Emily's POV
At times I thought I could move in and out of my dreams. I thought I could be free from the harsh reality that insisted on holding me back. That feeling could only be found in dreams, the ones of happiness, the ones where believing and imagining can guide you where ever you wished to go. Having the ability to break the limits and finally become free to leave the world you once knew, to be forgotten. But when you wake up, there is something holding you back; something strong. It won't let go no matter how hard you fight against it. It stays deep within the mind, crawling its way up only to pull you down with it; an unknown reality...a nightmare.
The sorts of nightmares we wish we could wake up from, only knowing that there is no escape. You fight it, plead with your mind to think of anything else but you have no control. You are only left slipping through the cracks of reality and make-believe; that small gap between them starts to grow bigger and bigger until you are forced to wake up at its end.
I thought at one point there must be something, anything, that could help me see the difference between them, but once again there was nothing. I'll walk on through the blinding darkness, my eyes closed, my cautious footsteps guiding me into the hidden parts of my nightmares. I wasn't sure what I was searching for exactly, I never knew, but soon the voice found its way. It shifted with the trees, moving through the highest branches, rustling the leaves in the wind. Its whispers lurking close enough to see me, though I can't see it. As the voice got closer my skin would turn cold to the touch, the haunting sound circling past me before disappearing swiftly into the silence. A voice sounding so quiet it could almost not be heard until it spoke in a whisper right behind you.
"Emily..."
My eyes were heavy as I tried to open them; they had been closed for a long time. Slowly letting the light seep through, what was once blurs of green, now became clear. The sights and smells of the jungle were all too familiar now. It is what I am used to. The jungle itself lived and breathed just as the animals did. My feet bare to the skin, still felt no pain as I stood over the broken undergrowth of scattered branches and leaves that had fallen from the high casting trees, crumbling beneath my feet. The ferns I walked past brushed against my legs; their usual rough leaves were now soft as they grazed my skin. It was these little things that made me realise I was dreaming...but it was the voices in my head that made me know I wasn't.
"I told you. You shouldn't be out here on your own, Emily..."
That whispered voice was somewhat louder now and I recognised it. I turned around to see Baelfire standing before me, his cloak that I had never seen him wear since he arrived to the island, was now draped over his shoulders, his hood placed over his head, covering most of his face. He lifted his head up, the rest of his body remaining completely still, his tired brown eyes stared at me while the rest of his face remained plastered expressionless. I watched him carefully but he did not move. He only spoke.
"Can I trust you, Emily?"
With those words said, a strange sensation ran from my bare feet up to my spine sending cold shivers along my skin. That was the last thing I felt until a heavy numbness took over, slowly shutting down my body as I heard his words echo through jungle around me. I brought my hand to my opposite arm, pinching the skin only to let go an instant later, my hand falling limply back to my side. I couldn't feel anything at all.
"Emily, you can trust me...but can I trust you?"
I looked back up at Baelfire only to see his figure glitching; appearing and disappearing as he stood still in front of me, only ceasing to exist. I couldn't keep my eyes away as I curiously lifted my feet, taking a step towards him, my hand reaching out only to pass straight through his chest.
"It's dangerous here, Emily. This place, it's no longer safe. You should leave while you still can-"
Before he could speak another word Baelfire was gone leaving me to stare with wide eyes at the trees around me. I found myself breathing heavily as if the air would soon run out, my lips remaining parted hoping it would make it easier. I had the urge to run as the surrounding noises of the jungle became silent. I wanted to go anywhere but here in this moment. I stared hopelessly at the trees that surrounded me, knowing there was no path to follow, nothing but thick jungle as far as the eyes could see causing an uneasy feeling to sit in my stomach. I thought it was going to eat me alive.
I turned around, unable to bear it any further but as I turned my back I was instantly met with a different location. My feet now tense as I stood on the cold rocks that lined the lagoon and waterfall. The silence was broken by the pounding of water hitting the surface of the lagoon. The mist of the water spraying against my legs as my sense of touch slowly returned back to me. The water remained its light crystal blue, changing through darker shades as it reached the middle. My eyes followed the water's surface until I stopped at the rocks lining the opposite side. There I could see a boy standing. He looked too young to match any of the other boys I've seen here on the island but he dressed so similar I could have thought-
"Fin?" I barely whispered.
My confusion instantly replaced with fear as I watched him nod in response. There was no way he could have heard me. I thought I was imagining him standing there when he suddenly disappeared, that was until I felt a small cold hand grab my arm. I pulled back instantly almost losing my balance on the wet rocks as I looked down at Fin. He held the same blank expression that Baelfire had, except his eyes were flickering as he looked up at me. I feared him for one reason only; I knew he was dead. He seemed to fear not of me, but for me.
"Something bad is coming."
Fin's lips trembled as he slowly backed away from me, his head turning to the trees that surrounded the lagoon.
"She's coming..."
I furrowed my brows as I watched Fin continue to look behind him making me follow his glances in worry. I looked between the trees but I couldn't see anyone.
"Who's coming?!" I felt my throat run dry as I forced out the question in a panic.
Fin stopped moving and turned to me, his eyes widening in fear.
"You."
My face instantly fell as another cold shiver ran up my spine now causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.
"Me?"
His blank expression changed to one of sorrow and pain.
"P-Please, please don't hurt Will."
My eyes widened as Fin suddenly disappeared the same way Baelfire had, once again leaving me standing alone. I couldn't help but hear the crack in his voice.
Why would I hurt Will?
That's when I saw her...I saw myself.
Standing in between the trees in the distance. I couldn't move a muscle. I only held my breath as I stared in horror at the person, sending my thoughts into overdrive as I shut my eyes tightly. It can't be my fear. I wasn't weak anymore, I was strong, I a-am strong. I'm not afraid...I'm not afraid, I repeated as I slowly opened my eyes. I defeated my darkest fear. It couldn't be me. I didn't want it to be me. But when I looked over again, my own reflection proved me wrong.
Now standing out of the trees and in the open allowed me to see clearly of the black veins that ran across the skin, covering the body like a disease. The clothes mirrored the ones I was wearing, except now they were covered in dirt with patches of crimson red staining the parts of the material that were ripped, revealing more black veins across the skin. My eyes were what stood out the most; the orange and red shades mixing together like those of a falling sun as the pair stared at me, never thinking to blink once. Even in the distance between us, I could see them clearly, the unnatural shades glowing brightly in contrast against the dark green of trees. I had seen them before when I had confronted Pan not long ago. But why was I seeing it now in myself?
