Angelica Nightingale:Enoch O'Connor

Chapter three: Greetings

Still carrying young Alfie who had turned three when we left the Wights' compound. I do hope mother, father and our Doves are looking down from heaven and see how much he has grown, he's to get his wings soon if he has inherited them. I would have to teach him from the ground I'm afraid. However, I feel that I shall fly with him again in the future.

I walk wearily on high alert deep breaths, realisation roaming my head. This is to be our new home until fate decides otherwise.

Walking through the town hearing the snores and murmurs of the sleeping townspeople and the waves crashing against each other under the moonlight are calming and soothing to the ears. For the first time in over two years, I feel calm and I don't have to worry about being in danger. Fearing and wondering when my last day will come to an end.

I walk calmly up to the door of our new home. I knocked briefly and entered without having an escort inside. I know it was rude however, after carrying a sleeping Alfie for who knows how long, I am in real need of rest, and quickly as it is soon to be Alfie's new feeding time. As we both were starved I need to slowly introduce food to him, starting with human blood and then slowly transitioning into milk and so on.

To my dismay, the door slammed shut behind me due to a wind pick up, which lead to the following events of Miss Peregrine coming down the stairs with a crossbow and her children following in pursuit to amuse their curiosity.

"I apologise for startling everyone and awaking you, however, the wind got to the door before I."

"That is alright Miss Nightingale, I'm glad you and Alfie have made it safe and sound."

"Quite right, good evening everyone, again my apologies."

I got a few shy waves from the youngsters, a few hellos and wary glances from others.

"Angel! It's so good to see you."

A tall young man came and picked me and Alfie up, twirling us around. "Oh, Victor, how I have missed you, where is young Bronwyn."

"Right here."

"My my, how beautiful you are, those curls simply shape your face perfectly."

With the moonlight and now a few candles lit I could see that Bronwyn had started blushing from my compliment, I smiled lovingly at that.

"Is it true what Horace's dream saw, about you and your family, did they take your peculiarities?"

"Is it true that you're peculiars' queen and that you're thousands and thousands of years old?"

"How do we know that we can trust you, you have white eyes, how do we know you're not a Wight, and travelling with a Hollow?"

"How did you escape, did they let you go so you can show the Wights and their Hollows the way to us. Is that your plan, to give us up to the bad guys?"

Everyone was starting to ask questions left right and centre, I simply couldn't keep up, nor was I in the right mind to be answering such questions.

"Everyone, calm down, Miss Nightingale has just arrived with her sleeping brother, if you have any manners you would not ask Angelica about her past, as one gentleman and ladies would. Angelica's eyes are not white they are silver, she is neither a Wight nor does she have amongst her company a Hollow. You have witnessed young Horace's dream and therefore have no need to ask further questions, are we understood?"

Miss Peregrine spoke sternly and quickly, making sure that every word is heard and kept in mind.

"Thank you, Miss Peregrine, Victor dear, may I ask you to take Alfie to the kitchen I will be there shortly to feed him. It was lovely to be in your presence and I would be glad to get to know everyone tomorrow, however, for now, I need to discuss certain topics with Miss Peregrine, again my apologies for waking everyone. I'll be waiting in your office."

With that, I left the room and followed my instinct to her office and placed myself tiredly in the armchair opposite the desk with a sigh.

Not a minute had passed when Miss Peregrine had entered the room.

"Angelica my dear, I am sorry for what has been bespoken upon you, as well as the behaviour of my children."

"That is quite alright, they are curious and anxious to know if they are placed in any trouble. I suppose it is time to tell my version of what happened. Apologies in advance for my crude behaviour, however, I sense you need to see what has truly happened to me as well as Alfie."

I spoke my version of the story as Horace has most likely shown everyone snippets of what happened, with a little false information as I have been told that his visions aren't always correct. I had taken off my dress and shown Miss Peregrine my back as well as the missing void in my chest where my heart was taken from me.

After finalising my tale, Miss Peregrine pulled me into my arms where I let tears fall from my eyes, this is the comfort I've needed from a mother figure, this is what I've needed, someone to talk to my problems about.

"There is a room upstairs for you and Alfie, let us join Victor and Alfie in the kitchen so I may inspect him also, and make something for you to eat."

"Thank you Miss Peregrine for allowing us to stay, I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances."

"I to Angelica, I to."

We walked into the kitchen, Victor gave me back my brother who was awake and crying with silent cries. I grabbed a cutting knife, sat down at the little table and carefully sliced my wrist, careful not to drop Alfie, cut him or cut too deep, to which there would be blood splurging out creating a mess.

I placed my wrist up to Alfie's mouth and as he drank I started singing to him.

All my focus was on Alfie as he was drinking. I could internally sense that the other children in the house were listening to me.

Alfie had finished with his meal, as had I with my snack, we were escorted to our room but Victor and as we passed I noticed that everyone was peeping out of their rooms and watching us as we went up the stairs. We came to a stop on the level of the bathroom, one level from the attic, I went into the room, said my goodnights to Victor and Miss Peregrine and immediately changed myself and Alfie into nightwear, before placing us into our beds before drifting off to sleep.