Chapter 9
"I worried about the ticking clock, about the normal who'd been staring since we walked in, about Miss Peregrine finding us if we stayed put too long." {Jacob Portman, pg 214 book 4}
As they drove and the music played Aurora promised herself that as long as the moment lasted she wouldn't think about the mission, her marriage, or even Miss Peregrine. She let herself act her physical age. For three hours she laughed and sang with Emma and Bronwyn, she helped Millard count how many out of state license plates they saw pass by on the freeway. Enoch even made a game for himself with the car parts they'd drive past from previous crashes. The car aficionado was able to tell what kind of car each hubcap, bumper and headlight came from, year, make and model. It was honestly quite impressive, even Millard listened with piqued interest.
After two hundred miles had elapsed Jacob got off the interstate to find a rest stop where Bronwyn could use the bathroom. He stopped at a convenience store and filled the gas tank while they all took turns using the restroom, Millard stripping in the car before stepping out.
As they waited in line at the restroom door Aurora could feel the eyes of the clerk and a few other customers glance their way, one middle aged woman stared from behind a tall display of potato chip bags she thought hid her better. Some whispered not so discreetly to each other, one guy even took a snap of them with his cellphone. Aurora wanted to wiggle her fingers at her side and see if Millard was there – she was certain he was – so she could hold his hand. But she didn't dare, she didn't want to make a single movement that could cause the people around them to confirm any suspicions they were having. And it seemed Millard felt the same, judging from his lack of even whispering in her ear. Enoch held the door open when Bronwyn stepped out and turned to Aurora for a moment making it look like he was waiting for her. But after a moment he abruptly cut her off and entered. She realized he'd been holding the door open for Millard as discreetly as possible, since it opening and closing on its own would surely cause even more people to take pictures or stare at them and ask questions. Once the door was locked behind him she did hear a muttered, "Face the wall Nullings." While part of her repressed a smile another part felt bad in the normal world Millard couldn't even go to the restroom without looking freakish.
She walked Bronwyn out to the car when they were done and the boys waited for Emma. Aurora noticed upon returning to the car that even Jake looked nervous. "We've got to buy you modern outfits. Now."
"No one will object to that Jacob." She said as she and Wyn climbed back into the car.
Across the street was a huge store with a sign that read Super All-Mart and it looked like a city unto itself. That was where Jake took them after Emma and the boys had returned.
"Dear God and every Bird in the sky." Millard said astonished, "What is this place?"
"It's just a store." Jacob shrugged, "A big one."
They crossed the parking lot and headed for the doors. When they slid open on their own Enoch leapt back in fright.
"What, what, WHAT?"
Now people were staring again, and their group hadn't even set one foot inside. Jacob dragged them aside and quickly explained about motion sensors and sliding doors.
"What's wrong with using a handle to open a door?" Enoch asked irritated and embarrassed. "Are you modern day people really that lazy now?"
"It's hard if you have a lot of stuff –" Jacob replied before Millard cut him off.
"If that's the case the next gent coming in holds the door open for you."
Aurora nodded along recalling how they'd tip their hats to each other and smile, now as she watched others entering and exiting no one even made eye contact. Like it wasn't allowed. What had happened to friendliness?
Then a man exited pushing a full cart out through the whooshing doors grabbing all their attention.
"Why would anyone need so many things?" Emma asked, her brows pinching together as the man passed, oblivious to them.
"Maybe he's stocking up for an air raid." Enoch shrugged.
"I think you'll understand once we're inside." Jacob said as he led them into the store. However, they all stopped dead in their tracks, jaws slack, as they took it all in.
Aisles stretched into a hazy distance. An array of items sang out for attention from every shelf. A small army of clerks patrolled in uniforms emblazoned with giant yellow smiley faces. It was a thousand times larger then the corner store she used to visit in France owned by that nice older couple.
"Just a store, he says." Emma grumbled, "This isn't like any store I've seen."
Enoch whistled, "More like a blimp hangar."
Jake grabbed a cart and managed to get their group moving again. Aurora was still grasping the sheer size of the place while some of the others were marveling at the huge and bizarre variety of things for sale. They kept getting distracted, splitting off from the group and plucking random things from the shelves. Aurora kept a white knuckled grip on the side of the cart, she had no idea where Millard was.
"Guys we only have seventy-two hours to complete these tasks, so we shouldn't –"
"Sixty-two now." Emma corrected Jacob, "Or maybe less."
