A War Within Two Worlds

Time

Yasmini's POV

I was so angry. I could have just shattered everything in my room, which I was currently residing in while Miss Peregrine reset the loop.
I heard a knock at my door and opened it without getting up.
"Hey."
I didn't have to move to see it was Victor.
"I'm sorry." I said. I know he hated to talk about what happened to Bronwyn.
"You were right."
"Yes but, I shouldn't have capitalized on Bronwyn's death?"
"Capitalize?" Victor smirked playfully.
"Millard, he's been making me read more ever since I ruined his teacher copy of whatever."
I was exasperated and just wanted to cry.
"You were right though, Mini."
"Yeah."
Victor sat next to me and laid down.
"You're going to fall off." I giggled. Victor pulled my head onto his lap.
"There, now we fit." He said as he intertwined his hand into mine.

I came down for breakfast and bit my cheek when I saw Jake enjoying some of Fiona's famous blueberry pancakes. I lost my appetite and went to the sink and washed some of the dishes. I plugged the sink and started the hot soapy water as I slipped on the yellow rubber gloves.
"Hey, can we talk later?"
I set down the dishes and peeled off my gloves.
I turned around and braced my hands on the sink.
"Sure, let's talk." I said in a snarky tone.
Jake shook his head, "not here, meet me by the beach in an hour."
I shrugged, "fine."

"What if he's a serial killer?" Enoch laughed. I threw my pistachio shell at him and giggled. Victor was stuck opening them for Enoch and I as it hurt our hands after awhile.
"Maybe he'll try to steal you away." Victor taunted. The sun was shining on my room—like always— and Victor, Enoch, Horace and I were gathered around eating stolen snacks and gossiping.
"I haven't seen anything in my dreams."
"When do you ever?" Enoch said snidely. Horace and him began to argue,
"Be carful, Mini." Victor his hand on my knee.
"Vic, I'll be fine."
"Wait, I think I remember there being a boat..." Horace said after he sucker punched Enoch in the stomach.
"My tactics work." Enoch said with clenched teeth.

I met Jake by the beach. He was standing by one of Emma's paddle boats.
"Hop aboard." He said grinning.
"Horace was right."
"He's the one with the dreams, right?"
I nodded, "who's also the houses best dressed."
Jake smiled and nodded, "you can swim though, right? Not that we'll tip, but just incase."
"I swam everyday back home...."

The water was at it calmest near the loop's edge, but I was careful not to go over.
"I'm sorry about my grandpa."
He said as he rowed the boat. I nodded and picked at my nails.
"I'm sorry too, for yelling."
"Abe told me about you and Victor, you're just trying to protect him."
I cleared my throat, "I guess."
"You lied, earlier."
I snapped my head up and frowned, "about what?"
"You're not Jewish."
"I'm from a different war."
"I could tell after listening to your accent, Mexican?"
"Brazilian and Iranian."
Jake nodded and rowed more. I felt myself get dizzy, but paid no attention to it.

Hours went by. We were just floating in the ocean talking about life and our pasts, despite all my days here, I never notice how cold this part of the sea is at this time.
"And then she kissed me, Abby Johnson kissed me!"
I laughed and threw my head back despite feeling weak and sick, Jake and I were talking about our coming of age stories.
"I had bits of hotdog still in my mouth, and she still tried to put her tongue down there!"
We laughed and rocked with the waves, "who was your first kiss?"
I shivered and bit my lip, "Victor, it was on the roof at sunrise. The night before, your grandfather and Charlotte left, I was so angry that they didn't take me; and I was because of what Victor told them! Anyways, he kept trying to talk to me, and I was so angry, and before I knew what happened I threw him into a wall."
Jake laughed, "and he still kissed you?"
I nodded, "he waited outside my room all night."
"Sounds like him."
I was about to ask him what he meant when I heard a buzz that sort of resembled the sound of Hugh's bees. Jake picked up a rectangular box and held it to his ear before he dropped it on the bottom of the boat and his face turned white.
"That's my phone, it's working."
"So?" I shrugged. I heard tiny words come from the phone. Then it hit me,
I'm in the present.
How long have I been here? How did I not notice how cold it was? I jumped out of the boat and swam towards the shore. The icy present day water cut into my skin like bullets. My teeth chattered under the water and my fingers and toes turned numb. Isn't it January in the present?
I finally felt the sand under my toes and clawed myself onto the shore. Suddenly, I wasn't as cold and the sun heated my skin, but I still felt sick and dizzy. I closed my eyes looking at the sun, as they were too heavy to keep open.

