Darkness has a name: Peter Pan

Chapter 4

“The first game we are going to play tonight is hide n’ seek! Every time one of my boys catches you, he gets to choose an article of clothing from you to take off. The game ends when you have no more clothes left and then....” He walks over to me lifting my chin to look in his eyes. “Me and you get to play.”

This can’t be real. I squeeze my eyes shut wishing my mind could let me escape out of this dark and twisted nightmare. Never had I felt so alone and afraid. 

“I will give you a 10 second head start. 10, 9....”

I turned and ran the second I heard him count down. Glancing over my shoulder I see that he is still counting so I push myself further away. What these ignorant boys don’t know is I run track and was a week away from competing before I was taken. I willed my limbs not to turn to jelly out of fear. No. I must draw strength from my circumstances and use it to my advantage.

My plan is to get as far as possible and hide up in a tree somewhere. My feet carry me faster as I knock away branches out the way. The darkness of the forest hinders my vision but not for a second do I let it slow me down.

A hard shove knocks me over almost taking the wind right out of me. My vision is impaired for a couple of moments making me dizzy. Hovering above is a lost boy, pinning me down. I begin to struggle, trying to relieve the pressure he has on me but am met with disappointment.  Not only is he holding me down but he has his right knee digging into my stomach hard.

He gives me an evil smile at my dismay and says, “Take off your shirt.”

He has lifted his hands off expecting me to listen. What a fool. I grab his head and head-butt him as hard as I can. Pain flares in my head and I hear him yell out and grab his head. I crawl from beneath him but he catches my ankle, dragging me back.

I went berserk. Everything I’d dealt with swarmed into cataclysmic rage. I screamed and attacked. Nails, teeth, knees, and elbows. I didn’t care where I struck, or where it landed. I became nothing but claws and fangs.

He finally had enough and let go of his hold on me. I push myself off the ground and continue to run away. How did they catch up so quickly? More of them had to be close from all the screaming I had just done.

I feel a swoosh of air and look up to see the shadow that brought me to the island. My entire body stiffens in horror at this realization. I try diverting to another direction to lose it but it follows suit, hovering above like my own personal shadow. A raspy chuckle was heard above, amused. Tears fell down my cheeks as a ran, feeling defeated.

Seconds later I collide with a hard chest. The impact would have made be fall backward but Pan caught me in his arms, holding me upright. A red haze of anger contorted Pan’s face.

I’m suddenly met with the back of his hand causing me to fall to the ground with a heavy thud. I raise my hand towards my mouth and see that my lip is bleeding.  Even though I was ready and willing to fight for my life it still shocked me that another human could do this to another for no reason. I’ve never been hit before. Tingles of fear darted down my back, but I refused to bow down to terror.

“You broke the rules. And cheaters get punished.”

A sly smirk spread across his lips, and his shoulders shook with silent laughter at the sight of me crumbled at his feet. My blood was boiling with anger. A look of knowing victory gleamed in his eyes. He set me up to fail knowing I would get caught.

I begin crawling backwards away from him only for him to yank me up roughly by my hair causing me to shriek out in pain. I collect the blood in my mouth and spit it right in his face.

His eyes turn black as coal and gives me a crazed look. He yanks my hair tighter in his fist so that my ear is to his mouth. His hot breath caused unwanted shivers down my spine.

“I hope you fight me every step of the way, because I like inflicting pain. Once I’m through with you, you will beg me to kill you.” He nuzzled my ear. “I now own your body, mind, and soul,” he whispered.

My stomach twisted, threatening to evict its contents. My fists shook, I clenched them so hard. His pupils dilated as he breathed heavy with unmasked desire.

He kissed my lips roughly stealing my air. I panic at the sudden intrusion, trying to push him away but he breaks the kiss before I can. I wipe my lips with the back of my hand, showing my clear disgust with him. He is not amused.

 “Now time for your punishment.”