Circus Freaks

Chapter 12-First Reset

Dinner came and went, but we skipped the movie, for the fourth time in a row. You weren't sure what Horace was seeing, but it was something he and Alma were keeping between them. But soon a loud noise could be heard from the sky above, sticking out over the sound of the rain falling on the roof. But this noise was not thunder, but rather planes. The children knew this. And they assumed the worst.

Everyone was panicking. Everyone ran. You ran with the majority of the children out of the house. You didn't stop when you heard Olive's scream, or Emma's boots pounding in the wrong direction. There was no time to stop. You got to the door when you heard a cry for help from behind you. The children had all gone, and Aa had completely disappeared. "Help!" Olive screamed again.

You turned around and ran back to the two girls who were still in the parlor. In the commotion a bookshelf had fallen, Olive was half trapped under the heavy thing and Emma was trying her best, but failing to lift it. You joined Emma and successfully got it up enough for Olive to roll out from under it.

You grabbed them both and ran, not caring that you were practically dragging the two out the door. You joined the group of children that'd formed on the front lawn, looking up at the sky as one rouge plane began to fly overhead. And then you noticed Alma's absence. You looked around frantically trying to find her. You turned back to the plane just as it dropped a bomb directly over the house that Alma may or may not be in. It was about to hit. And then everything froze.

The rain stopped falling and the bomb never hit. You looked around the yard, scanning in more closely. And this time you saw Alma, she looked as frozen as the world around you, staring at the bomb with shock and horror on her face. "ALMA!" You yelled over to her, which snapped her own of the trance she'd been in. She looked around quickly then began rewinding time. And soon it was September second again, but would only be that way for a few hours. Alma had successfully made a loop. But in the present everyone would think you were dead.

You rushed over to Alma, grabbing her and bringing her into a tight hug. All the children came over, most of them joining the hug and a large number of them crying. You pulled your head away from Alma to look at her face, finding that she was crying too and clearly still trying to process what just happened. Her eyes locked onto yours and for a long moment neither of you could bring yourselves to look away. But soon Claire caught her attention with a particularly loud sob and the woman pulled away from you to pick her up.

Everyone went back inside and to bed, though you doubted many would get very much sleep. Alma took an extra long time tucking in the children to make sure they all knew they were safe and could sleep peacefully. But You lied awake, and you had a feeling Alma did too. Though you wouldn't get up to check.

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The next day Olive was instructed to leave the loop for one thing and one thing only. She came back to the loop empty handed and grumpy. She stomped into the parlor where everyone was sitting and having a somewhat pleasant conversation and announced what had happed. "When I was outside the loop some random villager told me I was supposed to be dead and to go back to hell like the rest of you!" She seemed distressed and upset. You briefly wondered how hard it was for her to resist the urge to set the villager on fire.

"I'm immune to mean an hurtful words because my friends say nice things to me every day, and their love protects me." Claire said happily, as though it would fix Olive's mood.

"I'm immune to mean and hurtful words because my friends say mean things to me, so I'm prepared." Hugh said simply with a shrug of his shoulders, earning a concerned look from the headmistress.

"I'm immune to mean and hurtful words because nothing anyone can say will be as bad as what I've said to myself." You said, earning yourself a concerned glare from Alma who you hoped wouldn't bring it up later.

"I'm immune to mean and hurtful words because my constant state or fury doesn't allow them to take hold." Enoch added, not bothering to look up from his book.

"I'm immune to mean and hurtful words because I don't take anything seriously." Abe said with a big grin.

"I'm a weak ass bitch, but I don't let it get me down." Emma sighed though had a smile on her face.

"Watch the profanity. That's enough of that." Miss Peregrine finally stopped everyone, though couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto her face.

It was quiet for a long while until Abe spoke up again. At that point the younger children had left to go play outside and now it was only the eldest kids, you, and Alma in the room. "Would you guys be there for me if I was going through something?"

"No." You said immediately.

"Nope." Olive added.

"Absolutely not." Emma joined in.

You held back a laugh as they continued. "I hope it sucks whatever your going through." Victor said with a grin.

"I hope it emotionally scars you for the rest of your life." Enoch spoke with a large smirk. Alma watched in silence, not quite sure what to do.

"I hope you reach out to me so I can ignore you." You joined in again, nearly laughing at Abe's fake hurt expression.

"I can wait to go to your funeral knowing that I could've changed that outcome." Enoch said once more, only now looking up from his book to see Abe's face, which the boy had hidden in his hands.

"Oh brother!" Abe said exasperated as everyone else, except Alma, laughed. "I was just asking if you guys would be there for me! Geez, that escalated quickly."

"Never again." Alma said simply, not clarifying what she meant was to never happen again, though it was fairly obvious. Everyone laughed harder as she got up and walked out of the room shaking her head.

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I didn't have my coffee today and I'm sad