Chapter 18: A New Game

Lea's Perspective:

After stepping out of Peter's hut, I shut the door behind me and watched as a few Lost Boys chased each other around, their laughter echoing through the forest as they played their game. Another group of Lost Boys sat around the fire, laughing and joking around. There on their faces were smiles and grins, enjoying every moment they shared. At least the boys were able to let go and enjoy their lives throughout all the chaos. I guess maybe I'm just too realistic and practical for that. I couldn't enjoy the moment if I knew bad things were going to happen soon. That's just not how my head works. I looked down the line of huts and sighed when my eyes fell upon the second to last hut in the line. There was still an empty area of grass where Charlie's hut used to be. I guess we just never got around to rebuilding it. Honestly, building huts was probably the least of our concern at this point. There's no point in building more huts when Lost Boys disappear left and right.

I strolled along the line of huts, scanning each one as I passed them. They were all identical on the outside for the most part, except each one had their sense of personality depending on who inhabited it. When I neared the end of the line I began to slow my steps. I could feel my heart thumping. Not necessarily getting faster, but just beating harder in my chest. It wasn't long before I stood in front of the empty hut before me. I examined the outside before walking to the door and resting my hand on the handle. Instantly, my body shivered at the familiar touch. I rested my eyes and shook my head, exhaling a heavy breath.

It's okay, Lea. You can do this.

I slowly opened the door of the hut and opened my eyes. A sense of nostalgia slammed into me like a speeding car. The room was just as I remembered it. The bed was in the back left portion of the hut, nestled cozily in the corner next to the bedside table. The vanity and the mirror were across the room from the bed next to the window, with the curtains tucked slightly behind it. Things not only looked the same, they felt the same.

I could still smell the scent of forest pine. It wasn't as strong as it used to be, but it still lingered in the air, in the sheets, in the curtains. I closed the door behind me, letting out the air I had been holding in my lungs since I entered the room. Taking small, leisurely steps I circled the room examining the little things, starting with the bedside table. The only objects sitting on the surface was a candle that had been burned down to the base with only about an inch or two of wax left, and a bunched up dried washcloth from when everything went to hell. You could still just barely see the bloodstains soaked into it. It was perplexing why it was still sitting on the table after all this time. But I guess I can't blame anyone. Nobody had come in here after everything happened. In fact, it hadn't been touched until Hannah got here. Standing here in the hut felt incredibly strange. It felt so distant, yet so familiar. I felt the subtle thumping of my heart inside my chest. There was a reason I stayed away from this place. Bringing my hand to my chest, I reached inside my shirt and pulled on the chain around my neck, revealing the locket that I always wore. I pulled it from around my neck and set it on the bedside table. If I'm going for a swim later I may as well leave it here where it will be safe. Besides, it belonged here anyway, at least, for maybe just a little while.

I then walked over to the vanity where one of the drawers was left slightly open. Using my right hand to open the top drawer, I noticed a piece of brown fabric neatly folded up and stowed away. Grazing the top of the fabric with my fingertips, I could feel the thickness of the material. Picking it up out of the drawer, I unfolded it, coming to find that it was an old cloak; his old cloak. Each Lost Boy had one. Come to think of it, I only ever saw him wear it once. But that was many years ago of course. Even so, the moment I picked it up out of the drawer his scent was pushed through the air and made its way to my nose, giving me a sense of comfort and familiarity, but also a sense of guilt and trauma.

How could something so wonderful be so painful?

I wish I could say I believe in love. But if I were to say that I did, I would be lying. It's not to say that I don't think love is a real thing, I know it is. I just don't think it exists for me. Not in that way at least. The only people I've ever told that I love them was my family. But that's pretty much a given. Family and friendship love is different than romantic love. I've never been able to express that towards anyone.

Little would I know that would be one of my biggest regrets.

They say it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. In my opinion, that's bullshit. Losing someone is a pain like no other. It makes you feel so cold and empty. What nobody stresses is the fact that you have to love someone while you have them, because someday, they might just vanish as if they never existed. Sure, you might be afraid to express your feelings toward someone in the fear of rejection, but at least you would know how they felt. I guess for me I'll just never know. Who knows, maybe if I had told him he would still be here.

