Chapter 11: The Flying Boy

Hannah's Perspective:

That night I barely slept. I tossed and turned, constantly feeling my anxiety slowly set my stomach on fire. I had to beat that jerk even if was the last thing I ever did. I'm just sick of people, the Lost Boys in particular, underestimating me. I was no different than them. If they saw how I was back home they'd be too afraid to stand within ten feet of me. Or at least, I wish that's how they'd view me. I always hated being treated as the weak link. I guess I just prefer having a hard exterior. The fewer people that know where I come from, the better. Being as I couldn't sleep I was up early. I had left my hut quietly as to not wake anyone else up. The fire in the camp was close to dying out as the remaining smoke dispersed in the morning air. It was early enough that I didn't see any other boys roaming the camp. It was just me. Or so I thought. As I strolled through the camp I heard the sound of logs being dropped on the ground near the fire. Looking over I discovered Pan as he threw a few longs into the pit, reviving the once warm fire. His eyes locked with me as I stood where I was. His brows furrowing I could tell from twenty feet away that he was glaring at me. Breaking eye contact he shook his head and went back to throwing logs into the fire. Guess he's not a morning person…Or any sort of person with a heart for that matter. He always seems to be pissed off about something. He was mysterious in ways I couldn't explain…

The morning passed quickly as I paced around the outskirts of the camp. I tried to sit down and relax but sitting only made me more anxious. One by one other boys would wake up and gather around the fire while they ate their breakfast. I, however, sat alone outside my hut eating a stash of apples I had taken out of the basket that was set out. By now I had made a pile of apple cores that had resulted from stress eating. For a slight moment, my mind felt at ease. Maybe Brett would lose to Trent and I wouldn't have to fight at all. Maybe this will all just blow over. The likelihood of it was unlikely, but you never know…As I sat beside my hut I was greeted by none other than Julian. At first, his eyes met mine, but it wasn't long before his eyes met the pile of apples.

"Um, should I even ask?" Julian questioned as he eyed me with a raised brow.

Shaking my head I scoffed;

"Stress eating…"

Julian's expression came across as perplexed, but he shrugged his shoulders and dismissed it.

"You ready?" He asked with a small grin.

I glared up at him and spoke hastily;

"No…" I rolled my eyes and sighed. "He's gonna chop my head off" I groaned.

I leaned the back of my head against the wall of the hut and rested my eyes.

"You'll be fine, Hannah" Julian assured me. His facial expression seemed sincere, but he wasn't the one that was gonna have to fight Brett.

Ugh…He wouldn't understand…He's never been a weak teenage girl before.

"Trust me. If you don't start believing in yourself then you'll never be able to beat him" he added.

I began to curse and mock him under my breath because I knew he was right. Opening my eyes my expression softened towards him.

"Alright, fine. I believe in myself" I said lazily.

Julian momentarily eyed me as he called my bluff. I predicted that if I didn't say what he wanted to hear he would proceed to make me sit through a long ass speech about confidence.

"Okay, fine!" I caved, closing my eyes and releasing a heavy sigh.

"I'll trust myself that I can do this" I finished as I reopened my eyes and Julian gloated in his victory.

"That's our Lost Girl" he smirked.

He's lucky I'm being nice. Otherwise, I would've counted 'Lost Girl' as a nickname and slapped him silly.

"So, do you have 'things to take care of' this morning?" I inquired sarcastically.

As Julian looked about himself seemingly cautiously he replied.

"I always have things to take care of," he remarked with a smile.

"Don't go getting yourself into trouble" he told me as he began to head in the opposite direction.

