Title: The End of Innocence
Author: graceland
Summary: In an haunting tale of love and fear Wendy embarks on a dangerous and terrifying journey set in the lush jungles of Neverland. Although compelled to the secrets and mystery surrounding the island Wendy becomes anguished when she discovers the dark side of imagination.
Author's Note: Rated M for content of chapters to come.
01. The Nightmare Begins
Imagine a world with lush jungles and clear flowing rivers and flowers of every color wet with morning dew. The sun above warms and kisses your skin and the earth below your feet is rich with vibrant magic that makes the water taste purer liked diamonds sitting on the tip of your tongue and the rare tropical fruits swell and ripen with sweetness. The world is sparkling and even a fairy flits by you giggling as it leaves a trail of glittering fairy dust and above the birds make sweet chirping sounds.
Above the sky is clear and the clouds are white and puffy ready to plucked out of the sky and stuffed into pillows and the sea is calm the waves twinkling as they lap the sands of the beaches. It is a perfect day to lay your cheek on a smooth rock as you calmly close your eyes as you soak up the secrets of the earth.
Now imagine the world goes still for a moment.
Dirt cakes your knees and in a dirty streak across your cheek. You wipe it but notice the grimness of your fingernails and the blood on them and the palms of your hands and on your dress. Your wrists ache but you ignore the throbbing pain by numbly staring at your hands which stink of the iron smell of blood. Blood that is a mixture of yours and another's.
Your head throbs with pain and the gash above your forehead slowly beads with blood and drip slowly over your brow and in a bright splotch on your cheek in a fleck.
The world is silent.
The hush eerie in contrast to bright and beautiful morning, the lush greenery, the twittering birds, the ripe fruit, the sparkling sun, the lapping ocean, the glittering beaches, giggling fairies, and fluffy clouds.
Instead there is the stillness in knowing that you've just killed another person and soon and entire village will be upon you with knives and sticks just as ready to kill you as the next person. This revelation dawns upon you and your hands shake and your teeth clatter chillingly.
For you the nightmare has begun.
Neverland is not as it seems.