The Bird and the Bee

Chapter 11

It was after dinner and time for Horaces movie, everyone taking their usual spots in the parlor, this time Jenny leaning against the wall near where Miss Peregrine normally stood. The children didn't take notice to it, focused in as Horace projected the dreams, immediately the atmosphere in the room changing. It didn't start with his usual dreams of him trying on suits, but instead their ymbryne. Alma straightened herself, Jenny noticing the sudden tension in the woman's shoulders as she watched intensely at the projection. The ravenette in his dream slowly opened her eyes, Jenny feeling her heart tighten at the disheveled headmistress on the screen, her usual authority in her features gone and a intense fear took hold of them instead. The woman let out a shout before the dream switched to Miss Honey leaving the loop with Matilda, both dreams immediately raising questions from the children when Alma flicked on the light switch.

"What's going to happen, Miss?"

"Why is Matilda and Miss Honey leaving?"

"Is it about the wights?"

"Children." Miss Peregrine says firmly, her voice firm, silencing the commotion. She bit the side of her cheek for a second as she thought for a moment, looking at her pocket watch.

"No more questions as of tonight, it's time for reset."

"But Miss, the dream-"

"I will be perfectly fine, Miss Elephanta." Alma interrupts, holding a hand up to silence the many voices speaking over one another. "I will not let anything happen to my wards."

"Miss-"

"Children, please head outside for reset." The ravenette says, ending the conversation. The children knew better than to argue, listening to her and making their way outside, the tension still clearly hanging in the air. Matilda slowly walked by her mother and the headmistress, her gaze looking up at the older woman but Alma didn't meet it, her eyes gazing down at the floor as she clenched her jaw, trying to keep her concern from showing. The little girl left outside, Jenny the last one with the ymbryne.

"Alma-"

"Outside, Jennifer." She repeats sternly, Miss Honey a bit taken aback by her tone but didn't mention it and turned to leave. Alma followed behind afterwards, not bothering to put on as much of a show as she usually did when resetting the loop. Instead a silence fell over them, the children obviously panicking but keeping it on the down low to avoid stressing the ravenette more despite Alma's efforts to keep a cool head.

Jenny watched as she heard the whistle of the bomb, noticing it dropping to the home through her gas mask, the raindrops falling before Alma spun her watch back, the ymbryne doing it quite well despite the thoughts racing through her head. She felt guilty for snapping at her children and Jenny, but she couldn't have them worrying. Sometimes Horaces dreams can be wrong. A flicker of daylight appeared before the night sky fell again, Alma tucking her watch away and glancing over at the group who began walking back to the home. The ravenette purposely trailed behind where Jenny was, Matilda having run ahead with the other children who were questioning her about their leaving.

"Children, please don't pester Matilda. I can explain more tomorrow before they leave." Alma speaks up, Matilda glancing at her briefly with a thankful look.

"Why are they leaving?" Enoch glares, his gaze moving from his ymbryne and scowl deepening when he looked at Jenny, seeing how close she was to the older woman and Jenny backed off slightly. "So they can leave just like Abe did?"

"Enoch!" Emma snaps, clearly hurt by the name mentioned, Jenny noticed.

"What, it's true! That's what they all do, get close to someone here and then leave because they would never want to repeat the same day for eternity."