I muttered to myself, unable to resist making a snarky comment;

"No promises…"

Leaning my head back against the hut I sighed. It wouldn't be long before the Lost Boys gathered around in a circle to watch Trent duel the next challenger. And soon after that, I'll either become somewhat respected…or the laughing stock of Neverland…

?'s Perspective Long Ago…

I stormed up several flights of stairs before reaching the rooftop of the building. Emotions raced through my body all at once. Throwing the door open I slammed it shut behind me without looking back. I rushed to the edge of the roof, falling on my knees as I leaned my upper body on the ledge. Weeping into my arms I cursed and held myself accountable. I inhaled and exhaled deeply before I pulled myself together. There was no point in crying. What happened couldn't be undone. Nobody can be brought back to life once they've gone. Wiping the warm tears from my face I cleared my throat and breathed in through my nose, relishing in every moment I could. Why does God take the best people away from us? Looking at the stars I watched as they twinkled and shimmered in the night sky. She had joined them up there, I was sure of it. She sparkled and danced within the gusts of wind up with the stars above. I could feel it in my bones.

"Are you waiting for him?" a voice within the shadows called out to me.

As I turned around I was met with a boy no older than sixteen sitting on a large crate on the adjacent side of the roof. His hair was messy and untamed while his eyes were of a pristine, shining hazel hue.

"Waiting for who?" I queried, sending him a puzzled expression.

The boy looked at the stars and gazed upon them mesmerically.

"They say there's a boy that can take you away to a place where time stands still, where you never have to deal with grown-up things again," he told me, looking up at the sky with much hope and wonder.

Skeptical of the boy's story I turned my attention back to the stars.

"Fairytales like that don't exist," I said. "They're told as folklore, or as a family heirloom to keep us hopeful" I replied with the thickness of disbelief drenching my voice.

Nevertheless, the boy continued on.

"But they do" he insisted. "I've seen him."

I turned my head back to the boy as he got up from his seat on the crate. As he approached the ledge he plopped himself down beside me. At first, I was sure the boy was absolutely mad, but I cross-examined him. Partially because I wanted to catch if he was lying, but also because I was genuinely curious.

"What did he look like?" I questioned him, raising a brow and meeting his eyes.

A small smile creeping up on his face he spoke tenderly;

"He was our age" he spoke. "Maybe a tad bit older. He was dressed in forest green and looked as though he actually could have lived in one" he said.

The boy looked away from me and locked eyes with the stars once more.

"This is where you're gonna think I'm crazy" he admitted.

"Too late for that" I commented with a slight chuckle.

The boy raised a brow and met my eyes again.

"This boy…could fly…" he insisted. "For miles, he soared above the city. I thought my eyes had deceived me, but it's true" he grinned.

Eyeing the boy I shook my head back and forth. Before I could get a word out, however, he started again.

"Look out there" he gestured, pointing his finger in front of us.

"Right there, do you see those stars? The two over in the distance" he asked.

As I looked out into the sky I was able to discern the stars he spoke so highly of.

"Whenever I see him, he flies toward the second one on the right. But he doesn't fly there alone…" he told me.

I remained quiet until I couldn't bear the suspense anymore.

"Well, who does he fly with?" I questioned, partially wondering if this boy was just feeding me false hope.

His face was covered by an outstretched grin.

"Boys like us" he stated. "Boys that deserve an extra chance. Boys that are lost…"

At that moment a thought deep in the back of my mind arose.

What if what this boy was saying…was the truth? What if there were others like me? A sudden question peaked my interest.

"How are you like me? You don't even know me…" I trailed off as my eyes fell back to the sky.

Tilting his head the boy began.

"Well for starters, what's a teenage boy doing in a medical ward if he has a perfect life?" He spoke rhetorically.

My eyes fell toward the cold cement of the roof. He was right.

"Well, what about you? What led you to go astray?" I asked.

The boy smiled coyly.

"My parents sent me off to a boarding school when I was twelve. Little did I know that when I returned for the holidays I would find that they had sold our house and hit the road without me" the boy informed me.

I met his eyes and held a constant frown on my face.

"So, you've been on your own for years?" I asked woefully.

Without hesitation, the boy nodded his head.

"Yep. In fact, this is the first conversation I've had in a while…You see, I typically just go as I please. I've been all over the state, living on the streets and such. But ever since I saw the boy who could fly, I've stayed in this city…feeling hopeful…" he expressed.

I remained quiet for a few moments, not really knowing how to respond. That was until an unanswered question rang in my head.

I asked the boy as I looked at him;

"How does he know you're lost?"

Glancing out at the stars the boy replied.

