The Aftermath: MPHFPC (editing)

F O U R

"Stop laughing!" Millard whispered to Horace and me, elbowing us both it the ribs, Hard. Both Horace and I doubled over, the breath knocked out of us, causing our laughs to escape and by now people were staring. This one fat guy walked by and thought I was choking. He quickly grabbed me by my stomach and started doing an abdominal thrust on me. Now I couldn't breathe because I was choking on air.

"I'm-not-choking!" I gasped, pulling the sweaty, overweight man off me.

This was it for Emma. She busted out laughing. All embarrassment was forgotten and everybody around me was laughing.

"Oh real funny," I said glaring at the crowd, still gasping for air. Now the only people red was me and the fat guy.

"Er- sorry about that, son. I'm an E.R nurse you see..." The man said.

"Yeah," I said, "I think I'll be going now..."

Horace wiped a tear from his eye, chuckling, and looked at his watch, "Yeah, It's past seven, and we have our first day of school tomorrow, so we better head home. Miss Peregrine will be looking for us..."

We made our way out to the parking lot of the mall. I was embarrassed.

"Never tell a soul about what just happened," I told them all through gritted teeth.

Emma laughed.

We were almost to the car when suddenly, as if to add to my suddenly bad day, Millard punched me in the stomach.

"Hey!" I said, doubling over.

"Millard!" Emma said, shocked.

"I didn't mean to..." Millard said, his eyes wide.

"Oh really? Since when do people just up and punch someone?!" She yelled, hitting Millard hard with her shopping bag.

Horace stepped in-between the two, "When they have muscle spasms because of the remedy thingy they are using!" He looked at Millard. "We should really get a name for that thing. I don't know what to call it."

"Oh," Emma said, looking slightly guilty. She turned to me."Jacob are you okay?" She said, a concerned look flooding her porcelain colored face.

"Fine." I croaked, straightening up and flashing a weak smile. Ouch, I thought, gripping my stomach.

"No you're not," Luna informed me. She looked at Millard."Why are you using a remedy? Are you sick or something?"

"No... it's my ability, invisibility, I take this so I can become visible. It has some side effects, though. It seems like every time I have one, Emma is right there to hurt me." Said Millard, glaring at Emma.

"You mean you gave up your ability? Why?" Asked Luna, stunned.

"I didn't give it up," Snapped Millard, sounding offended.  "I just wanted a shot at being a bit normal for once. But then, I somehow got a new ability, which completely defies all peculiar studies I've done over the years, I might add,  and that ruined it all." He said as he started walking towards the car and we all had to start walking faster to catch his stride.

"So you have two abilities? At one time?" She asked curiously.

"I really don't know." Said Millard flatly.

"Oh..." She said, obviously deep in thought. "So is that normal? To have two abilities, I mean."

"Obviously not since I had never heard of it. But apparently, Jacob also has two abilities." Said Milliard, getting into the car, as we all did too.

"What do you mean?" She asked Millard, eyeing me.

"Jacob had an ability. He could see the monsters, the hollows, the hollowgast, whatever you want to call them. He could control them, see them, practically be them..." Millard said. "Right Jacob?"

"Yeah," I said distantly, recalling the dreams I had a week or two ago about the hollow killing me and the one about my grandfather. Luckily, Luna was paying really close attention to what Millard was saying, so she didn't notice my thoughts.

"Anyways, Jacob killed all of them, so his ability became useless. Long story short, with his peculiar soul being so powerful, he developed a new ability." Finished Millard shortly.

The car was silent for a few minutes. During that time, I thought deeply about the hollowgasts and my experiences with them. Luna's voice in my head stirred me from my thoughts.

So that is what the Monsters are? The people with the white eyes? She asked.

Yeah, how did you know? I replied.

I heard you thinking about it. She said.

That sounds really weird... I said.

When have we ever been normal? We are peculiar right? She said in my head.

Yeah, I thought to her, pulling in the drive.