Stuck in the moment

Chapter twelve

We entered the loop and I breathed heavily, stumbling over some rubble. Jake helped me up and stopped. I leaned on him and he gave me a smile. "Hello?" we heard a voice shout. "We're already in 1943..." I whispered as soft as possible. Jake looked at me confused. I rounded the corner. "Hello?" we heard again. Lamont... "Is that you, young lady?" he asked me. Jake rounded the corner as well, staring at the man. "You came through..." he began. "You're peculiar?" "Oh, yes...and I'm extremely grateful to the both of you." Lamont said, walking towards us. I pushed Jake behind me, standing in front of him in a protective way. "Terribly hard to find loops these days." Lamont continued. "So you followed us from the beach on purpose?" Jake questioned.

"Oh, no . I've been following you much further than that." the Brit stated, taking off his hat. Lamont turned into a woman, Jake's psychiatrist. "Doctor Golan?" Jake asked. "Sometimes...when it suits me." she said, coming closer. "Oi! Back off lady!" I growled. But she didn't stop. "The breadth of my peculiarity is purely limited by my imagination. The only thing I can't change..." She took out her contact lenses, revealing milky white orbs. "...is my eyes." "Barron..." I sneered.

"Oh, so you've heard of me? Well, let's do introductions just in case. Mister Barron, how do you do?" the man said. Jake tried to step before me, but I forced him back. "I saw you at your grandfather's. I was hoping to get miss Peregrine's address from him. But, alas, my traveling companion got to him before I did. And as you know, there's just no stopping a hungry Hollowgast." Barron told us.

I let out a lion-like growl, warning Barron to choose his next words very carefully. "Oh, would you look at that! The little girl has teeth." he taunted. "And I'm not afraid to use them either!" I yelled, charging at Barron. Unfortunately, he stopped me by holding his arm against my throat, but his arm was now a huge knife. "AMY!" Jake shouted, taking a step towards me. But as he did, Barron pressed the knife harder against my neck. "Come any closer and your precious Amy dies. Now, speaking of my traveling companion...he's coming. And believe me when I say to you, you don't want to be here when he arrives..." he told Jake.

"So, let's be on our way. Shall we?" Barron gestured towards the exit. "Jake, run! Warn miss Peregrine!" I blurted out. "But you'll die..." Jake replied. "Don't think about me. You'll have Emma." I said. "Would you look at that! Your Amy is willing to die for your safety. Now isn't that wonderful?" Barron sneered. I glanced at Jake. "Go...I'll be fine..." I whispered, a tear falling down my cheek. "I'm sorry Amy, I can't." he told me. "Well, lead the way. I'm not familiar here." Barron ordered. Jake looked at me in fright as Barron held the knife pressed against my neck.

"Ring the bell. As you can see, I have my hands full." Barron ordered Jake as we arrived at the front door of the home. Jake hesitated for a bit. I felt the knife press harder against my skin, drawing a small cut on my neck. As soon as Jake saw the blood leaking down my skin, he rang the doorbell loudly. After a short while, miss Peregrine opened the door. "Miss Peregrine, what a pleasure to meet you at last!" Barron told her. "May we come in? I believe Amy's...hurt." He made the cut deeper. I bit my lip, fighting back a scream. Miss Peregrine stepped back, allowing us to enter. "Children! Would you make your way down the stairs, please?" Barron shouted. The kids set one step before miss Peregrine stopped them. "I give the orders in this house, mister Barron." she sneered at him. "Not today. You should know that Amy doesn't really have a purpose. If you value her life, I suggest everyone does as they're told. Children!" he tried once more. "Shush! No one tells my children what to do. Children, come down here, please." the headmistress said. The kids slowly descended down the stairs.