I folded the cloak and set it back in the drawer. Closing the drawer, my eyes looked up to the mirror and fell upon my reflection. Before me was a set of dark eyes and dark hair. I would say that is was the same as it was when I first arrived here in Neverland, but it honestly wasn't. My eyes were darker than they've ever been before, and my hair was in a constant state of frenzy. The waves in my hair seemed a little more pronounced than usual, but that's probably just from stress. I examined my face and my lack of age. It's crazy how quickly you forget about age here. I've only been in Neverland for a couple of years, yet I have not the slightest clue as to how old I was exactly. I could be in my twenties for all I know. But a teen I remained, and maybe that's how it always will be. Maybe that's how it should be.

My eyes slowly fell down my body in the reflection of the mirror. Reaching my hand out from inside my cloak, I lifted the bottom of my black tank top and pulled my shirt upward, revealing the vivid scar on my side. It seemed as though no matter how many days passed my scar never faded. It remained as a reminder that I couldn't protect myself, that I wasn't strong enough. My scars only made me feel like I was weak and helpless. It showed me how close I came to death, and that isn't acceptable by my standards. I will never let anyone hurt me, physically or emotionally. I can't afford it.

"You just can't accept the fact that you're weak…"

He was back…Hook's voice was back. And after I thought I was getting some peace and quiet for once…

"Silly Lea…I could never let you get lonely…A beautiful lass like you should never be overlooked…"

By all means, let me be lonely. I could feel myself beginning to tense up. His stupid voice echoed.

"You may as well just give up now…What is there to live for anyway? I already killed your boyfriend…"

I pulled my shirt back down and gripped onto the edge of the vanity. I squeezed the edge and breathed deeply.

"How would you like to finally be reunited with him?"

"Shut the hell up!" I shouted aloud, pounding on the surface of the dresser. All of a sudden the echoing voice ceased. My heart was thumping and my hands were shaking. I was horrified at how violent my outbursts had become. There was nobody else in the hut. I was just shouting at myself like a lunatic.

Control it, Lea…

Keep it together…

I clenched my jaw and shook my head vigorously. It's all in my head…I sighed when I realized that my day was far from being over. Taking one last look in the mirror, I left the hut and shut the door behind me, making my way into the forest when I bumped into Felix.

"Oh, sorry—" I said, "—didn't see you there. Guess I'm just a bit distracted" I apologized. All of a sudden a certain jitteriness came over me as I began to shake my hands.

"Hey, no biggie, whatcha up to?" Felix questioned, pulling back a few stray pieces of his dirty blonde hair. His bright blue eyes were content in meeting mine.

"Not much, just gotta take care of some things. Maybe I'll go for a swim or something while I'm at it. Speaking of which, you doing okay? I heard you had a run-in with Charlie…" Felix shook his head.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a few cuts and bruises, no big deal. I'll tell you what though…I'm sort of suspicious about Julian…" He replied with a lowered voice. I furrowed my brows.

"Why's that?" I asked. Felix scoffed.

"Didn't you hear what he did to Hannah? He totally set her up for embarrassment. And not only that, I think he's been sneaking around…" I looked to Felix in question.

"Well, the thing with Hannah I knew, frankly I think she deserved it, but I'm biased. And when has he been sneaking around?" Felix raised a brow.

"That's the thing. After the guys found me he insisted to go off alone and he was gone for hours." I crossed my arms.

"You think he had something to do with you being attacked?"

Felix nodded his head. I shrugged my shoulders and glanced at the ground.

"Tell ya what, I'll keep an eye on him and I'll let you know if I see him up to something." I patted him on the back as I walked past him. "Thanks for the tip."

"Catch you later" he waved as he turned away from me.

Julian? Really? I can't say I've noticed him acting strange. Only thing I've seen is him hanging out with Hannah quite a bit. I mean, I don't quite trust anyone in Neverland a hundred percent anymore, but Julian is still high up there. He's one of my best friends. I think I'd know if he had been put under Hook's influence. However, I've fallen for Hook's tricks before. That's how he made me vulnerable the first time. And I will not let that happen again. I wandered off into the forest hoping to find some answers, hoping to find the truth.

Jake's Perspective:

I ran out the back door of the house as my father chucked another beer bottle in my direction.

