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

Chapter 67

"We're on a dangerous mission, you see. . . " {Horace Somnusson, pg 262 book 2}

Following the boys was fascinating, after Aurora got past their odd behavior. She remembered their own twins that they'd left back at the menagerie. They certainly weren't bright little cherubs, but they were still sweet and kind. The more Aurora thought about it the more she got over the fact they they'd found Joel and Peter in a chamber filled with human bones. The boys kept their arms linked at all times and every few steps they made loud clicking sounds with their tongues.

"What are they doing?" She asked Millard.

"I believe that's how they see." He replied, "It's the same way bats see in the dark. The sounds they make reflect off things and then back to them, which forms a picture in their minds."

"We are echolocators." Joel and Peter said also apparently very sharp of hearing. They kept walking, Aurora making mental notes of every turn so in case of emergency they could find their way back. Then there was a sudden pressure and she knew they'd left 1940 behind. They came to a dead end with vertical steps carved into the wall. Joel and Peter stopped at the bottom and pointed up.

"Our house –"

"- is up there."

oOo oOo oOo

It had been decided that only Emma, Jake and Horace would go explore the house. No one knew what they would find up there but if they needed to leave in a hurry it was better to have a small group that could get out quick.

Enoch and Olive sat together on the bottom step while Joel and Peter stayed huddled together in the shadows observing their new companions. Hugh was sitting next to Millard and he'd coughed up Henry who was sitting in his palm buzzing at the boy. Bronwyn was next to Aurora where they leaned against the cold stone walls but Aurora's thoughts seemed to be wandering and soon Bronwyn approached Millard.

"Can you read a Tale?" she asked nodding at the book he kept under his elbow.

"Of course." He replied, might as well, it will calm the others nerves and I can study at the same time. He flipped open to one tale he hadn't read through yet. "The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts."

"There once was a peculiar woman named Hildy. She had a high laughing voice and dark brown skin and she could see ghosts. She wasn't frightened by them at all. Her twin sister drowned when they were children and when Hildy was growing up her sister's ghost was her closest friend. They did everything together: ran through the poppy fields that surrounded their house, played stick-a-whack on the village green and stayed up late telling each other scary stories about living people. . . .

oOo oOo oOo

When Millard had finished the Tale he let his thoughts wander. It was a sweet story and one he could so easily relate to. Having someone walk into your life from out of the blue and make you forget every bad thing that's ever happened to you and make you feel special, make you feel loved. He looked back down and re-read a paragraph.

". . . she ran back up the steps and they threw their arms around each other. At that, even the ghost that hung from the third floor railing smiled. Hildy and Joao got married and Hildy moved into Joao's house. The few ghosts that remained were friendly to her, though she didn't need ghost friends anymore because now she had Joao. Before long they had a daughter and a son and Hildy's life was fuller than she ever dreamed it could be."

He looked toward Aurora wondering if they'd ever be as lucky as Hildy and Joao. Then his heart fell into his stomach as he looked around and realized Aurora was gone.

"Aurora." He called her name anyway and the others started looking around.

"Where'd she go?" Olive asked lifting her head from Enoch's shoulder. While the others looked around confused Millard had already pieced it together.