Just as Fin and Baelfire disappeared, so did the reflection of myself. I thought I could finally breathe but the hands that held my arms back made me lose the remaining air I had left as a sharp object placed at my throat. The presence behind me let out a low chuckle. I could hear their voice swiftly speaking which made me more fearful than the sharp dagger against my skin as I recognised my own voice but I couldn't put sense to what was happening.
"So we finally meet each other."
No matter how many times I would close my eyes, I still couldn't wake up. I knew this wasn't real. I knew that couldn't be me, it wasn't possible.
"W-Who are you?"
I flinched as I heard laughter filling my ears. The sharp blade moving against my neck making me shut my eyes tightly.
"Oh you silly girl, I'm you!"
The laughter stopped and my eyes could now open, the blade never leaving my neck.
"A dark time will be set upon this island and history will repeat itself once again, but this time you are the key to changing your fate. When the time comes you must embrace the power you receive, accept it and let it take over, let it guide you."
I didn't think to question anything in fear that if I did, that blade that was held against my throat would be used to its purpose. I only listened, trying to piece together what I was hearing.
"You and I...we can accomplish so much together, but you must accept the power when the time comes. You're not ready now, but you will be soon."
She was speaking as if this had all already happened as if this was what I was going to become.
"W-What are we going to do?" I questioned, only to hear another laugh from behind me.
"We will finally take revenge on them all! They will be at your feet as you command, and as for Pan...well, let's just say you wouldn't have to worry about him getting in the way."
Pan's POV
I slowly lifted off the bamboo-lined wall, unlocking my arms in the process as I approached her bed. Her face was scrunched as she began to toss and turn in discomfort, a slight sweat building on her forehead. I listened carefully as she started to mumble in her sleep but I couldn't put sense to the words that escaped her mouth. I felt my fists tightening in frustration as I could sense her nightmare gradually becoming worse.
It has been another restless night; her nightmares are growing stronger each time making it harder for her to awaken from them. We all knew that any dream you have on Neverland, whether it is a nightmare or not, will feel real. If she hadn't of blocked me out, I could find a way to stop it, but even now she still refused to let me back in her head. I would let her suffer through the nightmares for doing that alone, but there was a particular reason why I was watching over her.
When Emily pulled me into her vision, what I saw was something I couldn't ignore. She clearly didn't remember anything about it which made me more curious. My shadow was convinced that what I saw was a vision of the future but I couldn't accept that to be true. It just wasn't possible. There was no way Emily could possess that much power. The crystal's power had nearly killed her last time; there's no telling what this kind of power would do to her. The source was what I couldn't see in the vision. As far as I was aware, that kind of power did not exist in Neverland.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when Emily suddenly stopped moving. Her chest began to rise and fall slowly, her face relaxing soon after. I watched her eyes blinking rapidly in her sleep until they opened ever so slightly revealing the orange and red pair to replace her natural hazel brown. Once her eyes opened they closed just as fast as she blinked in her sleep, her features turning back discomfort once again. I could sense that she is in pain but now that she has blocked me out, I can't see what is causing it. I leaned down to examine her features in curiosity. There was one thing I was sure about. I wasn't going to leave her alone until I figure out exactly where that power is coming from and how she ended up getting possession of it.
I'll do whatever it takes.
Emily's POV
"WAKE UP WOMAN!"
My eyes shot open and I sat up abruptly in my bed, pulling my dagger out from under the pillow instinctively before pointing it to the source of the sudden outburst that had woken me from my endless nightmare. Ben was standing in the doorway after having kicked open the door to my hut, causing it to slowly swing back from hitting the wall behind it. A huge smile spread across his face to the point that almost all of his teeth were showing, his eyes squinting due to his grin pushing his cheeks up. I let out an exhausted sigh of relief to finally be awake while Ben walked into my hut letting the light from the early morning enter the room with him. I rubbed my eyes that were getting blinded while mumbling to Ben who was fiddling with something behind his back.
"Ben, what did I tell you about-"
"I know, but we have a big day ahead!" Ben said enthusiastically, his blue eyes shining in excitement. "Pan said that today we're going hunting in groups of our choice, and guess who got us the best hunting spot," Ben continued with a proud smirk as he pointed to himself, "This guy."
"Wait, hunting in our own groups?" I repeated, making sure I heard Ben correctly.
Ben's nod of confirmation made me let out another sigh of relief. I was glad that I could keep some distance from Pan. I had noticed something was off about him ever since I confronted him. Now he was making the effort to keep an eye on me during the day more than he usually would.
"Hey guys, hurry up! Everyone is leaving soon!"
Ben and I turned our attention to Will who was standing on the gravel path outside my hut.
"I'm going to go wake Ethan up." We heard Will call before he set off on the gravel path for Ethan's hut.
Will's POV
"Can I go wake her up, pleasee!" Ben begged while pulling on my sleeve causing me to roll my eyes at his childish behaviour.
"Ben, she hasn't been sleeping well, I don't think it's-"
"I won't be loud, I promise!" Ben said quickly, his eyes shining with hope as I stopped walking to face him.
Ben was always strangely excited in the early mornings which made it a lot harder to reason with him. He had been following me around since I woke up which was pushing my usual tolerance to its limit. Without Ethan here with me to level out the early morning, attention seeking Ben who was excited to start the new day when everyone else was half asleep, was a real pain in the ass.
"Fine, but you need to be quick; most of the other groups have already set off to their designated areas near campus. We have a lot to do today so we need to hurry." I reminded Ben who was too busy catching grapes in his mouth during breakfast to listen to Pan's instructions.
"Don't worry, Will. I got this." Ben said confidently.
I watched his fast strides towards Emily's hut with a blank face, knowing that he didn't listen to a word I had said apart from my agreement for him to wake Emily up. He climbed the steps and took a huge lung forward before swinging his leg to do a high-kick at her hut door.
And so he kicks the door open...
I sighed as I watched Ben enter Emily's hut before I too walked over, stopping once I had reached the gravel path before shouting out hoping Emily would be able to hear me knowing Ben won't.
"Hey guys, hurry up! Everyone is leaving soon!" I called out to them seeing Ben turn around to face me. "I'm going to go wake Ethan up."
Ben thankfully nodded which gave me some reassurance as I continued down the gravel path, following the line of huts. Ethan was always up at the same time that Ben was, but today he had slept in longer than he usually would. I wasn't sure why but I had an uneasy feeling turning in my stomach as I climbed the steps to his hut hearing no noise coming from inside. I knocked on his hut door, waiting for a response.
"Ethan?" I called, only to hear a painful groan coming from Ethan inside his hut.
I quickly opened the door letting the light shine into the dark room. My eyes widened as I quickly found Ethan leaning against his hut wall, his back hunched over as one hand was supported on the wall, while the other was clenched at his chest. I instantly ran to his side, holding Ethan up as his legs began to shake.
