Aflame || Bruno Madrigal

Fire, cool right?

Suddenly I was awoken by a stick poking my face. I lazily opened my eyes and maybe three or four children jumped back screaming. They screamed something about 'it being alive' and 'call Mirabel'. Or maybe something with an actual bell.

My head throbbed as I sat up. My clothes were still dripping wet and now covered in layers of mud.

"What do you- AH ... oh my god!" A shorter woman with tan skin and short brown curly hair was being dragged by a few of the children.

She seemed to go through the few stages of grief while looking at me. I didn't realize I was such a mess.

I waved slightly and smiled awkwardly.

She walked towards me and knelt down. She looked me over with concerned eyes.

"How long have you been here?" She asked.

"The night. Your house wouldn't let me in." I said bluntly.

She looked up at the house and scoffed, "Casita! You're supposed to welcome guests not throw them out to die!" She turned red from anger but then looked back to me, "I'm Mirabel, you are?"

I widened my eyes. I could lie and start a new life, oh how lovely that would be, but in reality I had nothing bad to run from.

"Leonardo."

Mirabel smiled and stood. She extended her hand and I took it. I smiled awkwardly and felt a pulsating emotion form throughout my body. Was this hope?

I got too excited and she instantly recoiled her hand in pain. Oh no, did I burn her?

"Ah," I clenched my teeth, "I'm so sorry, you see sometimes that, uh, happens when I get excited. Not that you make me excited- YOU DON'T. I mean you look like you're at least a teenager and that would be weird and..." I trailed off.

The entire time she studied her hand, then she looked up with a curious look. Which made me stop rambling.

"You have a gift?" She asked curiously.

"Will you burn me at the stake if I say yes?"

Mirabel laughed slightly and shook her hand, "My family has gifts. So no, unless we feel like it." She gave me a smirk and I laughed uncomfortably.

Then her words sunk in.

"Your family has gifts?" She nodded, "So I won't be outcasted? Hunted for sport? Maimed?" I raised my eyebrows with each accusation.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "Is that what happened to you, Leonardo?"

I opened my mouth to speak but I stopped. I realized I dug myself into a hole where I had to tell the truth or lie.

"No I was just curious." I tried to look convincing.

She somehow fell for it and led me inside.

"What's your gift?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing," Mirabel said nonchalantly as she led me into the main corridor.

The house, casita I believe, pushed a chair behind me with their tiles. I sat down and watched Mirabel grab a towel from an armoire.

"Nothing? Were you adopted?" I asked.

"No, I just didn't get one. Well technically I did, but that's a long story." She smiled and tossed me the towel.

I began to wipe the mud off myself and I heard someone come down the stairs.

Or maybe a bunch of people, hearing isn't my speciality.

A woman with a high bun, tanned skin, and a red head band lead a group of people I assumed to be Mirabel's family down the stairs. She was whispering something to them.

"That's Dolores, she heard everything." Mirabel explained. Oh how lovely.

I smiled and nodded and stood. The young girl, in fact most of them, were shorter then me. It made me feel too uncomfortable. I was in the spotlight and every time I was in the spotlight it turned out poorly.

I clutched the towel and didn't realize I had set it on fire. At this point I didn't feel heat anymore. I only realized when Dolores gasped and the group came to a halt.

I looked down and widened my eyes. "Oops." I chuckled.

They all looked at me, confused and worried. Mirabel went to them as I put the fire out.

I put my hand in the fire and concentrated. The fire retracted into my skin and went away. However the towel was scorched.

"Uh, ok! This is Leonardo!" Mirabel pointed to me and I turned back to them and waved, "Some kids found him sleeping covered in mud outside our house. Casita," her voice took an anger tone to it and the house shook in a weird apologetic way, "refused to let him in."

An older woman with grey hair pushed her way through and put her hand on Mirabel's shoulder, "That still doesn't explain how the towel set on fire,"

"Oh! He has a gift!" She almost presented me to the family like a new toy.

The old woman's eyes widened with concern and she looked at me.

"Is this true?" She asked slowly.

"I don't know how I would've lit this up without a gift." I paused then added, "Ma'am." With a small smile.

The woman looked back at the family and nodded, "Julieta, please get this young man some clothes and set him up a room in the nursery."

The woman who I assumed to be Julieta went back up the stairs with another man following her. Her skin was brown and his was slightly paler then that. But both their hair looked to be brown. And he looked at her with hearts in his eyes. It was sweet.

A woman in all yellow almost ran down the stairs and brushed past me. When she returned she held a pastry in her hands.

"Here eat this, Julieta can heal you with these," I looked at the pastry then to her. She had to be joking. But I mean they were gifted.

I took it from her hands and took a bite. The pain in my feet and head began to drift away, not to mention it wasn't half bad.

"Thank you miss ..?" I trailed off.

"Pepa," she smiled and a rainbow formed over her head. At that point I didn't question it.