Atramentous
For a moment after Mr. and Mrs. Darling left the house the night-lights by the beds of the three children continued to burn clearly. They were awfully nice little night-lights, and one cannot help wishing that they could have kept awake to see Peter; but Wendy's light blinked and gave such a yawn that the other two yawned also, and before they could close their mouths all the three went out.
There was another light in the room now, a thousand times brighter than the night-lights, and in the time we have taken to say this, it had been in all the drawers in the nursery, rummaged the wardrobe and turned every pocket inside out. It was not really a light; it made this light by flashing about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you saw it was a sprite, glowing such as the moon beams do. Sprites were tricky little things; they wouldn't hesitate to sink their set of eight sharp teeth into ones tender flesh. The sprites dragonfly-like wings flitted about behind it, its tail swishing side to side.
The sprite wasn't the only creature watching the children's peaceful rest. Through the window stood a young looking boy, hair a mess and clothes tattered and torn. He was only a dark silhouette in the shadows of the night. It could appear that he himself were a shadow of the night.
"Luna Bell," his soft but dark and frightening voice called out. When the sprite answered to the call of its name, its moon-like glow shined over the boy who grinned, showing a mouth full of shark-like teeth and the dark colour of red hair and a green glow from his eyes. The boys skin was tanned as if he'd spent years in the summer sun, yet it also seemed dull with sickness or just filthy with dirt. If you haven't already guessed, surely this was Peter pan.
"Have you found it, Luna?" The little sprite gave a small chirp, as if saying "no," and sat in Peter's hand. Peter's toothy grin turned down as he made a click with his tongue. He stepped into the room, keeping his steps quiet, and wandered around the children's sleeping bodies. He was looking for something he knew was here, but where he hadn't a clue.
He stepped around the two boys first, watching them as they traveled unknowingly in their happy dreams. This brought a smirk to Peter's face, a sinister smirk. If they only knew who was watching them, they wouldn't seem so peaceful.
When he walked by Wendy, the treacherous smirk vanished and he stopped. He looked down at her in her bed, dreaming whatever it is little girls dreamed. Something about her Peter didn't like. There was something that to him seemed too…content. All he wanted now was to tear that peaceful look from all of her and leave her trembling and fearful, not just of him, but of everything she sees. For what Peter came here searching for was exactly what Wendy had, and he would soon steal away: innocence.
Yes, Peter had come here to find such a child as her and take away their happy innocence to be replaced with nothing but anxiousness and dread, pure terror to say the least.
With the treasure he came to collect found there was no reason for Peter to remain in this disgusting city. "Come, Luna Bell. We have something to take back," he said with a menacing grin, and grabbed Wendy's arm tightly, pulling her away from her peaceful resting spot.
Wendy jolted awake as soon as she was yanked forward. Surprised and frightened, she stumbled onto her feet and looked at the person who had her arm. Her eyes opened to full diameter and she gasped slightly. "Peter?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Peter Pan is it really you?"
Peter's smile hadn't faded, if anything it grew wider now that he knew she had heard about him. "Of course, who else could I be?" he replied in his smooth voice. He started to pull her to the window and hid the laughter rising inside him when she followed willingly.
"Won't you take them too?" Wendy asked motioning to her still sleeping brothers.
"No," said Peter. "Only you are coming. And that's okay, you'll be back before they wake up, don't worry about it." Wendy hesitated for a moment but continued to follow him. Peter stepped up to the window and reached out for Wendy's other hand to pull her up as well. "You know where we're going, right?" he asked.
"Of course I do. Neverland, the second star to the right and straight on until morning!" Wendy said gleefully.
At this, Peter did laugh, finding her joyful imagined island completely ridiculous. He said nothing to her, however, and only pulled her to the windowsill. She stared happily up at the star that she thought they were headed for, her bright smile amusing to the horrible kidnapper beside her.
With a terrible grin, he threw Wendy by her arm out of the window, watching the overjoyed look on her face quickly vanish as she fell down toward the earth. Wendy screamed, but even to herself it seemed as though a sound never left her throat. Peter was soon following after her, descending down to the ground. The impact of her fall never came.
Now, Wendy would never be able to recall how she got to the place Peter threw her in, but the demon himself had laughed the whole way there. Her eyes appeared to almost pop out of her skull, but it was as she didn't see a thing. Wendy never saw how the blood covered her; she never saw monsters that reached out to grab her; she never saw the glowing red light that met them as they entered Atramentous.
Wendy awoke in a dimly lit area, lying on her back in a bed of leaves. She could only assume that this was a forest, but it wasn't the Neverland forest she had expected. This place had no bright coloured leaves or beautiful flowers. Instead, it was all dark and deserted. The trees were the darkest she had ever seen; deep brown trunks that were rotted and falling apart, and leaves that were almost black and torn like cloth.
There was no sign of Peter anywhere. Wendy was alone in this dark place without any knowledge of where she was or where she must go. She stood shakily to her feet and began to maneuver through the thickly wooded area.
