The Ring

Chapter 10

     My heart is pounding, my breath is coming in short gasps, I'm sweating, and I feel like I'm going to pass out, but I keep going. I need to get as far away as possible. I don't think I'm being followed, but I'm not taking any chances by slowing down. My entire body is scratched up from all of the branches I've had to run through and I'm pretty sure my shoulder is bleeding again. I don't even know what direction I'm going. I run up a hill and finally stop at the top. The sun is just starting to come up, which means I've been running for hours. How the heck did I manage that? Adrenaline does strange things to people I guess. My knees buckle and I fall to the ground, panting and gasping for breath and trying to slow my racing heart. My head is pounding again and my vision keeps fuzzing up.

     I sit there and wait for a random Indian to pop out and take me back to the viliage, but all I hear is birds. Ten minutes go by... still nothing. I did it.... I escaped! I finally allow myself to relax and I literally feel my adrenaline drain away. I'm just laying there, unable to move, lost, and alone. before I know it, my eyes are glued shut and I fall asleep.

     I wake up baking hot. The sun is directly over me, and when I look at my body, I'm completely sun burnt. Great. To top it all off, my mouth and throat are as dry as the Sahara Desert. I slowly and painfully sit up and look around. On the bottom of the hill I can barely make out a small pond. Awesome, there's water nearby. I feel much better than I did a few hours ago, and stand up without feeling dizzy, but my shoulder is killing me. I lightly put my hand on it and feel something wet. I raise my hand to my face and of course, it's covered in blood. SHIT! I opened it! Maybe if I rinse it out... I start to walk downhill but failed to see the rabbit hole that was randomly there. Of course I step in it and trip.

      I start rolling down the hill at lightning speed.  I keep hitting my shoulder on ever single rock or bump on the hill, which causes me to scream out in pain. The pond is getting closer and closer and I know I'm heading right for it. After about two more minutes of free falling I land right in the water. At first all I can do it sink, then I start kicking like mad and finally resurface. I gasp for breath and cling to the edge. I can't pull myself up though. The edge is covered in mud and my shoulder is bleeding even more and has it's own heartbeat. I decide to just float, because trying to get out isn't worth it. Now I'm feeling light headed, and I'm scared. if I pass out, I'll drown. I try to fight it but I have no strength left in me and I know it's because of the bleeding. I'm sooooooo done with this whole 'passing out' thing. Despite my efforts, I slip anyways.

                                                              Peter's P.O.V.

     It's a great day. The sun is shining, hunting was great, and I'm taking the Lost Boys to the pond today. It's my favorite place in all of Neverland. I came across it while following Tink one day. I've come here every day ever since. it's so peaceful here. No pirates to worry about and I only bring the Boys here maybe once a week. They know this is my time to just be. I've been coming here a lot lately, since I'm supposed to be dead and all. I feel my anger boiling over inside of me and I stop walking.

     "Peter? You coming?" Stubby asked me. Now all seven of the Boys are staring at me.

     "Yeah," I try to sound calm and cheery, these boys depended on me, and I don't need them to get stressed out too. "Just go on without me. I'll be right behind you guys."

     "OK!" They all yell in unison and dash off through the trees. Gosh, I must have gotten older. I've never worried about stress before. But the fairies and mermaids said I shouldn't worry about it. I shouldn't age anymore. I'm glad I'm completely done aging now, but I'm not the same Peter. I'm still fun and immature at times, not to mention VERY VERY VERY stubborn. But I think things through more now, I'm more careful, I notice things. The fairies say I'm what humans call a 'teenager', they say I'm 16. I kind of like the teenage me, but I still want to hang on to the kid inside of me.