The Third Portman [Enoch O'Connor]

1 : Rising

District's PVO

I walked the island of Cairnholm, remembering what my Grandfather Abe Portman had told me about the loop. I came into a cave and saw a shining light up ahead.

I came out into a familiar place and I was in front of the Mansion, all shining and new. Everyone stopped and I saw two familiar faces. "District?" Nolan asked shocked as I raced over and he hugged me tightly. "How did you find us?"

And I showed him the letter. "You left this when you came without me." I said, a tang of bitterness in my voice. "And this must be District Portman. I'm Alma Peregrine. I trust your grandfather told you about this?" And I nodded, shaking Ms. Peregrine's hand.

"Let me guess before you start introducing me to people. Fiona is in the corner making the giant carrot grow." And Ms Peregrine nodded. "Indeed." And I looked around. "The Masked twins that don't speak." I said and Ms Peregrine nodded again.

"Emma is the one with gloves on, Olive is the one that is flying up tied to a rope out of her weighted shoes. Bronwyn is the one lifting the carrot that Fiona just finished growing and dragging it inside... Who am I missing?"

I asked, racking my brain for the missing name that wasn't coming to me.

"That would be me." And I spun around as a tall guy around 16 or 17 came out of the Mansion and held jars with pickled hearts in them. "Enoch O'Connor, the dead raiser who uses hearts to bring other things back to life."

I automatically said and he raised his eyebrows. "So it appears you were more attentive then your brothers who had no idea who I was until I showed them what I could do." And he shot a haunty look at Jakob and Nolan.

"Well considering I was the only one that believed what Grandpa said about you guys, I agree." And Enoch stared at me with surprise before knitting his face back into a scowl. "Do you have any weapons?" Nolan asked and I raised my eyebrows at him like seriously? "I'm not stupid Nolan. Grandpa gave me the key for a reason." And I pulled open my duffel bag and slipped my quiver over my head and pulled out my bow. I nocked the arrow so fast, no one even knew I had shot until the arrow sunk into the apple that Olive was trying to pick, skewering it right through the middle and forcing it to drop to the ground.

I walked over and picked up the apple. "Sorry Olive " I called up. "No bother. I'll just pick another." And Olive floated higher. "Apparently your aim is sharper then Jakob's, because he skewered my cabinet with my hearts in it." Enoch said and I thought I saw a hint of a smile on his face but I was sure I had imagined it as he glared at Jakob.

I put my bow and quiver back into the bag and zipped it up. "I recommend not trying it Bronwyn, you might break the bow. It requires strength but if you break it, I've got a quiver full of arrows and nothing to shoot them."

I said and put it on my shoulder. "Someone want to show me around?" I asked. "I'll do it." Nolan said and Miss Peregrine stopped him. "Maybe someone else should for a change. How about... Enoch?" And everyone stared at her in shock as if she had dropped a bomb. Enoch's scowl deepened, but I could tell underneath his tough exterior that he wanted company.

"Fine. Come on then." And I followed him. Enoch led me down the stairs. "Your lab. Right?" I said as we came into a room that had jars from wall to wall. Every one of them  had a heart in them, of various animals. Enoch stared at me. "Right." He said, surprised.

"I can see right through your exterior by the way. You acted like it was a chore for you to show me around but really you wanted to." I said and Enoch glanced at me and his eyes flashed with what I could've sworn was sadness but they turned emotionless again.

"What makes you say that?" And I put my bag down, careful not to step on anything as I made my way over. "Because I've had my heart broken too many times when no one believed me about my Grandpa and I know what it looks like Enoch." And he looked at me, his eyes turning angry now.

"No you don't. You don't know what it's like to be stuck in a loop where you have no ideas what the changes are because you can't leave." Enoch snapped and I flinched back.

"Well you don't know what it's like, growing up with a Grandpa as a father and losing him to something only you believed in. And something only three people can see!" I yelled and grabbed my bag, storming upstairs, my eyes burning with tears and emotions.

"What did Enoch do to you?" Nolan asked, sitting next to me with Olive, Emma, Hugh and Bronwyn around us. "He didn't do anything. I just lost it." And I walked away, into the mansion to my room. I looked down as I felt something hit my foot. It was one of Enoch's clay soldiers. I smiled down at it. "I only have 3 left." And I jumped and Enoch caught my wrist before it hit his eye. "Jeez!" I said, breathing heavily, trying to calm my heart down. "Sorry. Apparently all Portmans are Jumpy." He said and I raised my eyebrows. "And that means?" I said coldly. "It was a bloody joke." And a arrow stuck quivering, a inch away from Enoch's head. "Stay away from our sister. O'Connor." Nolan said and Enoch growled and I flinched. "Just stop it Nolan, he wasn't doing anything." And he glanced at me. "If he had?" He asked growling. "Then I would've dealt with him. Without your help." And I scooped up the Clay soldier and gave him to Enoch before shoving past Nolan and slamming the door to my room.

I sat on the bed.

At dinner, I sat down in a chair and I jumped when Millard kicked me. "Ow! Millard!" I yelped and hopped out of the chair. "Go get some clothes on Millard, we don't have our dinner in the nude." Miss Peregrine said sternly and Millard sighed and disappeared. "He's gone now. You can sit down." Olive offered and I sat next to Olive.

Jakob was next to Nolan on the opposite side of the table and Claire was next to me. She picked up a chicken leg and put it to her back mouth. She put it back on the plate as a clean bone. "Cool."

I said and Enoch raised his eyebrows from the end of the table. "Considering your grandfather was a conceited bastard, I'm not surprised you think that's cool because it's downright disgusting."

Enoch snapped and I stood up, my fists clenched at my sides. "Say that one more time and I will kill you Enoch O'Connor." I said dangerously. "Your grandfather Abe Portman was a conceited bastard!"

Enoch shouted and I slapped my hand on the table and chairs split apart as earthy tendrils wrapped around Enoch and choked him. Smoke poured out of the walls and the water splattered everywhere from everyone's cups.

And the air was getting thicker. "That's Enough!" Miss Peregrine yelled and I looked at her and my anger stopped.

Enoch was released and the water evaporated and the tendrils dissolved. "You're an elemental." Emma said. "I guess." I said quietly. "And you can see Hollows." Jakob said quietly. I nodded. "You could save us all District Portman." Miss Peregrine said and I shook my head. I ran out of the room and raced up the stairs and locked my door, my eyes burning with tears as they flooded down my cheeks in waves.

A knock came at the door. "Go away!" I yelled and someone sighed. "It's Enoch and Emma." Enoch's voice came through the door. "What?" I said and opened the door, seeing Emma with her gloves on and Enoch standing there with a clay soldier on each shoulder. "What do you want?" I asked coldly. "Enoch wants to apologize and I'm here to teach you how to control your powers." Emma said and sat on the bed. "Fine." I said quietly and sat next to Emma while Enoch tried to talk.

"Spit it out Enoch." I said and turned my attention towards the fidgeting peculiar. "I'm sorry about the stuff I said about your grandfather." And he raced out of the room.

Emma looked after him. "He likes you. It's obvious." She said and I glanced at her. "So what? I don't like him so why should I care?"

I asked coldly and Enoch was listening from the hallway, ear pressed against the door. He turned and walked away, his fists clenched at his sides.