"By believing…"

My brows furrowed as I tried to keep my mind open. Could I really trust this random boy off the street that he knew what he was talking about? Or was I just having a mental breakdown? At that moment it was hard to tell. I guess if I could consider this my mental breakdown then I'm doing better than I would've expected. It occurred to me then that I didn't even know who this mystery boy was.

"What's your name?" I asked bluntly, making the boy turn to me.

With a gentle smile, he stuck out his hand.

"Sam" he greeted.

Raising a brow I grabbed his hand and shook it firmly.

"Gail" I introduced myself, nodding my head slightly.

After letting go of his hand I sat and gazed out into the stars once more. Could what Sam was saying actually hold any truth? Would it hurt to just have a little hope? But the problem was, I already knew the answer to that question. Having hope was dangerous. It leaves you feeling absolutely devastated when the thing you've hoped for most doesn't come true. It leaves you feeling…alone…But if Sam was indeed here, then would it matter anymore? I would no longer be alone, so would it hurt to just have a small spark of hope within me? The thoughts raced through my head all at once until suddenly, I felt it in my heart. I felt a warm feeling that instantly made me not feel so alone anymore. It made me feel like the universe was mine and that anything was possible. Though I had lost one of the things I held most dear to myself, I gained something that made me almost feel whole again…

Hope…

Whoever this mystery boy was that Sam saw…

I believe…

At that moment something odd and quite whimsical happened. The stars that Sam had pointed out seemed to be shining brighter than before. They were so bright it almost appeared as if it could blind someone.

"What's going on?" I questioned as I pointed toward the stars.

But before Sam could answer a bright flash of light blinded us, causing both Sam and I to shield our eyes with our hands. My eyes unwillingly shut as the light somehow shone even brighter than before. But all of a sudden the bright light disappeared. When I opened my eyes it was as if nothing happened.

"Did you see that?" I asked as I turned to Sam.

With wide eyes Sam turned to me, nodding his head. Quickly looking back over the city a figure flew above us, quickly soaring above our heads as we followed it with watch eyes. Only a few seconds later the figured dipped back out of sight.

"You saw that too?" Was all I could utter at that moment as Sam silently nodded.

Springing to our feet we both raced to the other side of the roof. As we looked beyond the ledge all we saw was the dark, empty alleyway. I spoke aloud in disbelief;

"What the…"

Sam turned around while I continued to search in the alley. Feeling a slight tug on my sleeve I turned around to find myself breathless. My mouth gaped as I saw a boy floating midair above the ledge of the building. All I could see was the outline of his figure, standing powerfully as he hovered a few feet above us. He slowly lowered himself to stand on the cement ledge with both of his hands resting on his waist. His shadow seemed to stretch across the entire building, almost as if it had a life of its own. Taking a few hesitant steps closer I was able to see him in his entirety. The boy wasn't a day older than seventeen. His mahogany hair was neat and his cheeks were a rosy pink color. He held an outstretched smile that was so pearly white it could blind whoever he chose to jubilantly greet. His facial features were soft and subtle except for his very pronounced jawline. But what was most striking was his eyes. I had never seen anyone with such fluorescent green eyes before. Sam spoke as he gazed upon the flying boy.

"Are you t-the…" he stuttered before trailing off.

The boy laughed charmingly;

"The flying boy?"

He paused for a moment as he held a small smile. Without warning, he threw himself back off the ledge into the street. My heart raced until a few moments later the boy reappeared from behind us.

"Why, yes, I am" He spoke, nearly startling us.

Both Sam and I stood in amazement.

"I've seen you before," Sam began. "You've flown other boys from the city toward those stars" he gestured as he pointed to the stars he was referring to.

The boy laughed as he revealed another pearly white smile.

"Why, yes I have. Do you know where to?" He questioned as his bright eyes glimmered.

"I can't say that I do" Sam replied honestly.

With a small smile, the boy looked at the stars and pointed to the ones Sam had mentioned.

"You boys see that one, that one on the right? That's Neverland" he told us.

I eyed him quizzically.

"What's Neverland?" I asked.

