Chirping Falcons | Millard Nullings

2- Time

Over the years, Miss. Crow and I had created a mother daughter friendship with each other. She was very overprotective and loving, and I was the same. This bond could never be broken. Or, so I thought.

After just about two years in Scotland, Miss. Crow decided that it would be easier for me to accept Peculiardom if I wasn't that close to my home. Therefore, she started calling all of her ymbryne sisters to find out what place had the least amount of Hallowgasts.

America and Wales were the top choices. Without hesitation, she ditched the America idea and we packed our things and headed for Wales. We ended up in the Mainland and stayed in an old house in the woods where she made another loop.

May 5th 1952.

Of course, in this two year gap, I ended up aging two years. My physical body was now 16. I got my wish for my hair to grow longer, but I didn't like it. It was way too long, so we ended up cutting it to my shoulder blades again.

Anyhow, Miss. Crow gave me a black hat while we were here and told me that, if I wished, I could use it to cover my ears. Therefore, the pictures she sent to her closest ymbryne sisters had me wearing a hat most of the time.

Our house wasn't that far away from Miss. Crow's bestfriend, Alma Peregrine, however, the loops were in different time periods and it would take too much risky time to get to their island. At least, that's what Miss. Peregrine said. Miss. Crow didn't believe her, but she still listened to the more experienced ymbryne.

Miss. Crow never ran into any other peculiar children. The only child that she had run into decided that he didn't like it with just us and Miss. Crow sent him to live with Miss. Peregrine where he got himself a girlfriend. I don't quite remember his name, for he was only here for half of a day.

I walked down the old wooden stairs, listening to Miss. Crow's telephone conversation. She said I had a knack for eavesdropping, but, really, if she didn't want me to listen, she would move the telephone to her office.

"Oh, Alma, She is wonderful. And a beautiful young lady at that." There was a pause." She would not allow me to take a picture without the hat." There was another slight pause. "Oh, yes. they are fantastic, though she doesn't think so." She was quiet. "Well, tell him I said it was beautiful. The fabric looked astonishing." Another one. "He makes them himself? How creative!" She paused again. "Yes, I will."

I stepped down one more stair, trying to hear the other person. Bad move. The stair beneath me creaked and all sounds stopped. "Well, Alma, I must go now. A certain someone is eavesdropping again." She tried to sound frustrated, but I could hear the smile in her voice. "Goodbye, Alma." The clunk of plastic as she hung the telephone back on the receiver rang through the house.

"You can come out now, Ariabella. I obviously heard you." She laughed softly as I walked into the kitchen in which she was standing, holding a plate of two fluffy waffles and a small bit of syrup on the top. I smiled gratefully and took the plate from her, sitting at the surprisingly large dinning table.

"Thank you." I said, watching her sit with a plate of waffles of her own, no syrup. I took a bite of her amazing food, smiling slightly. She had always been an amazing cook. Though she had tried to teach me, I never could learn. Despite the house fire every night, I would sometimes cause a fire in the kitchen.

"You're welcome." She said simply, eating hers as I did mine. The meal was unusually silent. She was staring at me as if she expected me to confess to something, and I was trying my best not to look her in the eyes in case I did.

"So, how did you sleep last night?" She asked in a light manner, hiding the suspicion behind it. I almost choked on my food.

She knows.

I decided to play along as if I didn't sneak out. "Very nicely. And you?" At this, she narrowed her eyes just slightly, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips. She was enjoying this.

"Fantastic." She said simply before adding onto her accusation. "And, um, might I ask where you slept? Your window was open and your bed empty." She playfully raised one eyebrow.

My eyes widened but I tried to play it off. "I, erm," I had never been good at lying. "I took a stroll to clear my head. I didn't want to worry you about the episode last night." I said. I wasn't completely lying. I did take a stroll because my head was pounding with a post-episode migraine.

She made a non believing sound and stood to gather my basically empty plate. She put them both in the sink and walked back up next to me. She put her hand under my chin and made me look at her. "Do not sneak outside again. I don't care the reason, you can always talk to me first. I Told you about the dangers." She said, earning a nod.

"I'm sorry." I apologized and she accepted it, walking out of the room. She walked back in shortly after, a small black boxed camera in her hand.

"Alright. This is how today is planned with no ifs, buts, or negotiations." She started, walking over to me and taking my hand, making me stand. "You're going to put on that exquisite green dress and leave your hair down with your hat off because your ears are beautiful." She said, ignoring my groan and the flattening of my ears at her compliment.

"But-" I started, not wanting to take a photograph today. Instead, she held a finger up and shushed me.

"Nope. Now, go." She said, shooing me out if the room. I reluctantly stood and trudged up to my purple bedroom. I walked to the white door that separates the bedroom from the closet and picked through the clothes. An ivy green stood out from the other dress and I smiled slightly at it. It was my favorite and it did look good on me.

Whenever I stripped out of my former clothes, I threw them into the small wicker basket in the corner to wash later. I stepped into the new dress and zipped it up in the back, straining my arms to do so.

Whenever I was done, I sighed loudly, hoping Miss. Crow heard me from downstairs. I have no idea why she had a weird obsession with my ears and wanted to constantly show me to her ymbryne sisters, but she did. It was like I was her golden trophy. Her most prised possession.

I fixed my annoying black hair and walked downstairs, finding Miss. Crow outside of the house next to the garden. She was setting up a stand to the camera. As soon as I walked outside, she smiled at me. "You really are gorgeous. For the life of me, I can't understand why you can't see that." She said with a longing motherly tone to her voice.

"Alright," She said, taking my upper arm in her hand and lightly guiding me in front of the garden. "Stand here and smile." She said, moving back behind the small camera. "Smile like you mean it, Ariabella!" She laughed, earning a small laugh from me. She took this opportunity to take the picture while I was laughing.

"There. An amazing picture to send to Alma!" She called, taking the polaroid photograph from the camera and started to run inside.

I took chase running after her. "No! Miss. Crow, wait! I didn't know you were sending it to her! At least let me look at it!" I called, chasing her. Bird, she was fast.

Before I could tackle her, she had ran into her office and locked the door. I knocked on it loudly getting a "Just a moment!" Called back to me.

"Miss. Crow!" I groaned in frustration and heard her laugh. This was going to be a long day.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_

I know it's late and I'm so sorry but I don't have an excuse.

However, I do have this.

I have pre-written three paragraphs that am I about to upload either today or tomorrow after I proof read them again.

See! I'm not all that terrible!

See you later.

Word count: 1446 😭