Staying For Supper & An Unexpected Visitor
As it was only 4:30, Alma went into the kitchen and began cooking. Riya watched from aside, helping when it was requested.
At 5:00, they went to get Riya changed for supper. On the way upstairs, Alma and Riya passed Emma and Jake. The siblings paused in the hallway while their partners entered rooms to pick out appropriate outfits. "So, how've ya been?"
Jake snorted. He suddenly frowned. Glancing at his watch, he saw the time was the same as when they'd entered the loop. "When'd you take your pills last?" he asked.
Riya's good mood faded away. "This does seem like one of my hallucinations, doesn't it?"
Jake met her eyes. "What're the chances one of us are dreaming?"
"You fell unconscious. I'd just be hallucinating," Riya argued.
"You'd be hallucinating in my dream?"
Riya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's not start this. We'll figure it out tomorrow." She followed where Alma had headed as Jacob walked in Emma's direction.
Alma was bent over a bed, brushing wrinkles from a dress. "You may not like this style of dress, but I hope you do." She picked it up, turning, and showed it to Riya. "Well?"
It was beautiful and perhaps too formal. "Gorgeous," Riya commented, nibbling on her thumb nail. However, Riya couldn't tell if she was referring to the dress or the woman holding it.
"Do you suspect you will require assistance in putting it on?"
"Probably," Riya commented.
"Well, umm... you'll need to..." She gestured to Riya clothes.
Riya unbuttoned her vest and slipped it off. Her shirt next, she took it off too. Sitting on Alma's bed, she unlaced her boots and placed them side-by-side at the foot of the bed. She unzipped the back of her skirt and slipped it off, folding it. She placed her skirt atop her other clothes. Her hair stayed in its doughnut braid bun. She turned to Alma who had the dress unzipped on the back. As Riya slipped into it, Alma kept her grasp on the shoulders of it and helped guide it up. Riya slid her arms into the sleeves and Alma pulled the shoulders up higher, her finger grazing the skin of Riya's collarbone. Her hands slid around Riya's neck to rest on her back. Her fingers warmed the base of Riya's neck.
"Why are you so cold?" The concern falling from the Ymbryne's lips left a swell in Riya's chest.
"No clue." It wasn't like she felt it, really.
Alma's fingers tugged on the zipper which met no resistance. The zipper slid easily and, soon, Alma's hands were removed from Riya's person.
However, now Riya felt the coldness due the lack of Alma. She turned to face the pale woman and reached up to let her bun fall. Running her hands through the locks, she was startled when Alma took over for her. Her hair was parted on the right like it usually was and that make Riya wonder how she knew how her hair parted. Her bangs had been in the bun as well. "You were the bird on my window sill." It wasn't a question. "On my birthday. When I seized."
But she answered nonetheless. "Yes."
Riya caught her reflection in the oval mirror on the other side of the room. Her hair was like the feathered styles in the 70s.
Alma walked to her wardrobe and took out a pair of shoes. They were simple stilettoes. She placed them in front of Riya who lifted the skirt of her dress and slipped her pantyhose-clad feet into the shoes. She used Alma to keep her balance. When her foot finally slipped in, the lack of resistance startled Riya and she went tumbling over.
Alma's hands grasped tightly at her waist.
"Sorry," Riya murmured. She looked up at Alma though her eyelashes. "Thank you, Alma."
That was the first time she had used her name and Alma felt warm spread throughout her chest. "Of course. Shall we?" She held out her arm and Riya blushed.
"Actually, may I use your restroom?" She gestured to her eyes. "Mascara needs to be touched up." That was a lie. She didn't wear make-up except for the occasional blush.
"Of course." Alma gestured to the bathroom off to the side.
Riya grabbed her purse and briskly entered the loo.
She sighed, looking in the mirror. She looked pale as usual, high cheek bones, sunken cheeks. She hoped no one had noticed. She pulled out her box of pills and scooped up that days. Propping them between her teeth, she turned the knob of the sink to start the water. Cupping her hands, she scooped the water into her mouth, swallowing quickly as she could. Putting the box back in her purse, she pulled out her blush case. She added some so it looked like she'd done actual make-up stuff. She put it up before leaving the loo and looping hers through Alma's. They walked downstairs together and Riya sat beside Alma, on the corner. Claire sat beside her, then Hugh, then Olive, an empty chair, and the Twins sat on the other corner. Enoch sat on the other end of Alma. Fiona sat beside Enoch, on the corner, then Horace, Bronwyn, another empty chair, and what looked like an empty space, but the light behind Millard, exposing his naked form to Riya, gave him away.
Riya refused to look at him and was waiting for Jake before she sat down.
Jake and Emma entered the dining room. Emma wore a flower in her curled hair and Jake an vintage suit with a flower matching Emma's.
"My, my, don't we look fetching," Riya complimented Jake, a light smirk on her face.
"Fetching? Really?"
"How about dashing? Cute as a bug's ear? Gorger?"
"How do you know any of those?"
