A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 92

"You're so typical of ymbryne raised peculiars: no ambition and no sense at all but one of entitlement." {Jack/Caul, pg 316 book 3}

The route Caul led them through wound like an ancient maze of twisting paths and stairways that cut into the hills. They were tired and dirty and with each step Caul made it more impossible for any of them to keep track of the way they'd come so even if there was the tiniest chance to run they'd still be hopelessly lost. Finally Caul ordered them to stop.

"Have we gone too far? I could've sworn the grotto was along here somewhere. Where's the cartographer?"

"Aren't you glad you didn't shoot him?" Bentham muttered as the wights brought Perplexus forward.

Caul ignored his brother. "Where's the grotto?"

"Ahh, perhaps it's hidden itself from you." Perplexus teased.

"Don't test me." Caul snapped, "I'll burn every copy of your Map of Days. Your name will be forgotten by next year."

Perplexus looked defeated, "There." He said pointing behind us. Caul stomped down to a vine choked patch of wall, an opening so humble and well hidden that anyone might've missed it. He pushed aside the vines and poked his head through.

"Yes!" Caul shouted then turned back to the group. "Essential persons only are allowed past this point. Brother, sister, boy, two guards." He looked around their group again, "Bring that girl." He pointed to Emma obviously planning to use her to keep Jacob in line, "And those two." He gestured to Aurora and Millard who had been forced to wear another grey shirt to show himself. "I may still have a use for them." he said vaguely and Aurora saw a flash of insane obsession flash in Caul's eyes, tormenting her and Millard had seemed to become a bit of a hobby to Caul. One guard took Emma holding both her arms behind her back while the second guard stood between Millard and Aurora holding an arm from each and dragging them forward. Caul pushed both Jake and Miss Peregrine forward as Bentham and the guards followed behind with the others. Everyone they left at the entrance had guns pointed at their heads and wights who would be more than happy to pull the trigger.

Caul pointed on ahead, "The library awaits."

oOo oOo oOo

As they made it through the thick vines and entered another cave like room Aurora felt a change in the atmosphere. It was like the other caves they'd seen, dug from soft rock, low ceilinged and empty except for some straw and broken bits of pottery. The most unique feature were the walls which had several small coves dug into them, oval topped and flat bottomed and large enough to hold a bottle or candle. At the back of the room several doors forked into darkness.

"Well boy? Can you see any?" Caul asked.

"Any what?" Jacob asked confused.

"Don't trifle with me. Soul jars. Go and pick one up."

Jacob turned scanning the walls, "I don't see anything. Maybe there aren't any."

"You're lying." Caul spat as one guard punched Jake in the stomach and he fell to the ground. Caul took another pistol, this one more modern and assured to work, and aimed it at Jacob's leg.

"Please Jack! He's just a boy!" Miss Peregrine cried.

"Just a boy! Just a boy! That's the very heart of the problem! You've got to punish them like men, water them with a bit of blood and then the shoot begins to spring up and the plant begins to grow."

"Wait!" Jacob shouted as the guard held him into the dirt, "I see something!"

"What?" Caul demanded his patience growing thin at being so close to attaining his dream after so long.