Will's POV

"Get him!"

I hissed as the ferns cut across the skin of my arms as I pushed through them. Even without a path the howls and shouts of the lost boys running after me were enough to keep me going. There were only so many vines and up-rooted tree trunks that I could pass through the jungle at a dead sprint but it seemed as though the jungle wasn't the only thing against me.

I felt a tingling sensation shoot down my spine as my feet started to slow down as if they had a mind of their own. I tried to pull myself further through the jungle but I had no control over my actions. My legs had pulled me back to a slow stop refraining me from moving and leaving them heavily stuck to the ground.

The groups of footsteps behind me never slowed, they only grew closer as did their voices. I felt helpless until I looked up at the lower branches hanging above my head. Reaching out I managed to get a firm grip around the lowest of branches and used all the strength I had left to pull myself up.

"Come on!" I groaned, my arms straining as I pulled my body forward.

It was no use, I was stuck and they were close.

"This way!" I heard the lost boys yelling.

I let go of the branch hearing its leaves rustling as I looked over my shoulder to see where they were but my eyes instantly caught sight of something spinning through the air, the shining silver blinding me until it had rushed past the side of my face. I turned at its impact causing the blade to stab into the thick bark of the tree beside me taking only a few strands of my hair. I swallowed the lump in my throat and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"Will..."

My eyes widened, my fastened heartbeat slowing as Emily's voice rang through my ears, her tone ghostly. I looked through the trees but couldn't find any sign of the brown-wavy-haired girl I had grown familiar with.

"Emily!" I yelled as loud as I could trying to move my legs from their glued stance.

I waited, listening eagerly but there was not a sound of her voice that came back to me, only the sounds of footsteps getting louder. Suddenly the pull at my tired legs didn't feel as strenuous as that tinging sensation returned returning them back to life. I took a step forward and instantly made a sprint for it but before I could get any further than I had liked, a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders, their grip sinking into the material of my cloak. I felt a strong tug at my neck taking the breath from my lungs as I was brought back with them and turned to feel my back shoved back up against the tree beside the very dagger that was thrown at me.

I hissed as my back throbbed against the hard surface, my head tilting up to see Felix breathing heavily, his grip restraining me with little effort. He stared down at me, eyes holding a powerful blaze despite their clear blue.

Four more lost boys appeared out from behind the jungle trees, their hoods, and swords were drawn as they approached behind Felix.

"Where are you running to, Will?" Felix asked, raising one hand off me to pull out the dagger from beside my head.

I was about to shoot back at him but I actually had no idea how I had got here or why they were running after me.

"I asked you a question!" Felix snarled impatiently, pushing my back harder against the tree.

I could already feel a bruise forming on my shoulder blades.

"I don't know!" I shouted back which only made him angrier as I watched his eyes darken.

Felix grabbed his wooden club off one of the lost boys while the other two rushed in ahead, holding me down against the tree. My stomach sank as he held the club in front of my chest, removing his hood completely causing his dirty-blonde hair to fall messily, his face lifting reveling the rest of his scar.

"I'm going to count to three!" Felix said at me, his tone forming louder with each count.

"One!"

What the hell was happening?!

"Two!"

No matter how much I tried to remember, I couldn't. I had no idea where I was running to and Felix...he wasn't going to hold back.

"Will..."

My eyes widened as I heard Emily's ghostly voice cut through Felix's shouts.

"Three!" Felix yelled, his grip tightening around his club as he swung it back.

"Wait!" I shouted but flinched as the wooden club made an impact with my stomach.

I couldn't breathe. My stomach had turned in on itself, clenching tightly as I felt everything shift inside before the pain hit as if someone had stood through it. I let a painful shout of pain escape my lips and the other lost boys dropped my body to the ground. My hands wrapped around my stomach protectively as I heard Felix's footsteps getting closer to me.

"I'm going to ask one more time," Felix announced as he took a step closer.

"Where were you going!?" Felix yelled lifting his wooden club up again.

How could I tell him if I can't even remember why I was running away in the first place.

"William..."

I lifted my head only slightly my partly blurred vision finding a figure standing between the trees. I focused ahead, trying to ignore the pain I saw Emily standing between the trees in the distance, her skin pale, body shaking as her tear-filled eyes found mine. I watched with wide eyes as she lifted her arm up and pointed at me.

"Will."

Her voice sounded so broken as it rang in my ears. I knew it couldn't be possible but I watched her lips moving, I knew she had said my name but she was too far away for me to actually hear her. That didn't stop her voice lingering as it echoed in my ears.

"Will, what have you done?"

There was so much pain in her voice that I could only stare back at her and watch as her body soon disappeared into a cloud of thick smoke, slowly evaporating into the air. I wasn't sure what the feeling was but it had washed over me entirely. Watching her disappear had finally sunk in and twisted with my mind, a distraction from Felix's club as it had been brought down again causing my body to jolt across the ground, a scream leaving my lips as the pain had become unbearable. I lay on the ground and closed my eyes but there was nothing.

