The Lost Ymbryne ~ A Peculiar Tale
Setting: I had to modify a few things for this story to work logistically so here is some background info. After the Library of Souls, Caul is presumed to be dead and the threat of wights and hollows is assumed to be gone. Instead of continuing in canon to the series, the Ymbrynes will have figured out how to restore loops much sooner and the threat of Caul returning isn't a prevalent threat. So this story begins around a year after the events of the Library of Souls except things have seemingly returned to normal and Miss Peregrine and her children are once again living in their loop in Cairnholm.
Summary: After the events of the Library of Souls, life seemed to return to normal. Miss Peregrine and her children returned to their beloved home in Cairnholm, and have been finding their new normal. Without the threat of wights or hollows, and with the children's clocks reset, a whole new world was open to explore. But adventures soon turn disaster when Miss Peregrine finds someone unexpected in her travels. Danger seems to follow closely, can this person be trusted? What secrets are they holding? Are Peculiars in danger once again?
Chapter 1
Now that the battle in the Library of Souls was well over, it was becoming more and more of an event you would read about in an old history book rather than something that actually occurred. As the children and Miss Peregrine settled back into their loop in Cairnholm, it was almost as if none of the past year even happened. There was one considerable difference however. As the months went by, Ymbrynes began to take more trips outside of their loops, visiting places unseen by Peculiar eyes for many centuries. Peculiars dared to venture into the normal world without the fear of 'death by Wights' looming over them. It even became a monthly occurrence that Miss Peregrine would take a trip to the mainland in the present to purchase groceries and other goods that one could not purchase in 1940 on a small island. Although Alma's beliefs had changed about the children's knowledge of the future after spending so much of the past year in it, she still believed that learning about the present should be strictly educational.
Miss Peregrine began her day when the morning was still misty, dew freshly adorning the lush gardens that surrounded the children's home. Miss Peregrine softly hummed a chipper tune as she descended down the staircase. The house that was usually filled with noise was almost eerily quiet, all the children still sleeping soundly. She was beginning to look forward to her monthly trips to the mainland by herself. Although she loved the children more than anything, it was nice for Alma to spend a day away from the demands of being a Headmistress. The children seemed to enjoy these days as well. Able to play all day long, without having to sit down for a midday lesson or hang the clothes to dry, or wash the dishes. Although there were strict rules set for while their Ymbryne was away, the children were predominately allowed to behave as they pleased.
One thing Alma was grateful for was the two cell phones she had purchased for her and the children. One for her and one for them. Although the Ymbryne was uneasy about technology taking the place of her own presence, Jacob reassured her that they were extremely helpful. And although the phones would not work in the 1940s, Alma allowed the children to exit the loop in case of an emergency while she was away. She had to admit that this made her feel much more at ease leaving the children this frequently and for times longer than a few hours or so.
The sun began to peek its head over the side of the cliff and beams of light radiated throughout the rooms of the house. Children began to stir and as Alma continued to prepare for her excursion, the voices of her children became more lively. The tall woman raised her shoulders in an over exaggerated sigh as if preparing herself for something she was not yet prepared for. The sound of tiny footsteps padded down the great staircase and Alma knew what she was in for. It became routine for the children to bombard her with requests of what they desired from the present, and today proved no different.
"Miss Peregrine!" Olive and Claire shouted almost simultaneously as they ran to embrace their Ymbryne. Alma kneeled down and pulled them both into her, noticing that these days she seemed to linger more than she used to, as if the time spent in her arms now would make up for all the lost time of the previous year of pain. "Miss Peregrine," Olive continued. Could you please bring us back some of those delicious candies from the grocery?" Both girls looked up at the towering woman with glistening eyes before the other chimed in, "Yes, the ones we had at Jacob's house with the bear on the front!" Alma smiled back down at the children who had seemingly multiplied in number since a moment ago. Hugh, Horace and Bronwyn had also come through the doors of the kitchen, rubbing sleep from their eyes, seemingly also ready to make their requests. "We shall see my dears," Miss Peregrine replied, patting the small girls on their heads and shooing them out of the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Breakfast was as Alma expected, more requests and more questions about the present. This seemed to be one of the only times she allowed unsolicited questions to be answered about her trips. Although the children had learned much from their stay at Jacob's house, modern day Europe was much different than Florida. "Miss Peregrine, what are you going to wear today?" Horace asked, wholly consumed by modern fashion. He had also requested a new fashion magazine from today's visit. "Miss Peregrine, when are you going to bring me back a new butcher's knife?" Enoch impatiently asked, usually uninterested by all of the talk of some of the smaller children about the wonders of modern society. However he did have a soft spot for the wide array of fine craftsmanship when it came to knives. Questions like this ensued for the duration of breakfast and up until Alma's departure. After breakfast, Miss Peregrine had announced her goodbyes to the children and set off for her day of sweet solitude, not knowing that today would not be anything like she had planned.