Chapter 19: The Boy in the Smoke
Pan's Perspective:
For the majority of the afternoon, I guided Hannah around to see the major highlights of Neverland, or at least, what we were able to see without getting too close to shore where pirates could be loitering. Our journey started with the waterfall, then a glance at Skull Rock from a distance, as well as a visit to Crocodile Creek. And just out of pure spite, we revisited Mermaid's Lagoon, where I explained the real mystery behind the sought-after mermaid creatures of Neverland. They were nothing to be messed with unless of course, you want to spend the rest of eternity down in the depths of the dark lagoon. We had been walking through the forest when ahead of us Hannah pointed and asked aloud.
"What's that?" She questioned. When I looked in the direction her finger pointed to I narrowed my eyes and clenched my fists slightly.
"Nothing that interesting," I responded, ushering her to keep moving along, but she refused. She continued walking toward it. "Do you ever actually listen to people when they tell you to do something?" I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. Hannah continued to examine the thing that caught her eye with a certain curiosity.
"And what fun is that?" She replied as she looked back to me with raised brows. I chuckled lightly and shook my head in slight disbelief. "You're a child, a misbehaved one at that," I spoke as my expression stiffened. She turned away from me and suddenly stopped. She stood before Pixie Hollow, a large dead tree where the fairies used to reside. "What is this?" Hannah quietly wondered aloud to herself. Standing behind her I answered.
"It's where the fairies used to live, you know, before they all disappeared." I turned away and began walking. Quickly, Hannah turned on her heel in my direction.
"Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared? Isn't Neverland known for having fairies that can make you fly? Isn't that the whole lure around this place?" Hannah stood in her stance, unmoving and determined to have her questions answered. I ceased walking and sighed heavily. Looking over my shoulder I uttered with distaste.
"Not anymore." I turned my head and before I could take another step Hannah piped up.
"But wh—"
"Zip it," I held my hand up near my head without looking back. "Not everything here is like the fairytales you've heard back home, got it?" I turned to face her. "Happy-endings don't exist in Neverland. People die, friends are lost, siblings disappear. This place changes people. It brings out their dark side…" I paused for a moment and looked out into the forest as the wind began to pick up in the trees. The more she asked the more I continued to feel.
"Then why stay?" Hannah spoke boldly. Her bright blue irises grabbed my attention, making me step closer to her. She was looking at me with complete seriousness. "If this place is so horrible, why not just go somewhere better? You're 'The Great Peter Pan', just fly the boys away from here." I chuckled and shook my head.
"You've got a place in mind?" I cocked a brow and smirked. "And it's Pan. Just Pan" I added. She raised a brow in response. I narrowed my eyes and grinned cockily. "Flying isn't as easy as faith, trust, and pixie dust for me, darling." Hannah's expression changed to one of confusion and displeasure. "And I've got plenty of reasons why I won't abandon this place, why I can't give up on this place." I could feel my voice growing tenser. She looked back once more at the tree. I could see the marvel in her eyes as she examined it in detail. While she did so, I reached toward my belt and pulled the tiny vial from it. Quickly uncapping it to get a small dose of the light-blue liquid I took a quick sip before beginning to re-cap it. At this time, Hannah turned to look at me and saw the vial in my hand.
"What's that?" She interrogated. I raised a brow and said nothing. As if I would actually tell her what it was. She couldn't even begin to understand what it is I have to deal with. When I didn't respond she quickly grabbed the vial from me and held it close to her face. She took a step away from me.
"I would give that back if I were you" I scathed. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Or what?" She chuckled. "You'll kill me again?" She cocked a brow and smirked. "Why are you keeping secrets, huh?"
My god, this girl is so difficult.
"Yeah, she's just like you! Ha!"
Shut it! I'm not that difficult.
"Because I can keep all the secrets I want. And regardless, it's not a secret. It's my medicine" I replied. I held out my palm and stared sternly into her blue eyes. "And I'd appreciate it if you gave it back before I have to take it from you." Hannah's face softened as she tilted her head.
"What, are you sick?" She slowly lowered the vial to her side. I groaned.
"Yes. Now please, just give it back—"
"You don't look sick…" Hannah commented, the skepticism in her voice apparent. What seemed strange was that she actually sounded concerned.
Maybe she's the one that's sick…
"Well, you don't look like a pain in the ass, but I guess we all have our surprises" I grinned with narrowed eyes. Hannah scoffed and rolled her eyes.
"What happens if you don't take it?" She questioned. Ugh, I really don't have time for this.
"Bad things. Now give it back." I lunged forward to take it but she stepped back once more.
"What would happen if I drank it?" She said mischievously. Her irises eyed me like it was a game. In fact, I knew it was a game. And she was playing me.
"Why don't you try it and see? Maybe it'll make you less obnoxious" I fought. I can't have her interfering with everything. She needs to back off before someone gets hurt.
"That doesn't sound like something someone without compassion would say."
Would you shut up? That's why I need to take it so you lot will leave me alone!
"Who says you actually want to be alone though? How do you really feel?"
"Okay, the game's over. Just give it back" I spoke up, shaking the voices out of my head. She hesitantly hovered the vial over my hand for a moment. When I reached to grab it she suddenly pulled it away.
"First, answer a question for me." I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw. What could this girl possibly be angling for?
"What?" I asked through gritted teeth. For a moment, she stood looking at me. I could tell in the way that her eyes examined me that something was on her mind.
"When people are closed off and callous, it's for a reason. So, what's yours?" She said plainly. My brows furrowed at her question. I didn't expect her to ask that sort of thing.
"I'm just not a people person…" I replied stubbornly. She chuckled as she twiddled the vial between her fingers.
"Bullshit. Nobody is a people person." She had a grin plastered on her face at that moment. I chuckled and smiled lightly.
"Look, I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here, but I can guarantee you my life story just ain't that interesting. Sorry to disappoint." I gestured her to hand over the vial but she remained vigilant.
"And I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here by avoiding my questions" she snapped back with a certain cleverness that made me smirk.
"You really know how to play the game" I commented. The very right corner of her mouth pulled into a small smirk.
"Years of practice," she admitted, "and I'm willing to play by the rules if you agree also." I have to be honest, she had me intrigued.
"What kind of game are we talking here?" I interrogated with my brow raised. Hannah continued to roll the vial between her fingertips.
"You and I both want information. I'm not an idiot. I know that it drives you nuts that you don't know how the hell I got here. And it's the same for me. I have had at most one decent explanation on a thing or two about this place. I want to know the answers to what I've been asking for several damn days." She stood her ground, her eyes locked with mine.
"That's all you want? Answers? Nobody's head on a stake? No million-dollar prize? Gotta say you're an underachiever" I scoffed. I could tell there was a hidden motive here. "So, what's in it for me?" I asked. Hannah eyed the vial in her hand and began tossing it in the air.
"Well, first, you'll get your 'medicine', and second, anything you want to know about me." My eyes watched the vial move up and down through the air. I don't see why I shouldn't just take it from her. Then everything could be easy.
"You have to find out how she got here, remember?"
For once in a while, the voices in my head were right. It would be the perfect opportunity to find out what she's hiding.
"Fine," I grimaced, "but if you start getting too comfortable I will put you back where you belong." Feeling my eyes grow dark my open palm stiffened. Hannah tilted her head as she held the vial over my palm.
"How do I know you'll hold up your end up the deal?"
For the love of God!
"I promise! Okay? I promise I will assist you in any way possible so that you will shut up!" I exclaimed. And at that moment, Hannah's small smirk grew into a large one. Dropping the vial into my palm, she chuckled.
