Red-Handed Jill (A Peter Pan Fanfiction)

Chapter 19~ Haunted and Hunted

Jill's POV

I when I woke up the next morning, rays of sunshine were shining through my window, illuminating my room with a nice misty glow. I could see the small specks of dust as they cascaded gently through the air.

I couldn't remember dreaming, which I'm very thankful for.

Even though I was awake and my body was healed, I still felt weak and a little sore. I sat up and attempted to stretch out my stiff back. I grimaced as my joints popped and cracked back into place. My eyes felt puffy and swollen from crying so much and my throat felt like sandpaper. My hair was undone, clumping in an unruly, matted, mess over my shoulders. I took my brush and began untangling the knots and lumps.

I thought about how long it had been since my last bath and grimaced. I'd have to take one of those.

I scooted to the edge of my bed and looked out my window. It was late in the morning, well past when I usually got up. That's when I realized that something- or rather someone was missing; Peter.

Didn't he go to sleep with me last night? I wondered, trying to recollect what happened through the fogy morning haze, Where did he go?

I listened for the Boys and was greeted by the eerie sound of silence. I grabbed some fairy dust from the small pouch that Peter left me and went down into the main room.

It was deserted; not a lost boy or fairy in sight. It was also, to my biggest surprise, clean. No, it was spotless. The floors were swept, the dishes and cups were washed and carefully stacked in the cupboard, the fur blankets were folded and put away, and all of the candles were even dusted.

Am I in the right place? I thought, and then with a start, Am I still dreaming?!

My fingers flew to my forearm and I gave it a solid pinch.

"Ouch!" I hissed.

Nope. Not a dream.

I got some berries and made myself some breakfast, feeling awkward and out of place in the unnerving and deafening silence of the hideout.

I gathered up my clothes and the bag of fairy dust and decided to go for a bath over in the hot springs that Midnight had shown me a while back.

It felt really nice to get some fresh air and feel the sun on my back again. I missed the outdoors and the sound of nature all around me.

When I came to the hot springs I was greeted by a friendly face.

"Hey there Midnight!" I smiled.

"Hello Jill!" she replied, "You're looking much better."

"You too," I said, "You here for a bath?"

She nodded, "It's been a long time since I've had one."

"Me too."

We stripped out of our clothes and sank into the pool together. We laughed and talked about life. I've never really had a girl companion before. I told her about what happened when I last came here and she laughed at the fact that I nearly drowned taking a bath.

"You and Eagle Flies Peter are so cute together," she gushed.

"What? No..." I felt my face heating up.

"Jill," she smiled, "I know what love is. I have felt it and I know how to recognize it. He loves you an awful lot."

"I don't know," I stared down at the water, but then my eyes snapped back to Midnight, "Wait a second, who have you loved?"

The young princess looked down at the water sadly and tears began to well up in her dark eyes, "I was in love with the Owl Faced man called Vinny."