"Because, unlike you, I paid attention to the minor details in Annie's stories." Riya glanced to see Emma buckling herself into her chair. "They always began with, 'It was September, 1943'."
"Well, I think you're a... Shiba?"
Riya's eyes widened and a blush redder than Olive's hair covered her face.
"No?"
Riya shook her head.
"Cat's pajamas?"
"Stop trying," Riya whispered.
Jake went to sit down beside Emma.
"Moving utensils!" Riya yelled.
Jake looked at Riya, obviously startled. "Have you-"
"Millard is sitting there!" Riya cut him off, not wanting the peculiars to know about her need for pills. "The utensils are moving on their own."
"Oh."
"Millard, go and put some clothes on. Polite persons do not take the supper in the nude!" Alma scolded.
"Alright! Alright!" The utensils lowered themselves onto the table and the door open and shut on its own.
The other children giggled at his misfortune.
Jake lowered himself into the chair.
"You can sit here... Jake," Olive offered the chair beside her.
Horace caught Enoch staring at Riya. "Look at Enoch. He's got a crush?" he taunted.
"Why would I be like her? She's just a normal," Enoch hissed.
"Do not be mean, Enoch. She's a guest," Fiona scolded.
"Children, none of that. Eat up your food before it gets cold," Alma ordered as she sat down.
Everyone went to eat when bees suddenly erupted from Hugh's mouth, swarming the dining room.
"Hugh!" someone yelled.
Emma swatted at a bee. "Where's your net?" she asked like it were the weather.
Hugh sucked in and the bees flew into his mouth. One landed on Alma's finger and she blew it towards Hugh who sucked it into his mouth. He lowered the net from his bee hat.
"Must be very strange for you both," Fiona declared. "Meeting your grandfather's friends. Visiting another century."
"Are there spaceships in your time. Like the Flash Gordon books?" Olive asked.
Jake smiled and was about to reply when Alma cut him off, "Now, now! Olive, what did I say about asking questions? We don't discuss the future here." She grabbed a piece of chicken from in front of her. "We enjoy living in the good old, here and now." She took a bite to bite the meat from her bone, but part just fell back onto her plate. "Claire, why aren't you eating?" she asked, concerned.
"She's embarrassed in front of Jake and Riya," Hugh explained.
"Don't be," Riya insisted.
"Please," Jake added.
Claire glanced over at Miss Peregrine who winked before picking up a chicken leg, moving her hair aside, and placing the leg behind her head. When she brought it back, it was just the bone. Jake looked so startled Riya barked out a chuckle before covering her mouth and swallowing the laughter building up.
"Could you?" Alma asked, holding out a napkin. "She can never quite get it all."
Riya took it, leaning behind Claire, and lifted the blonde's ringlets. She wiped around the mouth and took a piece of chicken stuck between two teeth out. Sitting normal, she folded the napkin so the side she just used was inside and set it aside Claire's plate.
"So, what is your peculiarities?" Horace asked.
"Oh, I'm... we're not peculiar," Jake said.
Enoch out his utensils down. "And that, my friends, is why they'll not be staying with us. No matter how hard we try to persuade them."
"We've spoken about this, Jake and Riya are just visiting." Alma ignored the pain that sent through her chest. Honestly, she felt obligated to persuade Jake to stay, but, somehow, she knew the pain came from the thought of Riya leaving.
"Do you not want to stay?" Hugh asked.
"Don't you both want to stay?" Olive asked, her voice full of hope.
"Tonight or...?" Jake asked.
"Forever! You should stay forever!" little Claire insisted.
"Why would they if they doesn't have to? They can live out there. Grow older," Enoch stated.
Emma froze in her cutting of the carrot.
"Have a good time instead. They'll leave. Just like Abe and Annie did."
Emma slammed her utensils onto the table. She unbuckled her chair belt and marched from the room, running into an entering Millard.
"Emma!" Alma called after the retreating blonde.
"Excuse me," Millard said when he ran into Emma. When she kept walking, he asked, "Where's she going?"
"That wasn't nice, Enoch! You know perfectly well why Abe left us," Alma exclaimed.
"To join the army," Hugh said, pointing at everyone.
"And then he met a lady. And had a nice wedding cake. And a lovely little baby," Bronwyn added cheerfully.
Alma lowered her head. The image conjured into her mind nearly broke her heart. She couldn't let that happen!
She could try to force Riya to stay- No, it had to be her choice. "Children! I know you'd all like a new friend. But I'm sure Jake and Riya have plenty of their own back in Florida." A phone in the hall rang. "I think you should all get ready for movie-time while I answer that." She stood and walked towards the door.
"But you always let us stay for it," Claire complained.
Alma turned around and gave everyone a stern stare. The message was clear: 'Do as I say'.
*
Riya stood in the middle of a doorway leading into a mini theatre. A floating mug was handed to her. "Yours has extra marshmallows, Riya."
Riya looked away. "Thanks." She blindly reaching for the mug.