"Nothing a little manipulation can't fix…" She shoved past me as she began to walk through the forest. I stood dumbfounded. I shook my head slightly and chuckled. Finding your opponent's weakness and gaining from it?
"She's good," I said quietly to myself. I closed my palm and put my the vial back into my belt. There was maybe one sip left in there. Hopefully, it will get me through the next hour or so.
"Come on mate! Don't act like that was your first drug deal!" She called out from ahead. I sighed heavily and turned back toward her direction. I never said it would be easy, but I'll get what I want.
Sooner or later…
Hannah's Perspective:
There's nothing in this world that a little manipulation can't fix. Whether or not I'll actually get the information I want is a mystery, but at least now I know Pan has a weakness. Whatever was in that vial was awfully important to him. If I was able to use it to my advantage now, I can only imagine what I can get him to do down the road. How's that for being weak? No more playing fair. I'm sick of being pushed around. I'm going to prove my worth.
Even if it kills me…
Pan's Perspective:
Hannah and I circled back over to the waterfalls after her whole scheme. The whole time she had a permanent smirk on her face that never faded. She pretty much relished in the fact that she had me cornered for a moment. But I had her right where I wanted her. She just made the process easier. When we reached the falls, she sat on a boulder beside the crystal blue body of water. The sound of the crashing water was peaceful yet jarring at the same time. I stood standing when she spoke aloud.
"So, what's your story," she said. What is this, storytime? I turned my face toward her and made an expression of question. I'll be honest, it kinda took me off guard for a moment.
"Huh?" I responded plainly. She rolled her eyes.
"You know, why are you so grumpy all the time?" She replied. "Why is the storybook Peter Pan so different from you? What even is the deal with the storybook anyway?"
You have got to be kidding me…
"What, like share secrets? Share feelings?" I spoke with disgust. I grimaced and looked back to the waterfall. Hannah shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, yeah. That's kinda what friends do," Hannah replied nonchalantly.
Ugh, don't play the friend card.
"Friends?" I asked in question. My eyes looked back in her direction. Her eyes were fixated on the falls before they met mine once more. After a moment I chuckled in a snarky manner. "You would befriend someone who has tried to kill you not once, but twice? Seems foolish to me…" Hannah crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. She grinned.
"Well, not usually. You just seem kinda…" she trailed off before returning her gaze to the falls.
"Kinda what?" I questioned. When she didn't respond I asked again. "Kinda what?" I continued in a more forceful tone. I continued to pester her until she smirked.
"So, you do care what I think," she replied with an even larger smirk. "Only friends care about what the other person thinks about them" she continued. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
"It does not mean that" I denied. "I could care less what you think of me. And I don't need friends. I like my social life the way it is."
"Depressing and lonely?" She commented.
"Yes, I mean, no. Quit that!" I snapped, now clenching my jaw. She chuckled to herself. Tired of standing, I sat down on another boulder only a few feet away from her. Sitting hunched over with my forearms on my knees, I stared at the pebbles nestled in the dirt.
"I can relate to that," she grinned, "having friends seems more like a job than a privilege." She watched as the water beside her rippled in steady rhythms.
"Why do you say that?" I asked, curious about her reply. I watched as she bit the corner of her lip and shook her head.
"Experience…" I eyed her as she continued looking out over the water's surface. She seemed to get lost in it easily. The rippling water could be hypnotic at times. I began to zone out as well when Hannah piped up with a question. "Can you answer something for me?" This time it seemed a tad more genuine than her usual sarcastic questions.
"Depends what it is," I said. I heard her scoff and watched as she rolled her eyes.
"Why is that always your guys' response when I ask that?" I stayed quiet for a moment. "All I want is to just know what the hell is going on for once in my life instead of constantly wondering what's coming next." Hannah sighed and expelled a short laugh. "Perhaps I would be better prepared in that case." She turned her head toward me and raised a brow, meeting my eyes with a certain expression I couldn't quite pinpoint.
"Well, what is it you're just dying to ask?" I said bluntly. It was then that she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. She turned her gaze back to the falls before her.
"What is Lea's deal?" She questioned, her tone beginning to darken. "Everyone makes it seem like she's got some sort of secret because whenever I ask, nobody will tell me anything." Hannah relaxed her back as she hunched her forearms on her knees. "She treats me like I'm the plague or something." Shaking her head slightly Hannah picked up a rock next to her foot and tossed it into the water. I sat quietly without responding. I wasn't quite sure what or how much to tell her. I mean, there's not really any harm to be done if she knows. If anything, maybe it will give her a reality check.
"I thought only friends cared about what the other person thinks of them" I uttered with sarcasm. Though Hannah wasn't too fond of my comment.
"This is different," she scowled. "Anything that comes out of her mouth toward me is either full of hatred or disapproval. Don't get me wrong, I don't care if she hates me. But it's puzzling why she assumes so much about me when she doesn't even know me." The air fell quiet and all that could be heard was the chirping of birds and the slight ringing of insects buzzing through the air. I mean, she wasn't wrong. It was evident that Lea hated her. But it's not really for me to say exactly why. And to be honest, I'm not sure I even know the real reason why.
"She didn't always used to be like that you know," I said after the moment of silence. It took me a moment to think back to how things used to be not so long ago. It was only a few years ago. It shouldn't be that hard to remember. Gathering my thoughts, I continued. "She used to be kind and welcoming, with a bright smile that never left her face." Hannah shook her head.
"I find that unlikely" Hannah scoffed. She rolled her eyes and continued tossing the small pebbles by her feet.
"It's true," I replied genuinely. " Hannah raised a brow and chuckled.
"So, what happened to her?" She questioned. I could sense the doubt in her voice. After clenching my jaw I responded.
"Hook happened." My fingers closed into a fist and I exhaled a small anger-induced sigh. "Hook killed one of her friends a few years back and she feels she's the one to blame." Hannah appeared spaced out for a moment until she met my eyes. Her blue eyes seemed a bit glassy from the light reflecting off of them.
"Is that one of the boys carved in the tree at camp? Gail or Jake or something?" After hearing her speak I nodded my head and looked away from her.
"Yeah. That's Jake" I replied coldly. "Let's just say she didn't take it very well," I added. Skipping another rock, Hannah began.
"So, what, now she's just a bitter teen? I mean, yeah, that must've been hard. But the other boys seem to have gotten over it, why can't she?" Naively, she asked her question and I could feel a tightness in my throat. I spoke darkly.
"The boys haven't gotten over it. They just pretend that they have" I uttered with distaste. "Lea, Sam, and Julian lost their best friend. And there's nothing they can do to get him back. If you lost someone close to you, you'd be bitter too." I shot a glare out of the corner of my eye and felt a rhythmic thumping in my chest. It continued to beat faster the longer I sat and thought about Gail and Jake. I honestly hadn't given them a thought in a long while. If you don't think about the bad things, then they can't hurt you. Or at least, that's what I convinced myself.
"You don't know the half of it." My eyes widened slightly and I cocked a brow. Looking at her out of the corner of my eye, she continued watching the water. She was somewhat quiet at this point. Maybe I should have chosen my words more wisely. Whatever, can't take it back now. In an instant, a sharp familiar pain shot through my chest and I felt as though I was sinking. This pain was more than familiar, and it was too soon for me to be feeling it. The medicine had been wearing off faster than I expected. I had to get another dose in before I started feeling anything, before I started feeling empathy. I reached toward my belt to take the last swig of my elixir when my thoughts were interrupted.
