Note: The last part to this prologue.
A Peter Pan Short Prologue - Part 3
The days flew by with adventures and laughter. Mary and Peter had never had so much fun, and they all got closer, especially Mary and George. However, the closer Peter got with George, the more James treated him like an outcast and stayed away. He was beginning to resent this new boy that he believed had stole his spot in the group. Especially because Peter could fly, thanks to Tink. The group marveled at Peter's power to fly and loved to look at Tink who pretended not to like the attention. Even though the days passed like this, Peter noticed George and Mary growing distant from the rest of the group. It was like they were their own group inside of a larger one. He questioned Mary, and she admitted that she was homesick.
"Peter… don't you want to go back home?" Staring into the fire pit that was at their home base, Mary sighed.
"What? What do you mean? We are home!" Peter didn't understand what Mary was getting at.
"I don't mean our home base, or here. I mean London. The real world. I miss my parents. I think they're worried about me… George also wants to go back if I do too." Mary's face colored slightly, and Peter lost his temper. He didn't understand why Mary would want to go back to London when there was this marvelous land right here.
"I don't think you're parents are worried at all! You always say how they never pay attention to you!"
"Well, you never even had parents so how would you know!?" Mary also snapped at him, then realized in the silence what she had said. Her hand flew to her mouth and she half stood up. "Peter, Peter, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean that! Peter!" He had stood up, and without a glance back, he flew off into the trees.
He flew as fast and as far as he could, and ended up at the beach. Plopping himself onto the sand, he balled up his fist and threw a handful at the sea. It scattered uselessly into the wind and he looked up. There was a violent storm approaching. It was his job, along with George to round up everyone to safety because he could fly, so he sighed and was about to go back when a soft wail came from the sea. He turned and saw one of the mermaids he had befriended beckoning to him. Coming closer, she touched his hand and he saw the image of a rundown ship coming towards the island, full of rough looking men. He had seen men such as these back in London when he had escaped towards the docks. They were pirates and dangerous. Leaping up, Peter flew back to warn the others.
The storm was on full fledged now, and everyone but James was gathered at the safe shelter. George kept pacing back and forth with Alex looking on worriedly.
"I'm going to look for him!" George sprang towards the door but Mary held him back.
"No! It's no use if you get hurt or lost too!"
"But-!"
"The storm is almost over. We can go look for him together then, but nothing will come of looking for him in this storm."
They all grimly waited in silence and Alex started to cry. They all comforted him, when the sound of the pounding rain and thunder stopped. They all got up and went out the door to look for James.
A few hours later, they approached the beach, still not having found James. They stopped short as they saw something that had clearly not been there before. A large, tattered, pirate ship was stuck in the sand, and there were lots of people being led out. They had dark skin and red markings on their faces, walking with a prideful demeanor. However, contrary to this, their hands and legs were bound with chains. Rough looking men were leading them into the forest. This was the ship that the mermaid had shown Peter in a vision.
"What do we do?" Mary whispered, frightened. George squinted.
"I don't know, what if James has been captured by them as well?"
Peter looked at the ship, then looked at the captives.
"I'll fly and take a look around, and while I distract the men, let's free the people in chains."
Mary looked like she wanted to protest, but George and Alex nodded. Peter put Tink on his shoulder and flew off, circling around the ship. There were a few men there, but no sign of James. After circling around a few times, he headed back towards George's direction. They had already reached the lagoon area and he flew there in case they needed help. After reaching the place, he noticed there was an unnatural silence. George, Mary, and Alex were also standing still, facing something. He alighted in front on them and when Mary saw him, she screamed.
"Peter, no! Get away!"
He turned around in confusion, and saw James holding a gun. He had seen guns before, the police men always carried them, and he knew it was dangerous.
"James, what's going on…?" Peter was scared, but he didn't want to show it.
"Shut up!" James snarled at Peter, waving the gun at him. "Just shut up!" George stared at him in confusion and betrayal.
"Why are you doing this?!"
