Clay and Blood | Enoch O'Connor

Chapter 8

With her heart shattered to the floor...Dalila did the only thing she could think of doing, she went to the library. Not to read but to think...How she missed Abe...How Jake reminded her of him so much...and how Enoch was a rude, ignorant, manipulative bastard.
Obviously she would never say these words out loud, Miss. Peregrine would have her head if she ever heard her swear. She reached the library and with one swift move created a freezing wind current that forcefully closed the door behind her. Pain shot right through her hands as she kneeled to the ground removing her gloves, looking at what happened to them.

She began wearing gloves the last 15-17 years in the loop, she never used to need them but in those years her peculiarity began to slowly take control over her body. Miss. Peregrine provided her these white silk gloves when she accidentally almost completely froze her heart in her sleep do to the fact that she liked to cradle her arms next to her chest when going to bed. But something that nobody else knew was the current permanent affect her peculiarity was having on her body. She looked at her bare hand and there it was, the permanent frost that was crystalizing on the palm and the back of her hand. The more she used her peculiarity the more frost would spread through her...she was slowly freezing to death...and nobody knew. She desperately tried to heat her palms in hopeless hope that it would somehow melt the frost that has now been on her body for that past 14 to 15 years. In fact her hands weren't the only body part affected by this. Her thighs began the process of crystallization as well, and she was sure her back probably had some as well.

She sat on the library floor...mentally cursing her condition. If she could only count the amount of times she contemplated asking Olive for help but then backing down in fear that she would get scared or tell the other kids, especially Enoch. She was sure that prick would be ready to make fun of her any time and have her heart put in a jar once her body completely froze her to death. But then she thought back at that moment when she was pinned against that door. The library door began to open as she scrambled to get her gloves back on to hide the visible frost.
"Oh Dalila" it was Horace...he saw everything...no point in hiding. Without turning around she sighted heavily. "Go on then...chastise me" she whispered as she got up leaving the gloves on the floor behind her.
"B-but why?" He asked, his voice dropping in despair. "I cannot do this Horace..." she looked down at her frozen palms and finally turned towards him "I want to live" she whispered "But we are living! That's the whole part of the loop!" "No we are not!" She raised her voice at him who backed away. Horace had always been one of her confiders...seeing as he also was stuck in the body of a 17 year old. "I have been 17 for the last 120 years! I want to grow old!...I want to see the world!...I want to have children! Perhaps fall in love! I want something that tells me that I am alive and not stuck in a temporal loop!" She yelled again. Horace had tears in his eyes...he felt foolish for never understanding what was really going on in her head once Abe left. The door suddenly bursted open revealing a very happy and exited Emma. "Jake! He's back!" She said lovingly and just as she appeared she vanished. "If you will excuse me...I need to change out of my nightgown" she grabbed her gloves that were left carelessly on the floor and sprinted to her room. She entered her cream colored bedroom and slipped out of the nightgown that clung to her body, remaining only in her underwear and bra. She took a simple long black skirt and a white blouse and of course her gloves. She heard a voice, Jake indeed did arrive, she tied up her shiny black shoes and ran downstairs to great him.

She arrived at the bottom of the stairs and saw him holding Clair in his arms.
"Jake!" She called and he turned around "Dalila! Hi!" He exclaimed as he put the little girl down to walk towards the brunette girl. "So you did indeed come back I see" she exclaimed with a smile, he smiled back shyly. "Jake! Just in time for Lunch!" Millard ran as he grabbed Jacob's elbow, dragging him to the dining room, Dalila shortly behind.
"B-but I don't understand!" A voice exclaimed from the kitchen as she passed by.
"Well that is no news" the male sighted, this was Enoch no doubt.
"But I thought we could have something!" Olive exclaimed, and immediately, Dalila understood what the fuss was about.
Without wanting to listen anymore she took her place at the dining table. Once everyone was sat they started conversing peacefully about whatever came to mind until the subject of peculiarities came.

"I'm just saying as far as peculiarity goes...mine is one of the rarest" Hugh said. "Well elemental peculiarities are also pretty rare" Jake commented "What are you blind, Jake? There are three of them sitting at this very table" Enoch pointed at Olive, Emma, and Dalila "Don't be so rude Enoch!" Emma scolded as Jake's cheeks turned red. "It's Enoch, what do you expect?" Clair laughed innocently and a sad frown spread onto his already angry face "I can be nice!" He exclaimed trying to hide his frustration.

Millard giggled "What?!" Enoch asked in anger, completely dropping his 'cool' facade. Millard looked a bit taken a back but he still responded with what one could only presume was a smile of his face "Well Enoch" he began, their relationship was never the best. "You never come out of your room" he began listing "You give monotone one word response when someone even tries to have a conversation with you" Enoch's face scrunched up in disgust "And you managed to make Dalila hate you, Dalila" he emphasized "Who would hardly be able to be mad at a hollow, so there is clearly something wrong with you. Not with us, not with Jake...you" he ended. Enoch grabbed the cloth napkin that sat on his lap and threw it on the table as he made his way to his room, ignoring Miss. Peregrine's calls for him to sit back down.

"Millard!" Olive exclaimed after Enoch left the table. "What!? it is true" he defended. "That is unacceptable behavior,Mr. Nulligans" Miss. Peregrin broke the bickering going on between the two.
"I have lost my appetite" Dalila mumbled as she pushed her plate further.