She tripped more than enough times for her liking, was scratched by limbs that reached for her and thorns protruding from vines and brambles, and she was hit numerous times on the head by low branches and debris that fell from the trees above her. When she finally saw dull light shining through the forest ahead, she was sure she had infected wounds and a mild concussion.
"This can't possibly be Neverland," Wendy cried. "It's so dark and horrible. But Peter brought me here, so it must be." She pushed aside her doubts that this wasn't the place she wanted it to be and kept moving forward until she was out in the light, the light of an ultramarine moon that is.
She stepped out from the dark trees and felt cold sand against her bare feet. The sand was a glittering black, and as she walked further across it the tiny grains shifted beneath her, proclaiming that a person had stepped this way. Wendy was trudging along through the beach sands, headed toward the water that lie in front of her. Once she had approached and let the heated waters rush at her feet, she jumped back with a startled scream and fell backwards away from the ocean.
However, 'twas no earthly ocean the lady had dipped her toes in. The hot liquid flooding around her feet was a thick goo dyed a deep crimson red. Surely you can figure out that the hot fluid pushing against the shore was a type of drainage from a living object, or creature. Even poor Wendy, her mind still trying to live in a fantasy, could see what the stains on her feet were.
She decided against going into the ocean of blood and instead stayed on the shores where she mistakenly thought she would be safe. She stayed close by the forest, afraid to wander too far toward the tide reaching across the sand. The dry sand she walked in stuck to her feet and made her shiver, every grain a new intensity of cold to her. All she was looking for now was Peter, so that maybe he could take her somewhere safer and warmer. The night air had no wind at all, but even the stillness chilled one to the bone.
As Wendy's legs began to ache from the endless amount of walking she found herself forced to endure, she spied what appeared to be a docked ship on the shore. Hope filled her heart and she ran toward the vessel, hoping whoever was inside was friendly.
She found a ladder that lead to the deck of the ship, below which was chipping white paint the read JOLLY ROGER. Wendy climbed up the rope ladder to the abandoned ship, not a soul was on it. Every step she took released a screech from the board beneath her foot, resulting in nervous jolts from her spine.
Wendy glanced around the ship, focusing her attention on a light pouring out from the bottom of a door that said captain. It was brought to her attention that this was most likely a pirate ship. At that thought, she felt her hope waver for a moment. If this really were a pirate ship, her chances of finding help here were almost none.
Nevertheless, she cautiously approached the door, ignoring the creaking of the boards, and gathered all the courage she had to knock on the door.
There was no answer, not even a gruff voice telling her to leave, or a kind voice allowing her any help. Wendy's hope died in that silence. Her face turned down in defeat and her whole body slumped. Now she could feel the aching of her legs and the stinging cold in her feet and face. She wished that Peter Pan had stayed with her to help her find a way out, or take her back home. Yes, even home was better than what she was dealing with now.
The captain's door flew open, scaring Wendy at the sudden action, and a miserable-looking man stood before her, a look of relief washing over him. Without a word, he pulled Wendy through the door and slammed it shut.
"What were you doing outside?" he asked. Wendy took her time answering that question. She looked this strange man over, deciphering in her mind if he could be trusted or not. He wore a long, red over coat, a tattered and stained white shirt underneath it. The bottoms of his black pants were hidden behind black boots, a set of tarnished silver buckles on the outside of each boot. The mans uncleanly shaven face was framed by curly black hair that just brushed over his shoulders. This was indeed the captain of this vessel, and Wendy saw something in his eyes that gave her the answer she needed.
"I was just trying to find somewhere safe. Peter Pan brought me here, then he-
"Peter Pan brought you here?" the ship captain interrupted.
"Yes," Wendy said, nodding her head as she did so.
A look of terror crossed the captains face, a look that greatly confused Wendy. She wanted to ask him a question about why Peter's name would bring a look like that to anyone's face, but she found she hadn't any idea how exactly she would ask that kind of question.
"Where is Peter now?" the captain asked cautiously.
"Well, if you can believe it, sir, I don't know. I haven't seen him since I got here. I'm afraid I'm lost."
The captain appeared to be a little relieved, but he remained disturbed by her presence. Wendy didn't know what this pirate captain knew, for, as you may be well aware, this was Captain Hook she was speaking to. This was James Hook, who had been unfortunate enough to get mixed up in the same business that Wendy was in now. Peter had caused trauma to this, now retired, pirate captain, trauma that he couldn't forget, if only because he relived it every night in his sleep.
"I'm so sorry, my dear girl…" he said to her. "Would you like to sit down? You look awfully tired," James offered. Wendy liked that idea. She walked with the captain to a small dining table to rest herself before she left to search for Peter again.
"Thank you very much, Captain," Wendy said when she sat down. James shook is head and sat across from her.
"Not at all."
"If I may, sir, what is your name?" Wendy asked politely.