"Wait! Why don't you hold off on the elixir?"
"Yes! If you let yourself feel, maybe you'll be able to better have compassion for the girl and you'll get the information you need!"
No. I've sworn off emotions. And frankly, having voices in your head can get distracting. Ugh, look at me. Talking to myself for the billionth time. What's new? I grabbed ahold of the vial but stopped when another voice shouted in my head.
"Listen to us! She won't share her secrets to someone that has as much empathy as a brick wall!"
"For once, just heed our suggestion! You have to be able to listen to be heard!"
My hand remained frozen, hovering over the vial. I clenched my fingers trying to grab it, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Deep down I knew the stupid voices were right. If I wanted to be convincing then I would have to actually care about what she says. I brought my hand back to my lap and spoke.
"Everyone here has lost somebody they cared about," I said, "I guess it's just more our responsibility to live out the lives that the ones we've lost couldn't…" Hannah looked up from the water and eyed me skeptically.
"Did you just say something nice?" She questioned. Raising a brow, I chuckled.
"As far as anyone else is concerned, no." Hannah scoffed.
"You're unbelievable…And to think there's a whole book about you. That's gotta fill up your ego a bit, doesn't it?" She questioned. I shrugged and tossed another pebble into the water.
"Eh, not really. I've only read it once," I replied, "Some of it was true, but other parts were fabricated." Hannah chuckled.
"Yeah, I bet it couldn't capture all of your sarcasm," she smirked. I narrowed my eyes and chuckled when Hannah continued. "That's how I got here," she recalled. "A book brought me here. It belonged to an old librarian and she gave it to me. All I remember was reading it and all of a sudden everything just drifted away," she explained. I shot her a questionable expression.
"An old lady, huh?" I spoke with curiosity. Hannah nodded her head.
"Yeah, she knew I liked reading anything that didn't have to do with adult life. So, she always sent me home with fairytales. Who knew I'd actually enjoy them…" she trailed off. Chuckling to herself she quietly asked.
"Am I ever actually going home?" She questioned. Her question sort of took me off guard. I kinda forgot that I told her she'd get to go home. In all honesty, I didn't know how to answer her.
"I'll do my best," I replied. "Neverland is dangerous as it is, and with you always looking for trouble I don't know that you'll last that long," I smirked. Hannah scoffed more and rolled her eyes.
"We'll see about that…" She looked to the sky and the trees, examining all of their remarkable detail.
"How is any of this real?" Hannah asked, watching birds fly over us. I smirked to myself.
"Anything can be real if you believe in it," I replied. Hannah turned to look towards me once more. She leaned in and examined my face.
"Okay, seriously, what's wrong with you? You haven't insulted me in over five minutes…" she spoke with disbelief. To my surprise, she was right. I hadn't said anything cruel in the last few minutes, that beats my personal record.
"Perhaps you just don't know me as well as you think you do," I smart-mouthed her. She narrowed her eyes and leaned away from me. I began to recall the book that Hannah spoke of. I remember this book, but I find it so unlikely that it would end up with her.
"So, any ideas on how and why an old book would bring me here?" She questioned as the wheels turned in my head. I exhaled heavily.
"Well," I started, "You see, a long time ago, I brought Wendy Darling to Neverland. That part of the story is true. And because she couldn't stay, for one week every spring I would bring her back to visit. But as the years went on, it became harder for me to come back on schedule. Sometimes I would come back for her and I had accidentally skipped a spring or two…It was just difficult to keep up. So, I enchanted the book that she and another one of her close friends wrote, the story of, well, me. I made it so that Wendy could come back here on her own. All she had to do was read a certain chapter in the book. And when she did so, it would bring her here," I explained thoroughly. Hannah continued to listen. "One day, she just never came back. When I went back to her nursery, she was all grown up, living with the one she called husband." I grimaced. Hannah looked to me with a relaxed expression and eyed me with curiosity. "I guess the book must've made it to a library somehow. Wherever that book is, it should be locked away so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands," I muttered to myself. For a few moments, there was silence. But soon Hannah spoke up with a hint of sarcasm.
"So, what part of the story was fabricated?" She questioned. "Wendy must've been really special for you to always bring her back," she assumed. I glared at her.
"She was just a girl," I brushed it off. "Besides, everyone knows that a Pan can't love. Love is for grown-ups," I replied in a vexed manner. Hannah shrugged.
"You're right," she said, "Love is just way too complicated for someone like you to understand," she continued. I raised a brow and scowled.
"You mock me, but one day you will understand—"
"Oh, I do understand," she cut me off. "You're just not willing to admit that you're afraid—"
"Okay, okay, enough talk about stupid matters," I shut down the conversation and scoffed.
"You really know how to push people's buttons, don't you?" I smirked. Hannah's blue eyes brightened and she chuckled.
"It's my specialty. It's the one thing I'm actually good at," she boasted.
We continued to converse as the day went along. To my surprise, talking to her didn't make me want to gouge my eye out with a spoon as much. She wasn't horrible to talk to. Not great by any means, but manageable. Now I know what I need to know. She got her hands on the book, which only means it's out in the public world somewhere. I'm going to have to get it back into my possession if I'm going to avoid future visitors. The only blessing is that Hannah isn't too horrible to be stuck with.
"I sense Peter has finally made a friend…"
"Maybe now he'll come to his senses!"
Oh, please…
Never in a million years…
Call her a friend if you must, but with my newfound knowledge, I'm one step closer to getting her out of here.
"You know you don't mean that, Peter…"
"Just admit it! It's nice to be able to have decent conversations with people and not try to drown them afterward!"
And now it's time to shut you lot up. You don't know what I really think, none of you do. She'll be gone and out of my life before I know it.
"Whatever helps you sleep at night…Scaredy cat…"
And once more, my thoughts continue to plague me. But no matter, it will all be over soon. Once Hook is dead, I can have my normal life back. Hannah will be sent home, and the Lost Boys will be free.
All will be great as soon as some blood is shed…
Hannah's Perspective:
By now the sun was past its peak. Within a few short hours, the sky would begin to darken and Neverland would begin to fall into a heavy sleep. As Pan and I returned from our time out, a loud slam of a door echoed throughout the entire camp. The loud sound belonged to a hut located on the far side of the camp. I glanced over at Pan who only shrugged. Boys turned their heads when through the crowd came Lea stampeding over toward me. Her expression was stern and her jaw, as well as her fists, were clenched. She stopped less than a foot in front of me, allowing me to see the darkness in her eyes.
"Do you think you're funny or something?" She spat. I shrugged and chuckled.
"Actually, quite so." Her right eye twitched slightly as she spoke angrily.
"You little thief! She gritted scathingly through her teeth. At the moment, I was confused and partially proud that I made her so mad, even though I had no clue what she was talking about.
"What are you talking about? I didn't steal anything—"
"Oh, bullshit," Lea cut me off. Her face inched closer to mine. It was so close, in fact, that I could practically feel the steaming anger emanating from her entire being. "We both know you took it." I scoffed and shot her a glare. Shaking my head I replied with raised brows.
"I still don't understand what it is I didn't steal." Resting her eyes and releasing a long-winded breath Lea spoke quietly with intensity.
"My locket. Where is my locket?" She interrogated harshly. "I set it on the nightstand in your hut. You're trying to tell me it just magically disappeared?" I snickered.
