My Perfect Bird

Chapter 12-So Sorry

"Miss G..?" Olive knocked on the door to Miss Peregrine's bedroom. You'd moved Alma to lay peacefully in her own bed, holding her cold hand as you sat on the bed next to her unmoving body, crying.

"Yes, Olive?" You managed to say without your voice faltering.

"I think.." She paused to think over her words. "I think we need to talk..."

"About?" You spoke as you wiped your eyes and stood up.

"Everything." You walked over to the door and opened it. It was clear to the both of you that one another had been crying. "What do we tell the younger children.?"

"And what's this stupid ability or whatever you have that made them hunt you?" Enoch said, walking towards the both of you. He seemed as cold as ever, if not colder. But you couldn't blame him at any rate. "In a way it's your fault she's dead. You could've just given yourself up. Or not come here in the first place."

"Enoch!" Olive screeched. "Do you really think now is the time to even consider that! We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"She's right." You nodded turning your attention back to the redhead. "Gather all the children in the parlor. I'll try to explain.." You forced a smile before sending them both off. You went down to the parlor to wait and one by one each of the children arrived and sat down somewhere. You waited for them all to get settled lol ki in before starting. "I'm afraid I have bad news.."

"Shouldn't we wait for Miss Peregrine?" Claire said. Of course the girl meant no harm and was completely unaware, she didn't notice you wince.

"Oh, Claire.. She won't be joining us. Miss Peregrine isn't here anymore. Wights we're here earlier. But we've felt with them, they're gone. But they..." You couldn't bring yourself to finish. So Enoch did for you.

"She's dead. They killed her." He said with an eye roll and crossed his arms.

"Enoch!" Emma, Olive, and Horace yelled at once.

"What? They can handle the truth!"

"Miss Peregrine is dead?!" Claire yelled, standing up and now crying. You said nothing, not denying nor confirming the statement. "NO!" She screamed. "No!" She yelled again, a bit quieter, sitting back down as the twins hugged her.

Now everyone was crying. Everyone but Enoch, though no one expected him to. You couldn't help the tears that once again slipped from your eyes. Even Aaron and Ellie, who hadn't known the ymbryne as well as the others, were sobbing.

"I'll be handling reset and such. If you'd like to see her you may, she's currently in her bed. I'll soon move her to another room but she'll remain there for now." Was the last thing you said before slipping away from the group to be alone in the greenhouse.

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It took a few days to get settled into routine. You were admittedly worse at staying on schedule than Alma. Not to mention the stress of having to suddenly do everything alone and the anxiety that the children would suddenly hate you because Enoch had been right and it was your fault. It took a week for you to move Alma from her bed. In that time, you slept on the couch. You'd put her in Victor's room adding a second bed much like his own and changing her into a pure white outfit. It was really unsettling but someone had to do it and you wouldn't subject any of the children to that, no matter how much Enoch was used to dead bodies. It was secretly hurting him too and you knew it, he just decided to show it in sarcastic and cruel comments.

It was hard without Alma. You'd taken to wearing her clothes to remember her smell. But eventually they stopped smelling like her. So instead you began smoking her pipe, which turned into a pretty common habit. You visited her in her new room daily. You cleaned it, making sure to dust everywhere. Oftentimes just sitting on the side of her bed holding her hand and talking to her about how everything was moving along without her. You often cried in that room.

Soon two women arrived at the door, three others standing in a line a bit further behind. One of the women was in a wheelchair, you recognized them both immediately. "Hello, Miss Grandala." Miss Avocet said. "We've come to talk about Miss Wren's visit. And I'm sorry but weather you like it or not, we're going to have to remove you from this loop. And if we must, we'll have to resort to using force." She gestured to the three peculiars behind her.

"Please be reasonable." Miss Bunting asked of you.

"I will not be separated from my children. Not after what's happened." You responded with a blank face, unfazed by everything that's happening.

The two shared a look before turning back to you. "What's happened?" Miss A asked.

"Oh. How on earth do you not know?"

"We're aware that Alma is no longer in love if that's what you're referencing. Mallory had mentioned that before we left. You however, still are. I'm completely confused as to why you would want to stay when she doesn't love you."

"I am not leaving. I would die before I left. Now please, exit my loop."

"This isn't your loop. It belongs to Alma. And I'd like to speak to her if you don't mind." You said nothing, unsure of how to respond. "Bring Alma to us!"

"I'm afraid you'd have to go to her. She's upstairs." You said coldly before walking into the house, assuming they'd follow. All five of them did, shutting the door behind them. You led the ground upstairs with some difficulty. One of the peculiars had to hold Miss Avocets wheelchair while the woman clung to Miss Bunting who helped her up the stairs. "She's in here." You opened the door to her new room and went to stand at the side of her bed, but couldn't bring yourself to look at her.

Miss Avocet got back in her wheelchair before wheeling herself over to the bed to see what the problem was. Miss Bunting did the same. The truth hit them both at the same time. "She's not.." Miss A said in disbelief as she rested her hand on top of her former students.

"Wights attacked a few days ago. They'd come for me. They've since been taken care of. But we could do nothing to help her."

The other women were silent for a long moment. You spared a glance at them only to realize they were both crying. "We're sorry for the trouble. You can continue to stay here. I'm sure the children need you." Miss Bunting said, making the decision before the other woman could. The five of them left with no more than a goodbye.

You likely wouldn't be hearing from them again.

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I ran out of Eva Green pictures so you get a meme