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

Chapter 76

"Judging by their attire, it appears to be some sort of religious holiday." {Addison MacHenry, pg 43 book 3}

Seven Stages of Grief: Stage Two – Denial, trying to avoid the inevitable (they're running from the wights even though Aurora believes their capture to be only a matter of time)

The wights were expecting them, Aurora looked up to see two of them on the platform dressed as police officers. They were scanning the cars as they pulled into the station, the others dropped down and Aurora returned to resting her forehead against her knees, her loose hair helping shield her face like a curtain. The train came to a stop and people began boarding.

"One's coming this way." Jake said, "Get ready to run."

Then an automated voice echoed through the car, "Mind the closing doors, please."

When Aurora thought it was safe she looked up and saw Jacob point to the car next to theirs. The wight was there and he hadn't seen them from the corner where they sat. The only thing keeping him out was the small blessing in the form of a chain. It blocked the door and the wight wouldn't be able to get them until the next stop.

"What can we do?" Emma asked, "The moment this train stops again, he'll come straight in here and find us."

"Are we absolutely certain he's a wight?" Addison asked.

"Do cats grow on trees?" Aurora asked him.

"Not in this part of the world."

"Of course we aren't." Emma said, "But when it comes to wights, there's an old saying: if you're not sure, assume."

"Okay, so the second those doors open we run for it." Jake said.

"All this fleeing." Addison said with a disapproving shake of his head. "Mighn't we try sneaking? Blending in? We could simply walk away gracefully, unnoticed."

"I hate fleeing as much as anyone, but Emma and I are dressed from the nineteenth century and you're a dog who wears glasses. The only one who they may not notice is Aurora."

"If they do get me, don't stop." She spoke up, hating that they were talking about her like she wasn't there.

"Aurora –" Emma began, her eyes wide with shock.

"If they get me you all keep running. Don't come back for me."

"Aurora, I know you're hurt, but you aren't thinking clearly." Emma tried reasoning again.

"I'm not as strong as you are Emma. When Abe left you held your head high and found a way to move on. But I'd rather die in a cell next to Millard than live free without him."

oOo oOo oOo

There was a noise at the other end of the car as a pair of teenagers entered from the non-chained side of the car. They were laughing as they shared a cigarette, the girl kissing the boys neck. Aurora ducked her head, hiding under her hair again as she tried not to think of all the times she'd been that close to Millard, laughing, kissing, happy. For the most part they ignored the peculiars as Aurora's friends continued to plan their escape. It was only a moment too late she realized that Addison was actively contributing to the conversation and that would draw unwanted attention for sure.

"Keep quiet." Aurora muttered but it was too late.

"Did he just. . . ?" the boy began looking in their direction. They could have played it off but Addison was too proud to play dumb.

"Of course I didn't, dogs can't speak English. Nor any human language – save, in one notable exception - Luxembourgish, which is only comprehensible to bankers and Luxembourgers, and therefore hardly of any use at all. No you've eaten something disagreeable and are having a nightmare, that's all. Now, if you wouldn't mind terribly, my friends need to borrow your clothes. Please disrobe at once."