I opened my eyes and quickly jolted up. Felix was gone and so was the lost boys, the jungle had disappeared and was replaced by the beach. The pain was gone. I instantly pinched my skin to try to wake myself up.

How was this possible?

Was this a dream?

I couldn't tell if I was awake or not.

"William."

I swallowed turned around knowing who was behind me. Pan stood, his body stiff, expression holding no other emotion except for rage, his green eyes had darkened.

"Pan-"

"Shut up," He said coldly.

I stood my ground and watched as his breaths became heavier. I didn't have time to react as he used his magic to appear right in front of me, his hand reaching faster than I could register as it grabbed hold of me, his eyes settling on me as animals would on their prey.

I had been confronted by those piercing green eyes so many times in the past but they had only looked down on me with hatred. Now they were searching, cutting through mine like glass, reading my emotions and waiting for me to break.

I knew I had to be strong.

I can't we weak, not in front of Pan.

"You don't think I don't know what's happening on my Island!" Pan growled through gritted teeth, "Do you really think I'm that stupid that I don't know about your little plan."

I watched as he stared at me, eyes like daggers.

"Do you want to tell me what happens when someone tries to go up against me?"

I shook my head causing Pan to smirk, his hand fetching his dagger from his belt. I flinched as I felt the cold metal of Pan's blade place against my skin.

"You out of all people you know what I'm like."

I watched carefully as he lowered his blade to my waist before pulling me forward toward him. I stared into those daily green eyes and felt a sharp pain hit my skin. I shrieked out and looked down to see a red mark starting to stain my clothes.

I grabbed my wound feeling the excruciating pain take over once Pan had removed the blade. Even at this point, I tried, I really did try to look Pan in the eyes and not show him that he had won. Even if I had to fake it, he had to see.

"You're taking the pain much better than I expected...such a shame she couldn't do the same."

My face fell as I heard the words leave his mouth. It pained me more to think that he didn't give her a chance, he didn't talk her down or give her enough time to get any final words out. I knew this, I knew what Pan was like, maybe I knew him too well to know he won't hold back, not for her, not for me, not for anything...and I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Where is she!" I snapped at him.

Pan smirked and stepped back.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

Pan clicked his fingers and we appeared at campus a second later.

There wasn't much I could do but stare in disbelief, my skin running cold and my wound feeling like it wasn't there at all. I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want this to be the truth but it was all before my eyes. A thrown covered with vines and skulls sat Emily herself. But not the one I remember from the forest that was pail and lifeless, not the girl I had seen awaken in fear from the beach...not the girl that had finally brought a sense of hope into what I thought would be a miserable life.

All the lost boys were silent, kneeling down at her before her, their eyes staring at the ground.
Pan roughly pushed me to the ground so I was just the same as the rest of the lost boys. I ignored the bleeding that escaped my wound, I only watched as Pan walked up to her. Her gaze was set over us as Pan leaned down, whispering in her ear which caused her to break a grin as her eyes settled on me. She swung her legs off the side of her thrown and started to walk towards me leaving Pan standing with his arms crossed, a smirk curling through his lips.

I couldn't even tell it was her apart from her face and voice. Her hair was tangled, her eyes were sharp like Pan's and she wore the brown cloak over her shoulders with pride. I could only stare sadly at her as she approached me. She looked so different...she was starting to look like Pan.

She leaned down, her eyes locking with mine and they were no longer soft, they were dark and controlled. I noticed her hazel eyes had now changed into a darker green. My reaction let a low chuckle escape her lips before a smirk settled, her eyes narrowing down at me, just as Pan did.

Emily pulled out a dagger and my attention was instantly brought to the weapon as its handle was dark as night, silver blade showing my fearful reflection. The dagger itself was not what I feared most, it was the way she held it as though she was trained to kill. Then the thought occurred to me, something I had never thought before.

She wouldn't hurt me, would she?

"What did he do to you," I said softly only just managing to get the words out.

She smirked,

"It wasn't Pan...it was you."

I opened my eyes as the sounds of my own screams filled my ears. I grabbed my sheets tightly pulling myself up and feeling the sweat fall from my face. I tried to maintain control over my ragged breaths but all I could think about was that nightmare.

I've never had a dream like that before. I know that the dreams you have on Neverland feel like they're real but this one was different, this dream made me feel like someone was telling me something...a warning if anything.

I turned around to go back to sleep when I felt a sharp stinging pain coming from my stomach. I lifted my shirt hesitantly only to drop the material, my shaken hand pulling back as I stared down at the large bruises and now covered up cut from Pan. How was this even possible? It was exactly the same bruises from Felix and the same cut from Pan.

Maybe I was still dreaming...

