Mirabel Madrigal wakes up in an unrecognizable home with her uncle and a new family. As she grows through the rest of her teen years and early adulthood, she begins to despise her old family, while growing into her new one.
Through confusion, judge...
I did as I was told and handed the salt to my tired mother, trembling hands gave off the white salt. She finally looked into my red eyes
"Mira, were you crying? Aw come here..."
As she took me into her arms, I couldn't hold back anything. I felt so safe at that very moment. Holding onto my mother, desperate to never let her go, desperate for her kind, thoughtful words. Her hug told me everything I needed to hear after that traumatic dream..
'Everything is going to be okay.'
I don't wanna make her feel bad because of me.
. . . . .
...
holy shit am I dead?
No.. no way- I wouldn't be thinking like this if I was dead. But why can't I move? Holy shit.. shit shitshitshitshit... I'm just stuck in my body but I'll wake up.. wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake... up. I always wake up- I'm aware this is a dream. Just wiggle my fingers and I'll wake up- no... this is different
I'm not trapped in my body. I'm trapped in my mind.
I have to wake up- but my body-
...
..
... hurts...
...
..
Oh, dear God I'm in a coma, this isn't just paralysis. My eyes shoot open- though that was my goal- I was unprepared to see my home... absolutely destroyed and absolutely silent. I was all alone? Standing up, I fail to remember my pain, wobbling with each step at first. Light on my feet, I bounced up and down effortlessly, gravity felt nonexistent. As if I were on a cloud, jumping from one to the other. A trampoline in slow motion. Despite the unpredictability of these circumstances, they were real, whether my mind or spirit created them is not important. This wasn't a current event, it was a memory...
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"Abuela?" I say to the candles' creation.
"What have you done? After everything I sacrificed?! Why did you destroy our home!!"
The distorted voice frightened me, the dream has gone south.. These faces would keep appearing if I didn't figure out how to get out of my head. I'm in a dream, that much I am aware of. I just need to follow the same steps and wake up. The candle's woman was not my grandmother. One of her eyes was melting from her sockets, most of her hair had fallen out and her face was hidden in darkness. I turn away from her, closing my eyes, almost slipping on a puddle and some rubble.
Not wanting to look at this demonic version of my grandmother, I stare into the puddle. Hoping it is something I can jump into, like Alice in Wonderland or something else. Nothing good came of my curiosity as when I looked into it- I realized that not only do I not have a reflection, my tia Pepa's face began to form, into a similar demented state as my grandmothers.
