The Day Victor Bruntley Died;

Victor.

Victor Bruntley was perfectly pleased with his peculiar lifestyle. He always had been, under the care of Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine. Although, he had been negatively effected by Abraham Portman's departure. The melancholy was thick in the home of wonderful peculiars, though it seemed surprisingly evident in Emma Bloom and Victor. Victor had lost a close friend, the wound most probably never going to fully heal. It took him weeks to seem fully jubilant again, joining the children in their games. No one could see the faraway sadness that appeared to cloud his once beautifully dancing blue eyes.

The children nor their caretaker could have ever foreseen the events, not even Horace. They simply never imagined that the beautifully helpful boy was broken and would want to ever leave them. The island was their safe haven, the home they lived in was the only home they'd had that felt like a home. For Victor, however, that wasn't enough.

As much as he loved cooking lunch with Miss Peregrine, the daily walks, hell even playing with the younger children, living the same day forever didn't appeal to him. Victor wasn't a homebody by any means. He loved to explore new things and places, the island could no longer provide him that excitement it had months and even years ago. He wasn't satisfied, to put it simply.

The days dragged on, he seemed to seclude himself. He stayed long nights in his room, pondering a thought that seemingly always found it's way back into his mind. What if I just leave? The thought had not occured to him until recently. There was so much more to life than being trapped in a house, all contact cut off. He couldn't make any new friends or learn anything new.

Victor hadn't planned it to go bad. He thought it was a good idea until Miss Peregrine gave him a soft look. No, she said curtly. She would not allow the idea of putting one of her children in danger because he was not satisfied. As much as she tried to argue him, he had the support needed to prove she should let him go. The other children had heard his plan and would argue against him. Though, in his mind, it was final.

As the day he chose to depart on grew nearer, the more the other children seemed to beg him to stay. All except Enoch. Enoch had become cold towards Victor. His reasoning in his mind being if he'll be happy, why stop him? He very clearly isn't happy here. Hearing those words made Victor feel like he had been slapped; it seemed as though his best friend agreed and disagreed, in a jumbled mess.

When the day had arrived, the tearful goodbyes happened. Victor promised to visit and write between his trips. He had given out long hugs that he wished could last for an eternity, the last being his sister's. That was the longest, when he let go, his heart sank. Seeing how much they all cared about him didn't give him second thoughts, he knew he was doing what was best.

The day Victor Bruntley died it was warm. He was whistling a happy tune and smiling, he barely had time to process what happened. When the invisible creature had grabbed him by the torso, he knew it was too late to do anything. The last thoughts Victor Bruntley ever had were of his sister and his best friend, both of them smiling. The thought calmed his nerves.

Victor had died thinking of Enoch O'Connor; his best friend, and his first love.

He thought of the boy's voice, the smile, even the scent. Victor wished he could hold Enoch one last time. He thinks of how close they are, and for a moment the nice thoughts falter. The tradegy hitting that he would never feel those things again, that was what haunted him.

Then, to his sister Bronwyn. To her soothing aura, and how he felt leaving her. Victor suddenly wished he would be there to see her growing up, to experience things with her. He wanted to see her outdo him someday, her strength was always close behind his.

He so vaguely thought about holding them one last time, assuming you only truly realize the value of someone's love to you, that importance, when you are finally gone.

Victor Bruntley was not found by a friend, but by his own mother figure. The screams that had been ripped from her lungs echoed, soon every member from the house was there in a flash. They all had the same thoughts.

Please don't let it be him.

Their praying and begs do not work. Victor was dead before any of them had found him, the scene as if it were coming out of a horror movie. His body is laying limp, pale and unmoving. The scariest, and worst part, were the black holes that took the place of where those beautiful blue eyes were.

Their headmistress shielded them, begging herself to be strong until her children were safe. She refused to let them see how much she put the blame on herself for not being more persistent, for giving in as soon as he said she couldn't change his mind. She knew there was no use in thinking it, the damage had already irreversibly been done.

All of the children decided to preserve his body in his room, for everyone to be able to see him when they wished.

Bronwyn had cracked first. No one blamed her, she was young, and her brother had died. They all stood by and watched her screaming and begging for him to wake up. Enoch denied the request of bringing him back. They had to remember and move on, he knew Victor wouldn't want any of them upset.

The children and Miss Peregrine herself had changed that day.

Enoch had not been sad at first. He had been angry. Angry at Victor for being so damn stupid and putting himself into that situation, but mostly, he was angry at himself. Angry at himself for crying late at night and losing sleep, angry for not holding his best friend back more than he had.

Most importantly, he was angry at himself for not telling Victor he loved him.

He refused to bring him back for Bronwyn's sake, knowing it would hurt her every time the boy laid his head back down for eternal rest. However, he would do it for his own sake; Enoch always had been a little selfish.

Everyone learned something important that day; things will never be the same. No matter how hard they tried, memories of Victor would always plague their thoughts, whether it be late at night, or doing something mundane.

The day Victor Bruntley died, that was the day Miss Peregrine and her children had lost the heart of the home.