Preserve (An Enoch O'Connor story)

I Never Stopped Believing

After dinner, Ren and Jake were invited to stay for movie time. Ren was once again sitting next to Olive and, to her surprise, little Claire climbed up in her lap. The blonde girl smiled up at her before turning her attention to the projection screen. Horace sat back in his chair and fixed his monocle over his eye.

In his dream, Horace saw Ren approaching with Miss Peregrine. "He dreamed this last night. Some of Horace's dreams are prophetic," Olive whispered and Ren nodded as the scene changed. "He started to show us this last night, but Miss Peregrine stopped him." The scene was dark. People with white eyes, birds trapped in cages, and just before Miss Peregrine turned on the lights, Ren saw herself strapped to a chair, screaming.

Her eyes widened and the lights came on. She looked around the room and saw everyone staring at her. It was Claire that broke the silence. "Ren?" The redhead glanced at her. "Will you stay for the reset?" Ren smiled at her attempt to change the subject. "I'd love to, but I'm pretty sure Uncle Frank is worried about us. Another time?" Claire nodded and Olive asked, "Does this mean you'll come back and visit again?"

Ren beamed. "Of course. I have to prove Enoch wrong about me, remember?" she replied, looking over at Enoch with a wink. Claire and Olive giggled. Claire climbed off Ren's lap and ran out of the room, the twins following close behind. Ren shook her head, laughing. She quickly changed back into her regular clothes and left the loop with Jake. She had wanted to stay, but her uncle's disappointed and worried face kept popping into her mind.

"You took that better than I thought you would, Ren," Jake said, snatching Ren out of her thoughts. She shrugged. "It's not that unusual." Jake stopped walking and stared at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Ren sighed. "Jake...I never stopped believing in Grandpa's stories. Not once. I just pretended like I did. Middle school and high school girls are mean. Can you imagine the torture I would have gone through if they knew I believed in children that could float or bring back the dead? I'd get slushied every day."

"You've been watching too much Glee," Jake said with a laugh and Ren playfully pushed his shoulder. "Shut up." The two walked back toward the inn in silence. "Hey, Jake?" Jake turned his blue eyes on his cousin. "C-Can we go back tomorrow? I really had a good time. It was...nice." Jake smiled. "It was nice or... meeting Enoch was nice?" Ren's brows rose. "What are you talking about?"

"Please. You think I didn't notice you flirting?" Ren laughed humorlessly. "Flirting? I was not flirting with Enoch!" Jake held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, okay." Ren rolled her eyes as they got closer to the inn. "Where have you two been?!" Jake's dad demanded as soon as he saw the two. "Sorry, Uncle Frank! I asked Jake to show me around the island. I decided that you were right. I can't just spend the whole time here shut away. Grandpa wouldn't want that." Frank smiled. "Oh well, that's...that's great. How about a note next time though?" Ren nodded.

"Thanks for that," Jake whispered once his dad had turned away. Ren hummed and went to run her fingers through her hair. They got caught on the small flower Emma had placed there. Pulling it from her tresses, Ren smiled softly. She ran her fingers over the soft petals. That flower, no matter what happened the next day, would be a reminder of what she'd seen.

Ren got ready for bed that night, her mind going a mile a minute. After she placed the flower on the nightstand, she climbed into bed and closed her eyes, excited to see what the next day would bring. Images of everything that had happened that day flashed behind her eyes. A little blonde girl with a backmouth, twins who wore masks, a redhead who could literally play with fire. Every one of the children passed through her mind and, just before she fell asleep, a pair of eyes the color of melted chocolate invaded her darkening vision.