Victor's POV
I was outside when I heard distant screaming. Millard and I were sitting in a tree casually chatting.
"Did you hear that?"
I shrugged, "probably a villager."
"That we haven't heard before?" Millard said skeptically. I heard the yell again and caught recognized the voice as belonging to Jake. Millard and I made sharp eye contact —I think— and jumped down from the tree. Miss Peregrine assumed bird form and flew to the beach, Millard and I not too far behind her.
I saw Jake with his hands on his head and back to me, "why are you yelling you bloody bloke!" I said shoving him. When he turned to face me I noticed a bewildered look plastered on his face, which clung onto him in a similar fashion as the wet clothes stuck to his skin. Why was he wet?
"I-I think she's dead."
My knees buckled, but I ran. My feet scraped the sand as I saw Miss Peregrine hovering over Mini whispering something. I felt something grab my arm, but saw no one; Millard.
"Don't disturb her, she's doing an ancient ritual, although I don't know what for."
I was about to call bull when I saw golden light move around Mini and her body. Millard held his grasp firm until Miss Peregrine nodded for me to approach. Mini's skin wasn't a warm brown like it should have been, but an ashy grey. Her lips were dark purple and she felt cold to the touch.
"Oh my bird."

Yasmini's POV
I woke up in my room. Miss Peregrine and Enoch were standing at the end of my bed. I wanted to talk but my mouth felt dry and weak.
Did I age forward?? My was heart beating a thousand miles an hour, I couldn't breathe.
Miss Peregrine and Enoch were talking worriedly. I glanced at the door and saw Horace peeking in.
Why can't I move? Where's Victor?
In my window, Olive was floating trying to get as much information as she could for the others. I wanted to tell her it was too dark for her to not have her shoes on, but I couldn't. I tried to sit up, which was when Miss Peregrine and Enoch tried to lay me back down.
"Did I age forward?" I choked.
"No, but you must rest."
I glanced at my mirror and laid down in relief when I saw that I was still 16, and not a bag of bones.
"Can I have moment alone with her?" Enoch asked.
"Very well, but she needs her res." Miss Peregrine stride into the hallway and clicked her tongue
"Mister Somnussen, go to bed."
"B-but."
"Now."
Miss Peregrine shut the door behind her. I sat up and leaned my back against my bed, enjoying my newfound mobility.
"Mini, what happened?" He pulled me into a tight hug.
"It was an accident, I'm fine, truly." I smiled.
"I thought you died."
"Me? Never." I said playfully in an attempt to
"Nothing bad happened, there's no need to fret."
Enoch smiled and we both laughed relived.
"I thought you died, which would have sucked."
"Still alive and breathing."
"I know, it's a total bummer."
I laughed and smacked him, "you totally would resurrect me, and enjoy it!"
"Guilty as charged."
"Where's Victor?"
Enoch smiled and laughed, "poor bloke is in Millard's room getting his head iced."
"And Fiona?" I suddenly remembered how her and I shared a room.
"Spending the night with Hugh, she seemed very shaken up."
"Or so she said." I winked.
I heard a knock on the door and saw Fiona. She smiled sheepishly and waved before she grabbed a set of pajamas.
"Better grab something sexy for Hugh."
Fiona blushed and smiled. When she walked out, Victor came in.
Victor kissed my head, "you had me worried sick."
Enoch hugged me and winked, "I better be going, night."
Enoch shut the door behind him.
"What time is it?"
"After reset."
"Oh."
"Hungry?"
"Starved."
"Can you walk?"
"We're about to find out." I stepped out of bed. The cool wood floors felt nice under my feet. Victor picked me up bridal style and I put my hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. Victor carried me down the stairs and set me in the seat by the kitchen counter and opened the ice box. I commanded the lights on and Victor looked at me smiled, "you should be resting."
"I'm too hungry and bored."
Victor smiled at me and looked sneakily behind him. He shut the fridge and tip toed into the pantry before he pulled out a large case of sardines.
"Ewww."
Victor smiled and opened the large box to reveal a box of chocolate chip cookies.
"Oh thank the birds."
I took a cookie and nibbled on it, it was still soft and warm.
"I keep them by the furnace wall so they stay soft."
I ignored the fishy smell and kept on eating.
"You're amazing."
"You scared me, love."
"I know, I'm sorry."
Victor smiled mischievously, "you know Emma was crying?"
"What?" I laughed. Victor held his finger to shush me and hopped onto the counter next to me, Miss Peregrine would have a heart attack.
"She just felt 'so bad' about all the years she's been mean to you."
"I'll believe it when I see it." I laughed and took another bite of my cookie.
Victor smiled at me.
"What?"
"I love you."
"Even if I looked like this?" I scrunched my face to make it look like a double chin. Victor laughed, "yes, even if you looked like that."

5/14/21