A strange peculiarity || Enoch O'Connor

chapter thirty four

When Jeanette awoke, she found Enoch sat sullenly beside her. "Enoch, where are we?"

"The wights cells." He replied with a sigh. "We found Joe though." He nodded to where Josef lay with his head on Horace's lap, a boy who looked suspiciously like Josef sat beside them.

"Who is that?" Jeanette asked, looking at the boy who seemed as protective as Horace was.

"Klaus, Joe's brother." Enoch said gently. "It seems Addison was right, he is Miss Thunderbirds son."

"I must go and see if he's alright." Jeanette fretted, attempting to get up, but Enoch stopped her. She was not strong enough to be walking around yet.

"Jenny you don't have the energy, he's okay. Emma and Nathan unfroze him and he even woke up earlier, he's just asleep now." Enoch reassured her. "Everyone's fine."

"Where's Leo?" She asked worriedly, the look on Enoch's face made her stomach turn with worry.

"We dont know. None of us have seen him since Miss Wren's hideout." He replied. "Maybe he escaped."

"Oh I hope so." She murmured. "I can't help but fear the worst."

"Jenny, how are you?" It was Aimee who first inquired about her welfare, which was unexpected but as Stephan was curled up in the corner of the cell weakly, she was clearly asking on behalf of him.

"I am as well as I can be." She replied. "How about the two of you?"

"This loop is messing with him Jenny, he's deteriorating quickly." She replied. It was the first time in the entire journey that Jeanette had seen her look disheveled. It was clear she had been too busy looking after Stephan to be concerned about her looks.

"We must devise a plan." She agreed. "Do you know if anyone saw anything on our way here?"

"All anyone remembers is darkness." Jeanette jumped as she heard Cameron's voice. "I saw Ethan, briefly, he was watching us, I think he was looking for Leo, but he wasn't with us."

"My, my what a predicament we're in." She mused with a sigh. "Are most of us here?"

"All but those we left behind, Jacob, Emma and Leo." Cameron confirmed. "Theee must be something we can do."

"Indeed, if only we were strong enough to use our powers against the door." Jeanette sighed. "But we are not, and we must conserve our energy for when Caul comes back."

"Jenny, I have a feeling this is all going wrong." He replied with a sigh.

"You may be right, I fear we are lost." She agreed. "We must rely on our lost friends for now."

^^^
Leo awoke with a groan at his pounding head. He didn't know where he was and the last thing he remembered was some sort of blurry haze of fear and pain.

He was lying in a bed, it wasn't the most comfortable, but since Leo couldn't remember the last time he had slept in a bed, it was a luxury for him. The room was large enough, it held a desk and a wardrobe, but had no windows, like a cell. He wondered where the others were, where he was, why they were not together and why he was not just locked in a cell.

Glancing to his left, he could see a figure sprawled in the chair beside the bed and could not for the life of him work out who it was. Not that he particularly cared, he just wanted to get out. Slowly climbing out of the bed and creeping to the door, he found it unlocked, a stupidity on his captors part, he was sure.

It was as he opened the door and began to walk down the long corridor ahead, that Leo felt someone grab him around the waist and pull him backwards. "No, Leo no, it's not safe." He knew that voice, oh he knew that voice all too well, and it made his heart ache. Panic built up in his throat as he was dragged back into the room and the door was locked.

"Get away from me." Leo put as much distance between the two as he could, not like it mattered, he was powerless.

"Leo please just-"

"Ethan don't touch me!" Leo made the boy stop in his efforts to console him and sit down on the bed.

"You still haven't used your peculiarity on me." Ethan said, he seemed confused. "You could, but you don't."

"Well that's the difference between us isn't it." Leo replied bitterly. "I don't hurt the people I love."

"Leo I'm sorry, I thought it would save us." Leo didn't even believe him anymore.

"Working with the wights? Are you that stupid?"

"Leo please I-"

"Where are the others Ethan?" He was not being as gentle as Ethan had assumed.

"Leo you need to rest." Ethan was aware of the blood running down Leo's head even if the shorter boy was not. Ethan reached out to help him, but Leo shunned him again.

"Stay back." He warned, he knew Ethan wanted to help him but he refused to take it. Not this time. He couldn't trust him again, not when he had to find his family.

"Leo please." Ethan tried again, but Leo ducked under his arm and headed to the door.

"I'm going to help my family, with or without you." He told him opening the door, the determination in his face made Ethan remember the old times, where they go exploring in the loop. It hurt him like a stab to the stomach.

"Then you're going to do it with me." Ethan said, following Leo out of the door. "I think I might know where they are."

"Then let's go." Leo set off down the corridor, physically flinching when Ethan grabbed his arm.

"If the wights find you Leo... you need to stick with me." He said gently, letting go of the boys arm as soon as he noticed the boys discomfort, despite wanting nothing more than to be able to comfort him again. "Come on let's find our family."