Chapter 5: Make It Past the Entrance

Felix's Perspective:

My blood ran cold as he continued to speak.

"Plus I'd rather get to see her drown. It's just too dark to see into the water at night."

All I wanted to do was stand up to Pan, to ask him why he was being so cruel; what had happened to the Peter I knew? Deep down inside he must be in there…somewhere…

But his eyes said otherwise. They were narrow, cold, and held no emotion, other than the emotion of enjoyment in others' suffering. Pan grinned slightly;

"Go on, get some sleep. Even though that fight of yours shouldn't take much effort. Just don't kill her, I want that pleasure for myself."

I balled my fists behind my back, my fingernails digging into my soft, tender flesh. He has nothing to worry about; I'm not gonna hurt her. In fact, I'm not gonna lay a finger on her. I turned away from him without another word and began to stomp off towards my hut. I was constantly trying to come up with ideas on how to help Hannah, but there wasn't a whole lot I could do. Trying to free her would be of no use; they would find her. She's not able to hide like others have in the past. And staging a fight wouldn't be easy either. In reality, it's all out of my control. Pan is expecting me to be there tomorrow to take her out. Pan is in control.

I have no choice.

Hannah's Perspective:

As I tried my best to sit up my head hit something hard—something made out of wood.

Oh…right.

My wrists had been bound with rope behind a large stake in the middle of a dirt pit. That's how I was left for the entire night. I guess I get special treatment for being the guest of honor. Lucky me. The ground was cold and damp. My eyelids feeling heavy, I struggled to open them. But as I kept trying, I was able to open them just slightly. With the little vision I had, I was greeted with vibrant hues of oranges, yellows, and pinks. For a moment I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at. But the more I examined what was in front of me, I finally came to the realization of what it was. I was looking at the sunrise before me. Sunlight filled the sky. The light was pure and scattered amongst the puffy white clouds. Through the clouds the sunlight illuminated every crevice of Neverland. How could a place overrun by such evil be so beautiful? I opened my eyes a tad more and looked around me. The leaves in the trees glistened and the sea was a dreamy shade of blue I had never experienced before. The grass was full of life. Each individual piece danced with each gust of wind that blew. The small droplets of dew hydrated the grass, giving it its luscious green color. As I breathed in the fresh morning air the wind was nearly ripped from my lungs from shock. The air was so comforting and sound. It reminded me of the smell of the air back at home—my real home. Oh how I missed my mother…

I attempted to pull away from the stake I was tied to, but it was no use. My wrists were rubbed raw from the rope. For a moment I was starting to enjoy this place, but that was short lived when I realized I was still being treated like chopped liver. That boy wants me to be violent? More actually, that boy finds pleasure in attempting to make me afraid? What kind of trauma must he have endured to make himself so wicked?

But I've already decided; I'm not going to give him what he wants.

Whoever Felix is, I'm going to be ready.

Or maybe he'll have mercy…that's a possibility too.

I rested the back of my head against the tall post behind me and released a heavy sigh. This really sucks…and I'm hungry too…Do you think an evil mastermind could spare an apple? A piece of bread?

Of course not. Oh how lucky I am to be stuck here…of all places…

Julian's Perspective:

I awoke to the sound of someone pounding on the door to my hut. Who the heck is waking me up this early?! Surely nobody is dumb enough to wake me up before noon…Roughly rubbing my eyes I sat up in my cot and swung my legs over the edge where my toes met the cold wooden floor. My bones cracked as I stood up and headed towards the door with a cranky attitude knowing that whoever was at the door would see my bedhead. Swinging open my hut door, I was surprised to be greeted by the face of Jack, a lost boy I wasn't really familiar with.

"Do you know what time it is?" I snapped, rubbing my eyes with my fists after releasing a dread filled yawn.

Jack stood before me unshaken by my snarky attitude.

"Looks like Sleeping Beauty is playing babysitter" he remarked with a sarcastic grin.

"Hm?" I questioned as I looked at him perplexed.

He looked back at me with unchanging hazel eyes.

"It's your job to go get the girl and bring her to the dueling pit. Pan's orders" he claimed, cocking a brow.

Ugh, dear god.

"Why me—"

"Ah ah ah, I'm just the messenger" Jack cut me off.

"She gets no breakfast. Just bring her straight to the pit in an hour. Again, Pan's orders, not mine."

Without a second to spare Jack turned on his heel and left me standing in the doorway of my hut. What exactly makes me the designated 'babysitter'? Sure I tied her to the stake last night, but I doubt she'd wanna see my face after leaving her there for the night.

Whatever.

