Peculiar Waters- millard nullings

SIX

Miss. Peregrine returned just before Changeover, the children anxiously waiting her arrival. The old women asked to speak with Pascale and Beverly, leading them into the same sitting room her and Pascale met the previous day. Beverly and Pascale sat side by side on the couch, while Miss. Peregrine sat across from them.

She said something in English, a grave look present on her sharp features. Beverly gasped slightly and grabbed Pascale's hand. "Your Loop was raided, any Peculiar's inside were either captured or killed."

Pascale let go of Beverly's hand, and used it to cover her mouth. Part of her didn't want to believe Miss. Peregrine, though she knew Miss. Peregrine wouldn't lie to her. Without another word, Pascale left the room, she heard Miss. Peregrine tell Beverly not to follow, as she made her way outside.

The sky was darkening, and a few stars already shone in the heavens. She yearned to be up their with them, away from the noise. It was never overly noisy in Miss. Pigeons Loop, she had grown accustomed to the lack of it. However, now in Miss. Peregrines Loop, it seemed there was always something happening, footsteps running through the house, a child's laughter to be heard from outside. It's quiet up there, Pascale thought.

Her mind wandered to Mathew as she kicked a pebble out of her path. Undoubtably dead, she thought. He would have resisted any kind of hold they tried to put him in, he would have been a real pain in the ass. Pascale's smiled slightly as a few tears leaked from her eyes.

She found herself by the lakes edge, so close that her toes slowly became soaked with the small incoming waves. Pascale sat down, and pulled her knees into her chest, and placed her chin on top, staring at the water crashing into her toes, slowly filling her shoes. It reminded her of that one day in Brest, with Jacqueline and Dominique. Pascale's thoughts wandered to them, as they always did.

"I miss you both desperately" she whispered, looking up at the sky. "I'm so sorry I left, now I wish I hadn't." Her shoulders began to shake with grief, and blond hair covered her face as she cried. "I... I need my friends now. I, I never used to say that before. But I need you and I miss you, please..." she didn't know what she was asking for, some kind of sign that they were alive and thinking of her, perhaps.

Pascale didn't know how long she sat there, thinking, crying, something between coughing and screaming. A pair of footsteps on the rocks alerted her and she quickly composed herself. She turned and saw a floating sweater, thinking nothing of it, she turned and huffed in annoyance. However, once the sight finally registered in her mind, Pascale did a double take, and squinted as the sweater slowly bobbed it's way towards her.

"What the...?" she whispered, squinting her chestnut eyes.

"It's only me," Pascale recognized Millard's voice. "Beverly said you would be cold, so I brought you a sweater."

Pascale took the sweater and pulled it over her head, whispering a quiet thanks as Millard sat beside her.

"Are you okay? Wait, that was a stupid question, of course you're not okay" Millard finished, noting Pascale's bloodshot eyes. Pascale offered a small, half-hearted smile. "I can leave if you want, I thought you might want some company though."

"No it's fine, you can stay, I'm fine," she whispered the last part, trying to convince herself mostly. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Pascale quickly drying any new tears that had fallen, and stifle any sounds that escaped her mouth. "Do you mind if we walk around, my legs have fallen asleep and I need to move?"

"Sure." So they did, they looped through the trees and pathways, making small conversation. The moonlight cast long shadows of surrounding objects. Pascale pulled her hands into her sweater and crossed her arms, wishing she had worn pants instead of a skirt.