But, unlike Hook, both Erin and the lost boys were suddenly very
tense. Erin examined the crowd of boys, seeking for the one accused missing. It was true: Tucker wasn't to be found. Erin vividly remembered seeing Tucker climbing aboard the rowboat behind her. But when would Hook have been able to kidnap him? Maybe he had fallen overboard. Maybe he was pushed. Maybe, right now, he had snuck down to the hold and was looking for Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily. But, as she turned around to give her explanation to the Lost Boys, Erin realized that they would not be listening to any reasoning. She faced seven of the bitterest looks she had ever seen in her life. She knew they wouldn't, couldn't hit her. They wouldn't hit a girl, she thought bitterly. But their words stung worse than actual blows. "Traitor!" "It was you, it was you all along who stole Tucker, and Tiger Lily, and Margaret.and all of the others!" "A girl! She doesn't belong. She's not one of us. She never really was." "She pretended to be helping us and she was really out there kidnapping all of those people." "Girls are like that. Flighty, weak, irresponsible. You can't trust them. We should have known." "She's disgraced us.everyone in the gang. How could Tink have brought her here?" "It doesn't matter how she got here or why she took those people. She's a girl and a traitor and that's all that matters!" Erin's eyes filled with tears. She hadn't done anything wrong. Nothing at all! She found herself wishing that she was dreaming, and thought bitterly about her excitement at the beginning, how she had prayed it wasn't a dream. Why would anyone kidnap all those people, least of all her? And why had Tinkerbell chosen her instead of a normal boy? The noise of boys mimicking Hook's chilling laughter was too much. She closed her eyes and gave up. It didn't matter anymore. Hook's voice cut in, and Erin thought that the silent tears flowing down her face would freeze. "Walk the plank." She felt cold, ruthless hands tying her hands behind her back. A bandanna that smelled like the hideout under the tree was wrapped around her eyes. She didn't care. She didn't ever want to open them again anyway. Erin felt herself being lifted up. Someone was shouting in her
ear, "Erin, remember this, we don't want to see you again. After all, you're just a girl. Remember." Erin stood up shakily on the undulating plank. She walked out to the edge and stood as tall as she could, with her face up to the sky. As she heard the sickening sound of wood being sawed, she turned around to face the lost boys. It didn't matter if they didn't care. She cared. No matter what happened, she would still care. The plank split with a blood-curdling crack, and Erin felt herself falling, falling. She hit the ocean hard on her back, and burning cold water fought its way into her mouth. Erin kicked her legs weakly and tried to take a breath, but water came instead of air. Waves turned her over and over. She kicked fiercely, trying to break surface, but water kept filling her mouth.
Slowly, Erin decided to give up. No one wanted her in Neverland, and no one wanted her in New York. Erin started to sink silently into the deep ocean.
tense. Erin examined the crowd of boys, seeking for the one accused missing. It was true: Tucker wasn't to be found. Erin vividly remembered seeing Tucker climbing aboard the rowboat behind her. But when would Hook have been able to kidnap him? Maybe he had fallen overboard. Maybe he was pushed. Maybe, right now, he had snuck down to the hold and was looking for Tinkerbell and Tiger Lily. But, as she turned around to give her explanation to the Lost Boys, Erin realized that they would not be listening to any reasoning. She faced seven of the bitterest looks she had ever seen in her life. She knew they wouldn't, couldn't hit her. They wouldn't hit a girl, she thought bitterly. But their words stung worse than actual blows. "Traitor!" "It was you, it was you all along who stole Tucker, and Tiger Lily, and Margaret.and all of the others!" "A girl! She doesn't belong. She's not one of us. She never really was." "She pretended to be helping us and she was really out there kidnapping all of those people." "Girls are like that. Flighty, weak, irresponsible. You can't trust them. We should have known." "She's disgraced us.everyone in the gang. How could Tink have brought her here?" "It doesn't matter how she got here or why she took those people. She's a girl and a traitor and that's all that matters!" Erin's eyes filled with tears. She hadn't done anything wrong. Nothing at all! She found herself wishing that she was dreaming, and thought bitterly about her excitement at the beginning, how she had prayed it wasn't a dream. Why would anyone kidnap all those people, least of all her? And why had Tinkerbell chosen her instead of a normal boy? The noise of boys mimicking Hook's chilling laughter was too much. She closed her eyes and gave up. It didn't matter anymore. Hook's voice cut in, and Erin thought that the silent tears flowing down her face would freeze. "Walk the plank." She felt cold, ruthless hands tying her hands behind her back. A bandanna that smelled like the hideout under the tree was wrapped around her eyes. She didn't care. She didn't ever want to open them again anyway. Erin felt herself being lifted up. Someone was shouting in her
ear, "Erin, remember this, we don't want to see you again. After all, you're just a girl. Remember." Erin stood up shakily on the undulating plank. She walked out to the edge and stood as tall as she could, with her face up to the sky. As she heard the sickening sound of wood being sawed, she turned around to face the lost boys. It didn't matter if they didn't care. She cared. No matter what happened, she would still care. The plank split with a blood-curdling crack, and Erin felt herself falling, falling. She hit the ocean hard on her back, and burning cold water fought its way into her mouth. Erin kicked her legs weakly and tried to take a breath, but water came instead of air. Waves turned her over and over. She kicked fiercely, trying to break surface, but water kept filling her mouth.
Slowly, Erin decided to give up. No one wanted her in Neverland, and no one wanted her in New York. Erin started to sink silently into the deep ocean.