That Peculiar Feeling | Mphfpc ~Enoch O'Connor~

Chapter Seventeen

Flashback

I sat, sipping my familiar hot chocolate, in front of the white sheet. All the others chatted as Horace clipped in his eyepiece. Olive smiled at me and turned towards the screen as it lit up. I was sitting between Olive and Enoch as usual. The screen flickered, but before any visuals showed, there was sound. It sounded like the sea, but it was loud. Almost too loud. There was another noise too, faint but audible. Screaming. Then the screen showed the sea, crashing upwards like spikes of metal reaching for something to impale. Then it flashed to black again. A voice, who I was certain was Miss Peregrine, shouted.

"No closer children! I'll talk to her."

She sounded afraid, her voice wavering. Then another voice, even more distressed replied.

"Just stay away from me!"

Quietening, the voice added.

"I don't want to hurt you."

Suddenly there was a loud crash of water hitting rock, loud enough to make Olive jump in her seat. Then the projection ended. No one spoke. Utterly confused, we trickled off to bed. Muttering and speculating as we did so.

End of Flashback

The sea thrashed as I stood on the cliff edge, pacing. I exhaled shakily, still clutching the photo, crumpling it slightly.

Looking down at it made me angry.
"Why did you leave? Did you not want to help me?" I said loudly to the photo. Wanting it to answer.

"I- we could have helped you." I muttered. "But you were selfish." As I said this, I tightened my grip on the photo. My stomach clenched and a wave of sadness rushed over me. I could here what Horace and Emma said, repeating in my mind.

"I pity her really."

"Your daughter isn't special at all."

I grabbed my face with my hands and kept pacing along the cliff edge. Why me? Why couldn't I had just stayed in Belfast with Samuel? I didn't want any of this. I didn't want to have a missing grandmother. I didn't want to be in a children's home. I didn't want to peculiar.

My knees suddenly buckled and I sank slowly to the floor. Tears beginning to stream down my face. My chest tightened, I felt like I couldn't breathe. Dark clouds had formed over the house and sea.

The photo I had been holding, now lay on the grass. Then the wind picked it up and it flew over the edge, into the water below. Something broke in me when that happened. I felt incredibly angry. Like I was going to explode. Like I wanted to explode.

Enoch's P.O.V
I grumbled as I searched for her. It was nearly dinner time and the bird sent me to look for Eden while she set the table. Millard and Hugh said they haven't seen her. That's weird, she said she was going to play truth or dare with them. I found Olive and questioned her. Same answer 'I haven't seen her.'

I made my way outside and walked around the house, calling out.

"Hello? Eden! Come on it's time for dinner!" I sighed, a shiver ran down my spine as felt a raindrop hit the back of my neck. Looking up, I saw the dark grey clouds overhead.

"What the?" I mumbled. It doesn't the rain on the day our loop is set. I reached the back of the house, overlooking the cove. Hang on, where is the cove? The water had come up so it reached the cliff, violently slapping against it. I stood dumbstruck, unsure of what to do.

The I saw it, a massive wall of water, just suspended, like someone stopped time on a tidal wave. It was rising, almost as tall as the house itself. The seawater looked like it was moving, but the wave wasn't going anywhere. Just waiting there.

My eyes caught sight of a figure kneeling on the grass under the colossal tidal wave. Her hair damp and dress dirty, shivering as she looked up at the wall of water. My heart quickened as I became more frightened. This was it. Eden's peculiarity was going to explode and kill us all.

"Enoch?" She noticed me. Her voice was shaky and breathless. I gulped, my eyes still locked on the wave.

I decided to take a step towards her, and maybe I could get her to come inside. She responded by thrusting her arm out, her palm facing me.

"Don't come near me!" She sobbed. "Please."

I stopped in my tracks and tried to form some words. "H-how are you..." I said, gesturing to the swirling wave.

Eden glanced at the wave and then stood up. "I don't know, I just- I just want it to go away." She responded, her voice cracking at the last part.

Then I heard a high pitched yelp from behind me. I snapped my head around and saw Miss P standing defensively in front of the other children, who all looked as though they were going to faint.

"Enoch, come here, slowly." She ordered, but I didn't budge. The wave surged forward slightly, and the children jumped, Eden stood up. Her hair clung to the sides of her face and she was dripping wet.

The headmistress locked her gaze on her, and said in surprisingly calm voice; "Now Eden I know you're upset, but you mustn't let it take control of you. So-"

Before she could finish, Eden clenched her fists and interrupted, her voice had changed and sounded nothing like her anymore. It was like her peculiarity had possessed her and there was no more Eden left.

"Leave. Me. Alone."