Miguel, Dante, and I snuke down from the roof. But had to turn back when we saw one of Miguel's family members up ahead. Luckly he didn't see us or Miguel's guitar.
"Where should we put this table?" "In the courtyard, mijos." "You want it down by the kitchen?" "Si, eh, next to the other one." My ended up in a room that had pictures of Miguel's ancestors on a table. With those peddles around them.
Miguel pull up the sheep's end from the table. And hide his guitar under it. "Get under, get under!" He told us. I push Dante under the table and quickly follow him down. Miguel drop the sheet and stood up just when I heard Abuelita's voice. "Miguel?"
"Uh, nothing! Mamá, Papá, I..." Then I heard his papa voice next. "Miguel, your abuelita have the most wonderful idea. We've all decided... it's time you joined us in the workshop!"
"What?" Miguel practically scream. "No more shining shoes. You will be making them, every day, after school. Oh, our Miguelitititito carrying on the family tradition. And on Da de los Muertos! Your ancestors would be so proud.
You'll craft huaraches just like your Ta Victoria. And wing tips just like your Pap Julio." Abuelita told him.
"But what if I'm no good at making shoes?" He asked. "Ay, Miguel. You have your family here to guide you. You are a Rivera. And a Rivera is?"
"A shoemaker... through and through."
"That's my boy! Haha! Berto! Break out the good stuff!" When I heard them leave. I pull the sheet up to see Dante's tale in my face. "Mm, mm, mm, mwah!" Miguel looks to us to see Dante on the table we we're hiding under. "Dante! No, Dante, stop!"
Miguel pull Dante off the table. But knock off the picture on top off. "Hunh! Ah! No, no, no, no, no!" Miguel try to grab it but it slip and fell glass first on the ground. I crawl out from under the table.
"No." Miguel cover his face in fear of his family's wrath. "M-maybe the glass didn't break?" I suggested. But when I pick it up. I heard glass fall out of place and on the ground. Miguel sunk to his knees at the sound. "Ok maybe we can fix it?" I turn it over, grabbing the picture before it fell out.
What caught my eye. Was that there was more to the picture. Their was a piece that was folded to fit in the frame. I unfold it to see that the man that's missing his head. Is holding Ernesto's guitar. I gasp at the sight.
"M-miguel, look!" I told him, holding the picture in front of his face. He remove his hands to look at the picture. His eyes widen at the guitar. He takes the picture from me to look at it closely. "De la Cruz' guitar?"
"Ah? Papa?" We look at Coco. Miguel's grant grandmother. "Mam Coco. Is your pap Ernesto de la Cruz?" Miguel asked her as he gets closer to her. Coco points at the picture and smiles. "Papa! Papa! Haha! Papa, Papa!"
Miguel look at the picture with a bright smile. "It's him!" He then rubs out to the attic. When I ran outside to follow him. But that kid move so fast. He was already back outside on the roof. With one of Ernesto's record.
"I know who my great-great-grandfather was!" He told his whole family. "Miguel, get down from there!" His father told him. "Mam Coco's father was Ernesto de la Cruz!" Miguel announced. "What are you talking about?" His father asked. "I'm gonna be a musician!"
His family then threw all of Miguel's Ernesto stuff outside in front of the rest of the family. Miguel and I stand side by side, looking at it sadly. "What is all this? You keep secrets from your own family? It's all that time he spends in the plaza. Fills his head with crazy fantasies." Abuelita told the family.
"It's not a fantasy. That man was Ernesto de la Cruz. The greatest musician of all time." Miguel told her handing the phone to his papa.
"We've never known anything about this man. Or whoever he was, he still abandoned his family. It's no future for my son." Miguel's papa told him. "Well, Papa, y-you said my family would guide me. Well, de la Cruz is my family. I'm supposed to play music."
"Never! That man's music was a curse. I will not allow it." Abuelita told him. Miguel try to reason with her. "If you would just..." But she wouldn't give him the light of day.
"Miguel. You will listen to your family. No more music." Miguel picks up his guitar. "Just listen to me play." Abuelita snatch the guitar from him quickly. "End of argument. You want to end up like that man? Forgotten? Left off your family's ofrenda?" She asked.
"I don't care if I'm on some stupid ofrenda." Abuelita looks at him shock. Then she look angry. She the smashes the guitar right in front of us. "NO! MAMA!" Miguel try to stop her. But it was no use. Once she was done. Destroying the guitar, she tose what was left away.
I look at her shock while Miguel looks hurt. "There. No guitar. No music." Miguel then turn away on the virge of tears. "Aw, come. You'll feel better after you eat with your family."
Miguel snatch the phone from his papa. "I DON'T WANNA BE IN THIS FAMILY!" Then he bolts out of the yard. "Miguel!" I call out to him as I chase after him. I ran into the crowded plaza with Danta. But I didn't see Miguel anyway.
