Please read the A/N before reading! It's important!
A/N - This chapter goes back a bit to the end of chapter 6. It goes back to the part where Wendy tells Peter the bad news and Peter runs out the window to fly back to Neverland. Also as a warning, this chapter contains blood. Not a lot, but I just had to put it in incase anyone really hates blood.
Sickness of the Heart
Chapter 8 - restless
Dark storm clouds covered the sky's of Neverland. Not one flower blossomed and not one bird chirped. Neverland had become nothing but a cold, snowy wasteland. Of course this was what always happened when Peter left. The water in the Neverland bay had frozen over. Not one animal nor person could be seen for miles. The Indians tied their teepee's up tight against the storm and the fairies had draped leaves over their holes in the trees to keep snow out.
As for the lost boys, they were bound to their underground home. All of them surrounded the fire place and huddled up against the cold. They all hoped that Peter would arrive soon and relieve them from this cold spell.
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Peter flew fast against the cold Neverland winds, but it was hard to even see with the snow going against him. It was bad enough that he was crying freely now because of what he had just been told about his one and only love, but now the bitter wind stung his face making it much worse. His tears started to freeze due to the icy winds. And worst of all, he felt sick. His cheeks were bright red, he felt nauseated and he could feel his skin growing hotter by the second.
The thing that worried Peter the most was that even though he passed the border into Neverland, the storm was not disappearing, but in fact getting much worse. This was probably due to the fact that Peters mood was all but happy. Since the weather in Neverland was directly affected by the mood and well being of one boy, Peter Pan.
He tried to wipe the frozen tears from his face as best he could. He defiantly did not want the lost boys to see him crying and laugh at him. He descended towards the tree that lead to the underground home. Flinching as his bare feet touched the cold snow. He stepped through the passage of the home and slid down the slide into the main room.
The boys heard Peter sliding down into the house.
"Peter!" All they boys got up from the warmth of the fireplace to greet their leader, but Peter pushed past them without even a second glance. Pushing Slightly to the ground in the process. Tootles, the youngest of the lost boys, peaked through the crack in the wood and looked at the blizzard that was outside.
"Hey guys!" Tootles called out. "Lookit! It's still snowin'!" Nibs, Peter's second in command, rushed to Tootles side and looked through the hole.
"Oh No!" He turned to the rest of the lost boys "This could only mean one thing!"
"Peters upset!" Curly said.
"What do we do?" The twins asked together. Slightly paced the floor, trying to come up with an idea. Slightly usually came up with the best plans when it came to sticky situations, Which is why he was Peters battle planner. Suddenly a light went off in Slightly's head.
"you should go talk to him!" Slightly pointed to Nibs.
"Wha-What? ... Me! ...but..." Nibs stuttered.
"You 'ARE' Peters second in command!" Slightly rolled his eyes. Slightly had always been a bit jealous of Nibs position of second in command, but he also hated to deal with Peter when he was mad. Since Peter had so much power in Neverland, the lost boys quickly learned to fear his anger.
"But ... What if he ...B-B-Banishes me?" Nibs asked, but Slightly was already pushing him towards Peters room.
"Well then ... At least you can say that you tried!" Slightly smiled and shoved him into the room.
Nibs stood there for a second, but Peter didn't even notice his presence. He lay on his bed with his back to the door and his covers wrapped tightly around him. From under the blanket, Nibs could hear a faint sniffling and occasionally saw Peter shake. He stood by the door for a long time, not really knowing how to start.
"P-Peter?" Nibs asked shyly. Nibs saw the boy under the covers go ridged at the sound of his voice."Why are you crying?" Nibs asked worried. Suddenly, Peter shot up from under the blankets and rushed over to Nibs.
"I was NOT crying!" He yelled loudly. Nibs clearly was through Peter's pretend. The boy was deathly pale, tearstains covered his cheeks, and his eyes were blood red.
"Sorry Peter ..." Nibs backed away a little. Peter turned his back to his second in command to try to wipe more tears from his eyes. Nibs saw this action and reached out his hand to try to rest it on Peter shoulder, but Peter pulled away.
"Just go away!" Peter turned to Nibs and yelled.
