Chapter 5: A Right Hook
Lilly paced back and forth in the hidden den anxiously. Something was wrong with Jane. She knew it. She and Jane had this unearthly connection that told each other what the one was feeling, and this very uneasy feeling was coursing through her. It had been hours since Peter had flown away in a desperate search for Jane and Lilly had a hunch that he hadn't found her yet. She wondered what might have happened to her sister after the bomb detonated. The worry started to make her body tremble and her light blonde hair stand on end.
She told herself that she must trust Peter, though. Peter would find her and bring her back safely. Then Jane would feel foolish for ever doubting Peter's care. She would tell Lilly that she had been right all along and her own presumption had been stupid and that she should take Lilly's advice from now on.
Lilly smiled proudly as she played out her moment of redemption with glee and giddy anticipation. She would finally be recognized as insightful and wise; not a little ten-year-old child. Jane may have been five years older, but Lilly knew that she possessed knowledge that Jane could never get. Like when Jane said that twice three was six. It was obviously five because if you put two and three together, you get five! What an ignorant person Jane had been. Had she never paid attention in school?
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All was dark… dark and hot. The thick, humid air made it hard to breathe and it felt like someone was squeezing her lungs so painfully that she felt her chest might cave in. She coughed laboriously and tried to find something, anything tangible in the pitch black. She got up in her hands and knees and crawled around. Using one hand to feel around her, she stumbled aimlessly for a few seconds and then, she fell through a hole of some sort. She screamed hoarsely as the air rushing past her became stronger and stronger as she started falling faster and faster toward the invisible ground. The fear started rapidly building up inside her and tears stung her eyes. Squeezing her eyes shut, more spilled out and she knew that when she hit the ground that she was going to die. She couldn't even imagine the pain that she knew was coming… but it never came. Something felt different suddenly. The wind was still whistling past her but in a different way. She opened her eyes and light burst forth from the darkness and she saw Neverland rushing past beneath her. Breathing deeply with relief, she turned on her back and stretched her arms as she flew.
"There you are!" someone said beside her. She jumped with a yelp of surprise then saw none other than Peter himself next to her, that famous smile on his face.
"Peter!" she exclaimed with a smile.
"I found you," answered Peter as he grabbed her hand, pulling her to catch up to his pace. She laughed blissfully as her hair blew around her face wildly and the thrill of flying took over her. She closed her eyes and surrendered to this fantastic enchantment. Then when she opened her eyes, it was night again and Peter has stopped. A full moon reflected off of the shallow pond that they hovered above.
'What happened? Night?' she thought with one eyebrow raised. She turned to Peter to inquire and explanation but was startled with a kiss instead. Peter crushed his lips to Jane's and embraced her tenderly. She shut her eyes and let it all go. She thought to herself, 'This is too good to be true!'
But slowly, Peter's touch turned cold and it felt like ice against her lips. Opening her eyes, the figure of Peter vanished and the pond water turned ominously black. Clouds started to cover the moon and all light was extinguished.
And she was in black again… and oh so cold.
Jane's head felt like someone had whacked her with sledgehammer and her feet felt like they were still being singed. Groaning miserably, she forced herself to sit up and whimpered while whispering obscenities because of the splitting headache that threatened to pound her brain to mush. Every part of her ached so immensely that she wanted to pull out a pistol and shoot herself.
"Blast that Hook. He must have been the one putting out dynamite in the jungle. I guess I won't be walking for a while," she muttered angrily. She glanced down at her feet which were black and blistering from the proximity that her feet came to the flames. "I know I won't be walking for a while."
She took off her thick, navy school sweater to reveal a white button down blouse. Her once grey skirt has turned charcoal black from all the smoke and Jane knew her white shirt wouldn't stay white for long, but getting dirty was half the fun in Neverland. It was getting steadily darker. It must have been early evening that she had woken up at, judging by how recently the sun had just set. The sky was still slightly illuminated with pink and orange beams if light but it would be night soon. Jane hated to be alone at night.
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This was getting insane! Where was Peter? It was getting dark and he still had not returned. The suspense had Lilly so nervous that she thought she might burst. She couldn't sit down long enough to calm down because she would get right back up and start pacing circles around the room. She thought that it might be a good idea for her to try to find Jane incase something was wrong and Peter couldn't find her. Then she dismissed the idea and knew that if she went out there in the dark, she would never find her way back. Her "Jane's-pains" senses weren't going crazy like before so she thought that maybe she was safe but an eerie vibe was coming from the jungle. Someone was out there. She didn't know who but it reeked of something sinister. Jane may have been safe for now, but something was coming to get her. She wouldn't stay safe for long.
Lilly's thought were interrupted by Peter's loud entrance. He was panting like a dog and sweating as if he had run a marathon. However, Jane was not with him. This did not bode well.
"Did you find her, Peter?" asked Lilly almost hysterically.