A display of books came tumbling down at the end of the aisle – well she found Millard. And Jacob pushed the cart quicker and hissed as they walked by, "Leave it. Leave it. Leave it."
As well mannered as Millard was he seemed to understand that books floating back into place would draw scores of unwanted attention, especially with cameras now added into the mix. Aurora looked up and noticed black balls hanging from the ceiling. Some had screens near them that showed their group as they walked by. A small red light was lit and had writing 'Recording in Progress' beside it. She felt odd even looking up at the things and lowered her gaze to the cart.
Enoch got caught up in the sporting goods section looking at hunting knives behind a locked glass door while Emma kept looking around at all the signs pointing to different sections. Health & Beauty. Home Décor. Kitchen & Bath. Games. School Supplies. Groceries. Paint & Auto. Seasonal.
"Why?" she finally asked as she walked in a circle. "Why do modern people need so many varieties of everything? What is it all for? Who would need so many different kinds of skin cream? Is everyone ill with skin disease? Has there been a plague of skin related deaths?"
"Not that I know of."
"It's very strange."
Millard didn't say much, Jake had begged him not to before they entered, but Aurora did catch small sighs and hums he made occasionally. How many lifetimes of looped days would it take for Millard to make a history of everything that happened in this place in a twenty-four-hour period?
When they finally made it to the clothing section they split into boys and girls. The amount of clothing all around them was dizzying. There were walls that almost reached the ceiling, some had cubbies where piles of folded clothes sat, some had hooks so the clothes faced outward. The walls made cubes on the central space between the aisles like houses on a block. But then one had to navigate the racks filling that space and she saw even Jacob, well versed in the normal world, had difficulty fitting the cart through without knocking into the clothes. It was simply impossible, there was too much flooding the space.
Other normals passed them without any acknowledgement, they wove through the mess with well practiced ease and smiled and laughed as Aurora overheard them talking about boys. They dropped what Jacob had referred to as 'the f bomb' practically every other word, only interchanging it with shit when they got bored. Maybe they never went to school, Aurora thought, uneducated people were the ones who always spoke like that, the ones that took the bad jobs and went home covered in grease and sweat. But they didn't match that profile, not if they were here shopping for new clothes, and the ones they wore looked fresh and clean. One girl sat on a small bench meant for trying on shoes and her shorts rode up so far Aurora could see her arse cheek stick to the plastic seat and she gasped and turned away.
She hurried to Emma and whispered in her ear, "Are we going to be subjected to other women flashing us their rears in every store we walk into?"
"You're preaching to the choir, I don't think I've ever been more uncomfortable near other women."
"Well. . . they're certainly comfortable in their bodies." Aurora tried to find something positive about being flashed by a stranger.
Emma, being the strong woman she was, was less forgiving, "Don't make excuses for them. One had so much cleavage bouncing around my eyes feel like they've been burned." she rubbed one with her fist for emphasis, "Do you remember when we lived in the loop? And 1964 rolled around and we heard the news women finally earned the right to work and earn their own money?"
Aurora smiled nostalgically and nodded.
"Women like us spent over sixty four years working hard and clawing for a shred of respect and equality and how do their granddaughters and great granddaughters thank them? By dressing in barely anything. How do they expect anyone to treat them with respect when they look like streetwalkers?"
"I have no idea." Aurora sighed, "But I don't see them earning us equal pay anytime soon."
Emma rolled her eyes again and Bronwyn tugged her hand pulling them out of their conversation. Aurora let the younger girl's excitement about the clothes in the All Mart take her mind off the people around them as she turned her mind to what she wanted to pick out. It took some time and a lot of doubling back around the racks before she found some things she thought would work for their mission, both delivering the packages and blending in.
The trio of them found the boys and threw their things into the cart. Jacob looked more nervous then when they left him and when Emma asked him what was wrong he only muttered, "The Bird. We need to keep moving."
Emma nodded and corralled the boys so Jake could get them to the checkout lane so they could pay.
It was only when they were in line that she realized how hungry she was, and Aurora wasn't alone. Thankfully the store stocked snacks on either side of them so there was plenty to choose from. She grabbed a bottle of water from a small, clear doored refrigerator before scanning the snacks. There were several bags marked 'Lays' that came in various colors and displayed an assortment of flavors. She decided to play it safe and grabbed the yellow one marked 'original'. However, a green bag beside it wiggled like it had been poked and fell to the ground. Aurora fought the smirk that wanted to take over her lips and reached down for the bag.