I kneel down to Dante, who was trying to eat a rock he found. I took it out of his mouth throwing it away. Dante try to chase after it but I held him back. "Dante, fouces! We need to find Miguel. Find Miguel, Dante."
Dante looks at me for a second before he gives me a big lick across my face. "...ok... This is find." I said trying to wipe the slobber off my face off. "Alright, if Miguel wants to perform in the talent show. He needs a guitar. But it unlikely these musicians would just let him borrow their guitar." I stood up and made eye contact with Ernesto statue. "... He wouldn't...."
Dante and I ran to the grave yard to see Miguel headed right to Ernesto's tomb. "Dante, stop him!" I order. To my surprise Dante ran at Miguel. Jumping at him. Giving me time to catch up with him. "No, no, no, no. Dante, stop."
Miguel grab a piece of food for the dead. And threw it away. Dante unfortunately chase after it. But at least he let me catch up with Miguel. Before Miguel could continue further. I grab his arm stopping him. "Miguel, I know you want to be a musician. But this is a bad idea!"
He pull his arm free and look at me angrily. "I have to seized my moment, (Name)! This is my last chance!" He told me. "Yeah but it one thing to go behind you're family's back. The worst thing they can do is get mad at you! You're not just stealing. You're stealing from the dead!"
"But Ernesto de la Cruz us my grant-grant grandfather! He'll understand."
"Yeah trying telling that to the security guards. Stealing is still stealing. No matter the excuse you give." I told him. "I'm sorry, (Name). But I have to try." He then turn away and headed to the window. I took a deep sigh. "Why couldn't my best friend be a quite kid who wouldn't do anything?" I asked as I follow after him.
Miguel climb onto the window sill. Pushing on the window. To see that it's of course lock. Just When I thought luck was on my side. Miguel got the idea to wait till the next fire work that goes off. He'll use the sound to drown out his break in.
As we heard the fire work draw close Miguel apologize for what he is about to do. "I'm sorry." The fire work goes off. And Miguel goes in.
I hesitate at first but follow him in. Miguel climbs on the coffin, opening it slightly by accident. He then touch the strings of the guitar. Before looking at the portrait above. "Ernesto de la Cruz. Please don't be mad. I-I'm Miguel. Your great-great-grandson. I-I need to borrow this."
He takes the guitar and climbs down. "Our family thinks music is a curse. None of them understand. But I know you would have. You would have told me to follow my heart.
To seize my moment. So, if it's all right with you... I'm gonna play in the Plaza. Just like you did!"
Miguel strumbs the guitar as hard as he could. The peddles at our feets flew up. "Huh? What's going on?!" We look to the windows to see the guards heard the guitar. "Somebody stole de la Cruz' guitar." "The window is broken, look!"
Miguel and I hide. "All right, who's in there?" A guard asked entering the room. Miguel came out of hiding placeing the guitar on the ground. "I'm sorry, i-it's not what it looks like."
But the guard not only ignore him. He walk right threw him. "De la Cruz is my... Huh!" Miguel look at me in shock. Then look at the guard who picks up the guitar. Putting it back. "There's nobody here!"
I came out of hiding to Miguel's side. We made our way to the exit, getting through the crowd the was coming in to see what has happen. When we made it outside, I reach to grab someone. But my hand went right threw them. I scream looking at Miguel who is shock.
"Miguel!" We look to see Miguel's parents looking for him. "Mama?!" "Miguel, come home!" Miguel runs to hug them. But he runs right threw them right into a open grave. "Miguel!" I run to help him. But a lady near the grave help him first.
"Dios mio, little boy! Are you okay? Here, let me help you." She helps him out of the grave. "Thanks. I..." They both look at each other in the face and scream. "AAAH!"
Miguel let's go of her and backs away. The lady turns around to face me. I see she is a skeleton. And we both scream at each other. "AAAH!" I back away into another sketeon. Who's head fell off into my hands. "Do you mind?" He asked me. "AAH!" I threw his head away and ran to Miguel. Who was running to me.
When we meet we hug each other in fear of what going on. Skeleton were everywhere. And only they could see us. Everyone else who's not a skeleton couldn't see us.
Just then Dante ran over to us. Licking our faces. We pull away from each other to wipe pure faces. "Uh! Dante? You can see us?" Miguel asked him. Dante then ran off. I call out to him as we follow him. "Wait! What's going on? Dante! Dante!"
As we chase after our dog. Miguel knock someone over. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He apologize. The skeleton looks at him for a moment. "Miguel?" He then puts himself together. "Miguel?"
A lady skeleton runs to Miguel. Knocking the man skeleton to piece s again. When she reach my friend she hugs him tightly. "Miguel? Y-you're here! Here here. And you can see us? Our Miguelitititito!"