"I am Captain James Hook. You can just call me James."
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Wendy Darling," she said, stretching her right hand out to him.
James only stared at her outstretched hand, thinking she had seen it when he pulled her inside, but she didn't seem to have noticed his missing appendage upon her entry. He decided the best way to reveal to her the hook he had in place of his right hand was to show her, which he did. He held it up in the light in front of Wendy and watched her terrified expression.
"I'm so sorry. What happened to you?" Wendy said.
James swallowed hard, not wanting to tell this poor girl, who seemed to think this was maybe a dream or just darkness before the morning. However, he didn't want to see her get hurt, and he knew that was exactly why she was here. "It was Peter Pan that did this to me. That's all I can say to you, dear Wendy," James answered.
Wendy's expression was now horrified and confused. There was no way Peter was responsible for such a tragedy. Maybe what James had meant was that it was an accident that Peter had caused. Of course Peter wouldn't do it on purpose, never.
"Oh, I'm sure Peter didn't mean to. He wouldn't do something like that, I know he wouldn't," she said smiling.
Oh, how wrong she was, but James didn't have the heart to take her smile away, so he faked one of his own and nodded to her. He still knew, though, that Peter would come find her and take her away to permanently tear her beautiful smile away.
James wanted to help her, to keep her here away from Peter Pan and keep her smiling, but he was to afraid. Even if Wendy was clueless, he knew what Peter was capable of. He caused nightmares and agony and lifetime trauma that could drive anyone to madness or even suicide. He wanted to protect her from that kind of torment, but even if he tried, he couldn't. She would be taken by Peter and have her innocent optimism stolen away from her.
James was prepared to make her last few hours be everything she expected from being here, but his thoughts were shattered by a loud thud outside the door. Someone had just landed on the deck, and James was fully aware of who it was. It was too late for Wendy now. Peter had come for her, and soon she would be thrown into a terrifying world of despair and pain.
The door opened slowly, revealing Peter Pan standing out in the middle of the deck, a smile across his face and his hand stretched out for Wendy to come to him. Wendy brightened up at the sight of Peter, while James backed further away into the room.
"Peter!" Wendy yelled, running to him and taking his hand. Peter flashed his teeth at her, then focused his attention on the cowering captain still in his room.
"Thank you for watching over her, Hook," he said in a low tone. "It looks like your gloominess didn't get to her. How nice for me."
And with that said, he took Wendy in his arms and jumped off the ship. James sat on the floor, blaming himself for what would most likely happen to Wendy. If only he had the courage to save her.
Peter Pan carried Wendy away to his tree house, which Wendy had imagined would be a whimsical little living space inside of a tree. Instead, it was a living area in the top of a very tall tree, with walls made of dead branches, tied together with vines, and the almost black leaves covering the whole thing. The inside seemed well kept, to her surprise.
Peter had her sit on the bed in the room and told her to just tell him about herself, which he got bored with, then asked her about how she thought he would be. She explained to him about how she had imagined him to live in Neverland, where children never grew up or had to deal with responsibilities. She told him she still knew that he had brought her here for that reason and she knew he was a good person. Peter sat through her tales smiling and trying not to laugh.
Everything Wendy described him to be was wrong. He felt his stomach jump in excitement while she talked, thinking to himself how much he was going to enjoy ripping her hopefulness from her and shredding all of her innocence and happiness. The horrified look on her face when he stole away everything she was now to shove fear and devastation down her throat would be the best thing he has ever done.
"Now I have a question for you, Peter," Wendy said, after she finished her story. Peter hummed in question, the smile still on his face. "What happened with Captain Hook? He told me you were involved in him losing his hand. It must have just been an accident, right?"
"Oh that," Peter chuckled darkly, "That's a good story." Peter Pan prepared himself to see her smiling face change while he spun his wicked tale. "That happened when Hook first arrived here. He sailed his ship up to that shore, he and his crew preparing to come down from the ship. Hook had just led a raid in London and their ship appeared to sink into the sea. Instead of drowning, like they thought they would. Their ship rose up out of the see and came here to the shore.
"Hook called out to his crew, 'Let's celebrate all this treasure we have!' They all prepared to come down to the beach, but I jumped up in front of their ladder. They pointed swords at me and ordered me to move, of course, but you know what I did instead?"
Wendy shook her head, listening intently to his story. "I turned their weapons on each of them. Sliced clean, right through each of them. I didn't aim to kill any of them, of course, but it was enough to make them step back away from me. Then I kicked each of them overboard. That's what killed them. The ocean drank them in and filled all the way up with their blood. It truly was a sight to see.
"As for the captain, well, I thought it wouldn't be any fun to kill him. No, instead I decided I would tear off his hand, but with my teeth. I bit right through the bone on the first try. Don't worry, I didn't waste his hand, I, of course, ate it. But, that wasn't enough for me. So, I didn't just eat his hand, I took his treasure. Without that treasure that he worked so hard for he can't leave Atramentous."