"Ethan, what's happening?!" I quickly asked with worry but was cut short when Ethan jolted himself up to face me.
His face was scrunched in pain while beads of sweat fell from his forehead. There were dark red veins spread in the middle of his bare chest where his hand was covering. He inhaled a sharp breath but once the air filled his lungs he only shouted in pain as he fell to the floor, catching me off guard as I dropped down with him, only just managing to hold him before laying him on his back. Now that I thought about it, this had happened before; the day after we had finished the test, only Ethan didn't have red veins spread across his chest...this was far worse. Why was it happening again?
"S-She's doing t-this..." Ethan barely managed to choke out.
She?
Before I question him another shout of pain filled room causing my face pale seeing Ethan in this state. I noticed the red veins on his chest starting to glow in a rhythmic beat making me sit back and stare in shock as I watched the tree like veins glowing, moving from the middle of his chest out to the ends of the veins that disappeared into his skin.
"Ethan what do I do?!" I said in a panic, recalling the same feeling of helplessness I had the last time this happened.
Ethan couldn't respond, he shut his eyes tightly accepting the pain as he lay on his back against the floor. He forced his tense arms by his side, his fists instantly curling as the glowing red veins on his chest began to beat faster like a heart beating. I grabbed hold of Ethan's arm in fear that if he didn't open his eyes he would fall unconscious, or even worse. Just as I touched his skin I quickly retrieved my hand back as the furthest branches of red veins ran back through to the middle of his chest before disappearing completely beneath his skin. Ethan opened his eyes and gasped inhaling as much as air as he could as if it would be his last. Ethan turned to me and I could eventually see the colour returning back to his pale face as he rested his hand over his chest where the red veins were. The room had now been silent for a couple of minutes before I had to speak up.
"Ethan, what's going on with you?" I asked quietly as he slowly sat up against the wall of his hut.
He wiped his forehead, finally getting his breath back but his face had stiffened at my question as he stared down at the floor, avoiding eye contact. I furrowed my brows as he ignored my question. Why was he keeping this from us?
"How long as this been happening to you?" I pushed hoping that if he wouldn't tell me what was happening to him then at least he would say how long.
"Since we finished Pan's test," Ethan mumbled causing my eyes to widen.
This had been happening to Ethan this whole time and I had no idea. He was in so much pain...he was suffering through it alone when he could have just told us. We could have helped him sooner.
"Why didn't you say anything?!" I almost shouted.
Ethan finally turned to me, his face holding a pained saddened look.
"I noticed it was becoming worse but it had never been this bad before. It didn't happen all the time, and with all the stuff that had happened between you and Emily...I-I didn't want to bother you-" Ethan rambled on before I had to cut him short.
"Ethan! We all stick together. I don't want anything bad happening to any of us, and that includes you! I don't care if this whole island is falling apart, if something like this is happening to you, tell me alright, don't fight it off yourself. We promised to help and look out for each other." I said to then watch his eyes avert back to the floor as he nodded in understanding.
I couldn't push away the fact that I hadn't of noticed sooner, that we had always looked out for each other yet I didn't think to check up on him after the last time this had happened. I had left Ethan to deal with this all on his own. I leaned back against the side of Ethan's bed, the room becoming quiet again until Ethan suddenly looked up.
"Please, don't tell Ben."
I sighed, closing my eyes slowly before looking up at Ethan who had a pleading look on his face. I know Ethan was only saying that to protect Ben, but I wasn't sure if not telling him would be a good idea.
"You can't keep this from him."
"I know. I will tell him eventually. Will, you saw how Ben reacted last time, I hate seeing him like that. With everything else that goes on around here I don't want him to have to worry about me. I just want him to be his happy self; it's what keeps me going through living in this place. If he's happy, that's enough for me."
"I won't tell him but you can't ignore what's happening to you, I'll talk to Pan and-"
"No!" Ethan shouted quickly making me furrow my brows as I watched his eyes then widened at his outburst. "I mean, I-If you talk to Pan he might make things worse for you. I can use the healing paste. That will help me."
I looked over at Ethan hesitantly before nodding slowly allowing him to relax a little. I stood to my feet before helping him up from the floor. Ethan stood with ease, as the pain had finally left his body. He grabbed a shirt before pulling it over his head. He seemed fine...for now. I was concerned that the next time this could happen to him, things might end up a whole lot different.
Emily's POV
"So who exactly did you choose to be in our group?" I asked Ben who had just finished sharpening his dagger before placing it in his belt. Ben looked up at me with a smirk on his face.
"It's just you and me baby."
I tried to hide my laughter as I watched Will and Ethan approach Ben who hadn't noticed them standing behind him. Will scoffed having heard Ben and pulled him into a headlock, shaking his fingers through Ben's blonde hair causing an irritated groan to escape him as he tried to push Will away.
"Yeah, it's just you and me baby." Will mocked before laughing at Ben as his cheeks fumed in embarrassment.
Ben cut Will's laughter short as he managed to pull his arm down and tackle him to the ground leaving Ethan and me to watch casually as they rolled on the ground kicking each other's faces and mumbling incoherent offensive words to each other; the usual. Ethan turned to me and that's when I noticed he looked rather pale as dark circles were shown under his tired brown eyes.
"You couldn't sleep either?"
Ethan gave me a small smile as he scratched the back of his neck, "Yeah, something like that."
"Would you quit it!"
We turned our attention back to Ben who had his face squished against the ground as Will practically sat on him, a grin on his face at his claimed victory.
"Not until you apologise," Will said as he casually inspected his nails, not in any sort of pain, while Ben, on the other hand, was squirming against the ground, practically breathing in dirt.
"A-Alright I'm sorry!"
Will finally got off Ben allowing him to roll onto his back lying flat out on the ground like a star.
"Thank god!" Ben gasped as he took in an exaggerated breath of air, "I knew you were gaining weight but bloody hell, I thought I almost di-"
"Why you little-"
"Here we go again," Ethan mumbled at my side as we watched the fight continue, that was until Ethan had enough and pulled the two apart.
"Hey smartasses, if you would stop fighting you would realise that we're the only ones that haven't left campus!" Ethan said as the two turned their heads to look around at the deserted area.
Will got off the ground, "He's right and if someone was listening this morning they would know that we had to be in groups of five, which means we still need one more person." Will said, looking directly at Ben who glared back at him.
"Your attitude could be a fifth person..." Ben mumbled before I cut them both off when I noticed Baelfire leaning against the side of his hut in amusement soon giving me a small smile as I noticed him.
"I look forward to getting to know you. Hopefully you will be able to trust me soon enough but for now, you should get back to sleep before Pan catches you out here." Baelfire said as he put his hood over his head. "As you must have heard, breaking Pan's rules are for the unwise."