"Yes, I am. It's a magical island, shit happens. Maybe an elf took it while you weren't looking." I grinned as Lea's eyes widened at my response. Her eyes darkened to the point where her irises were almost black. The Lost Boys had slowly begun to take notice towards Lea and I's unfriendly exchange. A few at a time, boys began to gather in small clumps as they watched our quarrel. I took a step back when Lea continued to inch toward me. "If this locket means so much to you maybe you shouldn't have left it in my hut" I replied with a snarl. This only seemed to set Lea off even more. Narrowing my eyes, I brought my face close to hers.
"Listen, I haven't been in there all day. Ask Pan. How could I have possibly stolen it? And why would I want some dumb old locket I've never even seen before?" I queried. I'm not saying I'm a good, innocent teenage girl. I take credit for the crap I do. But I won't let somebody blame me for something I didn't even have the pleasure of coming up with. Lea's expression of anger turned into a deep scowl.
"You're treading on thin ice, Lost Girl" she spat bitterly. At this point, I had had enough. A large crowd of boys stood watching us and I was ready for this confrontation to end once and for all. My voice growing harsh, I practically shouted in Lea's face.
"For the last time, I didn't take it!" I fought sharply. Before things could get out of hand Pan stepped in.
"Lea, ease up on her. She was with me all day. She's telling the truth," Pan explained. Lea took a step back and appeared unconvinced. She replied quietly.
"It has her name written all over it. I know she took it" Lea insisted. "When you're ready to come clean as a thief and a liar—"
"Enough!" Pan declared in a dignified manner. The entire camp fell silent. Everyone had now been watching Lea and I bicker with each other. Lea breathed heavily as she turned away from me.
"I'm going to bed," she muttered under her breath accompanied by a small exhale. She stormed through the crowd of Lost Boys when Sam piped up.
"We haven't even had supper yet…" he spoke in a quiet, sincere voice. Without even a glance, Lea muttered once more.
"Not hungry" she growled. We all watched as she walked toward the huts, her emerald green cloak blowing behind her in the breeze. The boys slowly broke apart from the large group to draw away the attention put on Lea and I. Sam and Julian both followed after her as she walked into the hut.
"Is there anything we can do?" Sam asked sincerely as both Sam and Julian stood outside the doorway.
"Wake me when I'm dying" Lea snarled as she slammed the hut door shut. Even from a distance, I could feel the anxiety in the pits of Sam and Julian's stomachs. My heart was beating fast and my anger was getting the best of me. Turning away from Pan I spoke.
"I'm going for a walk," I spoke under my breath in frustration. I had half-expected Pan to try and stop me, but he left me be. I desperately needed to get away and cool down. Only ten minutes back in camp and I was close to getting in a scrap with someone. Good on you Hannah. Way to make friends and mend things. But at the same time, it wasn't my fault. I'm not a thief. I'm not a liar. I walked away from camp and followed the usual trail. Trying to debrief I walked along this path for longer than I had anticipated. It had to have been at least an hour since I left camp in my rage. The sun began to grow closer to the horizon. It wouldn't be long before the sun would begin to set. Crushing the leaves beneath my feet I paid little attention to how far away I was getting from the camp. Frankly, I didn't care. I don't have a reason to go back there for a while. Maybe after another few hours, Lea will have finally gotten over her temper tantrum. If that girl doesn't watch it, bad things are gonna come her way. Chills were sent across my body as a breeze blew against my skin. I felt the goosebumps on my arms as the outside temperature began to drop. It seemed peculiar to me that it had already begun to get chilly at this time of the day. But I didn't think much of it. I continued walking along the path, my eyes fixated on my feet. The shuffling of leaves ahead startled me. Looking up from the path I nearly had a heart attack when I saw someone standing on the trail about fifteen feet in front of me.
"Oh my god," I sighed heavily, displeasure apparent in my voice. My hand laid against my chest as I had been startled. When I looked closer I realized that the person standing on the path was Brett. "Don't scare me like that," I complained. He had remained quiet and stood in his place on the trail. "So, I guess you missed that whole scene back there," I joked, gesturing with my hand behind me in the direction of the camp. Again, Brett remained quiet and didn't speak. "What are you doing all the way out here?" I asked him, now taking a few steps toward him. As I neared closer, I felt my stomach begin to feel uneasy. Continuing to approach him I slowed down when he took a few steps toward me. "Are we playing the silent game or something?" I asked questionably. When he was only a foot to two away from me I ceased movement. When I looked into his eyes I saw what something unnatural and haunting. They were glassy and dead-looking, not to mention his pupils were almost the same size as his irises. You could hardly see the red and yellow specks that were usually scattered throughout his irises. "Brett?" I asked quietly.
For a moment, there was complete silence. But I then watched as Brett's pupils pinned to a size no bigger than the tip of a pencil. My heart stopped, and that was when he tackled me. My body collided with the ground as a cloud of dust kicked up beneath me. I fought as he grabbed a hold of my wrists. My screams echoed through the air.
"Brett! Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" I shouted. But no matter what I did he continued to pin me to the ground. Wrapping his hands around my neck he began to force the air out of my lungs. I kicked and squirmed, but he was too strong. "Stop! Brett! Please—" I wheezed. But his grip continued to tighten and I had completely lost any and all air that remained in my lungs. Kicking my feet, I attempted to knock him off of me, but it was no use. Dark spots began to appear in my vision, fading in and out all around me. I pleaded and begged in between my attempts to gasp for air. I watched as his dead eyes witnessed the light fading from mine. My lungs burned and my throat felt like a crumpled piece of paper. Slowly my eyelids began to shut as my limbs fell limp. I was a goner. That was, however, until a large log hit Brett over the head, knocking him off of me. My lungs gasped for precious air as my throat felt a sudden relief. Coughing and wheezing, I rolled onto my side and shut my eyes tight. I could feel my body shaking as it tried to recover from its near-death experience. I would've stayed on the ground longer if I hadn't have felt my body being shaken vigorously.
"Hurry! We don't have much time!" A female voice spoke. "C' mon, get up!" It was a voice I did not recognize. I was fairly convinced that I was just hearing hallucinations, but as my body continued to be shaken I knew the voice must be real. "They will all be here soon, get up!" This made me open my eyes and roll onto my back, now sitting up on my forearms. When I looked up at my rescuer I was stunned. Through my blurry vision, I could just barely see a figure with black hair pulled back in a long braid, lilies tucked within the individual strands.
Sam's Perspective:
"Is there anything we can do?" I pleaded as Lea stood in the doorway of the hut, her eyes cold as stone as she held onto the door with a firm grip. Julian stood by my side as we looked to Lea with desperate eyes.
"Wake me when I'm dying," she replied in a scathing growl. She slammed the door in our faces, leaving Julian and me at a loss. Turning to Julian, I looked him in the eyes and shrugged my shoulders. My lips parted, unsure of what to say or do.
"Leave her be," Julian said. "She needs to be alone right now," he suggested with his voice trailing in sorrow. He brushed past me and began walking towards the campfire when I heard something from inside the hut. My curiosity getting the best of me, I held my ear against the door. Ever so slightly, I could hear quiet sobs coming from the far side of the room. Pulling my ear away from the door, I sighed. I wish there was something I could do to help her, I really do. I guess she just needs more time. I walked away from the hut with a certain sadness in my heart. I miss the real Lea. I haven't seen the real her in years. She's gotta be in there somewhere, somewhere deep down. I know she can get past this. Then again, how can I be so sure? Maybe one day she'll be able to heal. All I know is that day isn't today.
Hannah's Perspective:
"Who the hell are you?" I questioned, eyeing the stranger hovering above me. Grabbing a hold of my arms, she pulled me to my feet.
