"Pan, quick, you must return to camp!" Felix shouted as his hurried footsteps approached the mysterious lead of Neverland, Peter Pan.
"Felix, you know better than to disturb me when I am here." The boy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, leaning against the tree trunk. His thinking tree, to be more specific, the one and only place where he could be at peace with his thoughts without being bothered by his mates.
"Yes, but Pan, there's a new arrival!" Felix eagerly explained. Peter Pan released an annoyed sigh before replying,
"Then take care of him. This isn't the first time a new boy has arrived while I'm away. Now go." He dismissed him with a wave but Felix didn't budge.
"But that's just it! This new arrival isn't just anyone, it's a girl!" Felix said, practically jumping up and down.
Now he had Pan's attention. A girl? Girls never came to Neverland, ever. He leaned forward and turned to face his friend, judged his expression, and realized that this was no joke. Something definitely was going on if the shadow brought a girl.
"Take me to her." He ordered, then followed Felix while doing his best to cover his anxious thoughts.
As they arrived to the camp, Pan noticed the boys all huddled around a small figure. "She was dropped off just outside of camp, and not too long after you left this morning." Felix explained. The boys made a path for Pan without hesitation, showing their undeniable respect for their leader. Pan confidently approached the creature with expectant eyes hitting him like daggers. He couldn't have the lost boys thinking he was weak and scared of a girl. Which of course he wasn't, Peter Pan wasn't scared of anything, but this was still a peculiar situation. Besides the fact that she was the first girl to arrive in Neverland, she was also dropped off in the middle of the day. All lost boys were dropped off by the shadow in the middle of the night.
"She's been unconscious since we found 'er." Oliver, one of the lost boys around the age of fourteen, spoke.
Pan stared in astonishment at the form laying before him, curled delicately on its side. His narrowed eyes and tight mouth showed suspicion, and the lost boys would never guess the awe he was feeling at the creature's beauty. The girl was very petite, yet her features still showed her true age of eighteen. With long, very dark brown hair that fell just above her hip bones in gentle waves, and a face so delicate, so pure, she was certainly a sight to see.
However, Pan was much smarter than to be deceived by a mere girl and her beauty. Not only were his instincts telling him she was dangerous, but he felt an alarming amount of power radiating from her unconscious body. It was unlike any he had ever encountered before. She may not know it, Pan thought to himself, but she has the potential to be very, very dangerous.
He decided that she wasn't a good sign. Her entrance to Neverland alone was enough to raise suspicion. Her magic was unpredictable, and while some of the boys had learned to dabble in magic over the many decades of living here, none of them would ever come close to being able to match Peter Pan. The girl was the first creature he had ever encountered in his entire life with magic just as, if not more, powerful than his. She could not be trusted.
However, just one more look at the girl's face made Pan question his rationality. Surely something with a face so fresh, so innocent, couldn't be harmful?
"Uh, Pan?" Felix discretely coughed, nudging his leader. Pan suddenly realized the he had been staring for much longer than he thought. He turned around and sighed, and decided to not make any drastic decisions just yet. The girl was unconscious, so she wasn't' a threat. At least not yet.
Peter Pan cleared his throat. "Move her to my tent." He ordered. Immediately the Lost Boys jumped up to help with the task. Their eagerness to please their leader calmed Pan's nerves. He could easily take this enemy-because until proven otherwise that was what she was- down with the help of his mates.
Within minutes they had all hiked their way to Pan's quarters. Felix turned to look back at Pan for permission to enter, to which he responded with a curt nod. Even Felix, the closest Lost Boy to Pan, knew better than to enter without permission.
His tent was the largest, and hidden in the far corner of the campsite. It had enough room to hold a king-sized bed made of leaves, skins, mosses, and anything else soft enough to lay on. It also contained a small cabinet that held weapons and a shelf with a few books on spells and curses. There's was plenty enough room for more but with his simple lifestyle he didn't feel the need to add anything else. He waved his fingers and a makeshift pallet appeared on the floor next to his bed. The girl would stay here, so Pan could keep his eye on her.
"Anything else?" Felix asked after laying the girl down.
"No, but send everyone off to hunt. Tonight we have a party. We'll play some games." Peter smirked. Felix grinned in reply and gave a small nod before leaving behind the other boys. No need to let this incident ruin all the fun
Now what to do with the girl. Perhaps a look inside her dreams would give me some insight, he thought. Sitting down beside her, he pressed his hands to her forehead and closed his eyes.
•••••
"Agh!" I cried out as my fathers foot made contact with my side. I was already laying on the ground, tears staining my face from enduring the countless blows. This time I was punished because they thought I was planning to escape, which I wasn't. I had my books on Neverland strolled out on my bed from reading all about the magical place. When I went to take my bath my mother walked in and saw them, and before any words were spoken I already knew my sentence by the look on her face.
"That'll teach you! If you would stop being such a disappointment and planning pointless escapes you might actually get some freedom one day!" My father's harsh words screeched as he slammed the door, locking it of course. I stayed on the ground, weeping until there were no more tears to come. What had I ever done to deserve this? This couldn't be my fate, surely someone out there cared for me. Somewhere I could find a home, if I ever escaped. I don't care where it is or who it's with, I just want to go away.
Then my thoughts began to drift towards Neverland, how lovely it must be to live in such a magical place with no rules. Perhaps one day I could find a way to go there, I think as I begin to drift off to an unconscious sleep from the pain. One day...I continue to imagine myself in such a place until darkness takes over and I suddenly don't feel anything.
My last thought is that I am flying.