"No!" Nibs said bravely. A whole lot braver then he actually felt standing up to the prince of Neverland. "I won't leave you!" From outside the tree house, dark clouds moved quickly across the Neverland sky. The low rumbling of thunder startled the lost boys who sat in the main room waiting for Nibs to come back out. A bolt of lightning struck the ground beside the tree house and caused the ground to shake.
"You will leave or I shall banish you!" Peter shouted and drew his dagger. Nibs pulled out his own dagger and advanced on Peter.
"You will have to toss me out because I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong!" The eternal boy looked deep into the eyes of his friend. Something about Nibs eyes ...
They looked on the verge of tears and full of so much worry.. And it was that something that was in Nibs eyes that caused Peter to completely breakdown. The leader of the lost boys stood stiff, looking into Nibs eyes.
Then he just collapsed into tears. he sat on the ground with his head between his knees and let his tears flow freely.
"She's ...dying ..." Peter whispered. Nibs quickly leaned down next to his leader, straining his ears to hear him.
"What?" He asked Peter.
"Wendy! She's Dying Nibs!" Peter shouted. All of a sudden, Peter felt a sharp pain surge through his head. Images went through his brain at lighting speed. Painful images.
Tinkerbells light going out, Wendy saying goodbye, Hook advancing toward him with blood red eyes, Him and Wendy fighting after dancing. Then the images disappeared... and all he felt was pain. He grabbed his forehead to try to calm the pain but nothing helped.
"What's wrong!" Nibs shouted. Another bolt of lightning hit the ground, causing the earth to shake again. The other lost boys heard the noise and came bursting into the room.
"What's wrong with Peter?" Slightly asked when he saw his leader on the ground in pain.
"Wendy is dying!" Peter cried out again.
"What!" Curly shouted over all the confusion. Tootles, being the youngest, didn't know what was happening.
"What's wrong with Peter?" He tugged on Slightly's shirt and cried.
"He'll be ok." He assured the littlest lost boy. Nibs began to take immediate control of the situation.
"Help him into bed!" Nibs gave the boys orders to help their leader. The twins rushed to Peter's side to help. "Get Tootles out of the room!" Slightly nodded and carried Tootles into the main room. Nibs, Curly, and the Twins sat by their leader in bed and let him freely cry. They sat there for a long time in complete silence. Sometimes they would exchange worried glances but then turned their attention back to the ground. Eventually Slightly returned and joined them after he calmed Tootles. Peter's tears did not cease, just calm. Sobs still wracked his body . As he cried, he stared at the wall with a blank expression. Nibs finally decided to break the silence.
"What happened to Mother?" Peter jumped a bit, not expecting anyone to talk.
"She... she told me that ... that ..." Peter just couldn't bring himself to say it. The thought of it stung at his heart. He Swallowed hard. "She's very sick ... She's going to die..." He whispered. All the lost boys gasped, except for Nibs.
"But Peter..." Nibs said " You said 'To die, will be an awfully big adventure' Maybe it will be that way for Wendy too."
"NO!" Peter lashed out at Nibs again. " I'll never see her again if she is to die! I Wish I never went back to see her!" Another surge of pain cut through Peter's head. He let out a small scream. The boys immediately jumped to help Peter.
"Lay down Peter." Slightly said as he thought of what Wendy would do if she were here. Once He was laying down, Nibs put his hand to Peters forehead just as Wendy had done once when she was caring for Tootles when he was sick.
" He's really hot guy! get some snow and melt it, he needs something cold!" Nibs yelled as he took control again. Curly and the twins ran outside to get snow.
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As Curly and the twins ascended the stair to the underground home, Tootles came running up to the older boys.
"What's going on?" The little one asked. Curly, who was usually the jokester, knelt down with a rare serious expression on his face.
"Come with us and help us get snow." Tootles nodded and followed the boys. The lost boys pulled a string at the end of the hallway which lifted a door to the outside. The land looked so deserted. Thick grey storm clouds covered the sunless sky. An odd combination of snow and rain fell in thick waves. Thunder shook the ground and lightning burst from the sky. Tootles winced every time lightning hit the ground. He closed his eyes for a second at the sound. He opened his eyes and saw Curly, bent down, shoveling snow into his arms.
"Why's it still snowin'?" Tootles asked his friends. Curly stopped gathering snow. The twins grew ridged and gave Tootles a pained expression.
