A Peculiar Time in 1944 - A Millard Fanfic (Miss Peregrine's Home) #wattys2020

Chapter 39

"What's important is that there's a grand plan in motion, Jacob, and you'll be part of it."{Dr. Golan/Mr. Barron, pg 293 book 1}

"They're coming!" Jake yelled while pulling Emma along on a rope. Aurora could see people in the crowd being pushed aside by seemingly nothing as the hollows made their way closer. Jake ran through the loop to signal Enoch, who luckily had thought ahead and had brought a trunkful of pickled hearts. When he ran back out he called up to the others on top of the Ghost Train.

"Go! Now!"

They all grabbed the snowballs they'd made as ammunition and began hurling them down at the hollows. When they could see bits and pieces Fiona turned to Hugh.

"Starting to see them now."

"Phase two." Hugh directed as they all reached into buckets filled with different sticky things. Some had gummy worms, some had chewing gum and some had sticky rubber snakes. They all grabbed handfuls from their pales and began throwing that as well. Emma and Olive had commandeered a candy floss stand and Emma was now blowing even more at the hollows. Finally the wight had had enough of their nonsense.

"Don't just stand there! Get them!" he ordered just as the door to the Ghost Train burst open and an army of skeletons rushed out. Most still had bits of their old clothes on them, shredded dresses, old suits, rubber boots, one even had a chef's hat on! They all carried makeshift weapons, knives, metal poles, oars, pot lids as shields, some had swords, one was fighting with an umbrella while another had a violin.

The crowd started screaming as the hollows and skeletons fought their battle running between rides and scattered people. Aurora saw Bronwyn among the chaos as she hopped on the carousel. Using her incredible strength she turned a unicorn right off its hinges and aimed it for the nearest hollow. The horn skewered it like a kabob and sent it and the skeleton it had been fighting into the sea with a huge splash.

As Aurora looked around she noticed footsteps in the snow headed for the Ghost Train and realized Millard had returned. She descended the ladder and ran inside just as Millard was buttoning his trousers. She ran to him and hugged him tightly, not caring that he was half naked, just happy to see him alive.

"I found where they're keeping Miss Peregrine and the others." He said as he dressed, "But the door is locked up tight." They ran outside and joined the others who had gathered in front of the loop entrance.

"All right. Good job guys. It's time for step two." Jake said looking around to make sure everyone was accounted for.

"Save Miss Peregrine!" Bronwyn said excitedly.

"That's sort of step three, first we've got to deal with Barron."

They all ran for the tower, when they reached the train tracks Aurora saw Millard slow down. He was looking at the tracks – judging by the tilt of his cap – and Aurora could clearly see why. There were a few drops of black blood and odd steps headed into the tower. It looked like someone had limped and hobbled their way back inside. She took Millard's hand and pulled him along.

"Come on, Millard. We don't have time." She urged and he joined her entering Blackpool Tower, both knowing they had to save their beloved ymbryne and return to the loop before they all aged out and died.

oOo oOo oOo

"Perhaps we should move the ymbrynes now." Barron said as they all scattered between the seats in the tower.

"You're not serious." Miss Edwards said.

"Do I not look serious?" Barron replied in anger, "Do I not look like a man who has searched the globe looking for just one more eye to eat in hopes of regaining sufficient humanity to return to his research? A man who spent years hunting ymbrynes in preparation for this night and two –no three – days, in Wales, pretending to look at birds! I assure you, I will not stand idly by to see my destiny derailed."

Barron was then blown back against a knife thrower's board as Emma used her peculiarity against him. Jake aimed his crossbow and missed Barron's head by an inch or two. The other wights jumped up ready to fight when Jake yelled.

"Hugh, do it now!"

The boy stood up and opened his mouth letting his bees fly free. They swarmed the wights who began furiously swatting at the insects. Miss Edwards began climbing a trapeze rigging while Mr. Gleeson dove into a pool of water screaming as the bees stung his skin.

"Come back here!" Barron called, "Get them!"

Miss Edwards grabbed a rope and swung down picking up a bucket of knives before flying herself back up onto the platform. She began hurling them in Jake, Emma and Hugh's direction. Aurora heard Hugh cry out in pain as a knife sliced his arm as he dove for cover. She turned to Millard who was disrobing beside her.

"I have to go help Hugh."

"Alright, I'm going to scout the tunnel, make sure these wights are our only problem."

She nodded "Be careful."

"You too, my love." He said before pecking her on the lips and they went their separate ways. Aurora wove between the aisles until she reached Hugh, who was crouched down at the bottom clutching his bleeding arm. She rolled up his sleeve quickly, apologizing for the pain it caused, and placed her hands on either side of the wound. Hugh watched as she concentrated and the wound slowly stopped bleeding and the skin repaired itself in seconds. The only evidence he'd ever been hurt was the bloodstain on his sleeve.

"Thanks Aurora." He said and she smiled in reply.

"You think you can stand in my way?" Barron called, "You, Jake, content to age and die as if you had not the gift of peculiarity at all?!"

Enoch jumped out and tried to attack Barron but the wight was quicker and stronger and knocked him hard in the head, letting him fall unconscious to the floor.

Barron laughed, "I am a higher being. I hold the secret to eternal life." He bragged.

"Sorry to interrupt." Olive said coming up behind him and lighting his jacket on fire. Barron quickly pulled the jacket off and started swinging it at Olive causing the girl to fall back. Jake shot the crossbow – and missed again.

"Huh. You've missed me again Jake. I take it accuracy is not your peculiarity." He mocked before Bronwyn threw a chair she'd pulled from the floor and fired it at his head. Barron groaned as he fell to the floor but he quickly recovered, Jake tried to aim the crossbow again but Barron transformed his hand into a lasso and whipped the weapon from Jake's hands. Jake then tried to stab him with one of the bolts but Barron easily knocked him down like he had Enoch.

"Abe was a much worthier adversary." He sneered down at Jake.