In a few hours none of it will even matter…

I carelessly shut the door and worked towards getting dressed for the day, even though my body was begging me to go back to sleep. After trudging through getting dressed I headed out of my hut to catch a small bite of breakfast, except it wasn't for me. This morning I didn't particularly have an appetite, but I knew someone who hadn't eaten since she set foot in Neverland. For the last couple of months it's been slim pickings as far as food is concerned. Ever since we've lost so many boys…it hasn't been the same…It's hard to even keep track of who's left anymore…

I grabbed a shiny red apple from a bland pile of fruit. Beside the fruit were some crusty bread rolls accompanied by a poorly mashed jam made from berries. I should be grateful for the food we have, but I couldn't bring myself to be grateful for anything anymore. A few lost boys sat by the small fire while I spotted a few others transitioning into their shifts for the time being. As I walked along my head hung low, too afraid to pass by the now vacant huts of past lost boys. One in particular I don't think I could ever set foot in again. Nor could somebody else I know all too well. Eventually I was toward the edge of camp where it was isolated and quiet. Lost boys knew better than to wander toward the stake pit. As I looked ahead of me I could clearly see the large stake with the girl still tied to it. Part of me wished she could've escaped, but there was really no point. Not to my surprise she was wide awake. When I approached her she greeted me with a not so warm grin.

"Good morning sunshine" I said sarcastically.

She looked to me with her light eyes full of what seemed to be a combination of annoyed and amused. Sitting more upright she released a sigh.

"Looks like Mom's here to pick me up from daycare…"

I rolled my eyes and snickered;

"If you call this daycare you must've had a rough childhood."

She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You have no idea…" she said trailing off, her eyes falling to the ground.

As much as I wished this girl hadn't found her way here, I still partially wondered if where she came from was any better. She broke her gaze from the ground.

"So are you gonna untie me or what?" she asked in a tired manner.

Wow, she sure wants to get a move on things…

"Eh…not exactly…" I replied as I moved behind the wooden stake.

I began to cut away at the ropes that bound her to her place.

"Is this how you treat all of your special guests here?" she groaned with sarcasm.

I dropped the ropes that bound her to the stake but left the ropes that tied her hands together in tact. I grabbed a hold of her forearm and helped her to her feet. She was slightly unsteady and wobbly at first, give or take her legs probably tingling from being asleep the last ten hours.

"To be honest with you, we don't really get guests…" I answered honestly.

Her deep blue eyes peered into my soul as she tilted her head.

"Well when was the last time you had a guest like me?" she inquired, her eyes slightly narrowing.

As she spoke my chest began to feel heavy like lead. I turned away from her, my hand on her shoulder as I guided her;

"About two years ago…"

She remained quiet for a moment.

"Neverland time that is" I added.

Looking around herself for a moment she seemed a little puzzled.

"Neverland time?" she questioned curiously.

I looked around as the early morning breeze blew through the trees, making it sound as though we were being watched. But not to my surprise it was just my paranoia.

"In Neverland, time passes at a very slow rate. Even though the days and nights feel normal, time back where you're from is passing extremely quick. You could be here for what feels like a week and a month has passed by in the normal world" I explained as she looked slightly taken aback.

She opened her mouth slightly as to respond until she and I both heard the rumble of what sounded like some sort of horrid creature from deep within the Earth.

"What was that?" I exclaimed, partially frightened if we were victims of an earthquake.

The girl narrowed her eyes and scoffed;

"That would be my stomach, Einstein…"

I looked to her in amazement as I reached into my cloak. Pulling out the apple I outstretched my arm to give it to her when suddenly I felt like an imbecile…She cocked a brow and just stared at me as I awkwardly looked at the apple in the palm of my hand.

"Well genius, now what?" she remarked.

She could not accept my offering of food to satisfy her hunger due to the fact I left her bound.

Of course they make me the nanny…

"Boss says I can't untie you, or it's 'off with my head'" I explained.

The girl shrugged her shoulders and opened her mouth. At first I thought maybe she was yawning, but she just kept it open for a few moments…

She spoke;

"I'm waiting…"

There is no way…

"Well don't think I'm just gonna feed you!" I exclaimed.

She chuckled and closed her mouth.

"Guess you're gonna have to untie me."

I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue.

"I already told you, I can't—"

"Well then I guess you're feeding me" she interrupted, looking me in the eyes with a maniacal expression.

I released a sigh and begged her with my eyes. I've been in enough trouble recently and I couldn't really afford anything else Pan can pin against me. But she just wouldn't budge. For the final time I released a heavy sigh. I pulled out my knife and began to cut away at her rope. Sawing through the fibers, the rope fell to the ground releasing her from her imprisonment. She grinned in a way that was somewhat familiar. A grin that meant she had gotten her way, even if she had to undermine to get it.

"I'll take that" she grinned, grabbing the apple from my hand as she bit into it loudly.

All I could do was look at her in astonishment.

"Don't make me regret untying you. I will tie you back up and throw you into the dueling pit."

"Dueling what?" she said, looking at me questionably.

I groaned as I didn't feel like going more into depth.

"Why don't I just show you?" I said finally.

She shrugged her shoulders and began walking beside me towards the rest of camp. As we walked I began to learn more and more about this mystery girl. I would like to say she was a normal, average teenage girl, but to be honest, she wasn't. She lived for vandalizing property and humiliating others. I figured girls that enjoyed getting into trouble were an urban legend. It was now that we approached the part of camp where other lost boys resided. It then struck me that I needed to tie her back up. I reached inside my cloak hoping she wouldn't take notice of—

"And what do you think you're doing?" she questioned as she stopped in her place.

