Circus Freaks

Chapter 1-Freak Show

You'd been obsessed with the strange an mysterious ever since you found out you have an odd ability of your own. You could turn into a bird. More specifically a kite. You'd spent most of your life traveling. Mostly to see circus acts or museums with supposed cursed beings on display. These people were often indeed different from others. But their acts were just party tricks, and the museum just help corpses with birth defects that they played off as cursed to attract customers. You had yet to find anyone remotely like you. Anyone who's talent wasn't taught, but discovered.

Now you stood on a ferry headed to Cairnholm, a small island off the coast of Wales, where you would view yet another circus. This act was known throughout Wales, and judging by the other passengers on the boat it drew a crowd, though a small one. You followed said crowd after leave the ferry to buy one of the last tickets to the show from a sad looking boy who's name tag read Enoch O. There were about fifty or so chairs lined up to face a small stage. You took a seat in the middle of the front row. People may want to see the strange things in action, but apparently these people still wished to keep their distance as they all sat as far from the front as they could. You were the only one in the front row.

The crowd grew quiet as a boy walked on stage. Except there was no boy there, only floating clothes. He was invisible, and that was impossible to fake! "Hello!" He spoke happily into a mic in the middle of the stage. "My name is Millard Nullings, otherwise known as the invisible boy! And I'd just like to welcome you all to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." He walked over to were a sheet lay and picked it up. "As you can see I am the only one on the stage right now. Here on the ground, we have a pile of clothing. And this." He said, pausing to shake the sheet of dust. "Is a sheet." He began tying one end of the sheet to a plow that had been standing upright. "As you can see there is nothing behind it." He said before going to tie the other end to another pole in a way that blocked the crowd from seeing anything behind it.

"And now!" He spoke, pausing for dramatic effect. "Let's meet our headmistress, Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine!" He held a gloved hand out to draw everyone's attention to the stairs leading up the the stage. But instead of seeing a woman walk up the steps as expected, a peregrine falcon swooped down from the sky and hovered over the invisible boys top hat.

The bird did a few tricks in the air before going to land behind the sheet. You heard a loud sound of flapping wings and not even a minute later a gorgeous woman stepped out from behind the sheet. "Miss Peregrine, everybody!" Millard yelled and pulled down the sheet to show the lack of bird and clothes behind it. The headmistress gave a small bow and an even smaller smile. You couldn't tear your eyes away from her as she left the stage. You couldn't believe it, this woman, Miss Peregrine, was just like you. Not only did she have some strange ability. But she could turn into a bird.

Instead of going backstage Miss Peregrine sat in the front row of the audience, to the far right to watch her children. There were many more acts, each one intrigued you further. A young brunette girl by the name of Fiona grew vines at an incredible speed and then tied one around another girl, Emma's waist. When the blonde removed her shoes she began to float, tethered only to the ground by the vines that the brunette seemed to be controlling. One boy made bees, that had come out of his mouth, flay around and create intricate patterns. Then for a finishing act, one girl who seemed to be around eight, lifted two boulders above her head, one in each hand. And a boy who was apparently her brother lifted another two.

"Thanks for coming folks! Tell everyone about how you had a wonderful time at Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children!" Millard said as everyone got up to leave. Miss Peregrine stood to go backstage. You moved to follow her, rather than leaving as instructed.

"Hey." A redhead you hadn't yet seen blocked your path, Miss Peregrine soon disappearing. "What are you doing back here? Performers only." She said, crossing her arms and glaring at you.

"I need to speak to Alma Peregrine." You spoke, her name rolling nicely off your tongue.

"What's going on over here?" The sad boy from the ticket booth walked over.

"This woman wants to see Miss P."

He looked you over. "I've never seen this woman before in my life." He said before turning to speak directly to you. "What do you want with her?"

"I don't see how that concerns you, young man."

He glared at you. "Tell me or just leave now."

You let out a sigh and thought over your next words. "Well if you must know I myself am also a bird." You expected him to laugh at you and turn you away, claiming his headmistresses ability was just a show trick.

Instead he gave the redhead a serious look. "Come with me." She said. You followed her closely as she led you to a tent and pulled back one of the flaps a little. "Miss Peregrine, it's Olive. There's a woman here claiming she's also... a bird." She hesitated as she stood outside waiting for the all clear to enter.

The tent flap swung open and the woman you'd been looking for stood inside with a perplexed look on her face. "That you Olive." She said, dismissing the girl. "Are you familiar with the term ymbryne?" She asked you as you sat down on one of the only two chairs in the tent.

"Not in the slightest."

"Ah, well please allow me to explain." And she began to do just that.

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I've been waiting to start this book for like a month-