The Peregrines

Chapter 29

{Pic is mine}

{ Edited - 10th Nov, 2020 }
{ Edited - 26th April, 2024 }

The audience burst into uproarious applause. Millard tipped his hat. "For our first illusion, I will produce Miss Peregrine herself!" He quickly hid behind the curtain before reappearing with a folded sheet in hand and a majestic peregrine falcon on his other arm. A nod to the orchestra signalled the start of a whimsical carnival tune.

Millard gently placed the falcon on the ground and positioned himself in front, shielding the magnificent bird from the eager eyes of the audience. With a focused expression, he commenced the countdown, starting from a higher number and gradually working his way down. "Three, two, one!"

I heard a distinct flap of wings and then witnessed Miss Peregrine's head—her human head—emerge from behind the sheet to a louder round of applause. Her hair was dishevelled and only from her shoulders and up was visible; it appeared she was unclothed behind the sheet. Evidently, when transforming into a bird, your attire doesn't come along for the journey. Grasping the corners of the sheet, she modestly wrapped it around her.

"Mr Portman!" she said, peering down at Jake from the stage. "I am delighted to see your return. This is a small exhibition that we once travelled with across the Continent during the golden days. I believe you and Miss Wilde will find it educational." After that, she made a grand exit, disappearing backstage to grab her outfit.

The unique children emerged from the crowd one by one, showcasing their individual talents on stage. Millard vanished by taking off his tuxedo and juggling glass bottles. Emma wowed the audience by defying gravity with her gymnastics routine on parallel bars after removing her heavy shoes. Olive amazed everyone by creating, swallowing, and blowing out fire unharmed.

When Emma returned to her seat, Jake turned to her and said, "I don't understand. You performed this for people?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Normal people?"

"Of course, normal people. Why would peculiars pay to see things they can do themselves?"

"But wouldn't this, like, blow your cover?"

She chuckled. "Nobody suspected a thing," she said. "People come to sideshows to see stunts and tricks and what-all, and as far as anybody knew that's exactly what we showed them."

"So you were hiding in plain sight."

"Used to be the way most peculiars made a living," she said.

"And no one ever caught on?"

"Once in a while, we'd get some knob-head backstage asking nosey questions, which is why there'd always be a strong-arm on hand to toss them out on their bums. Speak of the devil—here she is now!"

On the stage, a little girl with a more masculine appearance was pulling a boulder the size of a small refrigerator from behind the curtain. "She may not be the sharpest tool in the woodshed," Emma whispered, "but she's got a massive heart and she'd go to the grave for her mates. We're thick as thieves, Bronwyn and me."

I was handed a bunch of promotional cards that Miss Peregrine had distributed to promote their performance. Among them, Bronwyn's card was placed on the top. In her photo, she confidently stood barefoot, giving a piercing gaze to the camera. The back of the card proudly displayed the words: THE AMAZING STRONG-GIRL OF SWANSEA!