With the alligator gone there should be nothing to worry about, Wendy consoled herself as she tried her hardest to keep both Peter and herself afloat as she attempted to do a one armed back stroke. "Oh, Peter." She mumbled into the ear of the unconscious boy. The pain as they hit the water had proved too much and he had practically shrivelled on impact.
The water of the sea had heated unevenly and every few seconds she would kick her leg and find a bubble of water as cold as ice. She imagined it must be the result of some, sort of wild life, and kicked even faster. Wendy could not remember much about Neverland marine life, only the alligator and the trickster Mermaids.
Her heart seized. Fucking Mermaids, because she knew at once that's what was following her. They were playing with her, trying to see how far she could make it, but Wendy knew the game couldn't last.
"All you have to do is wake up and make some clicking noises, maybe hiss a bit, and then they'll go away, Peter." She begged him quietly, holding him tightly to her chest. Something slapped the water near her head, sending droplets of water into her face, and her eyes. Wendy kicked harder to get away from it, whatever it was, while the stinging in her eyes made it near impossible for her to open them.
"Oi, Wendy, it's a buoy, hold on!" Slightly called, and when Wendy opened her eyes, there was indeed and red a white stripped buoy floating next to her.
"Thank god." She mumbled, linking her other free arm around the circular floatation device, and allowing the Lost Boys to pull her to the stolen life boat. Suddenly the water was freezing and Wendy began to kick frantically, trying to beat the mermaids.
"Wendy, slow d-"
Just when Curly let out his warning, Wendy gave one last burst with her legs, and promptly smacked into the side of the ship, forehead cracking audibly against the wooden planks.
"We got him, Wendy, come on." Slightly looked over the side of the ship, just when Wendy was pulled underwater by the lurking mermaids.
A flashing silver hand, cold as a block of ice, and slimy as the sea weed she dwelled in, clasped around Wendy's ankle. Wendy flapped her arms erratically, trying to keep herself afloat while sucking in a large gulp of air.
The black water emerged over her head and the current beat at her face as she was pulled further and further away from the sun light. Aw, fuck. Wendy cursed as she attempted one last kick, trying to free herself from the grip.
It's not like I hadn't been trying to kill myself in the first place, and now that Peter's safe… and now that he'll never remember you. The thought jarred her back into fighting, flailing her arms and kicking both legs, wriggling herself forward, and trying to kick the beast in the face.
The mermaid swam up to look at Wendy's face, and forced their lips together. Shocked, for a moment Wendy stopped moving, and she slowly began to realise that the Mermaid was allowing her to breathe.
The Mermaid took her mouth away and began to pull Wendy even further down, but stopped abruptly as they reached a large rock. Wendy could only faintly make out the brilliant sun above the almost black sea water.
Wendy prepared herself for the sharp clicking and hisses of their language, but was pleasantly surprised that under water the Mermaid's voice took on an ethereal quality, as if she was singing a song with no words. She never said anything directly to Wendy, but instead she allowed for Wendy to see what the Mermaid had seen.
It was Peter, crying, but he was a child still, the same boy Wendy had been convinced didn't exist. Tink sat with him in the Hallow, trying to console him, but doing horribly. He was in the hallow, the boys gone on an adventure, and he sat with in the chair he once played Father in. He lifted his head up and stared across the room where Wendy's chair was, and smiled weakly I shall go get her. He whispered turning to Tink, smile growing. I'll go after her. He jumped up from the bed and reached for his sword, all the while Tink trying to pull him back by the sleeve.
The Mermaid pulled back and kissed her softly, taking away her breath and giving new air to Wendy's starved lungs.
Suddenly Wendy saw two images at the same time. She saw herself, as if she had been looking on, as she placed the barrel of the gun into her delicate mouth. The other image was the Man Peter smoking weird cigarette and veering off the road. She watched in horror as they both died. The gun shot and the crash happened simultaneous. And Wendy heard the absolute silence, and then chaos as the guests and her family pounded up the stairs to see what was wrong with her, and she saw Peter die, as blood poured from a gash where he's been slammed through his windshield, all alone.
Even underwater Wendy couldn't help the cry she unleashed, for Peter, just like everything she had ever done was for Peter. Now they were both dead.
She swallowed water, her hands immediately going to cover her mouth as she realised her mistake. The Mermaid scowled, and with a toss of her dark hair, dragged Wendy though the water. Before she let Wendy resurface the Mermaid yanked the girls hair back and forced her cold eyes to meet Wendy's. In Wendy's clouded mind, she still heard the Mermaid clearly Peter is the only one who can stop this.
Wendy didn't, however, know what Peter was supposed to stop, so her eyes strayed for the Mermaid's intense glare, and instead tried to focus on the Mermaid's grey forehead. Which is where she forced her hypothesis.
The Mermaid was old. So old that wrinkles had creased her forehead, outlined her eyes, and encased her thin lips. But… no one in Neverland ages…
Exactly The Mermaid responded, and then shoved Wendy above the surface.
She surfaced just in time to see the dingy make the coastline.
"Slightly!" She screamed, trying her hardest to swim towards him.
"Wendy?" Slightly murmured, not sure if that's what he had heard, and then looked back out to the water, where Wendy was barely staying afloat.
She had tried her hardest, but going so far underwater and then coming up so quickly had given her an awful headache, and nausea It's impossible to be saved from a Mermaid without Peter. She reasoned, as one of the boys paddled out in the rescue boat. That's why they left, if they thought they could have saved me they would have. Wendy, did not believe this, and it was clear as the boy came closer, that he was only coming back out of respect for Peter.
What will they do when they find out Peter doesn't love me anymore?