Timeless (Enoch O Connor x OC)

19: The Calm Before The Storm

"No!" I gasped.

"And what I'm even more afraid of is that he will come here next," she told me.

"But if he gets you, the bomb will drop and our loop will be destroyed" I said, worried.

"That is why we have to avoid what has happened to all the other loops at all costs," she said. 

"I understand all this but why does he need me?" I asked, concerned. 

"Sadly, I do not have the answers," she told me, "but I presume the reason you are so important is because of your peculiarity. Like us ymbrynes you can manipulate time and as we have seen my brother is kidnapping ymbrynes. June, your abilities have never been seen before and clearly he knows something about them that we don't." 

"So he knows about something I can do that I don't know of," I said slowly, was there some kind of super power I had that I didn't know of. Perhaps if I could just discover what it was it could help me save everyone. 

"I suppose he does," said Miss Peregrine, "but my brother is manipulative and cruel. He won't give you a direct answer and he'll keep your powers to himself."

"Miss Peregrine!" I exclaimed, "you say that as though I would ever join his side. I will not help him now nor will I ever. If you're against him then so am I."

She smiled and nodded slowly.

"I'm glad," she said.

"We cannot let him get you though," I said.

"Yes," agreed Miss Peregrine, "but I'm afraid it's not that simple. Jacob informed me that there have been many mysterious death of sheep on the modern-day island."

"Oh no," I muttered doomfully, "that might mean..."

"Exactly, I'm afraid he's sent a hollow here already which would mean there's a wight somewhere too," she said.

"Then we must stop Jacob this instant!" I demanded, "he's going to lead them directly to us."

"That is what I will tell him today, he must choose between this world or his own."

"What do we do now?" I asked at a loss of words, "do the other children know?"

"They do not and I wish to keep it that way for the moment, if Jacob does anything reckless or if we get word that the wight has found us then we will let the children know," she said, "but for now we must wait."

I nodded and got up.

"One last thing Miss," I said, "without me, they can't do this whatever they're planning?"

"I don't know for sure but if they really do need you, like that wight said in your dream, then yes. You're one of a kind," she said reading my face. I think she suspected my plan in the making. 

I left the greenhouse and returned to my room. Miss Peregrine wouldn't tell the other children yet but I was still going to pack just in case.

I pulled out my bag and placed one dress, my copy of Alice in Wonderland and the doll Enoch had made for me. Those were really the only necessities. Everything else was replaceable. 

Time for breakfast had come and I felt jittery with nerves. This might be the very last time I eat breakfast here I realized. If they managed to take Miss Peregrine then the bomb would destroy the house. It made me miserable to think about but I decided to enjoy my possible last meal here. 

After breakfast Miss Peregrine pulled Jacob into her study, to talk about whether he would stay or leave. I prayed he would stay because without him there was no way we could kill a hollow, none of us could see them. 

To enjoy this last day I knocked on Enoch's door and invited him outside. 

"So June," he said, as we walked through the garden, "where are we going?"

"You'll see," I said as I brought him to the cliff's edge. The waves hit the stone walls far below us and the grass danced around in the breeze. I sat down not too close to the edge but close enough to hear the splashes of the water. 

"Why'd we come all the way out here?" he asked, sitting down beside me.

"Because it's so beautiful," I sighed, enjoying the scenery. I wasn't ready to tell him about what was coming.

"It really is," he said but from the corner of my eye, I could tell he was looking at me and not the view. 

We sat quietly enjoying each other's company. He didn't know that this might be the last time we had peace but I did so I savored every moment of it. I hoped that somehow I would survive all this so I could do experience this again. 

"June," said Enoch shifting to look at me.

"Yes?" I asked as I lifted my head from his shoulder and looked at him. We were very close to each other. 

"Uh, I just wanted to say that, um" he began, "you've really changed my life."

I blushed happily.

"You've changed mine too," I said warmly. 

"No, but really, before I met you I was always angry and in a bad mood but now whenever I'm with you I'm always very happy," he said. I was taken aback at how expressive he was being which was so unlike him, and I felt touched.

"You know," I said getting closer to him, "whenever I'm sad I just think of you and I feel so much better."

"Really?" he asked surprised. 

I was ready now.

And instead of replying, I kissed him. 

He kissed back and I felt overjoyed, I wanted to laugh and dance but also stay right where I was.

The cold breeze subsided and the sound of sea was drowned out. For the first time in a very long time I felt warm, safe and happy. 

Eventually, I pulled back with a giggle.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked.

"It does," he said with a laugh putting his arm around me. 

"I wish this moment lasted forever," I told him thinking of all that was going to come. 

"I'm sure there will plenty more time for us to kiss," he said happily. 

But there wasn't. 

And almost immediately after he said this we heard Emma's voice calling for us from the garden.

I gave Enoch a sad smile,

and ran to Emma. 

It finally happened woohoo!