"Remind me how I know you?" Miguel asked. "We're your family, mijo." She release him so he can look at her. "Ta Rosita?" She smiles. He looks to the small skeleton who had help getting put together by another lady skeleton with glasses. "Si. Pap Julio?" "Hola!"
"Ta Vic...toria?" "He doesn't seem entirely dead." Victoria said poking him. "He's not quite alive, either. Or his girlfriend." Julio said looking at me.
"Uh could you repeat that?" I asked blushing a little. But the skeleton ignore me when Rosita said. "We need Mam Imelda. She'll know how to fix this."
Just then two more skeleton s that look similar to each other ran over. "Oye! It's Mam Imelda!" "She couldn't cross over!" "She's stuck! On the other side!" Miguel look at them. "To Oscar? To Felipe?"
"Oh, hey, Miguel." One of the twins said only realizing just a few seconds later that we can see them.
"I have a feeling this has something to do with you. But if Mam Imelda can't come to us... "Then we are going to her!" Julio announced grabbing our wrests pulling us along. "Whoa!"
We came to a giant bridge made of those peddles. Just when we were about to step on the bridge. I felt really weird making my yang myself free from Julio. "Whoa."
He look at my surpise. Then smiles. "Come on, child, it's-it's okay." Miguel takes his word. And slowly steps onto to the bridge.
I look to Miguel who smiles at me. Tell me to come on. I shook my head. He holds his hand out. I slowly take it. And allowded him to guide me on the bridge.
I slowly smile at him. And we start to cross it with his family. Dante runs across the bridge. "Dante?" I let go of Miguel's hand. Running to catch up with Dante. "Dante? Dante! Dante, wait up!"
Dante rolls on the peddles allowing me to catch up to him. "You've gotta stay with us, boy. We don't know... ...where..." I look up to see a huge colorful city. With colorful creaturs flying around.
"This isn't a dream, then. You're all really out there." Miguel said walking up to stand by side my to look at the city.
"You thought we weren't?" Roseita asked. "Oh, I don't know. I thought it might have been one of those made-up things... that adults tell kids, like... vitamins."
"Miguel, vitamins are a real thing." Victoria told him. "Well, now I'm thinking maybe they could be. We continue across the bridge. I stare in awe at the colorful creatures. "Are those? Alebrijes!" Miguel asked.
"Real alebrijes. Spirit creatures. They guide souls on their journey." Roseita explain to us. "Watch your step, they make cacitas everywhere." Julio told us. "Welcome back to the Land of the Dead. Please have all offerings ready for re-entry." An annocer told everyone.
"Welcome back. Anything to declare?" The re-entry asked the group at the desk. "Some churros, from my family." "How wonderful!"
"If you're experiencing travel issues... Agents at the Department of Family Reunion are available to assist you."
"Next family, please." The skeleton leaving saw Miguel and I's face. Making them gasp. Miguel cover his face with his hoodie. While I cover my face with either my hoodie, my hat, my bangs, or just look away.
I look to the check out area as we enter the re-entry line. "Oh, your photos are in your son's ofrenda. Have a great visit." "Gracias." "And remember to return before sunrise. Enjoy your visit! Next?"
A skeleton walks up and pose. The lady skeleton use a machine to check if his photo is up or not. "Your photo's on your dentist's ofrenda. Enjoy your visit." "Grashiash." "Next?"
A.... Lady skeleton I think was next. "Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo. Shall we skip the scanner? I'm on so many ofrendas it will just overwhelm your blinky thingy." The machine scans her. But gets a red X. "Whoa, shoot. Looks like no one put up your photo... Frida?"
The man Skeleton gave up and took off his custom. He threw off his dress, fake eyebrows, and put on a straw hat. "Okay, when I said I was Frida, just now... That. That was a lie. And I apologize for doing that." He said with a smile.
"No photo on an ofrenda, no crossing the bridge." He startes to head to the exit. "You know what? I'm just gonna zip right over. You won't even know I'm gone."
The security try to stop him. But he jump over them by coming apart. "Haha!" He charges at the bridge. "Almost... there..." But when he startes to walk across the bridge. He sinks down. "Just a little... further..." He keeps going till the peddles are to his face. Where he gives up. "Ugh."
Security comes up and pulls him up. "Upsy daisy." And startes to drag him off. "Fine. Okay. Fine, who cares? DUMB FLOWER BRIDGE!"
"Aw, I don't know what I'd do if no one put up my photo." Rosieita told us as we walk the skeletonbe drag off. "Next?"
"Oh, come kids, it's our turn." We walk up to the desk. "Welcome back, amigo. Anything to declare?" The man skeleton asked. "A-as a matter of fact..." Julio stared. Pushing Miguel and I to the front. Making us show our faces. "Yes."
"Hola." We said, causing the skeleton's jaw to literally drop.