"Not yet. I've looked all over the jungle and no matter how many times I call her, she doesn't answer," he replied forlornly. He picked a leaf out of his hair and flicked it away as Lilly whined in fright.
"Something's wrong. I don't know what but something's in the jungle," informed Lilly and Peter nodded.
"I know. Hook's been snooping around some place with weird craters. I don't know where they're from either."
"Do you think they may have been from those bombs?"
"Bombs?"
"Yes! The ones that kept going off. Do you remember? It was right when Jane had gone missing."
"Those ones?" said Peter with his head tilted to one side. Then he gasped and realized what Lilly was trying to say. "Hook planted those. Jane can't be far from there!"
"Well hurry your bum up and go and find her!" commanded Lilly and practically shoved Peter out the entrance.
So it was Hook that she was sensing. She hoped with all her heart that Peter would find Jane before Hook would.
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"Jane! Jane! Jane, where are you!"
Jane was roused from her light sleeping with a voice yelling her name. Who was yelling for her? She was feeling too groggy to recognize it. She rubbed her eyes and rolled over. And then it felt like the voice was coming from above her.
"Answer me, Jane! Jane!"
It took her a few seconds, but she finally became conscious of who the voice belonged to. She shot into a sitting position and screamed at the top of her lungs, "PETER!"
The calling ceased and a shadow hovered in the sky next to the moon.
"I'm here, Peter!" she shouted and the figure came closer. Sure enough, there was Peter. He descended to the ground and came over to her. Kneeling beside her, he tried to catch his breath and Jane flung her arms around him.
"Where have you been, Peter?" she asked in relief more than frustration.
"I've been looking for you. We have to go now though. Hook's just near here," he rushed to get out. Jane looked down at her feet and touched one gently. Hissing in pain, she withdrew her hand and shook her head.
"I can't walk. My feet are badly burned."
"Then I'll carry you. But we must leave her at-"
His sentence was cut short by a much deeper and cocky voice.
"My, my, isn't this a surprise. Brought another child, have you, Peter?" said Hook as he came out of the forest with several other men behind him. The overly-confident look on his face made Jane want to slap him.
Peter grabbed Wendy and scooped her up into his arms. He hovered in the air for a second and glared at Hook malevolently. Just as he was about to make a break for it, a loud gunshot sounded and Peter fell from the sky. Jane screamed as blood seeped onto her white shirt. She knew it was going to get stained sooner or later. They landed on the ground with a rather unpleasant thump and a cry of pain with Peter on his back underneath Jane.
Hook took slow and careful steps toward the injured Peter. The girl rolled off Peter and tried to rouse him. His face was scrunched up in a look of excruciating pain and he was holding tightly to his left arm as blood leaked through his fingers. He looked over at Hook with pure loathing and sat himself up with a groan. Letting go of his hand, he reached for his knife and got ready for a battle with Hook.
"Fall back, men. This is between Pan and me now. Return to the Jolly Roger," he ordered and one by one, the members of the swashbuckling crew retreated. Then it was just Pan, Hook, and Parker. Hook threw down his gun and took out a long, thin sword. Both got into dueling stance. It had begun.
Swords clashed and clanged together and mouths traded insults back and forth. Jane sat and watched in horror. Peter wasn't fit to fight right now. Hook had a large advantage over him considering Peter's wound. She had to help somehow but 'how?' was just the question. She couldn't get up from the ground and nothing was in reach to throw. Unless she could bring herself to fly, she was of no help.
She had to fly. It was one longer an option. It was the only option. What kind of happy thought would she be able to conjure up at a time like this, though? Peter was in grave danger and she had merely seconds to come up with something cheery. She looked over at Hook who had the look of a victor in his eyes.
'He hasn't won yet. And he never will with me around,' Jane thought angrily and smiled at the thought of knocking his block off. She would have just loved to punch that smug little look off his face.
Then all of a sudden, she was no longer sitting on the ground. She was floating in the air, she was flying! However, she didn't waste time on celebration. Once she had her balance, she shot off at Hook's direction with her right hand geared to let loose a world of hurt. Hook turned his head just as she was approaching and his eyes widened just before Jane's knuckles went sailing into his cheek. Then, it was Hook's turn to fly! He flew right back a few feet right into the trunk of a strong oak. He grunted when he hit the tree but was totally out when he his body came in contact with the ground again.
"Ha! In your face, Hook!" Jane taunted to Hook's unconscious form. She turned around with a smile on her face to see Peter curled in a ball on the ground. She quickly flew over to him and realized Peter was crying.
"It hurts. It hurts so bad," he cried and he refused to move when she tried to get him to sit up.
"We have to get out of here, Peter. We have to go back to the hideout," she urged him and he shook his head.
"No, we gotta go to the Indians. I need them to help me. I can't feel my arm anymore, Jane!" he screamed the last part and his whole body shivered
