Lost Boy, Stolen Memories

Chapter 26

Erin's POV

I stand in the back of the sanctuary of a church. My old church, to be precise. Everyone sitting down have their heads lowered, in prayer or in silence I cannot tell. They are all clothed in dark colors.

A funeral. That's what this is.

I walk down the central aisle to get a better view. Unlike normal funerals, the front of the sanctuary is devoid of a coffin. There is just an eisel presenting a picture of the deceased.

The picture is one of me. My senior picture. I glance at a bulletin that is in one of the attendee's hands. The date is a year after Peter took me to Neverland. Have I really been gone that long? It's only felt like a few days, five maybe.

I have a horrible feeling at the pit of my stomach. I've only thought about my parents briefly while in Neverland.

Granted, I was a bit preoccupied with other matters, but I can't imagine how they felt when they woke up that morning to find Peter and I missing. Did they think that we were captured, that he captured me, maybe even raped me? Did they presume that I had run away with him? Whatever they thought, it must have been absolutely dreadful for them.

They wondered for an entire year before deciding to have my funeral. For all they know, I could be alive and happy someplace, and they would be correct on one account. Even so, I'm dead to them now.

I slowly make my way up the central aisle, searching for my parents. I find them in the very front row, a place they never ventured to during Sunday services. We would normally wander in and take our seats somewhere in the middle. But these aren't normal circumstances.

Mom and Dad look so much older. Mom's hair is mottled with grey that was hardly noticeable when I left. Dad's worry lines are more prevalent than before. There are silent tears slipping down Dad's cheeks. Mom doesn't cry at all. She just clutches a handkerchief and stares into the distance with unseeing eyes.

I desperately want to reach out to them and tell them that I'm alive, that I was taken against my will, that I didn't leave them on purpose. I know they won't be able to hear me.

I raise my hand to brush tears from my cheeks, but there are none to wipe away. This only makes me want to cry more, yet the tears refuse to come. The sanctuary begins to whirl around me and I can no longer stand. I crash to the red carpeted floor.

Then I know I'm awake. I haven't opened my eyes yet, perhaps because I want to keep dreaming, to change what happened. It wasn't just a dream, though; I have a deep certainty that I was being shown what is actually happening back home.

Sleep fails to return to me and I slowly and reluctantly crack my eyes open. I am met by a dark form with glowing white eyes. Peter's shadow.

It is only centimeters away from my face. Before I can react in any way, I feel it's forehead connect with mine. A shadow is all it is, and the only way I can tell that we touch is the unbearable pain that resonates throughout my skull.

I hear high pitched screams in the distance and it takes me several seconds to associate them as coming from myself. Another layer of sound is in the background, though it is muffled and diluted. It seems like someone calling my name. Colt, I assume.

I am aware of the grass rustling around my body. Several agonizing seconds later, I feel the shadow's presence leave me. Now all I can sense is a deep numbness spreading throughout my body.

I open my eyes groggily, to see Peter and Colt looking down on me in concern.

"Are you alright?" They ask in unison. If I was capable of laughing, I would. They say the exact same words but they are delivered much differently. Colt sounds truly worried and Peter says it just because he feels obligated to do so, with no feeling whatsoever.

My attempt at laughter just leads to a seemingly endless fit of coughing. The tow boys got up so I could have my space. Once my head has stopped spinning and the wave of nausea has receded, I manage to scramble into a sitting position against the base of a tree.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pan's POV

As soon as it appears that Erin won't throw up on me, I make a spur of the moment decision: I lean in and kiss her on the mouth.

She stiffens in shock and distrust, then gradually grows comfortable with my touch. Our lips remain locked for several seconds, tongue slipping in every once in a while. Erin seems to think it feels real, though I feel no emotional connection.

We pull away from each other and notice Colt's glare in the same moment.

"Having fun?" there is a cold undertone in Colt's voice. I start to wonder if there is something going on between them.

Erin tries to speak, "Colt..."

"Why would you trust him? His shadow just tried to hurt you, kill you even! I've been nothing but nice to you, why can't you trust me?" Colt says angrily.

"You know I don't exactly have control over what my shadow does," I interject. "I question your loyalty, Colt. Wasn't I the one who saved you from the fate of becoming a Nazi? Who brought you here to live forever? I can always send you back, you know."

Colt's jaw tightens.

"Colt, it's fine, really. I can handle things myself," she says, standing up unsteadily. She then her arms slide around my waist in a side hug, her head tilted to peer into my face, and continues, "And Peter, please don't be so hard on Colt."

I let my expression soften slightly, "Alright, for you." To make it even more believable, I lean down and kiss her forehead lightly.

Colt shakes his head in disbelief and sulks away.

"You promise that you didn't make your shadow do that to me?" Erin asks, taking a few steps back from me.

"Promise," I say.

And I'm not lying. I didn't make Shadow do that, but I didn't stop him either.

A/N: Sorry for updating a day late :/