The Peregrines

Chapter 31

{Pic is mine}

{ Edited - 26th April, 2024 }

As soon as I arrived at the beach, I quickly turned around and let out a loud scream, "STOP!!" I noticed the tiny figure cautiously emerging from the bushes.

"Anita??" The voice sounded like Hugh.

"Hugh??" I asked back. "What are you doing here?" The fog that encased the world dissipated.

"There's no time to explain. Do you know where Emma went?"

I pointed towards the ocean where Hugh could just see the dark silhouette of two people, sitting in a canoe boat. "She's with Jake."

"EMMMMAAAAAAA!!!" Hugh shouted a million times out of the blue. As we observed, the dark silhouette gradually started making its way towards the shore, but surprisingly, they seemed to be heading in a completely different direction. "Come on!" Hugh said to me as he began to run. I followed after him.

Just as we came around a rock, we saw Fiona running towards Jake and Emma. "Fiona?! You too?! Is everyone out today?!" Hugh said as he sprinted towards Fiona, who kindly slowed down so that we could catch up with her. As we approached, Hugh started yelling again, while Fiona frantically waved her arms in the air, trying to catch Jake and Emma's eye.

Emma started securing the canoe and hurried to catch up with Hugh, Fiona, and me. Hugh was panting, with bees buzzing around him in a frenzy, in a state of agitation. "Something's happened! You've got to come back with us!"

There wasn't any time for debate. Emma quickly put on her clothes over her swimsuit while Jake wrung out the water from his shirt and pants. Hugh looked at Jake with uncertainty. "Not him, though," he said. "This is serious."

"No, Hugh," Emma said. "The Bird was right. He's one of us."

He gaped at her, then at Jake. "You told him?!"

"I had to. He'd practically worked it out for himself, anyway."

Hugh appeared momentarily surprised but quickly regained his composure and extended a firm handshake to Jake. "Then welcome to the family."

"Thanks?" said Jake unsurely.

As we made our way to the house, Hugh shared some vague details about what had transpired, but our main focus was on running. Once we paused in the woods to rest and catch our breath, he said, "It's one of the Bird's ymbryne friends. She winged in an hour ago in a terrible state, yelling blue murder and rousing everyone from their beds. Before we could understand what she was getting at she fainted dead off." He wrung his hands, looking miserable. "Oh, I just know something wicked's happened."

"I hope you're wrong," said Emma, and we ran on.

* * *

We ran as a group until we reached the house. Skipping the small marble steps, we all hurried onto the porch. Emma swiftly opened the door, and Hugh, Fiona, Jake, and I dashed inside before she closed it behind us. As we made our way through the hallway, we noticed children in dishevelled nightwear gathered around a kerosene lantern just outside the closed sitting room door, exchanging gossip about what could have transpired.

"Perhaps they forgot to reset their loop?" said Claire.

"Bet you it was hollows," Enoch said. "Bet they ate the lot of 'em too, right down to their boots!" Claire burst into tears and covered her face with her tiny hands, Olive smacked Enoch's shoulder on the way to comfort Claire with a hug.

Horace knelt beside Claire and said in a comforting voice, "There, there. Don't let Enoch fill your head with rubbish. Everyone knows hollows like young ones best. That's why they let Miss Peregrine's friend go—she tastes like old coffee grounds!"

Claire peeked out from between her fingers. "What do young ones taste like?"

"Lingonberries," he said matter-of-factly. The girl wailed again.

"Leave them alone!" Hugh shouted, and a squadron of bees sent Horace yelping down the hall.

"What's going on out there?" Miss Peregrine called from inside the sitting room. "Is that Mr Apiston I hear? Where are Miss Bloom, Miss Wilde and Mr Portman?"

Emma cringed and shot Hugh a nervous look. "She knows?"

"When she found out you were gone, she just about went off her chump. Thought you and Anita had been abducted by wights or some barminess. Sorry, Em. I had to tell her."

Emma nodded her head in disagreement, but we had no choice but to gather our courage and confront the situation. Fiona offered a small salute, as if to send us good luck, and we bravely entered the room. The sitting room was dimly lit, with only the flickering flames of the hearth casting our trembling shadows on the wall.

Bronwyn paced nervously around an elderly lady who was barely conscious in a chair, wrapped up in a blanket. Miss Peregrine was seated on a footstool, giving the woman sips of a mysterious dark liquid.