I watched in confusion as he walked away from the tall grass heading in the opposite direction of campus entirely.
"What about you?"
"Rules can be broken so long as you don't get caught." He smirked before walking back into the jungle.
I still remember that night clearly. There was something different about Baelfire, he had managed to avoid all of my questions yet somehow knew so much for someone who had arrived on the island only a couple days ago. I still had no idea who he was or why he came here. All I do know is that there had to be a reason why he came back if he really was so desperate to get away in the first place. Leaving for a few years then coming back through the pirates? It just seemed too suspicious to ignore which was all that the other boys had done since he got here. They were almost too accepting. Maybe they had no idea either, maybe they all believed the lies he was feeding them. I for one don't think he would just come back to stay, there was a reason why, and I was determined to find out. Perhaps this could be my chance to find out why the boy who escaped Neverland decided to finally come back.
"I think we found our fifth person," I said as Baelfire walked up to us.
My eyes widened in surprise as Ben squealed in excitement as he shot up from the ground.
"Yes! I vote Baelfire in!" Ben said quickly as he pulled Baelfire with him in the direction of where I presume was the spot that our group was allocated.
"I guess Ben really does look up to him," I said as I watched the two of them walked out of campus and into the line of jungle, Ben jumping around with excitement, rambling about who knows what.
"Baelfire did help train and care for us when most of the other older boys would let us fend for ourselves in Pan's games and training sessions. Not only that, he was the only one to outsmart Pan and escape the island, so of course Ben's going to like him." Ethan chuckled.
"He shouldn't." Will said, his eyes narrowed at the two before he turned to us realising what he had said, "I-I mean Ben's only bothering him because he managed to get past Pan, he wouldn't care otherwise. I just don't trust him, alright." Will said quickly before walking off in the same direction after Baelfire and Ben.
"Wasn't Will just annoyed that Ben was bothering him?"
"Will always looks after Ben like a little brother, we both do. He won't admit it but he probably likes Ben bothering him even though he can push his tolerance to the limit sometimes."
"So what? Will's jealous that Ben is paying more attention to Baelfire?" I said with a smug look on my face to which Ethan chuckled.
"Maybe he could be jealous but I think he just wants to protect Ben from Pan. We still have no idea what Pan intends on doing with Baelfire but if he's left it this long without killing him, I would keep my distance in case Pan decides to use anyone to get to Baelfire."
"Do you know why Baelfire would come back here?" I asked as we walked through the line of jungle.
"I have no idea, but if Baelfire's willing to come back to Neverland after what he had done and risk getting killed by Pan, it must be something important."
Yeah, it must be.
Pan's POV
"Her visions have grown worse since I was brought into them. I can't see through to her."
"Her vision of the future will not change unless you do something to stop it. If you don't they will only become more complex and strengthen until that time comes."
"I can't get through to her anymore. She blocked me out of her head." I said through gritted teeth as the memory remained to course through my mind.
"Your connection may be lost, but as I told you before, there is another way to see that the vision is prevented from occurring in the future."
My eyes narrowed as I stared up at my shadow.
"What will I have to do?"
The shadow moved closer to me so that I was forced to stare into its glowing yellow eyes.
"Kill the girl."
"It wasn't her!" I said in defense even though I knew I was lying to myself.
"It is what she will become." The shadow said its voice held no sign of remorse, "You must kill her."
"No. I won't, not yet. She hasn't played her part."
"You can continue on your endless search but it will all be for nothing if that vision passes in the future. You know what will happen if you fail." I could hear my shadows tone lower.
"I won't let that happen. I'll find a way."
"You better find it soon; you're running out of time."
Will's POV
I kept a close eye on Baelfire who was walking ahead with Emily and Ben but my attention was soon brought away from the three when I heard a sharp inhale and groan from beside me. I turned to Ethan who had stopped walking and was now slightly hunched over, gripping onto the tree beside him, his face turning pale while his expression was masked in pain. I went to rush over to him but he only shook his head and tried to stand up straight despite the pain he was feeling.
"It's alright, I'm fine," Ethan said quickly as he took an uneasy breath before he continued on walking through the jungle leaving me glaring at his back.
"Ethan you're not fine, you can't keep going like this!" I said but I cut myself short when I heard the tree branches rustling from behind me.
"What's happening!?" I heard Ben call out in front of us.
I looked over my shoulder and up to the treetops as a large group of birds with black coated feathers flew through the highest branches, their wings moving quickly whipping the leaves off the branches they passed through, causing them to float down to the ground around us. They moved so fast and there were so many of them that I couldn't tell what kind of birds they were. It wasn't until I heard the piercing high pitched calls as they flew above us that my hands instantly covered over my ears.
Emily's POV
I stared up at the large swarm of birds that were moving through the treetops in a blur, their black feathers slicing through the branches as they flew above our heads. I didn't think a group of birds could be of any harm until I noticed the troubled look on Baelfire's face as he stared up at them. I wasn't sure how I kept forgetting the fact that I was on a magical island.
"Screechers," Baelfire said under his breath as the bird's calls began to get louder.
I wasn't sure how to react. I turned to Ben to see his face paled as he looked at Baelfire which was enough to tell me that those were not any normal birds.
Baelfire turned to us, his face written with panic.
"Cover your ears!"
My eyes widened as I quickly placed my hands over my ears as the birds suddenly began shrieking a sound that was unbearable to hear. Their high pitched calls were enough to cause a faint ringing in my ears even though I tried to seal them from the noise. I looked over to the other boys to see them all in the same position I was; hands over their ears while their faces scrunching in pain from the noise. My hands remained firmly squeezed against my ears as I lifted my head up to see the birds now circling the trees in a group above our heads.
"We need to move now!" Baelfire warned as he held onto Ben's arm and dragged him out of the open area of the jungle.
I followed behind the two until the three of us were crouched down under the large ferns. I looked through the ferns and back up to trees to see all of the birds moving together at once as they shot down from the trees. The swarm began attacking the ground in all directions before us and that was when I noticed Will and Ethan were stuck in open. Ethan seemed to be in a lot of pain and not just from the screeching sounds of the birds, Will was trying to help pull him to cover but the birds were trapping the two as they flew around them. Ben stood up to help them but Baelfire quickly pulled him back under the ferns.
"Stay here. I'll get them." Baelfire said before moving out from the ferns, not giving Ben the chance to answer back as he ran into the open of the jungle.
