That Peculiar Feeling | Mphfpc ~Enoch O'Connor~

Chapter Four

"This is the Cairn," Ms. Peregrine said as we approached a large rocky cavern or tunnel of some sort.

"Are you sure this is the way to the children's home?"

"I'm quite sure, now come on." She ordered.

As we walked through the cairn, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. My head felt like it had been shaken around and turned upside down. I raised my hand to my forehead and stopped walking.

Ms. Peregrine noticed this and and said, "Oh, yes that feeling is natural the first few times one enters a loop."

"Loop?" I questioned, still fighting the intense feeling that I might pass out.

"I was going to wait until we could sit down and have some tea to explain everything but I guess there is no time like the present." , "So I will explain while we walk."

"You see, my children's home is based in 1940."

                                                                           ...
My head was spinning. According to Ms. Peregrine, I had just travelled back in time to 1940.

"Ok, so, you can manipulate time and transform into a bird? And you own a children's home for children that have, well, superpowers?" I said, baffled at what she had just explained.

"We prefer the term peculiarities, but yes, you could put it like that." She replied.

I shook my head in disbelief. I was dreaming. I had to be. In a minute, I'd wake up with Mother banging on my door, shouting at me to get dressed for school.

"I am a Ymbryne, one of many actually. We have the power to create a time loops on any particular day, and relive them, over and over." She added

"I'm going off Scifi movie rules here but, wouldn't that make you and all the children in this 'loop' immortal?" I said, still shocked.

She nodded. "We'll discuss any queries you may have when we get there." She said, lighting her big black pipe and puffing it.

Now I definitely felt like I was going to pass out.

                                                                     ...

I was in awe. We walked through the cairn and on the other side the sun was shining and it was no longer cold. I had to make a huge effort to control my breathing, I was in September third 1940. History wasn't my best subject but I was worried about one thing.

"Uh, Ms. Peregrine?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes." She said, continuing to walk.

"Isn't World War Two going on now?" I asked.

"Unfortunately." She answered.

"Oh."

                                                                       ...

Seeing the children's home for the first time was a shock. The building was beautiful and there was a big algae covered lake with trees dotted around. What I liked the most was the magnificent hedge animals, they had lions, an elephant even a t-Rex.
While I was still looking around in wonder I hadn't noticed some children running towards us, seeming very excited.

"Ms. Peregrine you're back!" Shouted a small girl in a pink dress.

"Look, the new girl!" Shouted another girl in a white dress and curly brown hair.

Two boys had stopped their game of football to look at us and I was feeling a bit nervous to meet these unusual children that Ms. Peregrine had described.

"I suppose we should introduce Eden to everyone." Said Ms. Peregrine, gesturing to Claire, "Why don't you go first Claire?"

The small girl suddenly became very shy and said quietly "m-My name is Claire Densmore, and I'm seventy years old." She said.

"S-seventy?" I replied, glancing at Ms. Peregrine.

"But I look six! Or seven, I can't remember," Claire chimed in.

"As I said, we live the same day over, our bodies don't grow old, but we all like to keep track of our real age." explained Ms. Peregrine.

"Oh and my peculiarity is Back Mouth." Claire said shyly.

"What's b-" before I could finish Claire turned and lifted up her golden curls to reveal a smiling, teeth-filled mouth that was on the back of her head.

I recoiled slightly but composed myself.

"Off you go and play now." Said Ms. Peregrine, waving off Claire.

"Can't she play with us?" Said the other brown haired girl, gesturing to me.

"Eden will play once she meets everyone and gets settled."  replied Ms. Peregrine.

"I'm Bronwyn," said the girl, looking at me. "and I'm as strong as ten people!"

I presumed she was just boasting, as children do, but then she proceeded run over to a large decorative boulder and lift it over her head as if it were a basketball. She smiled at me and said "See?".

I was gobsmacked, yet amazed. "That's amazing!"

Bronwyn giggled and set down the rock. As she was about to run off and play she turned to me and asked "Promise to come and play after?".

"Promise." I replied. She smiled and ran off.
                                                                      ...

Me and the headmistress were now sitting in the small kitchen waiting for some tea.

"Olive, would be so kind as to boil the kettle for us?" Asked the headmistress.
A red headed girl, similar to my age, came into the room and said "Sure."

She took off her elbow length black gloves and flicked her wrists, a ball of yellow flames appeared in her palms. I stared at it, my mouth agape. She placed her two hands on the sides of the big yellow kettle, filled with water. The metal around her hands started to glow and the kettle whistled.

"That's enough Olive." Said Ms. Peregrine. The girl nodded and slipped back on her gloves.

"And Olive, meet Eden." Added Ms. Peregrine. I gave an awkward wave. She smiled softly and said "Nice to meet you." She walked out of the room taking her flames with her.

As Ms. Peregrine poured our tea, I thought about all that I had experienced in the last hour. It was like a story in a book, luckily I had read lots of them. Otherwise I would have run away screaming by now.