"Miss Peregrine-" Barron began. "I thought I told you to be quiet!" she fired at him. "Children...for Amelia and Jake's safety we're going to do what mister Barron asks. He wishes to take me with him to his rendezvous in Blackpool. So, for his protection, he'd like me to assume bird form, preferably caged. And he'd like you to make your way into a lockable room, such as the parlour, as he won't release Amelia if he fears an attack could be mounted upon him once he loses his leverage. Correct, mister Barron?" He attempted to speak, but failed. "You're sacrificing yourself and all of us for Amelia?" Enoch asked. "Miss Peregrine, he's right. Don't do this." I breathed out. "Hush Amelia, you'll only get hurt if you speak more than mister Barron wishes. And he travels with a Hollow, Enoch. Once it arrives here, we're all dead." she said. "Enoch, only Jake can see them. And if Barron kills Amelia, he'll kill Jake moments afterwards, besides, Amelia can turn into a lioness. She can help us. Miss Peregrine means they are our only hope" I heard Horace say. It was merely a whisper, but my lioness senses were working on full capacity, including my hearing.

Eventually, all the kids entered the parlour, Emma and the twins last. They hugged miss Peregrine and walked in as well. "It's been my privilege to care for you all. Goodbye, my children." And with that. the headmistress closed the door.

"Now let her go." miss Peregrine sneered. Barron moved the knife around my neck, before releasing me completely. I fell down to the floor, breathing heavily. Jake kneeled down next to me. He grabbed my arms and helped me up. I leaned against him as I pressed my neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Barron opened a cage and miss Peregrine stepped towards us. She turned her attention to me first. "Amelia...when I gave you your personal loop, I asked you to swear something...Do you remember what it was?" she asked me. "When you couldn't take care of the children, I must. I'll protect them until my last breath. It's vow I'll never ever break." I breathed out to the headmistress. "There's a good girl." she replied. She then turned to Jake. "Promise me one thing, Jake." miss Peregrine pleaded. "That you will try to look after them all." "I promise." Jake replied. She stepped away from us and looked at me one last time before transforming into a magnificent Peregrine falcon. She flew in the cage and Barron locked the door, smirking at us.

He took both of us by the collar of our coats and threw us into the parlour as well. I fell to the ground, still weak in my knees. Barron smiled at us and waved. He spun around once more. "Boo!" he shouted. Everyone gasped and I attempted to hit him with a blast of fire. But I was too weak to even form a fire. Barron laughed at us before closing the door. Jake stood up and began to walk around the room. "It's getting dark! You won't even be able to see their shadows! We have to stay inside. It's the only place we stand a chance." Jake exclaimed. Emma handed me a piece of fabric so that I could bind the wound. I grew some healing plants in it with my peculiarity and bound it around my neck.

"He's quite right. Now, where does miss Peregrine keep her weapon?" miss Avocet asked us. "In there." Enoch said, pointing towards the back of the parlour. "Let's go!" Jake stated, running there with Emma and Enoch. "Now, all right, children, make sure all the doors are locked and the windows are latched. Everything must be sealed up tight. Now quickly, quickly go!" miss Avocet ordered us. I locked all the doors as the rest of the kids made sure the entire room was locked. Emma, Enoch and Jake came back and we shut that door as well. The three of them handed out gardening tools as Jake threw miss Avocet the crossbow. "Now, children. Now that you're all here there's a few rules. Your primary job is to stay safe. Leave the Hollow to me. I don't want to see any heroics. Now, those of you with garden tools, I must insist that you-" miss Avocet never finished her sentence, for an invisible force pulled her through the door. "

Hollow!" I yelled. Jake grabbed the crossbow and aimed for the air. Jake got up and Enoch stepped before us. "No! Enoch, get back!" he shouted. Enoch was picked up by something and Jake took aim once again. The thing was that Enoch was thrown against the glass, wall...everything. "Go! Get to the attic!" Jake shouted. Emma ushered the kids out of the room, but I stayed. "Amy! Get out of here!" he told me. "I'm not going to leave you here for dead!" I yelled back. "Go! I'll get Enoch!" he reassured me. I lingered for a bit, before running out of the room, following everyone else.