The Aftermath: MPHFPC (editing)

N I N E T E E N

J A C O B

When Miss Peregrine opened the door to the room so we could enter and finally get some sleep, she gasped at the scene in front of us.

Everyone was gathered by the door. Obviously, they had been trying to hear our entire conversation, and by the looks on their faces, they had heard every bit of it. Enoch and Horace-who had had their ears pressed up against the door, stumbled since the door they had previously been leaning on swung open so suddenly.

"What in peculiardom are you all doing?" Exclaimed Miss Peregrine, stepping back in surprise.

"They heard our entire conversation." I whispered to Miss Peregrine.

"I can see that, Mr.Portman." She replied.

"Hugh." Said Fiona quietly with her thick accent, looking up at Miss Peregrine. "If you are going anywhere to find Hugh, I'm going too."

"Me too." Said Claire, her face stoney. "I don't care how suicidal and dangerous it is, I want Bronwyn and Olive back."

"I wish just as much as you do that the three were here, but for now, I can't risk losing anymore of you." Addressed Miss Peregrine, stepping inside the room. Luna and I followed suit, closing the door behind us.

"And what is this 'trip' that you were talking about?" Asked Emma. "The one you said that me, Jacob, Millard, and Luna are supposedly going on?"

"I would just love to know how that is fair to the rest of us." Added Enoch. "Just because my ability requires something dead doesn't mean that I'm completely useless."

"This was why the meeting between Mr.Portman, Miss Luna, and I was held in conference!" Said Miss Peregrine angrily. "Because none of this was intended for you to add your input to, Mr.O'Connor. I have no idea how many times I have told you not to complain about things that you have no business complaining about! I am your ymbryne, therefore you are required to do what I tell you to do, and be happy about it."

For a moment I actually felt bad for Enoch in a strange way.

Enoch glared at the ground and muttered, "Yes, Miss Peregrine."

Miss Peregrine turned to Emma, "To answer your question, Miss Bloom, I plan on all of us going back to Devil's Acre. This loop is too vulnerable to attack."

"When?" Asked Horace. "Will we be leaving, I mean."

"Soon." Replied Miss Peregrine. "Wait a moment," She looked around, "where is Mr.Nullings?"

"While you guys were out there talking, he fell asleep. I guess that remedy exhausted him," Said Emma, "because he was out like a wet flame."

"Alright." Said Miss Peregrine calmly, seeming to finally let herself relax. "Just please, for the love of birds, go to bed, Children. Today has been absolutely, overwhelmingly, excruciatingly, long."

"Life was so much simpler when I had a loop. Damn those Wights." I heard Miss Peregrine mutter to herself as she went into her bedroom.

***

The next morning, Emma and I were sitting in the dining hall trying to eat a peaceful breakfast, when Millard came into the dining hall, causing a few heads to turn because of how lost and disoriented he looked. His hair was disheveled and his eyes were wide.