[Encanto] C: 2 - My 'Gift,' my 'Room,' and 'My Role.'

Mindlessly, I waved my hand and all the Gravity I was manipulating condensed into a single point, causing the very air around us to be sucked into the condensed space, making it feel as if a whirlwind flowed around us.

Staggering and feeling light-headed from such little use of my gift, I let go of my control, causing all of the pressurized air condensed off to the side away from everyone to suddenly explode forth, causing quite a few people to stagger and almost fall.

Taking a deep breath and grabbing my head, I turned around and noticed the shocked looks of my family and the many townspeople below.

"What...What was that?" Abeula asked.

"That...was 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺."

"What?" Abuela asked again.

Right...this is an isolated village and the education here is complete shit, so of course they wouldn't know what Gravity is.

"I'll explain at another time, please, can we see what my room looks like?" I ask Abuela who still was clearly confused, along with the rest of my family.

Ignoring the awkward silence, I turned the doorknob and pushed open the door, revealing...something truly astonishing.

Floating bookshelves chaotically floated around the room, what looked like a cosmic nebula blanketed the empty spaces across the room, filling the room with a beautiful sight.

Ignoring the silence behind me, I stepped forward to one of the shelves and withdrew a book.

'The Odyssey by Homer, Book 4'

Really?

Grabbing a few of the books next to it, I found all of them were just more books about the Odyssey.

Putting the books back, I was surprised to see them kind of flash and reappear back in order.

Grabbing another book, from a different shelf, I was surprised to see 'Percy Jackson & The Olympians, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan'

Noticed these were both books I read in my past life, I wondered if all the books in this Library were the same.

Not even noticing that my family and the villagers were entering my 'Library' I continued going through the many books, finding that each and every book in this Library was one I had read in my previous life, and these even included textbooks that I had to study in College and School, which means, I now had the means to teach everyone in the village if I so wished.

Strangely enough, even books I think I only glanced at in my past life were also in here, I certainly don't remember reading a book titled 'Native Fauna and Flora of the Asian Forests'

Nor 'Greatest Philosophers and Artists of the Modern Century.'

Focusing back on the situation at hand, I noticed Abeula was holding a book herself, 'Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer'

"Uh...Abeula, highly recommend you don't read that," I spoke up, breaking the silence.

"This is...English?" Abuela seemingly asked, before looking back at me, "Can you read this?"

"I can."

"What does it say?" Abuela asked, confused by my understanding of English, more than likely because I shouldn't know it.

"Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer," I told her honestly.

"Can you read all of these?" Abuela asked, still showing signs of surprise and shock.

Compared to my family's rooms, mine was certainly stunning and incredible, making them seem simple compared to mine.

"I think so," I tell them, not wanting to go further and explain why 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 specific books were in the library

"There's...so many," Abuela stated, casting her gaze across the entire room.

"Yes, there is," I confirm before speaking up again, "Abuela, the townspeople are getting concerned outside, perhaps it's time to begin the party?"

"Yes...Yes, you're right, come my Familia, let's make this a night to remember!" Abuela told our family, raising her hands and speaking loud enough for the villagers to hear her.

...

And as she said, it really was a party to remember, especially since I spent most of the party being swarmed by the villagers asking about my gift and my room and frankly, was overwhelmed. But, that was a few days ago, it turns out, my room, even though a Library, had more hidden within.

For example, it had a bathroom attached to a bedroom, and a lounge at the center of the library. Frankly, last night was the best-damned sleep I've ever had, my 'room' certainly felt perfect to me, and I absolutely 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 my room.

Especially with the fact that I now had access to countless books I read and didn't read in my past life! It's also been years since I've read any of them, so they'd make good reads for a while and certainly will keep me occupied outside of my chores and new duties.

What are my new duties you may ask?  Well, I've taken it upon myself to be my family's therapist as well as the village's teacher. Who was I teaching? Currently, just the village's kids, which amounted to no more than six at the current time.

As for their ages, they ranged from five to nine and I was currently teaching them how to read and write English and Spanish, which they learned quickly due to our long sessions that lasted hours. Even their parents were eager to see if they could learn how to read and write and thought my gift might have something to do with my knowledge.

Why would I want to teach the children of the village or become my family's therapist?

The answer was pretty simple, I had a long life ahead of me, and to be frank, I don't think I'd be willing to let Encanto, our village, continue in this state, especially since I have the means to uplift the village, as for my family, they had...well, issues.

For example, everyone in the family had problems of some kind.

Mirabel felt ignored, belittled, and most of all, felt like an outcast due to her lack of a gift.

Luisa felt like she was expected and had to be the village's protector due to her gift that granted her inhuman strength and endurance and dealt with unending stress that didn't allow her to rest.

Isabela was expected to be perfect, without any flaws, and expected to be the Golden child of the family, anything that suggested otherwise was met with the disapproval of Abuela, something Isabela feared.

Dolores on the other hand, was probably doing the best of all of us besides my Aunt and Mother, the only thing I could think would be wrong with Dolores is that she doesn't like all that she hears, specifically, I don't think she likes what goes on at night in some houses nor does she like the sounds of animals being butchered and such things like that.

Me on the other hand?

I was probably the worst.

Why would I say that?

PTSD.

That's all I could call it. Death is...well, no one could even possibly fathom how it feels...and it felt like an eternity...

I was not fortunate to have a quick death, in my life on Earth, I lived to 20 years of age, but was diagnosed with a terminal disease at 16.

I should have passed on peacefully, but my religious parents decided otherwise, pulling me out of the hospital and forcing me to live for the next four years in agony.

Don't get me wrong, when I turned 18, I would have gone to the hospital myself, but I was unfortunately bedridden, and far too weak to speak let alone move.

Did I hate my parents? Yes, yes I did, but life seemed to throw me a bone with this new life, seeing as my highly dysfunctional family in this world was honestly much better. And with my aunt's gift which healed whoever ate her food, I didn't need to worry about getting sick ever again!

But my first family did give me the best life they could. I wish they were not as religious, if they were not when I was alive, who knows? I may have been able to pull through with the help of doctors.

While I had great difficulties with the agony and pain, the real issue I was having...was the actual feeling of death.

It haunted me, and while in my first couple years of life, I suffered from constant and never-ending nightmares, and I am trying to move on.

It's not easy, and I honestly don't know if I ever will be able to actually move on, but this was supposed to be a new life, and the weight of my last life shouldn't affect this one. I wanted to live out this new life of mine to the fullest, yet I didn't really feel like myself. It felt as though I wore a mask around everyone in my family, only taking it off when I was alone, allowing me to be my true self where no one but Casita could see me.