oog-oh Dios!” Bruno backed away as the man shifted more into some party lights. On his back was giant shotgun.
The man let out a hardy laugh. He was huge in all senses of the word. One of his arm muscles were bigger than Bruno’s head.
“Easy! This gun isn’t for you unless you’re a goose or a deer.”
“O-Okay. Uh I was just looking for Oogie?”
The man with the gun snorted. “He’s around here somewhere. More likely he’ll find you. He’s creepy like that.”
“Okay?”
“I’m Gaston!” The man held out his hand for a shake and Bruno obliged. His hand was almost crushed.
“I’m, ow, Bruno.”
“Bruno? Hmmmm never heard of you. What’d you do to get invited here?”
Bruno chuckled. “I’m trying to figure that out myself. What got you your invite?”
Gaston puffed out his chest. “I tried to save my village and the girl I loved from a beast.”
“Oh! Well, that’s heroic.”
“Right?” Gaston pulled Bruno in and hugged him by the shoulders. “Picture this. A long-forgotten castle and me leading the charge against the beast. The castle was alive and it attacked us. Isn’t that crazy?”
“Less crazy than you’d think,” Bruno said quietly. Gaston didn’t hear him and kept going.
“I fought with the beast. It was a bloody battle. It started-”
“Where was the woman?”
“Huh?”
Bruno managed to pull free of Gaston’s grip with a slight shrug. “I was just wondering where your love was? Did you break her out first or take her to safety?”
Gaston let out a booming laugh. “I locked her up in an asylum wagon with her loony father. She should have stayed there but noooo she had to come and help the beast.
“Uhhhhhhh you...locked her up?”
“Yes! She was raving mad. She had fallen in love with the beast!”
Bruno was not sure he wanted to hear any more of this story. He just didn’t know how to get out of the conversation. Luckly he was saved.
“Hey, pretty boy, you’re forgetting the part where the beast was actually a human prince and the broad didn’t love you.”
The new man appeared in a puff of smoke. It took all of Bruno’s will power not to scream. He was taller than Bruno with bluish skin and blue fire for hair. He was wearing some sort of toga.
“Hello Hades,” Gaston said with an eye roll.
“L-Like g-god of the dead? That Hades?”
“The one and only. Now come on short stuff before Gaston decides to tell you the names of all of his muscles.”
“He was perfectly happy talking with me you-”
“OFF WITH HIS HEAD!”
Gaston moaned at the scream while Bruno jumped out of his skin. A plump woman wearing a red and black dress was marching over to the group.
“Oh, great. This one. Have fun with the dead guy, I got to go.” Gaston sprinted off. The woman called for his head again and chased after him, a few human sized playing cards behind her.
“I’m a god you dolt. I’m not dead!” Hades shouted after them. He shook his head. “This always happens when the queenie gets drunk. She has a thing for him, even though she’s married, but baklava for brains isn’t interested.” Hades shook his head and laughed. “Enough about them though. Unlike Gaston, I can look away from a mirror long enough to care about other people.”
“What do y-you want from me?”
“I always want to look over the new kid.”
Bruno was mildly annoyed at the kid remark. “I’m about to turn 51 thank you.”
“And I’m 3,628,” Hades deadpanned.
Hades looked him over and didn’t seem to like what he saw. Bruno gulped. What did people do in this situation? Small talk?
“So, you’re like...the real Hades? All that underworld stuff?” Doing great Bruno.
“I’m blue and my hair’s on fire. Wha’d’ya think?”
“Right.”
Hades finished his evaluation and shrugged. “So, tell me. What’s your whole deal? What made Oogie invite you?”
Hades put his arm around Bruno and guided him through the party as he talked. A man dressed as a skeleton played a song on his guitar and Bruno thought he might like it if he wasn’t currently walking with the Greek god of the dead.
“Well, I can see the future-”
“Ughh future seers. Personally, I find your type annoying. You folks can never just tell people good news.”
Bruno curled into himself a bit more. He wanted to change the subject. “I-I also tell stories! I write telenovelas!”
“Telewhatahs?”
“N-Never mind.”
Hades found his way to the bar and helped himself to making a drink. Bruno sat and knocked on the wood of the bar to alleviate his nerves. After a moment a drink that was on fire was slid his direction. Hades swallowed his flaming drink whole. Bruno waited for the fire to die down then tried his. He was pretty sure one more drink like that would kill him. Once he stopped coughing Hades gave him a smirk.
“So, Mr. I Can See the Future, care to give a demo?” Hades asked slightly louder than necessary.
“Oh, I don’t do visions anymore,” Bruno laughed uncomfortably. “Besides I thought you didn’t like future seer types.”
“Maybe, but I’m not going to turn down a good opportunity.”
Bruno gulped. How did he turn this guy down? Hades had a look on his face like he was the only one in on a hilarious joke. Before Bruno got anything out of his mouth a delicate hand appeared on his shoulder. He jumped. The hand belonged to a woman giving him a look of curiosity. He had large eyes and even larger dark curly hair.
