I dedicate this chapter to Luma and crissy145. Thanks for your support.
After a long break from writing I'm finally back. Life makes it tough to update sometimes — juggling busy work, a family wedding and two hospital scares can take up quite a bit of a person's life.
Anyway, without further ado here is the next chapter.
- Rampant Id
Chapter 3:
"A Rude Awakening"
The first thing I became aware of was a strange softness under my palms. Flexing my fingers I felt individual strands of what felt like fur sliding past my hand. Opening my eyes hesitantly I quickly shut them against the piercing light that shone down on my unsuspecting face. The light was quickly blocked by someone's shadowy form. That's when I began to hear the whispers.
"He looks funny!" This was followed by a giggle and some shushing sounds.
"Moron, she's a girl. That's how girls are supposed to look." Came a scoff from somewhere off to my left.
"Quiet down, you'll wake her up," a familiar voice spoke up, the sound fading as it's owner moved further away. The last thing I remembered hearing was a distant sounding "where did you find her?" Then everything faded away and I was enveloped by sleep once more.
(Scene 2)
It was the savory smell of food that finally woke me up. I don't really remember getting up, but I do recollect that the dirt floor was cold against my bare feet. Following the delicious scent of some kind of stew I found myself standing right outside the makeshift door leading out from what I could now tell had been a gigantic tree. As I glanced back at the bark of the tree-room now directly behind me, I suddenly shivered in the chilly evening breeze that stirred my thin nightgown. It was with shock that I realized how inappropriately I was dressed for galavanting around. I had been kidnapped right out of my bed and have been running around a pirate ship, and then a lagoon, all the while barely dressed in anything at all.
As the sound of laughter came from a table not too far away I could make out some shapes crowding around, their silhouettes visible before the flames of a raging bonfire. Realizing that I was most likely illuminated by those same flames I suddenly felt my face heat up. What would mother say? I thought in shame, and then instantly felt myself tearing up with the thoughts of my poor mother, waiting desperately for our return.
"Hey, what's wrong?" A familiar voice asked right next to me. I jumped in surprise, spinning around to stare down at Ruffio's shape sitting on a log, and leaning his back against the back of the tree house. I pinched the fabric of my nightgown between my thumb and forefinger and pointed at it with my other hand saying, "I can't wear this outside, it's a nightgown, but I don't have any normal clothes." Then wiping my tears off my face with a fist I added miserably, "and I'm cold".
Ruffio slapped himself on the forehead, as if to say I'm so dumb, stood up and beckoned me back into the room. Once inside, he made his way over to where several chests were resting next to roughly a dozen cots scattered around the room.
Now that I took a moment to look around, I wondered how it was possible for such a large space to exist within one single tree. Maybe it was magic. After all, I had seen my father fly, and then I was nearly drowned by an actual mermaid. This was nowhere near as unimaginable as those two former situations.
"Here," he said, passing me what I later learned was a pair of deerskin pants along with a nondescript brown tunic — both of which were too small to belong to him, but most likely would fit me fairly well.
"Thanks, but, um, shouldn't we ask the owner of these clothes if it's ok for me to wear them?" I asked, reaching for them hesitantly.
"They won't mind. The lost boys pretty much share everything here." Ruffio replied without giving her a second glance.
"I'll be waiting outside. When you're done I'll introduce you to the rest of the boys." With that he opened the door and stepped out.
(Scene 3)
Once I finished changing I followed Rufio to the group meal, from where noisy yelling and laughter could be heard. As we got closer I began to hear and see what was really going on at mealtime. Insults were being flung back and forth, as was the food, and dodging the variously shaped airborne projectiles seemed to be bordering on the impossible. Boys of every shape and size were covered in everything from vegetable soup all the way to flourescent ice cream. I stopped a few good meters away from the spectacle for fear of getting accosted by flying meatballs. Not noticing me pause, Rufio continued on to the tables, ducking carrot missiles and flying peas as if it were second nature. The boys called out to him as he sat down and helped himself to one of the dishes that sat before him.
There were so many boys here and they were all so loud. I didn't really feel very confortable joining this rambunctious group... First it had been all those scary pirate men, then a killer mermaid, and now it was an army of noisy, rude sounding boys. I felt so very alone, desperately wishing for my mother's arms to enfold me in a protective, comforting hug.
As if he suddenly noticed that I was missing Rufio started glancing around. When he looked back and saw me, he waved me over to the table that he sat at. Confusion filled his face upon receiving my vehement head shake, and his loud voice called out:
"Maggie, don't you want to eat something?"
All of a sudden the boys at the tables instantly went quiet and all looked toward me. I could feel my face heating up from all the unwanted attention and shook my head once again. That was the exact moment that my stomach decided to make a liar out of me as it suddenly started grumbling furiously. Laughing along with some of the boys Ruffio got up and approached me once more, then he steered me toward the free spot next to him.
I sat down stiffly at the main table staring at my plate uncomfortably. The meal started up again. The boys were now dodging green veggies and pudding, rather than actually eating them. I thought about my own family meals and knew that there was no way this kind of behaviour would have been allowed. My mother would have scolded these boys soundly, and then forced them to clean up the mess that they made. However, my mother wasn't here. Neither was my brother, nor my father... whom I would never get the chance to see alive again. As I thought that my eyes filled up with tears. I felt somebody awkwardly patting me on the back, but I didn't look up to see who it was.
A boy down the table cleared his throat uncomfortably and felt it was time to ask a neutral question (at least that had most likely been the initial intent).
"So, uh, Peter Pan — I mean your dad — said that he also had a son. Was that your brother standing on the ship dressed up like Captain Hook?"
Instead of having the intended effect of distracting me from my grief, my sobs increased in volume — both in amount as well as in loudness.
"Ow!" That same voice yelped, following the sound of a resounding smack.
"What did I do?"
"Shut up you idiot, you're just making things worse." Came a sharp whisper.
I felt a hand suddenly cover one of mine and looked tearfully up at the familiar older teen's face.
"I'll get your brother back. I swore to your father that I'll save you both; I always keep my word." Ruffio stated confidently.
I offered a watery smile in thanks and opened my mouth to reply. However, I never got the chance.
A bright glow filled the air coming from the forest some distance away. As it got closer and closer it became clear that the glow was coming from individual fairies who were grouped together, holding vines that held something suspended about two feet off the ground. As the fairies approached the clearing where the group of lost boys sat staring, the shape that the fairies had carried all the way here became visible.
I gasped and stumbled out of my chair, nearly tripping over it. The rest of the lost boys followed suit, but at a slower pace. Many of them lowering their heads reverently.
To be continued...
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