"Anything else?" she whispered before Millard's hand covered hers and he lifted it. She let him take control, guiding her as she grabbed a barbeque, cheddar and a blue bag called Doritos. He also seemed eager to try a bright blue drink called Gatorade and a cherry Coke A Cola.
"Look at this." she heard him whisper as one of the bags dented right over a date typed on the packaging. "Immortal food. How novel."
Jacob did all the talking at the register, not that there was much, again Aurora was surprised by how adamant modern day normals were to not make eye contact with one another. He paid promptly before taking their bags and leading them to the bathrooms. They all took turns ducking inside to change into the clothes they'd purchased. Emma came out wearing tight black jeans, her discreet lead flats, and a billowy top the color of root beer. She looked wonderful but had a frown on her face.
"I look like a man."
"You look great." Jacob smiled looking captivated, "And modern."
"This fabric is so. . . itchless." Bronwyn marveled after she'd changed into tights that served as pants, a long sleeved baseball shirt that was white over her torso but sky blue on the sleeves and a denim vest she threw over it. Enoch came out in ripped jeans and a shirt that read 'Normal People Scare Me'.
Aurora was the last to change, she sorrowfully said goodbye to her skirt and blouse as she tucked them into the plastic bag and hurriedly put on a denim skirt that she bought a size too big on purpose so it wouldn't be so short. She dug out the small sewing kit she'd purchased and speedily stitched the waist so it fit better. If growing up in the 1940's made her proud of anything it was her quick sewing skills. Next she threw on a light grey camisole tank top, a maroon and orange plaid button down that tied at her naval, a denim jacket, matching maroon headband, heeled ankle high hiking looking boots in a color the box described as wine, and high socks she folded over the top of the boots.
When she stepped out Jake told her to put her arms in the sleeves of the jacket, because just draping it over her shoulders looked too out of style and old fashioned. She did so then looked at herself in the reflective metal over the water fountain.
Jacob pushed the cart with their snacks toward the exit. A loud, blaring alarm sounded making all eyes turn to them.
"What's that?" Emma yelped.
"We may not have, er, paid for everything." Millard replied.
"What! Why?" Jacob's head snapped to where he assumed Mill was.
"Old habits die hard." he replied sounding guilty, "Never mind. Run for it."
The cart was pulled from Jake's hands and started steering itself out the doors and through the parking lot. They all chased after it as two men in blue vests followed trying to catch up to them. Diving into the car with their things Jacob was quick to jam the key into the ignition and twisted it, the car started with a loud bark before he floored the gas and tore down the aisle of cars.
"If you're going to break the law, at least do it with a little panache Millard." Emma critiqued, "You're not even trying!"
"I knew about the cameras." Millard responded sounding out of breath, "No one told me about the alarms!"
While they all caught their breath and did what they could to get their hearts back to a normal pace, Jacob's anxiety translated into his driving. He sped down the interstate for several miles constantly checking the rearview mirror. If anyone deserved a break it was him, however, they had no other driver who could operate the car. Jacob asked for one of the sodas and sipped it frequently to fuel himself. Eventually they exited the freeway onto a little state road and veered away from the coast toward the heart of Florida.
On the Mel-O-Dee map H's ring had circled an area in the middle of the state that was crossed by only one major road, the one they were on now. Within that zone was something called Mermaid Fantasyland and none of them knew if that's where they would find Flaming Man. But given that it was their only landmark in that section of the map it made the most sense to start looking there.
"Wait a minute." Bronwyn said, still sitting between Millard and Aurora whilst she looked out the window. "We're heading away from the ocean now. Why would mermaids live in a swamp?"
"They aren't real." Jacob said glancing at her through the rearview mirror, "It's just a cheesy old tourist trap."
"Perhaps." Millard said in that pondering sort of way that conveyed the wheels in his mind were cranking, "But Mermaid Fantasyland is also listed in Peculiar Planet."
He raised the guide, which he'd tucked under his seat, and read from a tabbed passage, "Brand new syndrigast-friendly attraction features delightful aquatic performances. Time-looped accommodation nearby. Bring the kids!"