“Oh, I am so sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” the woman said.
“Uh it’s alright.”
The woman placed her glass of wine on the bar and took a seat next to Bruno. “Did I hear Hades say you could see the future?”
Bruno wanted to scream. He plastered a smile on his face instead. “Yep. It’s a whole thing. There was a candle and well my father he was-”
“We can get into the details later. I’m Gothel.” The woman extended a hand to him and he shook it. She was looking at him strangely, fluttering her eye lashes way too much to be natural.
“My name’s Bruno.”
“Welp, my work is done. You kids have fun!” Hades chuckled and headed out into the main throws of the party.
“What was that about?” Bruno asked.
“Oh, don’t mind him. So, tell me about this magic?”
Is this why he was invited? To do visions? For the first time his temper flared up. “I don’t really like talking about it. It’s a gift that feels more like a curse sometimes. I’ve kind of sworn off doing them.”
Gothel frowned for a moment but then the sweet smile was back. “Such a shame. I bet a handsome man like you can be powerful prophet when he wants to be.”
Handsom? Bruno thought wildly. Oh nooooooo. Abort! Abort!
Most people would have a better way of leaving a situation they wanted nothing to do with. Bruno was not most people.
“Bye.”
With that Bruno flew off the barstool and into the crowd. Gothel reached her hand out to grab his ruana but he was too fast. He heard her yell something out but he really didn’t care. He just wanted to get out of this crazy party.
Lost amongst a bunch of gremlin looking pig people, Bruno tried to find the exit. He turned and yelped as he realized Gothel was making a bee line to him holding a dagger. He crashed his way through the pig people and through playing cards, and then through hyenas of all things. Clambering up the back side of the stage he hid behind one of the curtains.
The hiding spot worked. Gothel lost sight of him and angrily moved on, dagger still out of its sheath. Bruno barely had time to have a sigh of relief before a chuckle made him jump. He was hopelessly tangled in the curtains and finally slipped and crashed to the floor.
“Oh amigo, you are having a rough night, aren’t you?” A hand was offered to pull him up.
A skeletal hand.
Bruno looked up. Above him was the man that had been preforming earlier. Except he wasn't dressed as a skeleton, he was a skeleton.
“Dios Mios!”
“Easy, easy. Cálmate!”
Again, the skeleton offered his hand. After a few deep breaths Bruno took it.
“Hmm where are you from?” The skeleton asked.
“C-Colombia,” Bruno managed to get out.
“No Dios de la Mortes there huh? Ha don’t worry about me I’m just a humble performer. Ernesto de la Cruz!”
“Bruno Madrigal. Hi.” He’d heard of the holiday. He knew locals dressed up as skeletons but actual skeletons were not mentioned in any books. Well, he had met Hades of all people so why was he so surprised? “Can you tell me about this party? Why am I here?”
“The people and creatures here are of a certain...temperament. Come, come.” Ernesto wrapped a skeletal arm around Bruno, something that kept happening tonight, and guided him off stage. They walked through the colorful crowd. Someone one had started a fist fight and the crowd cheered the fight on. On the other side of the party a woman with purple hair and a voice like nails on the chalkboard became a purple tiger in a poof of magic and chased some sort of large constrictor snake wearing a silly hat and short cape.
“Characters, aren’t they?” Ernesto said. “I miss performing for...classier audiences but you get accused of murder and suddenly no one wants to hire you anymore.”
“Mur-Murder?” Bruno voice jumped at least a few octaves.
“Ay, don’t worry about it. My former partner and I got into a slight argument. It’s not like I tried to skin a bunch of puppies like Cruella over there.”
“Who did what now?”
Ernesto ignored him. “Really my case was self-defense!
Bruno didn’t believe that for a second. As soon as Ernesto went into the story and removed his arm from around Bruno, he bolted again. Murders, abusive lovers, animal abusers and gods who liked to play with mortals. Everyone at this party was some sort of villainous type. The thought made Bruno dizzy. What did that say about him that he was invited to this party?
Lost in his thoughts and lost in the party Bruno found himself tripping over someone’s staff. He looked up and managed not to scream. A woman with green skin looked down on him like he was some sort of bug. Her cheekbones were so sharp they could probably cut fabric and black horns grew from her head. She was wrapped in a large cloak and held a staff with a green orb at the edge.
Everything about this woman screamed she could kill him and very easily. Bruno gulped. He had no idea El Diablo was a woman.
“And who are you?” the woman asked in a velvety voice.
“I am so sorry. B-Bruno Madrigal.”
“Hmmmm are you the oracle I’ve been hearing about?”
“Y-Yes señora, I think so.” All Bruno wanted to do was run but he had a feeling being rude was not a good idea with this woman. “M-May I ask your name?”
“You don’t know? What kind of an oracle are you?”
“A bad oracle.”
The woman laughed and offered her hand. Bruno took it and nervously kissed it. That seemed to be the correct response since the smile stayed on her thin face.