"Wendy is ..." One twin said
"Dying ..." The other finished. Another bolt of lightning hit the ground, but Tootles didn't flinch.
"NO! " He shouted above the roar of the thunder. "Your lying!" Tootles young eyes held so much pain and panic in them. he breathed heavily with his eyes locked on the twins.
"I wish they were..." The boys heard Slightly's voice pop into the conversation. They looked toward hangman tree in which they lived. He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.
"Is he ok?" Curly ran up to him. Slightly shook his head.
"No, but he is sleeping. I'm afraid he is a little sick from the storm too. Now, lets go back inside before we all get sick." Slightly led his friends back into the safety and comfort of their home.
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"Oww... my head."Peter moaned in distress as he went through another head ache. he closed his eyes tightly to brace himself for the pain. Once it was over, Peter opened his eyes and rested his hand on the ground next to him. Instead of feeling the warmth and security of his blankets, he felt warm sand. He observed his surroundings to find that he was no longer even in his home, but in a sandy tropical beach. The beautiful tranquil Neverland bay. He sat for a moment, admiring the setting sun. The sky had turned the most beautiful mixture of yellows and pinks. The gentle waves pulled in and out, creating a soothing melody.
"Peter!" The eternal boy snapped out of his dreamlike state at the sound of a feminine voice calling to him. He turned his head and saw Wendy. Her fluffy brown hair bounced behind her. She was dressed in her white nightgown as always. Her blue eyes sparkled with life and vibrance.
"Wendy! What's going on? how did you get here?" Peter ran to Wendy. The girl gave Peter and awkward smile.
"Peter, Have you gone mad? I've always been here!" Wendy giggled when Peter gave her a confused look.
"But you told me you were sick. Why are you so happy about that?"
"Sick?" Wendy looked shocked " Peter Pan, you truly HAVE gone mad! Why would I be sick, I feel fine!" Wendy reached out and took Peters hand in hers. With Fingers laced, Wendy began to pull Peter in the direction of mermaids lagoon.
"Where are we going?" Peter asked.
"Don't you remember? Yesterday we agreed we would go down to the lagoon together." Wendy smiled.
'Maybe i just dreamed it all ...' Peter thought to himself ' Wendy isn't dying, she's right here, and she's well! It was all just a bad dream.' Wendy turned around to see Peter staring off into nowhere.
"Peter come on, lets go swimming." Wendy said. He snapped out of it and smiled to Wendy. Peter stood on the edge of the lagoon as he watched Wendy lower herself into the water, fully clothed. Her hair began to loose its natural curl and became course and heavy with salt water.
"Get in! it feels wonderful!" Wendy floated in one place, treading water and enjoying the waters natural warmth. All of a sudden Wendy's whole body was dragged roughly under the waters surface.
"Wendy!" Peter shouted, but she couldn't hear him. Peter quickly jumped into the luke warm water. Ignoring the stinging sensation, Peter opened his eyes underwater. Before him lay a horrible sight. Three bluish green scaly creatures had their arms wrapped tightly around Wendy. One had both her feet, one had her around the chest and the other had its webbed hands around her neck. Half fish half women, all of them, took turns hissing in Wendy's ear.
She tried to reach her hand out to Peter, but the creature that held her around the chest forced her to put it down. Wendy tried to hold her breath, but she soon felt a heaviness in her lungs. Finally , she could hold it no longer. She opened her mouth and let the salty water fill her lungs. Peter tried to swim to Wendy but something was holding him back. Another mermaid had its webbed hands around Peters waist. He looked back at Wendy just in time for her to take one more watery breath full of salt water, before she closed her eyes forever.
peter began to feel himself give into the water. he opened his mouth to breath, but the fresh air was replaced with water that quickly filled his lungs. The burning sensation was more then Peter could bear, and his world around him darkened.
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Peter sat bolt upright in his bed, letting out a short surprised scream. Nibs, who was sleeping in a nearby chair, snapped awake and looked around wildly.
"Wha-whats goin' on!" He yelled out in confusion. He looked towards where Peter lay to see that the boy was sitting upright with his hands on his chest, breathing heavily.
"What's wrong?" Nibs rushed over to peter.
"Wendy ... she... drowned!" Peter took deep breaths between words.
