I do not own the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.
"The world is getting colder
Strangers passing by
No one offers you a shoulder, no one looks you in the eye
But I've been looking at you for a long, long time
Just trying to break through, trying to make you mine."
—Bonfire Heart by James Blunt
That morning, Peggy was particularly excited. They decided to put on a little show, and Miss Peregrine agreed that she could be in it. She stood eagerly off stage, waiting for her cue.
"Ladieeeees and gentlemen!" she heard Millard call. "It gives me the utmost pleasure to present to you a performance like no other in history! A show of unrivaled daring, of such accomplished magicianship, you will not believe your eyes! Good citizens, I give you Miss Peregrine and her Peculiar Children!"
The crowed cheered.
"For our first illusion," Millard continued, "I will produce Miss Peregrine herself!"
Even though she couldn't see on the stage from where she was, she could hear the crowd cheer with each act. She cheered alongside them when Enoch went out, not particularly caring that she couldn't see him.
"And now," Enoch declared, "Miss Peggy Tran will disappear!"
That was her cue!
Quickly, Peggy went out on the stage, holding her teacup by the handle with one hand, and supporting the saucer that held it with her other hand. Then, delicately, she placed the cup and saucer on the ground before Millard draped a sheet over her. Peggy then quickly shrank, landing in her teacup, and the sheet fell after her. Millard whipped the sheet away and held up the teacup, displaying it to the cheering audience before handing it to Enoch, who was waiting off stage. The dark haired boy peered into the cup.
Peggy grinned and waved. "Hello, Enoch!" She called.
Enoch gave her a small smile. "Hello, Peg," he replied. "Let's get you into the house, yeah?" Not waiting for her to reply, he walked into the house, through the hallway, down the stairs, and into the basement, where he sat her teacup on the table and helped her out.
Peggy smoothed out her floral dress before she ran and leaped off the table, growing as she did so. Looking up at Enoch, she told him, "I'll get lunch for us." She ran up the stairs, leaving Enoch to think by himself.
He rubbed a hand over his face absentmindedly as he sat at the table, hoping his homunculi would distract him from the odd feeling that had returned to his stomach. It wasn't that he didn't like the feeling, it actually felt quite nice, now that he thought about it, it was the infuriating fact that he had absolutely no idea why it was there, or what it meant. As he watched the small clay men move about, he went over the situation. The feeling came when he was around Peggy, obviously. He already knew that. But why? Then, with a slight start, he remembered how Emma had once described how she felt about Abe.
"It's like I've got butterflies living in my stomach," she had told them, "and they always get excited when Abe's near. And my face feels all warm, and—"
That was around the part where Enoch had started to tune her out, but it was enough to make him realize something. He liked Peggy. As in he fancied her. Enoch dropped his head into his hands and groaned.
"Enoch?" Peggy asked, startling him. "Are you all right?" She had two plates in her hands—lunch.
He smiled as best as he could. "I'm fine, Peg."
Peggy smiled brightly at this, sending his emotions into a frenzy. She sat down their lunches and pulled over a chair, sitting down next to him. "Emma wants to know if we want to go s-swimming after lunch!"
"Who else is going?" He asked.
"Well," she replied, "when I was up there, she was trying to get Hugh, Horace, Fiona, and Millard to go, and I think Jacob was going to go, too."
Enoch rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'll go." He thought a moment before continuing, "You could still go, if you want." He didn't really mean that, though. He wasn't going to try and stop her, no, he would probably just sit and sulk instead.
Peggy shook her head. "I won't go without you! You're my friend, Enoch." She looked at him, her almond-shaped eyes wide with sincerity.
"Thanks, Peg." He smiled a little. It hurt having her just call him a friend after his newfound realization, but he shrugged it off. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I am!" She told him, biting into an orange. "I won't go anywhere without you, Enoch."
That made him feel a little better.
The next day, Peggy managed to drag Enoch outside. He sat on the stump on the edge of the forest, and Peggy sat next to him, no bigger than his thumb. As Peggy wandered aimlessly, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun, Enoch nudged her with his forefinger.
"We've got a deserter, Peg," he grumbled as he looked at the clay soldiers in front of them, searching for the missing one.
Quickly, Peggy climbed up onto his shoulder. "I don't see—wait! It's over there! By Jacob!" She pointed to where the teen sat, looking in confusion at the small little soldier by his shoes.
"Bring him here!" Enoch called to Jacob, cupping his hands around his mouth. Peggy waved her arms around from her place on his shoulder, grabbing onto his shirt when she stumbled a little.
Jacob brought it over and set it down with the other soldiers, wiping his hands on his pants as he did so.
"I'm Enoch, and this's Peggy," Enoch told Jacob, motioning to the small girl who had now climbed down and was sitting on his knee. "You must be him."
"I guess I am," replied Jacob.