Of course. Why would I want a compliant teenage girl on my hands? I stopped in my tracks and glared at her.

"Tying you back up. You've had your fun" I snapped, not wanting to deal with her attitude and tricks.

She rolled her eyes and looked at my fiercely.

"Come on, why do you have to be the fun governor? What's Peter Pan gonna do? Kill me?" she laughed.

"Yes!" I spoke loudly and with power.

I took a step closer than her. Towering over I attempted to make her fearful. Bringing my face to her eye level I got close to her and whispered viciously;

"If you run away, they will catch you. They will hunt you down like wolves, drag your half living body back here and feed you to those mermaids."

And that girl had the audacity to laugh.

"Ooh a bunch of mermaids? How terrifying!"

I balled my fists and clenched my teeth.

"Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" I snarled.

She stared back at me blankly.

"Yeah, help me not have any fun while I'm trapped here on this stupid island" she remarked, looking about her surroundings.

I looked at her in shock. It was like she was letting go of any common sense she had in her brain. She seemed like a relatively intelligent girl, but it's like she's ignoring everything. My eyes fell to the ground for a moment before meeting her blue eyes that now grew bluer.

"You wouldn't make it past the entrance" I said.

She looked at me with a certain familiar sparkle in her eye.

"Watch me."

And so in that moment I prepared for her to kick me in places a boy should never be kicked to get away from me, but she didn't.

She didn't move a single muscle in her body. She just stared at me relentlessly.

You know what, maybe somebody needs to put her in her place…for her own safety…

If the peacekeeper isn't here anymore to stop me from playing unjust, then I say…

"Go ahead…"

I grinned and pointed her in the direction of the entrance/exit of the camp. I tilted my head and raised a brow as she looked back at me. In a matter of a second she bolted from me and started running across camp. It only took a few seconds for a lost boy in the distance to notice.

"The girl is making a run for it!" he shouted so all could hear.

Without hesitation a horde of boys dropped what they were doing and sprinted after her. Now granted, this girl wasn't slow, but she wasn't nearly fast enough to outrun boys that train daily for scenarios such as this one. The boys gained up on her quickly and were close on her tail.

Hannah's Perspective:

My calves burned intensely as I sprinted towards the exit of this stupid maze of a camp. My heart felt like it could burst at any moment. In my head I began to realize how stupid I was. I was too impatient. I should've waited longer to try to escape…But what was I supposed to do? He was gonna tie me back up! I had no choice…And I chose not to believe what he was saying…that they'd kill me…But maybe for once in my life I should have listened instead of acting without reason. Maybe that boy was actually trying to help…My hair was flying in front of my face as I continued running. I neared the entrance which was only twenty feet away when something hard whacked my feet and sent me soaring in the air. Summersaulting onto the hard ground I tumbled and smashed my face into the cool dirt. A sharp pain shot through my back leaving me unmoving and still on the ground. Breathing heavily I lifted my head off the ground and looked into the sun where I saw a figure standing a few feet in front of me. As my eyes focused all I saw was a bright forest green set of eyes staring down at me with a sinister smirk.

"Thought you could run out on your welcoming party now did you?" Peter chuckled maniacally.

At this point I had lost all of the breath in my lungs as I looked up to him. Next to his feet was a long, thick log that looked heavy enough to kill a man. I had realized that somehow he must have thrown it, but it seemed so unlikely that someone could hit a moving target from such a distance. He crouched down to my level and held the bottom of my chin with his pointer finger in a controlling manner. He made me look him directly in the eyes, making me lose all sense of feeling in my body. It was like his eyes could control me; make me believe anything he said accurate, make me fear anything he wanted me to, make me believe in anything he wanted me to. But I was determined as I scowled at him. The glimmering color of emerald, sparkling in the light of the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew made me question what made these boys fear him. With eyes like these sickness and death shouldn't even exist. But his irises turned dark and deep as they became narrowed, rigid, and cold.

"Looks like someone's eager to begin the celebration…" he grimaced.

He stood up immediately from his crouch and turned his back to me.

"Get her to the dueling pit. This won't take long…" he commanded the boys who had just watched our "friendly" exchange of words.

Not a second later I was being lifted by my shoulders and dragged in the opposite direction of the entrance. I winced in pain from the tumble I had just taken and cursed at myself for not waiting for the perfect moment to make my escape. I had messed up. I had messed up good. Way to go Hannah…

You always mess everything up…

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Long time no see :( Again I'd like to apologize for the long wait in between these chapters. It's just been kinda difficult because I want to be careful with how I write these introduction chapters so that everything is set up how I want it. Hopefully these next few chapters will be easier to write and I'll soon get on a roll of once a month updating again. So thank you so much for dealing with me, I really appreciate it XD. Sooooooooooo what do you guys think? Was Hannah dumb for trying to escape? Or do you think Pan set her up to fail? Is Pan really going to hurt her? Or will she possibly win this duel? Please let me know any and all of your thoughts and predictions because I love reading them so much. Thank you all so much for reading and I will see you in the next update!

-Agm3