My Precious Bird (Alma Peregrine X OC)

Chapter 5: A Traumatic Dream

Minera was a small, slightly aged woman. She seemed to be in her forties. She had pure white hair with two orange streaks, her hair fell to just below her chin. She had quite a roundish face, glasses and was wearing bronze makeup with white lipstick. She herself was quite small and skinny. She wore an orange jumper, a knee length skirt with a feather pattern, white socks and orange one-inch heels.

"Caroline!" Minera was panicked and in quite a rush. "Is it happening?" Minerva nodded frantically and Caroline sighed. "I'll pack my things and help the children pack; you can start writing those letters." Minerva nodded and left. Caroline sat on her bed and sighed before taking out her watch and rubbing her thumb over the surface. She gave a laugh before getting up.

"I suppose I should help all thirty-seven children pack." Caroline crouched on the floor near the bed and grabbed the suitcase from underneath. "Only essential things." Why was Caroline muttering to herself? Alma soon got her answer when a message boomed through the house. "Only essential things to be packed!" so that was how they managed to look after thirty-seven children at once.

Caroline started placing things in and Alma could see some of things were quite strange. A skull, a doll, a knife but the weirdest one of all was a single petal from what looked like it used to be a rose. Alma watched as she carefully placed them in and closed the suitcase, the weird thing is that there were no clothes apart from a jumper.

Caroline then pulled out a bag and started folding clothes roughly and placing them in. "why is she doing that?" Alma thought out loud. Caroline looked in her direction and then turned around. Did she see her?

Once she was done Caroline started walking down various halls and knocking on doors to check the children were alright. She went to the front of the house to wait. "All children will report to the entrance hall once finished packing! Younger children may find their buddy before reporting!" Alma stood to side watching, Caroline hadn't moved her lips.

Suddenly there were sounds of feet coming down the stairs. Caroline waited until the sound stopped and pulled out a piece of paper from a book in her bag and a pencil." right, attendance. Say 'here' if you are present." Alma walked next to Caroline and peered at the piece of paper; it was a register.

"Abigail West?" "Here." "Adam White?" "Here." "Courtney Turner?" "Here." "Damien Lee?" She was met with silence. "Damien Lee?" again, silence. "Does anyone know where Damien is?" no one answered and Caroline sighed. "Listen, I know you all of you don't like me. But Damien could be in trouble and I would rather he was here safe." a girl spoke up in a rather strong French accent.

"Miss Dashwood?" Caroline smiled "yes, Jessica?" "J'ai vu Damien monter au grenier." (I saw Damien go up to the attic) Something seemed to click in Caroline's mind. "Merci, Pouvez-vous prendre le relais pendant un moment pendant que je vais chercher Damien?" (Can you take over for a moment while I go and collect Damien) Alma looked amazed at Caroline's perfect French. The girl nodded and Caroline rushed up the stairs and into the attic.

Alma felt compelled to follow her, so she did. They made it to the third floor before Caroline used her peculiarity to move the ladder for the attic with her mind. She stepped up the ladder and into the attic.

Alma followed her up and when she entered the attic, she was amazed. It had been her favourite spot while attending school here. All her old things were still here, her books, chests and even her old cushion she would sit on and read all night.

She looked to the other side of the attic to find a small boy, around eight, sat tin the corner with his legs to his chest. Caroline walked toward him. "Ça va, Damien. " (It's okay, Damien) he looked up with tears in his eyes. "Avez-vous une attaque?" (Are you having an attack) he made a slight nodding motion. Caroline carefully sat next to him. "Je veux que vous respiriez avec moi, d'accord?" (I want you to breathe with me, okay) he made another nodding motion.

Caroline started counting to four as she breathed in and out. A breath in. "Un deux trois quatre." a breath out "un deux trois quatre." the boy followed Caroline's breaths with his own. He eventually calmed down and Caroline picked him up in her arms and floated herself down to the third floor again. Alma jumped and found that it didn't hurt at all.

She rushed towards everyone else as the house started to shake. "Everyone to the opening now!" Minerva nodded and everyone left the house. They all ran down the hill to the village, they got strange looks as they ran and then ran into the forest at the outskirts of the village. They all walked toward two trees that together to make a loop. Everyone was sent through one by one. Once Minerva and Caroline had made it through half the children were out of view.

Alma presumed they had made sure each child knew what to do when the loop collapsed. Minerva took owl form and flew ahead of Caroline as she was at the very back making sure every child was ahead of her. How was that woman not an ymbryne!? Alma took bird form and watched from the air how Caroline was managing the younger ones. She was carrying two and two more we're being levitated beside her. She was using her peculiarity, which would only slow her down.

Seeing as she only had fifteen minutes before time would catch up with her Caroline would be slowed down too much. Alma watched as Caroline made sure that each child was okay and not freaking out.

Caroline made it to the next village, they looked like they were headed for Miss Starlings loop, located in an alley behind a school building, this building didn't exist in 1967 so they couldn't have gotten to it through their loop.

Caroline was about to make it into the alley when she suddenly stopped. She lowered the children to ground. "Go! Quickly!" she was running out of breath. The children looked at her before running into the wall at the back of the alley. Caroline tried to follow but was having trouble walking, Alma's heart clutched as she watched the woman trying to hold onto every bit of life force in her body to stay alive.

The loud noise of her heavy footsteps rang through the ally as Alma watched with anticipation, she silently begged as she watched. All she could do was watch, watch and hope.

Alma wanted to help but she knew that she couldn't. Caroline was now pulling herself along the wall, she couldn't walk in a straight line. Her uncertain breaths filled Alma's ears. She was so close now, just a few more steps. A loud noise and then silence filled the ally as her body hit the floor. Alma watched in horror as Caroline's lifeless body lay there, undisturbed.

This couldn't be it! This all happened today! She had greeted Caroline earlier! She can't be dead! If she hadn't of kept checking on the children and carrying them, she would have made it!

Alma lent beside her body and looked around her for any sign of life, nothing, a deafening silence filled her ears and she let out a scream. She let her hands lay on Caroline's cold ones, she let out a single tear. This had to be a nightmare! This couldn't actually have happened!

Suddenly a gasp like noise fell from Caroline's lips as her eyes opened half way! Alma looked on wonder. She had just cheated death! She moved into a fetal position before laying on her stomach. Caroline crawled along the floor reaching as far as her arms could reach and pushing with as much power in her legs as she had. Which was very little. Her breaths were extremely sparce but she was still breathing.

Alma watched as her arms tried to desperately collapse under her, Caroline wasn't giving up just yet. She clawed at the concrete and focused her eyes on the target. Her entire body was shaking, Caroline couldn't care less. She was pushing it to its limits and yet not quite breaking. She was so close she was practically breathing against the wall, when a hand shot out from the wall and grabbed her weak wrist.

She was pulled through into the loop. Alma cheered to herself. She survived almost twenty-five minutes outside a loop. She was amazed at the girl, at how she didn't give up. She was practically dead for three minutes and yet made it safely into the loop. Alma sat on her knees and wondered about what Just happened. That should not have been possibly and yet she did it.

More things about Caroline amazed Alma the longer she stayed in the dream.