Peter Pan finished his story by laughing hysterically, as Wendy's happy attitude had noticeably dissolved while listening to what he had said. "A-atramentous?" Wendy asked in a shaking voice.
Peter continued to laugh, and said in between his fits, "You're not in Neverland, Wendy Darling. You've been thrown in a place where nightmares come true. This is Atramentous."
Everything hit her all at once. Her imaginary land was just that, this was a nightmare come true, and this boy that she stupidly trusted to take her to her dream land, was the monster that would eat her alive. Now, she was only in the darkness.
Wendy ran from the terrible creature she thought was Peter Pan. This mad man could not possibly be the kind boy she had imagined. She was only having a nightmare. That must have been it. If this was all, then she just wanted to wake up.
She was startled by a hand grabbing her arm. She opened her mouth to scream but another hand covered it and the sound was stopped. She turned to see who had her, and struggled against the horrifying creature that was trying to pull her back. It looked like a young boy, but he was pale and sick looking. There was despair in his eyes but a devilish grin that betrayed them. This boy was not alone, there were others with him.
"Thank you boys." Wendy heard that sickening voice call out softly. Peter walked through the small group and patted the head of the one that had Wendy. "So, you've met my Lost Boys. Aren't they charming? These are the souls of the children you'd find killing and torturing animals just for fun," Peter purred. He grabbed Wendy's arm and pulled her to him. "Look at them, Wendy. See all their scars? All their wounds? All their fear? How sad...now what caused that? Oh, right of course..." Peter leaned down by Wendy's ear and whispered darkly, "It was me."
Wendy pulled away from Peter and spun around to face him, throwing herself right into the arms of the Lost Boys. Peter laughed at her reaction and just watched. One of the Lost Boys opened his mouth and let out an inhuman moan. His mouth was full of sharp pointy teeth. Wendy screamed in horror at the sight of the demonic child that held her. Peter only continued to laugh at her.
"Alright boys. Let her go now." When she was released, Wendy fell to the ground, a heap of sobs and broken sounds. Peter was starting his evil plan, stealing the happy innocence from her. He would make her feel fear in a way she had never felt before. This was what he wanted. The demonic lost boys laughed with Peter in low yet high pitched tones that made Wendy even more scared. "Go, boys. That's enough from you."
Wendy looked up at Peter when she heard the Lost Boys retreating. Peter had a smirk on his face, looking down on her with joy-filled eyes. "Why?" she whimpered quietly.
"Why?" Peter repeated. He laughed then before answering. "Why not?" Suddenly the forest became darker and Wendy couldn't see a thing, but she was aware that Peter had left. She slowly stood to her feet and shakily walked through the dark, dead forest. So many questions went through her head. She was scared and confused. If only she hadn't gone with Peter. If only she'd stayed home. But she was naive. She thought this person that claimed the name Peter Pan was supposed to bring her joy. Instead he gave her nothing but suffering and fear. What had she done?
Wendy walked on, feeling the sharp twigs and rocks on the ground cutting into the bottoms of her feet. The wet moss sunk into her sores, causing them to burn and sting. She continued to cry quietly while she walked, the pain in her feet causing the tears to spill over, as well as the fear and loneliness sinking in. Wendy felt that there was no one here that could save her from this torment. She would never make it home. She would never see her family again. This made her cry even more.
Suddenly, Wendy was being grabbed and dragged quickly through the forest by someone. She was about to scream, thinking Peter was taking her away somewhere again, but she looked up at the person who had her and felt the slightest bit of hope. "James!"
The pirate captain pulled her quickly out of the forest and onto the beach. "Get to the ship, quickly!" he commanded. Wendy climbed up to the ships deck and waited for James to follow. He took her to the same room they'd been in before. Once inside, he locked the door, then turned to look at Wendy. He let out a humourless laugh. "What happened to the determination you had earlier?"
Wendy looked down at the floor and her bloodied and filthy feet. "Peter Pan..." she said quietly. James knew that would be her answer. However, he could sill see that this girl was not completely gone yet. He had reached her before all of her happiness was taken. There was still hope for her. However, this act of saving Wendy left no hope left for him. James had just dug his grave and held the blade against his heart. Now all that was left was for Peter to push it in.
Before that would happen, James would use the last of his life to get this poor girl back home and away from Peter Pan. There was no "if" it killed him, it would kill him. The captain knew that. Peter had already taken his hand and his treasure, this deed would surely cost him his life. What did he really have to lose? He was isolated here, no treasure, no crew and no hope. At any given moment of the day, James knew this was what he deserved. He was a pirate; he stole, he murdered, he destroyed, and now he would pay for it. All of it.
But right now, Wendy had given him one last purpose in his life. "Peter may be far away right now, but he also might be close by. There's no time to waste, we have to try leaving now. I'll take you back." Wendy lit up at the captains words. She wanted more than anything to be home right now. "It'll be hard, almost impossible, but this whole place seems like a bad dream. Tell me, Wendy, how did you get here?"
