The Kreizler Institute | The Alienist + Mphfpc [Complete]

Chapter Twelve | Silver Birds

Jade's POV:

Tears streamed down my face during the funeral service. The whole room was packed full of people and I hoped that no one noticed was crying. Well... no one besides my parents or Caleb. A few moments passed and I felt Caleb wrap an arm around my shoulders. I wiped some of my tears away in an attempt to keep from anyone seeing me cry. When the funeral was over each row went up and paid their respects one last time. The four of us were near the front so we were the first ones out who went up to the casket. My uncle's lifeless and simi frozen body was laying inside of the fruit wood coffin on top of simulated white silk.

Caleb kept me close and my parents kept close as well. By the time we got outside of the building for fresh air, I was being held in my mom's arms. I broke down. I let out all of the pent up stress, sorrow, and anxiety out with tears. My mom started crying and my dad had to comfort her. So Caleb wrapped his arms around me and gently rubbed my back as he comforted me. When he and I broke the hug, I wiped my tears away. My eyes were sore; I figured they looked red as well from all of the crying. Once everyone left the funeral home we got into our cars and headed towards the gravesite. Once we got there the rain started pouring from the sky.

Thankfully there were umbrellas in the trunk of the car. The pastor started saying a few words once everyone had gathered around the gravesite. The pallbearers carried the casket over to the rectangular hole in which my uncle was going to be buried in. My chest filled with pain as I stood there in the cold rain. There was a twinge in my stomach as well, which filled me with dread. The twinge got worse and I started looking around. "What's wrong?" Caleb asked, noticing my panic. "I can feel it. It's close." I whispered as my heart started pounding in my chest. It was hard to see anything coming for the thick fog that had settled in. The twisting inside of my stomach hurt so much I thought I was going to be sick. And then all of a sudden it stopped and turned into a tugging sensation. The same tugging sensation I got when Caleb and I found my uncle's body.

My instincts told me that the hollowgast was lingering in the fog ahead of us. As it got closer I could hear it's loud footsteps, which the others mistook for thunder. My panicked eyes must have made Caleb scared as well, because he walked over to his peculiar friends; one of the silver birds to tell them that a hollow was near. In my head all I could do was hope the hollow would stop... that the hollow would leave us alone. 'Stop! Stop where you are, and leave us alone.' I thought inside of my head. I willed the monster to stop with every fiber of my being, and that's when something strange happened. A weird kind of jumbled up noises took place of the words I was thinking. 'Stop where you are. Stop and stay still.' I said in my head but in strange language I didn't understand.

To my surprise something sort of seemed to click. It was like finding the right radio station after searching through a sea of static. 'Stop and don't move.' I said inside of my head, and the thunderous footsteps stopped. "Where is it?" Caleb asked as a couple of his friends came to my side. "It's through the fog, right over there." I gestured in the direction in front of us near the tree line. "Is it coming in our direction?" The olive skinned man, one of the silver birds, asked me curiously. "It was. I stopped it." I replied. "What do you mean you stopped it?" A pale woman with red painted lips asked. "I somehow managed to gain mental control over the hollow." I replied. I wasn't sure how to explain what had happened. Especially since I was speaking a language I didn't understand inside of my head.

I felt the silver bird members looking at me and it made me feel a little uncomfortable. The olive skinned man suggested that they should canvas that area for wights, but I didn't think that was a good idea. Especially since it was foggy and I'm the only person who can see hollows. I didn't know how long my weak hold on the hollowgast would last after all. Deep down I just wanted everyone to be safe without having to endure an attack from monsters from the peculiar world. After the funeral was over I talked my parents into leaving because I wanted a moment alone with Caleb. A request they willingly complied to. The only ones left were the silver birds, Caleb, and I. Thankfully the fog was starting to lift, which was in everyone's favor. "This is Emmet and Lacy by the way." Caleb said, introducing me to the two peculiars I had been talking to.