The sighting was all anyone would talk about and quite frankly, it made Lily sick. The kidnapper had finally been spotted and now everyone could hold a face to the person that was responsible for all the pain and despair they'd inflicted. The only problem was that it wasn't a face.
More of a shadow.
One of the guards that had been on his shift the other night had ran through the town square at three in the morning, screaming at the top of his lungs that he'd seen it - "Come quick! I've seen the poor girl being dragged away… by a shadow!" When everyone had gathered around him, rubbing their bloodshot eyes wearily but listening to his every word, he described how it wasn't a person at all, but a transparent being that sifted through the air like a demon of shadows, its glowing eyes like pinpricks of fire in the night.
And all the while, Lily had felt Sophie and Jill's eyes on her, daring her to turn to them and challenge them now. There was no denying it - this kidnapper wasn't normal and definitely not human. The illustration of Peter Pan from Jill's book leered into her mind, his cheeky grin and wild brown hair peeking from under a green cap and red feather. A completely innocent looking boy - could he really be behind all this?
And if he was real, did that mean the others were too?
She swallowed, abandoning her train of thought; it would only hurt her head to get lost in ideas like that. Impossible ideas that were starting to seem painfully true. Blinking, Lily looked around the crowded room she was in, her head pounding at the cacophony of voices. Everyone in her village had met up in the town committee centre, and a huge debate had set in, people yelling at each other about what had to be done.
"Set up traps, so we can capture the blasted thing!"
"Did you forget it's made of air? Don't be ridiculous, we need something better than that!"
"Shut up, both of you! Let's all grow up and think properly-"
"If you can't think of anything better, than get out!"
Lily jumped as she felt a hand brush her shoulder. She turned in surprise to see Sophie, a frown on her face, "Oh, Soph. Crazy, isn't it?" She gestured to the squabbling adults. Her friend's frown deepened.
"Worrying more like. No one has idea what to do." Sophie bit her lip and Lily saw the fear in her green eyes, "I can't help thinking that this will never end: this constant battle of trying not to be afraid, scared when I close my eyes before going to sleep. I don't feel safe anymore." Her voice was shaking, and Lily put an arm around Sophie.
"Sh…" she whispered gently, "Don't stress out, Soph. Everything will be okay, the village will work together and get this thing." Sophie nodded but both of them didn't believe it, not really.
Then Jill came bounding over, her curly ginger hair bouncing eagerly on her shoulders, "Hey guys! Jeez, it's like a war zone in here!" When neither girl answered, Jill swallowed, her light tone gone. "Um.. well people are saying that everyone should stay on watch so they can catch the - er - culprit."
Lily sighed, "Everything was so normal a month ago and now…" She looked back at the people, driven by fear and intimidation, slowly turning on each other. It was moments like this when she felt most alone, more lost than ever. The tune of a pan-flute floated into her head and refused to go away.
She left the meeting early, retreating to her small box-room in the foster home. Lily sat motionless by her window as the hours wore on, watching as the sun slowly sank and night painted the sky a deep navy blue. Her foster mother, Margaret, looked in on her to check she was okay.
"Lily, you alright hon?"
She mumbled a quiet 'mhm'. The bed creaked behind her as Margaret sat down on it, "It's nothing to worry about, sweet pea. They'll trap this thing before it can take anyone else." She bit her lip, glad the woman couldn't see the tears barely being held back in her eyes.
"Yeah, I know. I'm fine, Margaret, just a bit tired." She heard her foster mother sigh.
"Okay then. Night, Lily."
"Night." Lily bit her lip as the door closed behind Margaret before releasing a weak sob. She felt so fragile, like a deer in the middle of hunting season, just waiting until it was too late. It was like she couldn't stop anything from happening.
"Thank God. I thought that old bag would never leave." She froze as a low chuckle came from behind her. All the breath left her body and she felt like she was choking, dying in silence. Another chuckle, this one closer.
"Well, you're quiet. I was hoping for a bit of… well, fire." Lily sucked in a breath as a goosebumps broke out across her skin. The voice was taunting, and she felt the presence of something behind her. Something that didn't feel right.
