A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 35

"To Cairnholm! May she always be our rock of refuge!" {Priest Hole Patron, pg 71 book 1}

Later that day Miss Peregrine, Emma and Jake were in the sitting room when Olive ran in.

"Miss Peregrine, come quickly Miss Avocet's awake." The three of them followed Olive through the hall where they passed Hugh, who was sitting on the steps.

"How long as she been awake?" the headmistress asked in a rush.

"Only a few minutes." Hugh answered standing up and following the group, "She was in a terrible state and was yelling blue murder. Then Aurora took her hand and she seemed to regain a right state of mind. She's calmer now, though still a bit shaky." Hugh explained as they approached the room where Miss Avocet was.

"And suddenly, I flew into it again, bang! Bang! – like that – I couldn't see anything." They heard Miss Avocet explaining to the children who had all gathered in the greenroom. Millard was leaning his forearms against the back of the bench Miss Avocet was seated in, his unseen hands clasped together in front of him, Aurora clinging to his bicep at his side. Upon their arrival Miss Avocet looked up at her sister.

"Oh, Miss Peregrine. They found my new loop. The children. I tried to save them, but. . . there were so many hollows." She paused taking a shuddered breath, "It was the wights, a pair of them came in the night disguised as council members. There are no male council members, of course, but it fooled my sleep-dazed wards just long enough for the wights to bind them and drag them away."

"Oh Esmerelda. . ."

"They barricaded me inside, after I was finally able to force the doors I followed them out of the loop but there was a gang of those shadow-beasts lying in wait on the other side, I don't know how I escaped." Her voice shook and Miss Peregrine pulled her into a warm embrace.

"You're safe now."

Miss Avocet pulled away, "None of us are safe. They set up their machine in my loop."

"They put it in the cellars at Blackpool Tower. They're still there." Olive explained.

"Their machine?" Miss Peregrine asked.

"The experiment. They intend to do it again."

"This time he's using more ymbrynes." Enoch spoke up, "He still wants to be immortal."

"Miss Bunting was abducted Alma." Miss Avocet informed her sister, "Just as Miss Treecreeper was when her loop was invaded a fortnight ago. It's all been some sort of coordinated effort." She sighed and looked at the ground, "My poor children. They are all alone now." Miss Peregrine stood and paced the floor wringing her hands and looking worried.

"Do hollows only attack peculiars?" Jake asked.

"Of course not. They're monsters Jake, they'll slaughter anything in their path." Aurora shuddered remembering when Millard almost fell victim to a hollow to save her. She wished Abe were here now like he had been back then. A man who fought in World War Two, could see the hollowgasts, and knew how to use crossbows and guns would have been a huge comfort in that moment.

"Well some sheep on the island were killed. You don't think they're here already, do you?"

"Have you seen anyone with white eyes?" Miss Avocet implored and Jake shook his head. Miss Peregrine took a deep breath as she looked at the floor and collected her thoughts.

"I'm sorry children, we can't remain here."

"What?" Enoch asked shocked.

"We'll leave on the first ferry off the island tomorrow. Pack anything of importance." She instructed taking the twins hands and leading them all out of the room, "Then it's sandwiches and early to bed."

"Are we leaving for good?" Hugh asked, bees crawling over his face.

"When are we coming back?" Fiona asked as well.

"Never." Enoch answered, "If Miss Peregrine's not here to reset the loop tomorrow night the house gets bombed."

"But, our house. . . " Claire cried as Aurora gripped Millard's arm tighter and he took his free hand and placed it over hers as they left to pack.

"Don't cry." Miss Avocet consoled the young peculiar, "Miss Peregrine will find you another lovely house, somewhere else."

After everyone had cleared out of the greenroom Jake followed them upstairs. When he reached the top he saw Aurora and Millard, neither one paid him any attention as they whispered back and forth.

"I already saw one of those things attack you, then everything with Victor – I can't go through that again, Millard I can't."

"Shhh. " he said calmly cupping her face in his hands, "We'll be long gone before they even find the loop. We'll be okay, I will never let anything harm you, my love." Jake quietly made his way to Emma's room feeling like he was intruding on their moment.

oOo oOo oOo

After Jake had left Miss Peregrine and Miss Avocet spread out at the dining room table trying to find the best place to take the children where a new loop could be made. The children all ended up in the attic, some looking out the windows getting final glances at the lovely home they would never return to. Others were getting impatient, something wicked was coming while they were all sitting around twiddling their thumbs, finally Emma had had enough of it.

"Were sitting here with our heads buried in the sand while the real danger heads straight for us!" she said exasperated.

"Well what do you want to do Emma?" Enoch asked, "Attack them first? That'll be a laugh, maybe they'll get bored to tears while Horace gives them fashion advice." He scoffed.

"It's a bad idea Emma." Olive agreed.

"Besides the Bird would kill you for leaving at a time like this." Aurora added.

"She won't kill us." Emma persisted, "Those things will, do none of you have the spleen to face what's out there?!"

"Or not out there." Millard piped up. "We have no actual proof that they're on the island."

"But she won't like it." Fiona repeated Aurora's words.

"How long can you hide under the hem of that woman's skirt?"

"Have you already forgotten what happened to Miss Avocet?" Millard asked, "It was only when her wards left their loop that they were caught - and probably killed. If they'd only stayed put, nothing bad would've happened."

"Nothing bad?" Emma said dubiously, "Hollows can't go through loops but wights can which is how those kids were tricked into leaving. What if instead of disguises this time they come with guns?"

"That's what I'd do." Enoch said under his breath and Olive shushed him.

"We've got to hit them before they know we know they're there." Emma continued, "While we've still got the element of surprise."

"But we don't know they're there!" Millard said now also getting worked up.

"Jake can see them." Emma argued. "Just like Abe could."

"No offense Emma, but Jake isn't exactly Abe." Aurora intervened, "Abe was a soldier, he fought his whole life. Jake is just a teenager, like us. It's not fair to expect him to have inherited his grandfather's reputation. He's his own person."

"And even with Jake you could go out there and he might not see a single hollow. And that could mean that there are none to be seen or that they're hiding. You'd still be clueless, as you so clearly are now." Millard debated and the room quieted, all the children thinking the same thing. Millard had a point.

"Well, it appears that logic has prevailed yet again." he said getting up off an old trunk and heading for the door, "I'm off to fetch something for supper if any of you would-be mutineers would like to join me." He said leaving. There was a pause where no one spoke, no one moved, then Aurora stood after a moment.

"I'm sorry Emma." She apologized as she followed Millard.