With a grin the boy explained;

"It's where I'm from. It's a magical place where lost boys never have to grow up. Where they can have fun all the time without adults to pester them."

He spoke so wonderfully of this place that it was hard to imagine not wanting to live there. I stood in awe as a real-life fairytale stood before me.

"Who are you?" I questioned, my voice trailing with wonder and hope.

The boy stood up straight and held out his hand. With an endearing tooth-full grin he replied;

"The name's Peter—"

He gripped my hand tightly.

"Peter Pan."

Letting go of his hand I looked back at the stars.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Pan" I responded as I shyly turned away.

I took a few steps back as my gaze fell to the ground.

"Perhaps, you boys would like to come to see the Neverland?" Peter offered.

Sam's expression was absolutely ecstatic while mine remained calm and reserved.

"I appreciate the offer…but I don't know how I could leave…" I declined.

Peter's smile faded slightly while his eyes seemed to have the ability to look into my soul.

"My mother…she was all I had…" I spoke solemnly as I looked to the ground.

Throughout all of this Sam remained quiet.

"What are your names?" Peter curiously asked as he looked at us both.

Introducing himself Sam shook Peter's hand;

"Sam."

As he turned to me I replied;

"Gail."

Peter glanced between the two of us when his gaze fell back to me. His face softened as his smile faded.

"I lost my mother too" he spoke, meeting my eyes.

"Judging by your manners I would guess that she was a wonderful woman, and she would've wanted you to do something for yourself for once," Peter said.

As I listened to his words I began to wonder if he was right. I had spent my whole life doing things for others without taking the time to think about myself.

"Well, what if it's not as magical as I hope it to be?" I asked worriedly.

Peter's lips stretched into a slight smile. He held both of his hands out in front of him.

"Would you like to see for yourself?"

Eyeing his outstretched hand I looked out into the sky. My mother was up living with the stars, so I saw it fit to finally join her.

Hannah's Perspective:

It wasn't long before the majority of the Lost Boys had gathered around in a circle to watch the duel. Just as I'd feared, Brett challenged Trent in a duel. I stood and watched toward the front of the crowd with Sam and Julian beside continued to be optimistic even throughout watching the duel. As I observed I began to get more nervous. Brett was really advanced. The struggle in Trent's eyes was obvious to everyone watching. He wouldn't be able to hold on much longer…I gritted my teeth and watched with hopeful eyes that somehow he'd be able to pull through. But my stomach practically hit the ground when Trent tripped and fell on his back, inching away from Brett who stood above him in victory. Boys all-around cheered for their new victor.

Trent had lost.

I turned to face Julian who held a calm expression.

"Don't worry Hannah…" he spoke quietly under his breath.

My heart began to beat faster and faster as Brett's eyes met mine. The same boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes called aloud to the boys as Trent stood up from the ground;

"And the new reigning champion is…Brett!"

The constant hoots and hollers made me nauseous. The boy piped up again;

"Do we have any new challengers—"

"Actually—" Brett cut him off.

Oh no…

It was happening…

He met my eyes once more before speaking.

"I'd like to call someone out" he revealed with a sinister grin.

Not taking his eyes off me Brett announced to all of the Lost Boys.

"I challenge Hannah."

Some boys were confused as all of their eyes were drawn towards me. Oohs and ahhs could be heard from all-around as I clenched my jaw.

"Well? Don't be shy…" Brett insisted, trying to act as though he was being warm and welcoming.

Feeling a shove from a boy behind me I stepped forward hesitantly. Boys spoke under their breaths as they watched me. Looking over towards Trent he met my eyes. I caught the sword as he tossed it in the air to me.

"You know the rules?" He questioned as if I was incompetent.

Clenching my fists as well as my jaw I exhaled to relax.

"Yes…" I answered snarkily.

