Miss Peregrine~ one shots

A Bad Taste of a Prank

Readers age: 9-10
~Y/N POV~

It's my first night staying in this new strange place, and it's been taking me forever to fall asleep. It's been hard adjusting since I've left home. Everyone keeps on telling me I'll have a better life here, around people who are like me, and that this "Ms. Peregrine" will take good care of me. But I just don't trust her intentions. I don't trust anyone's intentions...

It was around 12am when my uneasy thoughts finally settled and I was able to fall asleep, only to be woken back up a couple hours later by an odd creaking noise. I look over at the old fashioned clock that sits on the bedside table trying to make out the numbers through my sleepy haze.... 2:45am. At first I dismiss the unusual noise, attribute it as just an old house settling. But then I heard something else... something was clawing at the wooden floorboards. A desperate scratching noise that put fear into my tiny heart. I frantically pull the covers over my head and squeeze my eyes shut as I realize the noise is coming from right below my bed.
"Nothings there, nothings there, nothings there" I quietly repeat to myself to try to calm down
But the noise just gets louder.
I lay there, paralyzed with fear for what seemed like an eternity. With only my pale blue comforter protecting me from the unknown that was lurking beneath my twin sized bed, Crying hoping, that whatever was out there would simply go away.
As time passed, the noise became less frequent, until all together it ceased... I gather up what little courage I have, and with shaking hands pull the covers off and crawl to the edge of my bed, leaning my head down to peak under.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw...
A doll like creature sat in the corner under my bed, except it wasn't really a doll at all... the horrid thing had 6 robotic spider legs and attached; a mangled baby doll's head.
I screamed as the beastly creature came dragging towards me, falling on my back off the bed. I desperately stumble up sobbing, searching hopelessly in the darkness for the door. Finally after blindly feeling along the walls I reach the door knob and run... as fast as my little feet can take me, down the hall sobbing.

~Ms. Peregrine's POV~

I woke up abruptly to the sound of a blood curdling scream. And urgently got out of bed putting on my night robe, my mind raced to the worst of places. As I bolted out my room to find out what's going on I ran into little y/n, who was frantic. I grabbed ahold of the sobbing girl to try to calm her down but she only screamed...
"NO. NO. LET GO...... PLEASE!... PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!" The crying girl struggled to get out of my grasp.
"Y/n, dear what happened? What's wrong? Talk to me." I tried to reason with her
She only sobbed, and when she finally got free from my grip, she ran...

As the little girl fled for the stairs I looked down the hallway, where all my wards bedrooms are located. Some sleepy children had stumbled up and were standing in their doorways to see what all the commotion is about. And just when I was about to turn around, something caught my eye... one of Enoch's little creatures crawled out of y/n's room at the end of the hall, and was trying to make it down the hallway...
I bitterly trudged down the hall before stoping in front the creature, picking it up and ripping its beating heart out.
I immediately turn facing Enoch with a sour look on my face, who happens is standing regretfully in his doorway, looking down at the monster of his.
"Enoch, I thought I made myself perfectly clear when I told you under no circumstances you are allowed to pull this trick on the girl" I say frustrated
"I was just trying to have a little fun....I do it to all the new arrivals....I didn't know she would react like that..." He mumbles in a Scottish accent, looking down at the ground.
"Enoch!" I take a deep breath to calm my temper "She's not like the others, she doesn't fully understand all this"
"I'm sorry Ms. Peregrine" Enoch says unable to look me in my eyes
The boy really does look sympathetic, after seeing sweet y/n run sobbing past him in the hallway I think he's regretful...
I hand the disconfigured creature back to him
"Get rid of it Enoch... And then straight to bed" I say to him sternly before hastily following to go find y/n "everyone back to bed!" I yell to the rest of my sleepy wards who had gotten up before rushing downstairs