"He, he took my place. I was supposed to be the one next to you George. The one loved by everyone, and HE TOOK MY PLACE. The longer he stays, the more he takes all the admiration supposed to be for me!" James pointed the gun at Peter. "So if I get rid of him, it should all go back the way it should be! I'll get the recognition I truly deserve! The pirates have already accepted me as their captain if I lead them to food… I'll be the leader I'm supposed to be, no more taking orders!" James was clearly demented, but everyone was too scared to do anything. They couldn't believe he would really shoot Peter, he was one of them, one of family.
Peter took a step forward with his hands raised.
"James…"
"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" His finger twitched and a loud shot rang through the forest. Mary screamed again.
"PETER!"
Peter flinched, and fell. George and Mary though he had been shot, but he got up and ran back with panicked eyes. They saw what he had seen. James had not prepared for the recoil. The shot had gone wide and hit and unintended target. Alex lay on the floor with a red rose of blood blooming on his chest. They crowded around him as he lay there, and Tink tried to save him but it was too late. He was dead. James dropped the gun and backed away, shaking, into the water.
"I- it's not my fault… I didn't… I…" His protests fell on deaf ears. Peter turned around in a rage. He grabbed a knife from his belt and swooped down onto James, slashing at him. James gave a pathetic squeak.
"Peter. Stop." Mary's voice rang out, and Peter pulled his swing short. Instead of James's neck, it cut through his hand, and it flew through the air into the water. Peter turned around as James gasped like a fish and clutched his hand.
"My… my hand! AHhhhh?!"
"Why, Why don't you want me to kill him!" Peter turned angrily towards Mary. "He killed Alex!"
George turned tiredly to face Peter. He looked older and more haggard.
"She doesn't want his blood on your hands, Peter. He isn't worth it. When you kill someone… something inside you dies as well. Look at James."
They all turned to him. He was withering on the ground, seemingly in pain, then before their eyes he grew from a 13 year old boy to a 25 year old man. He groaned and lay still, breathing heavily. Mary whimpered.
"I want to go home. I just want to go back to London… " George hugged her.
"I know, I know. Let's go back. We don't belong in Neverland anymore."
They turned to Peter, but he was staring at them, not understanding.
"Come with us, Peter. Back to London." Mary reached for him, but he flinched back and frowned.
"No. I'm not going back. There's nothing for me there. I belong here."
They were about to answer, but a large splash alerted their attention to the lagoon. James screamed, his voice hoarse, not yet used to his new body. A large crocodile was approaching. With a loud snap, it ate up the hand floating in the water, then started swimming towards James.
"George, Mary, Help Me! HELP ME! He screamed again, but they all just stared at him. Then there was a splash as one of the pirates from the ship stepped into the water. He was a pudgy sort of fellow with a kind, dumpy face riddled with scars.
"Hey, hey you!" The crocodile started swimming towards him and James took the chance to scramble away. The man threw something at it and it snapped it up, then started choking. A ticking sound could be heard, amplified by the hollow belly of the monster. While it was distracted, they all ran away, James and the man towards the beach and Peter, Mary, and George, carrying Alex's body, towards the forest to their home base.
After they had buried Alex's body, George and Mary made preparations to leave. They kept trying to persuade Peter to come back with them, but he refused. In the end, they went back to London with Tink's help, saying that he had to visit them. Peter, being stubborn, didn't want to and over the years, George and Mary grew older and got married, while Peter stayed a child and had adventures. One day, Peter came across Alex's grave and remembered George and Peter, and felt like visiting them. He thought that maybe he could persuade them to come back to Neverland with him because it was getting lonely. However, when he went to visit and found him, he saw that they had forgotten about him and had grown up with a life of their own. Peter left, swearing that he'd be fine without them. Over the years, he had numerous encounters with James, or as he called himself now, Captain Hook, and other boys had made it to Neverland. Every once in awhile, he would go back and check on Mary and George, until he met Wendy and her brothers, but that's another adventure for another time.