"Peter took me to the window and...and he threw me out to the ground, and then...Well, I don't know. I was here the next thing I knew." Wendy tried to remember exactly what happened, but she couldn't. All she saw were dark creatures and horrible nightmares...
James had also arrived here by falling. He thought that maybe if falling had brought them here, then they might be able to get out by flying back up. However, he couldn't think of a way to do that. There had to be some other way to get them both out. He was running out of time, though. Peter could be coming for Wendy and his life right now.
The captain grabbed Wendy's arm and lead her to a desk in the back of the room. "I've tried many times to find a way out of here. None have been at all successful."
Wendy looked at the pile of old papers strewn across the desk. Some were maps of mystic islands. Some were hand written blueprints and escape plans. There were many ideas of machines to fly like planes, but they were flawed and the kind of material needed for such a contraption was lacking in this place. "How long have you been here?" she asked James.
"I can't be certain. This terrifying mistake of a paradise has no sun, therefore no morning. It's always dark here. You lose track of what day it is, what hour it is, what minute it is."
Wendy could see the frustration and fear in James's eyes. Wendy couldn't have been here for more than a few hours, and she already couldn't handle this hellish place. James had been here much longer than her. She wouldn't blame him if he killed himself before Peter could get to him, but in this moment she was glad to have him here to help her.
"I've tried every plan I could think of to escape from here, but none have worked. There has to be some way t-
A deafening sound, much like a gunshot, sounded then, cutting off the captains next words. The whole ship jerked harshly for a moment that was only long enough for Wendy to stumble. James grabbed her to keep her from falling. Wendy looked up at him and tears sprang to her eyes at the horrified look the captain held. This was it now. There was no time left.
The door creaked open slowly, the sickening smile it revealed chilled the two occupants to the core. The terrible boy walked forward, taking each step almost in slow motion. Neither of them moved; they didn't dare; they couldn't even think to. Wendy was snatched out of the captain's grasp. This is where her tears started to spill over, but she never made a sound, or struggled to escape. Her eyes remained wide, her body was stone cold. She moved slowly with Peter, her feet and legs heavy as lead. She was handed over to the Lost Boys and taken to the deck, the captains door closing behind her. The demon boys with her laughed in their dark way as they walked away from the ship.
"You knew what would happen to you, Captain. Why didn't you just stay quiet? You might have saved yourself. Did you really hope to rescue her?" the demented child said, his smile remaining on his face.
James had given up. He couldn't escape it now. He only stood there, waiting for what he knew would come. Peter stepped forward, grabbing him by his coat. His awful smile grew wider. The demon of this island plunged his arm forward, thrusting sharply clawed fingers into James's chest. He threw the lifeless body down, holding the life-giving organ in his hand. He crushed it like it was the easiest thing to do; like he'd done it a thousand times before. "Poor captain..." the dark tone muttered as this demon of the forever night turned and left the ship as well.
The ship that had long ago docked on this land was quiet. Light didn't shine through the windows, nor leak underneath the door marked captain. The ship that went down in infamy, known and feared by those who saw it as the Jolly Roger, remained still forevermore; no light, no life, no sound. The ship itself, and those who had ever lived aboard, was dead.
Wendy's mind was still blank and her body moving automatically through the dark forest that the Lost Boys walked her through. Her tears had stopped falling long ago. She could barely feel the pain in her feet anymore, but she could still feel the agony in her chest. She may not have seen it, but she knew what happened to the brave Captain James Hook on that ship. It only made this nightmare she was now living in that much worse.
She was taken back to the tree house that Peter lived in and left by herself until he came back. The poor girl curled up on the bed, her eyes closed, dreading what she may see once she opened them again. She wanted to go home. She wanted to see her brothers and her mother and father. She wanted her life back the way it was, she no longer cared about not growing up or responsibility. She just wanted to be at home.
However, with James gone, how could she return? He was the only thing she could depend on now, and he was dead, she knew this. What did she have left? She could die now, but what about her parents? Could they handle finding out that their only daughter was kidnapped and killed? Or worse, if she committed suicide. What hope did she have here? There was nothing.
She heard the footsteps on the floor, but she didn't dare open her eyes or move from her position. She didn't need to look up to know it was Peter who had come to her, and she was too afraid to meet his eyes. What would she see there? It felt like if she were to look into his gaze, she could see the captain's death. She was terrified of that more than anything.
"I warned the poor Captain, but he went against my warnings. Such a shame, too. He ruined my fun game." Wendy jumped when she felt the cold hand lightly sweep her arm. Peter smiled his satanic smile. "I was enjoying your ignorance. Hearing you talk about a land of dreams and wonder. It seems your eyes are open now...metaphorically speaking." The fiendish boy walked slowly around the poor girl. "I won't get to play it out anymore, it seems. But that's okay, I guess... I've already decided to change the ending of this story." His terrible smile grew and a dark growl of a chuckle escaped his throat. Wendy jumped at the noise. She suddenly had a terrible sense of dread after that laugh.
