{ Edited - 22nd Sep, 2020 }
{ Edited - 20th April, 2024 }
I found myself crawling backwards towards Jake, who was standing near the door. I had gotten way too close to this person, and it made me uncomfortable. As soon as she turned around and saw us, she abruptly stopped and her angry expression vanished.
She had her hair elegantly styled in an updo, looking neat and polished. Her eyes were piercing and maintained a striking blue colour. Her complexion was fair, with pale skin that added to her ethereal beauty. Her nails were long and well-manicured. She was dressed in a captivating dark navy blue ensemble. As our eyes met, I couldn't help but freeze in awe. Jake tried to help me up, and together we took a step back, ensuring the woman had enough personal space.
Jake and I were startled by a sudden knock, so we quickly moved to the opposite side of the room to ensure we were far from the door. All eyes were on the door as it opened, revealing the girl who had attempted to harm us before. As soon as she laid eyes on us, she made a move to attack Jake and me. Nothing new out of the usual by now.
I channelled my anger once again, prepared to strike at anyone who dared to approach me or Jake. "Back off!" I warned. "You had your fun, you placed your damage onto us, I'm giving you a chance to back off before I strike you!" I threatened.
"Get away from her then!" She angrily gestured at the woman standing on the sidelines.
All of a sudden, everything changed unexpectedly. The Ymbryne standing in front of us abruptly positioned herself between me and Jake, turning her back towards us. "Emma, the dishes needs to be done right away." The one and only Miss Peregrine spoke, her words were as potent as venom, impossible to disregard.
"What?! That pest nearly killed me?!" Emma pointed in my direction.
"You pulled a knife out on us and nearly killed us on the spot!" I snapped back.
"You threw a knife at my hand!!!" she yelled as she raised her hand to show her wound.
"Yeah, 'cause you were about to stab me and a friend of mine!" I barked back.
Emma abruptly went silent, her gaze fixed on me with a lot of hatred before she spun around and left the room. Just as I was about to take a seat on the chair behind me, I unexpectedly plummeted straight through it. With a loud thud, I landed on the floor. When I glanced back, there was no sign of the chair ever existing.
I sprang to my feet when Miss Peregrine headed to the door, shutting and locking it behind her. She then glanced at us, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. Her doubts seemed to be growing, but I was confident she wouldn't recognize her own daughter standing before her...
"Could you please disclose your name?" She asked. I glanced over at Jake and then back at Miss Peregrine. I noticed her staying on her side of the room.
"Jake Portman" he introduced himself with a proud smile.
"Anita Wilde," I lied as I conjured a smile across my face. I saw Jake give me a look and his smile faded into a look of confusion.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Portman and Miss Wilde. I am Headmistress Peregrine. However, if you so choose, you may refer to me as Miss Peregrine since you are not my current wards. It is a pleasure to meet both of you." Miss Peregrine grinned while extending a gloved hand towards me. Jake and I both shook her hand. "It is my understanding that you are the grandson of Abraham Portman, no" She raised a brow at Jake.
"Y-yeah," said Jake, looking a bit gobsmacked.
Miss Peregrine glanced in my direction and gave me a once-over. "Contacted or uncontacted?"
"What?" I said, unsure what she was saying.
"I say uncontacted," Jake and I exchanged a puzzled look, unsure of what was happening. "I apologize for the unfortunate circumstances that have led to our meeting, and I sincerely request your understanding in relation to Miss Bloom." said Miss Peregrine. "She has a certain flair for the dramatic."
"So I've noticed," I muttered.
"It is essential to administer first aid to Miss Wilde before we initiate any further actions." After nodding at me, Miss Peregrine turned around and went to a drawer to retrieve a legitimate first aid kit. She placed the box on the table and motioned for me to sit on a stool, which I promptly did. Little did I know that she would be the one tending to my needs.
"I would ask you to sit, Mr Portman," Miss Peregrine pointed towards a comfortable chair situated behind Jake. "but it appears that you are covered in muck."
"I'm okay, I prefer to stand, thank you for the offer though," said Jake.
