Audibility- A Miss Peregrines Fanfiction #1

Sleep Walking And Weird Haircuts

Apologies if this chapter leaves you a little distraught. I realized I probably should've advanced the plot a lot faster than I am now. Also, sorry about the allusion to Millard's appearance, if you'd like to think his hair is a perfect length, then, by all means, think that.
I also have a serious question for you guys. As you're reading, are you getting bored of no plot advancement, or are you loving all their peculiar adventures? Just curious, I'm flexible, I can take it. And, geekgirl567, she has a story called A Bucket Of Paint. I've never talked to her, but I like her short story. If you like Millard I suggest you read it. I may have borrowed a few ideas and brought them into this chapter. Thanks for the inspiration!

Gunshots were sounding all through the house, where all my friends, me included, were defending the house from wights. The upstairs library was being used as a hospital. But some of us were already gone. Hugh sat in a corner, hugging Fiona, tears falling down his face. She was limp. Marcie, Charlotte, Claire, and Olive had ran into the woods at first shots, Bronwyn following after. None had returned. Miss Peregrine, in her bird form, was dive-bombing the wights, pecking at them. Horace slumped against the staircase, he was gone too.

I didn't know where to go, so I ran out of the house, heading down to the beach. When I got there, tons of German U-boats were parked at the edge of the water. Soldiers were storming after them. I ran up to face them, shouting some very rude words Miss Peregrine would disapprove of. Planes swarmed the sky, my ears couldn't handle the constant whirring of their motors. A single engine was heard above all others. I looked above me to see a plane releasing a bomb right above my head. I screamed as it came nearer. A huge tidal wave washed over my head, and I started choking. There was a sudden flash of light, and my body felt hot, like when Emma was playing around with fire too close to me.

"No! No!" Someone was screaming next to me. I couldn't hear everything properly, though. My head was thrown back violently, and my eyes snapped awake.

"Netta, Netta, You're okay!" Someone said, rubbing their hands over my shoulders. My eyes adjusted, growing less blurry. Hugh was leaning over me. He was soaking wet, his cap was missing, and his goggles were hanging around his neck. I could see his eyes clearly, they were wide, and frightened.

"You nearly drowned." Said someone behind him. I looked to see Horace as well.

"You're alive!" I grinned, reaching up to hug him. Horace looked extremely uncomfortable. Probably because I was all wet, and he was dry.

"And you nearly weren't!" Hugh exclaimed, bringing me back to focus. "It's a good thing Horace was awake to see you stumbling out the front door, or else you could've died."

I was shivering now, so they led me back to the house and into the living room. Millard, who's twisted ankle didn't allow him to climb up the stairs to his bedroom, was sleeping on the couch. A floating bandage was the clue to his existence. I sat on the fainting couch while Horace and Hugh went to get Miss Peregrine. She came down with them. As soon as she caught sight of me she was like a mother hen, she ran through the house, grabbing blankets and such. She started some tea on the stove, and while that was cooking took me and Hugh to separate rooms to put on dry clothes. Horace was sent back to his room.

"Now, Miss Apiston, please, tell me, what on Earth drove you to swim out into the ocean?" She asked once we had settled back into the parlor.

"I had an awful dream, wights had taken over the house, we were fighting, but some of us were dead." I said, choosing to leave out who, exactly had passed. "I ran out to the beach, where tons of U-boats were moored. Then a bomb fell on me."

"Well, you're okay now, that's what matters. I don't want you to go to sleep, for fear of another dream. Why don't you stay here until morning?" Miss Peregrine said kindly.

"Then that's what I'll do." I said.

"I'll stay up with you." Offered Hugh. I nodded, still shivering. No doubt I'd get a cold by tomorrow.

When the sun had just come over the trees, Millard had awoken and Horace had come back downstairs. Soon after Miss Peregrine had come back downstairs. At this time I was feeling the effects of a cold, and sneezing.

Breakfast in the morning consisted of standard fare. I drank a lot of tea, my throat was so dry from swallowing all that sea water. Miss Peregrine decided to not tell the other children of my nightmare, and that was fine by me.

Today was a supply run, so Miss Peregrine brought Abe, Hugh, Enoch, Bronwyn, and Horace to the village. Everyone else was outside playing, while me and Millard had to sit inside the house. I had a dozen blankets wrapped around me, pitifully sipping my chicken broth, while Millard sat with his ankle propped up, reading. All of a sudden I could hear him get up, turning to me.

"Can I ask you a favor, Netta?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." I said, setting my soup on the floor.

"Where does The Bird keep the scissors?" I shrank away fast, wondering if he was about to commit suicide, cut off his bandage, or ask me to do either for him.

"Cut my hair for me?" He asked. I sighed in relief, before realizing he was serious. I panicked. I didn't know how to cut normal hair, much less invisible hair. I'd seen my mum cut my father's a couple times, but by no means did she ever teach me to do it.

Regardless, I slowly got up off the chair and fetched the scissors. They were old, and looked more decorative than heavy-duty, but, that's Miss P. for you. I sat on the armrest of the couch, and tried to feel for Millard's hair. I eventually found a clump, and traveled my hand down to feel how long it went. Way past his ears, to his shoulders. I was worried.

"I'm not sure if I can do this." I said.

"Take your time." He answered.

"No, I'm serious. Can't it wait till the bird comes back?" I pleaded.

"I've got an idea." Said Millard, who stood up and limped out of the room to the pantry. He came back soon after with a can of paint with a brush. It was blue. Not a light, pretty blue. A dark blue, like the color of the night sky. Millard popped the plastic lid off. He dunked the paintbrush in the paint and proceeded to paint the top of his head. I could only stare in horror as his long hair became visible, decked out in navy blue.

"Are you kidding me!" I exclaimed. "For all you know that stuffs permanent!" I cried.

"Relax, I checked the label." He said, setting the can down on the floor. "Now where's your excuse! Cut." He said, probably happy he didn't have to feel awkward. So I began cutting his hair off. Not all of it. I tried to make it look decent. Some parts were shorter than the others, but I figured it wouldn't matter, as long as the hair was out of his eyes.

I stepped back to see how it looked. "Thanks for that." Said Millard. "I'll go wash off the paint." I sat back on the chair, happy to help, before returning to my cooling soup. However, a shriek a minute later caused me to run to the bathroom. Millard stood there, his head was in the toilet, making gagging noises.

"What's wrong?" I asked, distraught. "My haircut botch wasn't that bad, was it?" Millard pointed to the tub, where I could see all matter of roaches, spiders, flies, even a few bees. I had no idea how they got there. I stormed out across the lawn of the house. I still had blue-stained hands, a look of disgust on my face, and a blanket that billowed out behind me. Must have been a sight. I marched up to Hugh and did something I'd never expect to do.

I slapped him. Why would he have done something like that? Filling a tub with all manner of bugs.

"What the hell, Netta?" Hugh exclaimed. He looked hurt.

"That's what you get for pulling pranks on people. Well, I'll tell you, it's not funny." After that I walked back into the house. To think my brother, Hugh Apiston, would do something like that, I'd never expect it, not in a million years. He can snog his girlfriend till the end of time for all I care, but he can't be rude to other people like that. What a git!

Sorry for the strife this may have caused you. It's a super long chapter, 1564 words, to make up for all those months alone without Audibility. I think my chapters may be declining in quality. That's not an excuse to not write.

Abyssinia!    🐝------