Emily's POV

I closed the door to my hut and watched the sun starting to shine through the trees. I tucked the necklace Pan had given me the night before beneath my clothes. I couldn't let anyone see it.

I yawned and walked along with the huts till I found Will's, my exhausted feet walking up the steps slowly before I had the chance to knock on the door. I waited for what I thought would be Will but there was no answer. I waited and looked across the other huts front steps to see Pan standing on the steps to his hut staring at me. His finger slowly came to his lips indicating me to shush. I thought back to last night.

I felt something wrap around my neck and a weight drop to my chest. I looked down to see the stone hanging by a plain black string around my neck.

"Don't you want it?" I asked him wondering why he would just give up something like this.

"No. It has no use to me anymore," Pan said. "Just think of it as a gift"

I looked up at him questionably but he just sighed.

"Now get back to your hut and go to sleep" Pan ordered.

I rolled my eyes and walked towards the grass for what I'm hoping is the last time for today.

"Remember, tell anyone about this and you will be punished," He said before disappearing.

I looked down at the coral blue stone then back to Pan, but he was gone. I made sure the stone was hidden well before I slowly opened the door and walked into Will's hut. I was relieved to see him sleeping on his front, his face squished into the edge of the pillow, leg handing out while the cover was half hanging from the bed. I silenced a laugh as I heard small snores escaping his parted lips.

"Will," I whispered.

I nudged his shoulder and could just hear him mumbling something before his shoulder twitched. I waited for him to stop moving before I shook his shoulder again.

"Will?" I said a little louder.

Will shot up and screamed catching me off guard, his eyes were alert and his skin paled. Once he noticed it was me he let out an exhausted sigh of relief.

"Emily?" Will said quietly.

His hands were slightly shaking and the sweat on his face shimmered. He looked at me as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Will are you okay?" I asked him as he took deep breaths.

"Sorry...just a bad dream," He said getting up from his bed and walking to the smaller room.

He washed his face and I could still see his eyes were open wide but after a moment he seemed to calm down.

What did he dream about?

"I thought you hated waking up this early," He said stretching his arms over his head.

"I do," I replied letting a yawn escape at the thought of sleeping. "I came to give you something before the boys wake up," I said.

He furrowed his brows.

"Hold out your hand," I instructed him.

He held out his hand and I held his wrist tying the braided bracelet I made out of the grass I grabbed last night. Turns out what I thought were breakable strands was the same durable grass they made their baskets from and tied together carven wood for the frames of their huts - that is according to Ethan. I didn't actually believe him until I was playing around with it earlier. I know it was stupid but braiding seemed to be something to pass time when you stare outside of a foster cares window for days on end. I know it was a stupid thing to give to a boy, especially one that has been trained to hunt and kill but it has been the only thing I would value remembering from a foster family.

It was a simple family. A mother, father and their youngest daughter, the same age I was at the time. She loved to make bracelets and teach me everything she knew. Braiding each others hair was something I had grown used to, it made us closer, maybe closer than I had been with anyone from a foster family at the time. Even if her parents made my stay a short one, I kept those memories of her with me.

Will looked down at the bracelet and a warm smile was brought to his face.

"I know it's stupid-"

"It's amazing. You know every living plant and tree on this island has magic running through it."

"I may have gathered that by now," I chuckled as I tightened it around his wrist.

"It means this will last a long time," He said, running his finger along the braid. "Where did you get it?"

"I may or may not have gone on a little stroll back to the waterfall last night," I grinned and Will's eyes widened.

"You what!? You can't do that! What if Pan had seen you." Will bolted quickly

"I thought we agreed to go against Pan's rules," I said crossing my arms. "Come on, you're not giving up on me already are you?"

He looked at me then down to the ground lost in thought but he soon lifted his head and shook it off.

"No, but can you promise me you won't do anything like that again," He said seriously.

I looked at him and nodded my head, "Alright."

"At least not without me," Will said smiling which returned the smile back to my face.

Will and I could hear the noises of footsteps and rustling coming from outside as the boys began to wake up.

"Come on let's get something to eat," I said.

"Yeah, I think we're going to need it," Will said as he opened the door.

I walked out and stopped halfway down the steps.

"What do you mean?"

"I just have a feeling that today's going to be different." He said.

Will and I walked down the gravel path and over to the bonfire that was getting filled with fresh wood and took our seat son the logs surrounding it, as some of the boys joined around the fire.

"I'll get us some food," Will said.

I nodded as he got up and walked off.

I rubbed my hands together as the morning air hit my face sending chills down through my clothes. I heard rustling noises coming from behind me and quickly turned my attention to where the cut between camp and the jungle split to see Pan walking through the trees heading towards the training area.

Hey Everyone!

I hope you're enjoying this book so far, please let me know what you think!

Nightmares aren't a fun time on Neverland...

Are you ready for the next chapter?