Baelfire reached Ethan first but before he could get to Will a group of birds flew in front of him blocking his path to grab Will. Ethan managed to stumble his way towards us and that was when we noticed the clawed marks on his arm. Ben looked over him with concern as Ethan's forearm had three lines raked across his skin that was now red and swelling. Before we could say anything Baelfire rushed over to us with Will alongside him, both out of breath. The birds began moving higher into the trees until they were at the treetops forming a perfect circle once again, fortunately making their screeching calls more tolerable.
"Did anyone get scratched?" Baelfire asked.
Ben and I turned to Ethan and Baelfire soon followed our gazes. I watched Will removed his hand that was clenched around his arm to reveal claw marks that had ripped through the material on his upper arm. Baelfire looked over the two with a concerned look which I was taken back by since he had kept to himself since he arrived here.
"The poison won't be as harmful; their claws didn't cut too deep."
"Poison?" I questioned quietly, feeling my throat run dry.
"They have only had a taste, they will want more," Baelfire said as he looked up at the circle of birds. "We need to get out of here now."
The four of us followed Baelfire's eyes up to the treetops, never breaking eye contact as we moved our feet back slowly, feeling the large spikes of the ferns against our legs as we stared up at the group of birds, watching as they quickly broke away from their formed circle. They began flying together in one body of movement, swarming up into the air like a giant wave at its peak before crashing back down towards the ground. Their black feathers of wings were spread out behind them in a curvature bend, slicing through the air; their poison coated claws already stretched out while the bright red sector of their eyes clashed with the black around them as they locked onto us. Their beaks remained open, the screeching becoming unbearably louder as they reached closer to the ground. I had my hands ready to cover my ears again but there was no time.
"Everyone run!" Will shouted.
I felt a surge rush through my body, a mix of fear and adrenaline coursing together as we turned our backs to the screeching calls. Moving through the jungle was something I had now grown used to even though there was no path to follow. However, having a giant mob of birds with poisoned claws flying right behind you was enough to make you clash with the wrong plants that grew in these thick jungles of the island; their branches holding dagger-like edges that could slice the skin without you being aware of it. Getting cut by a bunch of plants seemed to be the least of my problems now that I knew these birds had a deafening call and were thirsty for blood. There was no option to slow down, I only ran faster, bearing with the swelling of my lungs that were fuelling off my short ragged breaths. Hearing their wings moving through the wind behind me was enough to keep me running faster as I moved the fern branches and vines behind me.
I quickly brought my arm up to cover my face on instinct as one of the birds swooped in beside me, only to let out a shout of pain as I felt a pair of claws tear at the skin on my arm, leaving behind a stinging sensation. All I could think about was the poison that was now circulating in my system. I had no idea what kind of effect it was going to have on me until I felt the stinging in my arm getting worse, while my vision slowly began deteriorating as the greens of the jungle mixed in and out of clarity. I couldn't count how many birds I had seen but if one scratch was enough for me to feel the poison this quickly; I had to get away from these birds fast.
I carried my legs as far as they could take me, my ears trying to bear with the high pitched screeching that surrounded me as I pulled my way through the jungle hoping to somehow get away from these birds. I was only just starting to bear with the scratch made to my arm when I felt another set of claws raking against the skin of my cheek just under my right eye as a pair of black feathered wings wiped in front of my face.
I could definitely feel the poison taking effect now as I could barely see the trees in the distance, my legs beginning to shake with every step I then took. I thought my body had finally given in as my stomach suddenly dropped. It wasn't until a sudden realisation hit me that I was falling that I blinked quickly, forcing myself to focus. My blurred vision cleared allowing me a couple of seconds to quickly grab hold of one of the vines that were feeding into the ground and dangling off the edge of the cliff. My grip tightened around the first one I could grab hold of causing my body jolt at the sudden stop as I hung in the air.
"Emily!"
I heard Will's strained voice shout along with several other footsteps approaching the side of the cliff. From what I could see through my blurred vision, my knuckles began turning white as I desperately tried to hold onto the large vine that was the only thing keeping me from falling off the cliff. I had lost most of the sensation in my arm and the clawed marks on my face were stinging just a moment ago, now started to feel numb causing an unwanted weight to my eyes as they began to close on their own. It was spreading quickly as I felt my forearm slowly tingling before turning numb. The poison slowly began reaching my hand, the numbing sensation following shortly after as it began climbing through my fingertips that now loosened from the vine.
I reached my other arm up to the vine in hopes to swap it for my weakened arm but before I could a tight grip held onto my wrist. I looked up through blurred eyes to see Baelfire leaning over the edge of the cliff, his face strained as he pulled me up. I leaned my head back to see that I was now level with the ground. I hadn't even noticed until I turned to my side to see Will now beside me, looking down at me with a troubled face.
"Emily, can you hear me?" He asked quickly as I blinked heavily, barely keeping my eyes open.
I slowly nodded my head even though his voice was quieter than normal, so much that I couldn't hear anything after that. The noise around me soon turned to a deafening silence, the ringing in my ears to be the only sound left. My vision blurred and cleared continuously as my eyes tried to focus on the bright yellow and orange flames that were moving behind Will.
Will's POV
Baelfire and I sprinted side by side, Ethan and Ben running quickly behind us holding the flaming pieces of wood in their hands. The four of us ran alongside the edge of the cliff, our breaths cutting short since we had split to run away from the birds. We followed the Screechers calls that were still blaring through the jungle in hopes to find Emily.
I couldn't help but feel my stomach twist the more I thought about leaving her alone out there. How could I have been so stupid to let her run off on her own knowing exactly what these birds are. The Screechers should be feared by anyone that encounters them. They are night hunters and a species I thought had surely been extinct from Neverland.
I should have followed her when we all split up to get away from the Screechers but there were so many I couldn't get to her, but I couldn't leave Ethan in the state that he was either. Emily had no idea what these birds were or how to stop them and now she was out there fending for herself.
"I see her!"
Baelfire interrupted my thoughts, my attention quickly focusing ahead to see Emily stumbling out of the line of trees, her arms moving in front of her face to protect herself from the large swarm of Screechers that shot out of the trees after her. I felt my stomach drop as I watched her running near the edge of the cliff. I ran faster trying to get ahead but my eyes could only watch as Emily's foot slipped, carrying her body over as she fell from the edge.
"Emily!" I screamed out hearing my own voice fade as I just missed saving her.
I quickly fell to my knees, leaning over the edge to see her body hanging limply in the air, claw marks all over her arm and one directly below her eye. Her hand drained to a pale white as she grabbed hold of one of the many thick vines that had grown out from the edge of the cliff. I could see her fingers slowly slipping and knew the poison was numbing her arm. I leaned further over the edge of the cliff, the rock surface digging into my stomach as I tried to grab hold of her hand, ignoring the poison that had already brought my body down to a weakened state. I was so close to reaching her hand, even though I felt myself slipping slightly from the edge, but before I could reach her a pair of hands grabbed at my shoulders before throwing me back to the ground. I rolled onto my side only to be met with Baelfire who was still holding a fistful of my shirt, holding me against the ground causing my eyes to set ablaze as I glared at him.