"Escape now, questions later," she responded hectically. Her dark brown eyes scanned the area quickly as she pulled me along. Brett still knocked unconscious on the ground, we ran past him and darted from the path into the forest. I was barely able to keep up with how fast this girl was running. "If you don't keep up with me they're gonna find us," she said once more. What the hell was happening?
"Who's gonna find us?" I interrogated with shortness of breath.
"Questions later!" The girl reiterated. I glared at her for a moment until she dragged me in another direction. She guided me downhill where she threw us down behind a line of fallen trees, large boulders, and plentiful shrubs. Sitting in a tight crouch the girl held me down and held the palm of her hand over my mouth. Not a few moments later, several pairs of footsteps trampled the leaves on the ground. No words were spoken. The forest's atmosphere was empty except for the eerie premonition lurking upon us. The footsteps became scattered all around. A few pairs ventured in our direction. The girl tilted her head up slightly when she suddenly began to hold her breath. I heard a peculiar sound coming from overhead, like a certain breathy noise. When I looked above us I could have had a stroke. A boy with black hair and dead green eyes stood right over us, scanning the area in front of him. His heavy breath was the only tell that he was even there. I didn't particularly recognize him, but I recognized the brown cloak that he wore. The Lost Boys often wore brown cloaks whenever they went out to hunt. But the more I looked at this boy, however, the wheels began to turn in my head. Noticing his physical features, that boy was none other than Brett's best friend, the one that was turned against him by the orders of Hook himself. But why were they after us? It seemed as though the boy wasn't aware of our presence. Slowly, he walked in the opposite direction of us and the sets of footsteps began to leave. When the forest became seemingly silent, the girl slowly stood from her crouch and checked the area for the boys. When she didn't see anything she released her hand from over my mouth. I let out a heavy breath as I gasped for air.
"It's okay, they're gone," she said. I stood up from the ground and looked around the forest. Turning in circles, I began to ask questions frantically.
"What the hell just happened?" I asked, still shaking from the entire experience. "Why did Brett just try to kill me? Why were all of those Lost Boys after us?" The girl shot me a dark expression of concern.
"Those aren't Lost Boys" She spoke distastefully. My face contorted into one of confusion.
"But they're—"
"Under Hook's influence," she claimed. For a moment, my eyes were drawn back to the sun that was beginning to set. The yellow, orange and pink brushstrokes in the sky would only provide light for another half hour at best.
"That can't be right," I said. "There had to have been at least ten of them just now. And Brett isn't one of them. He was fine just yesterday." I pulled my blonde locks of hair back and shook my head.
"Hook's been stealing them out from under your noses," she explained. "Brett was taken only a few hours ago…" My lips parted, I scoffed and shook my head.
"No, no. This can't be true. Brett would never—"
"It doesn't matter what he would do." The girl shook her head. "They have no idea any of this is going on. They can't make their own choices. Trust me, it's horrifying." She paused. "It's like you wake up from a nightmare where you did horrible things, but you find out that all of it was real…" I could sense a certain sorrow in her tone.
"How do you know so much about it?" I wondered aloud. The girl's eyes fell to the ground.
"Because it happened to me once." My eyes widened slightly and I took a step back.
"How do I know I can trust you?" I said hesitantly. I couldn't take chances anymore. Things have started to get real and the only person looking out for me is myself. Meeting my eyes, the girl replied plainly.
"Because I'm of no use to Hook anymore…" she clenched her jaw and looked to the ground. "He got what he wanted from me and set me loose. Unfortunately, the damage I caused was irreversible…" Her eyes were now filled with animosity and rage. "Which is why I can't watch this happen anymore." I couldn't help but feel sympathetic for her. It seems like Hook has screwed everyone over…I was quiet for a moment until I built up some courage.
"Thank you—" I said, "—for helping me back there. I don't want to think about what would have happened to me if you didn't get there when you did." I grinned slightly and the girl did the same.
"You're welcome," she replied, "You're not the only one I've helped get out of a sticky situation" she chuckled. I outstretched my hand and smiled.
"I'm Hannah…" The girl returned a friendly grin and shook my hand.
"Name's Lily, Tigerlily" she introduced, letting go of my hand. I tilted my head and laughed in disbelief.
"So, you're real too…" Putting a hand on her hip she chuckled.
"Of course I'm real. Who do you think saved Pan's ass on several occasions?" She smirked and I laughed. See, now I could get along with somebody like Lily. Someone that isn't an absolute bitc—
"Oh gosh," Lily said. She watched as the sun was just setting below the horizon. "We don't have much time," she said, her expression turning to one of worry.
"Much time for what?" I asked. She looked about herself when she continued speaking.
"We need to get you back before sundown," she claimed. "You need to get to Lea."
Oh brother…Just when I thought I wouldn't have to deal with her for a while. I rolled my eyes and scoffed.
"Look, if you need to give her a message, give it to her yourself," I replied. "I'm not dealing with her more than I have to."
"I can't do that," Lily said stubbornly. "I'm sort of banished." My eyes widened and my brows furrowed. Banished? Pan actually banishes people? "Please, this is important," she pleaded. Don't get me wrong, I would never go out of my way to do something nice for Lea. But since Lily seems more genuine I guess I could do it for her.
"What is it?" I questioned skeptically. Lily exhaled deeply.
"I think Lea is in danger…" Lily said. At first, I thought she was joking. But after a few moments, I realized she was being completely serious.
"What danger?" I looked at her like she was crazy. Lily began to get more frantic as she continued.
"There's no time to explain," Lily panicked. By now the sun had completely set in Neverland. The sky was dark and the moon was full and bright. Far in the distance, ever so faintly, the screams of Lost Boys could just barely be heard. Looking in the direction of the screams, Lily's eyes widened and she spoke softly to herself. "I'm too late…" The pain and desperation in her voice were evident as I questioned her.
"What's wrong?" I inquired. However, Lily was already off running in the direction of the camp. It was now that things suddenly began to click. Up in the night sky, I could see a faint cloud of darkness that hovered within the trees in the distance.
Oh my god…
Jake's Perspective:
When I opened my eyes I instantly felt the familiar atmosphere around me. The flickering candle on the nightstand reflected onto the wooden walls, casting shadows all over the room. The scent of evergreen and pine trees lingered here, sending hints of nostalgia throughout my head. I was standing in my hut in Neverland, where I had been able to escape my father many years ago. It was almost exactly as I had left it. It seemed practically untouched. Could this be real? Is this a trick? Questions circled throughout my mind until my thoughts were cut short and I was caught off guard. A soft, quiet moan echoed throughout the hut from behind me. I stood frozen in my spot as my eyes widen. No…It couldn't be…
Turning around slowly, I looked behind me to find Lea asleep in my bed. My heart began to beat faster as a smile formed from my lips. She slept on her side facing me, gently stirring in her sleep. I approached the bed hesitantly, feeling as though this couldn't possibly be real. But it seemed so convincing. Now sitting on the edge of the bed, I examined all of her features, trying to find some sort of flaw. But I had no success. It had to be her. Her long dark hair held a few loose waves as it reached down to the middle of her back. She wore her emerald green cloak and kept a dagger on the nightstand.
"Lea," I whispered. She continued to stir in her sleep as I spoke again. "Lea, wake up…" But she did no such thing. She remained in her slumber as if I weren't even here. I knew it was too good to be true…Suddenly, a loud knock came from the door. It was a fast, constant knock that made the entire hut practically shake with noise. Lea awoke slowly, raising her head as she looked toward the door.