"That doesn't mean the mermaids are peculiar." Emma said, turning in her seat so she could look back at Millard over her shoulder, "It just means there's a loop in town."
"Or there used to be." Millard disputed, "Remember, this guide is nearly seventy years old. Everything in it should be treated with the highest skepticism."
Jacob drove on as the sun sunk lower in the sky. The road narrowed from two lanes in each direction to just one. They entered a part of Florida that felt like a different state altogether. There were no more chain stores or shiny new developments. The woods closed in from both sides and in the occasional gaps there were signs for 'pick your own strawberry' farms, 'free dirt' and 'bail bonds'.
In place of cookie cutter suburbs here there were small towns clustered around intersections of roads. The bigger towns had fast food restaurants on the outskirts and a few blocks of dying main street in the middle.
After a few miles they passed a fading billboard for Mermaid Fantasyland and a few miles after that they finally came upon it. A dirt field occupied a stretch of land along with a few sad looking tents. In the distance cinder block houses stood that once might have been an office or staff quarters. The entrance was blocked by a closed gate so Jacob parked along the shoulder of the road and they all got out of the car.
As dismal and run down as the place looked, it held promise. Peculiars often made their homes and loop entrances look undesirable so normals would keep their distance and wouldn't discover them. To a peculiar, the sight looked normal. Still, there was a churning in Aurora's stomach that kept her senses on high alert. She fought the urge to cross her arms to try and comfort herself and instead held her hands at her sides, playing with her denim skirt. At least that way she would be more prepared if anything jumped out at her.
Go for the face, her mind whispered. Then she'd have skin to skin contact and be able to just drain and drain until the threat was gone.
"Don't be nervous." Millard's voice said calmly at her side as they followed the others to the gate.
"You were the one talking about skepticism. I'd just rather be on my toes." Her eyes kept shifting around, catching every blade of grass that fluttered in the breeze, every old wrapper that danced across the dirt and gravel ground.
She did not want to be here, not in the slightest. But the others seemed ready to prove themselves and walked with much more confidence. Bombs could fall from the sky and it wouldn't shake them – they'd survived it before. She just hoped their conviction in their abilities didn't backfire.
"Something doesn't feel right."
"We can handle it." Millard assured, draping his arm across her shoulders, "We know the odds are in our favor in terms of running into wights and hollows. And if we do, we've faced that before."
She shook her head and stepped out from his hold, "When you get overconfident that's when something snaps up and bites you."
"Neil Armstrong." Millard replied with a small smile in his tone. Then he chuckled, "I used to worry about boring you with all the times I dragged you into Miss Peregrine's library. You seem to have picked up a thing or two."
Normally she'd smile back at him, find herself overcome by the pleasant memory and take his hand with a reassuring grasp. But right now she just couldn't find it in herself. She pulled her hands away from her skirt and looked down at them as she rubbed them together nervously. "I've picked up more then a thing or two. . . I just hope I don't have to use it."
Then she picked up her pace just enough to catch up to Emma and leave Millard behind.
She loved Millard, she'd always loved Millard, but now. . . she'd clearly underestimated Millard's adventurous side. After all, how could she have ever known he had one prior to their escape from Cairnholm? And now she had to wonder if they were compatible. She had to wonder if she was still compatible with her own husband – and that terrified her.
Someone behind one of the tents grunted and swore drawing their attention and Jake called out, "Hello?"
Rounding the tent they found two people in clown makeup. One had a frizz of blond hair and was dressed in a mermaid costume and the other was awkwardly carrying her, toddling backward with his arms linked around her waist since her legs and feet were encased inside the costume.
"Can't you read?" the mermaid said as she glared at them all. "We're closed!"
"We didn't see a sign." Jacob pointed out.
"If you're closed why are you in costume?" Enoch asked, crossing his arms.
"Costume? What costume?" She wiggled her obviously fake tail and laughed strangely. Then her smile vanished. "Get lost okay? We're renovating." She elbowed the clown carrying her, "George, keep moving."
The other clown resumed lugging her toward the tent.
"Wait." Emma called as she walked after them, head held high and not a shred of hesitation about her, "We read about you in the guide."
"We're not in any guide honey."
"Yes you are." She said, "Peculiar Planet."
The mermaid's head snapped toward her. "George stop."
