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

Chapter 46

"You're here for a reason – and it's not to fail and die." {Emma Bloom, pg 46 book 2}

They found a sea cave to drag the boats into, Bronwyn had used all her strength rowing the boat and could hardly manage to carry herself so the others all pitched in and pulled the boats with all their might. Halfway across Miss Peregrine let out a warning cry as two zeppelins bobbed over the dunes and into their line of sight. The adrenaline that coursed through them was enough to finish the job with the boats.

They all crouched in the sea cave wheezing and muscles throbbing. Emma kept whispering, "Please, please let them not have seen us."

"Ah, bird! Our tracks!" Millard shot up in realization. He stripped off what he was wearing, handing Aurora his jacket which she put on for warmth, and scrambled back outside to cover the drag marks and footprints they'd made. Aurora watched the cave entrance waiting for him to come back, his exiting footsteps the only sign of him now. Fiona scooched over to where Aurora was and rubbed her arm, "If anyone else had ventured out they'd be seen for sure, Millard knows how to use his peculiarity, he'll be fine."

A minute later –a very long minute for Aurora – he came back, shivering and caked in sand, "They're getting close now. I did the best I could." Aurora ushered him to sit next to her again and she wrapped her arms around his middle trying to get his shivering to stop.

Then they heard it, the engines of the zeppelins, getting louder and louder until the sound echoed through the cave amplifying it and making it seem like the wights were right on top of them. Emma leaned into Jake, the twins covered their ears and put their faces in their laps, Aurora hugged Millard tighter and he put his arm around her rubbing her back in comfort and to alleviate his own anxiety. Despite their peculiar powers they all felt utterly powerless, sitting together all hunched with bated breath waiting to live or die.

After what seemed like an eternity the engine's whine began to fade. Claire shook and with tears in her eyes asked to be read a Tale, Olive explained that this was no time for stories. The little girl sniffled and turned to Miss Peregrine, who had perched herself on one of the boats.

"What are we to do headmistress? Please turn human again, we're lost and in danger and getting increasingly peckish and we've got no home anymore, we need you!"

"She can't turn back right now." Bronwyn said moving next to Claire and putting her arm around her.

"But we'll get her fixed up." Fiona said hopefully.

"How?" Claire sobbed.

"I'll tell you how." Emma said standing up, "We'll walk. We'll walk and walk until we come to a town."

"What if there's no town for fifty kilometers?" Enoch asked, always the skeptic.

"Then we'll walk for fifty-one kilometers!"

"And if the wights spot us from the air?" Hugh asked from his spot beside Fiona, just close enough to her that their fingers touched.

"They won't. We'll be careful."

"And if they're waiting for us in the town?" Horace asked.

"We'll pretend to be normal. We'll pass."

"I was never much good at that." Millard said with a small laugh.

"You won't be seen at all, Mill. You'll be our advance scout, and our secret procurer of necessary items."

"I am quite a talented thief." He said with a touch of pride, "A veritable master of the five-fingered arts."

"The best." Aurora said smiling and kissing his cheek.