Chapter Text
“¡La Familia Madrigal!”
*Click*
Thoughts swirled in Mirabel’s head as she watched her family take a photo showing off their gifts. One without her as usual. Not that it mattered anyway.
She felt the cracks forming on her chest. A feeling that was all too familiar for her liking. It hurt, but she was used to it. It was her fault it happened. After all, she was the one to startle the bruja that cursed her.
She made her way out of the room where the party was raging. She needed to get away. It pained her to see the family so…happy without her.
Mentally and physically.
It’s not like she could tell anyone about it. Whenever she was around people, it was like her vocal cords stopped working. It was as if they’d been cut. The only people she was able to talk to were Antonio and Dolores. Even then, it wasn’t much.
Her mind swarmed with constant degrading thoughts as she made her way to her room the nursery.
‘Of course they wouldn’t want you there, can’t have the family defect ruining the photo.’
The cracks were making their way down her arms. She needed to cover them. Her family couldn’t know. Dolores already found out due to her enhanced hearing. If the rest of them knew, she’d be even more shunned than she already was.
The bruja wasn’t able to lift the curse, but she secretly delivered a monthly set of potions to help with the pain and cover the cracks. It was a life saver.
She used makeup to cover the scars the potions wouldn’t. Without them she looked like she was about to fall apart at any second. Like a human made of shattered glass. Just goes to show how much her family has hurt her.
She picked up her pace as pain seared throughout her body. If she didn’t get to the nursery, she risked passing out and someone finding her covered head to toe in cracks. She couldn’t allow that.
Black clouded the edges of her vision as she started jogging to the best of her ability. She was so close! Casita helped her out as well. Moving the floor tiles towards the nursery as she ran, making her job a bit easier.
She burst through the door and quickly made her way to her stash of potions. Everything hurt so badly and she knew she didn’t have much time. She grabbed a half empty bottle while trying to keep herself upright.
Her breaths became sharp and ragged as she struggled with the corkscrew. Fiddling with it until it popped off the bottle. She only managed a sip before the world went dark.
‘No no no Shit!’ She thought as she realized that it was too late.
At least she was in the nursery.
Isabela had watched as Mirabel left the room. ‘Probably going to bed’ she thought. She knew it was a hard day for her, but didn’t think she would leave without saying goodnight to Antonio.
She went on with the night like any normal person would. Talking with the villagers, dancing, eating, and overall enjoying herself. Antonio got a gift, the ceremony was a success, all was well.
Or so she thought.
She caught a glance of Dolores, who looked very panicked, and walked over.
“Dolores you alright?” She asked. Hopefully it was nothing.
“You need to go check on Mirabel.”
“Mirabel? I thought she went to bed? Is she okay?”
“Don’t ask questions, just go.”
If something was really wrong, why was she asking her to go and not her mama?
“Why don’t you go get my mama? If it’s serious I can’t do anything.”
“Everyone else is busy but please go.”
A little bit of panic started to set in. What could possibly be wrong?
“Ok…”
As she made her way out of the room, part of her wondered why Dolores didn’t go herself. Why was she the one that had to go.
She walked down the hall to the nursery when she heard it. The sound of shattering glass. She sprinted the rest of the way and slammed open the door. What she saw was absolutely horrific.
Mirabel– her sweet baby sister– passed out on the floor, covered head to toe in cracks. Shards of glass were all over the floor with some strange blue liquid spilling out the bottle the glass came from.
She– almost instinctively– rushed onto the floor and put her hand up to Mirabel’s neck. Just to make sure.
She sighed a breath of relief when she felt a steady pulse. Nothing was wrong, yet everything was wrong. Why was she cracked? Isabela was almost afraid to touch her. Like she was going to shatter at the slightest touch. She did anyway. And what was that liquid?
She called for Dolores, who arrived not long after. They cleaned up the mess of glass and whatever that blue substance was. Once finished with that they moved Mirabel up onto her bed.
“You know something I don’t. Don’t you?”
“I needed someone to help and I.. I know that you care about her deeply, even though you don’t make that known.”
“Flattering,” she stated bluntly, “Now can you please tell me what’s wrong with my hermana?”
“She… s-she’s cursed”
“WHAT?!”
Dolores winced at the volume, covering her ears. Isabela didn’t care. He hermanita was cursed.
Everything made so much sense. Her tendency to run off at the most random times. The secrecy that was so obvious if you paid enough attention. The looks of pain when nothing was around to cause harm. How long had she kept this secret?
“It happened a year after her gift ceremony, she was playing in the woods and ran into a bruja. The bruja was, uh, a bit startled by her sudden appearance, so she uh… she accidentally cursed her in her panic.”
“She’s had this for 9 years- and didn’t TELL ANYONE?!”
“She was scared you guys would shun her even more. She’s already selectively mute because of that. I’ve been teaching her sign language. It’s how she talks to me on her really bad days. She manages a few words to me and Antonio on good days… but not much.” Dolores looked down a little.
How could she have been so stupid? Her baby sister– the one she was supposed to protect more than ever– was, first of all cursed, and selectively mute? All she’d ever done to her was tell her to get out the way or stop ruining her life. Dios she was an awful sister.
“Is she gonna wake up?”
“She will. Give it a few more minutes.”
Judging by Dolores’s knowledge on the situation, this was obviously not the first time it’s happened.
“How did you know about this? Did she tell you?”
“I heard it happen.”
“Oh…”
Silence fell upon the both of them. They sat on Antonio’s old bed as they waited for Mirabel to wake up. The party was still going on.
They stayed like that for a good 5 minutes before Mirabel started to stir. Both of them sat up and watched as she blinked her eyes open.
“Wha- agh!”
Mirabel curled into herself in pain. Everything hurt so badly. She needed the potion.
She felt her glasses being placed on her face. Once her eyes adjusted she could make out Dolores kneeling in front of her.
“D-dolores,” She struggled to get the words out. Not just because of the pain, but because of the feeling of her throat closing up on her.
“P-p-”
“Deep breaths Mira, it’s ok, I’m here.”
“Potion,” she strained.
“Isabela, there should be a box of potions behind the dresser. Could you grab one?”
Oh. Isabela was here too. Wait what-
“Sure.”
What in the world was Isabela of all people doing here? Did she know? Of course she did. She was here. In the room. Watching her.
She felt the glass bottle being pressed against her lips as she processed all of this. The disgusting liquid making its way down her throat as the pain lessened.
Isabela knew. She would tell everyone.