Chapter Text
I may not exactly be the youngest one here, but I’d say I’ve lived a pretty good life. Living in the Encanto is nothing short of a blessing, and my familia goes without question.
Now, sliding down a makeshift water slide with the hopes of escaping a collapsing castle; this wasn’t exactly on my bucket list of things to do in life.
As I stared at the busted, rusty pipe, I felt a lifetime’s worth of apprehension and fear wash over me. No matter what my vision foretells, there was no denying how wet, cold, and risky this plan was about to be.
“So… who’s going first?” asked Mirabel? Clearly no one was jumping at the chance to go through with this impromptu plan.
Before anyone could comment any further, yet another earthquake shook us to the core. This time, even more of the ceiling gave way; Julieta would have been buried had Luisa not pushed her aside in the nick of time. Shock was written on both their faces as they glanced at one another and shared a silent look of thanks between.
“Alright, I’ll go first then,” said Luisa. Before anyone could protest, the strong girl held up her hand to silence them.
“Look, I’m the largest one here, right?” reasoned Luisa. “It’s better that I go first in case there’s a narrow gap in the pipes. That way you guys could push me from behind and keep anyone from… well, you know.”
While I still had serious misgivings about the plan, we were out of time. Begrudgingly, the others and I stepped back to make room for her to start our escape.
Luisa stepped up to the pipe and paused. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and leaned over to grip the sides of the pipe. Before leaping in, she turned her head back once more.
“See you on the other side,” she said. Luisa, before she could change her mind, promptly lowered her legs into the water and was immediately swept away down the pipe and out of sight.
There was silence as the reality of the situation settled over us.
“Ill go next,” announced Mirabel. She gave a quick peck on her mother’s cheek and a side hug before hopping into the water. She too was quickly swept away and out of sight.
“Alright, you go next, Bruno,” said Pepa. I flinched at the sound of my name and I quickly turned around. My eyes widened at the prospect of what we were about to do.
“Look, I don’t trust you to go last and back out at the last second,” said Pepa. She had stepped closer to me and was wagging her finger in my face. “And we’re not splitting up again. So you go next or so help me.”
Seeing as though there was no other choice, I turned around and bit my lower lip. This was it: our last shot at escaping this horrible place alive.
As I approached the pipe, I felt tiny droplets hit my face, making me shiver. No doubt this was about to be the craziest thing I’ve ever done.
I couldn’t bear to turn around one last time, afraid that I may back out for good. Instead, I gripped the sides of the pipe and lowered myself down.
“Well, see you guys in a few,” I said.
The moment my feet touched the water, I instantly regretted it.
The water was frigid beyond belief, and powerful to boot. I felt the current pull me forward and I was whisked away at breathtaking speed.
Now I was in total darkness and surrounded by frigid water. How long this journey would take was anyone’s guess, but I was hoping it would end sooner rather than later. Between the insurmountable cold, tight space, and lack of air, my fears rose tenfold as I raced down the pipe.
Each time the pipe changed direction, I would slam into the sides and a few precious air bubbles would escape me. I tried not to think about the need to breathe as the current accelerated onward.
Minutes seemed to drag on. I felt overwhelmed by the freezing water. How much longer, I thought. The mounting pressure in my chest was becoming too much to bear.
Suddenly, I felt myself slam into something solid. The collision jolted me and I inhaled without thinking. An oddly cold burning feeling enveloped me as I sputtered and choked on the water.
Without any mercy, the current simply pulled me forward. I had no idea what I had hit and, frankly, I didn’t care at this point. I just wanted this nightmare to end!
The burning grew stronger the longer I gasped and choked on the freezing water. Panic was now settling in as I struggled to swim against the current and find an air source. However, this made no difference as the current continued down its unending path.
Far too soon, I felt my movements slowing. My thoughts became muddled as the pressure inside me seemed to spread down my limbs. The pain and hopelessness I felt was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
A heavy fog clouded my head as the pain in my chest seemed to spike. Against my will, sleep overcame me and I knew no more.
Third Person POV
The Madrigals were swept away down the pipe to an unknown fate.
Seconds stretched on as the wayward travelers followed the current underground and out of the castle. Just as it seemed there would be no end to their arduous journey, the current suddenly shifted downward. The pipe had an opening jutting out of a cliff face and was gushing water into a stream below.
The weary travelers fell and crashed into the water below. Mirabel was the first to surface and gasped for breath. Luisa was next to appear and looked just as shell-shocked as her sister.
“We *gasp* we did it,” said Mirabel. “We made it!”
Luisa glanced around but didn’t see anyone other than her sister. “I guess the others haven’t gotten here yet.”
Mirabel looked around in confusion. “That’s odd. I could’ve sworn I felt someone collide with me back there.”
“I thought it was you that shoved me,” said Luisa. Unbeknownst to the others, Luisa had indeed gotten stuck during her descent. The pipe had narrowed and wedged her in place, and Luisa had been helpless to free herself. Just as her sanity began to spiral, she felt someone slam into her from behind. However, this hadn’t been enough to free her. Moments later though, a second force slammed into them and successfully dislodged her.
“Wait a minute. You went right after me, didn’t you?” asked Luisa.
Mirabel nodded. “Yeah. Good thing too. I think you got stuck there at one point, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. But who went after you?” asked Luisa. “Wasn’t there someone else that hit us from behind?”