The traumatized little Wendy cried out slightly when those cold, bloodied fingers grip her by her bare arm, only for a moment. No sooner had she been snatched up from the bed into that maniacal demons hold then she was thrown out of the treetop keep to the ground below. She was again falling from whom she believed was her saint, her hope in life. Though terrified and scarred, she can't say she really felt anything new in this situation. Her heart had lost it's faith, her head had lost it's optimism. She knew, not long now and she would simply lose her head, if she didn't lose her life first. Wendy had given up on everything, anything, all things. No hope, no faith, nothing. She wanted only to drown and die.
Wendy fell against sharp pricks in her skin. It was not the forest floor, but skin and sharp, stabbing caws. The Lost Boys had caught her, and each clawed finger had dug into her skin. She would have preferred hitting the hard ground, but her face stayed in a look of trance. Wendy felt the pain, yes, but she had given up and quit, so what point was there in doing anything about this predicament? It wouldn't be the last thing to happen to her like this.
"Good. You didn't hit the ground," the dark yet silky, sickening-sweet voice of treachery said. "That wouldn't have been fun. Nope. This is better." Peter Pan hit one of the hands holding onto Wendy's arm, sinking the malicious claws further into her soft skin. This time she whimpered. That satisfied the demon of the black forest, a terrible smirk broke over his face, a glint of the sharp fangs inside his mouth shining out. Wendy could feel blood run down her arms and legs now, staining into the back of her clothes and dripping from her to the dark leaves and mud below.
"Okay, drop her now." At Peter's words, the little dark elves let go of the bleeding girl, cutting her further on her way to the forest floor not far below. She gasped at the impact on her back. When her eyes opened, the small demons and their keeper had vanished. She was left to herself on this forest floor. Her head was telling her to stay put, don't move, where will you go?
How did the poor Wendy Darling arrive yet again to the blood filled ocean, gazing defeated at the dark, empty pirate ship still floating on the water? Of course she wouldn't dare to climb aboard, why would she? There was nothing there for her. She stared down at the midnight sky of the sand below her feet, blood ocean barely grazing her toes on its path up the beach.
"I'm...sorry. I'm sorry, Mother. I was wrong to want to grow up so fast. I'm sorry Father for being so childish. I'm sorry, John and Michael. I should have woken you up, but I'm glad you aren't here. I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry...I just want to go home..." The tears fell again from this poor girl. She fell to her knees and cried quietly, staring out across the sea from Hell.
If only she knew. If only poor, broken Wendy Darling knew why the horrible smirk stretched across that false angel's face. If she knew that Peter Pan, the inhumane demon of the black forest that was a betraying Neverland, had been watching, listening. That this Hellish creature with the terrifying, silky voice was almost done, almost ready to give her back to her own world...
And now had changed his mind.
Poor you, the demon thought. You could have gone back home. But you made such a mistake.
The throbbing pain beating against Wendy Darling's skull announced she had cried for hours out on that ominous black sand. With nowhere to go, she only stood out in front of the crimson sea created from dead pirates. She was alone in this nightmare, everyone else here was just another demon or corpse. There wasn't a single person to turn to, and of course Peter would never help her. Wendy was afraid that she would spend the rest of her life here, never to see her family again, at Peter's mercy, or lack of. She would be a toy for the horrible creature she foolishly followed here; the one she trusted to be a savior of sorts, but turned out to be the devil in an angel's skin.
How could she ever hope to return home? Was there even a way back? Would she ever find it before Peter came back to her? If there was a way to escape this nightmare realm she was trapped in, Peter would never let her find. It seemed like no matter where she was, whether she was with Peter Pan or not, he was always there, ready to torture her in any way imaginable. What could she even do now in this fake Neverland that was eating her sanity?
Wendy felt the clawed hand grab her wrist and screamed in surprise. One of the Lost Boys had her in his filthy hand and pulled her away, back into the forest. The defeated girl could have fought against this frightening creature and ran away as fast as her weak and tired legs would carry her. She could have...but why? What did she have to lose anymore? She followed the demented child willingly, her expression completely empty. She would suffer through whatever Peter had planned for her now. He had already won.
Poor Wendy Darling. There was so much more the Black Forest Prince could take, and if only she had realized this, she would have fought with all of her might to stop him. It would do absolutely nothing in the end. Whether she fought back or simply gave up, this would happen. Little Wendy hadn't known, when Peter Pan has a malicious plan unfolding within the devious mind of the demon, he couldn't be dissuaded. Peter's idea this time would change everything; it would destroy all that poor, distraught, defeated Wendy Darling had ever, would ever, care for...
