Birds of a Feather - a MPHFPC fanfiction

#3 - Miss LeFay Peregrine

My head whirled with tons of information. There were chapters on people with powers, and a special type of them called ymbrynes, stating that the author, my long lost relative is also one, hence the name Peregrine. If that weren't enough, there were also time loops created by these ymbrynes, in order to create safe havens and protect everyone who needs them.

It also mentioned monsters nobody can see -- hollowgasts. The descriptions fit the monsters that used to haunt me perfectly.

Was it a coincidence, or the answer I've been waiting for my whole life? If it's the latter, how come it was served to me on a silver plate?

You are not alone.

What if someone knows my secret and is trying to warn me that way?

No, that can't be possible. If someone wanted to contact me with this book, they would have left a note, or at least their name...

Their name.

Miss Cardinal.

Cardinal is a rank in the Christian church... But it is also the name of a bird. A red bird.

I dropped the book in shock (again), this time on my leg, and it left a bruise on my thigh. I suppressed my pained hiss, since it was 3 am and I didn't want to wake my parents.

Gertrude is a red bird.

I looked up cardinals on the internet, and guess what? Gertrude is a cardinal.

I immediately went to the balcony to check if she was there but her nest was empty.

"Damn it..." I mumbled.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe this is all just a big coincidence, and I'm being delusional. Who wouldn't in my place? I've always been desperately hiding my true self, maybe I became so desperate to belong that I'm coming up with complicated stories now.

I left the balcony door open to let some fresh air in. The breeze always reassured me, and this time it didn't fail to do so either. I inhaled it deeply and exhaled slowly. The knot in my stomach was disappearing, and my heartbeat slowed a little.

Good. No need to get so worked up over this. The most important thing is to keep silent as always and don't get myself thrown in a psych ward or mental hospital. That should be easy, since the monsters haven't visited in a long while. I have time to figure things out. I just need to make sure I don't get too caught up in this peculiar world, because if I do, I wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment of finding out it was all in my head.

Even if I am crazy, I can't let anyone find out.

I could have gone to sleep for the remaining three hours until 6, when I had to wake up everyday, but my gut was telling me that if I allowed myself to rest, my body's appetite for sleep would only grow stronger and even more impossible to satisfy. However, if I kept myself in emergency mode, I'd be able to function the next day, running on caffeine and conspiracy theories.

So I stayed up, overthinking like it was a full time job. Hollowgasts, wights, loops, ymbrynes, peculiardom...

That night I got a new secret, the biggest and hardest one to bear this far. Fear was easy to hide, I got used to it, but hope... I never had this much hope before and I was afraid it would show.

.::[🪶]::.

Needless to say, the next day I was on alert but also tired as heck. Also, I didn't do any of my homework because I was busy processing the tons of new information I got. I still didn't forget to ask questions in school about this Miss Cardinal though. I made sure to interrogate every teacher I had class with.

"No idea." The classmistress, our math teacher shook her head. "If there is a student under this name, then I don't teach them."

"And a staff member?" I tried.

"We have over 70 teachers, and 50 other staff members here, you can't expect me to know everyone." She huffed. I recognised this as the perfect time to back out of the conversation -- she clearly had a bad day and the last thing I needed was her to snap at me.

"Never heard of them." was the response I got from the swimming coach. Well, he probably doesn't even know my name even though he's been teaching me since I was twelve, so it was stupid of me to even ask him.

"I don't think we have a Miss Cardinal in our school." the geography teacher frowned. "Anyways, could you hand your homework in now?"

"Uhhh... Is it okay if I hand it in tomorrow?" I tried to smile convincingly, but it turned out awkward.

"No, it's not. You get a failing grade."

"Dang it."

"Language." The teacher raised one eyebrow in a manner which was supposed to be warning but it just made him look like The Rock.

"I didn't even cu-... Whatever. Goodbye, Mr Teleki." And with that I left the classroom.

After geography we had grammar class, which was, just like literature, taught by Miss RD. She arrived late again, so I couldn't approach her before class, and I had to wait for 45 minutes while she explained how our language developed since the Middle Ages. Normally I love linguistic history, but this time I was super impatient and kinda pissed because I didn't get any answers.

When the bell rang and she closed her textbook, I immediately jumped out of my seat and went over to her before anyone else could have.

"Miss RD, I have a question." I said, preceding the smart kid who wanted to talk to her about the Medieval Ugarian past tense or something of the sort.

"Ask away." Miss RD flashed a friendly smile. I could clearly see that something was wrong, but, as always, she remained kind to her students, and that's why we all loved her so much. Especially because most of our other teachers loved to take their anger out on us.

"Do you know someone named Cardinal?" My voice was indifferent, I started to give up the smallest hope of finding this mysterious person (ymbryne? Gertrude?). If it's just a nickname, then I can officially give up.

The reaction was something I would have not expected in my wildest dreams (or nightmares). Miss RD's expression darkened and her eyes narrowed to slits. She didn't seem angry, but protective and overly cautious.

I was about to ask her what was going on when she responded in a low voice.

"Give me my book back."