Chapter 1

Do you ever find yourself wishing for the same thing, over and over again? Determined that if you wish enough for it that maybe, just maybe- it would come true?

That was Ella.

Ella was a dreamer. And she refused to believe that her life was bound to end up the way it had for her mother. She refused to let her mother's past define her. No matter the bad cards Ella continued to be dealt, she knew there was something more. What it was, she wasn't sure- but she would be damned if she ever gave up looking for it. Giving up wasn't an option, in fact, searching was the only thing that kept her going.

Ella used to think that if she imagined things as hard as she could, she would wake up and it wouldn't just be a figment, but rather a reality. That maybe if she dreamed just a little longer, things wouldn't be so bad when she awoke again. She took comfort in these ideas for the longest time, too long to be brutally honest.

But, what was a girl to do?

Every night, Ella would lay awake, staring outside of her bedroom window, counting the stars as they blanketed the darkened sky- some hiding behind a few stray clouds, others so intense that they would stain her carpeted floor with their fluorescent light. It was a method she had used as a little girl to fall asleep when her imagination had become to much to bare. Instead of counting sheep, or the alphabet backwards, she drowned out her surroundings by counting the stars and wished on every single one she was fortunate enough to see burn on by. That was a habit she knew she would never get tired of. Ella wasn't sure why, but she found a sort of comfort in them- something serene and peaceful, yet something slightly mysterious as well.

Darkness began to consume her as her tired eyes began to drift closed and her mind wandered back to her mother.

Her auburn coloured hair was always long, falling past her thin shoulders and caressing against her pale skin. Something Ella had always been jealous of as she had inherited her father's dirty blonde instead. Her mother's crystal blue eyes were almost as clear as an untouched ocean and the river of freckles that swam across the bridge of her nose was seemingly perfect.

Ella pictured her dancing in a field of freshly sprung daisies, twirling and smiling brightly, laughing softly at practically nothing. She missed seeing her that happy- or happy at all for that matter. Rain began to pour but it didn't stop her, her cream coloured dress flowing out at the bottom as she continued to spin. The sun began to hide behind darkened clouds and the grass that her mother's feet danced upon began to wilt. The beautiful scene that had unfolded in Ella's mind quickly began to take a drastic turn. The daisies that sat so proudly began to wilt as well and droplets of blood dripped from the centre of each of them. Her mother's perfect skinned slowly turned grey and began to crack. The spinning came to a stop and her back was to Ella's vision. Her mother's movements became frigid and frail but with a slow turn, she whipped herself to face her. Her face contorted and falling apart. There was a loud boom and a crack of lightning that bolted across the gloomy and crying sky.

"You did this!" The woman screeched, her voice breaking. "This is YOUR fault!"

Ella jolted awake with a terrified scream. Her small frame was drenched in sweat and she was shaking all over, her breathing shallow and rigid. Collecting herself, she took a deep breath and pushed her covers off but not before attempting to wipe away the perspiration that had formed across her entire face. Trying not to make a sound, she got out of her bed and left her room, quietly making her way down the hall, heading straight for the living room.

It wasn't hard to guess where she would be. She was always there. Peeking around the corner, she glanced into the crowded living room- her eyes falling upon countless ash trays and bottles of alcohol that used to be filled to the rim with their toxic liquids, now not even containing a mouthful. Her mother was sitting up on the torn up beige sofa, an unlit cigarette hanging from her mouth, a half empty bottle of Jack at hand. She was fast asleep, which wasn't a surprise at all.

With a sigh of relief, Ella made her way back to her room and shut her door, resting her forehead against it- a single tear sliding down her cheek. She was happy it was just a dream, but seeing her mother that way never got easier, even if it was the thousandth time. Taking another deep breath, she made her way back underneath her covers and stared out the window, attempting to count the few stars that had gathered near the moon.

"I believe things will get better. I believe this can't be the only way to live a life. I believe there is something out there that is better." She whispered weakly, trying to convince herself that her words were actually believable. She was desperate and she knew it.

"I believe."

/

Pan sat crossed legged at the edge of the tallest cliff he could find in his island, his wooden pipe clutched closely to his chest. His electric green eyes searched the darkened island, for any sign of movement. The good thing about being the King of Neverland was knowing when things were out of place and when things were exactly how they should have been. Even if a blade of grass was out of place, he knew it. His job definitely had its perks, and he loved every minute of it. He loved the power he possessed and the control that went along with it. Who wouldn't enjoy having people fall at your feet and follow your every word?

With a slow movement, he put the pipe to his lips and went to play a silent tune. However, something caught his attention quickly. He turned his head and looked around, sure that he had seen something. Pan pushed himself to his feet and looked around once more. He saw no one and heard nothing.

Cocking his head slightly, his thick eyebrow slowly raising up, his gaze had stopped. Close by on a near by tree, a bunch of daisies had sprouted. Pan hadn't seen any sort of flowers except the deadly ones that poisoned you and slowly drained your life away for a very long time. Such a long time in fact, he was sure he wasn't even a boy when he had seen them last.

Cautiously, he made his way over, wiping some of his brown hair from his curious eyes and he studied them carefully. Peter looked around once more before reaching steady fingers out to examine them further. Before he was able to touch one of them, they quickly wilted and dripped a sticky red substance before seemingly exploding into dust. The sticky red substance that had fallen from them started to sizzle on the ground and seemingly disappeared. Taken aback by this, he stumbled back a few steps and blinked furiously as all of them had followed suit in this strange tiding.

Was this a warning? What the hell could this mean?

Pan glared. There was no way any one was going to take his island from him. He would never give up his youth again, let alone this beautiful Island that was only there because of his creative mind to begin with. It was time to wake up all of his lost boys.

There was an investigation to begin.