Thin Ice (MPHfPC Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-One:

Everyone argued about what to do next. Would we sneak in using the panloopticon? Would we find other peculiars and launch an attack? Or would we sneak in another way?

The useful thing about Miss Peregrine's inability to get close to people was that she could just walk in and everyone would wither and blink out of existence. But she couldn't stop bullets, knives, or darts. Or, at least, we hadn't tried it. 

But it would be difficult to attain a hollow to use for the panloopticon. And it seemed as if all the peculiars in Devil's Acre were either working for the wights, or ambrosia addicts.

While we were going back and forth about what other ways we could sneak in, Miss Peregrine shouting her bit from across the room, when Bentham walked in.

"I'm sorry," He said, interrupting our argument. "I couldn't help but hear this... discussion." He glanced around at everyone.

"And?" Emma prompted when he didn't say more.

"Might I suggest something?"

"Go on." Miss Peregrine said, although her voice was hostile.

"I know a peculiar who can fly," Bentham continued. "I brought him off ambrosia a couple years ago. He owes me. Perhaps he could drop you off on the roof? I daresay no one will be expecting it. True, it would be harder to infiltrate Caul's fort through the top than the panloopticon, but it may be possible."

"That... Might work." Jake said slowly.

"If I really wanted to, I could probably make the whole ceiling disappear." I said. We all looked at each other. Bentham was smart, and as much as we didn't like him, his plan was very good.

"I should go," Bentham said through the awkward silence. He knew he wasn't exactly welcome in our group. "My servant will deliver meals to each of your rooms at seven."

Then he hobbled out of the room.

. . .

We were going to break in through the roof the next day. In the middle of the day, in fact. We would be less expected then, and we would take a back route where we would be least likely to be spotted. Miss Peregrine would take her bird form and the rest of us would be taken two at a time to the top of the building. Four wights would be posted there at the time, but we would be armed with guns and explosives.

Olive and Claire both wanted to go, but we shot them down. They were too young, and they should be safe in Bentham's large house. Just in case, Horace was going to stay behind with them.

"I've already been in that hell hole before, I'll be fine staying back here." Horace had said.

"You're just scared, admit it." Enoch had grinned at him.

"I've got a brain, that's all."

At that point, we had already figured out everything and Miss Peregrine sent us to bed.

So I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking. I had no idea why I was connected to Miss Peregrine this way. I had also gotten memories from Jake as well, but those memories were few and they had a certain lightness in them, like they were the happiest thing in the world. I only seemed capable of retaining bad memories from the headmistress.

Then I started to think about my old life. I had never been directly attacked because of my differences, but I had always felt detached. I was always uncomfortable around a lot of people, not meeting their eyes, because I always felt too out of place. But I was never stiff and uncomfortable around fellow peculiars, even when I first met Jake (when I didn't know what being peculiar was).

But then, slowly, I drifted to sleep.

. . .

A flash of blue brought a scene in front of me. It was my own memory. I was talking to Jake, the words muffled. It was the first time I had met him. A feeling of interest took hold of me as I watched him leave. At the time I had had no idea what he had meant when he was talking about the children's home, and I had been mildly intrigued. Suddenly, the scene dimmed and a bright orange thread shot out of my head and into Jake's as he walked away. Then the string disappeared and a faint yellow glow remained in each of our heads.

The scene dissolved, and, in it's place, another scene took shape.

I was meeting Miss Peregrine for the first time, excitement shooting through me as I remembered. Words once again muffled, I shook Miss Peregrine's hand. This scene dimmed as well as my heart glowed and pushed blue light down through my hand and into Miss Peregrine's. A flash of white appeared at our touch as well.

Another scene appeared. It showed me and Horace, leaning against each other in the dark of the van. A purple light sparked in our hearts and spread from my head and into Horace's. Then an incredibly small, odd white light in Horace's foot spread to mine. Like he was sharing something of his with me.

. . .

I woke just as the sun was starting to rise. The dinner I had had last night was spinning in my stomach, but I hardly noticed it. I was busy asking myself a question.

What did it all mean?

The first scene made a tiny bit of sense. If I was feeling a bit of interest and intrug in what Jake had been talking about, then I might have subconsciously made a connection with my undiscovered peculiar power. That may be why I had gotten memories about moments between Jake and his grandfather, who were both peculiar, and had a little bit to do with what I was wondering about.

The second memory didn't make much sense. Why was it blue light that had pushed it's way out of my heart and into Miss Peregrine's hand? She had been my favorite character before I knew for sure that she was real, but what difference did that make?

The last scene was the most confusing. I had gotten no memories from Horace. Then a thought entered my head. What if the white light I had seen in his foot was his second soul? It made sense, the second soul was in a peculiar's foot. That's also where it could be extracted. But if it was, why had some of it gone to me? Nothing in me had changed.

Actually, it did make sense if I had a bit of Horace's peculiarity. My dreams had started just after this moment, and wasn't Horace's peculiarity all about dreams? His peculiarity allowed him to tell the future, but mine uncovered the past, as well as the present.

But how had this happened in the first place? And did I take all of Horace's peculiarity? Could I not even touch people anymore, for fear of sucking their second soul away?

My door suddenly banged open. I jumped up and saw Horace there.

"Oh good, you're up," He said. "Miss Peregrine wanted you to start to get ready. She also wants to talk with you soon, but she said it's fine if you eat first."

"Okay," I said hurriedly. "Horace- have you had any more prophetic dreams lately?"

"Yes," Horace answered. "It's mostly been small things, but I forget all the important dreams a lot, so..." He shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure we weren't missing something," I lied. I didn't feel quite ready to tell people about the strange memories just yet.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Horace left. I hadn't stolen all his second soul after all.