"And don't bother coming back till it's finished!" He slammed the screen door behind him as I stood staring at the house. I exhaled a heavy sigh, the hot sun beating down on me. Every time my father caught me trying to fall back asleep he would drag me out of the house and throw me outside to get me to work. But it's gotten to the point where I don't want to relive this shitty day anymore. I've had it. And now that I had some sort of connection to the outside world, I had no time to waste.

I began to run away from the house into the cornfield, pushing and pulling the vegetation aside. Running further through the field I began to feel myself speed up as I heard my father's voice. "What the hell are you doing?" He shouted out the window. "This work ain't gonna do itself!" With every shout my legs moved faster and faster, a slight breeze blowing against my cheeks as the sweat from my forehead dripped down my face. My chest raised and lowered rapidly, desiring large amounts of cool, fresh air. It wasn't long before I made it out of the cornfield and ran straight into the woods. My panting was quite apparent now. Even though I was far enough away from the house, I needed to tire myself out. It was the only way I could get to sleep the quickest. If I could have just talked to her before she woke up…before she disappeared…Maybe I could've escaped by now…But there's no use in worrying about what happened. The point is I have to do that again, whatever that was.

At this point, I grew tremendously tired. I had been running non-stop and felt as though I could collapse at any moment. But I knew I had to push myself further. I continued to sprint, faster and faster, maneuvering between the trees and bushes surrounding me. It was now that I knew I had to stop before my legs gave out. I slowed my pace the best I could, but my legs continued to run. My attempt to slow down failed as my feet skidded across the dirt. I felt my entire body fall forward as I hit the ground. A sudden pain coursed through my body. Unmoving and still I continued to pant. I could feel the pain grow more and more intense as I laid there, thoughts spiraling through my mind. What if this doesn't work? What if I'm stuck here forever? What if I never get to see Julian or Sam again? What if I never get to see Lea again?

My heart sank deep into my chest as I rested my eyes. Was all of this my fault? Did I cause this? Could I have done something differently? My head slowly rested on the ground as I exhaled a heavy breath. I listened to the birds chirping high up in the trees. The wind whistled between the leaves on the ash trees. I felt dizzy and unmotivated to do anything at this point.

"You taking a nap or something?" A voice asked. My thoughts were interrupted when I opened my eyes to see Gail sitting on a rock in front of me, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

"You could say that" I replied. Obviously, I must've passed out if Gail's here. "I met somebody in a dream, Gail," I said. He raised a brow at me.

"Look at you! You're getting the hang of things around here. Did you visit your brunette dream girl?" He grinned. I sighed and shook my head as I sat up on the ground.

"No. It was somebody else. She couldn't even see or hear me," I explained. "She was gone before I could even communicate with her." Gail nodded his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, who was she? Anyone you know?" He continued to pry. I sighed.

"No. I had never seen her before, but she was in Neverland. And she knew who Lea was. I can only assume she's new or something." Gail raised a brow as a hopeful expression appeared on his face.

"Well, there you go. You learned something new" he said. I shook my head.

"But I don't wanna learn something new, Gail. I want to talk to Lea and tell her I'm still here. I want to tell all of them that I'm still here." My frustration evident, Gail sighed.

"Jake, it doesn't always work like that. I've told you before, even I haven't been able to do that through all my years…" Gail paused. "But that doesn't mean that you can't figure it out," he said. "We can still make it out."

"What am I supposed to do?" I countered. "Most of the time when I sleep I have vivid nightmares. I can't control them. We're gonna be stuck here forever—"

"Hey, hey, hey, don't say that. We're gonna get out of here. We just gotta figure out how." For a moment we were both silent. Gail stared at me with his intent, bright green eyes. They remind me of how Pan's used to be long ago.

"Even if I did miraculously find a way out, you would still be stuck here. Have you ever thought about that?" I responded in a dark tone.

"Well, it's simple. When you find a way out, fall asleep and shout at the top of your lungs how you escaped. You won't know I'm there, but I'll be listening." I shook my head and grunted. It's painful how much hope he puts into me. There was another slight pause between us.

"How have you stayed so positive all these years Gail?" I questioned, partially to break the silence, but more so because I was curious. He replied simply.

"Because I have faith…" I stood up from the ground and dusted the dirt off my pants.

"Faith isn't what's gonna get us out of here" I groaned. It was almost hard to comprehend how Gail could be so optimistic at times like these.