With raised brows Brett eyed me. He took his stance with his sword out in front of him. Following suit I focused on the way he was standing in an attempt to find any weaknesses. But as I examined him I didn't see anything that was blatantly obvious. Without warning, Brett charged toward me with his sword. My reflection danced warmly within the warm metal blade of my sword as I blocked Brett's first swing. Pushing the sword away from me I quickly threw the edge of my blade towards him. However, he was a step ahead of me and already blocked it. His laugh only fueled my rage. With a sudden outburst of energy, I pulled my sword back and swung close to his face. Though he deflected it once more, it allowed me to make direct eye contact with him. Maybe if I came across more intimidating I'd have a better chance of psyching this kid out. But when I, in fact, looked into his eyes I felt slightly unsettled. His eyes were the same chocolate brown except now green and blue specks were splattered throughout his irises. With my thoughts being interrupted he swung his sword powerfully near the edge of my face. Trying to stay calm and focused, I took deep breaths in between every swing I made. Unlike my duel with Pan, the Lost Boys cheered with enthusiasm. They hooted and hollered, but what caught me by surprise was the fact that I could hear voices cheering my name. One after another I swung my sword towards him, only to cause him to back away. The cheers began to grow louder, only encouraging me more. Brett raised his sword in an attempt to deflect my strikes, but I never gave him the chance to successfully block any of them. Wisps of the blade rang throughout the air as I showed him no mercy. Continuing to close him off I watched as fear flashed through his eyes. Quickly, he struck back at me. But as I was taught to do, I assessed my situation by watching his feet. I could see him dragging his feet across the ground as he stepped back from me. With an incredible amount of vigor, I charged straight for him with my sword, causing him to back up and eventually trip on his own two feet. Standing above him I held my sword up to his neck. For a split second the entire camp was silent as they watched. Brett shaking his head in doubt, I scoffed;

"Guess you just couldn't keep up with me…"

Grinning, several Lost Boys chanted and shouted at the top of their lungs in excitement. As I pulled the tip of my sword away from Brett's neck he stood up from the ground. Tossing his sword on the ground he nonchalantly walked into the crowd of Lost Boys and disappeared within it. As I looked around myself Lost Boys smiled and cheered me on. My eyes locked with Julian and Sam who had outstretched smiles across their faces. I couldn't help but smile widely. For the first time in a long time, I was actually proud of myself. I never knew what I was capable of…I shouted overtop of the chanting boys in a sarcastic tone;

"And you all underestimated a Lost Girl!"

They continued to cheer as I stood before them, proud of my victory. However, after a few moments Julian stepped forward from the crowd with a concerned expression and spoke quietly to me;

"Okay Hannah, I think you've had enough—"

But before he could finish I shoved him off and reveled in my victory. Moments later Sam took a hold of Julian's arm and pulled him back into the crowd.

"Who thinks they can take on me?!" I challenged amongst the boys, feeling a great amount of confidence fill my being.

The Lost Boys' chants and cheers began to die down as a sudden rustling sound in the air caught everyone's attention, drawing their eyes to something in the trees. From within the trees, a figure dropped to the ground, landing on his feet in a crouch. As his feet made contact with the ground a loud thud echoed through the air. At this time all of the boys went silent. The figure stood up from his crouch. Unable to see his face, I stood my ground. The figured appeared tall, maybe an inch or two taller than me. He walked towards me casually, leaving a few feet in between us. I could faintly hear whispers of Lost Boys around me, but I couldn't discern what they were discussing. The figure stopped suddenly as everyone watched. He reached over to his belt and unsheathed a sharp, reflective silver sword with swirls and patterns encrusted in it. He gripped it tightly in his hands as he brought the sword down to his side.

A challenger?

Alright, bring it on.

After my first victory, I felt like I could do anything.

I felt invincible…

I stood tall and kept my chin held high.

"And who might you be?" I questioned authoritatively, speaking loud enough for everyone to hear me.

As he approached another step closer the figure stopped. Taking his non-dominant hand he reached up toward his face, grabbing and pulling back the hood of his emerald green cloak.

—

A.N:

Hey guys! I'm back again with another update! Can you believe it?! I'm so happy that I've been able to continue updating within a reasonable amount of time and I'm so thankful for all of your support! So, what are your thoughts on Gail and Sam's past? How do you feel about Hannah's duel? Do you think Hannah's in over her head? Let me know all of your thoughts and predictions in the comments because I enjoy reading each and every one of them! Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you all in the next update!

-Agm3