"Millard, put some pajamas on," Emma insisted.
Alma walked in behind Riya.
"Wait. Riya, can you see me?" Millard asked.
Riya didn't answer, just sipped her hot chocolate.
"Excuse me," Millard said, squeezing beside Emma.
Alma over to two bulbs with sticks protruding from them. She pushed on one and the lights turned off. She leaned against the doorway, beside Riya.
Horace was posing in front of a lot of mirrors and ended up turning to one of the men behind him. "Splendid, I'll take it." The image shifted to Horace shaking Jake's hand like earlier, only Alma and Riya weren't there. "Delighted to meet you. Super shirt by the way." He felt the fabric of Jake's shirt.
The scene shifted again.
Jake, Alma, and Riya were walking across the back yard, Alma and Riya linking arms.
Alma's arm slid around Riya's waist, pulling her close enough so every inch of their sides were touching. Riya shuddered at the warmth and laid her head on her shoulder.
It shifted again to a room with a large cage and a man and woman sitting below some helmets. Some white eyed men were wheeling a woman on a freaking dolly and she was looking around in terror.
"An Ymbryne. Who is she? Miss Peregrine, do you know her?" Fiona asked, turning around.
"Don't be silly. Horace was just having a bad dream. That's all," Hugh reassured her.
The white eyed people shut a door and the scene shifted again. Emma was looking at Jake and Jake was looking at Emma. They were leaning forward, surely about to kiss-
when Alma turned the lights back on. The children awed, but she ignored it. "That's quite enough. Thank you, Horace," she prompted and Horace stopped projecting, removing his monocle.
"We should probably get going," Riya piped up. The children groaned in argument.
"You could stay the night. If you wanted to. Rather than walk home alone in the dark," Alma offered.
Riya chuckled. "I wish. But no."
"The island is very safe, isn't it?" Emma asked. She was implying something.
"Of course. I only meant the path is dreadfully bumpy. They could trip. Perhaps you could show them the shortcuts. Should they ever need to avoid... bumps," Alma was hinting at something as well, but Riya didn't know what.
"Won't you stay to see the restart, Jake? It is really quite spectacular," Olive added.
Enoch let his head fall back. Clearly, he was sick of dealing with strangers who will probably leave. That or he suspected the reset was the children's last ditch effort to get the siblings to stay.
All of the children added their agreements to Olive's statement.
Alma gave Riya a large smile and walked outside. She loved showing this part to new peculiars. It proved the Loop really was the safest place on the planet, in any decade. Plus, for some reason, the children loved it.
Handed a gas mask from WWII, Riya followed the children into the back yard. It had begun to rain and there was an umbrella over a gramophone. Alma placed a dated clock on the table shielded by the umbrella too. She wound the gramophone and placed the spindle on the disk. A familiar tune began to play from it and Alma nodded at them. Riya still stood beside her and put on the mask. She glanced over her shoulder at Jake. "Are you my mummy?" she asked with an English accent.
Jake shuddered at the memory of the episode she'd forced him to watch.
*Run rabbit, run rabbit. Run! Run! Run! Don't give the farmer his fun! Fun! Fun!*
Alma pulled out her pocket watch, staring at it. When she looked up, planes began flying overhead.
*He'll get by without his rabbit pie. So run rabbit, run rabbit. Run! Run! Run!*
The gramophone started just playing music. A Nazi plane flew over the Children's Home and a bomb was hurling toward them. Riya even heard it whistling as it soared through the air. It passed the room of the house and was about to touch another part of the roof when a drop of water fell on the pocket watch and Alma took her cue to press the button on the side. Everything except them stopped, including the rain. Alma started winding the pocket watch backwards and the rain fell up and the bomb re-entered the plane and all the planes retreated, flying backwards. The song played backwards. The sun rose in the east and set in the west and bam! It was September 2nd, 1943 again.
*So run rabbit, run rabbit. Run! Run! Run!*
Alma turned around, taking her mask off and grinning at her children. It was borderline insane and left a tingling in Riya tummy.
Her mask under her arm, Alma grabbed her large clock and walked inside, pleased to allow the gramophone to play out. Everyone went inside.
*
Alma held open the door to let them leave. Jacob and Emma went ahead of Riya. Alma put a hand on her arm. "The offer stands. You can stay the night," she stated so softly, Riya could feel the affection.
"We'll be back tomorrow," Riya promised.
Glancing over her shoulder, Alma seemed satisfied and stroked Riya's cheek. "You could stay however long you like."
Though she kept her hand in Alma's, Riya walked away, letting it fall once she was far enough away.
Alma watched them go with a smile, but once they were out of sight, it turned into a frown.
As they entered the Cairn, Jake's phone chimed.
"What was that?" Emma demanded, startled.
"It was my phone," Jake explained. "It's been dead the whole time in the loop. I guess now..."
"Your phone?" Emma asked slowly.
"I'm going to wait outside the Cairn," Riya announced. She stepped out to let them have their moment of warmth.
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