"You're not listening to me, Jake. If you have that attitude we're both gonna rot in here for many years to come. You have to find what motivates you" Gail explained, now standing up from the rock he sat on. I turned away from him and looked off into the forest.

"I destroyed the thing that motivates me. I broke her heart…" I could feel a deep pain in my chest as memories flashed through my head. The way she looked at me on Hook's ship…I could never take it back…Gail stepped toward me and spoke with passion.

"Then put it back together. And you can't do that stuck in here—"

"I don't even know if she's okay," I cut him off once more. "She could hate me for all I know. She could've even left Neverland by now." I could hear Gail exhale heavily behind me. He began to grow tired of my negative attitude.

"You really like this girl, don't you?" Gail uttered softly. I rested my eyes and exhaled gently.

"Like doesn't even begin to describe it…" My heart continued to break in my chest. Gail slowly stepped away from me.

"Well, if you're not gonna listen to me—" Gail began. I looked over my shoulder and watched as he began to walk behind a large oak tree. He disappeared behind it as he spoke.

"Then maybe you'll listen to me" a female voice called out.

No…

It couldn't be…

Walking out from behind the oak tree was a girl wearing an emerald green cloak with wavy brunette hair and striking brown eyes. Lea took a few steps towards me till she stood only a few feet away.

"What the—"

"Look," Lea interrupted. "I know it's not easy. I can tell you're losing faith."

"Y-you're not h-here" I stuttered. I was more than bewildered, I was in shock. There was no way this was real. She stood in front of me and looked me in the eyes."Gail, this is extreme, even for you—"

"Don't talk to Gail right now," she said putting her hand on my right shoulder. "You're talking to me." I looked into her dark eyes. They were similar to how I remembered them, but they weren't quite exact. "You can't give up now, Jake. No one ever said this was going to be easy, but I believe you can do this. I know you can…"

"I don't know the way out," I responded hopelessly, my eyes falling to the ground. She lifted my chin with her pointer finger.

"You'll find it. You just have to keep looking. Look for a pattern that might be able to help you." For a moment, I just stared into her eyes.

"Dude, this is really hard because I wanna kiss you so bad right now" I groaned. She shook my shoulder and released her hand from it.

"Focus, Romeo" Lea sighed. "You have to remember what you're fighting for," she paused. "Who are you fighting for?" She questioned. I stared at her blankly for a moment before she asked me again. "Who are you fighting for, Jake?" I inhaled a large breath.

"I'm fighting for Lea," I said. "I'm fighting for Gail. I'm fighting for Julian. I'm fighting for Sam." Lea smiled.

"Whenever you feel like giving up, remember those people" she ordered. "Let them be a reminder of why you're fighting for this." My eyes fell to the ground.

"But what if the real Lea is gone?" My shaky voice asked. She shook her head.

"If she wasn't in Neverland, I wouldn't have been able to see her dreams just a few nights ago," she said. I looked up to her with a raised brow.

"You've been able to reach her?" I interrogated. Lea nodded her head and grinned.

"And I'm gonna try to see if I can get you to do it as well." I felt my face instantly brighten. "Now, I want you to close your eyes…" she told me, resting her hands on both of my shoulders. "And I want you to think about me…" I did as I was told and shut my eyes. "Breathe in…and breathe out" she instructed. "Now, imagine one of your favorite memories with me. Don't think of anything too complicated, just something simple." Something simple? Okay, I can do that. Scrolling through the memories in my head, I began to think of one of my first encounters with Lea. "Think about the sound of her voice…then think of anything else you can that's specific to her…" My breathing continued to slow. An old memory began to play in my head.

"You wanna play another game?" she challenged from across the room with a smile on her face.

"And what might that be?" I playfully asked.

"Oh I don't know, maybe tackle the Lost Boy!"

Lea bolted in my direction and wrapped her arms around me. We both fell to the ground laughing when she landed on top of me. Her long brunette hair, as well as the locket I gave, her rested against my chest.

"I think I like this game" I laughed, looking into her bright brown eyes.

She chuckled and leaned closer to me and spoke.

"I win," she said as she cocked a brow, a sweet laugh escaping her breath.

Slowly, the sound of chirping birds and wind blowing through trees ceased. The scent of lavender flooded my senses. Slowly, my eyes opened.