~Y/N's POV~

I run downstairs, stumbling on a couple of steps before reaching the main floor. I stop in front of the large wooden door, struggling to open the many locks with tears streaming down my face. That's when someone came up from behind me wrapping their arms around me to try to stop me from leaving.
"NO PLEASE LET ME GO!.... THERES A MONSTER! LET ME OUT OF HERE! LET ME OUT!" I wail, forcibly trying to get out of this person's arms
It was Ms. Peregrine who was holding tight onto you "Y/n darling it's okay! It's just me Dear, look at me... It's just me" she says in a calm tone.
"LET ME GO PLEASE.... PLEASE ITS COMING" I sob uncontrollably pleading with her
"Y/n darling calm down let me explain! It was just a prank it wasn't real... your safe... I won't let anything hurt you" she says loosening her grip on me
But as soon as she does I make a run for it, running aimlessly through the dimly lit house until I stumble upon a room.

I could barely make out what was inside of the room through the dark but once my vision adjusted I realized it was the laundry room. I quickly shut the door behind me and to my surprise there was a lock. I twisted the Switch, locking the door before backing up quietly and sliding my back down the opposite wall, bringing my knees up to my chest.
I tried to stay as silent as I could so she wouldn't hear me, but my breathing kept hitching. I put my head in my arms trying to muffle my cries, as I heard her calling my name searching through the house.

~Ms Peregrine's POV~

A guilty feeling eats at me as I search my house desperately trying to find the little girl who was so distraught to get away from me... I've never had one of my wards look at me the way she did. The pure fear behind her teary blue eyes looking into me, as if she thought I was the monster...

As I go to open the laundry room door I realize it's been locked.
"Y/n dear, come open the door. Please I just want to help" I say in a soft tone to try to ease her fears
But All I could hear through the closed door were soft sobs
"I know everything seems confusing and scary right now but I promise you, you're safe. Nobody's going to hurt you y/n, just come open the door."
When I hear no reply, I start to worry... The poor girl has been through so much in her past, It's made her rather distrustful of female adults, distrustful of me... And I feel all I've done is feed that fear.

After pleading for some time I change my approach and instead get up to fetch the spare key that I keep in my office. I shift through the drawer in my wooden desk and pull out a long silver key.
I don't know y/n very well, but one things for certain. Getting that girl to open that door would be like asking a cat to jump in a bath.
So I return to the laundry room and twist the key in the lock.
"Y/n darling? I'm going to come in now. I just want to make sure you're okay sweetheart."
when I hear no response I slowly open the door. And seeing her so fearful in my home breaks my heart.
I walk over to the little girl who's sitting curled up crying and sit down next to her, pulling her into my lap. Although she doesn't hug me back she also doesn't run. And that's good enough for me...
"I'm so sorry sweet girl, none of this should have happened" I whisper to her as she tries to hide her face in her hands
"Hey, It's okay to be scared.... It's okay."
I pull y/n closer to me and rub her back, attempting to calm her down. That's when I feel her wrap her arms around me, burying her face against my shoulder.
"I don't understand what I saw" little y/n says in between sobs
"I know, I know dear... remember how we were talking about peculiarities yesterday, on the boat?"
I feel her nod on my shoulder
"Well... that was Enoch's peculiarity... He can give life to something that doesn't possess it."
"I don't understand how that's possible" she says sniffling
I stroke y/n's long hair "that's okay, we can talk about it more tomorrow... I'll explain everything."
"Okay" I hear her mumble under her breath

I sit there with y/n in my lap for a while longer helping her calm down. Just rubbing her back and stroking her hair until she feels comfortable enough to go back upstairs. I tried to offer her to come sleep with me tonight but the little girl insistently declined, she told me she "wasn't afraid anymore." Which made me smile when she also made me check her room for any signs of monsters, while she stood anxiously in the hallway.

The next day Enoch apologized to y/n and all was well. Along with the 3 weeks of extra chores, I made him show her a little demonstration on how he brings his dolls to life... so hopefully she wouldn't be so scared anymore.