September 3, 1943.
Loop Day Number: 28110.
Present Year: 2015
"CLAIRE!"
"Claire, where are you?" Fiona called out.
When she had no response she turned, only to find the little blonde girl standing behind her.
"Claire, why didn't you answer me? I was worried!" Fiona put her hands on her hips.
Claire shrugged, smiling.
"Well, it isn't very kind of you to disappear like that. You've been so secretive lately! Even Ms. Peregrine has noticed." Fiona huffed.
She then noticed Claire looked different. Bashful, even a tad guilty. She was staring sadly at her shoes.
"Oh...c'mon. Don't take it like that..." Now Fiona felt bad for snapping at the smaller girl.
Claire looked up, a new emotion crossing her face. Without explaining, she grabbed Fiona's hand and started to pull in a direction.
"Ow! What is it?" Fiona allowed herself to be pulled.
Claire didn't answer. For a girl with two mouths, she was often very quiet.
They walked a bit, heading past the house and into the gardens. Fiona looked around and noticed Emma and Olive having lemonade together under a tree.
Claire let go and walked towards them.
"Hullo, Claire!" Olive brightened. Emma waved.
Claire looked expectantly at them.
"Yes, yes, we got it for you. Ms. Peregrine said you could play with it, so long as you try not to get it too roughed up."
Olive reached behind her and pulled out a small picnic basket.
Claire opened the lid and Fiona could make out a small porcelain teapot with three matching cups.
"There's some cloth in there if you two wanted to have a picnic. Also some biscuits. Here, Fiona can carry this."
Emma handed Fiona an extra pitcher of lemonade.
"Have fun!" The two girls left.
"Kay..." Fiona glanced at the pitcher in her hands. A few seconds later, she noticed Claire was on the move again.
"Wait for me!"
Fiona hurried after her, careful not to spill the pitcher. Claire hugged the picnic basket to her chest, marching across the lush green lawn.
After passing between the gap in the hedges, Fiona noticed that they had moved past the garden and closer to the forest dividing the gap between the Peculiar house and the loop entrance.
"Surely the garden was nice enough for the picnic?" Fiona asked.
Claire glanced at her and shook her head.
"Why are we all the way out here, anyway?"
Claire whirled around. Fiona noticed her determined stance and her fierce stare.
It was unnerving, despite coming from a little girl in a frilly pink dress with a picnic basket.
Claire used her free hand to put a small finger to her lips. Her back mouth shushed for emphasis.
YOU ARE READING
Mrs. Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children: The Hollow
FanfictionJacob has been going to the Peregrine home to visit the peculiar children for almost a year now and Ms. Peregrine believes he can be trusted with an important secret: There is one extra resident at the home and a very unusual one at that. His name i...