"You - you were looking for me all this time, weren't you? Trying to find me." She managed to say, swallowing nervously. Lily nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt something breathe in her ear, soft as a feather.
"Clever little thing. But let's not get carried away just yet; I want to make sure." A nose that strangely felt human skimmed along her neck, and Lily tensed as a warm pair of lips pressed firmly against her raging pulse. "Ah - now that's magic."
"M-magic?" Her mind felt like it was shattering into a million pieces, driving her closer and closer to insanity. "But it doesn't-"
"Exist?" The voice mocked, and the lips pulled away from her. "Well, I'm here and you're not questioning it. I was told you were a stubborn non-believer and yet you're not even surprised that someone that shouldn't exist in your eyes is behind you right now."
"So you're Peter Pan." It wasn't a question.
"That I am. Glad my reputation precedes me." With a deep breath, Lily turned around, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to see. Gasping, she stumbled back, grabbing hold of the bedpost to keep herself steady. Peter Pan laughed maliciously, his hand reaching out to latch around her elbow.
He was here, actually here, in the flesh. She studied him with fascination and horror. He wasn't exactly a carbon copy from Jill's book - no cap and feather on his head; no glowing Tinkerbell hovering around his shoulder. His grin wasn't cheeky; it was deadly. The fairytale character had brown hair with a slight curl to it, and menacing green eyes that seemed to pierce into her soul. He wore a brown and green tunic, and leather brown cuffs around his wrists.
Pan smirked at her shocked expression, "Like what you see?"
Her eyes narrowed - he was an asshole, that much was clear, "I don't remember Peter Pan stealing his own victims, usually got his minions to do it for him." He scoffed at the word 'minions'.
"You're special. I figured I'd sort out the delivery myself."
Special? "How so?"
"Well, that's another story. When we get you home, I'll tell you." Lily backed away slowly, betraying the slightest shiver as Pan chuckled. "Don't even think of running. Because if you do, I'll gut this whole village like a load of fish and leave their bodies to the crocodiles." He said it with such a certainty and carelessness that Lily didn't doubt him for a second.
"You're a monster." she hissed, "And in some stories, you're actually written as the hero." Pan grinned.
"Well, the victors get to tell the tale, don't they, love?" Her heart was pounding with her terror, but Lily refused to cower in front of this tyrant. His hand gripped onto her arm, firmer. "Now, will we be going, or do I have to get my hands all bloody?"
She shook her head, letting him take her to the window. He waved his hand and all the locks sprung open with a nimble click. Pan turned to her, his lips stretching into a cocky smile. Lily rolled her eyes to which he laughed. "Takes a lot to impress you then?"
"I don't usually go for the crazy-murderous-straight-out-of-a-fairytale kind." And with that, Pan whisked her away, leaving her to whisper one last goodbye to the place she found she was sad to leave behind.
…
Lily sat near the calm lagoon, running her fingers through her wet curtain of hair. The waters of Neverland cleansed it, the scent of wild flowers seeping into her skin. Times like this in this cursed land made her feel peaceful, even safe. But deep down, she knew there were always eyes on her, that was she never truly alone. Lily remembered when that's what she'd desired once - to have people watching out for her, to find comfort and never be alone. Now, that was all she wanted.
Sighing, she wrung it through her hands, watching as rivulets of water sprung free before splashing into the stream below. A song came to her and she sang it halfheartedly, "I don't believe in fairytales... I don't believe in fairytales... I don't believe in fairytales... but I believe in you and me..."
"Water Lily." A voice broke her out of her reverie and she looked up to see a mermaid watching her intently. "Word has spread through Neverland that you tried to escape again. That was foolish of you."
Lily shrugged, "I know and let me guess: 'After decades of being on this island, you'd think I would've learned by now-'"
"So why haven't you?" She locked her gaze with the mermaids pearly one.
"Because I might not believe in this place, but I do believe in my rightful home and my friends and everything I care about. As long as I have that, there's always a way." The mermaid raised a doubtful eyebrow.