Mirabel went quiet, looking deep in thought. The two girls paddled in place as several splashes sounded from the nearby pipe. The two looked over and were relieved to see Camilo and Pepa’s heads emerge from the water.
The two yellow-cladded Madrigals gasped and sputtered as they tried to regain their composure. Camilo spat out a stream of water and brushed the damp hair out of his eyes.
“Whew, what a ride!” he said. “Who’s up for round two?”
Pepa was looking frantically around the water. Despite her frizzled hair and pale complexion, the young woman looked ready to burst into tears.
“Antonio!” she cried “He was in my arms when we went down! Where is he?!”
Mirabel felt her spirits plummet. No no, this can’t be happening!
The two sisters shared a meaningful look before taking deep breaths and diving below the water’s surface.
The two struggled to navigate through the murky water. Despite their limited visibility, the two girls swam as fast as they could through the water, desperate to find their little cousin.
Just when all hope seemed lost, Mirabel’s outstretched hand brushed against soft fabric. In response, Mirabel promptly gripped the appendage and swam upward.
As Mirabel once again broke the surface, she couldn’t help but think that the arm felt longer than her cousin’s. A quick glance down and she realized the awful truth.
“No, no…” Mirabel shook her head in disbelief. “Guys, help! Help!”
For a girl so young, Mirabel didn’t think it was possible to feel such terror. Never in her life did she feel as helpless as when she found her uncle drowning at the bottom of a stream.
As Camilo swam over to help his panicking cousin, Julieta suddenly emerged from the pipe and crashed into the water. She too broke the surface and gasped for breath.
“I’ve got him!” Pepa glanced over and was relieved to see her niece carrying her lost son over her shoulder.
“I can’t tell if he’s breathing!” shouted Luisa. “Help me get him out!”
By the time Julieta gained her composure, she saw that her family had already exited the water. She was quick to follow as she heaved herself over the ledge and onto dry land.
Her relief was short lived when she took in the direness of the situation.
Luisa and Pepa were leaning over their smallest family member. Antonio laid supine and had yet to move. His jaw was slack and his skin was pale. A puddle of water lay beneath him and his hair was sprawled out behind his head.
Nearby, Mirabel and Camilo were hunched over on their knees and facing away from her.
As she realized the seriousness of the situation, Julieta sprang forward and leaned over the young boy. She didn’t hesitate to grip his wrist and lean her ear against his chest. After a few long moments, she felt his shallow breathing and faint heartbeat.
“He’s,” she gulped. “He’s alive.”
Pepa sank a few inches and Luisa leaned back in relief. Before anyone could comment any further, Mirabel spun around and was visibly shaking.
“Mama, help!” she cried. “It’s Bruno, I can’t wake him up!”
Fueled by sheer panic, Julieta and Pepa dashed toward their fallen brother, with Luisa not far behind. Mirabel, with tears in her eyes, crawled back to make room for them.
As Camilo stepped back to give the woman more space, Julieta saw the horrible state her brother was in.
Like Antonio, Bruno was soaked, limp, and cold to the touch. However, no matter how hard Julieta searched to find a pulse or sign of life, he remained unresponsive.
Her look of devastation must have been obvious, because Luisa was quick to drop to her knees and start chest compressions.
As Luisa pressed her hands against his chest, Julieta cringed at the thought of bones breaking. No, don’t think that way, she thought. He’s going to be okay, he has to!
Meanwhile, Pepa and Mirabel could do nothing but watch in horror at the scene unfolding. Camilo backed away nervously and crouched beside his brother, afraid and feeling powerless to help in such a dire situation.
As Luisa continued to force life back into their fallen family member, Bruno suddenly hitched forward. Water spewed from his mouth and he made an awful gurgling sound. Unperturbed, Luisa grasped his shoulder and forced him onto his side. Water began rushing out of his mouth as Bruno continued to cough and splutter.
Eventually, Bruno’s coughs subsided and his breathing started to even out. Julieta tried once again to find a pulse on his wrist and was relieved to find one.
“That… that was too close,” said Julieta. Nobody commented on what had just happened. For a brief moment there… they had lost him. Too much fear and tragedy had occurred in such a short amount of time.
Pepa spoke up. “We… we need to regroup. Get our supplies and hunker down for a while. At least until everyone’s on their feet again.”
Nobody opposed her suggestion. The afternoon sun was quickly setting in the horizon, and it was only a matter of time before temperatures dropped even further.
Camilo stood up. “I’ll go back and find our things,” he said. “I’ll be back in a few.”
“I’m coming too!” insisted Mirabel. Without further delay, the two walked briskly away from the small group and disappeared behind the nearby tree line.
Now alone with two unconscious people, the three remaining women glanced at one another with the hope that someone would know what to do next.
“Well, I.. I’ll go collect some firewood, I guess,” said Luisa. As she stood up and scavenged the nearby brush for lumber, Julieta lowered her guard and felt her face flush with sorrow.
“Oh, Pepa,” she mumbled. “We almost lost two of our own today.”
Pepa lowered her head but didn’t respond. Instead, she wrapped her arm around her sister’s shoulder and pulled her closer. The two shared a few silent moments together, and yet the motion said a thousand words between the two.
Faith would be the hero of the day. They had to be strong. For their children, for their family, for their home.