The only thing on her mind was one word: run.

Keep running...

Why?

Because if you don't, he'll catch you.

What will happen if he catches me?

He wins.

Breathing hard, she leapt through the bushes, feeling branches snag at her hair, vines reaching out to latch onto her wrists and slam her into the trunk of a tree. She winced, feeling a dull thud at the back of her skull before snapping back into action, grabbing the penknife she kept on her belt and slashing open the vines.

Free once more, she hurtled through the undergrowth, turning sharply to the left and the right, desperately trying in vain to throw him off the trail. But by the humming in the air, she sensed he was close, too close for her comfort.

Whatever you do, don't stop. Her muscles screamed in protest as she sprinted forward, barely registering where she was even sprinting to. All that mattered was getting away from this cursed place before she was trapped here for all eternity. She needed to get away.

Don't falter. You know what he'll do to you, once he gets you back. He won't ever forgive you for trying to escape.

Why not?

Because no one breaks his rules.

Doubt began to cloud her mind as her heart thumped. Surely he would've won by now? She shouldn't even be still breathing in fact...

He's toying with you. You both knew who was going to win the second you decided to leave. This was a suicide mission and you know it.

He was going to grow bored in a minute, like he always did with his games. She kept that thought in her head: her heart was only still beating because he wanted it to. If he wanted her dead, there would be no two ways about it – she would be.

That's when she felt it, a single, warm breath that danced across the back of her neck. Her mind went frantic. No... not yet... please... Fingers that seemed to materialise out of thin air caressed her long brown tresses, only to disappear into the wind. Magic pulsed around her, and she struggled against the force of it as her legs began to tire.

Gasping for air, she fell to her knees, coughing and spluttering as she choked on her own failure. She'd taken her one and only chance.. and blown it. Tears pricked at her eyes but she swallowed them down. No way was she going to give him any more satisfaction.

She averted her eyes to the ground as she heard him land behind her, chuckling under his breath. Oh how she wanted to strangle that horrible son of a bitch until the life was drained out of him. The ridiculousness of that idea made her cringe.

"Well that was a fun little chase." She tensed up as she felt the warmth of his body heat on her back. Too close. Not close enough. When she said nothing, he pretended to sound hurt. She could practically hear the mocking pout in his voice, "Oh, don't go and give me the silent treatment. It's not my fault you decided to suddenly up and run in the middle of camp."

"You didn't have to come after me." she whispered, "That was your fault – not letting me go. I want to live my life, while it's still fresh and not stuck in time. I want to experience new things, learn about the world, explore it. I want to live."

He scoffed, "Why would you want to do all that when I can give you all of eternity on this island?" Her heart jumped in her chest as she felt his hand trace an idle pattern on her arm, sending sparks along her skin while the other half of her shuddered in revulsion. This boy made her crazy, questioning her own beliefs and views of the world with a snap of his finger. He was powerful, strong and evil.

A murderous demon in the shape of a boy.

Taking a deep breath, she shrugged him off, "I don't want eternity. I don't want anything you can give me, okay?" Her voice shook with pent-up emotion. "This- this place is a living hell, and the sooner I can leave, the better." She waited in agony for his reply, knowing she'd stepped over the line.

Breaking his rules are for the unwise.

In the blink of an eye, she was flung against a tree and pinned there by a force far greater than she was. A strong hand wrapped around her throat and squeezed, making her see stars and blurring her vision. She could barely make him out in front of her. His lips pressed to her ear, warm and velvety, "Then you're going to be waiting a long time, because you're not going anywhere." He hissed, and unable to help it, she whimpered.

"Please..." she gasped, scrabbling at the hand around her throat pathetically, "I- I can't-" He relented, easing his grip. Her gaze found his and she was unable to look away. Deep, forest-green eyes glinted at her maliciously, pink lips stretched into a smirk, his sandy-brown hair teased by the wind.

She should've known that villains come with pretty faces.

He cocked his head to the side, clicking his tongue, "I love how you're all strong and confident one minute and then hanging your head the next. Everyone's felt fear, don't be ashamed of it."

"I'm not afraid of you." she spat but he only grinned.

"Oh, is that so?" He leaned in close so his nose almost brushed hers. She tried to shy away from him but her head met the back of the tree. Her eyes widened when he produced a dagger, shining a bright silver in the light. He tossed it around like it was nothing but a feather, drawing it delicately under her chin. She held her breath as he watched her closely. "Show me some fear, lass. The look of pure terror in your eyes is just so satisfying."

The sharp edge dug slightly into her collarbone and she winced, feeling her blood run down her skin. His hand stroked her neck, nails digging in, "Want a break?"

She clenched her jaw, unwilling to give into him, "Skin me alive, for all I care." He raised his eyebrows, before surprisingly pulling away from her.

"You're lucky I don't want to get my hands dirty today. Perhaps another time." The dagger in his hand turned into a stone that he threw carelessly over his shoulder. His hand retreated from her neck and she sucked in a breath. "But you're coming with me, whether you like it or not."

She rolled her eyes, before slumping ahead in the direction of the camp. He wasn't far behind, about two or three paces. They'd just gotten to the glen when he grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him, "What?"

His bright green stare sent shivers up her spine, "Just to make things clear: you're not going to try and escape again because I'm not letting you out of my sight. Got it?"

She pulled away from him defiantly, "Got it." And then, she started walking again, all the while pitying what her own fate had become.

A prisoner to the one and only king of Neverland, a slave to a demon.

And that demon's name happened to be Peter Pan.

So, did you like it?

I'm thinking this story will have different time periods - one being the present and the other being the girl's past and how she ended up in Neverland in the first place.

R and R!