"What are you doing?! She's going to fall!" I shouted while trying to pry his hands off me but my arm was too weak.
"Will, you have poison in you! She will fall if you try and save her!"
Baelfire let go of me but he remained still noticing that I wasn't intending on changing my mind.
"Look, I don't expect you to trust me but you know me, I'm not going to let someone die!"
I noticed a strained, almost eager look in his eyes that he did mean what he said, that he was telling the truth. But I can't forget what he had done. Escaping the island without a trace, leaving for so long to suddenly come back off Hook's ship of all places with no explanation and no consequence from Pan. He has changed, I could see it and I know the rest of the boys had too, he looked slightly older and he has kept to himself since he got back, not speaking to anyone unless he had to. Knowing that Pan hasn't killed him yet only made me more concerned and wondering why he came back to Neverland if he had spent so long planning in secret to escape.
I don't believe the lies he's been telling the rest of the boys. He's hiding something. How could he say that I know him after all that he has done? I knew who he was, I had no idea who he is now. It would be careless to say that I could trust him, but he was right. The poison has spread and I could barely feel my arm at this point. I wasn't going to let Emily die.
"I need backup here! Something's wrong with Ethan!"
Baelfire and I both turned once hearing the urgency in Ben's voice. My eyes quickly caught sight of Ethan who had collapsed to the ground.
I couldn't save Emily, but Baelfire could. I gave him an approved look to which he quickly moved to the edge of the cliff while I managed to stand to my feet and run over to Ethan who remained curled over breathing in and out heavily as his hand clenched over his chest yet again. Before I could say anything, a loud shout erupted from Ben from being clawed by one of the Screechers. He still managed to move the flames through the air to protect himself but judging by his posture, that probably wasn't the first time he had been clawed.
"W-Will, don't worry about me. Help Ben!" I heard Ethan force out, his voice strained.
I turned to the flaming piece of wood beside him and gripped the end tightly, standing in front of Ethan and taking his place as I moved the torched flame in the air, flinching yet again at the high pitched sounds resonating from the Screechers that flew against the flames. It seemed to be working as Ben and I forced them back until the last of them couldn't stand the flames against their black coated feathers as they were forced to abandon their hunt. Ben and I watched the last of them retreat back through the trees and disappear into the jungle, their deafening calls echoing through the trees until the natural surrounding sounds of the jungle returned causing the ringing in my ears to slowly ease.
I heard Ben's footsteps running back behind me and I turned to see him kneeling beside Ethan who was now slowly sitting up with Ben's help, his exhausted expression was covered in sweat while Ben shot out one question after the other. I let out a long sigh in relief that he was alright but that was the second time it happened today...there was something he wasn't telling me.
"I can use the healing paste. That will help me..."
Although the healing paste is a strong remedy for wounds, its properties were barely enough to heal internally...
My thoughts were disrupted once I caught sight of Emily getting pulled up from the edge of the cliff by Baelfire who laid her gently to the ground. My breath cut short as I approached her quickly, her still state only causing an uneasy feeling to rest in my stomach. I looked over the long scratch that marked just below her right eye while another was torn at the skin on her arm, the two areas swollen and the skin stained to a bright red against her now paled skin. My face soon fell once I noticed her eyes starting to close heavily.
"Emily, can you hear me?" I asked quickly.
She slightly nodded her head, her eyes remaining closed.
"We need to get to the river; the water will help all of you heal."
I dragged my fingers against the ground until my hand curled into a tight fist, my other remaining limp from the poison. I clenched my jaw as I turned to Baelfire.
"You didn't get scratched, did you?" I asked, my voice bitter.
His brows furrowed before his face settled in realisation as he then scoffed at my accusation.
"Do you really think I caused this to happen to us?"
"I don't know what to think. You're not exactly the same person we all remembered you as. You've changed."
"So have you, Will."
His tone was not angered in the slightest, which only left me more confused as I remembered that I was talking to a boy who had escaped the island a long time ago. How could he say that I have changed if he wasn't here to see it himself? I stood to my feet now facing Baelfire who stood contently letting no sign of emotion get through to him as if he already knew I was going to react to what he had said...as if he wanted me to.
"If you want to know something about me then know this. I'm not going to hurt you or your friends. I may look like I have changed but I still hold my promise to watch over and help the lost boys."
My lips parted in shock as I recalled a familiar voice say those same words to me.
"Don't be scared Will. I made a promise to watch over you and help you..."
Fin's voice rang through my head but before it could fade away I remembered what he else he had said that at the time I thought was only a dream.
"There's someone coming to the island...that person is very important."
"The person coming is your key to escape..."
"We need to hurry."
I stared Baelfire in the eyes letting Fin's voice fade away. It was only now that I understood the importance of Fins words, that it wasn't just a dream but a warning of what was to come. That wasn't the only thing; Fin mentioned something about the person coming to the island, something about a purpose they had to follow. I thought Fin was only speaking in riddles but there was something he said after that I now know I have to piece together-
"Are you alright?" Baelfire asked.
I shook my rambling thoughts away to see a look of concern plastered over Baelfire's face. I nodded slowly before moving to Emily's side, Baelfire moving to her other side as we lifted her up from the ground.
I had to convince myself that Baelfire was telling the truth, that he wasn't intending on hurting us, I could see it in his eyes that he was only trying to help. That was something that hadn't changed in him. But there was still one thing I can't let go. I know he left the island...he escaped and now he's back, not through the pirates...it was something else that brought him here, a reason to come back. I know he's lying to the rest of the boys but I can see past him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I lied.
Fin couldn't have meant Baelfire...could he?
Emily's POV
I tried to lift my feet but they remained still like stone. I could only watch as she approached me, her eyes struck in vermilion with piercing shades of orange glowing in contrast against the jungle surrounding us, the dark pulsing veins that ran along her skin had grown out reflecting the branches of Neverland's highest trees. Her formidable stance kept my eyes locked on my mirrored self that had transformed to the point that I could no longer recognise my own skin. I refused to believe this could be me.
"I'm afraid that running away won't help you, Emily."
Despite my appearance, my voice remained the same, only now sounding more challenging, more confident of an unknown power she possessed, a voice I had heard only in Pan.
"What do you want from me?" I spoke quietly as she now stood before me.
A grin twisted on her lips, her eyes staring intently as she began to walk around me, walking over the small broken branches beneath her feet causing me to flinch at each snap.