They halted and she studied them all for a moment with suspicion. Aurora brought her hands behind her back and rubbed her fingers. When was the last time she'd taken energy from someone? The battle beneath Caul's tower? It felt like a lifetime ago, did she even remember how? The first time had been accidental and saved her skin, she didn't think she'd get lucky like that again.
"Where'd you get one of those old things?" The mermaid asked quirking a brow.
"We just. . . found it." Emma replied, "It says there are some things to see here."
"You don't say. There are some things to see, for the right kind of people. What kind of people would you say you are?"
"That depends. What kind are you?"
"George put me down." He did and the mermaid balanced on the bend of her tail while leaning against George with one arm. The tail flexed muscularly rather than crinkling like a costume would have. "We're in show business. But its's been a while since we've had an audience worth performing for. Would you care to see the show?"
No! Aurora's mind screamed.
The mermaid seemed to have made up her mind that the group of children and teens she was speaking to were peculiar which of course brought about the confirmation that she must be too. Her tone had shifted from bitter and prickly to sickly sweet.
All lore about mermaids and sirens said that if they were real they were not the kind to save you from a sinking ship or stop you from drowning. More often then not they were cannibals and flesh eaters, and used hypnotic songs to lure you to your death. Given how the woman's attitude had just done a one eighty Aurora was almost certain she wanted to lead them into a trap when she gestured to the tent behind her.
"We're only interested in the fire act." Bronwyn said.
The mermaid cocked her head, "We don't have a fire act. Do I look like a fire act?"
"Then who's the Flaming Man?" Bronwyn asked.
"We have something to give him. That's why we're here." Jacob explained.
A look of surprise flickered across her face then was quickly suppressed.
"Who sent you?" she asked, her fake warmth gone. Aurora's eyes flickered around the field waiting for others to pop out at them like an ambush. "Who do you work for?"
"Nobody." Jake replied staying calm, "We're here on private business."
George cupped his hand over the mermaid's ear and whispered something. When she spoke again her sweet tone was back. "You're not from around here, I can see that. There's no flaming anything in our show, but why don't you stay awhile and enjoy the other parts?"
"We really can't." Emma said apologetically, "You're sure you don't know anything about a flaming man?"
"Sorry kiddos. But we do have three mermaids, a dancing bear and George here can juggle pickaxes. . . "
Then two more people came around the corner of the tent, another man in clown makeup and someone in a bear costume.
"We'll throw in dinner." The mermaid offered still grinning. At least now some of the others seemed to become as hesitant as Aurora was. Enoch's expression had grown darker and she felt Millard's hand on her waist as if he was ready to fist her shirt and tug her away at a moment's notice. "Dinner and a show what could beat that?"
"A song!" answered the clown and he began to grind a box organ that was strapped around his waist which the bear – who was wearing the most horrible handmade skull like bear mask - took as his cue to start singing. But the words he sang were in some strange language and his cadence was so slow and his voice so deep that Aurora began to immediately feel sleepy. Looking at the others she could see the song was having a similar effect.
"Sofur thu svid thitt." He sang, "Svartur i augum."
Aurora started to back away, bumping into Millard and pushing him back with her body.
"Best show in town!" the mermaid said again, wobbling toward them on her tail.
"Far i fulan pytt." Sang the bear man, "Fullan af draugum."
"My head feels like candy floss." Bronwyn said dreamily.
Millard swayed, "Mine too."
When his voice came suddenly out of the air the mermaid, bear man and both clowns all jumped, then they looked at their group with a new kind of hunger. If there had been any doubt as to their peculiarness before, Millard erased it. Something about him being in danger, and on the receiving end of their hungry stares, was enough to jolt Aurora awake enough to grab him and Bronwyn and start to run toward the car. The others seemed jolted by her quick movements and in turn they pushed and pulled one another, stumbling through the field. The mermaid and her cohorts didn't run after or try to stop them, but it still felt like they were fighting through a hundred spider webs.
Once they made it through the gate those webs seemed to break and their wits returned to them. They all fumbled with the handles on the car doors but that didn't stop Jake from gunning it the second he started the engine.
"Who were those awful peculiars?" Bronwyn asked.
"It felt like they were trying to crawl inside my brain." Enoch shook his head with disgust, "Ugh, I can't shake the feeling."
"They must have been why Abe marked the map with a skull and crossbones." Emma said. Aurora's eyes snapped to the back of her blonde head.
"If it's marked with a skull and crossbones why did we come here?" she questioned.
