Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 32: Neverland Misadventures - Gwendolyn's Worst Memory

Chapter 32: Neverland Misadventures – Gwendolyn's Worst Memory

(When: Approximately 6 Years and 2 Months Ago)

Do you remember your childhood fear?

I do. To this day, I hate masks. Although I know masks are fake, my inner child still believes the masquerading character is a real. It's silly, I know, but it certainly gives credence to the phrase irrational childhood fear.

But that's the nature of childhood, right? A child's mind is like a magnifying glass: emotions are blown up into grandiose experiences that seem real.

Wendy understood this phenomena. And she had tried so hard to protect Gwendolyn from the one power that her shadow working could yield: 

Fear.

"No...." Wendy shook her head. She turned to Eris, begging for leniency. "Eris please, you know this is wrong. You know how much this will hurt her –"

"That's the point," said Lana,  spinning Gwendolyn's braids like propellers. "Either you can hurt her, or we can hurt her while you watch. I know how I would kill her..."

Lana dug her nails into Gwendolyn's stomach. "I'd open her like a lobster!"

"Stop it!" Wendy shouted as Gwendolyn cried. Without thinking, she reached for her daughter. "Don't touch her you evil -- "

Captain Hook fired his pistol. Wendy instinctively turned from the gunshot, shielding her daughter's head. But the bullet ripped through the overhanging trap door, signaling the villains to torture Melody and Jon.

Jon did not cry out, but Melody wailed. As the commotion subsided, Melody continued to cry, shrieking for Ariel and Jim.

Captain Hook let Wendy listen. When the smoke cleared from his pistol, he spoke.

"That was your warning Wendy. Shadow work your daughter now."

Wendy held Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn was whimpering, but the sound was muffled against her chest. Helplessly, Wendy looked to the overhanging trap door, beyond which Melody's sobs could still be heard. Her eyes drifted down, following the starlight to Shadow. Shadow did not react. He hovered obediently before Eris, impassive to Wendy's gaze.

Wendy studied Shadow. Suddenly, she had an idea. Her eyes flicked up to the trap door, traveled back to Shadow, then finally rest upon her daughter.

"Gwendolyn..." Wendy knelt. She searched for an explanation, but couldn't formulate one that Gwendolyn would understand.

Summoning all her courage, Wendy willed her daughter to be strong. 

"Gwendolyn. I love you more than anything. But these monsters are forcing me to –"

"Enough blubbering!" barked Captain Hook, "Shadow work her now!"

"Darling," Wendy spoke fast, "I have a magical power, just like Father does. I can create nightmares. And I have to give you a nightmare. Not because I want to but – "

"Three seconds!" Captain Hook cocked his trigger, "And the Hawkins children hang! Three –"

Tearfully, Wendy stood. She pulled her daughter into the starlight. "Gwendolyn this will be scary but it is not real. If we don't do this, Jon and Melody will be –"

"Two!" snarled Captain Hook.

"Mamma?" Gwendolyn began to struggle. She was confused, but sensed that Wendy meant her harm. "Mamma I want to go home! I want to go home!"

Wendy hugged her daughter. Her heart broke as Gwendolyn tried to wriggle free. 

"Darling..." Wendy whispered, "I'm so sorry...I don't know what else to do. But I love you --"

Captain Hook raised his pistol. "One, and – "

Wendy took Gwendolyn's shadow in one hand and reached for Peter's with the other.

"Think of a happy thought." she breathed, twisting the shadows together and shredding Gwendolyn's soul.

Gwendolyn's sobs would have tormented a devil. By using two shadows, Wendy's powers had multiplied, allowing her to mush Gwendolyn's mind into terrifying, putrid memories. 

It also allowed her to take control of Shadow.

"Shadow!" Abruptly, Wendy retracted her powers. Shadow snapped violently from Gwendolyn as Wendy hurled him through the trap door and into outer space.

"Fly Shadow!" Wendy screamed, "Find Peter! Give him this memory and –"

"Wretch!" Captain Hook struck, slicing Wendy with his hook. Bidding Facilier's shadow to attack Wendy, he threw Gwendolyn to the mermaids. "Gather the captives! Ready the dissection table! It's time for the Pan and Hawkins children to walk the plank!"

Captain Hook glared at Wendy, curled around her womb. "All of the children. Including the unborn. Yes my beauties...Fantasia's shadow worker dies tonight."

Thus, the festivities began. The Jolly Roger lit like a carnival as Wendy was paraded to her death. 

But admist the merrymaking, Pitch gazed through Eris' eyes. He searched the stars. 

Shadow was gone.

"Make haste Captain Hook." Pitch writhed inside Eris. "The guardians will arrive soon."