"What's happened now!" Multiple voices said from the doorway. Nibs looked over to see the rest of the lost boys in the doorway, looking worried. They had been sleeping since it was late at night, but they must have heard Peter and came running. From behind him, Nibs heard a retching sound. He turned around to see Peter leaned over his bed, vomiting water. He convulsed for a second before laying back down. Then, oddly enough, he began to laugh lightly.
"I'll Never make fun of you guys when your sick again." Peter said with a smile. He remembered on many occasions Peter would make fun of the boys when they got sick. Even when Wendy scolded him for it..Even if it did shake him up quiet a bit ,He was much more then happy to find out that the horrible vision he saw was just a dream. The lost boy were happy that at least Peter smiled.
"So your ok?" Slightly asked. Peter nodded with an awkward smile. The lost boys, Including Nibs' left Peter in peace. In seconds he was right back to sleep.
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Peter lay still on a cold hard surface. As he opened his eyes, the bright sun caused his eyes to have blind spots. They sky looked so peaceful, but he heard loud screams in the background. He knew he was not in a good place. His suspicions were confirmed when a big black boot Pressed itself down hard on peters chest, crushing his ribs.
"Give up yet Pan?" Peter heard a familiar voice say from above him. He looked up with his glassy blue eyes to see none other then the feared pirate of the Jolly Roger standing over him, grinning evilly.
"Don't give up Peter!" Peter heard another voice call out from behind Hook. Past the captain, Wendy Darling was tied roughly to a pole in the center of the ship. "Don't let him win Peter!" The girl screamed out. Hook raised his iron claw at the end of his hand high above Peters head and got ready to bring it down. Peter heeded Wendy's words and quickly withdrew his own dagger. He held it in front of his face. The two pieces of metal hit. Peter forced Hooks claw back, causing the captain to loose his footing. Peter took this opportunity to roll out from under him.
""Give up old man!" Peter laughed and flew into the sky high above the ship.
"If I were you Pan, I'd come down here now!" Hook yelled.
"Why should I Codfish!" Peter crossed his arms, still smiling. Hook walked over to where Wendy was tied up. She wrinkled her nose at the captain.
"if you don't surrender, Your Wendy will be no more!" Hook cut the rope that held Wendy and grabbed her around the waist so he could point his Hook at her throat.
"NO! Let her go! I'll come down!" Peter quickly descended toward the deck. His eyes filled with tears when he looked into Wendy's horrified face.
"Seize him!" Hook yelled the second Peters feet hit the deck. Tons of pirates appeared and began to tie Peter up. Peter didn't fight back, he was to afraid of what Hook might do to Wendy if he fought.
Once Peter was secure, Hook walked over to Peter with Wendy still at Hook point.
"Now, let us make Pan suffer the ultimate punishment for cutting of me hand!" The whole crew began to cheer, but only horrible thoughts raced through Peters head.
"The Death of Wendy!"
"NO!" Peter shouted hysterically. A deep dread took over Peter. He felt nauseated and light headed. "PLEASE DON'T!" But he wasn't listening. He raised his Hook and aimed it for Wendy's neck.
Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Peter saw every single little detail. The Hook tore through Wendy with a gruesome shredding sound. The deafening screams of a girl, the cheers of the pirate crew,and blood. Lots of it. Peter was to horrified to do anything, he couldn't even scream. He couldn't even cry...
Bright crimson liquid splattered onto Peters terrified face.
It Killed him inside ...
Finally Wendy's limp body dropped to the deck. Peter snapped out of his state just in time to see Hooks metal claw speeding toward his own neck.
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The lost boys had finally gotten back to sleep. Even Nibs joined the boys in their big shared bed in the main room of the tree house. Until a scream woke the boys from their slumber. All of them recognized Peters screams and ran into his room.
"What's wrong?" Nibs yelled the second he got in. The eternal boy was drenched in a cold sweat, panting and crying hard.
"peter, it was just a dream." Slightly assured him. But Peter shook his head. He wrapped his arms around his legs and shivered.
"You need to get some sleep Peter." Curly said.
"NO!" Peter yelled. He pushed the blankets away from himself and got out of bed "I'm Never going to sleep again!" Peter screamed and ran out of the room.
A/N - That was long. 10 pages long hand written . I'm quiet proud of myself actually.