"Your time will arrive sooner than you think and when it does, I want you to be ready."
I remembered this from my nightmares, this exact moment that would repeat itself every time I would sleep.
"You're wanting revenge, aren't you?"
She now stopped before me and turned giving me her full attention.
"Yes," Her stiff expression changed as a grin curled through her lips, "Don't worry, soon enough, you will too."
Will's POV
"You didn't use the healing paste, did you?" I questioned Ethan who sat against one of the many trees beside the river bank.
I thought he was going to ignore the question but instead, he let out a short sigh and admitted he hadn't.
"No."
I turned to Ethan who was looking at the ground with a saddened look on his face.
"Why can't you tell me what's happening to you?"
"It's not that simple."
I furrowed my brows feeling a surge of anger instinctively form a conclusion.
"Is Pan doing this to you?" I asked through gritted teeth.
"W-What? No, of course, he isn't." Ethan said as he turned back to me, his eyes shaking almost timidly.
I gave him a questioning look but my face soon fell when I remembered what Ethan had managed to say this morning while he was fighting against the pain.
"S-She's doing t-this..."
"Who is she?" I asked.
Ethan's skin palled, his wide eyes shifting from the ground to meet mine, only for his face to fall knowing that I wouldn't give up until he told me the truth. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes trying to avoid my gaze as I waited for his answer.
"She's-"
"Will!"
I turned to Baelfire, staring daggers in frustration which soon faded once I noticed the troubled look on his face.
"It's Emily."
I was quick to my feet following Baelfire back to where she was resting beside the river, Ethan following quickly behind me as we reached her. Ben was already at her side, drenched from having rushed out of the river. I looked down at the ground to see Emily turning in discomfort, her breaths cut short while sweat covered her forehead. It was only when Ben touched her shaken arm that her eyes shot open, a scream emitting from her lips as she was forced to wake up from another nightmare.
Ben flinched back, startled by Emily's outburst, almost slipping on his own feet as he let out an impressive higher pitched scream himself. Ethan calmly managed to steady Ben who latched onto him breathing heavily as did Emily, the two staring at each other in confusion.
"Are you alright?" I asked in concern as I watched her trembling fingers try to move the loose strands of her hair out of her face.
"No! She gave me a heart attack, and not the good kind," Ben replied dramatically only for me to give him a blank look.
"Sorry Ben," Emily chuckled as she slowly stood to her feet, "It was just a nightmare."
Her voice was quiet as she tried to dismiss what she must have seen. I wasn't the only one who noticed as Baelfire also looked over her in concern. We all knew nightmares were a dreaded experience on Neverland, they are not easy to wake up from and appeared to be real no matter how much you tried convincing yourself they weren't. It seemed almost every night that Emily would have a nightmare and it looks like they were only getting worse.
"W-Wait! What happened?" Emily said quickly as she turned to us before checking the scratches that had been marked on her arm and face by the Screechers, "The poison-"
"Not to worry pretty lady, the effects of the poison will be long gone by now," Ben said giving her a warm smile of comfort, which eventually allowed a sigh of relief to escape Emily's lips, though her face still held a look of confusion.
"The plants that live under the river's stream have powerful healing properties. Their toxins infect the water creating a treatment that can restore the body, including the poisons from the Screechers claws." Ethan clarified.
"That's a relief," Emily said quietly as she looked down at the riverbank before turning back to us. "Why did we need to come out here in the first place?"
"Hunting and collecting the ingredients for remedies," Ben stated.
My lips parted in shock as I turned to Ben in annoyance.
"So you were listening this morning!"
Ben grinned, "Yeah, but not to you," He chuckled before sticking out his tongue.
"Why you little shit-" I said through clenched teeth as I reached forward to grab Ben, only for Ethan to hold my arm back leaving Ben to run back into the river.
"He-" I started but Ethan only shook his head, his face already telling me that he couldn't care less and was beyond exhausted to say anything.
I let out an irritated huff as I watched Ben doing backstroke, a smirk on his face as he wriggled his brows teasingly, satisfied that he had got away with the trouble he had caused me earlier.
"We should probably hurry and get those ingredients before sundown," Baelfire said.
"I'll go," Emily stepped in, "Anything to make me stay awake at his point."
Ethan let out a short sigh," The ingredients are hard to find, someone should go with her," Ethan turned to both Baelfire and me.
"I-" I started but clenched my jaw before I could continue; giving the leather satchel that was beside Emily, to Baelfire, "Don't take too long."
Baelfire nodded before turning to walk up the river bank.
"Are they getting worse," I asked Emily before she could follow Baelfire, "The nightmares?"
Her face fell and I knew my question had been answered.
Emily's POV
"P-Please, please don't hurt Will."
My stomach suddenly dropped as Fin's voice echoed around us, his words so clearly as though he were standing right here, a guiding voice that only warned me not to hurt Will. There's no way I could tell Will about the nightmares, especially since I saw Fin in them. I know how much pain he went through in the test, I didn't want to make it worse.
"I'm alright." I smiled before looking back at Ethan who was sitting against the tree along the bank, watching over Ben who was trying to hunt in the river. Will followed my gaze before turning back to me, a troubled look forming over his features.
"I don't want to get them involved. I don't know what Pan has planned for Baelfire but it worries me now that he's been here for this long without any consequences for escaping. I just don't trust Baelfire, not yet."
"Neither do I but I don't think he has any intention of hurting any of us."
"I know, just be careful," Will said tentatively as his eyes met mine.
"Don't worry, I'm always careful." I chuckled which caused Will to smile as he playfully rolled his eyes. "Besides, I think it's Ben you should be worrying about."
Will looked over his shoulder, his confusion subsiding once he saw Ben with a dagger between his teeth, raking his fingers through his blonde hair pushing it out of his face as he inspected the water.
"Ben get the dagger out of your mouth!" Will shouted at him.
Ben's eyes narrowed at Will as he waved his hands drastically in the air before taking the dagger out of his mouth.
"Shut up! You're gonna scare the fish!" Ben shouted back loudly only for the still water to be disrupted.
"Ben you should shout louder, I don't think the fish heard you." Ethan teased.
Will's POV
"I'll leave you to it."
I quickly turned to Emily who only gave me a reassuring smile that everything will be fine before she walked along the river bank, following in the same direction as Baelfire.
"I got one!" Ben shouted in disbelief and excitement.
I turned back around to see Ben holding a fish by the tail, its body squirming to be released to the water.
"Ben, that's a Snapfish. I would let it go if I were you." Ethan warned as I took a seat against the tree beside him.