Enoch began herding the straggler back into the group. "Sorry if he bothered you," he mentioned absentmindedly. "They get ideas when they haven't been properly trained. Only made these last week."
Jacob seemed impressed. "You made these? How?"
"They're homunculi," responded Enoch. "Sometimes I put doll heads on them, but this time I was in a hurry and didn't bother."
"What's a homunculi?" Jacob asked.
"More than one homunculus," Peggy piped up, proud she had remembered what Enoch had told her many years ago.
Enoch nodded. "Some people think it's homunculuses, but I think that sounds daft, don't you?"
Jacob pursed his lips. "Definitely."
The soldier he had returned began to wander away from the group again, and Enoch nudged it back with his foot.
"Fight, you nancies!" He commanded. When he noticed the same clay soldier trying to escape once again, he grabbed it and removed its legs off before he set it back down, allowing the others to attack it relentlessly. "That's what happens to deserters in my army!" He declared.
"Do you treat all your toys that way?" Jacob asked, a slightly disturbed look on his face.
"Why?" The older boy asked. "Do you feel sorry for them?"
"I don't know. Should I?"
"No. They wouldn't be alive at all if it wasn't for me."
Peggy furrowed her eyebrows when Jacob laughed.
Enoch scowled. "What's so funny?"
"You made a joke," Jacob told him, like it should have been obvious.
"You're a bit thick, aren't you? Look here." Enoch took the clothes off one of the soldiers, cracked it down the middle, and removed the heart he placed in it earlier. The soldier instantly went limp in his hand. He held the heart up carefully so Jacob could see it.
"It's from a mouse," he explained. "That's what I can do—take the life of one thing and give it another, either clay like this or something that used to be alive, but it isn't anymore." He put the now still heart into his pocket and plucked Peggy off of his knee, placing her back on his shoulder. "As soon as I figure out how to train them properly, I'll have a whole army. It'll be massive."
Peggy giggled excitedly as she swung her legs from her place on Enoch's shoulder. "What can you do?" She asked Jacob.
"Me?" He asked. "Nothing, really. I mean, nothing special like you two."
"Pity," Enoch said, a ghost of a smirk on his face.
"Are you going to live with us anyway?" Peggy asked curiously, her honey colored eyes widening as she spoke.
"I don't know," Jacob responded. "I hadn't really thought about it."
"But you don't want to?" Enoch asked, quirking his eyebrow.
Jacob shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "I don't know yet."
Enoch narrowed his eyes, leaning closer. Peggy clutched onto his collar for support "Emma told you about Raid the Village, didn't she?" He whispered.
"Raid the what?" Jacob asked.
"Oh, nothing," Enoch replied absentmindedly, looking away. "Just a game some of us play."
The younger boy shook his head. "She never told me."
As Enoch moved closer, Peggy's grip on his shirt collar tightened.
"I bet she didn't," he said. "I bet there's a lot of things she didn't tell you."
"Enoch," Peggy whispered, a warning in her tone. He ignored her.
"Oh yeah?" Jacob asked, starting to look irritated. "Why?"
"Because then you'll see it's not as great as everybody wants you to think, and you won't stay."
"What kinds of things?"
Enoch flashed a devious smile. "Can't tell you. I could get in trouble."
Jacob had apparently had enough. "Whatever," he muttered. "You brought it up." He began walking away.
Carefully placing Peggy in his chest pocket, Enoch jumped up and clapped a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "Wait!"
"Why should I wait if you're not going to tell me anything?" Jacob demanded.
Enoch rubbed his chin. "It's true that I'm not allowed to say anything... but I suppose I couldn't stop you if you were to go upstairs and have a look in the in the room at the end of the hall."
Peggy's jaw dropped.
"Why?" Jacob asked. "Who's there?"
"Our friend Victor," Enoch replied smoothly. "He wants to meet you. You should go up and have a talk."
Peggy made eye-contact with Jacob and shook her head violently, but he ignored her.
Enoch mimed that the key was on the top of the door before Jacob turned around.
"What do I need a key for if someone's in there?" He asked, but Enoch just walked away as if he didn't hear.
Peggy jumped out of his pocket, growing back to her normal height. "Why did you do that?" She asked him. "Now he's going to get in trouble!"
Enoch just shook his head. "He won't, Peg. We'll follow him, if that makes you feel better."
They got to Victor's room and saw Bronwyn and Jacob in the room. "What happened to him?" Jacob asked.
"Maybe I'll wake old Victor up," Enoch said, leaning against the door frame. "You can ask him yourself." He shut the door behind him as he and Peggy came in.
Bronwyn ran up to him, her eyes glistening with tears. "Would you wake him? Oh please, Enoch!"
He sighed. "I shouldn't," he said. "I'm running low on hearts as it is, and it takes a lot out of them to rise a human being, even just for a minute."
Peggy whacked his shoulder. Enoch ignored her.
"Please," begged Bronwyn as she lovingly caressed Victor's hair. "It's been ages since we talked to Victor."
