The Lost Miracle

Chapter 2: A New Foundation

Mirabel's feet pounded the earth below her, desperate to flee from the echoes of her name. The villagers were still searching for her. It had been hours since the fall of Casita, but the girl kept running. She saw what she did to her familia. She saw the horrible effect she had on everyone and everything around her. Her entire family was devastated, their home was destroyed, and it was all because of her. But it would never happen again.

Mirabel made the decision to leave. It may seem like she didn't care, not leaving some kind of sign that she was safe, not letting a single soul know what she was doing, but this was the most thoughtful thing she had ever done in her life. At least to her it was. She reflected on what her Tio Bruno did. He stayed with the family in secret, yet he couldn't save the magic. She couldn't save the magic. No matter what she did, it was in vain. The house was gone, and along with it, the Madrigal's youngest granddaughter.

The trees and vines of the forest blended together from the girl's tears. Everything was a blur, she couldn't see, she couldn't even think. It was as if her legs were on autopilot, taking her farther and farther away from her home. The ground grew uneven, making it harder to run. It was a struggle to keep herself from tripping on the rocky terrain, but of course, Mirabel persisted. The forest was completely quiet now. There were no birds chirping, no gurgling streams, all was silent. The only noise that could be heard was her sandals stomping on the ground. But that noise soon ceased as well. Mirabel forced her feet to stop running and took a deep breath in. Falling to the ground in exhaustion, she pushed her emerald glasses up to wipe her eyes clear of tears. She was in a clearing, at the top of a small hill. Looking up, she wiped her nose and saw... the sunrise. A beautiful pink sky above a little village. Lights could be seen through the windows of the houses, people waking up to start their day. It truly was a lovely sight, but not enough to calm her trembling heart.

Mirabel was so scared. The girl had no idea where she was going, but she couldn't care less. She had to do this for her family. But how could a child survive by herself? Could she stay in the forest? Would this new village accept her? Anxious questions ran through her head, everything made the frightened feeling grow inside her. She was terrified. Mirabel's body began to shake. It felt like the whole world followed.

It... really did feel like the world was shaking with her... Mirabel looked to the ground. Pebbles littering the floor trembled, the trees shook and before she could process any of it- she fell.

The rocks of the hill toppled down, pulling Mirabel down with them. She pulled her knees to her chest, covered her head and face with her arms, desperate to protect herself from the ground below. Tumbling and turning, the world spinned and spinned- then, all was still. Mirabel uncurled herself from her frightened position. She was... unharmed? Mirabel examined herself as best as she could. She was safe. How could she still be alive? The young girl picked herself up from the ground and stood in place. She had miraculously fallen right in front of the village. But screams were then heard from within. Cries of anguish echoed through the air. Once again without thinking, the runaway made her way towards the cries for help.

At the other side of the village lay a destroyed house. Memories from the previous night tried to make their way into Mirabel's mind, but she pushed them aside. The family of the house, a woman, an elderly couple, and two teenagers, stared in at their house. Only a few people had woken up from the earthquake. But they too only stared at the ruble in front of them. The only one who wasn't staring at the house was the elderly woman, who was struggling to pull something from under some of the debris.

"Wait," Mirabel walked to the matriarch, startling her. Mirabel internally winced, I shouldn't scare someone like that. Especially an elder. The woman looked around Abuela Alma's age. Old and wise just like her own abuela, but instead of the coldness that Mirabel associated with her, there was a warmth in this new woman's eyes. A warmth and a sense of sadness, though of course, that made complete sense. Anyone would be sad if their home was just destroyed. "Let me help you." Mirabel picked up a wooden plank on the ground and walked toward the woman. She wedged the plank between the two piles of rubble and pushed down, lifting the broken house up from the item the abuela was pulling. "Take it... now!" she told the woman, her voice strained from trying to lift the small portion of the broken wall. The woman snatched the fabric and gently laid it on the ground, gracefully wiping the dust off of it.