Anchor || Enoch O'Connors

[01]

3rd September 1943 5:00pm - Day 1

A deep breath filled the air; the scent of wildflowers and freshly cut grass floated in the breeze. Her gaze drifted over the red brick home - it's architecture castle like. The girl hadn't stayed in a castle just yet; the thought had crossed her mind once or twice, but after 5 loops she gave up on the dream. However, this home was beautiful. Tall towers, large stained windows and what looks like a greenhouse. Ivory vines covered the home along with flowers of all colours, as the girl got closer, she looked up in awe.
The girl's attention was then pulled to the front door as it opened, revealing a woman with a pale, sculpted face. Her hair was dark, shiny and seemed to have hints of purple and blue within it. Between her lips, a pipe - she quickly took out as she spoke. "Miss Carter," She spoke as smoke puffed out, "Right on time." She smiled, as she placed her pipe down on a small silver table.

The young girl smiled, "Please, call me Merida." She spoke softly, "It's lovely to meet you Miss Peregrine. Miss Avoset has told me wonders about you and your children." Miss Peregrine smiled proudly while making way for the girl to walk inside.
"Please, come in Darling." She gestured with her arm and the girl followed.
As often as she had changed loops, she still wasn't used to it. Her nerves still got the best of her. Looking around her mouth fell slightly ajar, if the outside of the home wasn't beautiful enough, the inside was magnificent. "You have a beautiful home Miss-" As the girl spoke a figure caught her attention; tall, blonde, and lanky - presenting no other features. "Peregrine." She finished, staring at the figure.
The woman followed her gaze, "Whatever are you looking at, Child?" She asked curiously, craning her neck to see down the hall.
Merida blinked as the figure seemed to disappear.
"Nothing, Miss..." The girl shook her head, as she turned her head back to the woman.

The girl slightly jumped as someone appeared, a tall girl with short, wavy blonde hair. She smiled softly, "Hello."
"Miss Carter, this is Emma." Merida smiled as she struck out her hand.
"Lovely to meet you." The girl spoke to the blonde, "I'm Merida."
Miss Peregrine clapped her hands, "Well, Miss Carter, as you've arrived at this late time, it's almost supper. Emma," the woman turned her attention to the blonde, "Please show our new guest to her room, and allow her to settle in. She shall meet the children during supper."
Emma nodded while gesturing for Merida to follow her, "I like your hair." Emma made conversation ass the walked up the stairs. The girls hair was auburn, with a streak of white in the front which she had since birth. Merida looked to the girls shoes, metal and heavy looking. "I like your shoes."

The girls grip on her suitcase got tighter as they reached the top of the stairs. The end door - the master bedroom - Merida guessed it was the Headmistress's quarters. Four doors then lined either side of the hall, "This is yours." Emma stepped forward towards the second last door on the right. "Mine is that one" Pointing to a random door on the other side of the hall, Merida couldn't tell which it was. "If you need anything I'm in there. Supper is in 30 minutes. I'll come get you."
"Thank you." Merida spoke as she nodded at the girl. Eventually she turned and walked into her new room.
Plants, an open window that seemed to lead to the front yard, candles, a book shelf and a bed. "Homey..." She breathed as she placed her suitcase on the bed that was in the middle of the room, it's cover a multicoloured quilt. The girl sat beside it, rubbing her knees as she looked over the room. As her eyes caught the mirror, she took a double take. The figure from before, sat behind her facing the other way. Taking a deep breath, she turned to see him still sitting there, unbothered by her presence. "Hello." The girl spoke softly, and with that the figure stood up, leaving out her opened door.

The girl fell back onto the bed, gazing at her roof, noticing how bare it was. Her hand made its way to her own neck, playing with a small chain that hung there. This was her new home, she didn't know for how long. In her last loop she only lasted a few months before Miss Avoset decided the 1943 loop would be better for her.
Merida laid there for what felt like years before Emma returned, "How you doing?" She questioned from the doorway.
"Good... yeah no, this place seems right." Merida said honestly. "At least for now.." She still had her worries, but that was all to be cleared up over supper.
Emma had then lead the girl down the stairs, to a set of wooden doors. The blonde opened them, revealing a long dining table, each of its chairs full except for 2. The girls eyes glanced over all the children; a boy with a net on his head, two children covered head to toe in white, a little girl with golden curls, a girl with braids, a set of floating clothes, a blonde boy, a girl with dark red hair and a young girl with brown curls. The girls gaze then drifted to the end of the table, her eyes widening her mouth falling slightly. "David..." she said softly, but something was off, his gaze was hard, eyebrows furrows, his eyes darker.
"Enoch." He corrected her quickly, his accent was a thick Scottish one, unlike which she was used too.
The girl shook her head, realising that the boy was actually there, "Sorry..." she breathed quickly, "I just thought- You look like someone I used to know." She tried to explain herself, only for the boy to look down and away from her.

"Children." Miss Peregrine announced, "This is Merida Carter, she will be staying with us. I hope you all are kind and welcome her to our home."  The girl took a seat between the small girl with golden curls and the floating clothes. Looking up she met his eyes, dark and cold, her breath quickened slightly.
She looked down, knowing his eyes were still on her. "Would everyone like to introduce themselves?" Miss Peregrine spoke up as she took a bite of what seemed to be carrot. "Emma?"
The blonde smiled as Merida looked up, "Emma." She said awkwardly, "I float... These are the twins-" She gestured to the two in white "-they can turn people to stone."
"I'm Horace, I'm prophetic," The blonde boy spoke up. "Lovely dress you have on." The girl smiled, as her gaze followed onto the next speaker.
"Fiona - I make things grow."
"Bronwyn - I'm as strong as ten men."
"Hugh - I have bees in my stomach.
"Olive - I can heat my hands."
"I'm Millard," The clothes beside Merida spoke up, "I'm invisible, if you couldn't tell."
The girl smiled, "Really?" She joked, and from what she could have guessed the boy rolled his eyes.
"That's Claire," Millard introduced the youngest, "She has a mouth on the back of her head."

The room then went quite, "What about you? Merida." The accent brought her attention to him, he leant forward, his elbows on the table.
"I'm Clairvoyant." She spoke simply, hoping that the answer would suffice as she could barely look at him.
"In what sense? As in Mind reader? Physic?" Horace piped in from the other side of the table who was next to Enoch.
"As in dead people." She felt the older boy's expression change even though she didn't see it. She tried her best to keep her composure. Why did he look so similar? "I can see and communicate with.... The dead." She felt ashamed of it, it wasn't a very helpful peculiarity. "What about you Enoch?" She tried her best not to crumble under the similarity.

He looked down nonchalantly, "Dead riser." He cut into his food before taking a bite, "They are like my very own puppets."
The girl let out a soft "oh."
"OOoOo," Fiona let out as she leaned forward, "it's like you two are connected, you know, with the whole undead thing."

That is what seemed to be the final straw, Merida stood up instantly, swallowing hard. "Please excuse me Miss, I don't feel well." Without an answer, the girl took off, leaving the Headmistress and children in the room. Merida made her way up the stairs, trying to keep her composure.
As she entered her room, she closed the door, sliding down the back, allowing for tears to fall.

Maybe this was going to be more difficult than she thought.