"You're definitely strong. Perhaps that it was why Pan has been holding out for so long." There it was again, that reminder that everyone knew what Pan had in store for her, and she didn't. After years of trying to find out, she realised there was no point - everyone remained silent. Then there was the phase where she'd tried to kill herself but every attempt had failed. One in particular made her want to be sick, a permanent reminder that her life was something she wanted to keep if she knew what was good for her. Think of drowning again love, and you won't like what comes next. But I can guarantee you, I will.
Then there was the question: if her purpose for being here was so important, why had Pan waited all these years? He's choosing the right moment. Don't ever let your guard down, because he could decide to get started at any time. She couldn't become lazy - never falter or let herself feel secure because that would be where Pan would see his chance and swoop in.
"Well, it's Pan, isn't it? No one knows all the rules in his games except him." The mermaid regarded her with interest, its long blue hair hanging down its back.
"Maybe you could be the one that makes rules of her own." And with that, it disappeared back into the water with a splash, the last glimpse Lily saw of it being its glimmering fish tail's scales shining in the light. Lily watched the mermaid swim away from under the surface, its shimmering body becoming a speck of light as the distance it took grew. It might've been a beautiful being, but they could be vicious when they wanted to be. Something else she'd learned.
"Water Lily." Damn, that nickname brought back memories and they weren't pleasant ones.
Satisfied her hair was dry, Lily got up from the lagoon's edge and ventured into the forest, grabbing her knife that was strapped to her belt. With it, she slashed open vines that were dangling in her way, searching for a particular spot. She recognized the smell when it hit her: a sharp, spicy scent that filled her lungs and intoxicated her nostrils. Ahead of her were a patch of golden flowers, fine green spots adorning their petals. Kneeling down, she gathered a few before putting them in her satchel. Then, she made her way back to the camp.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Lily!" Mike yelled at her as she walked into the clearing. The campfire was blazing with life, and all the Lost Boys were dancing wildly around it to the sinking sun. "Care for a dance?" She glared at his grinning face. She and Mike had never gotten along; he would annoy her until she nearly strangled him and it didn't help that Pan found their quarreling amusing.
"I'm fine. Maybe you should ask the bush; you'd have a better chance with that than with me." He narrowed his eyes and Lily saw Pan in the corner of her eye smirk, listening in to their conversation with his peaked hearing. He was playing the flute, surrounded by dancing boys that were howling to the music. She heard a few stray notes that managed to get through to her, but blocked out the rest. She wasn't completely lost yet but sometimes she lost her self-control and had to force herself not to join in. Lily always hated Pan's cunning smile as he watched her struggle, enjoying it immensely.
"Stop acting above everyone else here." Mike sneered, "We're all lost and unloved, the only difference is that we've accepted it. You, being the stubborn bitch you are, refuse to." Lily clenched her fists, shoving past him. She returned to her treehouse, emptying out the contents of her satchel onto the wooden desk she'd created a few years back. The flowers fell with a soft thump, some petals breaking off in the contact with the table. With her dagger, she sliced open the flower's stem, leaking out a thick black fluid that she dripped into her glass pot. Perfect, this one's quite fresh.
Then, she brought out her secret stash of paper that was tucked in her hammock and laid it out on the desk along with a quill that had been given to her as a gift. Words started forming in her head, a day's worth of imagination coming to life. Lily grabbed the quill, dipped it in the flower sap, and started writing, smiling in contentment as she did: Once upon a time, there lived a girl who was desperate to be normal: have normal parents that were happily married; have normal friends that didn't think she was weird.
Somehow, describing her life on paper made Lily feel better about it, like it wasn't really hers but just a simple fantasy. Writing made her feel calm, and even happy. And so she wrote for the rest of the evening, right up until the first glimpse of dawn.
Hey guys, sorry for not updating sooner - its been a busy week for me!
Shout outs to: bug813, , Tardis. , SylpheKuro, We're All M-M-Mad Here, fruitlooper, Oraeclipse, CH1B1 PSYCH0 and Rainbow R for following/favouriting! Thank you to The girl who cried I'm Batman, Laurita, Talk With Your Hands, terrencelovesyou, Oraeclipse and Rainbow R for the reviews - your support makes writing this fanfic that more enjoyable!
~ TheLostPangirl (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