Hey everyone!
This is my first Miss Peregrine's Home for peculiar children fanfiction. I hope you like it! I would love to get some feedback ;)
I don't own anything. Please note that English is not my mother tongue and I'm sorry for all grammar and spelling mistakes.
„Miss P, what are we going to do now?" Miss Peregrine, one of the youngest ymbrynes in the world, looked down at her youngest charge Claire. Slowly she picked the little girl up. Little Claire placed her head on her headmistress' shoulder. Alma looked over her child's shoulder to see how Clairnholm became smaller and smaller. Soon the island would completely disappear behind the horizon, her loop would end, the home she had established and cared for for over sixty years would be hit by a bomb and burn down to the ground. Deep down she was glad that she would not have to see everything she had worked for go up in flames.
They had indeed taken the first ferry to the mainland the next day only carrying the most necessary belongings with them. It had cost a fortune to buy the tickets for all of her twelve charges and herself. Although the sun was shining, there was a cold wind blowing. From time to time sprinkles of cold water hit her face as she stood at the railing of the old boat savoring the last reminder of their past life.
She dared not to turn around and look ahead. Alma feared the moment the mainland would appear in front of them ending their old life once and for all. She therefore decided to spend some more time reveling in happy memories to prevent herself from bursting into tears in front of her charge. She didn't like change-not at all, she despised it. Now even more so. It was war after all. It was not just the normals fighting each other but it was also peculiars hunting and killing other peculiars. It was September 1942 and these were probably the last warm days before fall would turn the leaves a beautiful shade of red and cold winds would make them fancy a cozy home even more. A home they did no longer have. Alma had no idea where they would go from here. Of course they could try to get to another loop but it was not save there either. It was just a matter of time until this place would also be threatened. She could also create a new loop but that would mean finding a place to live for all of her children and herself first which was easier said than done. Maybe they should leave the country. Maybe. But the truth was that she did not even know what they would do as soon as the ferry reached the mainland. Finding a safe place to stay for twelve children and herself in hard times like these was almost impossible. Would she even be able to provide her children with three meals every day?
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she pressed little Clair even closer to her chest. She had failed them all. She was their ymbryne after all and here she was only thinking about how she had lost everything she worked for, how she had lost her home and how she didn't know what do to. She had not thought about how her children were coping. They must be scared and sad too. They had lost their home too. The small girl in her arms had come to her craving for protection and here she was not able to provide any sense of security at all.
She wished that Miss Avocet had stayed with them. Everything would have been easier if the elderly woman would have stayed with them but she wanted to return to the remains of her loop hoping to find evidence that one of her children had survived. Not that she could blame her, she would have done the same after all.
"Miss Peregrine?" Claire whispered almost too quiet to hear. "Millard said that we have to sleep on the street now because we are homeless."
Alma could feel Claire's tiny body shaking while silent tears were running down her cheeks. "I think I forgot my teddy bear"
"Don't worry my dear. I will not let any harm come to any one of you. You will not have to sleep on the street. We will find a place to stay and I will get you a new teddy bear. Don't worry." Alma answered and placed a kiss on the top of Claire's head. Hopefully the little girl had not picked up on her own fear and insecurities. How could she keep her promise? In front of her children she pretended to know everything so her children trusted her to look after them but the truth was that she spent so much time on the island inside her loop that she felt like she knew nothing about the world outside. The only times she ever went out was to buy things that they could not get on the island and to look for new charges. It was dangerous when she left her loop-Charlotte being the best proof for that. For a short moment the faces of all the children she had lost-had failed-appeared before her inner eyes.
Alma could not prevent a loud sob escaping from between her lips. Do not break down now. Think about your children, Alma!
It was in this moment that Clairnholm finally vanished completely from her view. Slowly Alma closed her eyes and turned around. The railing was now pressing uncomfortably into her lower back. Alma placed her head on Claire's shoulder.
Then she felt tiny hands tugging at her skirt. She lifted her head to see the twins looking up at her now tear strained face. Then they hugged her legs tightly. She looked at them lovingly. At the moment she wished for nothing more than to be able to provide them with some sort of security.
"Miss Peregrine?" Alma looked up once more to see her other children look expectantly at her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Null-Millard" Maybe calling them by their first name would increase the feeling of security?
"Are you afraid?" Emma asked frowning. Alma thought about lying and pretending that she had everything under control but to what use? As soon as they reached the mainland they would experience firsthand how clueless she was. She nodded.
"That's okay. We are scared too." Olive said smiling. Enoch looked at her protectively. Olive then stepped forward and hugged her headmistress. "Everything is going to be alright. You know, some of us are old enough to take on responsibility too. You are not alone, Miss P. Together we will find a new home."
Those words caused Alma to finally lose it completely. She sobbed into her charge's shoulder. Claire was still squeezed in between Olive and Alma.
"After all, wasn't it you who said that we will always have a home with each other?" Emma said smiling softly. She then joined the hug.
"Isn't it most important that we were all able to escape the island and were not eaten by hollows? We have lost our home, yes, but it would have been so much worse if we had lost each other, wouldn't it?" Hugh said.
Alma nodded. "Yes…yes, you are right. You know, it is a privilege to care for such wonderful children like you. I could not ask for braver and smarter charges."
"Well" Horace said "just the best children for the best ymbryne, I guess. Don't worry Miss Peregrine, everything is going to be fine"
Alma smiled happily. She was gifted with the best children and suddenly their future didn't look as dark anymore.
It was in this moment that the mainland appeared before them but Alma did not feel frightened anymore.