|the telepath | i
THE YMBRYNE
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It turned out that entering the loop was the easy part. I followed close behind Emma as she led the way through the dimly lit cave and out to the other side. Through to a constant day of September 3rd.
Another long walk after disappearing into the cave led to a large house coming into view at the end of a vast expanse of long grass. Had I been on my own, I'd have stood there for ages, mouth agape, as I took in my surroundings. It seemed to ooze peculiarity, and I hadn't even entered yet. Greenery enwrapped the grounds and snaked its way up the walls of the building. Calling this place a 'house' was a poor word to describe what I was seeing, the building before me being far too grand and ominous to fit the title, especially when compared to the actual 'house' I'd left behind in Ireland.
Unfortunately, Emma had different plans than simply standing and observing the surroundings, meaning I was soon face to face with a large twin door. She knocked twice and without a moment's hesitation, the doors swung open to reveal the woman I'd seen in Emma's memories, blue hair and all.
"Right on time," the woman, who I assumed to be Miss Peregrine, smiled, holding out a pocket watch as if it would in any way help me understand what she was saying. "I'm Miss Peregrine," she introduced herself and stuck out a hand which I shook hesitantly. "You must be Robyn. I've heard all about you." I gave a small, timid smile in return but was unable to reply as the strange woman continued. "Come in, come in. Emma will show you to your room and then, after, you can meet the others." It seemed more of an order than a suggestion, but Miss Peregrine seemed kind, and I was quick to do as I was told.
"So how many children live here?" I asked Emma as we walked up the stairs to where I assumed my room would be.
"Well, there's me, of course. Then there's Abe, Hugh, Fiona, Millard, Olive, Bronwyn, Victor, Claire, Horace, the Twins, and Enoch. Though he normally doesn't leave his room. So I guess that makes thirteen. Fourteen if you count yourself." She paused throughout the names, taking on a slightly different facial expression as she thought of each person. It gave me more insight than she probably assumed, but I decided to keep that to myself and instead nodded, eagerly taking in any information given to me. Thirteen was a lot of people to meet, but I didn't see how they could be so bad when at least we had one thing in common. We were all peculiars.
The room I was taken to was painted a pale blue, similar to the color of Emma's dress. White drapes hung from the single window in the middle of the room, slightly open to let the sun shine through. They appeared to be the only decoration in the entire room, but I didn't mind so much. It just meant I had more chance to make the room feel like my own. A single bed sat in the corner with neatly folded sheets opposite a small dresser with three drawers—not that I had many clothes with me anyway. Yes, this room would do just fine.
It was small but cozy, and that's all I could have asked for.
"I'll give you a minute to settle in," Emma smiled before leaving and closing the door quietly behind her.
The moment she stepped out, I flopped down on the bed. It was comfier than I expected, and if it hadn't been for the fact I knew I had to be back downstairs soon, I could have fallen asleep right there and then. After all, the day was barely halfway through, and I was already exhausted. Still, I knew I had to at least start unpacking. However, I allowed myself to take a moment to look out of my window. The garden was full of strange scenery—bushes trimmed into odd shapes and animals that I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed the first time. I attributed that to nerves. A conservatory, eerily similar to the shape of a birdcage, seemed to complete the scenery, surrounded by a myriad of strange flowers.
Children raced around, showing off their peculiarities, and I couldn't help but stop to watch. They all seemed so close, and judging by the various old-fashioned items of clothing everyone was wearing, they had all been here for a long time. It made me wonder how Mum had found out about this place to begin with if all the other children seemed to have settled so long ago. Here I was, planted in a time four years before I'd even been born. I shook my head, turning from the window and deciding it was best to leave those thoughts alone for a while. Right now, all I needed to focus on was unpacking, when suddenly a loud noise coming from the other side of the wall made me jump. The thin walls allowed me to hear a muttering, though I couldn't detect what was being said. This place just seemed to be getting more and more peculiar by the second.
After I'd finished unpacking, I made my way downstairs to find Miss Peregrine sitting in the parlor with a couple of small girls playing at her feet. They looked at me strangely, muttering between themselves before being politely shooed away. I felt myself begin to grow red. Was there something on my face?
"Tea?" Miss Peregrine's voice cut through my thoughts as she politely waited for an answer. I nodded and sat down opposite her as a glass was poured from an old kettle with a red handprint on the side. Most peculiar.
The handprint on the kettle was almost as red as the hair on the girl serving it. She introduced herself as Olive, and in exchange, I told her my name. Miss Peregrine reassured me of a formal introduction to everyone at supper.
I sat awkwardly for a while before the questions began. Questions I assumed were more out of politeness and conversation, considering I'd been told how much had already been spoken about me. Nevertheless, I answered them without complaint, more than happy when the chance to ask my own questions arose, and of course—I had many.
"I'm an Ymbryne. That means I can manipulate time, you see? Ymbrynes are put in charge of the young as we can create these things called loops. Choose a day and reset it every 24 hours, and you can live in it safely forever," she explained as I listened intently, having barely touched my tea during the length of our conversation. Miss Peregrine was keen to put my mind at ease, even if a few of my questions had made her pause in reluctance to answer.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly why you were sent here. We try to stay away from negative subjects, but just know that you're here for your safety."
My stomach wavered slightly at the statement, not quite having settled from having to leave home. It hadn't helped, and as I looked down into my tea, cooling between my hands, I could almost make out my reflection—wearied and frowning.
Not the first impression I wanted to make on the people I'd be spending the rest of eternity with.
Slowly, I looked up and gave Miss Peregrine a small nod and a shy smile. She glanced over me quickly, and a look of empathy for my situation flashed across her features.
"I know it's not the life you might have envisioned for yourself, and it's hard to leave those you love, but we're a family here. It's my job to make sure you're safe and cared for, and I promise to do my best to make this place your home too," she uttered, not a trace of dishonesty in her words, helping to slightly loosen the knot in my gut that had been tightening since the day I'd first found out I was to leave.
"Now if that's all the questions you have for me, you can go help Olive prepare supper." Before I'd even begun to utter a word of thanks, I was shooed away with the red-headed girl whom I now knew to be Olive.
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Hey guys, I really hope you enjoyed the first real chapter of this story, let me know what you thought of it. I love to hear feedback.
I know technically Abe shouldn't be here but let's just pretend he doesn't leave the loop, okay? Okay
- Andrea x
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The Telepath » Enoch O'Connor
Fanfiction"So you can read minds?" He asked with a flash of curiosity to his eyes mixed with slight panic. "Read them, play with them, anything I want really. Why? Is there something you don't want me to see, Mr. O'Connor?" · Robyn Animo has only known she w...