Enoch turned his head to the side as if he was considering the idea. "I've got some cow hearts pickling in the basement, but I hate to use inferior ingredients. Fresh is much better."
Bronwyn began to cry, wiping away at her brother's sleeve when a tear stained it.
"Don't get so choked." Enoch rolled his eyes. "You know I can't stand it. Anyway, it's cruel, waking Victor. He likes it where he is."
Peggy whacked him a little harder that time.
"And where's that?" Jacob demanded.
"Who knows?" Enoch shrugged. "But whenever we rouse him for a chat he seems in a dreadful hurry to get back."
"What's cruel is you toying with Bronwyn like that, tricking me, and dragging Peggy into all of this," Jacob shot back. "And if Victor's dead, why don't you just bury him?"
Bronwyn gave him a hurt look. "Then we'd never get to see him."
"That stings, mate," Enoch said, giving the younger boy a tight smile. "I only mentioned coming up here because I wanted you to have all the facts. I'm on your side. And I never 'drag' Peggy into anything. "
Jacob snorted. "Yeah? What are the facts, then? How did Victor die?"
Bronwyn spoke up. "He got killed by a—mmmph!" Her voice was muffled when Enoch covered her mouth with his hand.
"It isn't for you to tell," he hissed.
"This is ridiculous!" Jacob cried. "If none of you will tell me, I'll just go ask Miss Peregrine."
Peggy looked at him with wide eyes, and Enoch took a few threatening steps forward. "Oh, no," he said. "You can't do that."
"Yeah? Why not?"
"She does not like it when we talk about Victor," Peggy mumbled, looking down. "It is why she always wears black, and if she finds us in here, she will be very mad."
"She'll hang us by our pinky toes!" Added Enoch.
As if she heard them, the sound of Miss Peregrine limping up the stairs came into earshot. Bronwyn paled and ran out of the room. Enoch shoved Peggy out and made to follow her when Jacob blocked his way.
"Get out of my way!" Enoch hissed angrily.
"Tell me what happened to Victor!"
"I can't!"
"Then tell me about Raid the Village!"
"I can't tell you that, either!" When he realized that the younger boy wouldn't budge, Enoch gave up. "All right, fine. Just shut the door and I'll whisper it to you!"
Jacob shut the door, and the two strained to listen. The headmistress's footsteps went down the hall and past them. They heard another door open and creak shut.
Enoch breathed a sigh of relief, and he slumped against the wall. "She went into her room."
"So," Jacob said. "Raid the Village."
Sighing, Enoch knew he shouldn't have brought that up. He motioned for Jacob to lean closer, and he whispered, "It's a game we play. It works like the name says."
"You mean you actually raid the village?"
"Smash it up, chase people around, take what we like, burn things down. It's a good laugh."
"But that's terrible!" Jacob protested.
"We've got to practice our skills somehow, otherwise we'll get rusty. It's in case we need to defend ourselves. We've got rules, anyway. We can't kill anyone, just scare them a bit. And, if someone does get hurt, they're fine the next day and don't remember anything about it."
"Does Emma play, too?"
Enoch smiled sardonically. "Nah, she's like you. She says it's evil. She and Peg are the only ones who don't play."
"Well, it is evil."
Rolling his eyes, Enoch told him, "You two deserve each other."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Enoch rose to his full height, barely shorter than Jacob. "It means you'd best not get all high and mighty with me, mate. Because if we didn't raid the damned village once and a while, most of this lot would've gone mad ages ago." He opened the door to leave, but not before he turned back and said, "And if you think we're wicked, wait until you see them."
"Them who? What the hell is everyone talking about?"
Enoch merely raised his forefinger to his lips, the universal sign of 'Shut up.' He left the room quickly, looking for Peggy. It didn't take too long to find her; the small girl was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. When she saw him, her face immediately lit up in a bright, dimpled smile, and she launched herself at him, her arms wrapping tightly around his torso.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Peggy cried, her voice muffled due to her face buried in his shirt. "I thought Headmistress Peregrine had caught you!"
He chuckled as he looped his arms around her. "Have a little faith in me, Peg. I'm fine."
Peggy looked up at him, her honey eyes wide with so much sincerity, it took his breath away. "I do have faith in you, Enoch, but I have faith in the Headmistress, too. She always knows." She stepped back and grabbed his hand. "Come on, let's go back outside!"
Enoch smiled fondly at the small girl as he allowed Peggy to drag him outdoors, back to the stump where all his homunculi lay motionless. This, he decided, was all right.
A/N
Annnnnnd, here's the second chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this! Also, quick thanks to AbixxD for favoriting this story. You rock, my dude! Again, if you have any helpful criticism, or any tips in general, please, please, PLEASE let me know! Especially when it comes to the way the characters act and Peggy's Vietnamese and English.
If you liked this story, please favorite, follow, and/or review, and I'll see you next time!
