Lost Boy, Stolen Memories

Chapter 15

Pan's POV

My lost boys sure can celebrate, but even they have their limits. After hours of dancing, whooping, and torturing Erin some more, they become tired and decide to go to sleep.

Erin is curled into the fetal position on the ground. She looks so pitiful, and I revel in the fact that I have reduced her to such a miserable state.

"Don't worry," I say in mock concern, "it's all over, Erin. Well, for tonight that is."

She just raises her head to look at me, she doesn't even have the strength to give me one of those death glares she inherited from her mother. She is covered in bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Her hair is matted and her eyes are empty of emotion.

"Not in a chatty mood, I see," I taunt, "no matter, I'll just show you where you'll be spending the night then."

I snap my fingers and a cage materializes. I am secretly relieved that I can still make things appear at will, considering the quickly depleting magic in Neverland, though I don't show any of it on the outside. The cage is the perfect size for Erin to curl up and go to sleep in.

She just stares blankly at the cage, not putting two and two together.

"Go on, then, get in," I motion to the cage.

She manages to raise herself to her hands and knees, and finally finds her voice, though its a raspy whisper, "Hell no."

This sparks an annoyed flame in my chest. I transport to her side and place the point of my dagger underneath her chin, "You may want to rethink that. It isn't wise to contradict me."

She closes her eyes and sighs forlornly. After several seconds she gets shakily to her feet and climbs, or more accurately, tumbles, into the cage.

I conjure a padlock on the door of the cage. I picture the cage hanging from a tree, and just like that, it's hanging right above my head.

The teleportation takes it's toll on Erin. She starts dry heaving, but there is nothing left inside of her to come out. I laugh to myself, being joyed by others' pain is my specialty. I believe the word for taking pleasure in others' misfortunes is Scadenfruede. Wow, I actually learned something somewhat helpful in that non-magical dump called Earth. I dismiss the thought in disgust.

I start walking away, and I hear a faint murmur from Erin, "What happened to you, Peter? Why are you such a monster? I love you."

I don't think she intended for me to hear, but it doesn't affect me. I am slightly astonished, though, that after all she's been through tonight that love hasn't changed to loved.

I get tired of walking fairly quickly, after all, I did it so much on Earth. I teleport myself to where it all began, the tree where I abandoned my son. I come here every night to sleep, well I did before this whole... adventure. The boys think I sleep in some fancy shelter that I move to a different location each night, but that's just what I tell them.