The Miracle is You

𝟕. 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐨

Lightning flashes and thunder rambles as Mirabel and Alana pursue the rats along the upper walkway, but as they turn the corner the rats are gone. Then a sudden noise as they see a rat  tail  disappear through an opening under a large painting. Alana approaches the picture to examine it and slowly pulls it open, revealing a passageway within the walls.

    "Wanna go first?" Alana stares at the spiderwebs in the corners.

    Mirabel climbs into the secret passageway, followed by Alana, and finds the inside covered in cracks.

    "Mirabel?" The girl turns to her friend "I'm sorry"

    "For what?"

    "I shouldn't have covered you with that stupid avocado bowl!" she lamented.

    "Don't worry, how could you have known what was going on?"

    "Still... Ahhh!"   

    A rat squeaks as it scurries past their feets and away into the darkness, a glowing shard moves into the air. As they squint to get a better look, a bolt of lightning illuminates Bruno in the distance. They all stare at each other for a second before he turns and runs away.

    "Hey!" They race behind him.

    They go through the narrow corridors, struggling to catch up in the twisting labyrinth. Shifts of light peek through the interior of the house to illuminate them as they streak by.

    They slide down unexpected drops and tight turns, until Mirabel slams onto a wall.

    "Stop! STOP!"

    They are close to get Bruno when he jumps a chasm, Alana doesn't think much and jumps too, landing at the other side. Mirabel gasps and stops, trying to summon the courage to jump.

    "Come on, Mirabel! I'll help you"

    She makes it until the floor below her gives away and she falls, Alana grabs her hand and barely catches both of them holding onto a piece of wood.

    "No, no..." Alana struggle to keep her grip and starts to slide
Mirabel panics as she looks around. "Casita? Casita? ¡Help us! ¡Help us!"

    Alana loses her grip and just as they are about to fall, somebody grabs her hand mid-air. It's Bruno. His face comes into light, Alana sees again after a long time his timid and strained stand. Mirabel is confused, he wasn't what she thought.

    "You're very sweety"

    The floor underneath him collapses too, Alana grabs onto a loose board as Mirabel catches Bruno. The weight is too much for Alana but she suddenly feels lighter, she looks as Mirabel accidentally drops his uncle.

    "Oh no!"

    "Is he alive?"

    Bruno's figure appears, apparently there's actually a floor right beneath. "Huh?"

    They climb the wall board. Bruno looks at Mirabel then at Alana. "Bye."

"What?" Alana asked.

"No. Hold on!" Mirabel hurries after him.

They follow him through a strange back house tour: pipes, furniture, relics, evidence of the rooms on the other side, etc. As they try to keep up with him, Alana notices how Bruno avoids walking under a ladder and has all kinds of good luck charms around him.

"Wait! Wait! Why did you take the vision?"

"Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock. Knock on wood." Tio Bruno passes a piece of wood. He crosses his fingers and holds his breath.