Wendy was taken back to the depressing house within the treetops that Perter Pan resided in. She was taken up the strange, twisted vines and branches that lead to the tree house. Peter himself awaited her, standing in the center of the room with the rest of the lost boys, a guilty frown on the dark prince's face. It was the first thing to grab Wendy's attention when she looked up to the pretend savior she once trusted. She felt confused by the presence of that look.
"Wendy Darling, my dear girl," Peter said in his sweetest tone. "You look like Hell has taken you hostage. How about a smile," he added, smiling himself as sincerely as his false sympathy could muster. To his delight, though only through a small glint of her eyes, it appeared that Wendy started to fall for the trap he cleverly set. "I am very aware, dear Wendy, of how horribly I have been treating; leaving you to fend for yourself here; pushing you into the claws of these sweet children. I want to offer you the greatest apology I can give with the little abilities I possess." The terrible, believable liar sank down to his knees and clasped his hands together in front of his chest, looking up to the gullible young girl. "Wendy, dear...I want to take you home."
Wendy Darling, who had been trough so much torment, so much sadness and pain, at the hands of the demonic boy in front of her, believed every word Peter Pan said to her...
"Really? Really and truly?" The tricky inhuman being nodded happily. "Oh, thank you Peter! Thank you so much!" More tears spilled from her eyes, but of happiness now instead of despair. She was elated to be returning home, after thinking she would never see it again. A smile stretched across her face, one that almost made Peter grimace. He hated that smile; he thought he had permanently taken it away. Oh well, he thought. It will be gone soon enough.
"Come with me, my dear," Peter said, leading Wendy to the empty doorway. "Luna," he called quickly. The tiny sprite, this entire story long sitting in an unlocked cage, immediately flew over to the master calling to her. Peter Pan looked back to Wendy, still smiling his fake pleasant smile. "Ready?" he asked sweetly. When Wendy nodded excitedly, the demon of the forever night nudged the tiny, flying creature toward Wendy. Luna Bell grabbed her torn and blood splattered dress and pulled as hard as she could.
Wendy's eyes widened when Peter's happy smile turned dark once again, her own smile fading with fear. Luna Bell pulled her hard enough to knock her out of the doorway to plummet to the ground. Wendy screamed, she knew she did, but the noise was never heard even to her own ears. She also never felt the impact with the ground, and suddenly everything was black.
Wendy Darling awoke in the middle of her bedroom, the dark coloured carpet was the first thing her eyes saw when she opened them. Her mind was in such a spin the room went with it as she slowly sat up. Her first thought was that everything that had happened to her, all of the nightmare she lived through, was just that: a nightmare. But looking down at the torn and stained dress and still feeling the pain throughout her body told her it was not a dream at all, it had all been real. Now, though, she really was home, just as Peter had said. He sent her back to her home with only the memories of her torment. Hadn't the soulless monster of darkness said to her that he would go back with her? Where was he then? There was no sign that this demon had followed with the poor girl to her world. Wendy Darling told herself it didn't matter, because that was all behind her now; she could live her life like nothing happened.
"Oh, my Darling girl." A low chuckle rang as loud as a gong inside her head. Wendy froze in fear, knowing that she wasn't completely safe. A feeling of dread started to creep over her body, knowing the spinning in her head wasn't a simple dizzy spell from the trip back. "How could you have even tried to think you'd forget me?" the dark prince's voice echoed in her head, speaking only through her and no where to be seen. "Now why would I send you back alone if you still found enough joy to smile? No, I'm here with you, so we can spend the remaining moments of your short life together." The last of this statement was darkly spoken, but in a tone that told Wendy if Peter were in front of her, a sickening, frightful smirk would be on his lips.
"I guess I'll start here then. Your parents have just returned home," Peter chuckled. Wendy Darling tried to make sense of the significance of his last statement, but the realization came quickly with an almost painful impact. Twin screams cut through the air just outside of the house, followed shortly by the sound of something heavy and wet falling to the pavement. Wendy stood quickly, preparing to run to the window to see what she feared had happened, but her actions were interrupted. "Aww. Look at the two boys."
Wendy turned, eyes big as the black island's moon, to see the dark dream himself standing by her two sleeping brothers. His horribly terrifying grin stretched across his face wide as he had the two boys sat up by his side, seemingly awake but unaware of everything around them. The blood covered hand glided over John's head so lightly it calmed any sense of dread or alarm.
Wendy was alerted, however, by the bright twinkle in emerald eyes and the widening smile on the fake angel. Only a quarter of a gasp and the smallest step forward came from the girl before a terrorizing, clawed hand plunged down into the boys skull. Quickly, too, the related hand joined the first, a sickening snap sounding loudly through the room and deep into the minds of the two siblings as the two demon talons pulled apart the poor boys head.
The remaining boy, awakened from the serene trance, would almost scream in pure terror, but the night creature covered his mouth quickly and held him against his icy body. The malicious boy strode slowly across the room, holding Michael with only the hand over his mouth, while he struggled. Wendy Darling, horrified and sick, wished for nothing more than to move forward; to stop Peter in what he was doing and get her little brother back. However, she couldn't move a muscle, not even to scream, for the dangerous creature's own shadow had gained a life of it's own and held her in place.