Pan's Perspective:

After Lea left my hut I had spent all afternoon trying to come up with an explanation, an answer, a reason. What troubled me most was that I couldn't figure it out. It was like a bizarre puzzle, one that I wasn't provided all of the pieces. Surely everything happens for a reason, but something just isn't right. There's something…familiar…I just can't quite put my finger on it.

A few hours passed when I concluded that I needed to find some answers. If I'm going to find out why Hannah is here, I have to understand where she came from. Maybe knowing her background would give me some sort of idea what role she plays. Despite Lea's constant grumbling, she may have a point that we can't trust Hannah. Nobody has come onto the island in years. Ever since the disappearance of my shadow, there's no feasible way anyone could even get here. Besides, if I find that she's of no use to me I'll find a way to discard her. I can't have anyone extra to look after. After all, who knows what kind of trouble she's looking for?

I opened the door of my hut and stepped outside, smelling the fresh forest air. Lost Boys mingled throughout the camp, making conversation and carrying out their responsibilities. I picked up on some voices from the opposite side of the camp within the trees. As I listened in, I figured it was the voices of Hannah and Julian who were now walking through the entrance of the camp. Looks like it's game time. I headed in their direction and called out.

"Hannah," I said, "Ready for your tour?" I questioned as I formed a small smirk. She looked at my expression for a moment and raised a brow.

"What, you're actually gonna deliver on your promise?" She replied with a hint of sarcasm. I turned my gaze to Julian who stood beside her and gave him a nod in toward the opposite direction. He gave me a sort of funny look, which usually never phases me. But for some reason, it was a bit unsettling. So he doesn't trust me. Whatever. Who does anymore these days?

"I'll catch up with you later, Hannah," Julian said as he left her side and gave her a friendly wave and a nod. After he left our presence I commented.

"So, are you two like a thing now?" I snickered lightly. She didn't take pleasure to my snarky comment.

"As if," she replied. "I would have to be absolutely desperate to date a Lost Boy" she continued, her voice trailing in a dark tone. I narrowed my eyes and grinned slightly. Usually, anytime someone denies having feelings for another, you can never be sure what they're really feeling. Though in this case, I could tell she wasn't lying.

"Good, then maybe you're not one to be distracted easily. Most girls would fall head over heels for a Lost Boy in a day if they were sent here" I commented.

"I find that rather hard to believe" she spoke distastefully. She narrowed her eyes.

"Trust me, you wouldn't believe how gullible and naive teenage girls can be—"

"Are you gonna start this tour anytime soon? Or are you just gonna brag about how you believe girls fall madly in love with you without even trying?" She spat. I chuckled a dark laugh.

"Ooo, feisty. I could almost feel the doubt emanating off you from the other side of the island. I never mentioned 'madly in love' but if you insist" I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

I guess it would be pretty difficult to not fall for my charm" I expressed.

"Gee, if I knew you were so popular with the ladies I would've much rathered stay down at the bottom of that lagoon" she uttered with sarcasm, a very slight smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"That can be arranged" I suggested, taking a step closer to her while keeping eye-contact. "You can't even begin to imagine what tricks I have up my sleeve…Shall we begin our tour?" I asked.

"Finally" she rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. I cocked a brow and rolled my eyes as I gestured her in the direction of the lagoon.

"Right this way, madame." Hannah rolled her eyes and shook her head. As she walked away from me I heard her scoff and mumble to herself.

"Hey genius, don't you think if you want Hannah to tell you personal things that you have to be, I don't know…likable?"

What are you talking about? I'm charming…

"Yeah, maybe a seventy years ago when you were a decent human being. Things would be so much easier for you if you just let yourself have emotions-"

Haha, yeah funny joke. I don't need to have emotions to get what I want. I can get it out of her without having to lift a finger.

"I don't know…She's more stubborn than you realize…"

That just means it'll be a more rewarding game…

I shook the thoughts out of my head and walked beside Hannah into the forest. Let the game begin…

—

A.N:

Hey guys! Couldn't sleep so I figured I may as well get this chapter finished up. I was gonna make it super long but then I probably wouldn't have actually finished it till September. Yikes. Anyway, what do you guys think? What's really going on with Lea? Is she going crazy? And what's happening with Jake? Is he any closer to escaping? And what evil tricks do you think Pan has up his sleeve? Make sure to comment your thoughts and predictions! See you all in the next update!

-Agm3