Seeing beauty through the pain // Alma Peregrine

Seeing beauty through the pain

A/N: ok so this is my first fanfiction - oneshot - ever. Soooo...... Enjoy :D

Alma Peregrine isnʼt woman you would describe as weak. In fact, sheʼs quite the opposite. Peole who know her wouldnʼt use that word. Never.

But today, she feel exactly like that. Weak. Helpless.

Today, one of her peculiar children – Victor – died. He was killed by a Hollow. This Hollowgast attacked Miss Peregrineʼs home for peculiar children today, September 3, 1940.

Alma was about to create her first loop, when that monster attacked. It all went so fast. Before she could react, the beast broke to the house. Bronwyn and Victor, the strongest ones, were trying to fight him. Of course, they didnʼt see him, but the Hollow wasnʼt exactly quiet. Books were falling off the shelves with his each move. At first, it looked like they could defeat the Hollowgast, but Bronwyn made one wrong move and Hollows tounges were wrapped around her body. „Let her go!" Victor shouted and launched himself on the Hollow.

Meanwhile, miss Peregrine grabbed her crossbow and run upstairs as fast as she can. But she was late. Victor was lying unconscious in the pool of his blood. Bronwyn was fighting the monster, but she was wounded.

The Ymbryne did not hesitate and shot the arrow. She didnʼt see the Hollowgast either, but the arrow hit itʼs target and the beast fell to the ground – dead. Miss Peregrine threw the crossbow away and run to Victor. Her eyes were scanning his body – she was looking for injuries. She gasped when she saw Victorʼs neck. Wounds from Hollowʼs teeth were awfully big and too much blood was flooding from them. Victor was hurt pretty bad, but miss Peregrine didnʼt give up. She believed she could still save him.

But she was wrong.

She tried, but she couldnʼt save him.

She stopped trying, she just sat next to the dead boy and started crying. That was the moment when Enoch knew he couldnʼt take it any longer. The Death Riser slowly approached his Ymbryne and placed hand on her shoulder. „Iʼm sorry, miss Peregrine." he said softly. But the Ymbryne wasnʼt listening him. She was still crying and she wasnʼt paying attention to nothing and nobody.

„Miss Peregrine!" Enoch shouted. She finally tear her eyes away from the dead boy and looked at Enoch. „Iʼm so sorry." he said and hugged her.

xxxxx xxxxx

Night set in Cairnholm. Miss Peregrine, despite the awful events, created loop. They will have Hollow in the loop every day, but she will kill him every day and no one will be harmed, Well, except the Hollow.

Victor wasnʼt buried – they can bring him back to life – even if only for a moment – with Enochʼs peculiarty.

Alma tried talking to Bronwyn, but the girl locked herself in the room. Alma sighted and promised herself that she will talk with the girl tomorrow.

„Are you okay, miss Peregrine ?" asked Emma – she was worried. She saw how broken miss Peregrine was earlier this day. Her Ymbryne seemed fine now, but Emma recognized something else in her face – miss Peregrine was forcing look of courage, while holding back a mixture of worry and fear that she couldnʼt show.

„Iʼm well, miss Bloom." miss Peregrine lied, „but I think itʼs getting late. We should go to sleep." Children nodded and went to their rooms.

Miss Peregrine kissed each of her children on the forehead and wished them good night.

When she was sure all children were peacefully asleep, she went to her room too. She closed the door quietly. Then, she could finally threw her mask away.

She sat down on her bed and started crying. She didnʼt shed only a few tears, just like when her brothers were beating her. She cried for a long time and did not see the end.

After a few minutes she managed to calm down. She stood up and started walking. I could have prevented it, she thought, I should have known.

Before her brain could processed whatʼs going on, sadness has turned into anger. She walked to the window and, with one punch, she shattered it. The fragments of glass fell to the ground, but this Ymbryne, perfect example of perfect lady, didnʼt care. She was drown in her thoughts. Under normal circumstances she would pick them up, but now she just let them lie there.

The fragments reminded her of her own heart - also fragmented into a million parts.

She gave broken window one last, long look, then she looked away and started walking in the room again.

Mirror appeared in her line of sight. She came closer, looked at her reflection and ran hand through her hair. She looked terrible. She had Victorʼs blood all over her clothes. Blood was flooding from her knuckles and was mixing with Victorʼs. With her sonʼs blood. Dead sonʼs blood. She had the blood of her son on her hands. And not just literally. I cause his death, she thought, I could not kill the Hollow before he killed Victor.

But when she looked in the mirror, she saw one more thing – she realized what she looked like: she looked like a fighter. She was a fighter. Her heartbeat was her fight song and her fake smile was her armour.

Yes, she was broken. Broken, but strong. And beautiful. She just needed someone who will see her beauty through the pain.