Separate Entities//Miss Peregrine AU

Chapter Six

I squinted as I finally crawled out of the tunnel, which was odd, considering the fact that when we had entered the cairn the sky was still overcast from the rain earlier on that morning and there was fog everywhere. Now the sky was blue and the sun was out and for once it really felt like summer. I shared a look with Jake, who only shrugged, before heading back to the path.

Surprisingly enough, the bog was dry, though since I wasn't dashing through in a hurry anymore, I could see a few ghosts lingering here and there. The only muddy brown slosh to be seen was the plethora of animal shits littering the path. How was it possible for the weather to change this drastically in such a short amount of time? Alright, so maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe I was just dreaming and was really back in the Priest Hole's uncomfortable bed.

When we finally emerged from the forest, we really began to notice that something was up. No wonder there was so much dung in the forest: all the tractors pulling loads of carts of various fish and goods had been replaced by horses and donkeys that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. There was no more droning from the diesel generators, either. Jacob and I had only been gone for an hour or two, so how was it possible that all the gas had run out?

As we made our way into town, I couldn't help but notice all the odd stares that Jacob and I were given. Then I realized how unsightly we must look, what with all the mud and plaster that coated our bodies. We hurried our pace so that we could make it to the Priest Hole faster and finally get away from all these looks.

It was safe to say that we both wanted to go home, so after we cleaned ourselves off well enough, we would pack and head back to the mainland on the next ferry. As we entered, I paid no mind to the drunks huddled around the tables, clutching their drinks. I only got a couple steps up the stairs when an unfamiliar voice called out. "Where d'you two think yer going?"

I turned to look first at Jake, then the unfamiliar man who stood behind the bar. Where was Kev? The man was wearing a bartender's apron, and with a single bushy eyebrow and a caterpillar mustache, I tried not to laugh. He looked kind of like a wanna-be tiger.

"Just up to our room," Jake replied, sounding just about as confused as I felt.

"Oh, really?" Asked the man, slamming the glass he was wiping down on the bar. "Whaddaya think this is? An 'otel?" With that, some of the men at the tables turned to face us, and it was then that I realized they were all just as unfamiliar as the man talking to us.

"N-no, sir?" I replied with more of a question than an answer, coming down the stairs to stand next to Jake. "We've got the room upstairs." I searched around in the pocket opposite to where I'd stashed the flashlight. "I've got the key right here, see?"

The man snatched it out of my hand and gave it a quick once-over. "It ain't ours," he said with a menacing frown before pocketing it for himself. "Now whaddaya want? Don't lie to me!" I grew angry and quite embarrassed at his words. Was he fucking kidding me?

"We already told you," Jacob started, "we rented those rooms. Didn't Kev tell you that?"

"Who the hell is Kev? I don't know no Kev," the man, now very visibly enraged, growled. "I'm the only one who lives up there. Quit tellin' lies, boy. You too, bitch. I ain't takin' it from either o' ya'." I looked to the men at the tables again, but no one was going to come to our rescue. After that bitch comment, I really want to give this guy a punch to the face.

"They're American," one man pointed out before taking a swig of his beer, the liquid pouring out the sides of the mug and dripping into his beard.

"They could be from the army!" another shouted, sounding worried.