The Past's Flame//Camilo Madrigal

CHAPTER 1

I hadn't seen him for a long while. And honestly, I didn't know what to do, it's been around a week maybe a week and a half. I was used to him coming every day unless I was traveling. The town was buzzing talking about the Madrigal family once more, this time about the falling of Casita and how it got rebuilt and regained its magic. I knew a fair amount of things about the magical family but I had never engaged with them, except Bruno that is.

I was walking around the empty house that Bruno kept me in. He didn't force me to stay or anything but it was the house I grew up in and he would prefer me not to leave when I was young, now I kind of just travel through the mirror but never really go to the village.

The cottage was rather small and dusty but I was happy to have been raised by Bruno. He didn't live here he said he didn't want to ruin my reputation so he came at least 5 times a day to check up on me and left notes when I was traveling, he was like a father to me. A parent something I can't remember to have, I do remember some people from my past but all my memories are very fuzzy and blurry. However, he hasn't come back for a while and my anxiety rose to make me think maybe he got tired of me by now. Maybe something happened to him.

I took off the white, torn ruana that I slept in. I put on a yellow long flowy dress that Bruno made out of a ruana and I put on a light brown cloak with sleeves. The ruana had a deeper cut than most dresses here but no one would see me anyway and it wasn't that deep of a cut.

I sat under the window on the floor as I watched the light shining into the room beside me, the dust flew around looking like the smallest fairies or fireflies. The door squeaked as it opened and the yellow early sunlight shone through. I looked over to it, as soon as I spotted those glowing, venomous, green eyes I ran up to my father figure and hugged him as tight as possible. He spun me around laughing, I had missed him so much. "I taught you got tired of me and left!" "Never my little rat!"

He began rambling about everything that happened the past week. He told me that I would move in with him, back in the Casita, I was nervous, I didn't have contact with anyone except the people in the city I so often traveled to. I doubted anyone even knew about my existence because this house was so far away from the village. He assured me he wouldn't let me alone and would help me get used to everybody. I agreed and he helped me to pack up my things. I had realised that some of my things were missing, as I asked Bruno about it he started sweating and said they'll show up again.

We took the few boxes and walked outside. A tall, muscular woman stood there taking the boxes from my hands. "My name is Luisa Madrigal, it's nice to meet you." I smiled awkwardly as I tried to stand closer to Bruno, hiding behind him. She was pretty but I was scared, I never talked to anyone except the rat-man before. "Luisa this is mi hija Aelia, Aelia Luisa is my niece." "You have a child?" Luisa seemed shocked. "No, no, she's like a daughter to me but not ACTUALLY my daughter, you know?" She nodded understanding.

We entered through the back door and got to a room. That's where all my stuff went! My crystals and books and my stuffed rat! There were a bunch of stuff I've never seen and a bunch of stuff that wasn't mine. "So why did we enter through the back door again?" Luisa asked as she put down the boxes. "Because if not then everyone would ask her questions and she'd get overwhelmed and I don't want that. We first let her get comfortable and then introduce her to the family." Luisa nodded understanding and smiled at me. "We put some stuff we taught you might like in your room, like makeup and some products for your face and so, ya know girl stuff. And Bruno insisted on the old knickknacks and on the stuffed toys and massive amount of pillows." Bruno crossed his arms with a pout as Luisa chuckled. I gave her a quick hug and muttered a thank you. She smiled, hugged me back, and went out of the room.

"Papa?" Bruno hummed as he sat on my bed. "Where do you stay?" I was looking through the stuff, there was a bunch of colourful powder and a bunch of masks and liquid for the face, I didn't understand it's use? "I switch a lot between rooms, I rather not stay in my old room you know?" I nodded remembering what he had told me. I put the rest of my belongings away and started at the pictures on the board. I smiled at the picture of papa. I looked into the chest in front of the bed to see a bunch of clothes. "Some are made some are bought and some are from the cottage, they wanted to throw them out because they are so torn but I know you like wearing them." I smiled and hugged the taller man. "Gracias papa!"

For about half an hour I just cuddled my papa and Rata the stuffed rat when the door creaked open. A girl with curly hair in a bun and a red bandana came in, she looked very pretty! Everyone here looked pretty! She waved at me happily as she quietly closed the door behind her. "Dolores, what are you doing here?" "I heard noise already for a while so I decided to come to check and I was right she arrived already! Aww and she's so pretty." I tried to hide my existence in my papa's arms making sure the cloak covered my hair, I didn't want people seeing my hair. I didn't like it.

"Awww why is she hiding? I don't bite." I felt Bruno rub my back which calmed me a bit as I hugged Rata. "She's not very social and hasn't really met many people, she'll need time to loosen up." Dolores nodded and smiled. She sat down beside me. "So you found the makeup and products we left here for ya?" I nodded. "Do you know what they are for?" I shook my head as she began explaining. I warmed up to her pretty quickly.

Word count: 1141
{Edited}