Another Peculiar

SMILES

I was screaming even before I woke up. I was in a dark room with the faintest bit of light shining through a windows closed curtains. It must be night. My bed was the most comfortable that it had ever been.

Too comfortable.

The events the previous night flashed before my eyes. I think it was the previous night. Who knows.

I groaned, and tried to sit up but I was met with an excruciating amount of pain and gave up when I realised a hand was gently pushing me back into the bed.

When my eyesight cleared I saw a woman dressed in black with hawklike eyes staring at me. I tried to speak but no noise came out.

Silently, she handed me a huge glass of water that was not meant for a freak like me. But, she bought it to my lips and allowed me to drink it. I still couldn't speak. In desperation to find out who she was I pointed at her and shrugged, silently asking, who are you?

I'm pretty sure she understood me because she started to speak, "I am Miss Peregrine and you are at my home for Peculiar Children."

I tilted my head in questioning.

"You came here through the portal you created, you were found by Olive, one of my wards, in a terrible state. Do you mind my asking of how you ended up like that?"

I looked at her, the fear evident in my eyes. How did she know I made the portal? How could I tell her that Gerald did it to me?

Then I looked at Miss Peregrine with another questioning look.

In response she handed me a notebook and a pen. One problem.

I couldn't write. They had kept me inside their house that I didn't know how to write or even read.

I shook my head while keeping my head down.

"Have you not been taught not to read or write?"

I nodded and in response she sighed. Then she walked out of the room and come in a few minutes later with a steaming bowl of a kind of broth.

"Drink it. It will restore your voice. The only reason I didn't give you this earlier was because it hurts."

I nodded in response, acknowledging that I understood. Miss Peregrine brought the broth to my lips and allowed me to sip it.

She was right, it hurt. It felt like a fire was running down my throat. Hurting was an understatement.

When the pain stopped I collapsed from my sitting position in my bed, to one laying down. Gently, she moved me so that my head lay in her lap. She brushed my hair out of my face and asked again, "Who did that to you?"

"My Father." It came out a whisper so quiet that I could barely hear it myself. Now I wondered what she'd think of me, a freak, everyone else did. But, seeming as though I had barely met anyone my entire life I wasn't quite sure. I was interrupted from my musings when a knock on the door made Miss Peregrine place my head on the pillow and walk over to the door. Before she opened it she asked me one simple thing.

"What is your name?"

"Kristen Ariga."

"Well then Kristen Ariga, nice to meet you."

Upon being called by my name. My proper name. I did the one thing that I had not done in a very long time. Too long time. Years ago.

I smiled.

Such a simple thing.

Such a small thing.

Such a very small and simple thing.

With a very good meaning.

Miss P. came in through the door that she left through. "Kristen," she said, "I would like you to meet one of my wards."

A girl. No. The girl that I saw before I woke up here came through the door, her flaming red hair shaped her pale face. And she smiled.

"Hello Kristen," she said brightly, "I'm Olive."

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Worthless

Freak

Ungrateful

Strange

abnormal

His words. Repeating. More voices joined them. But they were different.

"Come on Kristen, please wake up."

"Kristen, that was the past. Whatever happened is now gone. You're safe."

Safe. I couldn't be safe. Gerald was always there to punish me. I could never get away from him.

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