The Peregrines

Chapter 22

{ Edited - 15th Sep, 2020 }
{ Edited - 19th April, 2024 }

"Two Americans," A man sporting a long beard, observed.

"Army, could be?" said another.

"Me, a girl, in the army? That sounds stupid!" I muttered as I crossed my arms impatiently.

"BOLLOCKS!" another one growled which made me flinch.

"Look at them. They're practically a fetus!" a woman yelled out.

"His mack, though!" The man with the beard reached out and playfully tugged on Jake's jacket sleeve from behind.

"You'd have a helluva time finding that in a shop. Army-gotta be!" The bartender said.

"Look! I'm not in the army! And I'm not trying to pull anything on you! I swear! We just want to find my father, and scare th-" said Jake until he got cut off.

"AMERICAN, MY ARSE!" The door we were trying to slip away through was blocked by a loud, overweight man who yelled at us. It seemed like everyone was making assumptions about Jake and I. I started to feel a surge of negative energy spreading everywhere in my body.

"SHUT UP, OBESE PIG!!" I lost my cool, as my patience wore thin. Suddenly, a familiar sensation washed over me, that same tingling feeling I had experienced before in my heart. I glanced out of the window and noticed the world outside growing slightly darker. The clouds gathered, creating a deep shade of grey, accompanied by the distant rumble of gentle thunder.

"Their accent sounds rubbish to me! I'll wager they're a Jerry spy! " The Bartender approached us with a deliberate pace. I wasn't afraid of him; instead, he was adding fuel to my anger. This anger, so familiar to me, refused to dissipate, and it became even more challenging to manage given the situation Jake and I found ourselves in.

"We're not spies!" I snapped at them.

"We're just lost?" said Jake.

"GOT THAT RIGHT!" everyone started laughing.

"I say we get the truth out of em' the old-fashioned way. With a rope!"

HELL NAW! I'M NOT GETTING HANGED TODAY OR TOMORROW! I'LL BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THEM!

I dashed towards the hefty man and leapt sideways onto his belly. I rebounded off him and soared to the opposite end of the bar. As he toppled over, Jake made his escape through the doorway. I swiftly rose to my feet, raced to the door, and paused only to deliver several kicks to his head. Just as I was about to leap over his pained frame and follow after Jake, he seized my ankle and pulled me back inside.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" I shouted. I was familiar with handling this intense anger bubbling up inside me, as I had experienced something similar before, although it was more of a verbal altercation. I swiftly aimed my hand at the man's chest before he could grab mine. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the man, and the electricity passed through him and onto me, but I remained unharmed. I got up, leapt over the man, and rushed over to Jake, who was staring at me in shock.

With a swift motion, I flung my palm towards the pub's entrance, and in an instant, a bolt of lightning struck it, igniting a blazing fire that engulfed the doorway, trapping everyone inside. As I staggered backwards, leaning against the wall, a wave of dizziness washed over me. Ignoring the sharp pain in my arm, I mustered the strength to push myself away from the wall and rise to my feet.

When I turned around to face Jake, he was still gaping in disbelief. "I TOLD YOU I CAN CONTROL THE WEATHER! LET'S GO!!" When I tried to run past him, he stood still, just staring as the priest hole went up in flames. I grabbed his wrist and we started sprinting down the street because we didn't want the entire village chasing us.

"Kira!"

"NOT NOW, JAKE!" I shouted to ensure he heard me clearly. The sound of furious voices grew fainter as we moved away. I reduced my speed to match Jake's and also to catch my breath. Conjuring an electrical strike can be incredibly exhausting, so I need to regulate my breathing to avoid fainting. Unfortunately, this is not something I learned in school.

I grabbed Jake's arm and we hurried away from the village, trying to escape the danger that lurked nearby. I felt confused about what was happening. Suddenly, I veered Jake to the side, leading us through a muddy yard where chickens scattered in all directions. We then dashed through an open lot, where a group of women stood by an old well, watching us with surprise as we raced past them.