Miss Peregrine gently rolled up my short sleeve, exposing my collarbone. With a firm touch, she carefully cleaned the wound using alcohol wipes. The stinging pain in my shoulder made me flinch every now and then. "Did your grandfather not mention anything about his former companions?" Miss Peregrine asked.
"Some things. But for a long time, I thought they were fairy tales."
"I see," she replied.
"I hope that doesn't offend you."
"It is somewhat unexpected, but that is our preferred perception, as it helps deter unwanted guests. Nowadays, fewer individuals believe in mythical creatures like fairies and goblins, causing common folk to stop seeking us out. This situation certainly makes our lives more manageable. Ghost tales and eerie old homes have also been beneficial to us, although it seems not in your situation." she said. "Lion-heartedness must run in your family."
"Yeah, I guess so,"
"Miss Wilde, I have noticed that you may need stitches for this injury. Could you please lie down on the table?" I briefly thought she might recommend I visit a doctor in the village, but it turns out that wasn't the plan. As I sat on the stool, I leaned in and rested my head on the table, crossing my arms for support.
"In any case, as regards this place," Miss Peregrine. "When you were young, did you think your grandfather was simply fabricating stories? Feeding you a great walloping pack of lies. Is that right?"
"Not lies exactly, but—"
"Fictions, whoppers, paradiddles—whatever terminology you like. When did you realize Abraham was telling you the truth?"
"Well," said Jake. "I guess I'm just realizing it now."
"Ms. Wilde, I am about to apply the numbing cream to your back. Once that is done, a needle will be used to ensure extra numbness, and then we will begin the stitching process," Miss Peregrine said, while I sensed the soothing touch of cold cream being gently applied around the wounded area. Jake carried on with his story.
"I think he wanted to explain everything, but he waited too long. So he sent me here to find you instead. This is yours. It's what brought me here." Jake placed the letter on the table beside me. Peregrine then stood beside me, straightened the letter, and read it aloud, moving her lips as she read along.
"What a lack of gratitude! The way I practically begged him for a reply" Shaking her head with a touch of longing, she briefly drifted into the past. "We were constantly anxious to receive updates about Abe, particularly when my daughter wandered away from her caregiver's supervision. Despite Abe's bravery, he made a promise to find her and bring her back here. On one occasion, I questioned him about whether he intended to torment me by persisting to live and search in the open like that. His stubbornness could be incredibly frustrating!"
Watching Miss Peregrine fold the letter into its envelope, I sat up and observed a dark cloud cast a shadow over her. "He's gone, isn't he?"
Jake abruptly shared with her the details of what had transpired - specifically, the version of events that the police had agreed upon, following extensive counselling sessions. Miss Peregrine was already patching up my back while Jake briefly summarized the story to avoid causing distress. Abe resided in the rural fringes of the town, where they had recently experienced a drought, leading to the woods being overrun by hungry, desperate animals. Unfortunately, he found himself in the midst of a dangerous situation purely by chance.
"He shouldn't have been living alone," Jake explained, "but like you said, he was stubborn."
"I was afraid of this," she said as she perched herself on the chair next to me, "I warned him not to leave, but he was so determined to find my daughter," She said. "And then to make his poor grandson bear the awful news back to us."
I caught a glimpse of Jake looking in my direction from the corner of my eye. Jake looked back to Miss Peregrine. "It was time for him to go. He was lonely. My grandma had been dead a lot of years already, and his mind wasn't sharp anymore. He was always forgetting things, and getting mixed up. That's why he was out in the woods in the first place, and when..." Jake trailed off and looked over to me, "Anita... First met him, his first impression to Anita was that he was eyeless, and then he went ahead and calls her Kira as if he expects I have found her and be immediate friends with her," said Jake. I know what he's doing, that scumb-bag!
As I glanced at Miss Peregrine, she quickly turned her gaze towards me. Feeling a surge of anxiety, I averted my eyes, worried that she might suspect the uncanny resemblance between us as if I were her daughter who had been missing for so long. "Wishful thinking of him," I said and I glared at Jake.