Lost Together

Chapter 6

"You can?" Jack asked him curiously and sat down on a chair.
The man nodded and put the newspaper on the table next to him.
"Caul was a peculiar king. He was in charge over thousands of years ago, he ruled over peculiardom and a part of the normal world."
"Peculiardom?" Jack asked, even though he had more than just this one question.
„The world peculiars live in. You see, peculiars are people with extraordinary abilities. Even animals can be peculiar. Once these people lived together with ordinary people in harmony, the ones without any odd talents. But one day the normal people didn't accept the extraordinary people anymore and peculiars began to distance themselves from them. That were the times when they didn't have a powerful king on their side anymore.
They started to live in loops, places created by women who could turn into birds and manipulate time." the old man explained and Jack listened carefully.
„But back to Caul—oh, he was a really good guy. Always tried his best to make his people happy. Sometimes he made it rain, when they wanted rain. Sometimes snow. He could also control night and day, but one day he fell in a terrible war and a new, but evil-minded king took his throne."
„One question—was he able to turn into a bird too?" asked Jack and thought about his and Alma's ability.
The old man chuckled. „Oh no, he couldn't. What makes you think that?"
Jack noticed his siblings coming into the room and turned his head to see them.
„I just—I just asked without a reason." he said, not knowing if he could really trust this man.

Myron and Alma came running up to him, smiling.
„We found a nice place where we could go by train!" Myron said excitedly.
Jack looked back at the man and said: „We have to go now. It was nice talking to you...uh—"
„My name's Aldrich. Also, here. You almost forgot your little note." Aldrich reached towards the notepaper, grabbed it and it held it over to Jack.
„Oh, thanks." Jack said and took it, then he went towards the door together with Alma and Myron.
Small blue feathers stuck out of Alma's sleeve and Aldrich couldn't believe his eyes. But the three siblings were already out of the room, on their way to the train station.

He turned around on his chair and opened the window, after a white pigeon wouldn't stop hammering against it with its beak.
„Finally. It was about time." the pigeon said annoyed and climbed in through the window.
Aldrich took one of the notepapers and pulled a pencil out of his vest pocket.
He wrote:

There are peculiars here in suburban London. Three of them, to be exact. An older boy, another boy and a little girl. The girl is definitely peculiar. Poor thing probably has her arm stuck as a wing. I suppose she is an ymbryne.
I will figure out more and let you know.

Aldrich

„What are you writing?" the pigeon asked curiously and hopped onto the table, tapping the notepaper with its talons.
„Here, August. Give this to Esmeralda." Aldrich folded the notepaper together and gave it to August and the pigeon took a look at it.
„Another ymbryne? Wasn't this cheerful, blonde-haired girl an ymbryne too? That wasn't even a month ago." August said and you could see the bird rolling his eyes.
„Well, my friend. Peculiardom is bigger than you might think it is." Aldrich said, smiling and patted August's little head. „Now go!"
And with that, the pigeon took off and flew out of the window, holding the note in his small talons.

<—————>

Alma, Myron and Jack went outside and noticed, that it was getting late—and the temperature began to drop.
Winter was near and it wasn't the best time for three children to run around with no adults by there side.
They also didn't have a safe and warm place to sleep at for that night.
But all of three of them knew, that they would make it somehow.

„So, where do we go now?" asked Jack, while they were proceeding to walk down the street.
„Alma and I thought Derbyshire sounds like a good place! You want to get away from here, right?" Myron replied, but sounded a little upset at the last part.
„Yes." Jack said blankly, but then shook his head, when he saw Alma and Myron's sad faces. „What I meant to say was, yes. Derbyshire sounds great."

Jack noticed, that he was beginning to only think about himself. Or at least he thought he was. And he hated it.
He also needed to think about Alma and Myron. They were important too. No, they were even more important than him. If something happens to them, he would be alone and lost.

Well, you wouldn't be completely alone.

There it was again. This feeling of something following, slowly but surely catching up with him.
He hated this feeling. Or not? No, he didn't hate it. It felt familiar, even though he never had it before. Something about it felt right. That voice sounded like....him.

„Who is this?" Jack said and turned around on the pavement. But nobody was there, except for all those strangers passing by. Still, he felt like as if he was being watched by someone, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Jack didn't really know how to feel about it.
„Who is who?" asked Myron and looked worriedly at his brother.
„There was this voi—" Jack stopped, when he realised, that only he heard it. „It was nobody. I just thought I heard something."
Now he realised something else.
If only I can hear this, he thought. Then am I going crazy?

After some walking, Jack led his siblings into a dark and hideous alley.
They all stopped, when Alma said: „I'm tired. Can we take a break?"
„I agree with Alma. It's getting late and we should rest for a bit." said Myron and nodded at his sister.
„Which is why we will stay here for the night. I know it's not the best place, but we need to sleep. Except for me—I'll stay awake and keep watch." said Jack and sat down on the ground.
The ground was wet, for it seems that it had rained earlier.
Myron and Alma did the same as Jack and Alma started to hug her knees. Then there was silence for a minute or so.
Now, that they weren't in such a hurry anymore, they began to think about the things that happened.

„Why were mom and dad so angry when we left? Can't we go back to them?" Alma asked and looked very upset.
Jack looked away and didn't reply. But Myron did.
„We just—we shouldn't come back to them right now. Maybe someday again, but not now. Okay?" Myron tried his best to explain it to her, but Alma just gave him a confused look.
„But I don't understand. Did we do something ba—" Alma tried to finish her sentence, but got distracted by Jack getting up on his feet.
„They wanted to hurt us, Alma. Can't you see? We can't come back to them, because they think you're some kind of witch!" Jack was losing his cool now. „You really felt the need to turn into a bird and show us how amazing it is, did you?"
Jack kicked a little rock.
Alma and Myron were aghast, as they looked at their older brother.
„Jack?..." Alma asked bewildered.
„No. This is your fault, Alma. Your fault!" Jack said angrily and glared at her. „You shouldn't have turned into a stupid bir—"
Then Jack stopped, when he saw that Alma began to sob.
He made his sister cry.
„Wait. I-I didn't mean to—I'm sorry." Jack stumbled.
But that wasn't the truth. Because deep down he wasn't sorry. No, not at all. Somehow, there wasn't even the slightest feeling of regret.
This was wrong and he knew that. But still, it felt right. Seeing his sister cry, felt right.

Yes.

No.

Jack slowly began to feel confused and afraid, he didn't know what was happening.
Then he quickly walked away, disappearing in the deeper and darker part of the alley. But didn't go too far away from his siblings.
„Jack!" Myron called out. He wanted to come after him, but he decided to stay with Alma now.
„It's okay, Alma." he said to his little sister and hugged her. „It's not your fault."