When Emma saw her face, she froze. "Oh my God," she whispered. "It's Miss Avocet." It was only at that moment that I finally recognized her, although it was a bit difficult, as I had only seen a photograph of Miss Peregrine when she was a young girl. Miss Avocet had appeared so strong and determined back then, but now she seemed delicate and feeble.

While we observed, Miss Peregrine handed a silver flask to Miss Avocet and poured its contents into her mouth. The older ymbryne appeared to regain some strength, sitting up with eyes that seemed to sparkle, before turning her gaze towards me.

"Alma, have you realised that one of . . ." She trailed off as we stood watching. "Alma, I think I see Kira standing in the room with us," I glanced at Jake, and our eyes locked. He gave a subtle nod towards the Ymbrynes, indicating that I should share my secret. However, I shook my head slightly in disagreement.

I glanced back at Miss Avocet and noticed her expression had once again turned dull, causing her to sink back into the chair. Suddenly, I felt everyone's gaze fixated on me, making me instinctively avert my eyes. How can I possibly defend myself against this accusation?

"Yes, I'm aware," Miss Peregrine said as she was the only one who didn't look at me.

Wait . . . Was this the reason why she offered me to stay because I looked a bit like my old self? Connections that link to Miss Peregrine's latest behaviour began to build up and it's starting to make sense now . . . I should be afraid...

"Miss Bruntley," said Miss Peregrine to Bronwyn, "Go and make up the fainting couch for Miss Avocet and then fetch a bottle of coca wine and another flask of brandy."

Bronwyn walked out, nodding gravely as they went by. Then, Miss Peregrine shifted her attention towards us and whispered softly. "I am tremendously disappointed in you, Miss Bloom, Miss Wilde. Tremendously. And of all the nights to sneak away."

"I'm sorry, Miss. But how were Anita and I to know something bad would happen?"

"I should punish you. However, given the circumstances, it hardly seems worth the effort." She lifted her hand and gently ran her fingers through her mentor's white hair. "Miss Avocet would never have left her wards to come here unless something dire had taken place."

The crackling flames caused tiny droplets of perspiration to form on my forehead, while Miss Avocet trembled in her seat. "Miss Peregrine?" Jake began, and she looked up. "When were you going to tell me?" She was on the verge of asking what, but then her gaze shifted towards Emma, and it was as if she found the answer written on her face. At first, she appeared furious, but as soon as she caught sight of Jake's rage, her own anger dissipated.

"Soon, lad. Please understand. To have laid the entire truth upon you at our first meeting would have been an awful shock. Your behaviour was unpredictable. You might've fled, never to return. I could not take that risk."

"So instead you tried to seduce me with food and fun and girls while keeping all the bad things a secret?"

Emma gasped. "Seduce? Oh, please, don't think that of me, Jake. I couldn't bear it."

"I fear you've badly misjudged us," said Miss Peregrine. "As for seducing you, what you've seen is how we live. There has been no deception, only the withholding of a few facts."

"Well here's a fact for you," Jake said. "One of those creatures killed my grandfather."

Miss Peregrine stared at the fire for a moment. "I am very sorry to hear that."

"I saw one with my own eyes. When I told people about it, they tried to convince me I was crazy. But I wasn't, and neither was my grandfather. His whole life he'd been telling me the truth, and I didn't believe him. If I had, maybe he'd still be alive."

Miss Peregrine noticed that I was a bit unsteady on my feet, so she kindly suggested that I take a seat in the chair opposite Miss Avocet. I gratefully accepted her offer and settled down, with Jake and Emma kneeling down beside me for support.

"Abe must've known you were peculiar," Emma said. "And he must've had a good reason for not telling you."

"He did indeed know," replied Miss Peregrine. "He said as much in a letter."

"I don't understand, then. If it was all true—all his stories—and if he knew I was like him, why did he keep it a secret until the last minute of his life?"

Miss Peregrine gently poured another glass of brandy for Miss Avocet, who let out a soft moan and slowly sat up, only to sink back into the comfortable chair moments later. "I can only imagine that he wanted to protect you," she said. "Ours can be a life of trials and deprivations. Abe's life was doubly so because he was born a Jew in the worst of times. He faced a double genocide, of Jews by the Nazis and of peculiars by the hollowgast. He was tormented by the idea that he was hiding here while his people, both Jews and peculiars, were being slaughtered."