Jacob and Emma exchanged a glance, then Jacob shrugged, "We had nothing else to go off of."
"If this place is dangerous, why did H send us here?" Bronwyn added.
"Maybe it's a test." Millard pondered.
"I'm sure it is." Jacob replied, "The question is, did we pass? Or was that just the beginning?"
"I'd say we failed pretty spectacularly." Aurora bit back.
"We made it out alive Aurora, that has to count for something." Emma tried reasoning.
Aurora scoffed with a small smile, "If Abe marked it as dangerous, and you had told us he had, we could have sent half our group in and kept the other half in the car as backup. Instead, you risked us all."
Silence met her reply. They all knew she made a very good point. They hadn't thought of that. This is what she'd been afraid of, her friends charging into dangerous territory without a hint of hesitation or wariness. She didn't feel bad for knocking them down a few pegs, maybe next time they'd be more cautious.
Jacob opened his mouth to respond but something in the rearview mirror caught his eye, "Cops! Everyone act normal."
"Acting normal is a basic survival instinct for us mate." Enoch said crossing his arms.
"Do you think they know about Millard stealing from that store?" Bronwyn asked with worry.
"No way. That was too far back."
Aurora pivoted in her seat and saw the car with the flashing blue and red lights gaining on them. They rode Jake's bumper so hard she feared they might hit it. Then the road widened into a passing lane and they poured on the speed and pulled alongside their vehicle. But they didn't turn on their siren, they didn't shout over a megaphone for Jacob to pull over, they just stayed even, the driver's elbow out his window, casually, and stared.
It was the kind of behavior that reminded her of the wights. Just thinking the name drove her heartrate up. She calmed herself by looking at the men, their eyes exposed, not hidden by sunglasses, and clearly colored with irises and pupils.
"What do they want?" Bronwyn wondered aloud.
"Nothing good." Emma replied softly not moving her lips too much so the men couldn't see.
"Their car is old." Jacob pointed out, "Like, thirty, maybe forty years old. They don't make them like that anymore."
"Maybe they can't afford new ones." Bronwyn said now turning her body and curling into Aurora who rested her arm around the smaller girl.
"I don't think so." Jake muttered as the cops braked and fell back. Then they made a sharp turn, off onto some dirt road, and were out of view. "That was so strange."
"Let's get out of here before they come back." Enoch said also now turned in his seat looking behind them. "Portman quit driving like my nan and stomp that rightmost pedal."
"Good idea." He agreed and sped up. They kept their new pace for a few miles before the engine developed an alarming rattle and a red light flashed on the dashboard.
"Oh what the hell?"
"Could be a simple fix." Enoch said confidently, "But I won't know until I have a look."
They had just passed a sun faded billboard that read WELCOME TO STARKE, POP. 502. Beyond it was a handmade sign that read SNAKES 4 SALE – PETS OR MEAT.
The car's rattle grew steadily louder, they had no other choice but to stop in Starke. Jacob found a truck wash with a mostly deserted parking lot and they all got out so Enoch could poke around under the hood.
"Too bad Aurora can't just touch the car and heal it." Emma said as she got out.
"It's too late to get rid of me Em." Enoch replied without missing a beat as he popped the hood and his head vanished under it as he got to work. Aurora passed the time by finding a couple of sticks and drawing pictures into the dirt with Bronwyn, they played a few rounds of tic-tac-toe while Millard poured over the maps with Jacob and Emma, Olive's copy of Peculiar Planet floating in his hands. She noticed he drew a big X over the section on Mermaid Fantasyland.
"It's the strangest thing." Enoch said reappearing as he straightened himself. "I see which part failed, but I can't understand what happened to it. It should last a hundred thousand miles."
"Do you think someone tampered with it?" Jacob asked as they regrouped.
Enoch scratched his chin, transferring a smear of engine oil to his face. "I don't see how that's possible, but I'm not sure how else to explain it."
"Could those policemen have been peculiar?" Aurora asked. "They might have had an ability that messes up mechanics."
They all thought it over, looking back and forth with varying looks of concern.
"If. . . " Millard began hypothesizing, "If they were working with the peculiars at Mermaid Fantasyland that would make sense."
"And if they weren't?" Emma asked.
Millard took a deep breath, "Then that means Peculiar America might be more hostile then we originally anticipated."
Emma ran her hands through her hair as she turned from the group. She let out a long breath then turned to Enoch, "I don't care how it broke. Only whether you can fix it."
