Separate Entities//Miss Peregrine AU

Chapter Seven

We left the wagon as soon as we were out of town then made our way to the forest. Emma stood between Jacob and me, a firm grip on each of our forearms, while Millard strode along behind us, whistling a tune as he looked around at our surroundings. I wasn't sure which of my feelings was most dominant. All at once, I was confused and frightened and incredibly excited. We had made it, for sure! This is where Jake and I were supposed to be! There was no way I was dreaming now. I'd have to be insane, and clearly, I wasn't.

This time, we walked along on the path, which was no longer overgrown with trees and other shrubbery. Something else was different as well. When we rounded the corner that would lead us directly to the house, my eyes were treated with a lovely view of beautiful flowers and gorgeous gardens. The house, too, was a marvel. In our time, it was smashed and overrun by nature, a monster in itself. Here, now, it was beautiful. Nothing was broken or out of place. Plus, we could actually see the path leading up to the house, rather than having to wade through waist-high weeds.

As we approached the front door, I began to notice that the pain in my knee was back, along with aching in my feet from walking for so long. Emma stopped us on the porch, only to silently tie our hands behind our backs. Now I really did look like a prisoner and felt like one too. We were about to go inside when Millard grabbed Emma's shoulder.

"Wait, their shoes are caked with mud. The Bird is going to have a heart attack if they track that in." Emma turned to Jacob and me expectantly, then watched and waited as he and I removed our shoes. It was certainly harder to do than usual, seeing as our hands were bound, and I nearly fell twice. Once our shoes were off, Emma took us by the arms again and ushered us quickly inside.

The hall we made our way through was nothing like the wreck it was where Jacob and I were earlier. We passed the balcony where Jake had pushed the trunk over the edge, and this time there were faces looking back at us. As we passed through the dinning room, I couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful it was now, rather than the absolute mess I had seen the first time. It was as if I was in some sort of life-sized time capsule. Then I realized, I sort of was.

At last, we stopped just outside a small room towards the back of the house. "Do not let go of them," Emma turned and ordered Millard. "I'll go and fetch the headmistress." He grabbed our arms where she had let go, but as soon as Emma was out of sight, Millard released us again.

"So, what, you're not afraid we're going to eat you?" I asked, turning to Millard as I leaned against the wall. Jacob gave me a wary look - probably willing me to shut up - but I didn't really care. I was still quite upset about the fact that Millard hadn't had the decency to go put some clothes on now that he was home.

"No, not necessarily," came his nonchalant response.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I questioned. Millard remained silent.

Sighing, I followed Jacob's gaze and looked out the window. Outside, more children were playing. Some of them I even recognized from the pictures still scattered on the floor of the other house. Some were relaxing under trees while others looked to be playing a game of catch with a ball. Unfortunately, one of the children kicked the ball too hard and sent the ball flying up into a nearby topiary. There were many of them, looming over everyone like giants, in the shapes of various mythical creatures I'd been fascinated with as a child. 

Two teenaged boys and a little girl chased after their lost ball, buried in the centaur-shaped topiary. I couldn't help but notice how the girl seemed to work hard to take every step, and I wondered for a few second what her talent was before the boys tied a rope around her waist. The little girl removed her shoes and began to drift into the air. I felt my jaw drop as she rose higher and higher until she was about ten feet off the ground.