"No way!" Ben shot back as he glared at the fish he was holding up to his face, "Do you know how long it took me to catch one of these stupid little shits-"
Ben let out a rather deafening scream as the Snapfish flung its body up, opening its mouth in the process to reveal a set of small teeth that clamped down on Ben's hand. I would say the scream was worth it after watching the Snapfish's fins slap Ben in the face.
"Told you," Ethan mumbled as he rolled his eyes at Ben.
"That's it!" Ben shouted before pulling out his sword from his belt.
"What the hell is he going to do with that?" I thought out loud as I stared at Ben blankly.
Ethan and I watched, neither of us surprised but rather mildly amused as Ben aimlessly swung his sword, hitting the blade against the water in an attempt to somehow get his revenge on a fish. At least it was enough to keep Ben busy while I could find what was happening to Ethan.
"So, who is she?" I asked.
Emily's POV
"How exactly do you know where these plants are?" I called to Baelfire who was ahead of me, moving cluttered jungle leaves out of his path.
"Don't worry, we're almost there," Baelfire called back.
I sighed thinking that only meant more walking but to my surprise, Baelfire had suddenly stopped causing me to almost bump into him. Moving to stand beside him I was about to ask why we were standing in the middle of the jungle but I said nothing, I only watched curiously as Baelfire stood as still, not making the slightest sound which only left me to follow his exact actions. It was only then that I noticed his eyes trailing up the small tree before us, his face brightening as he smiled.
"Stay still," Baelfire whispered as he looked up to highest of the tree branches.
I followed his gaze to see dark clouds covering the blue sky. I was not a moment later that I felt small beads of water falling against my skin as it began to rain.
"What exactly are we waiting for?" I whispered.
Baelfire pointed towards the tree in front of us, "Watch."
My eyes widened as the leaves that I had been so well camouflaged into the growing moss had begun to slowly lift themselves out once the rain had touched their leaves. One after the other, the large dark green leaves lifted up turning inside out, remaining to hold a cup-like shape to collect as much water as they could. I had never paid much attention to the jungle before to notice anything like this.
"This one is ready."
I watched as Baelfire slowly approached the tree, to retrieve the leaf that had now changed from the green around it to a dark blue. Its shape now tightly wrapped in a cocoon, sealing off the water inside. As Baelfire got closer I now understood why we had to remain still. His hand reached to grab the blue curled leaf that held its shape while those around it quickly lost their form and stuck back against the tree as they were sensitive to sound. After picking the blue leaf from the tree Baelfire unbuckled the leather satchel and carefully placed it inside before turning to me.
"Come on." He said and continued walking through the jungle.
I was quick to follow after Baelfire as more than enough questions rushed through my mind.
"You seem quite surprised for someone who has been within these jungles many times," Baelfire called over his shoulder, "After hearing of these challenges Pan has made you face, I would have thought you would at least know the basics."
I rolled my eyes and pushed away the vines and ferns to catch up with Baelfire. It's not like Neverland came with a guidebook of how to survive on a deadly island that's run by a boy that plays around with children's lives for fun!
"If you mean being taught to fend for myself, then yeah, you could say I was taught the very basics," I said sarcastically but it seemed Baelfire was a lot more serious than I intended as he stopped once again and turned around.
"I'm not talking about training to handle a sword; I meant the very nature that overrides these jungles that is essential for surviving here. If you want to stay alive on an island like this you learn live within it, not survive against it." Baelfire said before talking off walking yet again, knowing these jungles clearly a lot better than I do as he pushed past a few more ferns and lowered tree branches until we reached an opening in the jungle.
I huffed in annoyance but mostly out of pure exhaustion. It was as if he was trying to be helpful but at the same time, he would only leave me confused with more questions.
"It must have been hard for you to learn to live within it if you escaped the island," I said intentionally using his own words against him, causing Baelfire to remain stiff on the fallen tree he was sitting on.
"Why would you come back to Neverland if you had escaped?" I persisted to ask hoping that he would give me some kind of explanation.
"It's not that easy," Baelfire said simply, once again finding a way to ignore the question.
I thought for a moment of a different way to approach getting some answers before breaking the silence between us.
"When I first arrived on the island they threw me in a cage and let me fend for myself," I said bitterly as I recalled the memory, but before I continued Baelfire spoke up.
"It wasn't always like this. Things were different, the boys were different."
I looked down at my feet and couldn't help but wonder, "Was Pan different?"
"I'm afraid not. Pan was always misunderstood."
I couldn't help but think there was more to it than that. I had never thought of it before, that maybe Pan could have been different.
Baelfire's POV
I could see it on her face, a withering hope that Pan wasn't all he seemed to be, that he wasn't heartless. I wish I could tell her otherwise but there was no other side to Pan that I knew. All I did know was he has gotten worse since I escaped.
"Did you know Pan well?" Emily asked curiously.
"No one really knew Pan, he was just always there," I explained as I tried to fight against the memories I wanted to be left behind but I had to say what she needs to hear. "He helped us survive and possessed the power to protect us, as long as we followed him as a leader and abide by his rules."
I couldn't help but grin when she scoffed as I knew what she was going to say because I thought the exact same.
"I wouldn't call them rules."
"Things have changed now, they have grown more dangerous. Pan has made a lot of enemies in the past, he kept them away from us but he can't afford to keep people alongside him that could pose a threat."
I stood on the ground from the fallen tree and faced Emily who looked at me ready to ask the question I knew she would.
"If you knew it was this dangerous, why did you come back?"
I kept quiet, my grip tightening around the strap of the satchel not because I was afraid of answering her question. I could if I wanted to but I was instructed by August to be careful. I have been patient enough, but could now be the right time? They were relying on me and I can't let them down. If I do then everything will fall apart.
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Emily said her voice stiff.
"Not necessary."
She lifted her head her expression confused but willing to listen.
"Emily, can I ask you for a favour?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"You have ignored my questions and want me to trust you, yet you ask me for a favour?"
I nodded in understanding knowing this wasn't going to be easy but I was convinced after remembering seeing her eyes suddenly change from her natural soft hazel to the stained marked orange with streaks of red before she woke from her nightmare.
"You're right, that doesn't seem quite fair now, does it? I guess I'll give you what you want then."
She furrowed her brows, surprised that I had suddenly changed my mind but nonetheless she waited eagerly for me to continue.
"If you help me, I'll tell you the truth of why I'm really here."
Hi everyone!
I know the last chapter may have been a little confusing but I was trying to show a little bit of Baelfire's past and how he ended up to be in Neverland again.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
What did you think Emily's visions are trying to tell her?
Can Baelfire really be trusted? What do you think he's up to?
Do you have a favourite moment from this chapter?
I love all of your feedback so don't hesitate to comment and let me know what you think!
- Zimbardo
- C