Unfortunately for the poor girl, the shadow, directed by Peter, pushed her to the windowsill with the prince of the everlasting darkness. He held the poor young child out over the pavement and released him, a horrible smile directed toward Wendy upon the sudden release. Michael fell to the Earth, just as Wendy had, but did not fall to the black island, nor did he hit the ground. No, poor, innocent, terrified little Michael Darling met the Lost Boys. No sooner had the first part of the young child's body fallen into their claws than did sweet Wendy witness him being torn into two, then four, then shreds of tiny, bloody pieces of flesh and muscle and organs scattered about the ground.
Traumatized little Wendy Darling let out a piercing scream through the night air that cut through it like a knife. However, no one heard her. The dark demon beside her did, but the rest of the world was asleep to her cries of fear and pain. "No, no, Wendy," he spoke sweetly, keeping her trapped still in that spot. "I'm afraid they can't help you, because, you see, they're too late anyway."
The dark Hell spawn, from the island that never saw morning, so happily gave the Poor girl named Wendy Darling the same treatment that he gave that brave sea captain, James Hook. He thrust his hand forward through her chest, a sly grin on his face, and pulled out the life giving organ he found there. Peter crushed the organ in his hand, then watched, pleased, as the girls body fell to the ground. The innocent Darling family, that wonderful family that had a young daughter and two younger boys, was dead. Their blood, their skin, their organs, all of them, scattered through their house and even outside. This demon of a prince even found no regret in forcing open the jaws and tearing out the intestines of the family's poor dog. A family, who had done no wrong to anyone, was murdered in the night by a creature that shouldn't exist.
However, this was not all of Peter Pan's horrible idea for this world. The night devil walked outside in front of the house, the Lost Boys awaiting him outside where they had killed Michael, his blood running off of them like sweat. Peter smiled his sadistic smile at them. "Go ahead," he said lightly. The small, vicious creatures ran off, all to different buildings that surrounded them. Screams rang out from each house, before blood sprayed the walls and the next place was treated the same. Peter Pan himself visited many of the houses and mansions and apartments that created London. Some people were killed quickly and some messily; some had no remains at all and some had remains strewn everywhere; some were killed by vicious claws and some were eaten alive. Each scream, each terrified face, brought this demented villain more and more pleasure.
In this one night, with the bright light of an ultraviolet moon shining down on the Earth, the entire city of London was murdered in a gruesome mess. There was another light shining through the city now, glowing bright as the moon and just as blue, and in the time we have taken to say this, it had gone by all the windows of all the buildings that housed the remaining life that was being taken care of. It was not really a light; it made this light by flashing about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you'll recognize it as Luna Bell. She landed so delicately in the hand of the everlasting night's prince known as Peter Pan.
It must have been nearing six in the morning, but no sunlight came to the sky, and the bright blue moon refused to dull even a little. The surrounding ocean began to turn a deep crimson in colour, and gained a thick warmth that one would know as blood. All the sand of the beaches turned black and glittered like stars against the night sky. The city had no lights, and all was quiet.
The menacing being that had created this horrible place stood at the very top of the large clock kept in this city. His wide grin showed sharp teeth that could cut deep into ones flesh, and even through the bone. The moon shown brightly behind him, creating an ominous silhouette of the demon.
And Peter still was not finished. This big city was just the beginning, only a speck in comparison to what he had in store. The terrible, murderous cannibal Peter Pan would use this whole world as his new Atramentous. Town after town, city after city, country after country; he planned to kill them all. Some of the young children would become more Lost Boys, some of the people would become frightening demons and other creatures to roam around in his new world.
This big plan, however, would take time, but he could do it. Peter Pan could do anything he wanted, the world was his now. For, the secret to all of Peter's abilities, all his tricks, all his power to control this world, to create a world that he designed, echoed loudly in the demons sickening, sweet voice through the dead city. A song that, at just that moment, the whole sleeping world, even those wide awake, heard loud and terrifying:
Dear children when you sleep tonight
Beware the moonlight beam
Because, you see, the world you're in
Is merely Peter's dream.
No joke, AT ALL. This story is actually finished! I hope that everyone who's been following is satisfied, I know it took quite a while and you might have thought this was never going anywhere, but it finally made it to the very questionable ending I wanted. I KILLED EVERYBODY! AND, don't think that the horror story won't continue! Was anyone ever curious about Peter Pan's back story? You know about the original, but what's the reason for evil Peter? Let's just say the "Peter's dream" ending is a hint for you. ;) (no spoilers. it's a special twist prequel.) And not only is the reasoning behind Peter going to be explained, but Luna Bell just might have her own tales, just like Tinkerbell does. So, if you liked this story, please review it and tell me so, and keep an eye out for the connected stories of the Atrementous series.