"Five more minutes…" she groaned, now turning to her other side. I had now come to the conclusion that Lea couldn't see me. But the knocking persisted, getting louder and more aggressive.
"Lea! Open up!" A voice called out. I recognized that voice to a tee. That voice belonged to none other than—
"Go away, Sam" Lea grumbled. Much to her dismay, Sam continued to pound on the door.
"Come out here! We have a surprise for you!" He yelled. The pounding got even louder, causing Lea to slam her hands down on the bed and get up. I stood from my seat on the bed and took a step back. Stomping over toward the door she grabbed the handle and swung it open.
"What could you possibly want—" Lea began but stopped mid-sentence. She stood in the doorway frozen and without words. Making my way to the doorway I looked outside and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Lost Boys were huddled around a boy with golden blonde hair that had his back turned to us. Sam and Julian were hugging him and jumping with joy. As the Lost Boys moved to the sides the blonde-haired boy turned around and greeted Lea with a bright smile. My eyes widened.
It was me…
Lea slowly walked out of the hut. I followed closely behind her and marveled at myself. Was this the future? I looked at Lea who approached hesitantly. Her eyes were glossy and she shook her head.
"This…This isn't possible…" she muttered to herself. The boy grinned and took a step toward her. "No…No, you're dead…I watched you die…" she spoke frantically as she stepped away from him. I looked around at the other Lost Boys who held strange wash-out smiles. I couldn't quite describe it except that it didn't look right. Is Lea…dreaming? Am I in Lea's dream? Was she dreaming of me?
"It's me, Lea. I survived…" he spoke. "I finally found you…" he smiled sweetly at her. Lea stood in awe and question. I wasn't sure what to think. Is this what would happen if I made it back? With bright glossy eyes, Lea ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. Her smile was large and she laughed in disbelief.
"I can't believe it…" she said quietly, resting her eyes. At that moment, I could almost feel what it felt like to be hugged by her. But witnessing this made me feel strange. Lea released him from her embrace and stared into his eyes.
"Why didn't you save me, Lea?" He asked. Lea tilted her head in question at what he had just asked and his smile slowly faded. That was when suddenly his eyes grew dark. A dagger in his hand, he stabbed Lea in the stomach.
"No!" I shouted. Lea stood with a blank expression on her face. Looking down at the dagger in her stomach a single tear ran down her cheek. He pulled the dagger out and chuckled menacingly to himself. A sudden rage ran through me. I darted towards him and tackled myself to the ground, wrapping my hands around his neck and forcing the air out of his lungs. I was so angry, I couldn't control myself. Never in my life did I think I would try to choke myself. Watching me hurt Lea made me sick to my stomach. I threw one punch after another until his face was covered in blood. Throwing the bloody body on the ground, I stood up from my knees and looked about my surroundings. Lea had fallen to her knees and cupped her hands around the wound in her stomach. She looked at the bloody body on the ground and seemed absolutely mortified. The Lost Boys began to chant in a circle surrounding her, yelling and taunting her with cruel remarks. They screamed things like "why did you kill him, Lea", and "who's gonna save you now, Lost Girl". She winced in pain from the wound in her stomach and the screaming of the boys. She began to shake when she cupped her hands around her ears to block out the voices. Only a few moments later chills were sent down my spine when she began to scream. She begged for them to shut up and to leave her alone, but they did not comply. They only grew louder. Running in her direction, I knelt down on the ground beside her.
"You have to block them out, Lea!" I shouted. But she could not hear me. All she could hear was the shouts of the Lost Boys.
"Shut up!" She screamed. Her closed eyelids tightened as the pain continued to increase. "It wasn't my fault!" She pleaded. Tears began to stream down her face.
"Lea!" I begged. "This isn't real! I'm right here, Lea! Lea, I'm with you! You're gonna be okay!" She released a blood-curdling scream that nearly stopped my heart. "It's just a dream!" I screamed. She continued to curl into a ball on the ground. Her constant screams rang throughout the air. Some of the Lost Boys began to laugh at her in her weak state. I became more and more desperate to help her, but there was nothing I could do. A tear rolled down my cheek as her screaming got louder. As I watched her scream in pain I noticed an area on her right forearm that appeared to be bleeding. When I looked closer, I realized that burns were appearing on her skin. These weren't casual burns either. They were second-degree burns. What's happening to her? I grew more panicked when her screaming stopped. Her hands wrapped around her throat as she struggled to breathe. Something is seriously wrong, and I think we're dealing with more than just a dream.
"Lea! You need to wake up!" I yelled. "Lea, wake up! Please!" But she continued to suffocate in front of me.
She was going to die…
And there was nothing I could do to save her…
Hannah's Perspective:
Lily and I wasted no time running back to the camp. As we neared closer, the cloud of thick black smoke appeared larger and larger. The smell of ash and charcoal filled my nostrils, instantly sending me into a state of panic. We were close to the camp and I was already sweating from the intense heat emanating from the area. When we reached the entrance of the camp, I stopped in my tracks and looked up to the trees were I witnessed a blazing fire spreading through the branches. But what made me lose my words was the origin of the fire. At the opposite side of the camp, my hut was engulfed in vivid orange and yellow flames, the same hut that only a few hours ago Lea said she was going to sleep. I shook my head in denial. This wasn't happening. There was no way this was real. Lost Boys screamed and shouted.
"It's already happened" Lily cried out. Running in our direction away from the fire was Felix, who coughed up loads of black smoke.
"What's going on Felix?" I yelled in a frenzy. He shook his head and responded in between coughs.
"The hut caught fire," he shouted, "Lea is still in there!" At that moment, my heart sank deep inside my chest and began beating so fast I could barely keep count. I could feel the cycle beginning all over again. I attempted to inhale and exhale as best as I could. The world and everything around me appeared fast and jagged. Once again, I could feel a hot flash coming, just creeping up from my wrists. My forearms began to tremble. The same darkness was visiting me once more.
Four Years Earlier…
"Mom?" I called out in the house. I couldn't see where I was going. Everything was black and everything I touched burned my skin. "Mom, where are you?" I screamed. The fire had started in the kitchen and spread all throughout the first floor of the house. There was nowhere for me to go. My mom and I were the only ones who lived in the house, yet I couldn't find her anywhere. No matter how much I called out, I would get no reply. The constant beeping of the smoke detectors echoed throughout the house like a ticking time bomb. "Someone please help me!" I screamed out of desperation. I stood in the upstairs hallway unsure of where to go next. The stairs were now engulfed in the hot burning flames. I quickly ran to my bedroom through the black smoke, trying my best not to breathe it in. It seemed like the best choice since it was the furthest room away from the fire. Opening my bedroom window, I looked out to the street where several firetrucks blocked all of the traffic. Black smoke poured out of the window, allowing me to call out to the bystanders below.
"There's a young girl still in there!" A grown woman bellowed.
"Help me! Please!" I cried. "Please help me find my Mom!" I begged. Within the next few moments, several firemen were sent up to get me. Though, time was ticking, seeing now as the fire had spread just outside my bedroom. Climbing up a tall ladder, a fireman stood outside my window. Reaching my body out as far as I could, the man grabbed a hold of me and pulled me out of the window. It was now that the fire had spread to my bedroom, claiming everything as its own. I coughed up black smoke from my stomach as the fireman carried me down the ladder to the ground. My bright blonde hair was practically brown from the smoke and soot spread throughout the house. It wasn't long before we reached the ground and the fireman handed me off to the paramedics.
