Audibility- A Miss Peregrines Fanfiction #1

"You Can't Sleep?"

Peculiar children sitting room. The only picture that looked lived in with lots of chairs. You decide, who is that guy in the mirror? By the drapes over there? Comment your guesses. My guess is probably Hugh, you can almost see his hat....

I barely had enough time to get changed into a dress before it was time to eat. I came down the staircase and into the dining room. Claire wasn't in her seat at the table.

"Where's Claire?" I asked Millard, who had come down with me.

"She doesn't eat with us. It's because of her backmouth." Millard replied. That sounds so embarrassing! No wonder she  doesn't eat with us.

Later, the food was brought out. Turkey, more fish, carrots, spinach, (I heard some groans at this), and tea. The children looked tired from their time at the beach, so we didn't stay to see the changeover. Instead, we all went strait to bed. And that's where I stayed. At least, for a minute or so.

I could hear someone pacing downstairs. Then there was a thump, the scoot of moving furniture. I was curious why they would choose to hang around downstairs when they could be sleeping. I was already exhausted from my new sleep schedule. Me with my inquisitive side, went downstairs to investigate.

I walked into the sitting room I had seen yesterday, as I was being shown around my first time. There sat Horace. And he certainly looked different than all the times I had seen him around the house. He looked disheveled. His normally neat suit was replaced with some ordinary cotton pajamas, and he looked kind of stressed. I sat down beside him.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" Horace asked.

"It's pretty easy to wake me, really, I used to live in London, and right on a busy road too." I assured.

"It's not exactly noises that are keeping me awake." He bowed his head.

"What then?" I questioned. He sighed.

"I'm sure you've been told that I have these dreams, right?" I nodded.

"They come in nightmare form. I never have good dreams, you know." Horace said.

"That's awful."

"I know. I'm not looking for sympathy. Nobody else realizes just how bad it is." He continued. "If I stay up all night, I can't fall asleep and have a nightmare. You don't understand Nettalyn, their terrible." I'm worried about him.

"So, you can't sleep? Ever? That's not healthy!" I argued.

"Well until I come up with a better idea it's what I'm doing. It's not like you can stop me!" He snapped.

My face grew hot. My lower lip trembled. Horace looked up and saw me.

"Crud, I'm no good talking to girls. Now I've offended you." He muttered.

"See! Lack of sleep is turning you grumpy and irritable!" I offered.

"Whatever you say won't change my mind."

"But surely you can't stay awake all night." I said.

"Oh yeah? Watch me. I've done it before and I'll do it again." He smirked.

"All right then." I laughed.

"Nettalyn Apiston, you are the most persistent girl I have ever met. Besides Charlotte of course. That's how I found myself wading through the bog in October." I smiled at that thought. Something to ask Charlotte about in the morning.

"But, seriously, you don't look like the kind of person who stays up all night. You're eyes, shouldn't they be like, like, uhh." I stopped, thinking for a moment.

"Like Enoch's?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Concealer." He whispered, rubbing at his eyes. Flaky dust came off in his hands.

"Enoch could use some of that." I whispered back. Horace and I burst out laughing.

"Thanks Nettalyn." He smiled at me.

"Call me Netta, everyone else does." I smiled back.

"Great. To be honest, you have a long name."

"Thank you for that. You truly do know how to talk to women." I said. "Are you going to come back to bed, or staying out here all night?"

"Absolutely stay out here."

"Of course you will. You're stubborn." I teased. "Well I suppose I should stay out here as well, because either way, your relentless pacing would keep me up all night."

"Good for you, then."

We stayed up the whole night, just talking. Horace asked me how I liked the house.

"Okay, I suppose. You know, when I came here I was sure I would have no friends, that you would all be rude, or obnoxious. But I was wrong. I can't think of a single person who I dislike." I said. I glanced outside. The sky was turning a pale pink. I turned to my side, looking at Horace. He had fallen asleep.

"Wake up." I said, shaking him.

"What?" He mumbled.

"It's morning, and you fell asleep." I smiled. "I knew you wouldn't last the night." Footsteps came down the stairs. Enoch came through the parlor door.

"Hey, guys." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. " Why are you down here so early? It's like you stayed up the whole night. You look tired."

"We actually did." Horace explained. "I, um, have a sleep issue. Netta couldn't fall asleep with my pacing, so she came down here too."

"Oh. That's what I heard last night. I swore I heard laughing and whispering coming from downstairs. Next time you have a late night party, feel free to invite me too." He added halfheartedly. Now he made me feel bad. Why is he toying with my emotions? I don't know.

"Come on, it's time to go to breakfast." I said, glancing up at the clock hanging over the mantel. I'll have time to sort out my feelings later. Life with a family sure made life more complicated.

Wait? Did I just say family? Well, they did feel like one. Olive, Hugh, Fiona, Marcy, Charlotte, Enoch, Millard, Abe, Emma, Horace, Claire, Bronwyn. They all felt like my siblings. Miss Peregrine our mother. And in truth, all of them were my friends, and all had made me feel welcome.

Sorry for not updating recently. I got to, 'At least for a minute or so,' and then my mind drew a blank. And then I went camping. Then with Thanksgiving holiday I didn't update either. Thank you all who are continuing to read this book, as a writer is nothing without someone to write for. And you are constantly giving me support. Hope your Thanksgiving was nice, and for those of you who don't celebrate it, and also those who do, have a nice rest of the month. This is the longest chapter I've written. 1098 words.