Chapter Four

"Over here!" someone shouted. "The shadow dropped her over here!"

I looked to Peter.

"What do we do?" I asked frantically.

He grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes.

"Run," he whispered.

My eyes widened as we took off in the opposite direction as the boys.

"Don't look behind you," he warned.

"Why not?" I questioned

"Looking back is a sign of weakness. Not to mention, you loose your focus."

I nodded as I panted. It was the first time in a year that I had been on land. I hardly even had a chance to recuperate from my tumble down to the forest floor. Now, I was thrust into a full on sprint. My legs wobbled, still not used to the fact that they weren't on a ship anymore. The bruises from the impact of the fall were becoming quite sore. Everything seemed to swirl around me in a doozy. I stopped running and leaned over to catch my breath.

"What are you doing?" Peter asked sharply, quitting the run himself.

"Peter, I don't feel so good," I admitted. "I think that I might throw up."

He walked up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"I know that you're frightened," Peter began.

I looked up at him quickly. "Who ever said that I was frightened?"

He lifted a brow that arched high above his eye.

"I'm a pirate, after all."

"That would explained your get-up," he said, gesturing to my white blouse and black, flowing skirt. "We can't stop now. We must keep going."

I nodded as I regained my composure. We ran quickly, the other boys hot on our trail. After we had gained some distance between us and the boys, we stopped at a clearing. The two of us leaned over to catch our breath.

"Well this is exhilarating," I breathed sarcastically. "What did you do to make them go after you anyway?"

"I stole this." He lifted his scarf to reveal a bottle tied to a string around his neck. My eyes widened.

"Is that-?"

"Pixie dust," he cut me off. "Yes. I stole it from Pan in an attempt to get out of here. But it doesn't work." He moved his scarf back.

I furrowed my brows and sighed. "Is there not a place on the island where those boys won't find us?" I asked.

"The Echo Caves," he replied. "But they're far."

I stood straight. "Then we haven't got much time to waste, now do we?"

The boys grew louder in the distance, growing ever closer. Peter looked to me and shook his head with a smirk.

"Lead the way," I requested.

With a nod, he took off into the forest. I followed closely after him.

We ran and ran into the night. I wandered what was happening back at the Jolly Rodger. Was Papa going to come and find me? Or was he going to take this opportunity to leave Neverland?

Based on the point that we were at in our relationship, it wouldn't have surprised me if he would've taken the easy way out and left without me. I suppose I was sort of a high maintenance burden.

I can't loose you too.

No. I'm all that he has left of Milah. There's no way Papa will let me go.

Peter suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. I ran into his back.

"Sorry," I said. "What is it?"

I walked around and stood beside him. There wasn't anymore ground ahead of us. We were standing at the edge of a cliff.

"Damn," Peter muttered. "He always changes the island around."

The sounds of the boys got louder. I began to get a little panicky.

"Give me your pixie dust," I demanded.

"I already told you, it doesn't work," he argued, taking the bottle off of his neck anyway. He plopped it into my hands.

"Not if you believe," I countered. I opened up the bottle and took a few steps backward. Peter followed suit.

"Well I definitely do not believe," Peter admitted.

I shook the pixie dust out in front of us.

"Well I do."

I grabbed his hand and ran forward. The pixie dust suddenly glowed green and coruscated. Just as the two of us jumped off of the cliff, the pixie dust flew beneath us, catching our fall.

The other boys ran to the edge of the cliff, just missing us. Peter and I looked back at them and shared a chuckle.

I looked down and realized that Peter and I were still holding hands. I decided not to let go. It was quite romantic flying at night over Neverland. Being with this Peter boy made it all the better. He was strikingly handsome. It threw me off guard.

"So, this...Pan," I began. "What is he like?"

Peter looked over to me. "Haven't you heard?"

I nodded. "Yes, but I'd like to hear it from someone who's had a first-hand experience with him."

He sighed. "Pan is terrifying. He'll rip out your shadow and not even think twice about it."

I furrowed my brows. "Shadow?" I asked. "Like the one that kidnapped me and brought me here?"

Peter nodded and swallowed. "That was Pan's shadow; one of the most feared creatures in all of Neverland, that is, besides Pan himself."

I nodded slowly. "What else is he like?"

"Well, he enjoys song and dance." He stared at me quite seriously. "And games."

I gulped. "Wh-what sorts of games?"

He leaned in closer and lifted an eyebrow. "Diabolical games."

"Diabolical?"

He nodded slowly. "And he always wins."

I let out a breath and looked forward again.

"Why did the shadow take you?" Peter asked me.

I sighed. "Pan wanted to trade something that my father wanted, for me," I explained. "My father declined, but I foolishly accepted, knowing how badly he wanted it. And now, here I am."

"So, Pan is after you?" Peter asked. I nodded. "You should be frightened, then," he warned. I looked up at him. "Because if Pan wants something, he'll get it."

"My father will rescue me," I reassured.

We landed at a clearing in the forest and tumbled about. After getting up, he continued the conversation.

"You're mistaken if you think that you're the first child to think that, Jane."

"I am not a child." I furrowed my brows. "And how do you know my name? I never told you that."

He smirked as he took a step towards me.

"You see, Jane, I've been waiting a good long while for you to come here."

I got a terrible, gut-wrenching feeling in my stomach. My heart beat faster. Something definitely wasn't right here.

"Who exactly are you?" I asked.

"I'm Peter!" he exclaimed. His gaze turned cold and full of malice as he stepped closer to me. "Peter Pan."

I slowly shook my head.

He suddenly pulled out a dagger and held it up in the air.

"Come on out boys!" he shouted.

From all around us, the cloaked boys emerged from hiding. They closed in on me slowly. I frantically looked from them to Peter. A sadistic grin crept across his lips as he stepped right up to me, sending shivers down my entire body.

"Let's play."