"Where's my mom?" I asked them.
"What is your name honey?" They asked, including about ten other questions that avoided answering my own.
"Where is my mom?" I would ask over and over. But they never answered. After twelve hours, they made me aware that they knew where my mother was. While I was in the ambulance after being rescued, my mother was lying on the kitchen floor as a pile of bones and ash, fallen victim to the bright orange and yellow flames. They say that she died instantly, but how would they know? As soon as she turned on the gas stove the whole kitchen burst into flames. It was only a matter of minutes that my life had changed.
Present Time…
Before I knew it, I was having a full-blown anxiety attack. Heart palpitations and chest pains overtook me. Clenching my fists tightly, I felt my palms dripping sweat. I shut my eyelids tight and only saw the darkness before me. Calm down, Hannah…You can get through this…I shook my head and swallowed the lump in my throat.
Inhale…
Exhale…
Inhale…
Exhale…
Don't think…
Breathe…
I forced my eyelids open and shook my head. I began running towards the hut when Lily followed after me.
"What do we do?" Lily questioned out of pure desperation. Exhaling a heavy breath, I responded.
"Get Lea the hell out of there…" As much as I hated Lea, I couldn't watch this happen. Nobody should go through what I did. She's a bitch, but I can get back at her for it later. I can't let another fire ruin someone else's life. Shoving our way through boys fetching pails of water we stood before the hut that was consumed by flames. Pan, Julian, and Sam pounded on the windows looking into the hut. We ran to them and called out loud.
"We have to get her out of there!" I yelled.
"Tell us something we don't know!" Pan spat.
"Lea!" Sam screamed, banging on the window as hard as he could. I looked through the window and was puzzled by what I witnessed. Lea was dead asleep in the bed, unmoving and mostly untouched by the fire. The only thing I could see was that from the ceiling above ashes were pouring onto one of her forearms, burning her fresh by the second.
"She won't wake up," Julian yelled. "Something is wrong with her."
"Open the window and get her out!" Sam yelled. I quickly shut him down.
"No!" I fought. "If you do that the whole thing could blow up from being introduced to oxygen."
"What else can we do?" Julian screamed. "The door is up in flames, there's no way in or out!" I looked back through the window as Lea laid still in the bed.
"All we can do is hope for a miracle…" I spoke under my breath. From beside me, Pan began to scream.
"Lea! Wake up!"
"Get up, Lea!" Sam shouted. Soon after Julian started yelling as well.
"Come on Lea!" Julian begged. I soon was screaming myself.
"Lea! You need to wake up!"
Jake's Perspective:
"Lea! You need to wake up!" I yelled in desperation. Her screams and gasps for air echoed through the forest along with the constant ridicule from the Lost Boys. "Lea, none of this is real! It's just a nightmare! Wake up, Lea! Please wake up for me!" But Lea remained as she was. What do I do? Oh my god, what do I do? More tears streamed down Lea's face, leaving my heart feeling broken and in pain. I won't watch her go through this. Lea needs me now more than ever. A sudden burst of emotion compelled me. I grabbed tightly onto Lea and held her close to me. I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Lea! Wake up!"
Suddenly, a bright white light flashed before my eyes. For a moment, I felt weightless. But seconds after, I felt my body summersault onto the floor. Quickly opening my eyes, I had realized that I was back in my hut. Only this time, it was going up in flames. The room was filled with black smoke and the door was blocked by a blazing fire. What the hell is happening? A gasp echoed in the hut. Looking around the hut I watched as Lea sat up in the bed in search of oxygen. She coughed and wheezed as she inhaled black smoke. When she opened her eyes I had realized now what was going on. I was back in Neverland…Lea pulled me out of her dream! I thought my prayers had been answered, but when she looked around the room her eyes looked straight through me.
"Lea!" Several boys shouted from the nearby window. A look of panic crossing her face, she shot up from the bed and began pounding on the window. She looked through the glass to see Julian, Sam, Lily, and Pan standing just outside. Just out of my line of sight, though, I had noticed that a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes stood with them also. After a moment, I had realized that I knew this girl.
It was the girl from my dream…
"There's nowhere to go!" Lea yelled in a panic. She turned her head and looked around the room. Three out of the four corners of the hut were overtaken by flames.
"We're gonna get you out of there!" Julian yelled. "Just hang in there!" All visibility in the room began to vanish as the black smoke filled the air. Rushing to the back corner of the hut, Lea stood on the bed in an attempt to avoid the flames. She continued to cough and wheeze as she clawed at the surrounding walls. I watched as Lea stood terrified, practically feeling her heart beat a thousand times a minute. She was trapped, and there was no way for me to get her out. Why was this happening? What have I missed while I've been gone? Is this my fault?
Was all of this my fault?
In the blink of an eye, a corner of the ceiling collapsed inward, falling to the floor of the hut. Lea gasped as orange and yellow sparks rose rapidly through the air. Each and every flame illuminated the room and further circulated more deadly heat.
"Lea! Are you okay?" Pan shouted as Lost Boys scrambled to put out the fire. They continued throwing buckets of lagoon water onto the hut, only causing the fire to sizzle and crackle. With the Lost Boys throwing buckets of water onto the hut, they were only avoiding the inevitable. They wouldn't be able to put this fire out in time. Lea hacked up a cloud of smoke and raspy replied.
"I'm fine—" Lea was interrupted when a few more shards of the ceiling fell to the floor. "—But I won't be for much longer." She looked through the large gaping hole in the hut's ceiling. It allowed her to see the bright night sky and all of the stars that inhabited it. Glancing out the window, I noticed an expression of thought crossing Pan's face. I could tell he was thinking, but we didn't have any time for thinking.
"Okay, Lea," Pan began, "I'm gonna need you to do something for me." With her lips parted, Lea furrowed her brows in question. "I need you to get as high as you can, like, maybe on top of that vanity across from you," he said. "Drag it over to that corner of the room with an opening in the ceiling. We're gonna climb up the trees and see if we can pull you out of there!" He shouted his instructions. A look of hesitation crossed Lea's face, but she held it together and yelled back.
"Sounds like a plan!" Doing as she was told Lea hopped off the bed and began pulling the vanity before pulling her hands away and shrieking. "Gah!" She bellowed, shutting her eyes and holding her own hand. Parts of the vanity were so hot that it burned her hand the moment she touched its surface. Shaking her hand, she quickly opened the top drawer and pulled out a dark folded piece of clothing. With this, she wrapped the cloth around the side of the vanity, allowing her to get a grip and pull it across the room. Upon closer inspection, I had realized that the piece of clothing she grabbed was none other than my old cloak. I haven't seen that thing in forever…
She dragged the vanity to the corner of the room and began to climb on top of it, still holding my cloak over her arm. It was at this moment that I felt the entire foundation of the hut begin to shake.
Hannah's Perspective:
As the fire continued to engulf the tiny hut, Pan, Julian, and Sam began climbing up nearby trees in an attempted to reach Lea through the open ceiling. In the meantime, Lily went along with the other boys to fetch more water to put out the fire. I stayed planted in my spot, watching through the window and witnessing Lea desperately trying to escape. It was hard to see into the room now with the black smoke making everything hazy, but I could still sort of see what was going on. She had dragged the vanity, or what was left of it, to the corner of the room, trying to move it through piles of fallen rubble on the floor. Now looking to the ceiling, she could see Pan sitting in a tree a few feet away from the open hole. Unfortunately, the trees weren't as close to the hut as we had hoped, otherwise, they would've gone up in flames as well. All this meant was that both Pan and Lea would have to reach for their lives.