“Maleficent. The Mistress of All Evil.”
Bruno gulped. “Yeah, I’m starting to sense a theme here.”
She let out a louder cackle and walked around Bruno, examining him like Hades had. Green magic sparked at the ends of her long nails. Green. Just like his own. It made something uncomfortable wiggle in his stomach.
The magic formed into a swirling mass in front of him. Inside was an image of himself, a manic smile on his face. His eyes glowing that familiar green.
“This could be you. Powerful and feared. Respected. You just need some guidance to reach that potential. I could help you with that.”
Bruno shuddered. That wasn't what he wanted. Even if people saw him a certain way he wasn’t like these people. At least he hoped he wasn’t.
“I appreciate the offer Doña Maleficent but all I want in life is to be with my family. I don’t need all of that.”
Maleficent’s smile dropped and she sniffed in disapproval. A long finger tapped him in the middle of the forehead. “Perhaps you’re right. You seem soft.”
That was probably an insult but Bruno didn’t say anything.
A cruel smile appeared Maleficent’s face. She guided him towards a large tent towards the back of the party. “Go, you do not belong here. However, you should see our host at the very least.”
She pushed Bruno into the flap of the tent with a laugh. When the flap closed, he was surrounded by total darkness for a moment. Then the world lit up in neon green, blue, yellow and red. Before him was a large wheel. Before he could read what was on it though he was pushed by a forced behind him. He stumbled and fell onto the wheel. A large blob wrestled him into restraints. When Bruno was firmly attached to the wheel his assailant stepped back.
He looked like a large canvas bag come to life.
“You're joking? You're joking? You're the guy they’re singing about. Taking a look at your frame, I’m starting to feel some doubt. You ain't seven feet tall, pal I'm going to bust a seam. I doubt a runt like you even eats people's screams.”
Bruno bit his lip. While he appreciated Camilo's creativity this was a problem. The sack monster, that he assumed was the mysterious Oogie, leaned over him and a few worms fell out of his mouth and onto Bruno’s body. He screamed. That made Oogie laugh harder.
“I’m disappointed but I’ll still have my fun. A spin of my wheel here and your life is done.”
“Please! Just let me go!” Bruno cried. Oogie spun the wheel and the world became a blur of color.
“Let you go? Let you go? Do I look like the Snow Queen? Let’s see what the wheel says and I’ll enjoy your screams!”
“HEY! LET HIM GO!”
The voice was familiar. Bruno craned his neck up and was horrified to see Mirabel standing at the entrance to the tent.
“Mira! Get out of here!” Bruno yelled.
“Not without you. Let my tío go you overgrown sack!”
Ooogie let out a laugh that sprayed bugs all over the place. Bruno wiggled against his restraints. He couldn’t let this monster or any of the ones outside touch his sobrina.
“Not a step closer or I’ll use this!” Mirabel pulled something out of her bag. Bruno had to squint to see what it was. He was pretty sure it was the world’s large seam ripper. It was the size of a dagger.
Oogie paused and Bruno swore he head the monster gulp. “Fine.”
Bruno was cut out of his bindings and slipped off the wheel. He ran to Mirabel and grabbed a hold of her hand. Then he started to pull her away as fast as possible.
“You had better not bother him again or I’ll turn you into a purse!” Mirabel shouted behind them.
“Mirabel don’t provoke him. Let’s just get the hell out of here.”
Bruno dragged his enraged niece though the party. No one stopped him and a few people even moved out of his way.
“Hey tío calm down. Your eyes are glowing like crazy.”
Oh. Was it possible these guys were scared... of him? He didn’t let himself think about it until they reached the end of the park and shut the gate behind them. Then Bruno let out a breath and put his hands on his knees.
“What a nightmare,” he huffed out. “Mirabel! Are you crazy?”
“When Sally told me who Oogie Boogie was and what kind of parties he threw, I knew I had to get you out. I was the one who pushed you to go in the first place after all. Sorry about that. Tomorrow you’re coming with me to meet some nice people,” Mirabel said. The way she said it implied there was no room for arguing but Bruno was going to do it anyway.
“I’m not sure I’d belong there Mira. I might not be like them,” Bruno jerked a thumb to point behind him, “but people are frightened of me kid. I- I probably belong there more than I do other places.”
“Tío Bruno! You’re not some sort of villain!”
“But-”
“No! You have a gift that scares people sometimes but you can't control that! People say nasty things when they don’t understand something. But none of it is true. You are loving and kind and the best tío in the world! If I hear one more person say something mean about you, I’m going after them with this seam ripper because it’s not true!”
Bruno was finally able to look Mirabel in the eyes. He saw a fierce love within them. The uncomfortable feeling he had in his gut started to melt away.
“Thanks kid.”
“You’re welcome. Besides Isabela is ten times scarier than you could ever be.”
Bruno laughed. Mirabel took his hand and led him away from the party full of villains. Maybe she was right. Just because he scared people didn’t mean he was a bad guy.