I had no idea where I was, who I was, when it was. All I could think of was warmth. I wanted to be warm, sat next to a burning furnace in a warm blanket, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. That was what I wanted most as I trudged through the snow. People all around me were bustling around in coats and woollen sweaters. I so badly wanted them. But if I wore them right now, people would freak out and run away, because I was a freak. I knew I wasn't human. That was all I knew about myself. I was a freak. I have never talked to anyone without them getting frightened.

And I was sick. Very sick.

I wandered away from civilisation and up a rocky slope. I rubbed my hands and cupped them over my mouth, breathing heavily. My head was pounding and my body was shaking. I was surprised that I managed to get through the crowd sneezing and coughing, my tracks laid in the snow.

Soon after I left the town, though it felt like a million years, I was greeted by what seemed to be a tomb. I froze, not due to the weather, but because I had somehow brought myself to a tomb. I went over to get a closer look, and I was overjoyed to find an entry into it. I ran, at least, with as much energy as I had left, through the doorless doorway and down some stone steps into a dark room underground. It was terrifyingly black, I couldn't see a thing. But it was warm, and I felt like staying there forever. It was the perfect place, nobody to hide from. I was free in this small, dark area.

"Goodbye, world!" I laughed and shouted at the entrance. Then I heard something I didn't expect. Playful giggling and laughing. Was someone up there? I couldn't help my curiosity and took a step up. Then another step. I made my way back to the snowy outdoors and stopped. It was definitely the same place, but there was no snow to be seen. I was still shivering, due to my sickness. I haven't seen a doctor (of course not) and I haven't gotten any medications for it. But the fresh air entering my lungs made me feel much better. Still sickly, but much better.

I wandered away in hopes of finding a clinic or, even better, a hospital. I went through the forest which was previously coated in snow. What was going on? Why did winter suddenly end? I asked myself these questions as I stumbled upon a large building. It was very bright and welcoming, unlike the snowy town which I had walked through previously. There was a garden with beautiful topiaries in the shapes of animals and mythical creatures. Probably a children's home, I wondered to myself. If it was a home, there would definitely be food and water. And that was all my body craved for at the moment. I dashed toward the building as quickly as I could, not letting my body wait any longer.

The interior looked like an average home. Pictures of children hung on walls and sat on shelves. There was one picture which really caught my eye. A young, pudgy-faced boy with dark circles under his eyes, no older than thirteen, sitting down with some dolls in his lap. I had no idea why it stood out so much. He had a dull expression as if he didn't want the picture to be taken. I shrugged at the strangeness of it and continued exploring the house.

"...which is why we should never talk about this to normals." I heard the voice from a room with large oak doors which I was approaching. It sounded like a lady giving her naughty children a lecture. Despite how much I craved for food and medication, I simply couldn't leave this alone. I loved lectures. I knew a lot of things, but I had no idea where they came from. And I was always looking forward to an education. The oak doors were already wide open when I stepped in, and I gaped at the room which I had just entered. There were towering shelves full of books everywhere. I felt like I was in heaven as I wandered around, my mouth hanging as I stared at the many books that they had. I had no idea what they were about, or why they all had the word "peculiar" in their titles. That was when I reached the end of the library, where a few tables were laid. A middle-aged lady was there, walking and talking about something. There were also children of varying ages sitting at the tables, from a little girl no older than five to a boy barely older than me. I remembered a few of them from the pictures that I saw when I entered, including the pudgy-faced boy, who wasn't even paying attention to the lesson. Instead, he was playing with a small clay doll, moving it around so well that it seemed to have a mind of its own.

I quietly walked to the other side behind them, my back against the bookshelf behind them. That was when I heard a loud crash beside me. Everyone looked in my direction, and I looked down at a book that I had just knocked over. "I'll handle that later," said the lady before she continued with the lesson. Everyone's attention went back to her, except one boy who was dressed strangely, in a top hat and monocle, a cane rested against his table. He looked at me suspiciously, not the book, but me. After a few seconds, he slowly turned his head around. I sighed as quietly as I could and picked the book up. The title of it was "Tales of the Peculiar". The book had a leather cover of green and gold, with an elaborate design of vines and branches and animals on it. "Miss Peregrine!" The voice nearly made me jump and drop the book, but when it was still in my hands, I sighed and looked for its place on the bookshelf. I found an empty space and attempted to wedge it in, but before I could I felt a hand on mine. "I appreciate the offer, but I can handle this myself," the woman said, looking straight into my eyes. She pushed the book into the shelf before turning around. "Mister Somnusson, would you please tell me about this young man?"

"Millard Nullings, born 1924 in Birmingham." The boy in the top hat said, "After his parents moved to the Netherlands, he went there in search of them. When winter began, he suffered amnesia and pneumonia before taking a ship to Wales and then to Cairnholm." I was astounded. I had no idea about who I was and this stranger just spat it out like it was nothing. "Oh dear, pneumonia?" the lady seemed shocked, "Mister O'Connor, bring him to your room. Miss Bloom, Mister Apiston and Miss Frauenfeld, prepare some tea for him. Mister Somnusson, prepare some clothes for him. Miss Bruntley, prepare some medications for him." The children who were assigned tasks nodded and got up. The pudgy-faced boy approached me, blushing as he tried to find my hand. I smiled and grabbed his hand. "Follow me." He said, leading me out of the room.

A/N: why hello there it is i the fabulous author and i am here to inform you that i will try and post a new chapter at least once a week, so expect the next chapter really soon. Have fun while waiting for the next chapter