Neverland - Peter Pan - OUAT Fanfiction

Chapter 39 - Unnatural

Something sparked in my chest, jolting me from the icy fog of slumber that I had slipped into unawares, the remnants of a nightmare fading from my mind. My cramped body was curled into a pitying ball; trying to conserve my meager warmth. Glowing embers from the dying fire beckoned me seductively with their paltry heat. I stiffly rose and forced my heavy feet to the fire, bending down to absorb what little warmth the coals emitted with numb, outstretched fingers.

Something caught my attention through the trees in the direction of the river. I couldn't be sure of what it was. I glanced over the group, able to make out the forms of the sleeping boys with surprising ease do to the nearly full moon. I did a double take at the sky. Moons, there was more than one. Had it always been that way? If it had, I hadn't noticed. One had a golden reddish hue, the other a silvery blue. The warmer toned moon was almost full, the cooler toned a curved sliver diagonally across from the other.

My breath seeped into the night air, visible in the foggy clouds filtering from my blue lips and red nose. It was eerily quiet. I strained my senses but couldn't even hear the river that had been so loud hours earlier. Rising, I crept into the woods, curiosity spurring me towards the unknown. Pinpricks of lights danced lazily in the distance and I squinted through the foliage ahead, trying to get a better view.

I broke through the tree line and onto the riverbank. Tiny lights hovered over the surface of the water, they looked to be.... alive. The river, that had been full of fury before, was now as still and calm as glass. I stepped nearer for a better look and recognized the small lights as fireflies. The little bugs floated idly over the water causing a mirror like reflection of dazzling sparkles.

My first thought was that the river had frozen. It felt cold enough. But as I watched, a little firefly dipped low to the water, its legs brushing the surface ever so slightly and the liquid stirred, sending out tiny ripples that grew and dissipated. I was thoroughly confused, taking another tentative step forward.

A light sound like the rustling of brush set me on edge. Looking warily for the source of the noise I spotted movement further down the tree line. I held my breath. What seemed like a torturous amount of time passed and nothing revealed itself. Then, a small rabbit emerged from the forbs. I released a foggy huff, chuckling under my breath at my nerves.

I watched the little creature hop casually to the water's edge and lightly sniff the air. Its tiny nose twitched rapidly, and it placed a tentative paw on the waters edge, poised on the surface. Without warning it was off in large bounds across the water. I stared astonished as the furry mammal ran swiftly over the river, its paws never sinking more than a quarter of an inch below the surface. Ripples arched out in great circles, colliding with each other as the rabbit disappeared into the brush on the other side. With a wink of its cotton white tail it was gone.

Dumbstruck, I watched as the water absorbed the movement and quickly calmed. Within a few moments the surface was as smooth as marble, just as before. I blinked hard, trying to decipher whether what I had witnessed was real or my eyes just trying to fool my tired mind.

The eerie calm grew with the disappearance of the rabbit. I surveyed the river, there were fewer fireflies, most having spiraled lazily down to disappear within the tall grass along the bank, their little lights blinking out one by one. I took a step forward, the crunch of gravel beneath my boot sounding unnatural in the uncomfortable quiet. Another step and my boots brushed the tall, white, grass laden with frost near the bank of the river.

I peered out at the water trying to get a better look. The grass came up to my knees here, blocking the view of the water's edge at the angle I was at. The grass was shorter where the rabbit had crossed. I glanced to where it had sped across, curiosity about the water mounting. I stepped into the tall grass. To my astonishment, it erupted with a small cloud of glowing insects. My heart leapt as they rose around me, sparking a childish grin to overtake my face.