Drip. Drip.

Dolores is very, very thankful for her soundproof roof. Whenever the town became too excited, or the fireworks would carry on for a tad bit too long, she would tuck herself away into her room and cover her ears until the world finally, finally became silent. Took a lot of focus and time. Wishing that perhaps, one day, she would be allowed to finally hide her ears instead of being forced to keep her hair up. To display the thing people loved, sometimes more than herself.

Drip. Drip.

Abuela was the one who decided her ears needed to be shown. "It's your gift," She spoke tenderly so long ago, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. "Why hide it?"

Because, Dolores would answer within her own mind, it sucked. When she covered her ears things became muffled. Softer. She preferred it like that. That's why, when Abuela always would give a sad glance whenever Dolores would hide her ears, the girl decided to instead hide away in her room when she needed a break from being constantly overwhelmed.

When she left the room that day, the familiar sounds returned to smother her once more. Isabela creating several flowers for the flowerbeds in their front lawn. The soft mutters of someone within their walls.

And a soft...

Drip.

Something was dripping.

Liquid. Falling down. Dripping away. Something was leaking, it seemed. She couldn't figure out where, though.

Drip.

"Abuela," She had spoken up at dinner, "Someone has a leak. I think someone near our house. It sounds close.

"Thank you, Dolores, I'm sure the villagers will be thrilled to fix any leaks before they can cause damage," She said. Her smile was soft. Happy. The few times true happiness crossed her face was when their gifts were used. When the magic was prominent.

The dripping, that night, stopped. Not suddenly, no, but it slowly crept towards more gaps between each drip. And finally, that noise had stopped. Guess the leak wasn't a big one.

"Dolores?"

That night, on the cusp of sundown, Camilo peaked around a corner. Glancing at her.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Have you heard where Mirabel went? She left around lunchtime and none of us have seen her. She even missed dinner."

Right. Dolores first, as she always did, listened. She couldn't hear Mirabel grasping for air as she'd run about the village and entertain the children, nor did she hear the needle threading through the fabric for embroidering. Any sounds she could be making were not found.

She was likely sleeping, everyone had mused. Dolores wouldn't blame her. After bringing a lot of negative attention to herself the night before, it was to be expected she'd hide away for a bit. Poor Mirabel. She honestly didn't deserve the treatment given to her. She was so kind and bright, it was hard to watch. Even made the headband Dolores wore, having given it to her a few years ago for her birthday. She loved the handcrafted gifts her cousin would hand out.

A few days later came the rotting sound.

It was difficult to describe. A slow, methodical grind of gross. She hated that she could hear the sounds of rotting. Typically veggies or meats that the villagers left out. A few times it was wild animals that happened to die peaceful on the outskirts of town from the curse of age. How everyone went in this town.

"Mama," She had told Pepa, "I... what's wrong?"

"It's been a few days. Mirabel is still missing after the ceremony."

She placed a hand on her sisters shoulders. The woman known for healing nervously biting her fingernails away. Likely to be healed later with a warm meal once Mirabel was found. She did typically go out on her own from time to time.

But this was far too long, especially considering she was typically back before dinner. It's been days. Days without seeing Mirabel, without so much as a confirmed sighting from the villagers, or even a peep. She was deadly silent today.

It was starting to freak Dolores out. She usually heard everything. She knew everything.

This was the first time she couldn't hear someone. Usually that was a godsend. Now... it was just frightening. What was the point of hearing if she could hear everything but who she wanted to hear?

Then, came the louder sounds.

It was jarring when it happened. Several loud, horrifying CRACKS booming across the house. For once, it wasn't just Dolores who heard it. Everyone gathered around the cause of the cracks. Bruno's door. The cracks seem to be growing out of it, as if beautiful vines created by Isabela's graceful magic. However, instead of eloquent, they looked horrid. And the location of the cracks made it look like Bruno was almost crying. A symbol of the house, Dolores had realized. The house placed the cracks there to show how it felt. It was grieving.

For what?

Dolores knew tío Bruno's room quite well from the sounds it made. Falling sand. A constant sound that never stopped. However, when she stepped in, she realized a horrible fact.

"Mama," She whispered. Her hands were cold.

"What is it, Dolores?"

"The rotting sound I heard start a couple of days ago." She swallowed thickly. "It's coming from in here."

"Antonio," Abuela spoke thickly, "Can you bring us some tigers so we can go up. Quickly."

"Mama," Dolores repeated.

Her Mother clutched at her hand. "It's not... I'm sure a stray animal got caught in here."

Her smile was forced. Dolores could hear her own heart pounding.

"This is insane, right? This is insane!" Despite her arguing, Isabela was impatiently summoning multiple vines to quickly travel to the top of Bruno's room. "Mirabel isn't..."

Dead. Go on. Say it. No one would dare to whisper what they all feared. 

"Antonio's ceremony was a few days ago," Luisa said, "I mean, who wouldn't expect a rat to find its way in here or something? She's totally fine just wondering about. Mirabel probably is just in the forest and needs some space. She's fine. She's fine."

Right. Yeah. Of course! She'd walk in through the front door any moment with a confused glance around, wondering why it was so empty.

"You guys are so dramatic," Camilo chuckled.

"Your pulse is racing," Dolores said, immediately regretting saying that out loud. But she couldn't stop. She never could. "Everyone's is. But I can't hear Mirabel's."

"You can't hear her pulse or her footsteps?" Mirabel's Mother choked out.

Dolores shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. She couldn't hear either.

Finally did she find where the dripping was coming from. At the top of the stairs lay the explanation to why no one was ever allowed within Bruno's room. It was dangerous. A large drop was conveniently placed where a broken bridge lay, cutting off their path quickly.

Antonio was sobbing in his Mothers arm at this point. If Dolores was small enough to, she would as well.

"I could get across with uh - vines, yeah, and maybe some..."

"It's fine, I can run and jump!" Luisa stretched her leg in preparation. "I'll just go over and check."

Isabela was staring down the cliff. Her body was still.

"Isabela?" Pepa asked quietly.

"I... I-I..." She crept away, dropping backwards. Her whole body was shaking. "Mirabel... she's..."

The message was clear when she pointed. Mirabel wasn't across.

She was down.

Where the rotting sound was coming from.

Isabela sobbed. Dolores walked forward. She felt like she might fall down and scream at any moment. Finally she reached the edge. And looked down.

A rock covered in blood that had dripped off. And laying on it was Mirabel. Limp. Once white top stained in dried, old blood. The rotting sound was coming from her.

Dolores could only stare. For the first time in her life, the world went silent.

Julieta fell to her knees besides her and screamed.

It still was, to Dolores, quiet.