After stumbling upon a short wall, I swiftly jumped over it and found myself in a bustling pathway. As I glanced back, I noticed Jake also leaping from the wall, narrowly avoiding being hit by a fast-moving cart. Thankfully, I managed to pull him back just in time. The driver of the cart shouted something offensive about his mother. To be honest, I was completely clueless about what was going on and why everyone at the pub was behaving in such a weird manner.

We hurried into a narrow passage between the two lines of houses, where it looked like there were plenty of spots to conceal ourselves, and headed towards the outskirts of the town. We then slowed down to a brisk pace.

"Kira, for god's sake, please wait for a second,"

I came to a halt and anxiously spun around. "Jake, what could be so important that we need to stop for?" I said.

"Turn around,"

I followed his instructions reluctantly because I knew that if I didn't, he would continue pestering me. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my arm as if something had been forcefully removed. My shoulder throbbed with a cutting sensation, causing me to gasp in surprise. When I turned around, I was startled to see Jake gripping a knife stained with blood.

"Give it here," I said as I grabbed it from Jake's hands. "This would be better as a defence rather than summoning up energy," As I discreetly tucked the knife into my boot, we hurriedly resumed our walk, attempting to blend in and avoid drawing attention. Unfortunately, our efforts were in vain as curious gazes followed us. Jake's soaked and muddy appearance, along with my own bloodstained clothes, made it impossible to go unnoticed.

After hearing a strange sound from behind, Jake and I quickly found refuge in an outhouse. While we anxiously waited inside, Jake peered through the partially closed door. Meanwhile, I placed my hand on the wound that had been stabbed, attempting to momentarily halt the bleeding. In the distance, I could hear the joyful barking of puppies, but I sensed movement approaching us from behind. Jake let out a sigh of relief and began to unwind slightly. Finally, we cautiously ventured back into the alley.

Suddenly, I felt a strong grip on my neck and something sharp pressing against the side of my head. Without hesitation, I grabbed the arm and twisted it, causing the person behind me to fall to the ground with a loud thud. I didn't release my hold on the arm, but instead, I swiftly sat on top of the body to remove the knife that was threatening me. It seems like everyone is out to get me today!

I glanced up at Jake just as I saw someone preparing to attack him. Acting quickly, I hurled the knife towards his head, but it ended up piercing the hand of the assailant and getting stuck in the wooden walls. The person turned out to be a girl, and she let out a scream of pain in a typical girlish manner. I swiftly got off whoever I was sitting on, grabbed Jake's wrist, and together we made a run for it, escaping the darkroom. We kept running until we reached a forest.

We sprinted until we were forcefully brought down to the ground once more, and this time I ended up on my back. Wow, some individuals are incredibly agile. However, just as we were about to roll, I swiftly raised my knee and exerted a strong push against the person's stomach. The voice, which seemed to belong to a different girl, let out a yelp and curled up into a ball on the floor. I stood up, firmly grasped Jake's wrist once more, and off we went, running... once again.

If someone dares to attack me again, I'll unleash the power of lightning on them three times straight to their heart. We sprinted for a full 10 minutes, ensuring we shook off those girls who were out to get us, especially me. I dashed up to the porch of a seemingly random house that appeared to be magically pieced together, a place I used to call "home." Maybe it was just the light playing tricks on me.

I pushed the front doors wide open and tossed Jake inside, swiftly closing the door with a resounding bang. My heart raced as I frantically scanned my surroundings. Just a few steps away, I noticed a staircase spiralling upwards to the next floor. On my right, a set of closed doors caught my attention. Down by the stairs, I glimpsed what seemed to be a kitchen, while the nearest set of doors on my left remained shut. It was now my responsibility to choose the path ahead...

As I approached the doors on my right, I hurriedly entered the study room. Spotting Jake, who seemed lost in thought, I quickly grabbed his arm and we dashed towards the door. Opening it in a rush, we swiftly closed it behind us. Just as I was about to find a hiding spot, my eyes caught sight of someone sitting on a chair. Startled, I tried to halt and retreat, but the carpet beneath my feet caused me to slip forward, resulting in a loud thud as I fell back.

"What is the name of Ymbrynes do you think you are-" A voice said loudly, as the person in front of us stood up from their chair.