Lea began to climb onto the vanity. She lifted her left foot and set it on the surface, moments after pulling up her right foot to do the same. But a sudden vibration knocked her from her balance as she fell to the floor with a clunk. She quickly sat up and stumbled to her feet, looking to the ceiling above. The shuddering ceiling sent echoes of snapping wood throughout the forest. Lea's eyes dark widened and she stood frozen in her place. The crackling sound ceased for a moment, giving a false hope that we had more time to come to Lea's rescue. But slowly, then all at once, the large piece of the ceiling above Lea collapsed, falling directly over her. Holding her forearms above her head and turning her face away, the ceiling crashed into the floor, kicking up piles of smoke and soot.
"No! Lea! No!" Pan screamed, his outstretched hand pulling back hesitantly. I watched from the sidelines in absolute horror. My heart sank and I shook my head in denial. I saw everything up close…I witnessed her last moments. We were too late…The smoke and soot began to dissipate into the air. Looking into the hut, I scavenged the floor for her body, but I was shockingly unsuccessful. It wasn't until I looked closely that my heart stopped.
A piece of the ceiling hovered above Lea, who was still very much alive. She was sitting up on her forearms, looking above herself in disbelief. But I saw something that my eyes would not believe. In the smoke was a shadowy figure of a boy holding up the piece of ceiling that had threatened to crush her. The visibility of this figure faded in and out, depending on how the light from the nearby flames hit the surrounding smoke. I thought that my mind was just seeing things, but I could tell that this was somehow real. The figure threw the slab of the ceiling behind him, crouching down to Lea's level. The smoke had now completely dissipated, making this shadowy figure disappear. I stepped back from the window and rubbed my eyes in complete disbelief.
What the hell did I just see?
Jake's Perspective:
The large slab of the ceiling began to fall toward Lea who stared with wide eyes. Throwing myself in front of her, I braced myself as the heavy chunk of ceiling fell into my arms above my head. It felt as though someone had thrown several sacks of flour above my head and expected me to catch all of them. To my surprise, I caught the falling shards of wood and held them up with my shoulders, keeping them from crushing Lea. The weight of the wooden shards brought me to my knees. Smoke kicked up all around us, making it hard for me to see anything. Unable to hold the slab any longer, I threw it behind me on the floor and exhaled heavily. I knelt down next to Lea as the smoke cleared, making sure that she was alright. And indeed she was. She appeared almost untouched. She breathed heavily as she sat back on her forearms, looking above herself in disbelief and question. For a moment, I felt weak. I hadn't been this close to Lea in forever, and now, I was crouching right beside her. I was able to look at her in ways I haven't been for so long. Being trapped for so long made me forget about the few faded freckles that were sprinkled right underneath her eyes, or the way this one piece of hair near her faces gets super curly after a long day, or even the way that her lips part with curiosity when she's thinking. They were all such wonderful things. I had missed them so much. She was just as beautiful as I remembered her. Though, what seemed somewhat unfamiliar was her eyes. Her eyes were dark enough that they could almost be mistaken as black at a glance. They appeared cold and unforgiving. It wasn't how I had remembered them at all.
Raising my hand gently, I grazed a strand of her dark chocolate hair and pulled it to the side. She continued to look in front of herself with a puzzled expression. A feeling that I hadn't felt in a long while resurfaced at this time. My chest fluttered and my throat tightened. Slowly, I brushed my fingertips lightly across her lips, tracing them ever so gently.
"I will be back for you…" I spoke quietly, pulling my hand away from her face. "I'm gonna make it back, and I'm going to tell you just how much you mean to me…" I could feel tears beginning to form in my tear ducts. "We'll watch the sunrise, just like old times…And I'll make my stupid cheesy jokes that I know you only pretend to hate…" I giggled to myself as I wiped a tear from my face. "I miss you so much, Lea…I just wish I could tell you that myself…I don't know how I'll forgive myself for letting you go through all of this…" I rested my eyes and slowly reopened them. "Since the moment I met you, it's been my responsibility to protect you and keep you safe…I'm not gonna let anything hurt you…" Lea stared through me and furrowed her brows. Her daze was interrupted when Pan called out.
"Lea! Oh my God, you're okay! Come on! We only have another minute before the hut is going to collapse! Hurry!"
Shaking the thoughts from her head, Lea stood up quickly from the floor and walked through me. Though it was sort of encouraging when I watched her take a second glance in my direction. I knew she couldn't have heard me, but I hope I at least made some sort of impact. Jumping onto the vanity, Lea grabbed Pan's outstretched arm as he pulled her out of the hut and into the outside world. Black smoke engulfed every square inch of the hut. The rest of the roof now made an eerie creaking sound as it collapsed on top of me, making my vision go black. I jolted awake, now laying in my bed at home when the same voice of my father hollered.
"Jake! If you don't get your ass outside and start working I'm going to make you wish you were never born!"
And so the cycle began once more. I had slipped in and out of heaven it seems. I'm getting the hell out of here. I'm gonna get back to Lea before anything else happens. I won't let anything hurt her.
Not now…
Not ever…
Lea's Perspective:
I stared blankly in front of me for several moments. I should've been dead. The ceiling crushed me. I should have been a goner. But somehow, my life had been spared. I had cheated death once more. I sat in a daze as I felt somewhat confused and misplaced. There was a cold breeze surrounding my entire being. I didn't think too much of it until I felt a sudden warm touch against my lips, almost like a warm, refreshing kiss. I furrowed my brows in question and continued to ponder. Why did I have such a horrible nightmare? Why is the hut up in flames? Why do I feel completely obvious?
"Lea! Oh my God, you're okay! Come on! We only have another minute before the hut is going to collapse! Hurry!" Pan called out suddenly. Saving my thoughts and questions for later, I stood up quickly from the floor hopped onto the remaining surface of the vanity. I felt a strange presence here with me. Taking a second glance at the hut that was now consumed by fire, I reached toward Peter's hand as he pulled me up. The vanity collapsed from beneath my feet, but Peter had a good grip as he pulled me through the opening in the ceiling. He held onto me tightly and pulled me into the tree. The celling of the hut began to creak before is suddenly caved in on itself. Peter gripped onto me tightly as I began to lose my vision. I felt light-headed and nauseous, becoming unsure of where I was or what was going on. The last thing I remembered was Peter's voice saying my name over and over, telling me to keep my eyes open.
Hook's Perspective:
"How successful would you say that was? You little twit!" I shouted at the boy who stared at me with a stone-cold expression. I sat in my velvet chair at my desk as he replied.
"So it changed the objective a little, we still made her afraid—"
"Ah, yes, I have no doubt the new girl was afraid, terrified even. But this whole scheme was to put her in danger, not Lea, who I planned to get back after we bring those Lost Boys hell" I spat. I polished my hook to the point where I could see my reflection in its hand-crafted silver. "Did she survive?" I questioned with spite. The Lost Boy nodded his head and I raised a brow.
"Well, I guess that's all that matters. The new girl learned her lesson…" I spoke distastefully. "Now, get back there before they notice you're gone" I ordered. Without hesitation, the boy did as he was told and left me by myself in my quarters. Things are just now falling into place. Soon, everything will be exactly as it should.
—
A.N:
Hey guys! So today was a long one, I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. At least you guys had a lot to read! What did you guys think of everything? Got any thoughts or predictions? Let me know in the comments! Things are just getting interesting! Can't wait to take you guys along for the ride! See you all in the next update!
-Agm3