Timeless (Enoch O Connor x OC)

5: Peculiarities

Yesterday.

I remembered everything that had happened yesterday as I woke from a dreamless slumber.

The house I was at. The children I had met. The reset I had watched.

It had all been so new and enthralling. Quite the opposite of the monotonous life I had been living in Miss Avocet's loop for the past seven years and twenty-four in Tyumen and thirty-nine in Bettembourg. Although they all seemed exhilarating for the first year or so.

Eventually, the realization that you are living the same day over and over catches up to you but today I was not ready to think about that. There was still so much I had not experienced. For example, I didn't even know most of the children's peculiarities and they... did not know mine.

Donning a purple dress, I brushed my hair and washed my face in the bathroom. I would be sure to take a bath tonight however there was no time for that right now.

As I walked down the hallway I bumped into Victor. I had barely talked to him last night so I gave him a smile. He grinned back at me.

"How are you finding our humble abode so far?" he asked.

"Humble? This place is so lovely and I am very excited to know what everyone's peculiarities are."

"Well," he said as he mocked to be a servant bowing and showing me to the stairs, "we are very excited to show you."

I laughed at that and he laughed back as we hurried down to the room we had supper in last night.

This time I was not late and there were still many empty seats. Emma was already there with Bronwyn and Claire. Millard was reading a book as he leaned back his chair, this time he had deigned to wear clothes. And finally, there was Enoch, who looked up when we walked in his expression of excitement quickly turned to annoyance as he saw that Victor was standing beside me. Odd I thought but I merely ignored it and went to sit in my seat beside Emma.

Everyone arrived at the table and breakfast began. While I ate my eggs Victor spoke to Miss Peregine in a hushed voice and when he was done she cleared her throat.

"Children, today we will have a talent show of sorts so that Ms. Myristica can get to know our peculiarities."

Everyone was very excited by this as they set up a makeshift stage in the garden after breakfast. I helped set up chairs along with Emma.

When everything was ready we sat down and looked up at Miss Peregrine on the stage.

She had a small smile on her face as she said,

"Welcome," a short introduction but Miss Peregrine as I could tell was not about dramatics, "up first we will have Olive."

Olive stomped on stage with her heavy metal shoes. Bronwyn came up with her and tied a rope around her waist while Olive loosened the buckles of her shoes. When she got free of them she began to float up and up like a balloon. So that's what the shoes were for I thought. I clapped along with everyone else.

Next was Emma who brought up three wooden torched with her. In her hand, she made a flame and lit all three of them. And then she threw them up in the air and begun to juggle. I was extremely impressed and clapped extra hard.

Then it was Hugh and Fiona. Fiona held soil in one hand as she sprinkled seeds onto it with the other, she waved her hand over it and a flower bush grew out of the soil. Hugh opened his mouth and released the bees which pollinated from the flowers. Timid Fiona would hardly ever speak and when she did she would whisper it to Hugh who told everyone else. They were very adorable together I thought as I clapped.

Up next were the Bruntley siblings. Bronwyn carried a giant rock up onto the stage and threw it at Victor who caught it swiftly and they passed back and forth.

Once the clapping was done Horace went up on the stage and quickly explained that his peculiarity was above being featured as an object in a talent show and that he had prophetic dreams.

Then it was Enoch.

He walked up onto the stage looking as though he did not want to be there. In his hand, he held a doll made of clay and a doll looked like different body parts of dolls sewn together. He muttered that these were homunculi. Then he pulled out two small hearts that looked like they had once belonged to small critters and placed them into the heart cavity of the dolls. After concentrating for a moment both the dolls rose up and started fighting each other.

I could sense his eyes on me, expectantly looking to see how I would react. His peculiarity was one of the most fascinating I had ever seen. I had heard of dead risers before but never actually met one. It was truly amazing, bringing life to a lifeless object.

I looked up at him and met his eyes and smiled. That caught him off guard, he had been expecting disgust or fright but I simply smiled. He quickly looked away, his dark hair swaying as he turned, and picked up the dolls. The Frankenstein doll had defeated the clay one. Then he muttered something about being able to do the same thing to dead bodies and left the stage. Everyone clapped.

Claire went up next, I had already seen her peculiarity the night before. She showed her back mouth and ate up a whole chicken in mere seconds. It was very impressive especially since she was so small and sweet looking.

When she was done everyone turned to me expectantly, I hadn't realized I would have to perform too. Emma nudged me as I stood up and walked up the stage.

I was nervous but I knew I could do it after all I had been training with Miss Avocet for years.

I asked for a volunteer and Emma came up to the stage. I also asked for a chair which she brought up with her.

I picked up the chair and threw it into the air with all my might.

Then I clapped.

The chair froze midair.

The children let out a gasp and clapped.

Then I snapped my fingers and the chair began falling again but very slowly.

From the chairs below I heard many of the children let out a wow.

I picked up the chair while it was falling in slow motion and set it down.

By now the audience was whispering, I heard someone ask how I could manipulate time if I wasn't a ymbryne. I always wondered that too and it was why I had left my first loop for the one in Russia. So I could get answers.

The children went silent again as I asked Emma to jump up.

She did and I clapped as I froze her in time like the chair.

Her blonde hair flying mid-air and her eyes closed.

I snapped my fingers and she began falling back onto the stage very slowly.

I unfroze her and she landed on the stage confused as to why everyone was staring at her. After telling her what had happened she left the stage and I was about to too when a voice spoke up and asked.

"So you're a ymbryne then?" the voice sounded almost crestfallen.

I turned to see who it was. It was Enoch. Why did he care?

"No," I replied, "I don't know how I can manipulate time when it's supposed to be only ymbryne's who can do that but they suspect I have a distant relative who is one."

Miss Peregrine was very intrigued at my explanation, I could tell she had been wondering the reason too.

"Who's they?" asked Enoch

"Just some kids in Russia," I said as I walked off stage.

I was a little annoyed that he had ignored me all day and given me nasty looks only to demand answers of what I was now.

Yet, what I was feeling couldn't be describes as anger or annoyance but something more like butterflies in my stomach.

Hey again, I know I don't make a comment on every chapter but I do hope you're enjoying this and feedback on how you want this book to go would be appreciated! I hope this will find more people soon!