My Dear Birdie

Chapter Nine: Rescuing Alma

TW: corpse gore not like the book it's a bit graphic 

I was enraged when Dr. Golan spoke about my grandfather, I looked for the nearest object that I could hurl at his head, but Jake stopped me the children rushed to attack but the oldest of them stopped. Once Golan had whipped around the corner Emma blew him against the wall keeping him there. More wights had returned and so Jake and the others went off to fight but not me I decided to go look for Alma room after room I checked until I found a room, I nearly vomited at the smell of it I could smell something rotting but I could also smell shit piss and blood I fumbled for a light switch praying I don't find Alma but instead, I'm faced with something much more horrifying rows after rows of rotting dead bodies some are so decomposed a dark, foul smelling liquid is dripping from the mouth of one body who I can't even recognise I teared up as I looked around the innocent women filled the room some who had died recently while other had been dead for a while I shut the door and turn off the light making a mental note of this room so that the younger ones don't see this room and the poor ymbrynes we haven't been able to save. 

I walk down my stomach in knots, and I feel myself tear up and I can't even name why and I hate it but eventually I find a black iron door and I can hear birds. I smile and open it I find a cramped small cage full of birds some small some big I hear a familiar squawk and I see a peregrine falcon I breathe out Alma's name in relief, but I hear a yelp and Jake bellowing that Golan's coming. I rush forward to release the birds saying,

"Go find your loops and children."

Golan arrives just as Alma flies out the window, he tries to slash at me with a knife but I doge he transforms into me I stare at him, and the Jake and Emma and Enoch stand in the doorway each holding a weapon Emma had found a wrench Enoch had found a hammer and Jake had Alma's cross bow Jake points the cross bow at us both I stick my hands up immediately saying how it's me and that I'm the real one and Hes Golan but then he speaks and is a surprisingly good acter he tears up and begins to softly sob,

"Jake please it's me I'm the real me I swear!" 

Asshole. Jake is pointing the bow between us and I haven't got the slightest clue on how to fix this how to prove to Jake that I was the real me I stare at him thinking for a second until I realise something that Golan doesn't know I have a huge surgery scar on my left hip I look Jake in the eye and say confidently,

"Jake when I was 3 and a half I had surgery on my left hip to correct my muscle growing in my hip socket, that leg is now smaller and from the age of 15 I've been able to feel a difference when I walk!" 

Jake stops pointing the bow at me and without a seconds hesitation shoots Golan in the head like its nothing I stare at Golan's dead body before Emma grabs my hand telling me to hurry, we all rush out of the winding tower we walk past the door that has all of the dead ymbrynes my heart breaks for them and their lost children. We rush back down the pier and see all of the younger children sat penitently I honestly don't know when they went and left but there they were Bronwyn runs towards me and jumps into my arms I hug her spinning her around she giggles and says,

"Fiona found a chicken!" 

I look over at Fiona and smile when I see her with a chicken in her lap Enoch asks about Alma and I explain how I found her and the other ymbryenes and I let them out the cage and how they flew out the window everyone nods I see Enoch and Olive holding hands and I look about the kids Emma and Jake were talking Enoch and Olive were holding hands and talking Claire and the twins were playing with snow Horace Millard and Hugh were talking I was holding Bronwyn and Fiona was sat smiling on her own with her chicken I fake a smile for the sake of not ruining the mood but I so badly want to see Alma I need to see her and make sure she's safe but eventually Emma says that they all have to return to their time and me and Jake have to return to ours.

I put Bronwyn down as I walk to the loop exit we all hug everyone goodbye I tear up as I say good bye to Fiona and Bronwyn I pet Fiona's chicken and sigh as me and Jake leave we enter our normal time we decide to sit down on a bench to recover we sit in silence until it hits me we have lost all of our stuff! I sigh and decide it doesn't matter as we are now in the past for us technically we are from 2018 but Miss Avocet's loop is in 2017. I look at Jake and just ask him if he wants to go home early or stay around here until its time to go back Jake says he wants to go home early and see grandpa I nod and say I would like to do the same we book new tickets call our parents and explain that we are coming home early and they accept that response happily.

We were eventually sat on our grandpa's couch our parents were still there but eventually asked if we could manage on our own we nodded and after a few minutes we decided to say,

"Grandpa we have something we need to tell you."

A/N: I had to include the chicken that was used in Fiona's photo in the book I'm not sorry it is my fave thing about the books