"And how fast." Jacob tacked on. A peel of thunder sounded in the distance, Aurora turned and saw the thunderclouds that were gathering. It was shaping up to be a nasty night.
"Of course I can do it. How long depends on a few things."
"Evening." Said a new voice making them all jump. From seemingly nowhere there was a boy standing a little ways away, on a rise where the parking lot met a field of wild grass. He looked about thirteen, had brown skin and wore an old style shirt and flat cap. He spoke softly and walked more softly still, so much that none of them had heard him approach.
"Where'd you come from?" Enoch asked holding a hand over his heart, getting grease on his tee shirt.
"Over yonder." The boy replied pointing to the field behind him. "My name's Paul. You need some help?"
"Not unless you have a twin-choke downdraft carburetor for a 1979 Aston Martin Vantage." Enoch grumbled.
"Nope." Paul said, "But we've got a place you can hide that thing while you tinker with it."
That grabbed their attention.
"And who are we supposed to be hiding from?"
Paul studied them all for a moment. He was engulfed in shadow, silhouetted against the sky's last light, making his expression unreadable. He carried a strange authoritative aura for a boy his age.
"Y'all ain't from here, are you?"
"We're from England." Emma replied.
"Well. . . " he shifted his weight, "Around here folks like us don't want to be out after dark unless they've got a damn good reason to be."
"What do you mean, like us?" Aurora questioned from where she stood behind Bronwyn, both hands resting on the girl's shoulders.
"You're not the first out-of-town peculiars to have an automobile break down along this particular stretch of road."
She knew it, Aurora thought, one of those policemen had to have sabotaged their car without touching it.
"What did he –" Millard sputtered, daring to speak for the first time, "Did you just say peculiar?"
The boy didn't seem at all surprised to hear words emanating from the empty air.
"I know what you are. I'm one too." He turned and began to walk into the field, "Come on. You don't want to be here when the people who sprung this trap come to see what they caught. And bring that car too. I reckon the strong one can just push it."
Aurora watched him go in amazement. It was one thing to sniff out that a group of somewhat odd young adults and children were peculiar. It was another thing to know who had what peculiarity. But at the same time it also proved that what Paul said was true – he was one of them.
Though. . . was he one they could trust?
She looked around at the others and it seemed they were just as unsure of what to do as she was. The few interactions they'd had with peculiars in this part of the world had left them all wary.
Emma was the first to speak up, "We should ask him about the –"
And at the very moment she said the words they flashed into view in the distance, beyond the field Paul was crossing, written in pink neon.
FLAMING MAN
It was a sign. A literal and actual one made of neon light. It had some letters that were out, once saying FLAMINGO MANOR, and the manor itself, or whatever it was, was mostly obscured by a cluster of pine trees.
Turning to Emma she was now smiling, "Well. You heard the young man."
She marched forward, again full of confidence. Aurora was just glad that this time she didn't have that awful knot in her stomach telling her something was wrong.
At least her instincts were good, she knew she could rely on them.
Bronwyn headed to the back of the car as Enoch shut the hood. She pushed the car as they all made their way through the field after Paul. There was the occasional car passing down the road, but thanks to the field being so overgrown and the dark of night setting in no one paid them any mind.
When they had fought their way through the grassed over path Paul had taken and cleared the trees, they found the motel - or what was left of it.
It had probably been built around 1955 with its flying V roof, kidney shaped pool and detached bungalows; but now it did a passable impression of an abandoned building. The roof was patched with tarps, the courtyard was a jungle of overgrown trees, junk cars were rusting in the pitted parking lot. The pool was empty save for a few inches of green water and a long loaf shaped thing that might have been an alligator.
"Don't mind the look of the place." Paul said, "It's nicer on the inside."
"There's no way I'm going in there." Bronwyn replied softly, though Aurora wasn't certain if she meant she was scared or if she was pointing out that she wouldn't fit with the car.
"It's got to be a loop." Millard assured her gently, "In which case I'm certain its nicer on the inside."
"The Peculiar Planet guide did mention looped accommodations near Mermaid Fantasyland." Aurora added on feeling Millard take her hand as he moved beside her.
"Look." Emma called and they saw her pointing behind them. At the truck wash the police car had returned, its search light panning side to side.
"I'm going in." Paul told them, "I advise that you follow."