Chapter 3-Save The Birds

960 47 10
                                    

Olive and you had exchanged multiple letters, you often asking how everyone was and arranging times for Olive to come over. Each of the other children had been brought with once or twice. And though Miss Peregrine asked to visit a couple times as well, she stopped asking when Olive kept refusing her.

It was a painfully normal day. Well, until you heard a knock at your door. Upon answering it you found Olive and a stranger standing there. "Oh, Olive, who's this? Wait, we didn't schedule a meeting today.. did we?" You asked, wondering if you'd forgotten.

"No, no, Y/n. We need your help."

—————

"So let me get this straight. Mr Barron is going to try the experiment again? Didn't it quite literally blow up in his face the last time? These wights never learn. And he dared to kidnap Miss Peregrine? She may die! And this Jacob kid can see hollows?" You sat in the parlor with everyone and Miss Avocet. You looked Jake up and down. "Useful."

"We were wondering if you could pause the time loop with your peculiarity? And nothing else? Just so that it won't close without Miss P here?" Olive asked.

"I don't know that would be kinda hard- and shabang!" You snapped your fingers. "Tis done."

"Great, now you'll be able to see the monsters shadows. Y/n, any chance you'd be able to freeze the hollows too?" The new kid asked.

"Can't freeze what I can't see my little friend." You grinned at him despite this misfortune.

"I'm taller than you..." He muttered to himself.

"Your hight is the least of our worries, no?" You asked him, smiling. "On that note. I have a most wonderful idea. We just need to splash it with something colorful. Emma, we still have that paint sitting in the attic, right?" The girl nodded. "Once it's visible I'll be able to pause it and 'Mr Tall' over here can shoot it."

Everyone got to work, doing as they were told to get prepared. It wasn't long before a hollow burst through the wall and took Miss Avocet, consuming the elderly woman's eyes. Once Jake signaled that the beast was in the right place, Bronwyn let go of a rope she'd been holding. Opened, blue paint cans that had been attached to the rope, dropped from the ceiling and covered the hollow, making it somewhat visible. Now that you could see it, it was easy to freeze, giving Jake a clean shot and effectively killing it.

—————

Everyone seemed nervous. But the plan was simple. You'd start with an idea of Jake's, lure out the hollows, and maybe a couple wights, make the visible so you could press pause on them. And from there it'd be pretty easy to dispose of them. And they wouldn't die without knowing as they'd be completely conscious the entire time they're frozen.

Enoch's skeletons would kill them while the rest of you took a leisurely walk through to the tower. From there you'd just put a pause on Barron and his troops, kill them, and save some birds.

Everything, miraculously, went according to plan. Until it came time to freeze Barron and you found out, that for whatever reason, you could not. You and most of the others stayed behind to handle the paused wights. Though you eventually met Emma and Enoch in the room the birds were kept. Jake hadn't gotten a chance to free them yet. And now that you looked around, you saw that Enoch had a crossbow aimed at not one, but two Jake's.

"Well this is a predicament." You said casually. "Enoch, hand me the bow, please?" When he hesitated you spoke again. "Now." He gave in, handing it over to you. "Now I'll use my limited knowledge about Jake to detect the fake. How do you spell, bananas?" You asked the two, gaining confused looks from your friends.

"B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" One Jake answered quickly.

"Wrong." You said, aiming the crossbow at him.

"Y/n, this is how you spell bananas." Enoch said, glaring.

"Yes, Enoch, I'm well aware. But Jacob sings the song." You nodded to the real Jake who took it as his cue and began singing.

"This shit is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!"

"This shit is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" You sang the next line with him as you pulled the trigger on the fake. Who turned back to Mr Barron as his life faded away. "Ha! And you guys doubted me! I talked with Jake about more modern trends on our way over. Sorry for the profanity, Miss P." You apologized as you walked over to her cage and let her out. Once free she flew in circles around you a couple of times before landing on your head and lightly pecking you. "Uh, ouch, what was that for?"

"You fool, she hasn't seen you in five years. Or have you forgotten you never let her visit?" Emma said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right..." For a moment you forgot you'd been so long. It felt good to be back. And for a while it felt like you'd never left.

"We should get going." Jake said. "I'll free the rest of the ymbrynes. You guys get back to the boat before you age." You all did just that, leaving to meet the others at the boat, Jacob close behind. As soon as you left the building Miss Peregrine took off flying, weaving her way through crowds of amazed people. Until she landed on a small boys shoulder. When his mother tried to swat her away she simply switched to the other shoulder.

"Sorry, ma'am! My apologies, she's mine." You said to the woman as you rushed over to her and her son, having handed the crossbow back to Enoch. The little boy seemed to be enjoying the bird on his shoulder. "She has the tendency to fly away when upset with me. I wouldn't worry though, she doesn't bite." Right after you said that Miss P snapped her beak in your direction 

"This is sooo cool! What's her name? What kind of bird is she?" The boy seemed thrilled, whereas his mother was glaring daggers at you. 

"She's a peregrine falcon. A truly beautiful bird, definitely my personal favorite." You smiled at her and she tilted her head slightly. Now it's be considered strange to name a bird after the type of bird she is so you'd have to tell the boy her first name. "Her name is Alma." Her head tilted slightly further to the side.

"Oh that's so pretty!" The boy exclaimed.

"It is." You agreed, a smile never leaving your face. "We were just headed home. Afraid we're in a rush so we really best be going." You said apologetically as you held out your forearm for the bird. "Come along, Alma." She reluctantly flew over to land on your stretched out arm.

As you walked back to the loop entrance you talked to her, knowing full well she couldn't respond. "Now what in the world was that? That woman could've hurt you if I hadn't stepped in!" You scolded. In response she lightly pecked your arm before moving up to your shoulder and nuzzling her head into the side of your own as if some sort of apology. You sighed. "Alright. I can't be mad at you." You smiled at her when she let out a soft coo.

—————

Felt like updating rather than wast time trying to sleep

RunawayWhere stories live. Discover now